Bayview Condos in Suttons Bay, Michigan

I never thought I would like living in a condo. We don't need more things, we need more time, we need more experiences. You know, I guess I can't speak to misconception, you know, maybe mine. It's given us a lot of freedom. Advice to people, I would just say, you know, just do your homework, walk the grounds, and talk to people that are residents there and see what they think, how they Enjoy living there? Are there any issues?

Craig, thanks for visiting with us. Uh, we were able to do a little bit of a walk around for the ADTV episode and appreciate that and wanted to take a little bit more time to pick your brain even a little bit more. Okay, about Bayview Condos. So what drew you at first to Sutton's Bay and into Bayview Condos in particular?

Well, my wife Jeannie and I grew up in small towns in northern Michigan, and the first year we got married, we moved to the Traverse City area, and we really enjoyed it there. But then later on, I took a job in— and actually a 41-year career, uh, and during that time, we relocated 9 times. And we always talked about where are we going to retire. We lived in some wonderful places, metropolitan areas. We lived in the Detroit area several times, Cincinnati, Los Angeles area twice, Chicago, and we really enjoyed our neighborhoods in a lot of those places. But when it came time to retire, I think we both wanted to retire back in a small town on the water. And so that's what really drew us back to this area. We loved living in Traverse City previously, and after being in all these other wonderful locations, we came back to where we started.

Yeah, curiously, I've had a handful of clients who want to relocate from Los Angeles area to Leon County. So as you compare the— those two locations in particular, How do you compare Sutton's Bay, Traverse City area to LA?

Well, I guess a couple things. First of all, when we lived in California twice and where we lived, the weather was perfect. We hardly ever used our air conditioning. It would cool off at night. We were close enough to the ocean. We hardly ever used our furnace in the winter. Quite different from Michigan. And we're sailors, and so we did a lot of boating off the coast of California in the salt water. Here we have the fresh water, much easier on the boat. We have a daughter and a son that both have families in California now, but they love to come here to the fresh water because first of all, for the younger kids, they don't have the gigantic waves in Sutton's Bay, and also they don't have the salt film on them when they get out of the water, and it's much easier for a sailor, it's much easier on your boat in the fresh water than the than the salt water. So I think that's a big difference. The other thing is more of a change of seasons, which we enjoy. Growing up in, in northern Michigan, we always had that, so we're used to it. Although there's a, you know, a rainy season in Southern California, you don't, uh, you don't have the seasons like you do in Michigan.

Yeah, you're certainly not getting any snow on—

in the mountains. In the mountains, we can see it from our homes. We can see it on the mountaintops.

What are some of your favorite hot spots here in Suttons Bay? Favorite restaurants?

That's kind of hard to say because we frequent them all. I think they all have their own character, and it's just like a lot of restaurants within Leelanau County. I mean, we go to other places in Leelanau County for dinner, go to Glen Arbor or wherever, but they all have their own character. And do you want to eat, you know, more fine dining, or do you want to have something a little bit more casual? You know, right here in Sutton's Bay there's quite a bit of diversity between the restaurants. And then they added the Hop Lot on the south end of town, which is, is very casual, but man does that place bring in the people. And it is, it's busy. You'll see cars parked along M-22 and both sides of the road. And, and, uh, it's very casual, but it really draws in the people.

I used to put on camps, and one of my former campers is like one of the main brewers over there.

Oh yeah.

And he says that the number one question that they are asked at the brewery about the beer is, "What do you have that tastes like Bud Light?" Oh, really?

I would have never guessed that.

And it's the most frustrating. He says, "I just lose it every time. Like, why are you coming to a microbrewery and asking what's like Bud Light?" You know, how do you compare your experience here within Sutton's Bay to when you go into what we call Growing up in little Northport, we call Traverse City the big city. Yeah. So it's big to us.

