Uncategorized – Stapleton Realty

Waterfront Centennial Farm, Empire

Waterfront Centennial Farm image is a drone shot taken above the farm that shows South Bar Lake and Lake Michigan beyond it.

Image for Waterfront Centennial Farm is a close-up of the house taken from a drone clearly show the homes two stories, enclosed front porch and a large deck off the carriage house, with the roof of the garage in the foreground. Mature trees surround the house and the grassy lawn beneath the deck is in sunshine.

Image for Waterfront Centennial Farm is of the lake frontage and dock on South Bar Lake.

Image for Waterfront Centennial Farm is of the two-story boathouse.

LEELANAU COUNTY. This lovingly maintained Empire Centennial Farm includes 127 feet of private frontage on South Bar Lake, with dock and boathouse, and rests on two acres. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Lake Michigan are blocks away. Master Carpenter Burr Getman, who constructed the D.H. Day barn and several area homes, was the original builder of this two-story, three-bedroom farmhouse and two-story 17’x24’ carriage house.

Completely renovated in 2024 with new metal roofs, siding, furnace and windows, the home has three bedrooms and three bathrooms. Other updates include all new flooring, walls, insulation, bathrooms (including a Finnish steam shower), and custom blinds. Also the addition of mini splits for cooling in the summer. Enjoy evenings in the 3 season 22’x15’ sunporch. The living room features a wood burning fireplace and built-in entertainment center and bookcases. Kitchen highlights include cherry wood cabinets, granite counters, a snack bar and built-in desk, and a doorway to the new expansive deck with lake views.

A fully equipped cottage apartment with attached garage was also updated in 2024 which includes adding a mini split for heating & cooling. The cedar-shake boathouse offers additional sleeping quarters. The grounds include many species of native plants, trees and shrubs. Among them are a forest of pine, cedar, balsam, cherry and birch. A meadow offers horseshoe pits, a natural area for badminton, apple trees, raspberries, grapes. Empire village amenities include parks, beaches, restaurants, and shops.

See details and more photos in the MLS HERE.

Big Platte Lake Waterfront Home

Image for Big Platte Lake waterfront home is an aerial view over this property and several others of Platte Lake and in the distance is lake michigan and Empire Bluff in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Invite guests to this attractive waterfront home on 1.7 acres with 100 feet of private, direct, sandy-bottom frontage and a dock on all-sports Big Platte Lake. Tucked away on Birch Point, near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore property, this four-bedroom, two-bath, air-conditioned home offers an attached garage, a second 1200 sq. ft. garage, and one-quarter interest in an additional 6.3 acres to protect your privacy.

The home’s interior features stunning views of the lake from most rooms, starting with Great Room’s soaring window views of the water accented by a wood vaulted ceiling and a sliding door to the deck. Overlooking this room, with its own views of the water, is the cook’s kitchen offering dual, built-in wall ovens, a Viking stainless gas stove with griddle, enormous counter space and lots of cupboards for cookware and pantry items. A tiled floor and backsplash provide easy kitchen clean-up. A cozy, carpeted living room, also with lake views, includes a wood-burning fireplace with a brick hearth and plenty of space for reading, watching TV or snuggling with pets.

Also on the main level are two bedrooms. The primary bedroom has a private door to a shared bathroom with a tiled shower. The second bedroom has a lake-facing door to the deck and an entry to the mud/laundry room with washer-dryer, sink and cabinets.

Upstairs are two more bedrooms, a full bath, and storage space under the eaves and then some. Amenities include cable TV/internet, natural gas forced-air and baseboard heating, and a lawn sprinkler system. The grassy, manicured yard includes tasteful landscaping and the back lawn leads to the sandy shore. Sit in a rocker on your covered front porch, or relax in a lounge chaise on the deck.

Right around the corner, across M-22, are trails leading to Lake Michigan. Paddle from Big Platte all the way to Lake Michigan. More photos and room dimensions, etc., are HERE.

Log Home adjoins Sleeping Bear Dunes

PENDING SALE! Bordering the Sleeping Bear Dunes, this full log 3 BR, 2.5 BA home rests among mature trees on 1.7 acres adjoining National Park property south of the Dune Climb in Glen Arbor Township. The well-maintained residence was built in 2020, and amenities include central air, natural gas, water softener, cable TV and internet, and a whole-house Generac generator for peace of mind.

The inside is clean and bright, with log exterior walls and drywalled interior walls and ceilings. Floors are carpeted or covered in luxury plank vinyl. A vaulted ceiling in the Great Room includes windows above the French door to let more light stream in. Cozy up to the gas fireplace or step from the living room to the 10×20 outdoor deck with spectacular views of the dunes. A cook’s kitchen includes a 6-burner gas stove and double oven, granite counters, cherry wood cabinets, stainless appliances and an island with seating next to the dining area. A kitchen doorway leads to the 15×18 screened porch for outdoor dining, reading and lounging. The main floor primary bedroom includes a huge walk-in closet with its own access to the laundry area, a sliding door to the balcony, and a full bathroom with dual sinks. A half bath is conveniently located off the entry.

