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Smittys GA "right in the middle of it all"

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  •  Type: House
  •  Beds: 6
  •  Baths: 4
  •  Sleeps: 14

Description

Smittys GA is a unique home situated on a very private seven acre partially wooded site, surrounded by flower gardens, featuring neo-classical inspired architectural elements uncommon to the area.
 
The main home features 3 bedrooms (1K,2Q), 2 loft bedrooms (1Q, 2T), 3 bathrooms, 2 spacious living rooms with 20' ceilings, an exercise room complete with a flat screen TV, stereo, universal weight machine, Precor elliptical glider and yes a ceiling fan. The home also features a screened in, fully finished, heated (hopefully not needed but there if it is) 3 stall garage with an all-weather ping pong table which can safely be taken outdoors, Tournament Foosball table (indoor only), stereo and also a lighted, marked, outdoor (driveway) 1/2 court basketball court also with stereo.
 
Inside the home the dining room opens to the formal living room (living room one) which runs the length of the house from Northern to Southern exposures. To the North the living room opens through double doors onto an airy enclosed screened porch featuring a 20' ceiling. The screened porch in turn, opens through double doors onto the rear of the homes two spacious decks. The rear deck overlooks a large and active organic fruit and vegetable garden which abuts the balance of the properties acreage. There are approximately 5 acres behind the home which in turn adjoin the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park land. The property is surrounded by another 28 acres of land held in the Leelanau Land Conservancy. 
 
Returning to the main home, the formal living (East end of home) room opens to the south (front of home) through double doors onto a sunny 320sf redwood front deck. This deck is in the feature thumbnail picture and is surrounded by flower gardens so don't forget to use the zoom feature on this one.
 
The middle door in the photo is the mainly used entrance on the front of the home. It enters into a large foyer and mudroom built to separate the house into two zones where, for instance, kids could watch an action movie in one living room and parents could read a book in the other or vice versa. The foyer leads to the mudroom and both also feature Brazilian terra cotta tile as an aesthetically warm but thoroughly protective flooring area and space to shed the shoes. Here you will find a thoroughly stocked walk in pantry. You will also find multiple closets built to accommodate our (multiple kids).
 
Through the mudroom turning to the right leads to the kitchen. Left at the mudroom leads to the second living room which intentionally incorporates many of the trim design elements of living room one. The spacious second living room was built to feel more casual and features high knotty spruce ceilings, two ceiling fans, an eight foot tall sliding window wall on the northern exposure and a spiral staircase to the 2nd loft bedroom as well cushy comfortable Natuzzi leather sofa, loveseat and chair and a Denon surround system.
 
Continuing west through the second living room takes you to the third bedroom featuring a queen bed, skylight for those spectacular starry nights and a sliding doorwall to the north deck. Continuing on you pass across the 'pass-through' which is the door nearest the garage. The 'pass-through' was designed to allow quick access between the front yard and the back yard. Accordingly this area also features Brazilian terra cotta tile and a place to 'kick off your shoes'. 
 
Continuing on westward takes you past the 3rd bath and into the exercise room. Here you will find a universal weight machine, a Precor glider, flat screen TV, wet bar, a second refrigerator, and entrance to the garage which was described early on.
 
The finishes in the home were selected for both durability and comfort with floors being 75% hardwood, 15% quarry tile and 10% carpet. You will find carpet only in the master suite and the two loft bedrooms. The home features knotty spruce ceilings in both the 2nd living room and the exercise room. Countertops are ceramic tile in the kitchen and granite on both the kitchens breakfast bar countertop and the wet bar in the exercise room. 
 
Appliances include a 2nd refrigerator just off the exercise room and front-load washer and dryer just off the kitchen. The kitchen features a Fridgidaire slide-in 4 burner range, over the range microwave, Kitchenaid dishwasher, blender, Bunn coffee maker and grinder, etc. 
 
Above the garage is another 800 sf of living space which may be rented separately before and after the main season. It is, or will soon be, listed separately as “Little Smittys GA”. This “carriage house” apartment features hardwood throughout, one bedroom with a queen size pillow top bed, 1 bathroom with a shower stall, apartment sized “stacked” washer/dryer laundry unit, an open kitchen with a Jenn-Air electric range, Kitchenaid refrigerator, appropriate cooking and dining utensils, skylights, a ceiling fan, flat screen TV and bar seating and an open dining area which together would easily seat 6 adults comfortably.
 
Currently the carriage house also has two additional sleeper sofas for additional sleeping space one of which may be substituted with a second queen bed for a small additional fee.

