In addition to the highlights below, throughout my 25 years in real estate I have listed and sold hundreds of other remote parcels, most of these located in northern Marquette County. I also performed a 3-way trade with Mead and CCI whereby my client doubled his money. I turned down a sale with the State of Michigan involving the Natural Gas fund monies; the state can be very difficult to deal with. I've studied water quality regarding inland lakes, this is called a lake inventory. Also I have developed my own properties: lake and creek-frontage parcels. I did stay away from personal development for many years because of my personal philosophy and I did not have the money. Things have changed, some.

2000 -2001
I was hired as a buyer's broker to find worthwhile land to preserve using a 1031 exchange process. We looked intensively in the Keweenaw Peninsula, but settled on undeveloped land in northern Marquette County belonging to Mead Corporation. Utilizing my idea, a conservation easement was arranged with the Nature Conservancy. With this easement Mead received certain tax benefits but my buyer got the land--at a significant discount. This land includes a scenic creek and river frontage, waterfalls, old growth timber, and a large lake.

1997 -2001
I formed a corporation titled Logs Inc. with a corporate partner from Texas. We purchased the Old Schneider sawmill, a 27 acre site just outside of Marquette zoned as industrial land. We rented a portion of this site to Longyear for their log yard. I managed, renovated, and main tamed a large sawmill building (55,000 sq ft.) and truck-maintenance garage on the property. Tasks included managing rental space and collecting rents from tenants such as wood-workers and car mechanics. I also sought to adapt the sawmill building for new uses. However, I ran into serious problems with this absent corporate partner from Texas. The subsequent arbitration lawsuit evolved into the worst nightmare of my life. But it is over and I am thankful, as I am now able to re-focus on my career.

1996-2000
A crew I trained and I built an 8000 sq. ft. log lodge with no roof. This partially completed structure is currently in limbo, stored on the Logs Inc. property. My partner from Texas withdrew from the project, eventually purchasing my interest through the arbitration lawsuit mentioned above.

1994-present
I formed a corporation, Have Mill will Travel, with my corporate partner Fred Rydholm, a former Marquette mayor and pillar of the community, and autl1or of the two-volume history Superior Heartland. Together we own a Woodmizer portable sawmill. I use this sawmill for hobby use and also for individual jobs. I have cut timber frame hemlock beams for shipment to Ann Arbor. I have sawn into lumber all UP wood types except ash and basswood. I personally have lots of birdseye and several other specialty types of wood.

1993-1997
I listed, developed, and sold certain difficult lands for Yellow Dog Land Co. Zoning and road construction were the pertinent issues. I was their problem solver at times. These lands were lake and river front ID-acre parcels.

1993-present
I and my trained "others" built a unique craftsman- style log cabin in the Big Bay area, where my wife and I have been living off and on. Custom features in this home include burl banister and staircases, birdseye and curl kitchen cabinets, a curved porch of jack and white pine, cedar railings, curved collar tie truss, stained glass accent windows, and a maple hardwood floor inlaid with black walnut. Much of this work was done by me or under my direct supervision with my creative input.

1991-1996
Served as listing broker in the Sale of approximately 5000 acres of remote undeveloped land located in northern Baraga County, the landowner being John Weidt of Baraga Land and Timber Co. My responsibilities included property division, pricing, advertising, showing, negotiations, writing all easements, timber evaluations, and closings. When I actually needed a timber cruise, I hired it out.

1991
I initiated a waterfall park for Marquette County behind the scenes. Working with the State of Michigan and a former DNR commissioner, this looked promising, but the county planning board commission turned down the project. I hope to resurrect this project someday. I tried a second time around 2001, directly before the County Board, and was criticized and rejected again.

1990
Appraised two large blocks of land for Ben Benson, of Benson Forest Products: 40,000 acres in the Two Hearted River Watershed and 20,000 acres in the Pictured Rock National lakeshore buffer area. I have since heard that part of the Two Hearted property was sold for a substantial amount to a preservation agency. I also looked at a few large blocks of land in the western U.P. that Ben turned down (hired as a buyer's broker).

1987-88
Appraised 120 lakes and river blocks for Cliff Forests Products, this property valued at $I0,000,000 at that time. I was hired to price and compare, and photograph these recreational-type properties, most of which were located in Alger, Schoolcraft and Luce Counties. Cliff Forests Products told me to use my judgment to pick and choose anything in their total land (essentially the entire Eastern Upper Peninsula) as representative of their property t and inform them of what they possessed. My subsequent appraisal and photographic verification were instrumental in their later sale of their entire holdings to Benson Forest.

1984-86
Purchased, disassembled, and stored the historic McCormick Grand Camp log structures. Please refer to another part of this web site for further information on this unique property.

1984
Began to work in earnest on my own real estate business: White Water Realty of Marquette, Michigan, a company I have owned and operated up to the present day. Remote land, some waterfront, and normal land is my specialty. Over the years my work continues to evolve with as much preservation as I can see.

1980 -1984
Buyer-brokered, managed, and formulated a 13,000 acre preserve in the Mulligan Plains of northern Marquette County. This preserve fell apart when the owner, Harry Wirth, lost too much money in Minneapolis business ventures. My successful management of his property, however, earned him 1 to 2 million dollars. During this time I became licensed as a Real Estate Broker.

1976 -1980
As a licensed real estate salesperson for Yellow Dog Land Company in Big Bay, Michigan. I participated in the most successful land development company ever (my opinion) in the Upper Peninsula. I was part of a team that included Lew Kidder, Buck Gotschall, Sally Olsen, Bruce Spike, and Lorin Lardie. My work involved sales, pricing, surveying, development, timber cruises, and log cabin building. Yellow Dog profited well over two million dollars from my employment.