The finished lower level shares the upper entryway and has its own entrance via French doors. Set up as an apartment-type living space, the lower level includes a large family room, kitchen, bathroom with shower, and two bedrooms: one nonconforming, one with a door to the outside—perhaps for your home office or hobby room. Additionally, there is a 15×15 utility/storage/shop area.

Step outside for more property features. Store tools in the 16×12 garden storage shed. At the road are an RV hookup and a 16×12 cabin attractively finished inside for use as a guest cabin or art studio. A long driveway promises privacy, less road noise, and the dark skies you need to stargaze around the campfire. Walk from the backyard to National Park property and the dunes.

Offered for sale at $749,900. For more details, click HERE

Waterfront cottage on Big Platte Lake in Benzie Co.

Waterfront cottage with 75 ft private, direct frontage on all-sports Big Platte Lake in Benzie County. Fish or launch your boat from the dock, a sunny place for sunbathers. This spacious 4 bedroom, 2 bath residence features a lake-facing, glassed-in sunporch with a vaulted ceiling, a huge Great Room with knotty-pine-paneled living and dining areas, and a wood-burning, stone-surround fireplace.

The dining room, kitchen and sunporch all have terrific views of the lake’s blue-green waters. Sip your coffee and your cocktails in the cheerful, laid-back sunporch and drink in the views of water, hills and sky. Chase the chill in the off season by cozying up to the fireplace. Watch cable TV or surf the web during your down time.

Everything is here for a great escape for you or your rental guests, or kick it up a notch with some kitchen updating and some new flooring. The yard includes a sunny corner for your flowers, surrounded by a lush canopy of mature trees. There’s plenty of room in the 32×24 detached garage to store your vehicles and gear. Build a fire in the campfire ring and tell tall tales while listening to nature’s night noises.

Big Platte Lake offers lots of opportunity for playtime with exceptional boating, sailing, swimming, fishing and water sports. Paddle from here to Lake Michigan via the Platte River, or briefly roll your wheels to the Sleeping Bear Dunes sandy National Lakeshore beside Lake Michigan. More photos coming soon on our website. See dimensions, details and more photos HERE.

Energy Efficient Home-Village of Honor

Price Reduced! Seller is motivated to get ‘er sold! NOW $335,000. Air-conditioned 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath with an attached garage in the Village of Honor. Home includes energy-efficient upgrades and a remodeled primary bedroom suite, upstairs bathroom and main level kitchen, PLUS a four-season addition.

Primary bedroom suite includes a jetted tub, walk-in glass shower, and heated tile flooring.

Four-season addition features a vaulted ceiling with skylights and a gas woodstove.

White, black and tan kitchen includes quartz counters and newer appliances.

Adding spaciousness and an airy ambiance are the white vaulted ceilings in the living room, kitchen, and addition; and all-new, Cortex vinyl flooring on the main level.

Solar panels give you incredible savings on your electric bill ($120/year), and the forced-air furnace is rated 90+. The private well was replaced in 2019.

Encapsulated crawl space keeps your foundation dry. Do your laundry in the washer and dryer found in the painted, partial basement.

Step outdoors to the covered patio from several doorways, including the primary bedroom, and enjoy a fenced and landscaped yard. Privacy-seekers can purchase the extra lot next door with a 28×20 cement-block garage and established gardens for an additional $30,000.

Enjoy village amenities, such as restaurants, taverns, coffee shop, lumber yard and hardware, grocery store, bank, post office and more. The village is close to a kayak/canoe launch at a new park on the Platte River, and it’s an easy drive past the Platte lakes to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore property and Lake Michigan.

Dimensions and other details: HERE

SOLD! Betsie River Access

Image for Betsie River SOLD! Share 90 feet of Betsie River access near Thompsonville, Michigan, in Benzie County. Launch your kayak, tube or fish on the scenic, 54-mile-long Betsie River. 151’ x 240’ lot offers privacy at the end of a county-maintained road and awaits your getaway home or cottage. Near state land and close to resort skiing, golfing, dining, spa & art park. Price reduced to $27,900. More details and photos at: https://cdstapleton.com/listings/25-deer-track-trail-thompsonville-mi-49683-2/

SOLD! Sweetest Spot on Sleeping Bear Bay

SOLD! Sweetest spot, says the owner of this property, adjacent to 137 ft. of sandy Lake Michigan access. Located a half mile west of Glen Arbor, the half-acre wooded lot has a path to the Sleeping Bear Bay beach access behind it. Across the street is the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail and Alligator Hill trails, part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore for forever privacy. There’s a year-round rustic 3 bedroom, 1 bath getaway to stay in while you build anew. Glen Arbor offers an array of shopping and dining choices. From t-shirts to designer-quality threads. From hot dogs to specialty coffee and haute cuisine. There’s also a vibrant community of artists, musicians and writers. It even has its own newspaper, the Glen Arbor Sun. Outdoor lovers can kayak the Crystal River, play tennis on village courts, listen to music on an outdoor deck or go boating on all-sports Glen lakes, Big and Little. This property is NOW offered at $589,900. More photos and information HERE

Image for Sweetest Spot on Sleeping Bear Bay is a drone shot over the sandy walkway to Lake Michigan, shown here in all its turquoise majesty.

