www.joshsteinland.com

October 31st, 2008. Happy Halloween! Today is my birthday so Melissa and I are down at the camp. I can't think of any other place I'd rather be. I went hunting tonight, and now we're getting ready to have a delicious dinner. Melissa saw more deer from the cabin than I did out at my hunting spot. Go figure. Have a great weekend!

October 30th, 2008. Today was unseasonably warm, with temps rising back up to the high 60's. Tomorrow the temps are supposed to drop back down in the 40's, which makes me happier. Today I officially got a deal together on this home in Calumet. Have a great Friday!

October 29th, 2008. I look forward to October all year, I can't believe that it is almost over. There is a nice flurry of real estate activity right now. I'm expecting an offer on this Lake Superior home, and this Lake Superior vacant land. I keep reading about unemployment and the economy in the U.S., and then I open up the local paper and find out that the unemployment rate has declined in the U.P. If you don't live here, you should move here. I updated the hunting journal. I forgot to mention in the hunting journal the neat experience I had last night. It was already pretty enough as the sun was setting, but then a bald eagle came soaring down, I thought it was going to land in my lap, but then it coasted by about 6 feet from my face. I've never been that close eye-to-eye with an eagle. It was pretty awesome. Have a great day!

October 28th, 2008. It was really cold today. I've been sending out info to some prospective buyers. Today I picked up my deer meat from the processor. I'm excited to try a new smoked venison sausage recipe. By the way, be sure to check out the new 'wildlife cam'. I'm starting to see lots of deer on it. Just like with hunting, the best time to watch it is at dawn and dusk. I had an interesting hunt tonight, but I won't be able to post the video until tomorrow, so hang in there. Take Care!

October 27th, 2008. The phone was ringing off the hook today. I've got a couple of new potential deals in the works. There is a new poll question for you to vote on. We had some snow flurries in the air, but we didn't get any accumulation. I was excited to go hunting tonight. I posted some new footage on the hunting journal. This site is getting incredible traffic lately, and I'm glad you're enjoying it. Please remember to send a friend here so they might enjoy it too. Have a great day!

October 26th, 2008. It was a busy weekend as I was hosting my friend Gary and my brother Adam down at the cabin. We had a great time. I didn't do any hunting, as I was more concerned with making sure my brother had some good hunting. They both left today, and it felt good to just take a day off. I think this was the first Sunday that I actually watched football this season. The Lions lost, not surprisingly. I'm looking forward to a good week of working and hunting. Have a great week!

October 24th, 2008. What a crazy day. In the morning I went back up to Calumet to take some outside pictures of the house that I just listed there. When I got back, I officially loaded it onto the MLS, and put it on the market. At about 3:00 my brother Adam showed up for his short weekend of hunting with me. I took him out to one of my best stands, which is in the middle of nowhere. As he was climbing into the stand, we met a bird hunter that was walking through. It was very frustrating to have another hunter out wandering around your best hunting spot, especially when I've never seen another human out there for 7 years. But, it is public land, and he has every right to be there. Anyhow, as I'm typing this, my brother is still out hunting in the pouring rain. I have to go get him at dark, since I wouldn't expect him to find his way out of the unfamiliar territory. After I dropped him off, I went up to Calumet to show the new house listing to some buyers that I have been working with. They loved it, and wrote a great offer. The sellers accepted it. Approximate time on the market......6 hours. Not bad, eh?

October 23rd, 2008. We're still negotiating on the 40 acre parcel near Mud Lake. We are very, very close. Tonight I listed a house in Calumet, great house, great value. Check out the hunting journal for a successful hunt for my friend Gary. There is a new poll question for you to vote on. Have a great Friday!!

October 22nd, 2008. Today I received an offer on this 40 acre parcel near Mud Lake. We are currently in negotiations. My buddy Gary and I both saw quite a few deer tonight. I won't do the hunting journal until tomorrow when I can load up the video footage. Tomorrow I'll be listing a house in Calumet. Take Care!

October 21st, 2008. This morning was very frosty and cold. Gary and I decided to take a day off of hunting, and go fishing instead. I have never fished this late in the year for pike, but I've always read that it can be very good. We bundled up in all of our warm gear, and went out on one of my favorite secret lakes. It was so cold! Well, it was worth it. We landed well over 30 pike. It was excellent fishing. We were out there for about 7 hours. It was really fun. It was nice to come home and warm up to some delicious chili that Melissa made for us. Also, here is the new 80 acre listing near Jacobsville. It is hard to find 80 acres with year round access and utilities. Undisturbed, not logged. Very rare find. I already had a call on it today. Have a great day!

October 20th, 2008. I hope everybody is having a great week! My buddy Gary is up to hunt, so we've been out in the woods a lot, and enjoying the camp. By the way, my buck ended up weighing 171 lbs, field dressed. That is my heaviest deer to date. Tomorrow I'll have some info on here about an exciting new 80 acre parcel that I just listed. Take Care!

October 18th, 2008. I got a buck! Check out the hunting journal!

October 17th, 2008. Finally Friday! Today I had a closing on a 20 acre parcel just outside of Hancock. Congrats on adding to your empire Walt! I actually am looking forward to seeing your cabin. Tomorrow I'm hoping to list a new 80 acre parcel near Jacobsville. My friend Gary is supposed to be up later tomorrow for some serious hunting and hanging out at the cabin. Have a great weekend!

October 16th, 2008. Today at work I got everything ready for a closing that I have on Friday. Here is my new listing overlooking the Traprock River. Also, there a couple of new bucks that have been e-mailed to me for the buck pole, so check them out if you like. I had a fun hunt tonight, and have some of my first buck footage of the year on the hunting journal. Enjoy!

October 15th, 2008. Today I listed a nice building site overlooking the Traprock River. I'll have details tomorrow. I also am in the process of listing an 840 acre parcel. They took the skywalks down on the main drag in Houghton. It looks really different, but definitely opens up the view. We are back to having fall weather. Take Care!

October 13th, 2008. Today I drove down to Michigamme to show a 240 acre parcel. Talk about remote. I've been to some very remote places, and this one is definitely up there. Nice property, but too far for these buyers I'm afraid. Also, I've had a couple of different potential buyers inform me that they thought it was virtually impossible to get vacant land financing from banks right now. WRONG! We have different banks that are ready to loan money on vacant land with as little as 10% down. We've got connections with lenders, so don't ever worry about that. I can't wait for the weather to cool down so I can get back to hunting. Have a great day!

October 12th, 2008. Did you have a good weekend? It sure was warm here. The temps almost reached 80 degrees today. Way too warm for hunting. Saturday I had a good time at my sister-in-law's housewarming party. Sunday I put up some trim at the camp. Here is a new listing near Copper City. Tomorrow I'm showing this great buy near Michigamme. I'm going to start crossing my fingers for snow!

October 10th, 2008. This morning I had a closing on a house I had listed in Houghton. After that, I spent some time in the office entering a new listing. In the early afternoon, I went out near Rice Lake to show this 20 acre parcel. The showing went pretty well. I went hunting in the afternoon, but didn't see any deer. Now Melissa and I are enjoying a night at the cabin. Have a great weekend!

October 9th, 2008. Today was super windy, 40 mph plus. Melissa went with me to take pics and put up signs on some more new listings in northern Houghton county. Afterward, we had a great dinner at the Harbor Haus in Copper Harbor, and then made a few stops to visit friends. Here is my new 80 acre listing on Brockway Mountain. It doesn't get any prettier than this. Here is a new waterfront listing on Lake Superior. It is very difficult to find this size parcel in this price range. Have a great day!

October 8th, 2008. Today I listed two new properties, one on Lake Superior, and one on Brockway Mountain. Both of them are truly spectacular. With all of the doom and gloom media coverage about our national economy, we here in the U.P. feel better than ever to be up here. Our economy doesn't work like much of the country, and while many cities are struggling, our banks are solid, and our real estate business isn't seeing any noticeable change. Even though most of the factors hurting this country don't affect us, I suppose there can be some ripple effect. But I do know this, by the time the ripples reach the U.P., they are pretty small. Take Care!

