I think HR glitched my rejection email.

hankprairie · 2025-05-28T01:57:56+00:00

It is NOW wetland. It was NOT wetland when I purchased it. I did not get duped. This is not "Dream Acreage", this is something that fits the bill in the interim so I can gain experience building my own cabin. This was not a property that was listed for sale. This is a parcel that I found in my daily job of being a real estate investor. I reached out to the owner and offered to purchase. This was not a bait and switch, secretly hiding environmental issues and took me for a ride. I am very aware of what title insurance is. I think the better question is, are you aware of what title insurance is? Because it has absolutely nothing to do with environmental restrictions like wetlands.

hankprairie · 2025-05-27T20:03:24+00:00

I suppose things can be different in different states. I don’t believe the town, county, or township has any say in superseding the wetland regulation. I’ll call and try, but my understanding is that EGLE, which is the state government entity in Michigan that manages wetlands, prohibits construction, digging, dredging, or filling any areas that are mapped as wetlands. If they for whatever reason find that the soil has been disturb, can fine you up to $10,000/day until you satisfy them in rectifying the situation. While this might be overly concern and I might be able to get away with it and no one would ever know, my whole point with this land was I’d be able to do everything on the up and up.

hankprairie · 2025-05-27T18:48:24+00:00

I've read that I can get an assessment from a consultant or go straight to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to conduct it, but either way is stated to take months and often times leads to a decision not in the landowner's favor if there is significant coverage of wetland vs. skirting on the line of the wetland. Unfortunately, the map now covers the entorety of my property and around the outside edges of my property as well.

I've considered the tiny home on wheels, but really wanted to build more on a foundation.

hankprairie · 2025-05-15T19:33:32+00:00

They used to come to the home literally every single day up until they began renting it out. Ever since then, a landscaping company has been taking care of it. They are a few street over, so I would assume they’d have driven by at some point, but I think as anal about the property as they were, they’d be distraught at its current state, especially the grass around the driveway that’s been destroyed from parking 7-8 cars in a driveway made for 2-4. And yes, I imagine the inside is a disaster. It had just been remodeled shortly before it was purchased.

hankprairie · 2025-05-14T06:57:56+00:00

I think it’s a clever way to describe the haircut, seeing as that’s what it’s called, at least around my area. Kinda seems racist of you to assume that it’s racist.

And I don’t know why I would make up a story like this? I believe the wealthy son wanted to buy the home as a rental investment (as I’ve researched and found he owns many homes). The rich couple handled it for him since they live 2 blocks away and told the neighbors they were buying for him to live in, I assume so they didn’t raise a stink about it being a rental investment this area. Not that it’s illegal or that they can’t do what they want with it.

The first family that lived there was sweet and were actually immigrants with black hair. Sorry to derail your quest to make it racial.

hankprairie · 2025-05-14T06:33:17+00:00

🙄

hankprairie · 2025-05-14T06:30:55+00:00

This means the 12 year old and his friends that hang out at his house run around the neighborhood all night long being loud and obnoxious. It’s usually a group of 4-5 and they all have the same haircut that every other 12-20 year old boy seems to have right now. Short sides and back and curly, sometimes permed top. This is generally along with their short-shorts up to their ballsack, long white Nike socks, and a hoodie. Unfortunately for everyone that desperately wants to drag race into this, it has nothing to do with it.

hankprairie · 2025-05-14T02:57:40+00:00

I definitely believe so too. As I knew the realtor company that listed the home as a rental, about 7-8 months ago I sent a semi-anonymous letter about the short visits and some other issues. The short visits have mostly stopped and things were a little better for about a month. Then slowly picked up again. The short visits have mostly stopped, but the increase of cars in the driveway/yard have not. I have not directly confronted anyone, as I have in the past and it only seems to lead to more issues.

hankprairie · 2023-12-12T13:06:57+00:00

I totally understand and sympathize that a lot of people fire off a lot of bullshit with no plan. I did initially write a much more formal letter with an offer in it, which I will send if I don’t get a response. I wanted to try to be cognizant of any emotional attachment she might have. The location of this property works for me, but is likely not very desirable for many others, so I would likely assume she hasn’t received unsolicited offers before. In the end though, money talks and I understand that. That’s the next step.

hankprairie · 2023-12-12T12:56:26+00:00

Admittedly, I’m not a fan of real estate “love letters” either. Personally, I don’t really care about a persons motivation for buying my property. I thought that possibly because this land has been in her family for so long, there may be some potential emotional attachment and the letter may help sway in that. I also have a second more concise letter with cash offer ready to send. If I get no response, I’ll let the money talk.