SOLD Waterfront Home, Little Platte Lake, Benzie Co.

Photo for little platte lake waterfront home SOLD! Little Platte Lake waterfront home is designed for maximum relaxation with 127 feet lake frontage and elevated views on 2.5 acres including an attached, two-car garage and pole building.

If you enjoy private nooks for reading, lake-gazing and gathering, this immaculate three bedroom, 2 bath home offers several. There are separate lake-facing living and sitting rooms plus two dining areas on the main floor, and a finished family room and wood-paneled room on the basement level.

Extensive decking running the length of the house and beyond leads to an outdoor, enclosed sitting room “gazebo” in the side yard for private conversation or garden and lake gazing.

Vaulted wood ceilings throughout the home lend spaciousness and a modern cabin ambiance. The floor-to-ceiling, cut-stone fireplace in the living room adds to the cabin feel. Lake views are captured by multiple windows, including a dining room bay window, French doors and a slider.

A patio off the deck includes a sunken fire ring. Outside the fenced garden is a spacious lawn with a second firepit. This home mirrors its outstanding location near the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in every possible way. Be ready to swim, pontoon, kayak and fish this 800-acre, quiet lake.

For more photos and info about this home, please click HERE.

SOLD! Benzonia Village Farmhouse

SOLD! Catch summer breezes on the screened porch of this meticulously maintained, year-round farmhouse in an historic neighborhood of Benzonia. Recently painted and furnished for summer renters, this village home is move-in ready. Main floor includes the living room, dining room with fireplace, white galley kitchen with an eat-in area, bedroom, full bath and a laundry closet with W/D. Upstairs you will find two more bedrooms and another bath with shower. A skylight brings natural light into the bath. Ready for storage, the basement and crawlspace were recently professionally sealed and an air exchanger was installed. Cement board siding and a metal roof mean lower lifetime maintenance.

The large backyard with mature trees offers plenty of space to play in peaceful shade and features a raised deck situated in sunshine. There is even room for a garage. Enjoy starry evenings around the campfire pit.

In the past, this home has rented weekly in summer and is selling turnkey for that use. Enjoy small town living which includes heading to the village park for tennis or a pickup ball game, stopping at the library, visiting the historical museum or community house for an event, and dining at a popular restaurant serving fresh fare – all within walking distance. Just a little further are the grocery and hardware stores, specialty shops, homemade ice cream/espresso drinks and more dining. This location is near downtown Beulah and a Crystal Lake park and beach. It is a short drive to a Lake Michigan beach in Frankfort via M-115 and more amenities such as a municipal airport, marinas, brewpub, restored movie theater, art center and gallery, and a vibrant downtown filled with dining choices, gift shops and specialty markets and stores.

Priced at $397,000. More photos HERE or contact Broker/Owner Christine: [email protected]

SOLD! Empire home near Sleeping Bear Dunes

Photo of Ontario Street three bedroom home in Empire's New Neighborhood in Leelanau County. This photo shows a close up of the back of the home with three steps leading to a covered back porch with three windows facing the backyard and a screened door facing the side yard, with hostas bushes and other plants surrounding the attractive gray-and-white exterior. Photo by Christine Stapleton. SOLD! This Village of Empire 3 bedroom 3 bath home is in the New Neighborhood, a walkable, “smart” community with views of forested hills in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Park.

Stroll or bicycle a few blocks to village amenities (bank, post office, restaurants, taverns and specialty shops), a public Lake Michigan beach and hiking trails in the National Lakeshore.

This delightful, bright, move-in-ready home is surrounded by a nicely landscaped yard. Three living levels—with central AC and fresh paint throughout—include the main level with a primary bedroom; a full, finished basement with a family room, full bath and high-efficiency furnace; and two more bedrooms plus a full bathroom upstairs.

The main level features wood floors and vaulted ceilings. The airy living room is anchored by the floor-to-ceiling, stone-surround gas fireplace. A brand new kitchen includes alder wood cabinets, stainless appliances and built-in shelves. The main floor bathroom features a tiled shower and glass doors.

The freshly painted exterior includes a covered front porch for relaxing with family, guests and neighbors. Or take a quiet evening/morning break on the back brick patio and enjoy the landscaping and gardens with raised beds. A whole-house generator and standing seam metal roof keep you good-to-go in inclement weather.

Park your vehicle in the attractive carport with outdoor storage. Play in the neighborhood common area and participate in the community garden. Services include city water, a common septic system, natural gas, and cable TV and internet.

This property is in a highly desirable location which is super close to the National Lakeshore. The Glen Lake School District offers student sports and music programs. From here, it’s a convenient commute to Traverse City, with all the amenities of a resort destination and year-round city, including a vibrant nightlife.

Contact Christine for details or go to the listing for more photos and info: https://cdstapleton.com/listings/11868-ontario-street-empire-mi-49630/

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