Vacation Rentals by Owner

Great Getaway Close To Chicago

Guest: Jenny (Chicago)
Date of Stay: 02/10/12 Review Submitted: 02/28/12

My boyfriend and I decided to get away from Chicago for a weekend in mid-February. We are in our mid-30s. We wanted a place that had a good chance to get snowed on, with a cozy fireplace. This home definitely delivered as we were lucky enough to get lake-effect snow for the weekend and the Great Room with its fireplace was more than we could ask for. It was a great location, only 2 hours away from the north side of Chicago. The owner, David, made sure everything was perfect for us and the house was spotless. He recommended places nearby to eat and they didn't disappoint. Being fans of good beer, we decided to take a short 40 minute drive to Kalamazoo to visit Bell's Brewery, brought some of their goods back to the house and enjoyed a quiet night with good pizza, great beer, and a relaxing fire. This house is quiet enough to relax, but not too far removed from interesting activities to make for a fun stay. Not many complaints here - don't expect to cook a thanksgiving dinner in the kitchen, it's kind of small; and the water has a sulfur-like smell to it, as I guess most rural houses do, but that's about it. We would definitely come back. Thanks for letting us into your home, David!

Owner response:Thanks Jen for your kind comments! Glad you guys had a great time and enjoyed the house and the area! Water from rural wells generally does not taste the same as city water (aka Chicago's Lake Michigan water)and may have some odor issues initially. The smell you observed occurs when the water sits in the water heater when the house is not occupied for a week or so. It will aquire a slight sulphur smell which goes away after the hot water is used for a while. Not only is the water safe to use... It's quite normal for this area. And yes, the kitchen is a bit small... but yet quite functional and has everything you'd need for up to 8 guests. Thanks again for taking the time to write a review! I sincerely appreciate the feedback! David

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Will Never Rent This Home Again

Guest: Kristen (Monroe MI)
Date of Stay: 07/03/11 Review Submitted: 10/06/11

My family rented this home during the week of July 4th. First appearance the home was cute, but when we opened the door it smelled stale, the bedding and towels were musty and there were a TON of knick knacks and trinkets EVERYWHERE. After all was said and done, the owner alledged that we stole items (I wouldn't want anything in the house), broke things and left the house a mess for his cleaning lady - uh, isn't that why we paid a cleaning fee? We did not receive any of our security depsoit back, the owner was holding it ransom for some tiny bicycle trinket. Needless to say, my family, whom rents a vacation home in Coloma every year, will NOT be renting this home again.

Owner response:In the four summers this home has been available for rent... the overwhelming response by our guests has been nothing but positive. We have also been blessed with guests that have treated our home as if it was their own. As you should be able to see from the photos on our ad, our home is immaculate and is maintained with loving care. It is after all... our home, and we take great pride in providing our guests with a positive and memorable experience. With that said, It's inevitable that one day your bound to have a bad guest experience... that one guest that refuses to accept responsibility for their irresponsible behavior and accept the consequences for their actions. The consequences in this case... being the forfeiture of their security deposit to cover losses...

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Guest: C. Finney
Date of Stay: 09/17/09 Review Submitted: 09/16/09

Thanks for the memories. My High School friends celebrated our collective 60th birthdays here, and it was the perfect place for us. We enjoyed the cottage, the town and Lake Michigan in general.

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Guest: S. Brown
Date of Stay: 09/17/09 Review Submitted: 09/16/09

David, The house is just perfect! Location is perfect! We felt so at home here and would love to see what else you do to the place to make changes in the future. We noticed everthing was so clean and neat - perfect! Good luck with your future plans and we loved meeting you. Enjoy life! Thank you again for providing such a nice place for us to stay. Sue

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Guest: S. Hardy
Date of Stay: 09/17/09 Review Submitted: 09/16/09

David, We enjoyed our time here to the fullest. Our only regret is that we must leave today. You cannot imagine the love and laughter that took place here. We feel so blessed that the four of us still have this bond of friendship that goes back to Jr. High. God Bless you and future guests at this home. Sincerely, Sue.

