REDEFINING REAL ESTATE
From ideas and thoughts to completed designs, Russell Landscaping Inc. delivers creativity, individuality, and satisfaction. We are passionate about the potential of a project and are committed to the great execution of a design that fits best for our clients. Our team concentrates on making it easier for you to achieve all of your project’s intention and ideas.
AprilInvestment Issue
Investment. By definition, it’s the act of dedicating time, energy, or resources toward something with the hope of a worthwhile return. But in practice, it’s so much more. Whether it’s our community, relationships, finances, or personal growth, the things we invest in shape our futures and the lives of those around us.
We can invest in our community by supporting local businesses, schools, and organizations. Volunteering and mentoring are powerful ways to contribute to future generations.
Financial investments help us build security and achieve long-term goals, while personal investments—spending quality time with loved ones or fostering deeper connections—bring immeasurable rewards to both ourselves and the people we care about.
As a boy, I cherish the memories of working in the garden with my dad. He put his heart and soul into that garden. It was with tremendous pride and accomplishment he would maintain the tomatoes, beans, zucchini, and other vegetables and my mom would make dinner with the daily harvest. It consistently brought our family and friends together.
When I became a father, I put a garden together with my family. Mia and Ava would hide in the garden when they were young, and the tomato plants were like trees to them. It was fun to spend time with them and show them the value of investing in the garden, telling them, “If we water the seeds daily, keep the garden clean from weeds, help them grow, and take care of them, they will come back to take care of us with food and nourishment.” All said, the greatest investment we can ever make is being parents and doing our best to raise good people.
While the ways we choose to invest may look different for everyone, the common thread is the hope of making a positive impact. This month’s issue explores various ways we can invest in our lives—whether by nurturing our community, planning for our financial future, or prioritizing the relationships that matter most.
Every investment we make is an act of hope and commitment. As you read this issue, we hope you’ll feel inspired to invest in the people, places, and dreams that matter most to you.
Here’s to a month full of growth, connection, and meaningful returns.
DAVID MATTALIANO, PUBLISHER @GROSSEPOINTECITYLIFESTYLE
April 2025
PUBLISHER
David Mattaliano | david.mattaliano@citylifestyle.com
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
Paige Peabody | paige.peabody@citylifestyle.com
ACCOUNT MANAGER
Lisa Gindi | lisa.gindi@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Susan Baldani, Margaret Carroll
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Kimberly Rensburg | info@kimberlyrensburg.com
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
COO Matthew Perry
CRO Jamie Pentz
CTO Ajay Krishnan
VP OF OPERATIONS Janeane Thompson
VP OF SALES Andrew Leaders
AD DESIGNER Jenna Crawford
LAYOUT DESIGNER Kelsey Ragain
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Megan Cagle
Learn
I S T U R N I N G
C h a r m B a r P o p U p P s y c h i c R e a d i n g s
S i p p i n g , s h o p p i n g a n d c e l e b r a t i n g
city scene
WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN
1: iCRYO Recovery & Wellness opens on The Hill at 96 Kercheval. 2: Dominic and Kristen Giancola celebrate the Grand Opening of iCRYO Recovery & Wellness. 3: Infrared Sauna room at iCRYO Recovery & Wellness. 4: Dominic & Kristen Giancola, Sofia Giacobone, Adrienne Jasica, William Moore, Katelyn Williams. 5: Guests receiving a tour at iCRYO Recovery & Wellness Grand Opening. 6: IV Drip Therapy room at iCRYO Recovery & Wellness. 7: Sofia Giacobone, Caitlyn Watts, and Kris Agnew greet guests at iCRYO Recovery & Wellness.
Dr. William Krieg, Dr. Brynn Jezdimir and Dr. Richard Frenchi
A ROUNDUP OF NEWS FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES
Savvy Chic Boutique Celebrates 10 Years In Grosse Pointe
Savvy Chic Boutique celebrates 10 years in Grosse Pointe on April 10th.