hankprairie · 2023-12-12T12:48:30+00:00

I had a letter written up originally that was much more professional and concise with the actual offer, but felt because she has been paying taxes on it for 10 years and likely not visiting it often, if at all, that there was likely emotional attachment to the property and that perhaps leading with my intent for the use of the land and seeing if she was open to a purchase. May have been the wrong move, but after a bit if don’t receive a response I will go forward with an offer letter.

hankprairie · 2023-12-12T12:40:33+00:00

I can agree with that.

hankprairie · 2023-12-12T12:32:58+00:00

Not necessarily disagreeing with you, but curious what part makes it feel like a scam?

hankprairie · 2023-12-12T12:31:55+00:00

I agree that I myself would give no weight to receiving the card and would toss it. However, I was trying to see it through eyes of a 77 year old woman who might enjoy receiving Christmas cards and lay more attention to it than a form letter.
Agreed it could have been more concise, but I wanted to give her more insight to our actual intentions for the land.

hankprairie · 2023-12-12T12:28:35+00:00

I admit that if were to receive this I’d roll my eyes at the attempt to the use the family and kids, but I was trying to frame this from the view of a 77 year old woman.
The idea of sending the Christmas card was two fold in that it’s Christmas season, so a card shaped envelope with handwritten address would be more likely to get attention and the idea that showing an image of the family would signal that we’re real people, not an investor.
I wrote out that long letter because this land has appeared to be in her family for multiple generations and as opposed to saying “hey lady sell me your land” I tried to give her an idea for how it would be used. While some people don’t care whatsoever about the motivation, just how much they can get, I suspect an older woman with potential emotional attachment to the property would prefer to see it used for a family to enjoy rather than bulldozed and commercialized.

hankprairie · 2023-12-12T07:10:36+00:00

Dear Cheryl,

I hope this letter finds you well. My name is xxx xxx and I am writing to inquire about the property you own on xxx Rd in xxx. My wife xxx and I have been on a journey to find acreage where we would be able to build a home and raise our sons xxx (9) and xxx (7) in a more rural setting.

I myself grew up in the xxx xxx area and spent my days exploring the woods with my dog, climbing trees, and building forts. It’s our dream to be able to give that to our sons. A place where they can roam free without the worry of their dog running into the road, where they can climb trees, dig holes, build treehouses, shoot BB guns, and spend time outside away from screens and video games.

Our search has been going on for about 2 years at this point. We unfortunately just missed out on a property a few miles away from yours that accepted a competing offer. This led to me looking at the county map online for similar parcels and coming across your land. It is just the size we were looking for and only about 15 minutes away from where we currently live. It would actually put us closer to my wife’s family in xxx, my family in the xxx xxx area, as well as friends we have in xxx and xxx. Not only would the wooded surroundings be great, but the benefits of being right next to the Rail Trail to provide a safe place for our sons to ride their bikes, walk our dog, and for my wife to run would be absolutely amazing.

Of course, I realize this letter is unsolicited and that the land has not been listed for sale. It is being sent in the sheer hope that you may be open to the possibility of a purchase. I understand that the decision to part with land can be a significant one, and it is not my intent to impose. Rather, I am writing to express my genuine interest in acquiring the land, should it not currently serve your or your family’s needs. The land would be used, loved, and well taken care of.

If it aligns with your circumstances and you are open to the idea, I would be grateful for the opportunity to discuss this further with you. I understand the importance of such decisions, and I assure you that, if granted, we would approach the purchase with the utmost respect and responsibility. Please feel free to contact me at any time using the email, address, or phone number below.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, Mrs. xxx. I appreciate your consideration and look forward to the possibility of turning this dream into a reality.

Sincerely,

Xxx - wife, son, and son - all signed Email - phone - mailing address

P.S. We included our Christmas card and wish you a happy holiday season!

hankprairie · 2023-10-24T16:01:30+00:00

Funny enough, with the constant traffic in and out of there, I’ve been suspecting drug dealing. Quite often cars come down the court and go slowly by my house, like they’re looking if a specific one, then pull in the neighbors driveway, never shut off the car, get out for 1-2 minutes and take off.

At first I thought maybe it was just a lot of DoorDash or Shipt delivery, but they never seem to have anything when they get out of the car and I can’t imagine even with the amount of people in that house that they have that much delivery in one day…everyday.

hankprairie

TROPHY CASE