Michigan Cottage Law definitely gains new perspective on game day in Michigan!

Hope you found the right crowd of fans to gather at your Michigan family cottage to watch and enjoy the game. Such rivalry and so much at stake on a day like today.

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Succession Planning for Vacation Property
Steps for Cottage Sharing
With summer here, many families will be enjoying their family cottages during the span of summer’s endless sunshine defining the lazy days of summer at the family cottage.

This is how summers have always been. You enjoy the laughter of denials and finger-pointing about who created the latest mysterious heap of sandy wet towels on the cottage porch floor. The children stand shivering from their latest dip in the lake and you silently wager bets against how long it will take for the lake water drops hanging from ends of clumped wet bangs to land on the table.

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Most people would think “economic value” is the most important factor to protect the family cottage. Common “emotional value” has proven time and time again as the most important motivation behind developing a cottage succession plan to protect the family cottage.

Yes, it’s true when they say, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and it’s especially true when thinking of the family cottage. Whether the family cottage is a family retreat in some stunning mountain region, or a luxurious custom built retirement home on one of the Great Lakes touching Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, New York, Ohio, Indiana or even Canada, or a small rustic cabin on a pristine lake or stream, it’s not “economic value” that is the most important factor to protect the family cottage, it’s the “emotional value.”

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Do you belong to the circle of kindness? This means, to belong, you do something kind for someone. Kindness costs you nothing. It is a friendly gesture that you don’t think twice about. There is no ulterior motive. You never know when you are going to make a difference in someone’s life.

Remember that people won’t remember what you say they will remember what you do. If you belong to the circle of kindness you don’t run around with a badge or a sign saying, “Look what I did for so and so”. You just do your thoughtful gesture because you want to.

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Summer began as usual at the family cottage. The dogs, our chocolate labs Jake and Ginger, and our two cats Max and Joey and the three teen boys plus a friend were all settled in for a glorious summer at the cottage.

A few days later we discovered that our pets were not the only critters at the summer cottage. We had a family of skunks living under the shed in the back of the family cottage. There were 5 skunks to be exact. A mother skunk who was not happy we had invaded her space and her 4 babies. I did not want her spraying the dogs. We had that happen before to our very first dog Baily, a yellow lab. It was awful -the smell smarts your eyes. I believe we used tomato juice and hydrogen peroxide to get rid of the smell. I absolutely did not want her spraying the boys.

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