For over a decade, Lanna Young has provided the Pointes with affordable, on-trend style for any occasion.
Experience your “Fashion-Era” with us and we promise fun, flirty, style for any occasion, curated by our stylists.
As your “Big City” local boutique, we thank you for your loyal support and hope to see you soon. Located at 16822 Kercheval in The Village.
Mission Metabolic Health Now Open
Our physician-led practice and train ers work together to optimize your health, aesthetics, and longevity— beyond traditional care. We track metabolic markers, use medications strategically, and protect muscle mass while improving overall well ness. With an on-site gym and virtual visits, we make sustainable health and weight loss simple, effective, and personalized for lasting success. Visit missionmetabolichealth.com learn more.
REAL ESTATE Dreams
THE AGENCY
ARTICLE BY SUSAN BALDANI PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE AGENCY
For many, buying a vacation home often means having a place to get away from it all and relax. This may be a beach house right on the water or a cabin surrounded by lush trees and nature. This additional home may be located in the same state or in a totally different zip code in the United States. For the more adventurous, it may even be in an entirely different country, and once there, they may decide to stay.
According to WordPopulationReview.com, an estimated 8 million Americans were living abroad in 2024. While some people never come back, others spend a few weeks to a few years living in another country. Reasons for doing so vary greatly, and include seeking better or more exciting job opportunities, a lower cost of living, or because they're interested in new adventures. Others relocate for family, love, or educational needs.
The greatest number of expatriates (people who have moved from their native country to another country permanently or for an extended period of time) are in Mexico (799,248), seconded by Canada (273,226), with many other countries, such as the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, being highly desired.
"Spain has been very popular in recent years due to various lifestyles, whether looking for a metropolitan area such as Barcelona or the Mediterranean beaches of Mallorca," says Brad Wolf, managing partner of The Agency Hall & Hunter real estate office in Birmingham. In Spain, American citizens are the most common North American nationality, with about 41,000 residents.
Joan Hardy Brown, a Realtor® with The Agency Hall & Hunter office, recently assisted a couple who wanted to buy a home in Spain. They love to travel and enjoy the European lifestyle. "The wife has a medical degree, and she is practicing remotely in the United States," says Hardy Brown. "She also speaks Spanish."
Wolf says that people today want to live in a place they love rather than where they work. Instead of having to wait until retiring to make such a move, having the ability to work remotely has definitely provided more people with the opportunity to relocate anywhere in the world.
"When I graduated college, people lived where they worked, but it's a different approach nowadays," he says. "This younger generation isn't necessarily tied to a particular place, and many of them are focused more on lifestyle and perhaps where the best value is from an affordability standpoint. They also often prefer a certain climate."
Another reason for the popularity of buying overseas is the easier access to these destinations. "Joan and I have multiple friends that have sold their main residences, whether they were in Chicago, Boulder, or Denver, and they’ve moved to Traverse City in Northern Michigan which has an airport where they can get direct flights overseas. They're leaving those metropolitan areas and, again, living where they want because they don't have to be tied to those areas."
Hardy Brown experienced this with a client. A few years ago, she sold a couple a home locally, and recently, they came back to her to sell it again. "He retired from his job as a physician and accepted another position that was still medical-related. But they wanted to live in the same area that Brad was talking about, Traverse City. It was partly because they love the area, but it was also influenced by the fact that the airport allows him to travel extensively for this new job, and he's able to directly fly in and out of Traverse City."
Adds Wolf, "Between corporations adjusting and migrating towards remote abilities and airports expanding direct access
to additional destinations, this has allowed people to live where they love and seek out a new lifestyle."
Especially with the low inventory and ubiquitous bidding wars of the last few years, expanding the search for a primary or vacation home can lead to more successful outcomes. It's also a great way to embrace not only a new lifestyle, but a whole different culture as well. Living abroad allows you to experience new traditions and customs, enjoy the beauty of centuries-old architecture, learn a different language, and try local cuisines in ways that short vacations simply can't match.
