Welcome to the Vander Jagt!

After 20 years of serving Grand Rapids as a licensed realtor, I was honored to represent this estate when it was time to sell. What I didn’t know was the journey that I, and my family, would be embarking on. The estate was listed for sale on the market in May of 2021, the hottest real estate market that we as a nation and a city have ever seen at that time. Interest exploded online and it even made the news (WZZM Mystery Mansion/ Iconic Mansion). Everyone wanted in, everyone wanted to see it. It was a market where homes were sold in a matter of minutes, and multiple offers were the norm, but no offers came and by two and a half weeks into the listing, the calls that came in were no longer from hopeful homeowners, but investors. My heart stopped. I never thought this would happen to this house, I am part of a 3rd generation of developers, builders and realtors. I knew the property was worth more being developed into high density residential than as a single, tired, rundown house sitting on 1.7 acres (6 city lots). But I never thought it would come to that. 

This is where our life changed forever. My husband Max and I took a leap of faith. We didn’t know how, but we knew why. We bought the property. We loved it, and we wanted to save it. Unlike everyone before us, we weren’t overwhelmed with the amount of work it needed. We knew how to do it, we just knew it would take time. It would take passion. 

So welcome to our journey. Our journey of bringing life back to the VanderJagt. With a true restoration, the goal is that you will never know that we have ever been here. You won't know about the thousands of hours that have been spent by us and our devoted contractors. Someone touring the home once said to me, “You are making it into what you always thought it was.” I couldn’t believe that everything we felt was summarized into that one simple line, so easily. We felt that we were called to protect the house. We like so many of you, always wanting to get inside, to tour the house and the grounds. To see what it was like. Did it live up to how we dreamed it would be?

That is our dream, or vision. When you come to see, you experience what we saw beneath the rotted wood and the overgrown trees. Everyday we listen to the house and to the community. And in doing so, we realize that others are just as passionate about The VanderJagt as we are. The house is revealing what it wants to do and what it wants to be. We invite you on this journey with us, as we navigate repairs, and determine what is the best use of the property so that it can continue to be an icon of our neighborhood and continue to live in all of our hearts and memories. 

Thank you, 

Max and Tammy Jo Budzynski