Mike and Emily's great grandfather on the beach in southwest Michigan, 1907
"Our family has been vacationing in southwest Michigan since the early 1900s and this tradition continues today. These vacations are typically planned by grandparents and include the entire extended family of children and grandchildren. We have camped and stayed in hotels, but my best memories from childhood are when we would rent a home for the annual trip to beach in Michigan.” --Mike Wesling, owner of Anchor Point
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Mike and his mom on the dune at Holland State Park, early 1980s
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Mike at Lake Michigan, early 1980s
"Some kids count down the days until Christmas. I always counted down how many days until the next Michigan trip. For me, Lake Michigan is not just a place; it's a chance to reconnect with loved ones, with nature, and to remember what's important to you." -Emily Wesling, General Manager
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Emily, Anchor Point General Manager at Lake Michigan, mid 1990s
Melissa's first trip to Michigan was in 2003 back when she and Mike were dating. “At night we would gather at one of the family’s rented homes to have dinner and play cards. I knew this was a special time for the family, and I’ll never forget the night I stayed up until 2:00 am playing cards with Mike’s 80-year-old grandmother! There’s something about renting a home by the beach that is restorative. We were grateful the property owners shared their home with us to create memories. The seed was planted, and we wanted to provide the same experience for future families." --Melissa Wesling, Co-founder

Mike and Melissa at 'Big Red Lighthouse' in Holland, MI 2003
Mike and Melissa started their vacation rental adventure in 2007 when they bought the 229 Huron house. “Our goal was to have a home in Michigan to enjoy with family and friends and any rental income earned was going to be a bonus.” --Mike
Huron house
They invested in a vacation rental property in South Haven, Michigan, because it was in a place they loved visiting and wanted to make memories just as their family had been doing for years. This seemed simple so they branded the home “Simply South Haven.”
We were getting so many calls from people wanting to book the Huron house rental that we wished we had a second property to refer them to! Because of that, in 2012 we decided to purchase a second rental property just a few blocks away from our existing location, named the Superior Location House.
In 2018 we made a significant financial investment to remodel the exterior of the Superior House which provides a better beach vibe than the previous design.
Before and after the exterior remodel of the Superior House.
Our demand continued to grow, so in January of 2020, we purchased a property that was on two city lots and very close to South Beach. The home was built in the late 1800s and unfortunately the foundation and structure of the home were not salvageable. Because of that, we took on our biggest project yet which was to build two homes from the ground up. The first home is a luxury rental on Erie Steet which we call LuxErie and the second property is a home called expERIEnce which we primarily utilize for personal use but we do offer some rental opportunities throughout the year.
For years we have donated a percentage of our rental proceeds to local charities and wanted to become more involved in the community. In 2018, Mike networked with a number of vacation rental home owners in South Haven to create The South Haven Vacation Rental Community Fund. This program has been highly impactful as we have been able to donate to a number of different causes including the South Haven Boys and Girls Club, Blessings In A Backpack, a South Haven High School scholarship, and support the winter gathering place at Dyckman Park.
Mike always dreamed of starting a professional property management company to leverage his self-management experience and offer these services to others. Coincidentally, Mike's sister, Emily, was considering moving back to the Midwest from Arizona and possibly changing careers. Inspired by the book "Who Not How," Mike encouraged Emily to relocate to South Haven and become the general manager of their new venture.
In 2023, Anchor Point Premier Vacations was established, and they began managing properties for others. Emily is now based in South Haven, assisting owners and guests in town and doing an amazing job. Their goal is to grow gradually, adding properties that match their current homes, with a focus on larger and luxury properties.
Why Anchor Point?
We believe that the best vacations are the ones that feel like home. As a family-owned and operated company, we understand the value of quality time spent with loved ones, and we make it our mission to create unforgettable vacation experiences for our guests. We thrive on planning unforgettable vacations at Lake Michigan.
Please click here if you would like to learn more about our property management services.
