From
the Owner’s of:
3154 Kerlikowske Road,
Coloma , MI 49038
Property
The property is easy to maintain
and is easily accessible to the equipment necessary. It takes
about 2-3 hours to mow the orchard in front of the house and barn
with the large tractor, and it takes about 3-4 hours to mow the
manicured lawns around the house and barn and along the roads
with the riding mower.
The orchard, planted 40-50
years ago, yields edible apples with spraying and pruning...the
blossoms are beautiful in the spring and fruit serves as forage
for deer throughout the winter.
Wildlife abounds: deer, wild
turkeys, various types of turtles, coyotes, squirrels, rabbits,
foxes, etc.
The spring-fed 4-5 acre pond/lake
is stocked with bass and grass carp. The dam of the pond has a
relatively new spill/overflow tube which should last another 40
years...overflow, which has not stopped since we bought the property,
runs into the Paw Paw River downstream. Duck grass floats on the
top of the water and blows around with the wind...in late summer,
more of this grass grows, and on calm days will cover much of
the surface, but it moves to one end or the other with the wind...this
is not pond “scum,” and can be sprayed/killed, but
the Sarett Nature Center director advises against doing so due
to potential harm to wildlife in the pond.
The road was never paved,
because it was used frequently for training horses.
There is Paw Paw River frontage
accessible via the back pasture and a path, but the path must
be kept cleared.
House
The house is contemporary
in style, designed by John Allegretti, and built by Rudy Brunkle...the
design is intended to “bring the outside into the house.”
The rooms are large, and there are 11 skylights (none of which
have ever leaked).
The house is heated/cooled
by a geo-thermal, ground-sourced, open-loop system which is very
efficient...total electric utility bills average $170-$190/month.
We have annual, scheduled preventative maintenance on the system.
The furnace is turned down and/or the air conditioner is turned
up when we’re not there.
The water softener, central
vacuum, water pressure tank, and septic lift motor/pump are all
new within the last three years. The water heater and water softener
are turned off when we’re not there.
We intend to leave with the
buyer the granite breakfast table (matches the kitchen counters),
the master bedroom cocktail table (matches the cabinetry), and
the exercise weight machine in the basement.
Barn/Indoor Riding
Ring
The barn is a custom-built
center-aisle type with 11 stalls, wash area, work area, tack room,
and office on ground floor...hay storage and store room on second
floor. There is a separate (from the house) well and septic system
for the barn.
Adjoining the barn is an indoor
riding ring (136’ x 60’) with a storage area (24’x60’)...the
ring has special footing of sand/ground rubber over bluestone
and clay base and has overhead sprinkler system for dust control.
The water lines are blown
out and the well is turned off while we’re not there to
prevent potential freezing (normally, the well, water lines, and
outside water servers are heated to prevent winter freezing).
Pastures/Fields
The paddocks/pastures (fenced)
have water servers for horses, and all are hot-wired to protect
the fences from horses.
The two hay fields, one of
10 acres and one of 14 acres, are planted in alfalfa hay grass...the
hay is excellent. We have a handshake agreement with the man who
tends the hay fields...he fertilizes, mows, and bales the hay
(three cuttings most years), and puts half of the bales in our
barn (he gets half the bales for his use). Average yield is 1200
bales/year for our share. The hay elevator in the loft is on the
“stays/sell” list.
General/Misc.
There are many management
and maintenance details relative to caring for the property, house,
and barn...I will spend whatever time required to brief the new
owners on all of this.
Several of the neighbors are
farmers and have always been very nice about helping when ever
needed. One of the neighbors is helping maintain and monitor our
house/barn/property while we’re gone (and might be willing
to work out an arrangement to do the same for any prospective
buyer).
