HAMILTON, MI - A lifelong Michigan fan has turned his entire home into a Wolverines shrine. Every single room inside this house is decked out with Michigan memorabilia. The home is now on the market. It’s located at 4702 South St. in Hamilton, which is about 15 minutes southeast of Holland in West Michigan.
Loren Joostberns is a retired Hamilton High School teacher and huge Michigan fan. He says he’s been a UM football season ticket holder for 45 years, been to seven Rose Bowls and 14 other UM bowl games.
“I have every program from every game I’ve ever been to,” Joostberns told MLive. “I have more than 1,000 programs. I also have programs from every bowl game except one, even ones I didn’t go to.”
The living room at 4702 South St., in Hamilton, Michigan, decked out in Wolverines decor and memorabilia. (Photo by Next Door Photos - Lakeshore)
Joostberns just listed his home for $169,900 this week. Obviously, the UM memorabilia is going with him. Realtor Jeannette Brownson from Brownson Properties says this home is in great condition, it’s just a little dated.
“It’s in really good condition, it’s just not up to date. It’s a great bungalow," said Brownson. "It’s got knotty pine, which was a big thing in the 60 and 70s. The whole upstairs ceiling and walls are covered with that. The house has new windows, a new furnace and a new AC. A lot of the big upgrades have been done.”
The UM themed dining room at 4702 South St., in Hamilton, Michigan. (Photo by Next Door Photos - Lakeshore)
Joostberns remains active at Hamilton High School. He has been the public address announcer for nearly 40 years at the high school football games. He says he has so much UM memorabilia that more of it is actually in storage than is displayed at his home.
“When I buy something new, I try to find a place to put it. For everything you see, I have at least two more in storage somewhere because I don’t have room to display it.”
The living room at 4702 South St., in Hamilton, Michigan. (Photo by Next Door Photos - Lakeshore)
One of Joostbern’s most prized possessions is an autographed collage of Bo Schembechler which is signed by Bo and 33 of his All-American players. He also loves his 1948 Rose Bowl Los Angeles Times newspaper. Michigan beat USC 49-0 that game.
He says he has so much memorabilia, he doesn’t even notice it when he’s sitting in his living room. “The living room is sort of a man cave. When I’m sitting there I don’t even notice. It’s not like I look at everything.”
Brownson says this home is in a nice location in Hamilton. “It’s right in the center of town, so it’s a convenient location. It’s just 15 minutes from Holland. A lot of people in Hamilton work in Holland because it’s close.”
The upstairs bedroom at 4702 South St., in Hamilton, Michigan. (Photo by Next Door Photos - Lakeshore)
The 1,250 square foot home, built in 1940, has two bedrooms, a bathroom and the laundry room on the main floor. There’s a large 3rd bedroom upstairs. The home also has an unfinished basement.
This is the official MLS listing of the home. You can contact Jeannette Brownson from Brownson Properties via email or at 616-886-1813.
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