Grand Haven, Mich., July 30 — McKeough Land Company has launched a new web site to auction off land in Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina.

At MLCAuctions.com, customers can search for land by state and bid on or buy lots. Most developers don’t offer the option to purchase land online directly, but McKeough Land Company is confident that this format will appeal to land buyers across the country.

“This gives customers the ability to purchase land online as easily as they would any other product,” owner Mike McKeough said. “And it allows us to close out some projects and then focus on our larger projects. It’s a good opportunity for everyone.”

The biggest benefit to customers is that they can save up to 48 percent on McKeough’s current prices. For buyers who have been on the fence for the past couple of years, these discounts may be too enticing to pass up.

Thompson Godfrey, General Manager of McKeough’s Michigan properties, believes that a land auction will work especially well for Michigan because “the market is slow and customers want to know what the bottom line is. This lets them know and gives them a great opportunity to get back into the market.”

McKeough Land Company also anticipates a strong showing for Wisconsin, which is currently offering high-quality lakefront land on an all-sports lake, and North Carolina, which is offering larger lots in one of the company’s most popular communities. McKeough may auction land from other states in the future.

“The market is down as much as 20 percent in some areas, and our property can be purchased for significantly less than what similar properties have sold for recently,” McKeough said. “This is once-in-a-lifetime pricing on a diverse group of property.”

McKeough Land Company will be hosting open houses so that customers can visit properties before placing their bids; check the auction web site for dates and details. The bidding deadline for all properties is at 9 PM EST on Wednesday, August 13th. Visit MLCAuctions.com to learn more and secure your ideal property before it’s too late.

About McKeough Land Company:

McKeough Land Company (www.McKeough.com) has been acquiring and selling recreational land and waterfront property since 1989. Based in Grand Haven, Michigan, they currently offer land in Tennessee, Colorado, North Carolina, Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Kentucky. McKeough Land Company was named to Inc. Magazine’s “Inc. 500 List” four years in a row as one of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.

As mentioned in a recent USA Today Travel section article, Northwest Michigan continues to be a draw for vacationers throughout the Midwest and beyond. The combination of beautiful beaches, fresh water, quaint towns, rolling hills, and a variety of activities all makes Northwest Michigan one of the most beautiful places to spend time with friends and family.

McKeough Land Company offers homesites throughout Northwest Michigan, and in today’s buyers market, there are incredible deals to be had. Browse our Michigan properties to see the range of options we have available in this spectacular part of the country.

Everyone knows the real estate market has changed and smart sellers have adapted by lowering prices. If you’re interested in land, you also have to adapt by changing your approach to the buying process. Here are 5 new tips for getting the best deal in today’s market.

1. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of buying opportunities.

There’s more land than there are buyers, so you should be able to get a great deal in a great location. If we look to history for answers, we have every reason to believe the market will rebound. When it does, you’ll be happy you bought at the right time.

2. Do your homework.

Check comparable sales in the area to make sure the property you want is priced according to current market conditions. An honest land company will provide comps for you. Also, make sure the land is buildable and that you’re aware of the current property taxes, protective covenants, and zoning restrictions.

3. Negotiate.

In today’s market, the buyer has the advantage. Once you find the perfect piece of land, negotiate to get the best deal possible. This not only includes negotiating on the sale price, but on who will pay closing costs and other terms in the contract.

4. Buy with your heart.

Don’t be afraid to base your decision on your lifestyle and how you will use your land. If you love boating and waterskiing, buy on an all-sports lake. If you like fishing and swimming, buy on a smaller lake or river. If privacy is important to you, a stream-front or wooded lot might be more up your alley.

5. Be financially responsible.

While credit issues have limited some banks’ ability to lend, many institutions have great rates on land financing. Interest rates are still at historical lows, so do your due diligence and you will be rewarded with attractive financing opportunities.

Homesite sales for McKeough Land Company’s Wisconsin office rose in May, marking the second consecutive month of increased sales for the Wisconsin office. In addition, May 2008 was the highest producing May since 2003, with an increase of 230% from 2007 to 2008. Records show that May 2008 wasn’t just an erratic spike for the Wisconsin office, as year to date sales have also increased from 2007 to 2008.

Michael Coke, General Manager of the Wisconsin office was quoted as saying “What slow market? And what down turn in the economy? We have seen a very strong level of interest in our product and, while our revenues have grown, our unit sales have also climbed by 50% year over year.” Coke attributes the growth in revenue and unit sales to a qualified and knowledgeable team; successful marketing campaigns that deliver recreational land to those looking for it; and an increased level of interested clients.

