One of the most original independently owned businesses in Niles is the Brew Ha Ha. This little tan building on the corner of 9th and Broadway is a wonderful addition to the Niles community. The coffee is wonderful and served anyway you like it. They have several flavorings for their coffee and expresso including buttered rum, chocolate mint, caramel, raspberry and hazelnut. Their white chocolate mocha latte is delicious and soon becomes a favorite for anyone who tries it.  If you are not in the mood for coffee, try a fruit smoothie, Chai tea. There is something for everyone at the Brew Ha Ha in Niles.  During the holiday season bring the kids to Brew Ha Ha for some hot chocolate for a nice warm up.  If you are looking for a tasty treat to enjoy with your beverage of choice, the Brew H... 11/05/2012

One of the happiest days in Niles in recent years has been the reopening of The Paris Soda Shop on Main Street.  It used to be the Paris Candy Shop and was the real deal with an old fashioned candy counter. It was re-opened a few years ago as the Paris Soda Shop and today it is a delighful little place that has homemade phosphates, ice cream, sodas, floats and great sandwiches. A great place to take kids, Paris serves their sandwiches in old fashioned school lunch boxes with your favorite cartoon characters and super heros. Be sure to check out their homemade soups and quiche of the day! You will not be dissapointed. The Paris Soda Shop has a wonderful charm and the owner herself may wait on you! It is one of the many treasures Niles has to offer and you don't want to miss stopping in n... 10/22/2012

If you have been in Niles and have not stopped in to Veni's Sweet Shop on the corner of 3rd and Main street, you have been missing out on some of the best candy in the world! If you are planning a trip to Niles, be sure to put Veni's on your list of stops as you won't want to miss out on the whole Veni's experience. Veni's has been part of downtown Niles since 1910 and has never disappointed a customer! It starts when you walk into the store and inhale the mouthwatering scent of chocolate. Veni's makes all their candy by hand at their store and it is always fresh and delectible. Take a trip back in time as you take in the atmosphere of this original 1910 candy shop with stained glass windows and old fashioned glass candy counters and displays. Enjoy the seasonal displays in the front wi... 10/22/2012

The St. Joseph river winds its way through Niles, Michigan along the path to it's final destination of Lake Michigan.  One of the best things about downtown Niles by far is Riverfront Park located right along the east bank of the St. Joseph river from Wayne to Front Street.   Right at the corner fo Front and Main streets stands the heart of Riverfront Park. The amphitheater is located here and through the summer months free concerts are held for people to enjoy.  During theBluegrass Festival in June the amphitheater is alive with the sound of bluegrass music as all the musicians play throughout the weekend. Riverfront Park in Niles is about more than just music. There are places to launch a boat into the river, family BBQ areas, walking trails and fishing piers. The summer also brings a... 10/22/2012

The Wonderland Theater in Niles, Michigan truly lives up to its name. This wonderland of movies offers newly released films but at affordable prices. Shows before noon are just $2.50! If you go between noon and 6pm you pay only $4.00 and while the rest of the local theaters are charging high prices for prime time movie going Wonderland Theater in Niles only charges $5.00 for movies 6pm and later. This includes the weekends! In today's economy stretching those dollars is more important than ever. The Wonderland Theater in Niles makes it possible to enjoy a night out without parting with your whole bank account. What is a movie without popcorn? Monday through Thursday Wonderland Theater in Niles offers a bucket of popcorn for the bargain price of $2.00 with FREE refills all night long! Ho... 10/22/2012

If you like to bowl you should seriously consider trying out the lanes at Joey Armadillo's in Niles, Michigan. Joey's welcomes leagues as well as people who just want to bowl for fun. Games are only $2.25 each if you are in a league and $3.50 for non leaguers, which makes Joey's another great stop on the Niles bargain entertainment train. On Sundays you can bowl for just $1.00 a game with $1.00 shoe rental! For a great outing of family fun at amazing prices consider taking the family bowling at Joey's. In this economy looking for inexpensive things you can do as a family is difficult but still important. Joey's seeks to make bowling an affordable family activity. Do you get hungry while you bowl? No problem! Joey Armadillo's in Niles also has a restaurant that serves great food! They a... 10/22/2012