October 7th, 2008. Another beautiful fall day. Today I finalized the paperwork for a closing on Friday. I found out my friend Jim wasn't actually leaving until Wednesday morning, so we went hunting tonight. He missed a buck tonight, so he is a little disappointed. I'll update the hunting journal tomorrow. I'm ready to get back to work. Have a wonderful day!

October 6th, 2008. It was a wet and windy Monday here in the Keweenaw.

We're planning to go to dinner and bowling with my friend Jim tonight, and then he'll be leaving tomorrow morning. We sure had a great time staying at the camp. I'm going to be listing a couple of new properties tomorrow. I did make an entry in the hunting journal tonight. Take Care!

October 5th, 2008. The weekend is over already. My friend Jim showed up on Saturday to do some hunting and stay at the cabin. We hunted Saturday and Sunday. For some reason, the deer just aren't very active. Regardless, we really enjoyed staying at the cabin. I did get a little bit of footage for the hunting journal, but I won't be able to post it until tomorrow. Have a great week!

October 3rd, 2008. The cabin is finally ready for occupancy. My company is showing up tomorrow, and we're excited to stay out there and have fun. It is really looking great. I didn't go hunting once again as I was working out there all day. This weekend I plan to get in some hunting, and I'm sure I'll have some great footage for the hunting journal on Monday. Here is the new cabin listing north of Ontonagon. It is a really nice place. Have a great weekend, I can't wait to hit the woods!

October 2nd, 2008. A very cool fall day in the U.P. After work this morning, Melissa and I went down to do more work on the cabin. It is after 1:00 in the morning, and we just got home. We got a ton of work done. I didn't go hunting tonight. I'm not sure if I'm going to go tomorrow either, as the weather has been so windy. I have to keep reminding myself that all this work on the cabin will eventually pay off with some relaxation. I'm ready for sleep, take care!

October 1st, 2008. Opening day of archery season is here! I had to go down to the cabin so I could let the electricians in to finish their part. I can't wait to stay out there! Since I was already down there, I decided to hunt 'the nisula spot' tonight. I knew it wasn't the best conditions, very windy, which makes the deer extra edgy. The hunting journal is back! Check out the story and video there! Have a great day!

September 30, 2008. It is late, and I am tired. I have to keep reminding myself that this cabin will be relaxing at some point. Wednesday is opening day of archery season! You can't even imagine how excited I am! Here is a new 40 acre parcel I listed just south of Houghton. I also went down to Ontonagon today and listed a really nice new cabin. Don't forget to vote on the new 'poll question'. Weather permitting, I can't wait to go hunting!

September 29, 2008. It was a good Monday. I listed a 40 acre parcel not too far from Houghton. I got caught up on plenty of paperwork. After my wife got out of work, we hauled some furniture and a stove down to the camp. I'm getting excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have a super busy day tomorrow. Have a great day!

September 28, 2008. Typical Keweenaw weather. It was 88 degrees one day, and I woke up to 37 degrees this morning. We put in a busy weekend at the camp. I'm getting very close to being done. We got the floor down tonight. It looks great. I'm ready to start moving some furniture in. I ran out of pine, so I have to get more before I can finish the bedroom. Tomorrow I have showings and listings. Have a great Monday!

September 26, 2008. We spent too much money at Menards this morning, but we got many things that we needed. We worked till dark on the camp again, and we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The internet good hooked up out there today as well. Anyhow, check out pic of the day for the progress. I'll be putting in long hours this weekend trying to wrap it up. Have a great weekend!

September 25, 2008. Melissa and I worked on the camp today, and now we are in Marquette. She has to take a test for her job here tomorrow morning, so we decided to arrive the night before. We had a delicious dinner at Villa Capri. Now we're going to watch the season premier of "Grey's Anatomy". Tomorrow I'll pick up some supplies at Menards before we head back. Have a great Friday!

September 24, 2008. Tonight I finished up the ceiling at the camp. I'm very glad to have that part done. Hopefully by the end of the weekend, I'll have all the walls done. We'll see. I got some more pictures back from my trail cameras at some of my hunting spots. Lots of nice deer around this year. Have a great day!

September 23, 2008. Today I worked on putting together an upcoming closing. I put new tires on my truck today, which ended up being a little more money than I anticipated. It seems the price of everything is going up these days. Tonight I went down to the camp to continue work. I am one day away from being done with the ceiling. I can't wait. By the time deer season arrives, I won't be able to stay awake in my treestand. Oh, here is a prime new property that I just listed, click here.

September 22, 2008. Today I was stranded, so I was working from home. I had to drop my truck off at the shop to get a new wheel bearing put on. I entered in a new listing today, and got lots of stuff done around the house. My wife was pleasantly surprised when she got home and the dishes were done. Have a terrific Tuesday!

September 21, 2008. It was a weekend full of work. I spent my time out at the cabin, working hard trying to get it 'move-in' ready. I have the toilet installed, and the tongue & groove is completed on 1/2 of the ceiling. The ceiling is very slow going, especially doing it by yourself. It sure looks nice though. It has been fun to watch the deer feeding on the rye at all hours of the day. I have a picture of a buck on 'pic of the day'. Be sure to visit the new "wildlife cam". I stumbled across this site, it is a corn feeder with a 24 hour webcam set up in the woods. You can watch deer and other wildlife at any given time of the day. Have a great week!

September 19, 2008. I hope everybody had a good Friday. I took pictures of my new listing on Lake Superior. I can't wait to show you the listing on Monday. Tonight I had showings on a few different remote parcels in Torch Lake Township. I think they went pretty well. I forgot to mention yesterday I got pictures of two different nice bucks on my trail camera. I'm pretty excited about the upcoming archery season. Have a great weekend!

September 18, 2008. Melissa and I had a productive night down at the cabin. I got the tongue & groove pine all done in the bathroom, this weekend I'll see how much more I can get done. We saw 3 deer out there tonight. There is a new poll question for you to vote on. Have a great Friday!

September 17, 2008. Lots of closings are happening. I closed on a nice Lake Superior parcel in Baraga county, I closed on the house in Highway Location, and today I closed on a house in Laurium. I also listed a 40 acre parcel just outside of Houghton today, and a 34 acre parcel on Lake Superior. I'll have photos and details in a few days. By the way, if you have been watching this great buy near Keweenaw Bay, you better call me because I have three different buyers looking at it. Our leaves are starting to change color as we are speeding toward October. Take Care!

September 16, 2008. Back to work. I had a final walk through on a house I sold in Laurium that is closing tomorrow. It didn't take too long to get caught up at the office, but I still have plenty of phone calls to return. After dinner tonight, the phone rang with a buyer that seemed pretty serious about some vacant land listings I have out near Rice Lake. I printed off some paperwork and headed out for some late night showings. I was actually showing some land tonight with the headlights of my truck. I think that is a first for me. It went pretty well, so we'll see what happens. Have a great day!

September 16, 2008. Home sweet home! After a long day of travel, it feels great to be back in the keweenaw. Tomorrow I'll be diving back into work to get caught up. Check out 'pic of the day' today, it is pretty amazing!

September 15, 2008. It is Sunday night, our last night in Las Vegas. It has been a really fantastic trip. Lots to see, lots of fun, and great dinners. Vacations are great, but it is always great to get back home. I can't wait to get back to the U.P., and sleep in my own bed. Long day of traveling tomorrow. Have a great week!

September 12, 2008. Greetings from sunny Las Vegas! We had smooth travels, and are trying to get used to the 3 hour time change. We have already covered a lot of ground out here, and are having a great time. We're going to catch a show tonight. There are so many great places to eat out there, that you could never visit them all. Have a great weekend, I know we will!

September 09, 2008. I woke up to kind of a bad surprise this morning. My neck hurt terribly, and I could barely move it. Somehow I slept wrong, and ended up having to go to the chiropractor. It is still sore, but hopefully that won't happen again. We're trying to get all the loose ends tied up before we leave for Las Vegas! We had 2 free round trip plane ticket vouchers from a cancelled flight last year, so we have to use them up before they expire. We'll be out there until Monday. I'll have my laptop, so I'll be checking in. Tonight I finished up some things at the camp so I'll be ready to get going on the paneling when I get back. I had a couple of deer come out and eat in the food plot tonight, it was fun to watch them while I worked. Talk to you tomorrow from Las Vegas!