Coke was also sure to point out that the Wisconsin office will see very positive long-term effects from reduced interest and tax expenses and closing out two projects in the first five months of 2008. “Expense reduction and the quick turnover of product allow us to keep our prices lower and offer a very competitive value to our clients,” Coke said. “Our customers have been really happy with their land purchases. Seeing clients on their dock, sitting around their fire pit, or fishing with their children is what makes it all worthwhile.”

With the national real estate market at a historic low, the recent success of the Wisconsin office couldn’t have come at a better time. “We’re really satisfied with the way 2008 has begun,” said Coke, “Particularly when compared with the national market. It really goes to show that if you offer great land at a great value, great things can happen.”

For additional information on the hot-moving Wisconsin properties, you can contact the Wisconsin office at (800) 240-LAND.

Well, partners, have you had your fill yet? Inflation, stagflation, trade imbalance, inventory imbalance, subprime, prime the pump, discount window, bought the farm, Old MacDonald lost his farm. What’s it all mean? I know I’ll never know. Truth is you probably won’t either.

I’ve been looking at beautiful land for longer than I care to admit. Has it been up? Yes. Has it been down? From time to time, yes. But, not much and not for long. I know one thing. Beautiful land is way up from where it was when I first started lookin’ at it. Not much I can see stoppin’ that over the long haul.

So, while everyone’s a-bickerin’ and a-Woe-Is-Mein’, it’s nigh about time to wade in and buy yourself a nice tract. It’s the Buyer’s Market, as they say. Use it on weekends, camp there, fish there, build your dream cottage, relax a bit. Sitting home trying to pick the bottom isn’t gonna pay off. Better off finding the bottom of that cool ravine on your 2 acres. Things’ll look a lot clearer to you down there.

Uncle Landon

When you think of fishing in Wisconsin, you might picture a destination “up north.” But, one of Wisconsin’s best-kept secrets is only two hours from Madison and was recently featured in the Wisconsin State Journal’s Outdoors section.

This 6,830-acre lake is part of the Wisconsin River flowage and home to 15-inch crappie, monster muskies and a healthy walleye population, as well as perch, bluegill and giant northern pike.

Located in Central Wisconsin, Lake Dubay, home to GrandView Beach, is a fishing paradise.

The fishing in this area is so great, that Phil Schweik, a guide with Hooksetters Guide Services, wouldn’t go anywhere else.

“If I had to chose where to go, I would stay right here,” Schweik said. “I travel around the state and fish muskie tournaments. It’s not like a lake up north with jetskis and motorboats racing around a lot of time. You don’t have a lot of pressure. It’s a relatively quiet lake.”

Schweik has been wetting his line in the Wisconsin River flowage since childhood and enjoys the unpredictability of fishing Lake Dubay.

“When you throw your line in the water, you don’t know what you’re going to get, because they all school together,” Schweik said. “It’s just a great all-around fishery.”

Schweik said he caught 66 muskies out of the Wisconsin River and Lake Dubay with clients last year, including 8 over 45 inches and one over 50 inches. He also said it’s not uncommon to get 50 smallmouth fish in one day at Lake Dubay.

According to Schweik, at Lake Dubay, “you’ve got phenomenal fishing, a beautiful atmosphere and abundant wildlife.”

In addition to incredible angling, you can also enjoy boating, swimming and skiing on this 6,830-acre lake. Take off from your private shore at GrandView Beach where eight homesites are currently available. This community includes:

1. Large, wooded homesites
2. A private lakeside gazebo, fire pit and picnic area with a gorgeous beach
3. Forested walking trails and wildlife viewing areas
4. Paved access roads and underground utilities and installed docks

Lake-acess homesites include a private boat dock and start at $93,900. Lakefront homesites have mile-long views and at least 110 feet of sandy beach shoreline and start at $318,900.

Visit LakeDubayWaterfront.com for more information.

Read the entire Wisconsin State Journal article at Madison.com/wsj/home/sports/284571.

Located in majestic Cheboygan County, Long Lake has remained a little-known secret within the angling community of Northern Michigan. With an assortment of species of fish inhabiting Long Lake, anglers are discovering that, while the panorama is beautiful and the property is pristine, it’s the plentiful supply of native Michigan fish that makes it a real catch.

At over 400 acres, Long Lake boasts fishing opportunities for all levels of anglers. Among the species found in the lake are bluegill, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, rock bass, perch, and sunfish. Whether it’s fishing for largemouth in the shallows or ice-fishing for perch in the middle of winter, Long Lake offers depths of up to 60 feet in some places.

