The Hoffman Family
In life, sometimes it's meant to be.
For Bret and Deborah Hoffman, living in Hidden Lake seems like it was meant to be. Around 2004, the Hoffmans met with then-owner of Dream Builders and Hidden Lake resident Amy Crotty about moving into the neighborhood, but the timing wasn't right. It's all about timing. Well, fast forward 15 years to spring of 2019, and the timing was right! Bret and Deborah "downsized" and moved from Lake Shannon in Fenton into Cornerstone Builders Tom Schroeder's spec home on Stoney Pointe Drive. Well, it wasn't quite the downsizing they envisioned, but it has worked out great. Deborah said, "We are so happy we did because we love our home and the location on the lake."
Bret and Deborah were introduced by Brett's best friend, Jim Montroy. Jim worked for Bret at the time and was doing a mortgage for Deborah. She shared, "Every time I talked to Jim, or we met, he would talk to me about his good buddy Bret and what a great guy he was, and he wanted to introduce us." Like so many blind dates, there was initial resistance, but fate kept calling. "I kept telling Jim no but finally caved. Bret came to pick me up for lunch one day. He looked super mysterious; when he picked me up, he had dark hair slicked back and was wearing a dark black trench coat. We went to an Italian restaurant for lunch, where Bret ordered a chicken sandwich and proceeded to tell me that he ate chicken sandwiches for lunch every day. I've never seen him eat a chicken sandwich since!"
Although the first date between Bret and Deborah is memorable, it consummated a decades-long relationship that bared a family and many great memories. "We had a great conversation at lunch; I learned a lot about his family his work and just remembered thinking what a nice guy, so when he asked me out again and again, and I just kept saying yes, and the rest is history!" Well played, Bret.
The Hoffmans have three adult-aged children: Ashley Clark (32), Cortney (26), and Nic (22), and two grandchildren, Everett (2) and Levi (6 months). Ashley attended Weston University and met her husband, Wes, there. They love the outdoors, especially camping and hiking. Cortney went to the University of Central Michigan, and she has a passion for fashion. Mom says, "Cortney is a wealth of knowledge with tips and tricks on fashion." Nic recently graduated from Olivet College and began a job with Arch Insurance applying his recently attained Actuary Science degree; doesn't that include A LOT of mathematics?! Nic was a great student and athlete; he played soccer and golf in high school and received a scholarship to play golf at Olivet. One common bond among the entire Hoffman clan is their love of dogs. Bret and Deborah had two huskies until recently, and Ashley and Cortney each have two dogs! I think it's only a matter of time until Nic follows suit. What about a Christmas tradition? It 'tis the season; the Hoffmans love going to Chelsea Christmas Tree Farm every year to find that tree! It's a tradition since Bret and Deborah were dating.
Bret and Deborah cherish their time with their grandchildren, and as most of us know, there is never a dull moment. "It isn't so relaxing, but it is very enjoyable," Deborah said. The Hoffmans like eating out in the area, "I'm kinda a foodie and love trying new restaurants." Her favorite places locally to eat out are Ciao Amici (Brighton), The Laundry (Fenton), and Volare Ristorante (Wixom), where Cortney's long-time boyfriend, Armen, works. Like most of us, The Hoffmans love traveling, and the locations where there is sun top the favorite list: Napa, Hawaii, Colorado, Arizona, and Aruba. They like to boat, walk beaches, and golf when enjoying leisure time in the sun or around Hidden Lake.
Deborah recently purchased SWFL Insurance in Naples, Ft. Myers, and Port Charlotte, Florida, which has created a need for dual citizenship; back and forth from Naples, Florida, to this beautiful community in Hidden Lake. Deborah also owns OneSource Insurance Agency, a multi-line agency in Brighton. They offer personal lines insurance, commercial, and benefits (health, life, disability, etc.) Bret has every man's dream job; he works for Vanguard Motors, one of the nation's largest classic-car dealers, and he buys expensive classic cars all day. We'll look for a cool classic car at next year's Hidden Lake Car Show event.