September 08, 2008. It was a busy Monday. I'm getting my closings all set to go before we leave town later this week. We're getting plenty of inquiries from buyers as of late. By the way, this house in Houghton is probably the best residential deal I've seen this year. This would be a great rental opportunity, or an inexpensive home for yourself. It is currently being re-painted. After work tonight, I went out and worked on a couple of my deer blinds. My deer hunting is a lot of work, but it is a labor of love. Anyhow, time to eat dinner and watch Monday Night Football with my wife. Talk to you tomorrow!

September 07, 2008. I hope everybody had a great weekend. Saturday I worked on the camp all day. The electrician came and hooked up the lights and most of the outlets. I finished the insulating and am ready for the tongue & groove pine. We now have a huge sow with two cubs hanging around the camp. Check out 'pic of the day'. Have a great week!

September 05, 2008. Friday already? My seller accepted the offer that we received on his home. Cash deal, close in 14 days, they don't get much better than that. I found out today that I can get DSL internet installed at my camp for free! It seems hard to believe to me, but they swear that it is there. That will be nice. My camp is turning out to be quite comfortable. My long term goal is to get a webcam set-up over my food plot, so we can all watch wildlife 24/7, right here on joshsteinland.com! After work tonight, I got a treestand set at a new spot that I'll call "the river bottom". I can't wait to hunt it. I only have 2 more stands to set before season. Have a great weekend!

September 04, 2008. It was another "fall like" day up here, and you won't hear any complaints from me. After work, Melissa and I went down to the camp to get some work done. We got the bathroom floor in, and the inside about 70% insulated. I'm almost ready for the tongue & groove. I can finally see light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm really excited. On the way in, we stopped at the "mosquito inn". We've never been there before, and we experienced some real U.P. culture. It was great. I also found out tonight that I received an offer on one my houses, so I'm anxious to get to the office in the morning and check it out. Have a great Friday!

September 03, 2008. It is 50 degrees in the Keweenaw as I am typing this journal. The temperature has dropped more than 30 degrees in 24 hours. Today was busy at work. Tonight I was treated to a great dinner at our sister-in-law's house. Melissa's uncle found me a good deal on a refrigerator tonight (for the camp), so I drove up to Mohawk and bought it. Tomorrow Melissa and I are headed to the camp, and I'm hoping to get lots of things accomplished. I can't wait until it is ready to be occupied. Take Care!

September 02, 2008. We've really been needing some rain, and it is pouring down right now. That is good news. Today was a good day at work, getting caught up on everything, and working towards some nice closings. I also put a house on the market today. I am also going to be listing a nice cabin on Ontonagon county. I feel very fortunate that I've built up my reputation enough that listings keep coming to me, and I don't have to chase them. I've even turned down several listings this year, when I thought they weren't saleable. Is that a word? Anyhow, I picked out the flooring today for the camp. I'll start insulating the inside this week, and getting the bathroom together. I'm anxious for another productive day tomorrow. See ya!

September 01, 2008. Is it September already? Another summer is flying by. However, I never get down about Summer ending, because I know that Fall is coming. Fall is by far my favorite season, mainly because it is deer season. I can't wait! I still have lots of treestands to set, but it has simply been too hot to do anything the last couple of days. It is supposed to cool off Wednesday, so hopefully I can get back to the woods. I'm ready to get back to work tomorrow, as I have several closings that are ready to go. We have another short trip coming up in the middle of September, so I'll be working double time this week trying to catch up. Have a fantastic week!

August 29, 2008. We've covered a lot of ground on this vacation, but it has been a great time. We had fun at the Tigers games, and we even visited the Detroit Zoo. Now we've been making the rounds trying to make sure we see everybody. I went to the sporting goods store and got my bow ready for archery season. I did some shooting at my brother's last night, and I've never shot better. I can't wait until October 1st. We'll be hitting the road north on Saturday. We are going to stop at the camp on the way home to check on the food plot and trail camera pics, I really can't wait for that. Next time I write in the journal, I'll be back home! Have a great weekend!

August 26, 2008. Greetings from Detroit! We're having a great time. We went fishing a couple of days ago, and caught a ton of bass. I can't wait to post some pics when we get home. We went to the Detroit Tigers game last night. The tigers lost a close one, but it was still lots of fun. We'll be at tonight's game as well. After driving around the big city for awhile, I can see why tourists are so excited to get up to the U.P. where driving is actually enjoyable and relaxing. Have a great day!

August 24, 2008. Greetings from Traverse City! I finally bought a laptop yesterday, so it is nice to be able to check in from the road. We're at our hotel right now getting ready to head down to my hometown. We might even do a little fishing today. Our friends' wedding was yesterday. It was an absolutely beautiful wedding, we had a great time. Traverse City is a very pretty area. I don't have any pics on this new computer, so I'll be counting on you guys to e-mail me some pics for 'pic of the day'. Please e-mail me at josh@swoh.us, and I'll post them when I get a chance. Have a great week!

August 21, 2008. Today was a long but productive day. I did some interior work on the camp, and got the deer food plot planted. Perfect timing, as it is supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow. I also went a got a treestand set at "the nisula spot". I had to move the stand this year, because my other tree blew over in a windstorm. Glad I wasn't in it. I'm getting very anxious for archery season on October 1st. I also located a good deal this afternoon on some tongue/groove hemlock for the interior of the camp. Not enough to do the whole thing, but I think I'll use it for the bedroom, bathroom, and closets. I'll likely do the rest in cedar. Tonight Melissa and I checked out the Houghton County fair. It was a beautiful night, and it was very busy. In all of the years I've lived here, that is the first time I've been to it. Tonight we're packing our bags because we are hitting the road tomorrow for our trip to lower Michigan. We'll be going to a wedding, shopping, fishing, 2 Tiger games, and we'll even so some farming. Should be quite a week. My internet access will be limited, so I'll check in if/when I get a chance. If you need to buy any property, just wait until I get back! Take Care!

August 20, 2008. I got the offer accepted this morning on the Gratiot River acreage. Congrats to Lyle and Pam! I closed on a waterfront parcel on Baraga county, and a lot on Rice Lake. I'm thankful everyday that our real estate market has continued to be so strong while much of the country is struggling. I'm excited to plant the food plot at the camp tomorrow. Have a great day!

August 19, 2008. The offer on the Laurium house was accepted. I haven't heard back on the riverfront parcel yet, but I expect it to be accepted. After work, I went to work on the camp (as usual). I put down fertilizer and lime where I'll be planting my food plot on Thursday. I have a handy little rig that hooks on the back of my ATV to spread it. The food plot will be a mix of rye and and other preferred deer forage. It will be fun to watch the deer from the camp. Tonight was a big night, as I finally finished the exterior of the camp. I am finally done! I'm glad to have it done before our vacation next week. When I get back, I'll start insulating the walls, and then prepping it to be liveable. Have a great day!

August 18, 2008. Monday was busy as usual. At about 10:30 this morning, I thought to myself, "my phone is awfully quiet for a Monday morning". I looked at my phone and had 6 messages already, I had forgot to take the phone off of "silent". I wrote an offer today on a house in Laurium, and also wrote an offer on a piece of riverfront in Keweenaw county. After work today I went down to the camp to get one step closer to being done with the exterior work. The front is half sided, and I'm about a day away from being totally done with the outside work. Did you watch Michael Phelps win 8 gold medals? Wow!

August 17, 2008. I hope that everybody had a great weekend. I worked on the cabin pretty much all weekend. The bottom is all skirted and vented. My wife and sister-in-law helped with that job, which required lots of digging. They really put in a lot of work, it was a big help. The door is in now, so the cabin is officially 'locked up'. I'm ready to put siding on the front, then I'll be totally done with the exterior. Sunday was very hot up here, with temps well over 90 degrees. I was going to set a treestand for deer season, but I opted to wait for a cooler day. This week will be very busy, as I'm trying to get everything organized so we can go downstate on Friday. Take Care!

August 15, 2008. I'm really glad it is Friday. This morning I had a showing on this fantastic waterfront home in Eagle River. The showing went very well. I sure would be happy to get that one together. I have 4 closings coming up in the next week, so I've been busy with that. Tonight I had another great showing on some waterfront. I'm looking forward to getting some work done on the camp this weekend. 1 more week until vacation!

