Ann Arbor Homes and Real Estate Blog

Using Twitter in my Ann Arbor Real Estate business

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 07:52:14 -0500

I have been using twitter casually with my Ann Arbor real estate business in mindand am finding it to be a helpful tool for touching several of my prospects and past clients. Amazing! I keep hearing that these web 2.0 tools will one day overtake the search engines as the way people get their information (not sure what that looks like) and I am intrigued.

I have been making comments on interest rates, homes, the market and just general commetns about what I am up to and people have responded. Also, I am finding to be a good network building tool.

I am still confused by it. Is there anybody else out there using Twitter purposely to build real estate business? How are you using it. Please let me know.

Plymouth-Canton Michigan Real Estate Now at Canton.Piperpartners.com

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:12:35 -0500

Piperpartners.com is expanding! Check out our new Web portal serving Plymouth-Canton MI Real Estate home buyers and sellers at http://canton.piperparters.com. We have pages set up for Canton MI neighborhoods, Plymouth Canton MI Condominiums, Plymouth-Canton Schools and more coming soon.

Search for a condo in Plymouth or Canton Michigan using our interactive map search function. Find homes for sale by neighborhood or subdivision.

Piperpartners is now serving home buyers and sellers in the communities of Canton, Livonia, Westland, Plymouth, Northville and near by areas of western Wayne and Oakland Counties.

If you or someone you know is planning to relocate to the Plymouth Canton Michigan area please give us a call at 734-604-8242 or drop us an email for a complete Plymouth-Canton relocation package

NE ANN ARBOR 2-STORY CONDO by Argo Park, UofM Hospitals/Campus!

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:18:31 -0500

NORTHEAST ANN ARBOR CONDO just up the street from The Huron River & Argo Park, University of Michigan Hospitals, Medical Campus and Hospitals! Beautiful Landscaping welcomes you home to this Sharp, Clean 2-Story Condo. Enjoy the Large Windows that give you sunlight and views. The main floor has the Living Room, Dining Room, bright Kitchen and convenient 1st Floor Laundry. Upstairs, you have a Bedroom with Large Windows, a 2nd Room with a Closet for a Study, and bathroom.

Walk down the tree-lined street to enjoy River Views at Argo Park, launch your own boat or rent Canoes, Kayaks & Rowboats. You can also sign up for a River Trip, hike the trails, or just enjoy watching the river go by from the park.

More Parks and Gardens! Enjoy nature, walking, hiking, biking, jogging, playgrounds, softball, soccer, tennis & more at nearby Argo Nature Area (map), Longshore Park (map), Barton Nature Area (map), Bird Hills Nature Area (map), Bandemer Park (map), Kuebler Langford Nature Area (map), Northside (map), and UofM's Nichols Arboretum with Peony Gardens (see Bloom Calendar), lush open spaces, and June's Shakespeare in the Arb.

In NE Ann Arbor! Enjoy Shopping, Restaurants & Entertainment at Kerrytown with world-famous Zingerman's Deli!, and Downtown Ann Arbor. Enjoy the summer Art Fairs.

Ann Arbor Address and Schools.

Near Parks, Kerrytown, UofM Hospitals & Campus, freeway access!

- Ann Arbor schools: Northside, Clague Middle School, Huron High School and brand new Skyline High School!
- Near UofM Hospitals and UofM Medical School
- Near University of Michigan Campuses: North, Central, Medical.
- Central Ann Arbor near Kerrytown & Downtown Shopping
- Easy Access to I-94 and M-14
- Welcoming Landscaping
- 2-Story Condo with Bedroom & Study, 1st Floor Laundry
- River Views and sunsets nearby.
- Walk to the University of Michigan's Medical Campus, Medical Center and Hospitals
- Walk to Kerrytown & Zingerman's, Downtown Ann Arbor and the Art Fairs. - Plenty of parking on the street, as well as a parking lot across the street after 5pm & weekends.

Call Andy Piper at 734-604-8242 for a private showing.

Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor. MLS #2807640

SEARCH All Ann Arbor Homes/Condos for Sale

SEARCH Downtown Ann Arbor Lofts & Condos for Sale
Click Here: Virtual Tour of this condo!

Ann Arbor Victorian Gem set in Private Wooded Sanctuary

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:02:11 -0500

Perfection exists in this Victorian-Style Home in Michigan's Exclusive Ann Arbor Township is set in a 2.14 Acre Wooded Lot with Extensive Landscaping.