From where we've lived there, Traverse City is relatively small too, and we lived there before. I think they're both wonderful places. We actually love them both, and I don't think you can go wrong anyplace in Grand Traverse County or Leelanau County if you want to find a nice place to live and community. But clearly that's a bigger city, and we're here, we walk, we can walk every place in Traverse City. We go there probably once a week, and there's things that we need, or we go to the mall, or we'll go to one of the lumber yards, or Home Depot, or Lowe's, or Menards. So we go into town quite often, and it's really nice that they have multiple theaters there in the winter for people living here year-round. But also you have a, you know, a big hospital there. And so we feel very fortunate that we live in a small village of Suttons Bay, which we like this real tight-knit community, but we're close enough to Traverse City. It's just a 15-minute drive and we're there. I never thought I I would like living in a condo. My wife and I had talked about it, you know, over the years, and I could never see it. And, you know, our home downstate was about 4,300 square feet, so there's a lot of upkeep and a lot of yard work. And, but when it came time to retire, we realized that we have a lot of things, but we don't need all these things. We have rooms that we haven't been in in a while. And we don't need more things, we need more time, we need more experiences. And so we made the decision, we owned the condo here and we came up here whenever we could. And every time we get to, I don't know, about Kalkaska, my wife would say, "Oh, I feel like I'm going home. I don't want to leave." And we didn't even get here yet. And what drew us is, you know, we're sailors. We always wanted to be in a small town on the water, and this is it. And we found these condos. We came up here for weekends and drove around, and we found these condos. And I thought, you know, it's wonderful. It's got a marina attached to it right outside, and you know, it doesn't get much better than that. The condos look nice. They have an indoor swimming pool and a pickleball court. And so we saw one for sale, and we contacted the realtor and asked if we come look at it. And that's how, what led to this.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think that's something that I'm getting to the stage, you get a little wiser and you start thinking about how much time, right? Everything. I mean, I live on a 12-acre little mini farm and we enjoy the having our own garden and all, but it is a lot of work, you know, and there's only so much time in the day. You know, one thing that has struck me here, the, the more time that I've spent in, you know, working with a client who just bought a condo in here, and the seller was so gracious and helpful and learning. It really does seem like there's a, there's a nice community vibe and feeling here among the condo owners. What, what has been your experience with that since you've been here since you know, over a decade?

Yeah, well, there hasn't been a lot of turnover. I mean, it kind of goes in spurts, but, you know, we do things that we call the Cabana Crawl. Every unit, attached unit, has a cabana, and so we'll set some tables up and everybody brings a dish to pass, and we have that once a year. Labor Day, we're going to have a work bee, and we're going to do some cleanup along our marina and our beach area. And everybody just kind of socialize and get together afterwards. So we have that, but the— there isn't a large percentage of people that this is their primary residence. We have owners here that live in Wyoming and Ohio and Texas and New York. And they're just not here that often. The overall occupancy isn't that high, and some people enjoy that. And, you know, the people that have this as a kind of like a little vacation home, they'll just come up for on a Friday night and they leave on Sunday and they're gone. So, but the people that are here, you know, get together and play cards or, you know, you know, on New Year's Eve or whatever and get together. But everybody kind of watches out for everybody else. You know, if you have your boat in the marina, you know, there's always somebody here that's kind of watching out, make sure your dock lines are good, etc., etc. So everybody tries to take care of each other.

Everybody's got a little unit on the ground floor that opens up on the level of the marina. And goes out.

Yeah, all of the attached units. So there's 30 of those here. There's 5 buildings, 6 units in each building, and they all have a cabana. And then, you know, then we have what we call the commercial building. It's right on M-22, and there's 4 of those. And then above those 4, there's, there's a loft. So there's 4 lofts. And then what a lot of people don't realize is the housing community across the street is part of the Bayview community.

Yes.

So they have access to all the amenities as everyone else in the attached units as far as the marina, the pickleball court, the swimming pool, etc., etc.

So yeah, we were talking about foodie type stuff earlier. Shemasky's Bakery. Yeah. Right here in one of those commercial units.

Yeah.

And that's a pretty popular, popular spot.