Of course, it's important to find an agent and agency that can help guide you in your search to make sure the pursuit of your overseas dream doesn't become a nightmare. While every real estate transaction can be complicated, it can become even more so when dealing with various laws around the world. Just as every state in the US has different rules and regulations when buying, selling, and owning "real property," so does each country, explains Wolf.
"Real estate typically is the largest financial investment one makes in one's lifetime, so the importance of representation from a local experienced real estate agent is crucial when investing in real estate property anywhere. Discussing this financial investment with a qualified financial / tax advisor prior to making a decision is also recommended to ensure your financial best interests are considered."
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While some clients are making a permanent move overseas, the majority of The Agency's clients purchase these properties as second homes for their own personal use and don't have any interest in renting them. However, if they wanted to, The Agency Real Estate Network is able to assist.
"The Agency Real Estate network has local boutique brokerages around the world, focused on white glove service for those discerning clients looking to work with the most experienced real estate agents in the local markets around the world," says Wolf. "The Agency Hall & Hunter offers the ability to offer local expertise as well as a global reach among the 150+ offices around the globe."
This is a huge reason why Hall & Hunter, a 70-yearold boutique agency with a focus on luxury markets, partnered with The Agency a few years ago. Founded in Beverly Hills by CEO Mauricio Umansky and a group of partners, The Agency is now recognized as one of the fastest-growing premier brands in the world.
"We're still the local experts in town with a number of luxury properties, but what The Agency network brings is that global reach that allows us to seamlessly service clients who are moving out of state or out of the country," he says.
“They’re leaving those metropolitan areas and living where they want because they don’t have to be tied to those areas.”
Wolf states that many people start their search for real estate in a different country by blindly reaching out to an agent online, but The Agency Hall & Hunter Relocation Division is able to offer assistance in finding the right professional located in their desired area around the globe. These local agents will be able to guide buyers with making the best decisions and finding what works for them in their newly adopted country.
Many factors go into making a decision to buy overseas. It's important to decide what your goals are, how much time you can spend in the country, whether you have school-aged children, and if you can financially maintain two homes.
To learn how you can find your own home abroad and become immersed in a whole new world, contact Joan Hardy Brown or her partner, Kim Lodge, at TheAgencyRe.com/Region/Michigan
Pictured Ryan Wolf (Managing Partner), Mauricio Umansky (President) & Brad Wolf (Managing Partner)
ARTICLE BY SUSAN BALDANI PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAYMOND JAMES
Raymond James
Investing In
Your Future
When people talk about investing, their main priority is usually the financial security that this money can bring later in life. But, what about the fun and entertainment that money can also provide after retirement, such as traveling the world, buying a vacation home, maybe a sleek sports car, or other items on your bucket list?
"Once people get through all the heavy lifting – buying a home, putting their kids through college - they want to enjoy whatever time they have left later on," says Van Hauswirth, managing director and senior vice president of investments with the Grosse Pointe Advisory Group of Raymond James®. "That's a time when people really try to focus on that next chapter."
While there's no magic age to start saving and investing towards these "silver" dreams, like all investments, the earlier you start, the better. "Some people can do it at a really young age if they're aspirational and they want to save more aggressively," he says. "In this situation, we would generally focus on growth-oriented investments that tend to have a little bit more volatility, but over time – say we had a 20-year horizon - these would be more appropriate for the long term."
He explains that different vehicles such as exchange traded funds, individual stocks, and other items along those lines tend to do very well over time and will perform much better than a savings account or a municipal bond.
While advisors can surely help you plan for these later-in-life adventures and luxuries, Hauswirth, of course, always prioritizes the necessity to first cover clients' basic needs, such as home expenses, food, utilities, and healthcare, when putting money into their retirement. "I want to make sure all of these needs are taken care of before they get into some of the extras that they could do without if they had to. Of course, it wouldn't be as much fun then!"