You'll feel like you're on Mackinac Island or Martha's Vineyard as you enjoy your morning coffee on the long front porch with corner gazebo and exterior sound system. Enjoy the overlook onto a spacious lower lawn bordered by professionally landscaped edge with mature trees and perennials.

The home is set amidst open spaces and woodlands, so you can surround yourself with 4-season landscaping and views. Follow the terraced stone stairs or a brick-paver path to a large brick-paver patio where you'll entertain and relax.

Fabulously Updated and Renovated with Gorgeous Finishes and Custom Draperies and Valances.

Near The University of Michigan and Hospitals, Eastern Michigan University & Washtenaw Community College!

All the best of Victorian style in a newer home! CLICK for a Virtual Tour!

Andy Piper, Realtor, CRB. 734-604-8242, andypiper@comcast.net, www.piperpartners.com PiperPartners at Keller Williams - 2144 S. State St., Ann Arbor

Technology Tuesdays at Keller Williams Ann Arbor

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:56:36 -0500

Wow, something great is happening at Keller Williams Ann Arbor!
Every Tuesday our agents are learning and sharing their knowledge about technology as it relates to the real estate business. All agents are welcome to attend (even if you are not yet with Keller Williams)!
Today we talked about permission based marketing and viewed this video Talking about Web 2.0 with Gerhard on Seth Godin's blog.
To be competitive in the Ann Arbor real estate market you have to be a tech savvy agent!

The Advantages of a Buyer's Agency Agreement

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 19:16:08 -0500

Why would a buyer not want to get professional representation in a real estate transaction? The reasons I hear relate to two things - 1. A person doesn't understand the advantages of buyer agency and 2. they feel they can save money by going directly to the seller.
Buyers can get full representation from an experienced agent that knows up to the minute market conditions and sees 100's of properties for sale each month FOR FREE! If you are buying real estate in the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti-Dexter Michigan area, you probably know that prices are very volatile and that corporate relocations and bank forclosure properties can change pricing in a subdivision over night. Going directly to the seller and perhaps "saving part of the commission" may cost you thousands by not knowing about the other great deals that an experienced agent can turn up in this market.
When I enter into a buyer representation or buyer agency agreement with a client, I let them know up front that if they are not satisfied for any reason with the service they are getting I will cancel the agreement at anytime, creating a worry free agreement. I have never had anyone cancel an agreement with me, but I take the pressure off of my clients by this service gaurauntee.
I would like to hear examples of where an agent saved a client money through buyer representation, also if you are a buyer and you saved big by going directly to the seller, I would like to hear about this as well.
Thanks.

Active Rainers going to Maga Agent Camp in August

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 11:19:05 -0500

Hello, I am planning to attend Mega Agent Camp in Austin TX August 20th through August 22nd.
I would be interested in meeting with any Active Rain bloggers in August. Let me know if you are planning to go and if anyone would like to get together for networking.
Thanks.
Andy Piper, Ann Arbor MI www.piperpartners.com

Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Conservatory - an Ann Arbor Jewel

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 21:19:42 -0500

The Matthaei Botanical Gardens is an Ann Arbor jewel that many people may not be aware of.  The Gardens are located off of Dixburo between Plymouth and Geddes. The Conservatory was opened in 1964. It is a commission by Alden B. Dow, the only Architect Laureate designated by the State of Michigan. This building is an exceptionally rare structure. It is believed to be the largest free-span (no supporting columns) Conservatory of its structural style and represents a technological limit of architectural materials and climatic controls in a pre-computer era.
Here are few events coming up. See the Website for more information
Earthday Festival
Sunday, April 22, noon to 4 pm
Matthaei Botanical Gardens
The community's annual Earthday Festival will be hosted at Matthaei Botanical Gardens. This is a family friendly event featuring performers, information, demonstrations, and activities. Free

Natural Areas Ecological Restoration Workdays
Saturday, April 21, 9 am
Meet in west lobby Matthaei Botanical Gardens
Join Natural Areas Steward Aunita Erskine to pull garlic mustard and have an informative tour in Kirk Woods. This MBGNA property is a high quality Oak Opening woods due in large part to Aunita, staff and volunteer's persistent work. Our efforts look promising but we need your help to further our success. We will car pool to the site. Tools and kneeling pads provided. Please RSVP to Barbara Major at 734-647-8528 or email bamajor@umich.edu
Saturday, April 28, 9 am
Meet in west lobby Matthaei Botanical Gardens
Join Natural Areas Steward Sylvia Taylor and Botanical Club Members to pull garlic mustard in Horner Woods, a high quality, old growth woods. Their heroic efforts have minimized invasive plant inundation but diligent weeding is needed every year. Sylvia will give a tour of the site as well as share with you her knowledge of these woods. We will car pool to the site. Tools and kneeling pads provided. Please RSVP to Barbara Major at 734-647-8528 or email bamajor@umich.edu