August 14, 2008. Today I had a showing on a Lake Superior lot, and also a showing on my Lake Eva lot. These are waterfront parcels that actually have a large amount of acreage, which is getting harder and harder to find. Tonight I also had a showing on a home in Laurium. Lots of lookers. The highlight of the day was closing on my sister-in-law's house. This was her first home purchase, which is always exciting. Congrats Erin!

August 13, 2008. The days keep flying by. I've been extremely busy, and I'm looking forward to our upcoming trip at the end of August. Paperwork was the word of the day today. We had the playoffs in our volleyball league tonight. We made it to the semi-finals, but lost. I'm actually relieved that it is over. Good exercise, but I'd rather have the night to be working on the camp. We've been enjoying watching Michael Phelps dominate the swimming at the olympics. He is a special athlete for sure. We had some friends over tonight, grilled some steaks, and had a great time. Time to go to bed. Bye!

August 12, 2008. Today was a very hectic day. Lots of deals happening all at once. I also had showings today on a couple of houses, and this piece of land near Hancock. Lots of interest on it lately. After work tonight, I drove down to the cabin. I got there kind of late, but figured I could still get some work in. I finished up insulating underneath the floor, and got a little more skirting in place to seal off the bottom. Got some nice deer pics from the trail camera. Tomorrow will be a busy day at work. Take Care!

August 11, 2008. Work was off to a busy start this week with two home inspections Monday morning. One year ago today I got married to my wonderful wife. We drove up to Copper Harbor for our anniversary dinner. It was an absolutely beautiful night, and we had a great time. I'm lucky to have her, and I'm lucky to live here. Have a great day!

August 10, 2008. It was a beautiful, productive weekend. Saturday I was at the camp working. I got 2/3 of the insulation done underneath the floor, but I ran short on materials. I spent the rest of the day finishing some random stuff on the camp. As you've seen on pic of the day, I have bears out there. They are fun to watch, but can become a nuisance quickly. Sunday I actually started preparation for the upcoming archery deer season. I got a new treestand set up at one of my best spots. Setting up a new spot can be quite a bit of work, lots of climbing, sawing, trimming etc. 1 spot down, 4 to go. The hunting journal should be entertaining this year. Have a great week!

August 08, 2008. I put two deals together today, which always makes me happy. The house that I listed last Saturday is officially under contract. I also got an offer accepted tonight on some lakefront property. I have lots of buyers traveling north this month to look at land and homes. It should be a fantastic month. I'm looking forward to trying to make more progress on the camp this weekend. There is a new poll question to vote on. Have a great weekend!

August 07, 2008. The days fly by when you are busy. I'm trying to get deals together on two different Rice Lake lots. Remember the house I mentioned yesterday in Houghton that was priced to sell? I wrote an offer on it tonight. If you price it right, we can sell it fast. Have a great Friday!

August 06, 2008. Lots of action in real estate. I had a closing today on a nice home in Dollar Bay, congrats to Roger & Cleo. This is a nice lot right in the City of Houghton that is priced low. The seller of this house in Houghton wants it sold within 2 weeks, and it is priced to do just that. I have already had 5 showing requests since the first day it hit the market. It is hard to find homes in that price range in Houghton that don't require a bunch of work. See ya!

August 05, 2008. The phones keep ringing as buyers are planning their trip to the U.P. to check out properties. Today I got everything prepared for a closing tomorrow. Tonight Melissa and I went up to the north part of the peninsula to do some fishing. It was much windier than expected, but we still managed to land a respectable number of fish. Other than the wind, it was a gorgeous night. Have a great day!

August 04, 2008. It was very hot in the Copper Country today. I took pics and put up signs at two of my new listings. I'll have info on here about them tomorrow. I am one step closer to writing an offer on a lot on Rice Lake. If you are looking for a good fishing lake, be sure to try it. I thought about heading down to the camp after work, but I'm just too tired. I need a little rest, I noticed my throat is a little sore. I sure hope I'm not coming down with something. Did you hear about the shooting on the Wisconsin/Upper Peninsula line? Horrible. I'll never understand what drives people to do things. Take Care!

August 03, 2008. It was a very productive weekend. Saturday I listed a building site in Houghton, and a rental home. I have to get both of them on the market Monday. In the afternoon we had our State Wide summer cookout. The weather was fantastic all weekend. Saturday night Melissa and I went down to the camp to get some more work done, and then Sunday I was down there all day and got a lot done. I am 75% done with the siding. The outside is almost completely done. I've been working my tail off, and I'll be looking forward to the day when I go down there to simply relax. Have a great week!

August 01, 2008. August is here already. Today was another paperwork day. I've had a couple of good leads on some of my larger land parcels. I also had a second call today on this fantastic Lake Superior home. Tomorrow we're having a cookout/party for our office. It should be a good time. Melissa gave me a great surprise today. When we travel downstate for a wedding next month, we'll be going to a couple of Detroit Tiger games. As you can imagine, I'm pretty excited. Have a great weekend!

July 31, 2008. Can you believe that July is over? It seems like we were waiting forever for summer, and now it is August. After over a year of waiting, we finally have an official easement for some properties I had under contract north of L'anse. I'm relieved to finally be able to close the deals. Today I went down to the camp, and continued work on siding it. Check out pic of the day to see the progress. Have a great Friday!

July 30, 2008. How was your Wednesday? Not a whole lot of excitement here, mainly paperwork. We had volleyball league tonight, and won our first series of the year. We aren't very good, but we are improving. After ample time on the poll question, you guys have spoken, and I'll be leaving the same coverage area for properties on the site. Thanks for your input. Check out today's new poll question. Talk to you tomorrow!

July 29, 2008. This morning was full of thunder and rain. We even lost power momentarily. After it cleared, I went out to Rice Lake to show a couple of lots. It went very well, we should be writing an offer at some point. After work tonight I went down to the camp to keep working. I have started siding it, and I think it is looking really nice. I'm looking forward to getting the exterior done for good. Have a great day!

July 28, 2008. Monday is here and gone. My phone was ringing all day with real estate happenings. In the afternoon, I went down to Pelkie to show Joanie (a regular here on the site) and her husband this log cabin. It is a truly spectacular property, we'll see what happens. I had to make the final decision today on what color siding I'll be putting on my camp. I'm anxious to get started. I'll post pics once I get it going. I'll be off showing waterfront parcels tomorrow. Take Care!

July 27, 2008. I hope everybody had a fantastic weekend. I worked on the camp all day Saturday, getting the windows installed. I had a couple of good assistants, which made everything go smoothly. The electricity is now hooked up, which makes things even easier. I was happy to get out fishing Sunday. It was a little slow, I caught 2 pike and 1 bass. I lost one nice bass. I'm sure he'll be there next time. Summer is flying by, and I still have lots to do. Have a great week!

July 25, 2008. Greeting from up north! We had a great time bowling last night, but couldn't stay too late as I had work to do in the morning. This morning I had a second showing on a nice home up in Laurium, where we ended up writing an offer. I keep hearing complaining about the real estate market in our country, but for some reason I am consistently busy. I couldn't ask for better. Right now is a great time to buy property in the U.P. I'm excited to get out to the camp this weekend and continue progress. Have a fantastic weekend!

July 24, 2008. I'm getting everything around to put windows and doors on the camp. I'm looking forward to getting it all 'buttoned up'. It was another warm day up here. Melissa had the day off, so she and her cousin enjoyed the beach today. The current poll question is really important to the site, and the current voting is split right down the middle. If you haven't voted on it yet, please do. Have a great day!

July 23, 2008. Today was a gorgeous summer day. I sent out a purchase agreement on 20 acres near Mass City. Here is the fantastic new listing on Lake Eva. If you are looking for a large lakefront parcel, you won't find one prettier than this. Tonight we played volleyball right on the waterfront. Nothing like a beautiful summer night, watching the boats go up and down the Portage Canal. Wish you were here?

July 22, 2008. Today I officially got the deal together on the 400 acre sale. I went down to Lake Eva, to take pictures and put up signs on my new listing. Lake Eva is one of the prettiest lakes I have ever seen. I had to bring my fishing pole, just to make sure it is suitable for my buyers..;). I actually caught 3 bass right from shore within 15 minutes. I love my job. Anyhow, look for the listing details tomorrow. Off to watch a movie tonight. Have a great day!