If you have been in Niles and have not stopped in to Veni's Sweet Shop on the corner of 3rd and Main street, you have been missing out on some of the best candy in the world! If you are planning a trip to Niles, be sure to put Veni's on your list of stops as you won't want to miss out on the whole Veni's experience. http://images1.fanpop.com/images/photos/2300000/Chocolate-Candy-Wallpaper-chocolate-2317351-1600-1200.jpg Veni's has been part of downtown Niles since 1910 and has never disappointed a customer! It starts when you walk into the store and inhale the mouthwatering scent of chocolate. Veni's makes all their candy by hand at their store and it is always fresh and delectible. Take a trip back in time as you take in the atmosphere of this original... 10/22/2012

One of the happiest days in Niles in recent years has been the reopening of The Paris Soda Shop on Main Street.  It used to be the Paris Candy Shop and was the real deal with an old fashioned candy counter. It was re-opened a few years ago as the Paris Soda Shop and today it is a delighful little place that has homemade phosphates, ice cream, sodas, floats and great sandwiches. A great place to take kids, Paris serves their sandwiches in old fashioned school lunch boxes with your favorite cartoon characters and super heros. Be sure to check out their homemade soups and quiche of the day! You will not be dissapointed. The Paris Soda Shop has a wonderful charm and the owner herself may wait on you! It is one of the many treasures Niles has to offer and you don't want to miss stopping in n... 10/22/2012

Out on M 60 on the outskirts of Niles is a hidden gem of a cafe called the Rise N Shine. Sometimes the best food is located at small places and that is certainly true for the Rise N Shine. They open at 6:00a.m. every morning which makes them a perfect spot for breakfast before work during the week and priort to church on Sundays. They have booths and some larger tables that make for great breakfast meetings as well. The chicken and rooster decor carries the theme of Rise N Shine as many farmers and early birds take advantage of their location and great food. Independenly owned by Niles natives, you will not find anything chain like at the Rise N Shine. Looking for a robust, stick to your ribs breakfast that is an amazing value? The Rise N Shine has an early bird special. Between 6:00 a... 10/17/2012

Niles Haunted Scream Park-The Most Famous Fright Fest in the Midwest It has certainly been a beautiful October here in Niles, MI. The leaves are turning bright and beautiful colors and thoughts are on football. However, in Niles this time of year thoughts also turn to The Niles Haunted Scream Park. Many people don't know this but Niles, Michigan is home to one of the most famous Haunted House attractions in the country. In fact, it has grown so much since starting in the 1980's that it is now a 44 acre Scream Park with several attractions and activities. Located at 855 Mayflower Road, Niles, MI The Niles Haunted Scream Park is easily accessible from U.S. 31. In fact, people from all over Indiana and Illinois come each year to have the yell scared out of them! The park just celebrated h... 10/16/2012

Why waiting for the bottom could cost you this year!   One thing I constantly hear in the Niles Mi Real Estate market is that people are waiting for the "bottom" of the market.  "I'm trying to time the market to get the most bang for my buck", "I want to get a house for the least amount of money".  I know you have heard something similar to this, or have said something like this yourself.   I am here to get you out of this train of thinking as it will actually cost you MORE to wait for "the bottom of the market".  First of all what makes you think that we are not at the bottom of the market?  What indicates to you that prices are going to lower?  Waiting could not only cost you extra money, but it can also cost you the home of your dreams.   Over the next year we are likely to see the ... 03/10/2011

Is Real Estate as bad off as we are constantly being told? Everyday in the media we are constantly being bombarded with how "bad" real estate is.  "Prices are rock bottom", "Real Estate in slump", "housing down 50%", "Real Estate consumer confidence destroyed".  You know you have heard these things, or something close to it. One thing that we are constantly challenged with as real estate agents is staying current.  When times were "good" during the boom we use to have our name tag, or badge flashing bright.  Showing it off for all to see.  Now we go to a party and have our name tag on we try to hide it, dreading the inevitable question "How is the market?" or "The market still bad?".   The reason why we fear those questions is because we don't know the answers.  We all use to have our c... 03/09/2011

Lost momentum It has been a little bit since I have wrote a blog, and that is unacceptable.  With the break from writing it has seemed like I have lost all my momentum and my ideas for blogging so I though I would just write about my personal life. Finding Balance I really enjoy philosophy, and that challenges me to continue to expand my mind, body and soul everyday.  I always try to learn new things everyday. Mind Some of you know I have been learning how to shoot, and produce videos for my clients to help market their home.  You can check out some of my work at Paramount Video.  We have also now added a new player for our videos.  I have embedded the video down below or you can check it out at my website JimmyGilley.com Body Not only have I been working hard on my videos but I have al... 02/23/2011