New and improved Spring Plant Sale! This year's sale will feature gardening demonstrations every half hour on Saturday and Sunday. Demos include children's gardening, heirloom bulbs and ground cover alternatives, by such well-known experts as Scott Kunst and our own Bob Grese. We'll also have two one-hour k-5 children's walks so parents can shop while the children visit our Sue Reichert Discovery Trail. Join us May 5 and 6 (members only pre-sale May 4). Visit our web site : http://www.mbgna.umich.edu/ for hours, directions, plant list, featured plant and demonstration schedule.

Plymouth Green Crossings Northeast Ann Arbor Loft Condos

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 23:03:18 -0500

Pfizer or no Pfizer, Plymouth Green Crossings is forging ahead. Signs that the new development is moving forward can be seen and the infrastructure is beginning to take shape. This promises to be an exciting addition to northeast Ann Arbor offering trendy loft syle condos above reatil shops to augment the traditional 60's subdivisions. Plymouth Green Crossings should offer commuters entering town at Plymouth and US23 a nice welcoming landmark. For more inforamtion on Plymouth Green Crossings visit Piperpartners.com

Shift Happens

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 19:04:21 -0500

Here is an incredible video that really illustrates how fast our world is changing. One thing I took away from it is how important it is to be able to adapt to change and how important it is to teach this to our children. In one part of the video, it says that what kids several years from now learn in year one of college will already be obsolete in year three. Watch Did You Know here.

Area Ann Arbor Homes prices starting to look reasonable?

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 06:21:18 -0500

No question about it, Ann Arbor home and condo prices have taken a hit. Are we nearing the bottom of the market? When the news is the worst is when smart money is usually buying. I am starting to see buyers step in to close some excellent deals. North East Ann Arbor brick ranch with a full walk out basement for @ $160,000, 2 story Foxfire subdivision house for under $250. Nice 2 bedroom 1.5 or 2 bath condos in the 120's - with low association fees. These prices work for people and provide an excellent place to call home with a little room to breath financially as well. I guess that is the upside of a down market.
If you are moving to Ann Arbor with more than a two year time windows there are compelling reasons to purchase a home. Search Ann Arbor Homes and Condos for sale or email me to heare more about some Ann Arbor real estate deals!

The Death of Retail

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 06:01:39 -0500

Another sign that main street retailing as we knew it is dying. Wizzywig, a downtown Ann Arbor store specializing in Japanese pop-culture collectables is moving. They are relocating their store front to the industrial park by the Ann Arbor Airport where there warehouse is. The Downtown Ann Arbor store is huge and loaded with the most interesting assortment of japanese food candy, toys, collectable you could ever imagine. Truely a specialty store. Well turns out they do a large portion of their business online so why run a big expensive store when you can do more business from cheap warehouse space on the edge of town. See apattern? How about Comp USA and Adray appliance to name two other stores bailing out of the high rent retail space probably to invest more in their Internet business model.

Sell Signal: When the Boss Buys a Trophy Home

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 05:34:40 -0500

From The Wall Street Journal Online

When the boss buys a trophy home, investors would do well to sell shares in the company, according to a new study of stock performance of Standard & Poor's 500-stock index firms following home purchases by chief executives.

Call it the mansion effect: The bigger the CEO's home is, the worse the company's stock fares, the study by Arizona State University finance Professor Crocker Liu and New York University finance Professor David Yermack found. Read the rest of the article here.

The economic engine of Ann Arbor

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 22:38:24 -0500
While Pfizer is in high gear with their pull out of Ann Arbor, The University Medical center and hospitals and the University of Michigan are the economic engines that will drive us forward. The dust will settle after Pfizer is done pulling up stakes and we will be stronger for it. Health care and higher education are probably the top growth industries in Michigan and we are well postitioned to capitalize on this trend bringing in stable high paging jobs in growth industries.