July 21, 2008. I spent most of the day setting up appointments for this week. I'm one step closer to putting together a deal on 400 acres. Weather permitting, I plan to go to beautiful Lake Eva tomorrow to take pics of my new listing out there. It rained most of the day, but it has really turned beautiful tonight. There is a new poll question, and it is important, so please vote! I hope your week is off to a great start!

July 20, 2008. It was a great weekend. Saturday morning I showed a few houses up around Calumet. Later that day, we had fun at the Ahmeek Car Show. There was a great turnout. Some relatives are up on vacation, so we all hung out and played some cards. On Sunday, we had a good turnout for our first cookout at our 'cabin in progress'. We had a nice fire all day, played games, and ate lots of great food. Everybody definitley had a great time. I'm even more anxious now to make more progress on the camp. Time for another busy week. Bye!

July 18, 2008. I had a walkthrough this morning on a home I am selling in Dollar Bay. After that, I had showings on 4 houses in Hancock. I ended up writing an offer on a house in Dodgeville this afternoon. I put up signs on my new log home listing in Tapiola. I am confident that it will sell quickly. Tonight Melissa and I went down to the cabin to do some clean-up and organizing since we are having a cookout this weekend with family and friends. It should be lots of fun. Have a fantastic weekend!

July 17, 2008. Busy day. I listed a beautiful log home on 15 acres with Otter River frontage in southern Houghton county. I can't wait to get the listing on here so you can see it. I have lots of deals in the works as we speak. Tonight I showed my sister-in-law some houses since she just moved back to Houghton. One of them that we looked at is probably going to be 'the one'. Lots of random stuff was accomplished today, and now it is pouring rain. Looking forward to another busy day tomorrow. FYI, I have been having some trouble with my e-mail service. If you have sent me an e-mail and haven't had a reply, please re-send it. Thanks!

July 16, 2008. I got the offer accepted on the highway location house. I've had tons of showings on it, so I'm glad to get it under contract. Today I worked with the electricians on the camp all day. I used to think electrician work couldn't be too physically demanding, but I was wrong! I'm pretty tuckered out after being out there for 11 hours. Back to work tomorrow. I'll be listing a great log cabin, and some waterfront on Lake Eva. Have a great day!

July 15, 2008. After work this afternoon, I went down to the camp to pick up a load of building supplies/junk so I could drop them off at the county transfer station. One load down, several to go. Tomorrow the electricians are going to do their thing. I had to go back to the office after hours tonight to write the offer on my highway location house. It is a very good offer, and I'm sure we'll get it together. I better get to bed since I have to get up early tomorrow. Take Care!

July 14, 2008. Today was a great day. I had a great showing on my home listing in Highway Location. The buyers called me tonight and are coming in to write a good offer tomorrow. I've been working on a deal that is 400 acres, and it looks like it is finally coming together. After work, my buddy and I went up to Keweenaw county to do some fishing. We didn't do great, but we didn't do bad. We probably caught about 8 pike. Afterwards, we did some Keweenaw cruising, went to Bete Grise, had some dinner in Lac La Belle, etc. The Lac La Belle Lodge is a beautiful place. There is no place like the Keweenaw!

July 13, 2008. Windy was the word of the weekend. Both Saturday and Sunday it was too windy to do much outdoor activity. If the weather is nice tonight maybe I can sneak away to go fishing. Melissa and I went to a birthday party for her little cousin on Saturday, it turned out to be a lot of fun. I met some good Yooper deer hunters and heard lots of stories that may or may not be true. Did you know that there are deer camps that go through so much beer, the beer distributing truck makes a special delivery out at the camp? Only in the U.P. eh? Anyhow, I have a showing this morning, and we're off and running on another week. Bye!

July 11, 2008. Today I wrote the offer on some waterfront out in Point Abbaye. The offer we wrote yesterday on the house in Dollar Bay was accepted. The rest of the country is complaining about the real estate market, but here in the U.P. we keep rolling along. Tonight Melissa and I enjoyed a great italian dinner at Gemignani's. Have a fantastic weekend!

July 10, 2008. Another good day. I'm working on writing an offer on some property north of L'anse. Tonight I did write an offer on a new house listing in Dollar Bay. It rained most of the day, but I suppose we needed it. I've got a real itch to go fishing as soon as possible. Enjoy your Friday!

July 09, 2008. Today I had a closing on some vacant land near Copper City. I'll be listing a log cabin soon with 15 acres and frontage on the Otter River. I can't wait to get it listed. I found out today that my uncle who does the milking down on our farm got hit by a bull and fractured his pelvis in two places. We should all wish him well. I thought I was going to have to go down to the farm to help out, but they claim they have enough help for now. Anyhow, time for volleyball league. Take Care!

July 08, 2008. This morning I went and had a showing on one of my Rice Lake lots. The showing went well enough that we came back and wrote an offer. Tonight I had a showing on a house in Dollar Bay that went pretty well also. There is a new poll question in case you haven't noticed yet. We've been trying to figure out where to go on our vacation this September. I'm thinking maybe Yellowstone? I just don't know yet.

July 07, 2008. Only in the U.P. can you have it be very hot one day, and 57 degrees right now. Good sleeping weather anyhow. Today I got the paperwork rolling on listing a beautiful lot on Lake Eva. I also have a large landowner I'm working with who wants to list several properties, I'm trying to sort through them all. I'll be showing land tomorrow, and homes tomorrow night. Have a great week!

July 06, 2008. It is warm! I know everybody up here enjoyed great weather for the holiday weekend. I spent Sunday finally getting some much needed relaxation. I'm ready to hit real estate full speed this week. Summer is going to go by quick, be sure to enjoy!

July 04, 2008. Happy Independence Day! The lumber company was closed, so I wasn't able to get the materials I needed to finish up the cabin for now. Hopefully they'll be open on Saturday. I went to Copper City to walk some property that friends of mine had recently purchased. Melissa and I were actually too tired to go up to Copper Harbor for fireworks, so we visited the in-laws instead. I'm looking forward to getting some good sleep for once. I hope you have a fantastic weekend!

July 03, 2008. Real estate is busy, and so am I. I was hoping tonight would be the last night working on the camp, but I have to go back in the morning just for a few hours to wrap it up. After that, I'll be waiting for the electrician to get the power going. Today was an absolutely beautiful day, and we expect the same tomorrow. I'm really glad that everyone will enjoy a nice 4th of July. Have fun and be safe!

July 02, 2008. This morning I worked on a counter-offer for a home sale in Hubbell. After that, I wrote an offer with a buyer on a 399 acre parcel in Ontonagon county. That is a lot of land. I'm very confident that we'll get the deal together. I went out to the cabin in the afternoon to continue working. The roof is pretty much done. I'm glad to say that tomorrow will be my last day out there for awhile. There won't be much more to do until windows come in a couple of weeks. I'm very happy with the progress, but very tired, and it has been incredibly time consuming. I hope you're looking forward to the 4th!

July 01, 2008. Happy July! Sorry I missed a day. I was running late yesterday, and we went up to Copper Harbor on an overnight trip. I never had time to do the journal. We had to spend some time with friends who are leaving for the summer. It is impossible not to have a great time in Copper Harbor. Yesterday I had a great showing on this fantastic waterfront parcel west of Houghton. Here is a great price on a 240 acre hunting property I just listed in Iron county. I made it out to the cabin tonight to continue the work. We are really making progress. Have a great week!

June 29, 2008. It seems like we were waiting forever for summer, and now it is almost July! I put in a long weekend working on the camp. We are making good progress, as it is just about ready for roofing. Tomorrow (Monday) I'll be in the office and out and about as I have lots of real estate to take care of. I'll be listing a property tomorrow, preparing two closings, and writing at least one offer. We'll actually be staying overnight in Copper Harbor, but right back to work Tuesday morning. The summers always seem to go by fast. Make it a great week!

June 27, 2008. I hope you had a wonderful Friday! Today wasn't as productive as I would have liked it to be. We had some more lumber delivered to the building site, but we had to wait for one of the county building inspectors before we could move onto the next step. He didn't get there until about 4:00 pm, and then it started to thunder and rain. I know some of you are planning on looking at property with me pretty soon. I've been busy so feel free to call/email me and I'll still get everything set up. Have a great weekend!

