Hi Lily, I hope your really enjoy your local rose society. I belong to the Cherry Capital Rose Society here in Northern Michigan and I really enjoy the fine people and great events. Our dues are only $15 a year, which includes twelve monthly newsletters. We don't have to charge much because we don't exhibit or have rose shows. Check out our website - it's a great group. Look at the event page to see the different things we do each month. Here is a link that might be useful: Cherry Capital Rose Society

I saw that a few weeks ago and on their facebook page I spotted the John Starnes' Urban Farm: My March Classes link. I went to check out his class on unique summer crops last saturday. This guy is very strange and I do not recommend his 'classes'. He has a tiny 2 br house with broken mirrors as flooring - no kidding - with a dog walking around on them. His yard is a complete mess. He takes forever to tell you anything and he doesn't tell you much. When Nick went to use his bathroom, he asked Nick to not flush, then would Nick please pee in the yard instead. That was kind of gross and we all know sewage and vegetables don't mix. Nick didn't feel comfortable with that and used the toilet. The guy obviously knows something so it's a shame but he just isn't organized and his strange personal life is too present to relax and enjoy the class even if it was organized. He is a rosarian, here is an article about him. I think if he gave a rose class and I was crazy about roses, I might reconsider going, but I'd be prepared for the total weirdness. Here is a link that might be useful: times article

gibby3000, that is just my observation from what I see in the kitchen picture. It looks designed for serving large groups using commercial equipment. The ovens look to be 36" to take the large baking sheets. The refigerator looks like it is professional size to fit trays in slides. Even the finger counter looks sized to set out and line up a row of baking sheets so that a team can assemble canape or finger sandwiches quickly. The cupboards look sized to hold chafing dishes, punch bowls, large trays,ect. The kitchen is spacious with a lot of floor area. It looks purposely designed so that it could easily roll in hot boxes and bakers towers without getting in workers way. Caterers for large events often take the china back with them an have it all run through a commercial dishwasher at their commissary. I am wondering if this place was used as a corporate conference center or a retreat center? I know businesses in my area that buy/build big homes and put corporate guests up in them, rather than footing a huge hotel bill for visiting groups of clients or even have it as a place for their own visiting corporate officers. That would explain the cheap boring furniture throughout, and the bedroom that looks like it is outfitted in hotel furniture right down to the generic painting that are probably glued to the wall. There seem to be a great number of grouped seating areas throughout the house that are rather formal yet 'comfy'. This is the sort of thing you see at conference centers where you have a group of strangers staying in the place. The furniture placement seems to have a sort of Bed and Breakfast Inn "feel" to the arrangment. I don't think this was a religious retreat center with that comical statue in the bathroom. I can't even see that thing being put in a corporate conference place. Our local university has conference center that was a huge house, that was donated by an alumni to the school, but they have real art in it. That thing is rather weird. It may have been de-cluttered for showing, but a lot of the decor placements seem very generic and yet masculine - the world globe in the foyer, the sailboat model in the media room, maybe the kitsch bathroom statue was there to add a smile to gentlemens faces. If you look at the realtor listing it DOES SAY that there is a second kitchen. I am thinking that there is a small breakfast kitchen either off of the bedrooms or off of the lounge area - coffee pot, micro, tiny fridge - not a lavish one better than the one pictured. Sue36 is right about the place being builders grade but for some people, they do have NICE homes and this sort of thing out in the country, is what they would have for their weekend home. It is located in 'lake country' and the listing even says "Great for Entertaining!" It is designed with the master on the first floor and five equal size guest rooms on the second floor away from the master. It doesn't seem to be designed with families in mind. All in all I can't see this being 3.2M in the MN market even given the location.

Jane: It really is such small world isn't it? No I'm not from here originally, but I'm here now!!! Moved here from Sunny SoCal in 2005 and with the exception of the economy, we love it. We're actually a little north of Bloomfield Hills in the suburbs by Clarkston, but a I do a lot of work in BH. In regards to the owners, nothing very romantic, as I understand it, it was the residence of a someone very well known in the plastics industry, some type of auto supply company and he passed away some time ago from cancer. I believe it's his family who is selling it. Glad you enjoyed it, I won't hesitate to share again the next time I find something that I think might interest you. :c)