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Guest: J. Kirk
Date of Stay: 09/17/09 Review Submitted: 09/16/09

David, your house was the perfect place for me and my three High School friends to celebrate our 60th birthdays. We could not have found a better place. Also thank you for going out of your way to show us how to light the fireplace. It was good to meet you. You were so nice to deal with during the entire rental process. We will be back. Jackie

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Guest: Folkerts family
Date of Stay: 08/10/09 Review Submitted: 08/09/09

Thank you for the use of this beautiful space! We had a wedding rehersal in the Great Room - due to the rain. We made all our wedding floral and had our hair and make up - as well as dressing our Bride. I washed towels and sheets, they are folded in the laundry! Thank you again - all was lovely! Sue Ken, Sue, Tabitha, Megan, Emily

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Guest: Monks family
Date of Stay: 08/02/09 Review Submitted: 08/01/09

Thank you again for the use of your lovely home! We had wonderful lovely mornings on the deck watching the birds and quiet peaceful evenings.

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Guest: Lambert family
Date of Stay: 07/29/09 Review Submitted: 07/28/09

David - Thank you so much for your help throughout the rental process. You were amazing. The house is beautiful. We watered the porch flowers for you. We also pulled the citronella candle you had and replaced it with a new one, it would not light correctly. We hosed off both decks for you and did our best to scrub the deck and picnic table.We also hosed down and srubbed the patio furniture as best we could. We figured it was the least we could do for your hospitality. Suggestion, need a larger coffee pot. I hope we have an opportunity to do business again in the future. Finally, many thanks for opening your home to us, it made the stresses of wedding coordination much more comfortable. Beth

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Guest: Tarzwell family
Date of Stay: 07/16/09 Review Submitted: 07/15/09

Dave - You've done a beautiful job restoring this beautiful house, everything worked just fine. It was a very nice stay for a wedding and memorial. Great weather you ordered as well! PS. I loved the master bedroom and bathroom. Great job! Sherry - Suggestions: hot pads, larger serving spoons, larger coffee pot, cookie sheet, broom and dust pan. Ernest, Sherry, Kendra, Mikaela, Dason

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Guest: Karon family
Date of Stay: 03/08/09 Review Submitted: 03/07/09

David, Thanks for sharing your house with us! Despite the rainy weather, we had a great time! Thanks again, your home was very cozy! Jeanette, Scott, Michele, Daryl, And Amy.

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Guest: Morey
Date of Stay: 01/18/09 Review Submitted: 01/17/09

David, thanks for the use of your lovely cottage. Everything was great. Would suggest wine glasses and a corkscrew... We hope to return in warmer weather to enjoy the lovely yard and views. Would be nice to drink out of a glass without Beras logo on it... Go Lions! Thanks again. Laura and Devon

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Guest: Monks family
Date of Stay: 08/11/08 Review Submitted: 08/10/08

Deceptively large place. We really enjoyed everything about your place. Quiet, clean, large... relaxing! Thank you so much for the use of your home! It is lovely! The beds are comfortable, the bathrooms were terrific. We had everything we needed for a lovely weekend! THANK YOU! Monks family.

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Guest: Zurniewicz family
Date of Stay: 08/02/08 Review Submitted: 08/01/08

Thank you for a wonderful vacation at your beautiful house! Hope we have switched off all of the lights... too many switches...:) As it was very dry, we took the liberty to water some of the plants (eg. tomatoes) Greetings Andrew, Dagmara, Olivia and Max

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Guest: Cibula family
Date of Stay: 07/07/08 Review Submitted: 07/06/08

Thank you for a memorable stay, we enjoyed it! Jackie, John, Ryan, Samantha and Jeremy

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Guest: Hayes
Date of Stay: 06/01/08 Review Submitted: 05/31/08

David, Thank you for opening your beautiful home to us! We had a terrific weekend. We had been in search of some peace and quiet away from Chicago, and your home was just perfect! Take care and Thanks again - Greg and Brenna

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Guest: Cibula Family
Date of Stay: 05/25/08 Review Submitted: 05/24/08

Thank you for a great Memorial Day - Your house is charming! Jacki, John, Ann Kyle

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Guest: Largent
Date of Stay: 11/25/07 Review Submitted: 11/24/07

Thanks so much for the lovely weekend in this beautiful place. Thanks, Chris and Frank

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