It is. And the other thing that we have here is the TART Trail goes right through our complex, right? And so people will ride their bikes up from Traverse City and they'll be in their spandex or whatever, their bike uniforms, and they pull into the bakery and they have some kind of a baked dessert or donut or whatever and cup of coffee and then they ride their bikes back to Traverse City. But yeah, it's a very popular place. You know, even for us, you know, especially when the grandchildren are here, we can just walk up there and get some baked goods and bring it back. And usually we, when they're here, we always get a cherry pie there.

So yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, I know Hop-A-Lot, they have a specific Beta route that will, people ride their bikes up, have a beer, and then Beta loads their bikes and takes them back to Traverse City. Right. The TART Trail is big. Yeah, big draw for this area. What are, what are some of the misconceptions that people might have about whether it's Bayview or condo living in Sutton's Bay?

Um, you know, I, I guess I can't speak to misconceptions, uh, you know, um, you know, maybe mine, uh, because I didn't think I'd ever really like condo living, but it's just for us in our lifestyle now. It's given us a lot of freedom. We don't have all the yard work that we used to have, all the upkeep on our home that we used to have, like, you know, painting or anything like that. So it allows us to go on, you know, several-week boat trips during the summer, and all we have to do is lock the door And the same in the winter. We went on a couple of cruises last year, went to Florida, went to California a couple times, and it's just a matter of locking the door. I don't have to winterize anything, and it's given us a lot of freedom. So I guess, you know, I can't speak to how other people feel about it, but for us it's been wonderful, and I wouldn't go back.

Are there any rules or regulations around pets?

There are, there are, depending on the size of— if you have a dog, you've got to have it approved by the board. There's a certain, you know, certain size and breeds that, you know, they want pit bulls running around.

Probably.

Exactly.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So yeah, it makes sense.

Yeah. But if you have a small, a small dog, that's that's not an issue. But as a complex, it's relatively new. This building was built in 2005. It was the first building.

You know, compared to what was here before, you know, with the old Frigid Foods factory, which had been abandoned for years and years, it was quite an eyesore. I mean, this is absolutely gorgeous. So it's, you know, the natural development of the area. What advice would you give to any potential buyers that were considering buying a condominium in Bayview or in the area?

Sutton's Bay is pretty unique. Uh, you know, there's a lot of communities in Leelanau County that are on the water, but Sutton's Bay has 3 marinas, 2 private plus a municipal. And they did some remodeling in the municipal and improved that and allowed more big boats to come in. So I think the Yacht Club is, is very nice. Yeah, I think they were built in the '80s, where this is built in 2005. It's a little bit different deal in that here you can get a long-term lease on a slip. In the Yacht Club, I don't think you can because I think that's, uh, it was bought by some investors and So they lease slips on a seasonal basis to people that live there. But as far as advice to people, I would just say, you know, just do your homework, walk the grounds, and talk to people that are residents there and see what they think, how they enjoy living there. Are there any issues? Do they know if there's any upcoming assessments or any past assessments? And if you start getting serious and you're trying to narrow it down, ask for a copy of the bylaws and look and see what the bylaws have to say.

Yeah. The buyer that I showed Larry's place to, I had first met him on showing him a unit in the Yacht Club, and that I found surprising that there wasn't more, I don't know, preference or right of first refusal or what have you, that the actual condo owner units didn't seem to have any more right to use use the marina than anybody.

Right.

And that seemed a little, I don't know, a little out of place. You know, that you think that would be a privilege that you'd at least get the right to a first refusal on it or something, you know. My brother's been on the list in the Northport Marina for 20 years waiting for a slip. I mean, people get these slips and they don't give them up. Oh, Oh yeah, he's gone from, uh, whatever last was at that time. I think he's number 12 now, but he'll probably wait another 20 years. So it's a good thing he started asking for the slip before he bought the boat.

Yeah, well, and I know people down here in our municipal in Sutton's Bay that they can't use it for a year, but they pay for it, uh, yeah, so that they don't lose their spot. Their boat's not there, and of course if the boat's not there, it's it's like any boater down there. If you have a, a, a seasonal slip, if you go on a trip, you know, the marina can lease the slip to somebody else while you're gone. And so, and that's the case. But he, he paid for a seasonal even though he couldn't be there so that he could have it the next year when he came back.