June 26, 2008. This morning I had a closing on a nice house I sold near Michigan Tech. Afterward, I listed 240 acres with a cabin in Iron county. Here is the 800 acre parcel I listed in Keweenaw county yesterday. Also, here is the 12 acre building site I just listed outside of Hancock. After lunch, I went down to our property to continue constuction on the cabin. We made great progress getting all of exterior and interior walls framed in. We'll be heading out to put up rafters tomorrow. I have been putting in long hours, it is after midnight as I am typing this now. See ya!

June 25, 2008. I'm not quite over my cold yet, but hopefully getting close. This morning I listed an 800 acre parcel in Keweenaw county. That is one big chunk of land. I also listed a 12 acre building site just outside of Hancock. Details will be on here tomorrow. Looks like we have the deal together on the 15 acre parcel near Copper City. Real estate is very busy right now. The rest of the country might be slumping, but we're still rolling along. Also, if you are enjoying visiting my site, PLEASE e-mail the link to a friend or two and encourage them to check it out. I spend a lot of money on advertisting to get the traffic I have, but it never compares to how much can come just from you guys getting the word out. Take Care!

June 24, 2008. I am definitely getting old. I built many houses with my dad about 10 years ago, and never had the blisters, aches and pains that I have now. The floor of the cabin is done, and we have everything laid out to start the walls. I received an offer today on one of my listings near Copper City. Tomorrow will be devoted strictly to real estate, as I have much to do. Have a great day!

June 23, 2008. After taking care of real estate in the morning, I went down to the 16 to get started on building the cabin. It took 9 hours just to get the posts in, and have it ready for floor joists. That will probably be the least enjoyable part of building it. You have to take your time and get everything perfectly level, otherwise you're not building on a good foundation. I'm glad to be ready for the next phase. I'm still very worn down with a cold, and hope to find time to rest this week, but it is not looking likely. Take Care!

June 22, 2008. I had a great weekend with my brother. We went fishing again on Saturday. It was really windy, but we managed to catch several fish. We had a great lunch at the Harbor Haus in Copper Harbor. We went bowling that night in Houghton, I bowled a 219, which is my best. I'm usually not very good. Anyhow, we had lots of fun. We actually have to cut the vacation a day short, due to a death in our family. I have a ton of stuff scheduled this week, so it is going to be hard to get it all done. Have a great week!

June 20, 2008. Today was a lot of fun. My brother and I went fishing. We only caught a few, but it was such a beautiful day that it didn't matter. We watched a bear as it walked along the shoreline next to us. Very memorable. We walked some of my properties, and I pulled my trail camera from my property to see wildlife pics. I have pics of a nice buck, and a coyote. Tonight we're off to watch "Da Yoopers" at the Rozsa center at Michigan Tech. Have a great weekend!

June 19, 2008. I'm definitely under the weather, I don't feel good at all. We had a closing today on a 13 acre parcel near Copper City, beautiful property. My brother arrived today. Hopefully I'll start feeling better quick so we can do some fishing. We actually did a little exploring in the woods tonight. Guess what? My broker license arrived today, so I am now officially a broker!

June 18, 2008. I woke up with a sore throat today, yuck. After getting my work done, I went up to Copper Harbor and fished until I couldn't hardly stand it anymore. I caught some pike, but nothing too big. Anyhow, it was a long day on the water, and it didn't help my sore throat. I'm super tired, and ready to go to bed. See ya!

June 17, 2008. Today was a good day. I got the paperwork and deposit back for the sale on the 80 acre parcel I own in Mass City. I had a couple good showings tonight on my house listing on Highway Location. I also had a second showing tonight on a house I had shown last week in Hubbell. Just two more days until my brother gets here. I'm looking forward to doing a little fishing with him. Weather permitting, I hope to fish up in Copper Harbor tomorrow night. So here it is, one of the best deals on a waterfront house near Copper Harbor, see the new listing here. I already had a call on it today. Take Care!

June 16, 2008. This morning I had a partial closing at the title company. The buyer signs on Wednesday. I went to the lumber company to order my first batch of materials for building the cabin. I met with one of my sellers today, and we have some significant price reductions coming on a couple of the properties that I know many of you are watching. Oh by the way, we did end up getting a new car. It is a Saturn Vue, we'll see how it goes. Have a nice day!

June 15, 2008. Another weekend gone by too fast. This weekend in Houghton was Bridgefest, and unfortunately I didn't get a chance to participate. Lots of people have been noticing my billboard, so I guess it is doing it's job. Today I listed a house on Lake Superior just outside of Copper Harbor. Info should be online in a couple of days. Here is a great property that I currently have for sale...easy land contract terms available. Have a great week!

June 13, 2008. Today was a little less hectic. I went down to my highway property to take pictures for the new listing. Tonight I had showings on 6 houses up in Calumet/Laurium. After, the wife and I were actually browsing for new cars. We're looking at getting her something with a little better gas mileage. Maybe I'll get a new car this weekend! I'm sure you guys must have some nice pictures of stuff now that summer is here. Can you e-mail me some pics for 'pic of the day'? Thanks!

June 12, 2008. Talk about covering a lot of ground in one day. First thing this morning we closed on the construction loan to build our cabin. Then I went down to Baraga to put up my billboard on US-41. It was raining, and the mosquitoes were biting me. After that, I went to Nisula to put the stakes in the ground so I can get the holes drilled for the posts that will support my cabin. Then, I had to rush back home, shower, and make it to a walk-through on a house in Hancock. After that, we closed on the really nice house that I had listed in Sylvan Estates. Happy buyers, happy sellers. After that, I rushed up to Highway Location to show the house that I have listed up there. As soon as that was done, I had to hurry to Hubbell to show two more houses to a different buyer. The last showing went very well. I just got home and realized that I had breakfast, but never ate lunch. I am definitely ready for dinner. Oh yeah, and I still have to schedule six showings for tomorrow. Have a great day!

June 11, 2008. Brrr! Temps in the low 50's today. I'm going to be listing a home with Lake Superior frontage up near Copper Harbor this weekend. Price will only be $189K so be ready! Here is a 40 acre parcel that I just put back on the market. Great price for the property. I've got a full plate tomorrow, going to be a long day. Take Care!

June 10, 2008. I'm almost ready for a nice closing on Thursday. Today I sent out a purchase agreement on the 80 acres we own near Mass City (the Ponderosa). There is a new 'poll question' for you to vote on. Gotta go, wife says dinner is ready!

June 09, 2008. I'm a little tuckered out! Had a long productive day, and after work, I went down to the Ponderosa to move the tower blind back over to the Nisula Spot. I think I have the Ponderosa sold, we'll see. Tomorrow we're officially closing on the construction loan, so we can get serious about the cabin. I was driving out to the cabin site tonight, and had a deer go flying right across the road about 5 feet from the grill of my truck. That is the closest I have come to hitting a deer in quite a few years. Anyhow, time for bed. See ya!

June 08, 2008. Did you enjoy your weekend? We had a great weekend, did some grilling, checked out some of our properties. Here is a nice, affordable parcel in Ontonagon county. I'm looking forward to a productive week. I'm hoping to get my billboard up, and get my foundation ready for the cabin. I only found one tick on me today, not too bad for a full day in the woods. Have a great week!

June 06, 2008. Finally Friday! Today we had sunshine, wind, rain, hail...you name it. I had a good showing on this 74 acre parcel near Pelkie. Everything went great and I'm pretty sure we'll write an offer before Monday. Also, here is a newly listed 40 acre parcel just outside of Mass City. I wish the wind would die down so we could do some fishing. Have a fantastic weekend!

June 05, 2008. I got quite a bit accomplished today. I met the excavators at our property to begin preparing the site for the construction of our cabin. Everything went smoothly and they are all done. The next step is to get the treated posts set for building the floor. I'm actually still waiting on the building permit, but it should be here anytime now. After that, I went to my highway property and dug deep holes so I can get my billboard set up. It can be awfully hard digging up here with all of the rock and clay. My hands are pretty blistered tonight. Here is a great new parcel with over 3,500 feet on Adventure Creek. Lots of deer on this property. Congrats to the Red Wings on winning the Stanley Cup! Have a great day!

