MyNorth Real Estate | 2019 MNRE 9Real Estate
NORTHERN MICHIGAN | 2019We asked Realtor Joan O’Neill, RSPS, SRS (the RSPS
stands for “resort and second properties specialist”) at
Crystal Mountain Realty to share the inside scoop on why
to consider ski resort living. Turns out this topic hits very
close to home ... in the best way!Ski Out Your Door...
In Northern Michigan and particularly at resorts, families often gather and vacation
together. If looking for a vacation home that you’ll also rent out when not enjoying
it yourself, look for something with at least three bedrooms. Think of needing to
sleep at least two adult couples comfortably, plus multiple kids. Other things to look
for? Walkability to resort or downtown amenities, dining and living areas that can
seat as many folks as the home can sleep, a room or closet where you can stash
away your personal items when in use by a renter and ample parking. Look for
listings that mention being “turnkey” as that usually means that most or all of the
furnishings are included. And, homes at resorts with ski facilities also come with
the added benefit of a more balanced, year-round income stream.
I have a selfish plan for my family’s future. Right now, while my boys are
young, we enjoy living in Lake Ann, which in itself is a great place to raise a family.
But as my husband and I become empty nesters, my plan is to relocate to a resort
setting — the Mountain Woods neighborhood at Crystal Mountain, to be specific.
Most Northern Michigan resorts offer the perfect mix of amenities for an active
lifestyle, no matter what your pace. This particular neighborhood at Crystal, with
its towering hardwoods and rolling terrain, just says Northern Michigan to me, and
has the added benefit of the ski hills, pools, a fitness center and hiking and biking
trails on property. Plus—and here’s the selfish part—a home at such a place almost
guarantees my kids and someday their families, will visit me. Often.LEFT PHOTO BY TODD ZAWISTOWSKI // RIGHT PHOTO BY PETER FISHERJoan O’Neill, crystalmountainrealty.com
COLDWELL BANKER
SCHMIDT’S NEW DIGSThe little real estate office long
located where M22 doglegs through
Glen Arbor, began its life in the 1950s
as a flat-roofed, powder-blue log
cabin. Two decades later, then-
owners Peppler Realty faced the
exterior in brick, embellished with
post-and-beam, and topped it with a
cedar shake mansard roof—big style
for a tiny town where the fire sta-
tion still blew a noon whistle and the
Fourth of July parade was four cars
long. But when the Schmidt family
acquired the property in 2014, they
knew a do-over was long overdue.
Architect Jon Walter was brought
in to design a building, that as Mike
Schmidt, President of Coldwell Banker
Schmidt says, would fit into the town’s
historic character and reflect the
coastal properties the company rep-
resents. Beyond that, he adds: “We
really wanted to support Glen Arbor.”
Finished in June, the new office is
clad in real cedar shingles, trimmed
in white, and outfitted with dor-
mers, stylized eave brackets and a
handsome transom-topped front
door—elements that make it feel as
timeless as they do fresh. A square
cupola that mirrors a similar cupola
on Anderson’s Market across the
street succeeds in elevating the M22
intersection to the feel of an old-fash-
ioned town square. “It’s better than I
even imagined,” says Schmidt. Folks
around Glen Arbor couldn’t agree
more.—Elizabeth Edwards