Frieze building coming down

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 22:27:36 -0500

The Frieze building in Downtown Ann Arbor on North State street is on its way down to make room for the New U of M North Quad housing and acedemic building, Read the Frieze building blog here. The University has upgraded the quality of this replacement building and I am confiden we will have a first class product when it is done. Everyone hates to see an old cornerstone come down, but I am not crying about it - I think the new project will be a great addition to downtown.

Ashley Terrace going up -

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 22:15:36 -0500

Ashley Terrace going up at Ashley and Huron in Downtown Ann Arbor. You can see the balcony of the condos jutting out on the second floor on the left of the picture. Ashley Terrace offers downtown condos from the high 200's and up. Each condo incudes one parking space in the underground on site parking facility. For more information about these and other downtown Ann Arbor Condominium projects see www.Piperpartners.com.

Google real estate offers free listings - no referral fees, extra charges. Sorry Yahoo - this is better for everyone!

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 16:02:26 -0500

From the official google blog:
Homes, not just homepages
More than ever, home buyers are starting their search online, and we want to make it easier for every one of you to find the home of your dreams. Searching on Google for Seattle real estate or homes for sale in San Diego prompts you to enter a location and choose whether you want to buy or rent.* After clicking "Go," you can see the individual homes that Google has indexed, provided by our partners and culled from the web. When you want more information on a particular home, you can click straight through to the source of the listing-no detail pages or sign-up forms get in the way. And when Google gets the same listing from multiple sources, we show links to all the data providers and websites, ranked according to many factors including, but not limited to, the quality and comprehensiveness of the data.

If you're a real estate professional, making your listings searchable on Google is simple and completely free. We don't charge for photos or offer "featured listings." We believe that buyers just want to see the home that fits them best and that providers shouldn't have to pay to show it to them. We don't sell houses, deal with agents' compensation, or charge for leads. read more
No charge for leads, additional photos "featured homes" click straight through to the source. Unlike the Yahoo Prudential where agents are paying big referral fees, the Keller Williams Listing Services puts listings on Google and Trulia with tons of photos FOR FREE. Google's model it to make money by advertising and having content, while Yahoo, looks to extort the agents in the traditional lead generation model. Thank you Google!
Yahoo real estate vs. Google Real Estate Read an interesting article about Yahoo, Purdential, Google, Keller Williams Realty

Walkable Liveable Cities have intrinsic value

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 12:23:34 -0500

What separates one city from the next? After decades of suburban sprawl, communities in SE Michigan are starting to realize the importance of walkable, workable and liveable downtowns. See Metromode article Taking It DowntownBy: Dennis Archambault, 4/5/2007
Ann Arbor adopted a Comprehensive City-wide Non-motorized Plan to foster alternaive modes of transportation, including walking and cycling in January. See Greenways Coolaborative article here. Liberty Lofts in an example of a development that works on a pedestrian scale - allowing people to access all that downtown Ann Arbor has to offer.

Check out Metromode Online Magazine - Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Southeast Michigan

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 12:14:04 -0500

Metromode is an excellent online magazine about Ann ARbor, Ypsilanti and south east Michigan. Lots of current information and photos - check it out here
metromode is published by Detroit-based Issue Media Group, LLC.
The Web site posts daily reports on job growth and development in Southeast Michigan, from Detroit to Ann Arbor. A free, weekly e-magazine is published Thursdays.
With community directories and guides for Southeast Michigan cities, metromode is a resource for people who want to work, build a business, relocate or visit here.
Sign up for the free, weekly e-magazine here.

Food Gatherers' Challenge - your donation will leveraging funds from the Feinstein Foundation.

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 12:08:43 -0500

From the Ann Arbor Business REview April 5-11 2007.
Help support an important Ann Arbor organization.
Food Gatherers, Washtenaw County's food bank and food rescue organization, is accepting Rhode Island philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein's annual challenge to bolster local efforts for hunger relief.
Now through April 30, money raised by Food Gatherers will be matched by Feinstein's Challenge to Help Fight Hunger. Food Gatherers' trucks distribute about four tons of food six days a week. Feinstein has donated $1 million to hunger relief for the past 10 years.
Tax-deductible donations can be mailed to Food Gatherers at P.O. Box 7971, Ann Arbor, MI 48107. Credit cards are accepted at 734-761-2796 or online at www.foodgatherers.org.
Food Gatherer's newsletter

Pfizer downsizing on fast pace - Pfizer's Ann Arbor operation will lose about 75 percent of its employees by the end of the year.

