DOUBLE
Metro Detroit's Jewish
Assisted Living Community
Resident Bluma Merzon and her daughter, Bonnie Torgow
"Elan Village is a wonderful home for my mother. Since
she is my most precious possession, her happiness is most
vital to me and all my family. The caring and warm
family environment at Elan is what makes it perfect."
Bonnie Torgow, Family Member
Elan Village's monthly rate includes:
•
24 hour Personal Care Assistance
•
Three Kosher Meals Daily
•
Housekeeping and Personal Laundry
Services
•
Social, Cultural and Educational
Programs Daily
•
On-Site Licensed Nurse and Medical
Services
• Medication Management
Dementia & Temporary Care Also Available
Call today to schedule a tour
JANET ANTIN (248) 386-0303
26051 Lahser Road • Southfield, Michigan 48034
Elan Village provides
Care that Changes with You
Preferred Provider of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
from page A8
pathologist in the Detroit Public
Schools, leaving them little time to
take advantage of that vacation spot.
Instead, they built the home up north,
which is a 4.5-hour drive from
Farmington Hills. They and their four
children and two grandchildren use it
over the Memorial Day and July
Fourth holiday periods, in October for
fall-color viewing, and during the
December holidays.
We used to rent out the Florida
place when we weren't there and we
do the same at the home up north,"
says Dr. Neumann. "Rental income is
a big factor in helping to defray the
costs associated with owning vacation
places. You have to maintain a positive
cash flow. We've also spent a lot on
many improvements to that home."
The Birchwood Farms Estates
Realty Co. handles the rentals and
inspects the home periodically.
"We've always kept top-class furni-
ture there because the prospective
renters are screened well to help keep
out families who may cause damage.
And since the place is so close, we get
more chances to check up on it our-
selves," he says.
Dr. Neumann purchased the home
for $250,000, and estimates it is now
worth $500,000 because of the reno-
vations and the escalating property
values brought on by the new Bay
Harbor golf, shopping and condo
development nearby. Owning the
home at Birchwood also gives the
Neumanns free membership in the
association's golf and tennis club.
Having three properties and two
time shares doesn't inhibit the
Neumanns from vacation travel else-
where. "We get to Mexico twice a year,
go to Aspen, Colo., for some heavy-
duty skiing and take trips to Europe
and other places," says Dr. Neumann.
Sheldon and Elaine Miller of
Orchard Lake just bought a two-bed-
room condo in the Westwinds devel-
opment near Harbor Springs to go
with a three-bedroom condo in
Aventura, Fla. (North Miami Beach)
and a three-bedroom condo in
Breckenridge, Colo., near Vail, both
purchased 15 years ago. The Millers,
in their early 60s, with two children
and four grandchildren, share owner-
ship of the Colorado place with
Sheldon's Southfield law partner.
"We bought vacation places in the
areas we love the most," Elaine
explains. "We had been visiting all of
these places for many years, 37 years
in Florida alone, and paying a lot of
money just to rent, so we figured it
made more sense to buy and have
equities in these properties. But it's a
large responsibility to be a multi-prop-
erty owner. You have to keep up with
improvements and repairs and just
keep tabs on everything in general."
The Millers rent out the Colorado
place, but not the Florida condo
because they spend more time down
there. A local management company
handles rentals of the Colorado condo,
which they've redone three times and
is furnished in Southwest style.
"Both the Colorado and Florida
condos are inspected frequently by
the local condo associations when
we're gone to make sure everything is
okay," she says. Our biggest problem
so far has been fixing leaks and other
things at the Florida place, which is
the oldest of all the properties." The
Millers were attracted to Colorado by
visits to the Keystone Ski Resort —
she skis, he doesn't. "But Colorado is
just as much fun to visit in the sum-
mer as the winter," says Elaine. "It's
warm with low humidity, and we play
golf and go biking, hiking and white
water rafting."
They remain in the Aventura area
of south Florida because they have
good friends there. They have easy
access to the South Beach area and
many fine restaurants. They haven't
yet decided whether they will rent out
the Harbor Springs condo, where
they will spend more time this winter
and next summer.
Harvey and Phyllis Shapiro and
Ivan and Connie Fidler, of West
Bloomfield, were casual friends for 43
years. They solidified their friendship
by buying two-bedroom condos in
the Las Brisas section of Scottsdale,
Ariz., within the past 10 years. The
Shapiros bought first, then video-
taped a similar place nearby to show
the Fidlers, who mailed a deposit
before a "live" visit.
The Fidlers have been married for
49 years, the Shapiros for 48, and
both owned area homes for many
years before settling in to condos.
When Harvey owned a furniture and
toy store and Ivan was a furniture
sales representative, they began flying