With Spring upon us, so too is the beginning of Walleye season. Northern Michigan is world-famous for its excellent Walleye fishing. Long Lake is no different. With the stimulation of their food supply, the walleye have begun to emerge from the depths to seek out their spring diet. In order to capitalize on this migration, here are a few simple tips to catching these hearty fighting fish:

1. Cast or troll minnow-shaped crank baits along the bottom, slowly working your way up while checking for activity.
2. Jigs and Lindy Rigs may also be effective at the right depths.
3. Search for reef-like areas where the shallows meet steep drop-offs and try to work the depths near these junctures.

If you love to fish, we hope you have the opportunity to visit Long Lake and all of Northern Michigan. It’s truly an angler’s paradise.

The Cheboygan area hosts one of the most unique convergences of fresh water in the great lakes region. With the Cheboygan River, Inland Waterway, Long Lake, Burt & Mullet Lakes, Lake Huron, and the Mackinac Straits to the north, this region has become the jewel of Michigan boat enthusiasts, fisherman, and, more specifically, property buyers/owners.

As McKeough Land Company offers land for sale on Long Lake, it is our goal to put buyers in unique locations with access to any number of water-related activities. Northern Michigan is the literal intersection of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan; it constantly attracts travelers and adventurers of all kinds. With hundreds of miles of lakeshore (both inland and coastal), Northern Michigan has received recent and special attention from such magazines and news outlets as The New York Times, Hour Magazine, AARP, Field & Stream, and Town & Country.

These phenomena have assisted in making waterfront property for sale near Cheboygan a new priority for property buyers from California to New York. The reason the area is getting so much attention is the fact that, relative to other areas on the west coast of Michigan, Cheboygan waterfront property is still very reasonably priced, the area is not congested, and the town and surrounding area offer a tremendous amount of things to do from dining to outdoor activities.

McKeough Land Company purchased a spectacular piece of property on the east side of Long Lake in Aloha township, which we turned into our premier lakefront community Michakewa Shores. Each of the 29 homesites offers 100 feet+ of private lake access, sandy lake bottom, high and dry building sites, and perfect sunset exposure.

Heavily wooded, private, and overlooking a pristine lake, Michakewa Shores is the quintessential Northern Michigan lakefront property. Visit MichakewaShores.com for more information.

Back in February, SmartMoney.com listed the best places to invest $100,000—real estate, charity, a new career, art, your home, or a hobby. Of course, we were immediately interested in their comments about real estate.

While the authors maintain investing in the housing market is fairly safe over the long term, they do acknowledge that it can be volatile at times. So, how can you sidestep the volatility? In their opinion:

Forget about a house, and buy land. As the old saying goes, they aren’t making any more of it. Land on average accounted for only 10% of a home’s value in 1950. Today it’s more than 40%. “The house is like a Honda Accord — it deteriorates over time. It’s the land that appreciates,” says Morris Davis, a real estate professor at the University of Wisconsin who has studied land values.

That seems like sound advice to us. So, what would you do with $100,000?

You make money when you buy, not when you sell a home, suggests one popular idiom. That could be the reason the wealthy are trolling for bargains.

While most of America is struggling with four percent gains in inflation, the wealthy, with discretionary income of $100,000 or more, believe that today’s market is a good time to buy.

According to The Annual Survey of Affluence and Wealth in America, from American Express and the Harrison Group, 40 percent of the nation’s wealthy plan to buy real estate in 2008.

The participants were divided into groups — the upper middle class ($100,000 to $149,000 annual income), the affluent ($150,000 to $249,000) and the super affluent ($250,000 to $499,000.)

Of the wealthiest, 41 percent said that owning a second home was “almost a requirement,” with 33 percent in the market for such a home in 2008. One quarter are shopping for a third home.

The wealthy view real estate as diversification from their other investments, and 88 percent believe that real estate values will rebound. Asked if the real-estate market represents a buying opportunity, 67 percent of upper middle class respondents agreed, as did 72 percent of the affluent and the super-affluent.

But only the most wealthy were more committed to putting their money where their mouths are. Seventeen percent of upper middle class respondents plan to buy a home this year, as do 24 percent of the affluent and 26 percent of the super-affluent.

Not that it means they’re scared of the market. They simply could already be real estate owners.

One in ten homeowners owns a second home, twenty three percent of homeowners age 45-64 own two or more homes, as do 24 percent of those aged 65.

One-third of the homes sold in 2007 were to second-home buyers and investors, says the National Association of Realtors, even though only 13 percent had incomes above $100,000.

Owning real estate isn’t just for the wealthy. It could be one of the best ways to become wealthy.

Reprinted with permission from Realty Times, http://realtytimes.com.