| Welcome to the new and improved Open Fields Blog! My name is Jake Harris. I recently joined the GreenStone staff and focus primarily on public relations and communications. In my short time at GreenStone I have visited several of our local branches and have enjoyed meeting many of our great customers. I am very fortunate to come to work each day at such a progressive company with so many outstanding customers!
In 2012 I will be sitting down with GreenStone’s President and CEO, Dave Armstrong, from time to time to discuss current industry issues as well as GreenStone news and then blogging about it here. I recently had a chance to sit down with Dave to talk about a variety of topics. Our conversation began with a discussion on GreenStone’s performance in 2011:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_I6j3adAf0[/youtube]
Looking ahead to 2012, Dave predicted a similar year for GreenStone but noted that there are a number of variables that will have an effect on the agriculture industry:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f37TgqEVho0[/youtube]
One of the most pressing issues for the agriculture industry in 2012 is the expiring Farm Bill. Dave shared some details of a recent meeting on Capitol Hill and his thoughts on the possible passage of a new Farm Bill:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M52NyQ-rWI[/youtube]
To close out our sit down, I talked with Dave about GreenStone’s recent honor of being named to the national list of 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtlRxJFHbuI[/youtube]
The success we have achieved as a cooperative is the direct result of the success our members have enjoyed. As you know, 2012 is an important year for the agriculture industry and everyone at GreenStone is looking forward to making it a success for all of our members.
If you have questions that you would like me to address with Dave, you can submit them in the comments section below. During each interview we will answer questions submitted here and on our Facebook page. |
| As the winter months roll in, we have the opportunity to spend more time indoors, possibly searching for that perfect piece of hunting land for next fall. By now, many of you have your prized deer mounts back from the taxidermist and are enjoying the new addition to your home. This brings back memories for me.
I grew up in a family where each member was addicted to hunting. This hunting focus stretches back through generations. My dad made sure all of his girls grew up knowing how to use a gun, and how to hunt for the “big one.” As my life has gotten busier with a career and kids, I am not able to get out hunting with my family like I used to. However, I still enjoy the thrill of the season, and the competitiveness that it brings.
My son experienced his first hunt this past fall when my dad took him out for the first time. Although I am certain each deer in the area was well aware of my son’s presence, it was a special experience for both he and Grandpa. They didn’t last long in the blind, but they both still talk about it. Hunting is one of the few hobbies that the young and old can enjoy together.
This year the Wisconsin GreenStone offices hosted our first annual “Big Buck” contest, while the Michigan locations partnered with the Q1 Big Buck Pole. It was northeast Wisconsin’s first year hosting the “Big Buck” contest and we had a great turn out. And better than that, we created a lot of buzz and competition amongst our customers and the branch staff. The contest had participants ranging from 16 years of age to the mid 60’s, men and women alike. The winner took down a 14 point buck with a 20 inch spread. With the excitement that we had this year, we’re already putting together the details for the second annual GreenStone “Big Buck” contest for this fall.
As any avid hunter knows, there are many outdoor shows that will be taking place over the winter months to help you prepare for next year’s hunt. The largest one in northeastern Wisconsin is the Wisconsin Deer Classic held from February 24 to 26. At the show, visitors will be able to see prize mounts from years past, visit with hunting gear dealers, attend hunting seminars, learn about guided trip sales, and even review available hunting land with real estate brokers.
If you visit the show, be sure to visit the GreenStone booth. We will be sharing information about financing for vacant land purchases – something to keep in mind for the big 2012 hunting season – now only months away. Stop by and say hi, and take a look at pictures of the “Big Buck’s” harvested last year.
If you’re in Michigan, you may want to check out one of these upcoming shows:
Huntin’ Time Expo, Grand Rapids MI Jan. 27-29
MI Deer & Turkey Spectacular, Lansing MI Feb. 17-19
Outdoorama, Novi MI Feb. 23-26
The Ultimate Sports Show, Grand Rapids MI March 15-18
Stop in to say hello to your loan officer! |
| Three miles, one pricker bush, and a cold hour and a half later, I had confirmed my notion that hunting is indeed great exercise.