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 11:49:31 -0500

Exerpt from the Ann Arbor Business Reivew, 4/6/2007
Pfizer's Ann Arbor operation will lose about 75 percent of its employees by the end of the year, David Canter, Pfizer's senior vice president, said this morning.
Canter told a group at an Ypsilanti Chamber of Commerce event that Pfizer is projecting about half of Ann Arbor workers would be gone by September. The company expects to have about 500 people working at the Ann Arbor facility by the end of the year.
Canter said Pfizer is offering a severance package that includes 13 weeks of salary in addition to three weeks of salary for each year of service. An employee could be compensated for up to two years of pay. Canter described the offer as four times the average buyout offer for an American company.
Read the rest of the article here.

Ann Arbor adopts non-motorized transportation plan

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 11:40:33 -0500
The city of Ann Arbor recently created a non-motorized transportation plan (pdf download 12.9 mb) to encourage non-motorized modes of transportation, such as pedestrians and bicyclists, in the Ann Arbor area.

The plan replaces the city's bicycle master plan, will be incorporated into the city's master plan, and calls for implementing corridor-specific infrastructure improvements, such as new bicycle lanes, shared use paths, sidewalks and refuge islands. These policies and guidelines hope to establish a safe and comprehensive non-motorized transportation system.

Work began on developing the plan in early 2004, which included public workshops and professional city planning input. The Downtown Development Authority and the University of Michigan each contributed $20,000 to the planning effort.

Source: City of Ann Arbor.

Blogging, networking and Opening Day Detroit Tigers!

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 18:19:36 -0500

I had a great time yesterday at the Detroit Tigers game along with Mark Miller at American Home Mortgage and "Black Tie Todd" over at Real Estate One. A great time to network and take in a beautiful day in Detroit. We managed to talk quite a bit about Active Rain, blogging and technology while taking in a good game on a fabulous day.
One of the problems in talking with local Realtors is that we often feel protective of our "good ideas" and "big plans" Throwing caution to the wind, I would like to extend an invitation to other tech savvy Realtors in the Ann Arbor MI and Metro Detoit area to meet maybe once a month to discuss tech issues and marketing. What do you think? You don't have to let the big one out of the bag, but maybe in the name of collaboration we can team up.

Ann Arbor's Reaction to Pfizer - New Wiki

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 18:10:42 -0500
Councilman Ron Suarez has created this Wiki workspace to assist with tracking efforts from government to business and various volunteers who wish to help the Ann Arbor community respond to the planned departure of Pfizer. Ann Arbor's reaction to Pfizer leaving Have a look if you are interested in the impact of Pfizer on Ann Arbor.

Time to Buy or Sell Real Estate in Ann Arbor?

Andy Piper (Ann Arobr real estate-Piperpartners.com) — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 12:12:47 -0600

Ann Arbor Michigan Real Estate prices have fallen - one question I hear a lot now is: "Should I buy now or wait a year" I received this email from Bob Yupko at First Equity Financial Mortgage in Chelsea, MI today and he makes a good point for buying now. Here is his email:

To My Favorite Realtors-

I had a loan application in Ann Arbor the other day. The client started off by
asking me if he should buy a home now. He felt that the Pfizer closing would
push values lower, and that if he waited 10-12 months he could buy a similar
home cheaper.

First, I pointed out that with Google, Toyota and Hyundai coming, the net loss
of jobs would be much smaller than the headlines. There is also a sizeable
contigent of Pfizer employees who will stay and start their own firms. But I
accepted his logic and asked him how much he thought prices would come down. He
said maybe as much as 10%.

I could have argued with him, but I didn't. I just used the 200,000 house price
he was paying and did the following on a yellow pad;

Current price 200,000 with 20% down gives mortgage of 160,000 at 6.375% for
payment of 998.19

Projected price of 180,000 with 20% down gives mortgage of 144,000 at 7.5% for
payment of 1006.87

The Federal Reserve is expected to start raising rates later this year, and if
he waits for 10-12 months, that is the rate I project he will pay. It may be
higher (rates always go up faster than they come down). So even if prices come
down, he will be paying MORE with the expected rate increases. And if prices
don't come down as much as he expected, he'll really get hit. He proceeded with
the transaction.

Hope this is helpful.

Bob Yopko
FIRST EQUITY RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE, INC.
310 North Main, #201 (in the Clocktower)
Chelsea, Michigan
800-557-0270