In addition to living life to the fullest, another goal for some of his clients is to use retirement money to support organizations and bring joy to others as well as themselves. "A lot of my clients have philanthropic goals, whether they have certain charities they want to give to, or they just want to make a bigger impact and have their money do something other than just buy
"ONCE PEOPLE GET THROUGH ALL THE HEAVY LIFTING –BUYING A HOME, PUTTING THEIR KIDS THROUGH COLLEGETHEY WANT TO ENJOY WHATEVER TIME THEY HAVE LEFT LATER ON."
something," he says. "By doing this, they can leave a mark on and make a difference with something they're passionate about."
While you can invest on your own, having an experienced and knowledgeable financial advisor guide you is invaluable. "One of the most important things we do is prevent people from doing the wrong thing at the wrong time," says Hauswirth. "In other words, we're avoiding a panic selling when markets go down and making sure people stay invested and aligned with their long-term goals."
As an advisor, he has made assisting people with their financial goals a lifelong career - this year marks his 30th anniversary in the industry. In 1993, upon graduating from college, he started with Edward Jones, and in 1995, he joined Roney & Company, which became part of the Raymond James family in 1999. Today, he continues to devote himself to providing the most expert advice to his clients.
"I love a lot of things about this field, but number one is helping people," says Hauswirth. "One of the others is because our industry is constantly changing, I really get to enjoy those dynamics where there's always a need to evaluate and re-evaluate investments."
He's also glad to be part of Raymond James because it has historically always put clients' needs first. When looking for a financial specialist of your own, it's critical, he says, to seek out a fiduciary like Raymond James. A fiduciary, he explains, means that your needs and goals are put first and foremost.
He also recommends that people interview several advisors to make sure they feel comfortable and confident and that they are being listened to. These
advisors should evoke a feeling of trust. After all, these are your hard-earned savings that you're putting into their hands.
Hauswirth, who lives in Grosse Pointe with his wife, Wendy, and sons, Noah and Andrew, is thrilled to announce that Noah is following in his footsteps. "He graduated from Miami University in Ohio about two years ago, and along with my mentoring him, he's also in our training program here."
When talking about thriving in retirement, Raymond James states, "Retirement isn't a finish line, but a new way of life that can last 25 years or more." Take advantage of this new chapter of life, whatever that means to you, by planning for it with the proper guidance from a financial expert. It's never too late to dream and to turn those dreams into a reality.
For
Bruce Nichols
WILL'ING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Do you have a will?
The answer greatly impacts how a family meets life’s biggest challenge. A trust or a will is like a playbook of winning moves, keeping the focus on what matters most instead of sweating the details, so everyone pulls together like a well-coached team on game day. The alternative can be stressful, even chaotic.
A team with a good coach rebounds more quickly from a loss. More importantly, they rely on each other, building trust and developing resilience—elements essential to a good life. Winning teams, as the saying goes, tend to keep winning.
That is the reason it is so important to have a good estate plan, according to Bruce Nichols, Esq. He has been providing sound legal advice to Grosse Pointers in the form of estate planning, wills and trusts for 50 years.
“Everybody needs a will,” says Nichols. Start with research to determine what you need. There is plenty of free information on the web, including his website: www.brucenichols.com . Nichols recommends a plan that includes four components:
1. Medical power of attorney allows someone you designate to communicate your wishes without violating HIPAA privacy laws. This is especially important if you are single (widowed/divorced) and have more than one (adult) child. Decide who can best speak for you.
2. Power of attorney - designate an individual who can act on your behalf if you are unable to do so, usually someone you have a long-term relationship with, such as a spouse or trusted friend, who can do things for you. This is
something you can do on your own without the need to hire an attorney.
3. Make a will that Spells out what will happen to your estate (all your personal property) upon your death. Choose a personal representative. If you don’t choose someone, the court will choose for you. You can attach a sheet of paper to your will (and save family feuding) with details, such as my mink coat goes to Lulu.