It was meant to be!
For Bret and Deborah Hoffman, living in Hidden Lake seems like it was meant to be. Around 2004, the Hoffmans met with then-owner of Dream Builders and Hidden Lake resident Amy Crotty about moving into the neighborhood, but the timing wasn't right. It's all about timing. Well, fast forward 15 years to spring of 2019, and the timing was right! Bret and Deborah "downsized" and moved from Lake Shannon in Fenton into Cornerstone Builders Tom Schroeder's spec home on Stoney Pointe Drive. Well, it wasn't quite the downsizing they envisioned, but it has worked out great. Deborah said, "We are so happy we did because we love our home and the location on the lake."
Bret and Deborah were introduced by Brett's best friend, Jim Montroy. Jim worked for Bret at the time and was doing a mortgage for Deborah. She shared, "Every time I talked to Jim, or we met, he would talk to me about his good buddy Bret and what a great guy he was, and he wanted to introduce us." Like so many blind dates, there was initial resistance, but fate kept calling. "I kept telling Jim no but finally caved. Bret came to pick me up for lunch one day. He looked super mysterious; when he picked me up, he had dark hair slicked back and was wearing a dark black trench coat. We went to an Italian restaurant for lunch, where Bret ordered a chicken sandwich and proceeded to tell me that he ate chicken sandwiches for lunch every day. I've never seen him eat a chicken sandwich since!"
Although the first date between Bret and Deborah is memorable, it consummated a decades-long relationship that bared a family and many great memories. "We had a great conversation at lunch; I learned a lot about his family his work and just remembered thinking what a nice guy, so when he asked me out again and again, and I just kept saying yes, and the rest is history!" Well played, Bret.
The Hoffmans have three adult-aged children: Ashley Clark (32), Cortney (26), and Nic (22), and two grandchildren, Everett (2) and Levi (6 months). Ashley attended Weston University and met her husband, Wes, there. They love the outdoors, especially camping and hiking. Cortney went to the University of Central Michigan, and she has a passion for fashion. Mom says, "Cortney is a wealth of knowledge with tips and tricks on fashion." Nic recently graduated from Olivet College and began a job with Arch Insurance applying his recently attained Actuary Science degree; doesn't that include A LOT of mathematics?! Nic was a great student and athlete; he played soccer and golf in high school and received a scholarship to play golf at Olivet. One common bond among the entire Hoffman clan is their love of dogs. Bret and Deborah had two huskies until recently, and Ashley and Cortney each have two dogs! I think it's only a matter of time until Nic follows suit. What about a Christmas tradition? It 'tis the season; the Hoffmans love going to Chelsea Christmas Tree Farm every year to find that tree! It's a tradition since Bret and Deborah were dating.
Bret and Deborah cherish their time with their grandchildren, and as most of us know, there is never a dull moment. "It isn't so relaxing, but it is very enjoyable," Deborah said. The Hoffmans like eating out in the area, "I'm kinda a foodie and love trying new restaurants." Her favorite places locally to eat out are Ciao Amici (Brighton), The Laundry (Fenton), and Volare Ristorante (Wixom), where Cortney's long-time boyfriend, Armen, works. Like most of us, The Hoffmans love traveling, and the locations where there is sun top the favorite list: Napa, Hawaii, Colorado, Arizona, and Aruba. They like to boat, walk beaches, and golf when enjoying leisure time in the sun or around Hidden Lake.
Deborah recently purchased SWFL Insurance in Naples, Ft. Myers, and Port Charlotte, Florida, which has created a need for dual citizenship; back and forth from Naples, Florida, to this beautiful community in Hidden Lake. Deborah also owns OneSource Insurance Agency, a multi-line agency in Brighton. They offer personal lines insurance, commercial, and benefits (health, life, disability, etc.) Bret has every man's dream job; he works for Vanguard Motors, one of the nation's largest classic-car dealers, and he buys expensive classic cars all day. We'll look for a cool classic car at next year's Hidden Lake Car Show event.
It was meant to be!