Sure.

You don't want to let it go because you're going to the bottom of the list.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then it might be a long time. Yeah, right back. Yeah, yeah. When I sold, a slip there in, uh, in Graylickville in that marina. My buyer didn't, didn't have a boat, but he's like, I know I've got to get the slip first before I go searching for a boat. I don't want to do it the other way around, right? So yeah, owning, owning the rights is— and this is a beautiful marina.

It is, it's very nice, very nice.

Runs separate from the condo units by a different organization, but—

well, no, right, that's a little bit of a misconception.

Okay.

Um, there's a committee, a marina committee, but it's under the HOA. The HOA, uh, Bayview Condominiums owns the marina.

Yeah. Okay.

And Bayview has the bottom line lease with the state of Michigan. Yeah.

Okay.

And for all taxation and everything, we're one entity.

Okay.

Um, Now some people say that they're separate, but the committee is just a committee of the HOA.

Yeah, okay.

Yeah, yeah.

And that's what gives the condo owners the first rights, the first dibs.

Right, right.

Yeah, that's good. Well, is there anything else that you want to share about Bayview or what you like about Sutton's Bay that I haven't asked?

We just think that It's a wonderful place to live. We, like I said, we have children and grandchildren in California. They love to come here. This is their happy place. And our daughter and her two daughters have been coming here every summer without exception. And they already got their plans for next year and the dates, even though they live in Southern California. You know, that water is really cold. It'll numb your legs up. In the Pacific Ocean there. And until you get further, further south, like at Ventura Beach, you know, you hear so much about, and Malibu, it's cold.

Yeah.

And where they wear wetsuits. But, uh, so they just love it here. They love the, the sandy beaches. And, uh, uh, I think it's just, uh, it's just a piece of paradise. I mean, I— yeah, you look out here every day and you just think, how lucky am I to see this?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I grew up on Northport Bay. We had family property that has since been sold. My parents sold that. Breaks my heart. And my grandpa Nelson had a place out on Stony Point, and so I didn't realize how spoiled of a— yeah, I was a spoiled little brat, you know, growing up. And so I have a lot of great memories myself on Sutton's Bay. So it is a beautiful beautiful bay.

So yeah, and the other thing is, as boaters, you know, we'll be out and we could be out in Lake Michigan and it could be really rough. You could have 5 or 6-foot waves. And then as we get in further into Grand Traverse Bay, yeah, you know, it gets smoother. But people, you can go out on the roughest day in Sutton's Bay and, yeah, and you're fine.

And, uh, where if you went another 10 miles I think the local Native American tribe called that a Nia Towaka, Nia Towana, a bay within a bay, or the placid waters. I think that's the name for— like Sutton's Bay is a bay within Grand Traverse Bay, you know. And there's a particular bay in Northport, Hall Bay, which is off what we call Paradisia Point. And that was when I was a kid, when you wanted to water ski and you wanted it to be glass, you went to Hall Bay because that That sat within Northport Bay, within Grand Traverse Bay, and man, it was always just so perfect, right?

You know, and well, we see quite often, uh, in, in bad weather, the freighters will come in and they'll anchor down here off of Stony Point and, uh, or just inside of Stony Point, but they might be there for a day or two. You'll just see their lights are on all, you know, 24 hours a day. You see them out there at night, but it's just, uh, it's just calmer setting in here. So it's perfect for boaters. It's just absolutely perfect.

Yeah, it was funny that— so I interviewed a lighthouse keeper at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse north of Northport, and she talked about having gotten up and thought that she had seen a freighter and, you know, was taking pictures and everything. And it was actually the cement factory in Charlotte.

Oh yeah, must have been a clear night.

Yeah, she, she must have like a freighter out there. No, it was just the cement factory across the lake. Well, thanks Craig, I really appreciate the time.

Thank you.

Yeah, appreciate you taking so much time to share this beautiful condo, the condo complex, and living in Sutton's Bay.

Well, thank you.

Thank you.