4. Establish a trust. Put everything you own in the trust and nominate a trustee to step in upon your death. “This is ideal for newlyweds and nearly dead,” Nichols says. The trust owns everything, so there is no need for probate. Simply name your trustee and advise how you would like them to administer your estate (I.e., what percentage to the Boy Scouts or your church). A key benefit is you retain control.
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“You can take your money out of the trust any time you like. A revocable trust is a tax transparent for income tax reporting purposes, but other than that, is not touched by the IRS.” Trusts cost a bit more than a will to establish (approximately $3000), but they are a good, reliable option, according to Nichols, who adds they are very popular in Grosse Pointe.
"A TRUST OR A WILL IS LIKE A PLAYBOOK OF WINNING MOVES, KEEPING THE FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS MOST INSTEAD OF SWEATING THE DETAILS, SO EVERYONE PULLS TOGETHER LIKE A WELL-COACHED TEAM ON GAME DAY."
Bruce Nichols always knew he wanted to work in the law.
“I like helping people,” he says. He was raised in Grosse Pointe and lives here with his wife of 40 years, as do his three grown children and their families. Nichols says it is a fascinating place for estate planning.
“Families have stories. . . . Each family has a pyramid with a patriarch or matriarch at the top. When the apex of the triangle is removed, the dynamic changes. Truths come out,” he says.
Siblings work things out, but everything changes once spouses get involved. Nichols has seen families argue over tie tacks, golf clubs, and small pieces of china they could buy themselves.
Nichols says a simple way to avoid all that is to make a plan.
Contact: Bruce R. Nichols, Law Office at 18430 Mack Avenue, Grosse Pointe Farms, (313) 886-7670, www.brucenichols.com
A SELECTION OF UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS
APRIL 4TH
2025 Detroit Historical Society Ball
Roostertail | 6:00pm
The evening will include dinner and drinks, along with our well-curated auction to support our mission and our ongoing effort to bring history to the next generation. www.detroithistorical.org
APRIL 9TH
Evening with Karl Marlantes: Echoes of the Vietnam War
War Memorial | 6:00 PM
Join best-selling author and Vietnam veteran Karl Marlantes for an evening of insightful discussion about his life, military service, and acclaimed literary career. A Yale graduate and Rhodes Scholar, Marlantes served as a Marine in Vietnam, earning the Navy Cross, Bronze Star, and other honors. www.warmemorial.org
APRIL 11TH - 13TH
Sponge Bob Musical by YOS
Parcells | 1:00 PM
Grosse Pointe Theatre and Youth on Stage present SpongeBob Musical. SpongeBob and his friends must come together to save the fate of their undersea world. With lives hanging in the balance and all hope lost, a most unexpected hero rises up. The power of optimism really can save the world! gpt.org/youth-on-stage
APRIL 13TH
Photos With The Easter Bunny
Ford House | 11:00 AM
Hop into the spirit of Easter with an unforgettable photo session at Ford House! Bring your little ones and your own camera to capture cherished memories. Decorate an Easter egg drawing and grab a goody bag after your child's photo. www.warmemorial.org
APRIL 13TH
Bunny Brunch
War Memorial | 10:30 AM
Hop on over to The War Memorial this Spring for our annual Bunny Brunch! Surprise your little one with a visit from the Easter Bunny while you enjoy a delicious Sunday morning brunch with your family. Following the brunch, our friend the Easter Bunny, will welcome everyone down to the back lawn for a one-of-a-kind HELICOPTER EGG DROP! www.waremorial.org
APRIL 20TH
Easter Brunch
Ford House | 11:00 AM
Celebrate Easter in style at Ford House with our luxurious Easter Brunch! Enjoy a delightful dining experience set against the backdrop of stunning waterfront views of Ford Cove and Lake St. Clair. www.fordhouse.org