The Walk
4:00pm - arrival at the gate of the property. It was time to traipse out to the tree stand, post up and get settled in before sundown. Uphill, downhill, over fallen branches, and not to mention through eight inches of snow, I could feel my hamstrings burning by the time we reached our destination. One last climb up a 10-foot ladder into the tree stand and I was finally able to rest. At this point I was a little heated up from my two pair of socks, boots, under armor, sweat suit, and camouflage outerwear. My body was working hard to cool itself down.
Benefits
- Walking in the snow - walking in the snow burns more calories because its harder to take steps so you lift your legs higher and expend more energy to move.
- Perspiring - as your body increases sweat production to cool itself, your heart works harder to boost circulation, which improves your cardiovascular system and also strengthens your immune system to fight what your body thinks is a fever. Sweating also helps detoxify your body, by removing unwanted chemicals.
The Wait
4:45pm - situated and ready to see some deer, I had cooled back down to my normal body temperature. "This isn't that bad," I thought to myself, "I'm actually pretty comfortable."
5:30pm - not so warm at this point, actually quite freezing (I wasn't as tough as I thought). The temperature had dropped as the sun disappeared behind the trees and the tips of my toes and fingers had stated feeling pretty cold...and we still had to walk back. This round, I was not hot or sweaty, but seemed to be getting colder! My body was now working hard to maintain its usual 98.6 degrees.
Benefits
- Body warming - the body remains warm by burning of calories during the Thermoregulation process.
- Fresh air - exercises performed outdoors in fresh air offer increased aerobic benefits. More clean air in, helps improve our breathing technique and increase stamina. More oxygen to the muscles reduces that lactic acid build-up in the muscles which leads to cramping.
The Potential
6:00pm - back at the truck and ready to get home! It had been quite an adventure. I cant even imagine if we'd gotten a deer! That would have meant a lot more walking if we had to track it, more waiting in the cold if my dad had to gut it, and not to mention a serious weight bearing work out if we would have had to drag it back to the truck! Talk about exercise!
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| And so it begins. Halloween is the kick off to the holiday season, which means parties, potlucks, and plenty of treats. While providing several occasions to cozy up with great people and eat delicious food, this time of year calls for cold temperatures, which puts a damper on outdoor activities and the opportunity to get out and move. This could be why so many of us give up on our healthy habits during the holidays, reassuring ourselves that we will start fresh at the beginning of the new year.
So here's my thought. Why wait until New Year's to make a resolution? Make one now! Set one or two goals to keep yourself healthy during the holiday season. Some ideas include:
- Have only one sweet treat per party
- Take the stairs at work instead of the elevator
- Steer clear of second helpings
- Make time to exercise even once per week during the extra busy periods (even if that means bundling up to take the kids sledding or ice-skating)
- Say no to the second or third cocktail
- Accompany heavy meals with a glass of water instead of sugary soda
Sticking to even one of these goals might help you feel healthier during the holidays and cut down the things to "resolve" come January 1. |
| Depending on whether you are looking to purchase a piece of land to build on, hunt, or use as recreational property with the family, there are some things you should consider before buying.
Know What You Are Buying
Do Your Research
If you are planning to build on the property you will want to make sure the property is buildable. In many cases, this means attaining a flood certificate, making sure the land is zoned to be built on, and determining if sewer, water, and electrical hook up are attainable. These are just some of the items you will want to check out before you buy a lot to build on.
Additionally, you want to makes sure that there is legal access to your property. One of the major issues that often is discovered when the title search comes back are mysterious access issues. All easements must be legally documented and recorded at the court house. This is important because this will legally give you access to your property. In most cases, a bank will not give you a loan if you do not have legal access to your property.
Know Your Surroundings and the Future Plans
Get Your Finances Figured Out
Draft an Offer to Purchase
The best piece of advice I can give you in regards to buying recreational, hunting, or a land to build on is to work with a loan officer that is familiar with these types of properties. They can help you through the process in addition to fitting you with the right product and term for your loan. Happy Land Shopping! |
| Did anybody else see the priceless publicity for Michigan on ABC’s morning show, “Good Morning America”? If you didn’t get the flood of Facebook posts or are not familiar with the morning show on ABC, then you will be happy to hear that they named Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore as the most beautiful place in America. If you haven’t been to Sleeping Bear Dunes, I can tell you it’s like a giant sandbox for all ages. It is a wonder to see all that sand in one area, overlooking one of the more magnificent fresh water lakes in the world. With scenery like this, it is no secret why people what to buy a home site, a second home or just a piece of recreational property to lounge around on.
