In my corner of Southwest, Michigan there are several Amish communities as one approaches the Indiana State line.  Last week I was asked to go look at some property in the community of Three Rivers, Michigan in St. Joseph County, and drove right into an oncoming snow storm.  It was the beginnings of what is known in this area as 'Lake Effect' snow where a storm front comes across Lake Michigan and becomes a factory of snow flakes pumpng out snow. While I was traveling along this road, I came upon an Amish buggy with their full lights on.  The colors were so unusual in contrast to the surrounding environment, I grabbed my camera.  Here is my photo. 03/01/2013

I am so excited to write about Palmer Lake, Colon, MI. Not really because of the lake as much as it is because of the village of Colon. This is no ordinary Southwest Michigan Lake community. There's something magic about Colon. Literally. Home to almost 1300 people, Colon is the Magic Capital of the World. The sign says so. Home to Abbot's Magic Manufacturing Company, the largest magic manufacturer in the world, Colon has a long history centered around magic that began in 1925 with Harry Blackstone's relocation to Colon. Colon is where he perfected his magic and featured exhibits for the residents. Each year in August, Colon's magical history is celebrated during Magic Week. Magicians from all over the world come to Colon hoping to share and learn their craft. Colon's name alone invite... 11/05/2008

Hello Activerain Community, Jim Milliman here, and I'd like to talk a bit about short sales. Lord knows that just about every real estate agent out there in Michigan who is doing any kind of volume listing properties is probably dealing with several sellers who are a few months behind and looking for a way to avoid a foreclosure. Realtors who don't sell these homes before they are foreclosed on get paid zero commission. That's bad since you've probably just spent several months marketing a property that had little hope of being sold in a traditional manner. You have invested your time, advertising dollars, gas money at almost $4 a gallon running around and taking care of your duties to this property. So why allow your clients to sit back and have the bank foreclose? It's been my experi... 05/10/2008

Hello internet real estate customers,Welcome to my new real estate blog. I'm happy to be here to help anyone who has a need for my services.My name is Jim Milliman and I am a licensed Realtor for Done-Deal Realty, Inc in Colon Michigan.We specialize in short sales and short sale negotiations for those who are facing and want to avoid foreclosure in Southwest Michigan. Realtors...we can help your clients too. If short sales are not up your alley, call us and we can offer some assistance so you still get a commission before your client gets foreclosed upon.We also provide property management services for owners of vacation rentals. If you own a vacation rental in Southwest Michigan and would like to make money efficiently and effectively with a professional company handling all of the har... 05/01/2008