June 04, 2008. We officially closed on the 20 acre parcel near Bete Grise. Congrats Jessie! The seller and I found each other right here on joshsteinland.com. It was a bit cool and rainy today, but I hear the weekend is supposed to be nice. I'm anxious to get out fishing again. I entered in three new listings today, so they'll be uploaded tomorrow. If you like italian food, especially Ravioli, be sure to eat at Gino's in Hancock. On the nights I "cook" dinner, I usually pick up a large order from Gino's. They are delicious! Anyhow, time to see if the Red Wings can finally win the Stanley Cup. Take Care!

June 03, 2008. Here are a couple of new parcels just outside of Ontonagon. See the listings here and here. Very private, nice creek, land contract possible. I think these should sell quite easily. I looked at a boat this afternoon on my way to a showing up in Laurium, and by the time I was done, it had already sold. Still looking. The showing was on this house on Calumet Street. The showing went pretty well, but the buyer wants to see a few more before making a decision. Have a great day!

June 02, 2008. Back to work with a bit of a sunburn. I listed a couple of nice properties today just off Lake Superior with nice creeks running through them. They'll be on the site tomorrow. I had to get ready for a closing I have tomorrow on a 20 acre parcel. Today was the first time we had to mow the lawn this year. I remember last summer it was so dry that we hardly ever had to mow it. Good luck to the Red Wings tonight as they try to win the Stanley Cup!

June 01, 2008. June is finally here! I enjoyed a great weekend, and it actually feels like summer. This morning I went and fished a lake that I had never fished before. Although it was quite windy, it actually turned out to be a fantastic day. I landed over 10 pike, and also caught a really nice bass. I'm anxious to go fish it again. My wife and I just finished eating a steak dinner outside. The Tigers even won...it doesn't get much better than this!

May 30, 2008. Today I had a showing on a new house listing in Houghton. The price seems good, but the house needs some work. I talked today with a potential buyer looking to buy some large acreage, so I hope to get something going with that. We made a counter-offer on the house near Calumet, so hopefully the buyers will accept. I'll find out Monday. Looks like the weather should be nice this weekend, I'm looking forward to it. Be sure to enjoy your weekend!

May 29, 2008. Another great day! Here is the new lakefront lot on Rice Lake that I just listed. I applied for the building permit today for the cabin. I had a nice closing today on a 156 acre parcel in Mass City that I recently sold. I also wrote an offer tonight on a residential listing I have near Calumet. Tonight a friend and I went fishing in Dollar Bay. We caught about 4 pike, and a couple of bass. Not bad for the short amount of time we were out there. It finally feels like summer is here!

May 28, 2008. A beautiful day. We are finally hovering around the 70 degree mark. This morning I went out to Rice Lake to put up signs and take pics of a new lakefront parcel that will be on the site by tomorrow. Today I mailed out my broker application with all of the necessary requirements, so I'll be excited when I actually get the license. Anyhow, we grilled some delicious steaks tonight, and now I have to get ready for a busy day tomorrow. There is a new 'poll question' for you to vote on. Have a great day!

May 27, 2008. Back to work! I drove down to Mass City today to show several parcels of building/hunting land. I also took some pics of a new parcel that I'll be listing by the end of the week. We're looking forward to a nice, sunny week. I've got fishing fever, so I'm hoping to get caught up on work so I can sneak away one of these afternoons. It is funny how many people follow this site and recognize me around town. I was having lunch at Applebee's the other day and this guy walks up to me...."Are you that Realtor guy"? I'm glad to know how many people enjoy it. Take Care!

May 26, 2008. Did everyone have a good weekend? We did, it went by pretty fast. I specifically tried not to work this weekend, as I have been working plenty as of late. We went to a wedding reception on Saturday night, and had a big cook-out at the in-laws on Sunday. Today was kind of a lazy day, but we did go see a movie tonight. Tomorrow morning it is time to hit the road to Ontonagon to go and try to sell some land. Have a great week!

May 23, 2008. Have a fun and safe Memorial Day Weekend! Thank you to all our veterans, past and present!

May 22, 2008. Where is the warm weather? They keep calling for a heat wave, but we aren't seeing it. I spent most of the day wiring my screened in patio with cable. I've got it set up so I can watch the Tigers while I'm grilling steaks. Every man's dream eh? We're getting several showings on my highway location house, but no takers yet. More showings tomorrow, and looking forward to a busy weekend.

May 21, 2008. The temps were only in the 30's when I drove up to Lac La Belle this morning...brrr! I looked at the potential new listing on Lac La Belle, and was quite impressed. Some fabulous properties are going to change hands this year. In the afternoon I went down to our property in Nisula to meet the health dept. in order to get the permit to start building the cabin. Everything is moving along, I'm anxious to get started. Here is luxurious new executive estate that I just listed. Anyhow, we're off to go bowl some 50 cent games with friends at the new bowling alley in Houghton. Take Care!

May 20, 2008. It was a gray, rainy day but I think the rest of the week should be nice. I had a couple of showings up in Laurium today, one included this nice house which is really a great value. Here is my new 80 acre listing in Torch Lake township. You won't find a prettier piece of land. Tomorrow I'm working on listing a cottage on Lac La Belle. After work tonight, I also had a showing on a house in South Range. As you can see, real estate is busy! Do you have travel plans for memorial day weekend? Please vote at the 'poll question'.

May 19, 2008. Back to work, but at least it was a beautiful day! The phone is ringing steadily with people inquiring about properties. Today I listed 80 acres of beautiful forest out by Bootjack. I should have the info/pics on here by tomorrow. It has one of the nicest forests that you will find on the market anywhere. My wife and I went out and looked at a boat tonight, but it wasn't quite what I'm looking for. I'm keeping my eyes open. Have a great day!

May 18, 2008. What a nice weekend. Saturday I drove to Fence Lake near Michigamme for an agent tour of the project. It really is a beautiful lake. We went for a boat ride, and took an ATV tour of the 1,000 acre property. Right now it is Sunday and we have friends over. We just grilled burgers and brats and it was delicious. We decided to play Monopoly, and I was the first one eliminated, so I thought it would be a good time to write the journal. Have a great week!

May 16, 2008. This morning I drove down to Ontonagon to show a few parcels. This particular property had a beautiful forest. Right now is a great time to be out in the woods. Temps are just right, and the bugs are practically non-existant. After closing down the office tonight, I went and had a showing on one of my listings near Calumet. The showing went quite well. Be sure to check out this pic of the day. I have video footage of one of the biggest bucks I've ever seen out in the woods. Enjoy!

May 15, 2008. It was a beautiful day! The temperatures finally exceeded 70 degrees today, and it sure felt nice. I headed out past Skanee, to show this large parcel just off the shore of Lake Superior. We had a great time, and covered a lot of ground. Hopefully they'll make an offer. There is a great deal of real estate activity going on right now. Tomorrow I'm heading down to Ontonagon, to show more property. These weeks are flying by, have a great weekend!

May 14, 2008. Another busy day. I looked two new potential listings today, one in Calumet, and one in the Traprock Valley. Both were very nice homes. I had a showing today on a commercial building I have listed in Laurium. By the way, there is a new link to get to 'today's new listings'. It is a pic of a waterfall about halfway down on the main page. We received our awards today from State Wide Corp. I received another mult-million dollar producer award, and received the Top Closing Agent award for all State Wide offices. I was actually surprised that I won it. Anyhow, nice award, but I have to keep working on this year's sales. I hope you liked the moose video. Speaking of moose, vote on the new 'poll question'. I'm looking forward to doing a little bowling tonight. Take Care!

May 13, 2008. Tomorrow I may be listing another house up in Laurium. I finally got some of my older wildlife footage uploaded to my computer so you can start enjoying it. You'll notice in today's 'pic of the day' a neat video clip of some moose on Isle Royale. It will also be permanently archived in 'the hunting journal'. You can look forward to several neat videos coming up. Have a great day!

May 12, 2008. I hope everyone had a good Monday. I'm moving forward with a couple of home sales that I have recently put together. Here is a new place I just listed on a large piece of land on Lake Superior. Tonight I went down to our 16 acre parcel to meet with a couple of different excavators to get bids for preparing the property for my cabin. We're enjoying some nice weather, but still a bit cool. Have a great week!