Following up with last week’s Q&A, here are a couple more frequently asked questions that might help you on your way to owning a piece of paradise like this.
How much of a down payment is required?
GreenStone FCS has a guideline of at least 20 percent in cash or equity. However, it is important to realize this is a guideline and not a standard. We know each individual is different; therefore, we look at each scenario differently. There are also risks in every deal, which is why a highly qualified financial services officer at your local branch will underwrite your loan. If you have any questions on a particular loan scenario, go ahead and contact your local office for more details. Like me, they’ll be happy to get you the answers you need!
Do your loans have prepayment penalties?
This is the easiest question of all, NO! (I’d use triple exclamation points if I could get away with it without getting mocked by my wife and mother who were both English teachers.) My point is there are no “gotcha” moments with GreenStone. We will show you all the costs upfront and we will be as open as possible with what we can offer. Financing vacant land is really no different than financing a mortgage, and in many ways I think you will find it a much simpler process.
I will answer more of these commonly asked questions in a week or two. In the meantime, leave your questions in the comments below and I will be prompt in my response!
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|  I dare not even whisper it at work, but we are now in the middle of August and summer is passing us by again. Back to school supplies are stocked on the store shelves and everyone seems to be wrapping up their summer vacation plans. Life is busy, and it just seems to kick into a higher gear in the fall. That’s why it is so nice to go on vacation during the summer and enjoy the time we have with our family and friends. This summer my family and I took a weeklong vacation to Little Platte Lake, just south of Traverse City and near Sleeping Bear Dunes. We had a fantastic time. The weather was perfect, the sunsets were picturesque and the time with family and friends was priceless. And as I do every time I’m someplace that makes me feel so relaxed, I browse through the local real estate listings or go on my cell phone and look through the www.zillow.com web site to see what second homes and vacant land are going for in the area. I always dream of a day I could live in such a beautiful place and call it home or a home away. For me this idea of a vacation home is still a dream, but many people looking at the same properties are hoping to make it a reality. As I reflected on my last blog, which focused on construction lending, I realized that people have just as many questions on purchasing a second home, recreational property, home sites and vacant land. So for the next couple of blogs I thought I would answer your questions. I want to tell you that there are options available. There is a bank that still finances vacant land, recreational property, home sites and yes, even second homes.
Vacant Land Q&A:
What is a vacant land loan?
GreenStone defines a vacant land loan is a parcel equal to or greater than 10 acres. Some banks may cringe when they hear about financing properties over 10 acres, but we actually give a sigh of relief at GreenStone. The more acreage the better as it allows you more options for financing. You can put up a pole barn on the property and we can help finance other improvements to the property that we normally wouldn’t be able to look at. With GreenStone the more land you need to finance the better!
I will answer more commonly asked questions in a week or two. In the meantime if you want to reply with any questions between now and then, please feel free to post your questions and I will be prompt in my responses.
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| By Tracy Schrauben
Summer is here! And whether we’re are out working in the field, playing with the kids in the back yard or running errands, the heat gets to all of us. To prevent dehydration, it is important that we supply our bodies with plenty of fluids. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you up the anti on liquid intake during the sizzling summer months.
Take a drink break: Summer is an excellent time for gardening, frolicking on the beach, or spending a day at the amusement park. When we are doing things that we enjoy outside we often forget to stop, take a break, and have something to drink. Don’t wait until you are dying of thirst to get a drink, make a conscious effort to drink something at least every hour.
Some liquids actually dehydrate you: Pop, coffee, and alcohol are diuretics and cause you to use the restroom more frequently. To ensure you are remaining hydrated choose a drink without carbonation or caffeine and that is ideally low in sugar such as Propel, Gatorade, or just plain water.
