Lunch with a Friend

About a month ago (May 19), I wrote about my experience at the BloodhoundBlog Unchained conference in Phoenix. The inspiration from the conference is still with me – I’m still working on my list of 30+ “things to do” which came out of my experience there.

One of the presenters at the conference is a fabulous Realtor® from Dayton, Ohio – Teri Lussier. She describes herself as “Real estate professional, social networking participant, Web 2.0 enthusiast. “ Being that we’re both in practice in the general “Midwest”, we struck a chord together at the conference. Her market in Dayton is not dissimilar from my market in the Ann Arbor and Saline area.

Yesterday (June 26), Teri and I met for lunch in Findlay, Ohio – about halfway between Dayton and Ann Arbor.

Our conversation ranged all over the map – follow-up from the conference, what we’ve implemented in our businesses as a result of the conference, family updates, and blogging in general.

The bulk of our conversation, though, was about Teri’s latest efforts at BloodhoundBlog. Project Bloodhound has been launched. The goal of the project is to collect some of the best and brightest comments and answers to questions. Those who will be asking the questions are six new participants at BloodhoundBlog. Their experience as Realtors® and as Bloggers ranges from newbie to experienced pro. Being a regular reader and commenter at BloodhoundBlog, I look forward to watching Project Bloodhound unfold. And with Teri’s guiding hand (keyboard? Mouse?), the project will be fabulous.

Hat’s off to you, Teri!

The "Top Ten" Most Expensive Homes for Sale in our Area

OK, this post is meant solely to gain your attention. Isn’t that what “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” was all about? Here in Washtenaw County, we’re blessed with two great universities, as well as myriad employers. The economic diversity we have in Washtenaw County is amazing. Because of that diversity, we have some amazing homes. Here are the 10 most expensive homes for sale in our area (9 are in Ann Arbor, 1 is in Dexter) as of mid-March, 2008. 1. $6,750,000 2525 Country Club Rd., Ann Arbor 18,300 sq. ft., 9 BR, 10 ½ baths. 2. $4,000,000 2900 Delhi Rd., Ann Arbor 7918 sq. ft., 5 BR, 3 ½ baths. 3. $3,950,000 5388 Geddes Rd., Ann Arbor 6500 sq. ft., 5 BR, 5 ½ baths. 4. $3,600,000 3650 Daleview Dr., Ann Arbor 11450 sq. ft., 5 BR, 6 full, 2 half-baths. 5. $3,500,000 230 Corrie Rd., Ann Arbor 9000 sq. ft., 5 BR, 4 1/2 bath 6. $2,999,000 3019 N. Maple, Ann Arbor 15,185 sq. ft., 4 BR, 3 ½ baths 7. $2,775,000 5484 Meadowcrest Dr., Ann Arbor 14,543 sq. ft., 5 BR, 7 ½ baths. 8. $2,225,000 5800 Cobble Lane, Dexter 5631 sq. ft., 6 BR, 5 ½ baths. 9. $1,900,000 5270 Geddes Rd., Ann Arbor 2907 sq. ft., 2 BR, 2 baths 10. $1,850,000 330 Barton Shore Dr., Ann Arbor 4843 sq. ft., 6 BR, 5 ½ baths. If you’re curious to see these fabulous homes, you can check them out here. If you’d like to see any of these homes, call or e-mail me. Thanks!

Mackinaw Bridge Walk 2007

What a way to celebrate Labor Day 2007!

On the Fiftieth (50th) anniversary of the opening of the Mackinaw Bridge, connecting the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan, yesterday my family and I made the walk from St. Ignace to Mackinaw City.

The crowds were huge! On-line reports indicate that there were over 57,000 people who made the walk. The locals there told us that a typical figure was 25,000, although they expected more this year because of the 50th anniversary. Those of us who regularly attend UM football games, where the crowds are over 100,000, had no problem with the size of the crowd crossing the bridge. The only real issue was the traffic jam getting away from Mackinaw City following the walk.

The weather was perfect for the walk, sunny skies with temps around 80 degrees. The forecast for today, the Tuesday after Labor Day, had rainy skies and temps in the low 60s. So, the local Chamber of Commerce sure ordered up a good day for the walk!

Here’s a view of some of the crowd approaching the north tower.