Owner info

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CONTACT OWNER

  • James Smith

As a retired tradesman and an admirer of Victorian architecture found throughout the downtown Traverse City area, my wife and I created this home to appear as if it was here from the beginning. It would have been far easier and cost effective to create a less detailed,"cheaper" structure. We dont believe that is in the best interest of the City we admire or the architectural style featured so prominently in the downtown residential areas

 

James Smith purchased this Apartment in 2007

 

Why James Smith chose Traverse City

The property as purchased in 2007 featured an aging small Victorian style frame home. After a fair amount of anguish and a whole lot of consideration over renovation versus demolition and rebuilding, the latter won out. The home we created is exactly what we envisioned to be a highly detailed, energy efficient, spacious, multi-use, in-town get-away. The proximity to downtown and the walking distance to shopping and night life make it all worthwhile.

 

What makes this Apartment unique

When sitting on the deck you will find yourself wondering, as we do, just how old is the giant white oak tree which surrounds you? What you wont realize is how much debate went into building this home in a manner which saved half of this tree.  In order to build this size home far enough off the alley pushed us up against an grand old White Oak tree that we treasured. The compromise was to remove half of the tree and then design a deck which would save the remaining half. We did that and both the tree and the building are better off for it.

Terms & Conditions

100% refund if canceled at least 60 days before arrival date. 
50% refund if canceled at least 30 days before arrival date. 

Additional Rate details

Cleaning Fee $300
Property Damage Insurance $59
 
Check-in: 4:00 PM
Check-out: 11:00 AM

Calendar

Map

Guest Reviews

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Jim G.

P.E.R.F.E.C.T.


The reviews are accurate, this place is clean, peaceful, beautiful, a great location, and the owner is caring and responsive. Highly recommended!

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Cheryl P.

Smittys GA


We chose to spend a week at Smittys GA for our family vacation in August. There were 12 adults and one child. The accommodations were very comfortable with room for all. James is a great host and easily accessible. He has several beautiful flower gardens and a vegetable garden that he said we could make use of. We had fried potatoes and onions and a cucumber and onion salad from the garden. The house is very clean and well stocked. We used the fire pit to toast marshmallows and make smores one night and spent several early mornings enjoying the screened porch. The house is located close to Glen Arbor and several lakes and beaches. Thanks James for a very enjoyable vacation at your lovely home:

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Adam S.

Wonderful place for big families


We have six adults and six kids in our extended family. This space was perfect for us. Lots of common area for us to hang out. Big enough space for all to eat together. Great activities (ping pong, air hockey, bubble hockey) to occupy all of us. Great hot tub and back deck. My personal favorite feature: the screened porch for cocktails. Plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms so everyone had their own space. Property located close to all outdoor activities. And owner is great. Lots of communication. Check in was easy and clear. And he even checked in on us mid-week to make sure we were comfortable. The next time we vacation in Glen Arbor, we will certainly look to book this space again. Thank you!

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Lynn D.

wonderful family gathering


We had a fabulous time at Smitty\'s in Glen Arbor. James made it possible to check in early and was there to greet us and give a walk through. The house is beautiful with plenty of gathering space for our extended family vacation. We had 5 little ones and the driveway was a great place for them to ride their bikes and play. The kitchen was a lovely place to cook and well stocked with plenty of paper products and spices. The screened porch was everyones preferred spot to be. James was always only a text message away if we had any questions and was very responsive. He made us feel very welcome in his home. Great location with an easy mile walk to town.

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Sylvia H.

Great place for people of all ages.


We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with our children, their spouses and our grandchildren at this house. There were 6 adults and 5 teenagers. The house is very spacious. There were places for us to gather together or places to have privacy when needed. The grounds are beautiful with lots of garden plants, flowers and trees. The teenagers (and also the adults) enjoyed the game room which had several games to play. There is a fire pit, hot tub, and gas grill outside. The owner made sure we had everything we needed. He was just a phone call away. The property is very close to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park and just a mile from Glen Arbor. Everything we wanted to do was very close by. I would highly recommend this property.

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Eric M.

Amazing home and host


From the moment we arrived at the property we were all compleaty blown away with how great the home is. We had a big mixed group of grandparents and young children and the home was perfect for us. It is a quick drive into town or to Sleeping Bear Dunes. The pictures don\'t do this house justice. James is a wonderful and responsive host, we can not wait to return in the future.

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Bob B.

Great house


Great house and great owner. We had 12 people staying at the house on a bike trip. It was clean, spacious, and overall wonderful!