Get creative: Add chunks of melon, orange slices, or mint leaves to a picture of water and chill for at least two hours, use frozen fruit instead of ice cubes, or freeze homemade ice pops. I also recently tried the water enhancer called Mio, just a squirt or two and you have a sugar free, naturally flavored glass of water! |
| By Melissa Rogers
Kids have a blast slipping and sliding, covering their feet (and bodies) in a film of sticky mud, but tractors and planters don't have quite the same relationship with it. Many farmers are still in the fight, trying to come out the champion. For those with prevented planting coverage on their crop insurance, there is at least a possible indemnity available if you have to claim defeat.
Final plant dates vary by crop, so here is a rundown of the major local dates (prevented plant claims can be made up until 72 hours after the end of the late plant period):
Michigan:- May 20: Oats and Sugar Beets Final Plant Date
- June 5: Corn Final Plant Date
- June 15: Potatoes and Soybean Final Plant Date (except for GRP and GRIP plans of insurance)
- June 25: Dry Beans Final Plant Date (except for GRP and GRIP plans of insurance)
Wisconsin:- May 15/25: Oats and Forage Seeding Final Plant Date (varies by county)
- May 25: Potatoes and Spring Wheat Final Plant Date
- May 31: Corn (as grain) Final Plant Date (except for GRP & GRIP plans of insurance)
- June 5: Corn (as silage) Final Plant Date
- June 10: Soybeans Final Plant Date (except for GRP and GRIP plans of insurance)
- June 15: Potatoes Final Plant Date
- June 20: Sweet Corn Final Plant Date
If Mother Nature has won the first round, there is still time for you to make a comeback if you so choose through the late plant period. During this 25-day time, you may continue planting the crop, but your crop coverage level for those crops will reduce one percent per day. Once the late plant period is over, and you still wish to win the fight and plant your crop, you can insure your crop based on the preventative plant guarantee.
Get all of your prevented plant crop insurance questions answered by visiting our new Prevented Plant Q & A webpage! |
| By: Andrew Kudwa
In this last installment on construction financing, I want to look into our owner builder construction program. Owner builder is when you serve as your own general contractor during the construction process. Based on the information I have seen in the marketplace, GreenStone is still the only lender that offers this type of construction program. This might be because most lenders think that this is a riskier type of construction, but after doing construction loans for the past 7+ years, I have found out that is quite the opposite. As long as the necessary questions are asked on the front end and the proper monitoring is done throughout the process, this can actually be a smoother process. This is because when you serve as your own general contractor, you know the general contractor is not misunderstanding your opinions or ideas. However, this is also one of those “Buyer Beware” moments. You might be saving the 10% or more by not having a general contractor, but if you don’t have the time to spend researching for quality subcontractors and going out to the property on a continual basis, this is probably not the option for you.
Here is a shortened list of the suggestions that I give out to potential customers that are looking to act as their own general contractor.
1. Start interviewing subcontractors very early. Choose contractors that have been recommended by several people and ask them for references.
2. Compare bids and don’t always take the lowest bid. Look for quality and reputation.
3. Make sure that the carpenter you choose is willing to work with your choice of subcontractors.
4. Get a good handle on the permits you will need.
5. Plan on visiting the site daily.
6. Review your house plans regularly to make sure building is going as planned.
7. Review building codes for your area.
8. Watch for cost overruns.
9. And take A LOT of pictures that are dated.
As a loan officer, I really want to make sure that if you act as your own general contractor, you have a good idea of what the actual costs of your project are going to be. Even then, expect overruns. Make sure to get two to three bids on all your large items. You won’t need three bids on things like appliances or landscaping, but on other items this is part of that due diligence process. As a lender, we also want to see that in your plans you have allocated 15% for cost overruns. In most cases, an owner builder project has more cost adjustments than if you were to hire a general contractor which is why we require 15% instead of 10% as I stated in the previous blog.
As always for more information go to www.greenstonefcs.com or just post a comment with your questions and I will get back with you promptly.
Construction lending: http://greenstonefcs.com/countryliving/loanproducts/Pages/Construction.aspx
Related Posts:Home Construction Lending Series
Construction Part 1: Prequalification
Construction Part 2: General Contractors |
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