May 11, 2008. Another weekend here and gone. Saturday I was up on the backside of Lake Bailey, where I scaled Mount Baldy locating property corners for a parcel I'm selling up there. We may even close on the sale by the end of the week. Afterwards, I spent some time in Copper Harbor catching up with my local friends. Last night we went to a country music show at Michigan Tech and had a great time. Here is a large new parcel I just listed on Lake Superior. This property is as nice as you will ever find in the Keweenaw. Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms!

May 09, 2008. Friday! Today I listed a magnificent Lake Superior property with over 900 feet of frontage. I'll have pics/details on here within a couple of days. It was another nice sunny day, now we just need some warmer temperatures to get rid of spring for good. Tomorrow I'm off to Lake Bailey to work on selling 30 acres of lake frontage. We got the deal together today for the 20 acre Bete Grise parcel. Congrats Jessie! Have a great weekend!

May 08, 2008. Today was another beautiful day in the Keweenaw. After getting my morning work done, I went down to Nisula to mark property lines on the 1 acre parcel I recently purchased . After that, I went over to our 16 acre parcel where I am building our cabin this year. I found out today that my construction loan is approved, so we are moving forward. Have a great Friday!

May 07, 2008. A cold rainy day turned out to be absolutely beautiful by the time evening rolled around. I closed on the sale of 140 acres to the city of Hancock. I'm working on listing a new 78 acre parcel down in Ontonagon county. Tomorrow I am supposed to list a magnificent place on 20 acres of Lake Superior frontage. After work tonight I had some showings, which included this stunning parcel just outside of Hancock. Check out 'pic of the day' to follow up on yesterday's determined squirrel. I have footage of him completing the jump. Have a great day!

May 06, 2008. Today was a nice warm day. I'm all set for the 'city of Hancock' closing tomorrow. Wait till you see the video I have on 'pic of the day'. I was laughing so hard. I spent the afternoon getting ATVs ready for showing some large parcels of land this weekend. Tonight we grilled steaks and right now I'm watching the Tigers on TV. It doesn't get much better than this!

May 05, 2008. I hope everybody had a great Monday. In the morning I went to the office to get everything ready for a closing on Wednesday where the city of Hancock is purchasing 140 acres. In the afternoon I went up to Bete Grise to take pics of the new 20 acre listing. It is a very nice property, in fact, I hope to have an offer soon. You have probably noticed that on the "today's new listings" link, many of the properties don't have pictures. This is because it usually takes agents a few days to get the pictures uploaded on the properties. If you see a property you like, write down the MLS number, and then use the 'search mls' link to check on the property in a day or two. It should have pics within a few days. Have a great day!

May 04, 2008. It was another busy weekend. So guess what happened on Saturday? It snowed all day! Only in the Keweenaw. It seems fitting for it to snow during the Michigan Tech graduation. So we got an offer accepted on a nice house house near Michigan Tech this weekend. I'm also expecting an acceptance for my nice listing in Sylvan Estates. Houses are really starting to move. Here is my new 20 acre listing in Bete Grise. Sunday I went and put signs up on this waterfront estate on Lake Superior. I had this listed once before, but we took it off the market when the sellers weren't quite sure if they wanted to let go. Now they are ready to sell, so I'm hoping to get it sold this summer. This is the nicest lake frontage I've seen up here. There is a new poll question for you to vote on. Have a great week!

May 02, 2008. Rain, rain, rain! It really poured today. I listed a 20 acre parcel in Bete Grise today, and a luxurious waterfront home in Eagle River. In the afternoon, I went down to Ontonagon county to give a tour of my old 80 acre parcel that I sold to a guy this winter. We covered a lot of ground, but it sure was nasty weather. Tonight I'm writing an offer on a home I had shown in Houghton yesterday. This weekend is the Michigan Tech graduation. As you can imagine, the downtown is very busy. It has been about 5 years since I graduated from Tech, and it seems like only yesterday. I hope you are enjoying the new "today's new listings" link. Have a great weekend!

May 01, 2008. May is finally here! Summer can't be far behind. I got the deal together this morning on the Copper City property. Another day, another property sold. I'd like to do that everyday. Alright, so here is a property that I can promise you won't last long. This property has everything. 40 acres, utilities, year round access, great creek, woods and a cabin! See the new listing here. Also, I'm very pleased to announce a new feature that many of you have been asking for. If you look in the upper left of the home page, you'll see a new link called "Today's New Listings". You no longer have to search through the same properties everyday trying to sort out the new ones. Everyday, you'll see an update of every new property in the western upper peninsula! I haven't seen any other sites that allow you to do this, so I'm proud that you can find it here. I'm just trying to keep you happy!

April 30, 2008. What a day! I spent all morning showing this 156 acre parcel near Mass City. We ended up writing an offer and getting it accepted today, so that is great news! I also wrote an offer today on the parcel near Copper City that I had shown yesterday. Real estate is rolling! I have so many new listings hitting the market that I won't even list them all right now. You are going to see some truly fantastic properties come available. Today was my wife's birthday so we went for a nice dinner tonight with her parents. I better get back to work, I'm going to be extremely busy the next few days. Take Care!

April 29, 2008. I covered many miles today by truck and by foot. I listed a cabin on 40 acres with a creek near Mass City. The property has year round access with power and phone at the road. Asking price will be 79K. It is a very nice 40. I also listed a 7 acre parcel near Rousseau. On the way back, I stopped by the Ponderosa (80 acres I own) to check things out. I haven't been there since last December, but everything looked good. I also stopped by the 16 to take a look at the spot where I want to build my cabin. In the afternoon, I went up to Copper City for a showing on one of my newly listed parcels overlooking the Traprock River valley. It is beautiful property, I enjoyed walking it. Anyhow, I'll be heading back down to Mass City in the morning for a showing. Have a great day!

April 28, 2008. Guess what I did this morning? I passed the Michigan Broker Exam!!! I am glad to have passed it on the first attempt. After we returned from Marquette, I had plenty of real estate on the plate. Still working on 390K house in Eagle River that is kind of stalling out. I received an offer tonight on my listing in Sylvan Estates. We already made a counter-offer. Today was also the official closing on my 1 acre purchase. The property is just south of Nisula, and is a beautiful little piece of the U.P. Have a great week!

April 27, 2008. Well the Keweenaw winters don't let go easily. We watched the snow fall all afternoon yesterday, and woke up to a fresh blanket of snow in the yard this morning. It is hard to believe that we were grilling outside in 70 degree weather just a few days ago. I'm looking forward to this week as I'll be listing some great new properties. I'm ready for the warm weather to come back!

April 25, 2008. Another busy day. I'm still working on the Lake Bailey deal, and I'm getting ready to close on a 140 acre purchase for the city of Hancock. I found out today that I'm going to be listing a great new property. 40 acres with power/phone, year round access, creek, and a nice little cabin. I should have the details on here by next week. I might be writing an offer yet this weekend on a waterfront home in the Keweenaw that is receiving two more offers. The market is heating up!

April 24, 2008. I had a great morning in the woods. I did some GPS work out on the property my new buddy Walt purchased through me last week. Lots of deer were out and about. As we were standing in the corner tying some ribbon, a deer jumped up and ran off that had been lying about 4 feet from us the whole time. Tonight I met some buyers for my nice home in Sylvan Estates. It sounds like we should be receiving an offer tomorrow. I'll keep my fingers crossed. I was on the phone with my friend tonight, and he noted that people haven't been commenting lately on 'pic of the day'. I told him that it is slightly surprising that with over 4,000 hits per day, we aren't interacting more on the 'blog'. I think the interaction is fun, so don't hesitate to comment on 'pic of the day'. You don't want me to get lonely do you?

April 23, 2008. What a beautiful day! The temperatures were in the 70's today, and it sure felt good! We even had steaks on the grill tonight. We are one step closer to putting the Lake Bailey deal together. So here are two new parcels I just listed east of Copper City. There is a 15 acre parcel, and a 16 acre parcel overlooking the Traprock river. These parcels will be suitable for the 'picky' buyer, as they are absolutely stunning. I can't wait to get a showing request just so I can go see them again myself. Tomorrow morning I'm going to do some GPS work out in Hancock township. Take Care!