Practical Ways to Save on Energy Consumption Here is a little checklist that you can use to help save money on energy costs. In colder seasons, turn down your thermostat slightly; every degree can save up to 5% in heating costs During hot sunny weather, close curtains and blinds to keep the house cool and reduce the need for fans or air conditioning.  The same applies during cold weather to reduce drafts and save on heating costs. Clean or replace furnace air filters once a month.  Not only will this improve efficiency, but it will also help allergy sufferers. Ensure floor registers and baseboard heaters are not blocked b furniture, carpets or drapes; limiting effectiveness Turn off bathroom and kitchen fans when no longer required; they are pulling the heat or coolness form the house. ... 02/14/2011

Never Stop Striving For Better 2214 Janice Street Niles MI Home For Sale - Paramount Video - HD Video Tour We submitted one of our first video tours to the Kodak Video Challenge here on Active Rain and the positive response was amazing!  People really love video home tours.  We thought we had a good chance of winning, and ended up in the group for 3rd place. 24 Washington Court was the video we submitted to the contest.  We thought we did a great job and it did turn out very nice but we didn't settle for OK. After some more practice we feel that our skills are continueing to grow and develop.  We are producing them faster, and with better quality.  Here is one of the latest videos we have done.   ** Something that is special about this video is that the home owner is a musician and dona... 02/07/2011

One of the things we as Realtors have is clients calling us to have us list their homes when they are listed with another broker.  After listing with this broker they find out that they are not a part of the MLS and therefore no other agent outside of their office can sell their home.  I get these kind of calls ALL THE TIME from clients upset that their broker isn't part of the MLS. Please guys if you are going to list your home ASK what that agent is going to do for you to market your home.  Find out if they are a part of the national association of Realtors, and if they are part of the local MLS. In our area we have 745 agents who are a part of our MLS, so if your agent isn't part of the MLS then you are missing out on 745 agents who might have a buyer to your home! Ask questions, che... 02/03/2011

Hope Community Church Niles MI I love my church!  It is made up of the greatest people and great leadership.  I have been going there for over 10 years now and I couldn't be happier.  I started actually helping out after a year or so of being there by playing guitar for the worship team.  I did that for a year or two, then took a year off.  Then we finally moved out of a school and into our own building!   Then I was running the sound board, and off and on guitar as they needed it.  Then I finally was able to get my schedule changed so I was free Thursday nights to help out with "Hope 4 Teens".  After a while I was leading worship for the Jr. high youth group as we were growing big enough to split Sr. high and Jr. high.   Our church continues to boom and grow as the helpful nature and w... 01/31/2011

In For a Ride, Short Sale Style Well today I won a new listing, but it isn’t going to be pretty.  It is a short sale and the two people on title are separated, but never married.  The home is a decent one in a decent location, but you know how fun short sales can be! Luckily the “other” person on title doesn’t care too much about the property as they have left the situation and hope I can help them salvage some of their credit but, doesn’t seem to overly care.  At least for me they are cooperative and have delivered the paper work required by the lender in order to do the short sale. I will post the home soon for you all to see and here’s to a quick sale! 01/27/2011

24 Washington Court Niles, MI - Kodak video Challenge This challenge is something i couldn't pass up.  Video is something another agent and I have been talking about for a little bit, and if you have been following my blog you will know the progress of that, because i blogged it!  Well we have produced a couple videos now and practiced a bit and i believe we ended up with a pretty good video.   We used 24 Washington Court Niles, MI  as the subject in our REAL virtual tour.  The awesome thing about doing video is that we have ALREADY seen results!!  A few days after getting out last piece of equipment I had an out of town buyer who was interested in a property here locally.  I told him I have the ability to produce a video for him, so he could look at the inside of the house.  Of course ... 01/25/2011

Tomorrow is the big day! Well everyone I didn't post the last day or so because I have been working really hard.  The last few weeks have really added to my work load, which isn't a bad thing!   I have written 5 offers and 3 have been accepted, one rejected, and one still in limbo.  Talk about starting 2011 with a bang.  This year I have added video to my business plan.  Not only did I add this to my marketing plan, but I also teamed up with a husband and wife team in my office.  Well we are not really a "team" but working together to better both of our products.   One partner has the equipment, I have the technology skills, and the other has the experience.  This is going to be a great partnership and I think we will dominate our local market!  Tomorrow I will be rolling out three or f... 01/24/2011