The first month of 2012 is already over. Wow, it's hard to believe. Time flew by! For some agents in West Michigan, the year roared into focus with sales and business. For others, the past 40 days have been fraught with worry about the future and if they will survive another year. Many agents left the business when the dues billing for the local MLS came in January. However, for those who have chosen to stay, you have a choice...
The choice to simply exist in limbo without a sense of purpose or direction OR the choice to do things differently with regards to your real estate career. If you've been thinking about your career or if you've realized that you must do something different in order to thrive, take a minute to watch the video. There is another way and you owe it to yourself to find out if this is a solution for you.
Lola Audu, is the Designated Broker & Owner of Audu Real Estate. Our company specializes in helping people buy and sell homes in the greater Grand Rapids, West Michigan area. We've had the privilege of helping hundreds of clients succeed in their goals of purchasing and selling property including demonstrated success in the negotiation of Short Sale Transactions. You can contact us via e-mail @ info@auduhomes.com or by phone at 616-791-0511.
This post was written in May of 2010. A few things have changed since I first addressed the issue of Strategic Defaulting, a crisis precipited by huge losses in equity for many homeowners across the country. What has not changed is the fact that millions of homes across the country are still in an equity deficit position.
Strategic Defaulting is not a solution that carries no risk. In Michigan, the lenders' recourse can extend for decades. It's important to understand and explore all your options including the Short Sale Process. Sometimes, miracles can happen in even the most dire circumstances. You can read about this Short Sale Miracle here.
Late last year, President Obama announced the launch of HARP 2.0. In West Michigan, many lenders have taken a wait and see attitude. However, I am aware of at least one area lender who will be offering this program in the first week of February but only for loans which it currently services. If you live in West Michigan and want to know if your home may qualify for re-financing under the new HARP 2.0 guidelines, please contact our office. You may also find the following calculator helpful. As always, please check with a local lender and real estate professional to flesh out the details pertaining to your specific situation.
Original Blog Post Follows:
********************
The year was 2005. The call was from a struggling homeowner who needed to sell their home. However, there was one significant barrier. They had mortgaged their property for more than they could sell it for. Hard luck had resulted in a job loss and they were faced with the stark prospect of making a difficult decision.
The term 'short sale' was not a term that most people were aware of in our area at the time. The negotiation with two banks took several months, but the process finally concluded with a resolution that enabled the home to be conveyed to another party and one which stopped the financial bloodletting which had depleted my clients. While, not a perfect outcome...it was likely the best given the circumstances.
Five years later, short sales are a part of the nation's popular lexicon. Last nights' segment on the 60 Minutes news broadcast chronicles a rapidly spreading viral movement known as strategic defaulting. Strategic default refers to the decision to walk away from a home which you CAN afford because the home is now worth far less than the mortgage note. It's considered by some, to be an ECONOMIC decision or an investment alternative of sorts.
However, what was most troubling to me in watching the segment is one myth which underlies much of the reporting on this issue at the present time. Strategic Defaults are NOT always the decision of a homeowner. As a real estate broker who has negotiated short sales for nearly half of the past decade, I have witnessed a remarkable SHIFT in the process of negotiation with some banking entities recently. Sometimes, the instruction to miss payments can come from an unlikely source!
Most notably, within the past 3 months, we have witnessed some banks giving EXPLICIT written directions to some mortgage holders to DEFAULT on their payments in order to be considered a 'qualified applicant' for a short sale. The home owner is faced with the threat that the file will be closed or denied UNLESS the borrower strategically defaults on their mortgage payment. We have witnessed this even in cases the homeowner has suffered a JOB LOSS and/or JOB TRANSFERS.
Which raises the question...Is it possible that while many struggling homeowners are trying to do what is right and negotiate with the banks, there is a bizarre movement to FORCE them to damage their credit and walk away from their homes by a Strategic Default? This approach is peculiar on a number of fronts, as statistics indicate that there is significantly LESS damage economically from the negotiation of a short sale for the community AND the mortgage investor.
At some point we will awaken from this nightmare. I am concerned that we will discover that much of the chaos has been our own horrific creation...borne of a myopic view of society which forced short term gains at the expense of the reality of long term consequences.
Lola Audu, is the Designated Broker & Owner of Audu Real Estate. Our company specializes in helping people buy and sell homes in the greater Grand Rapids, West Michigan area. We've had the privilege of helping hundreds of clients succeed in their goals of purchasing and selling property including demonstrated success in the negotiation of Short Sale Transactions. You can contact us via e-mail @ info@auduhomes.com or by phone at 616-791-0511.
Have you ever been in a class where the instructor asked the real estate agents to name what the public thinks of real estate agents? Inevitably, someone will raise their hands and say...they think we're like used car salespersons? The tone & subsequent commentary indicate that this is NOT a good thing...
In a recent class setting, the instructor went further and asked everyone to raise their hands IF they LIKED salespeople. Only a few brave souls dared to raise their hands. We all felt it...it was not cool to 'like' salepersons. One brave soul actually said he enjoyed a purchase when it was assisted by a good salesperson. Which got me to thinking...so do I!
Even though I often enter a store and respond to an initial inquiry for assistance with the proverbial, 'No thanks, I'm just looking,' when I want to make my selection, I'm always grateful when a salesperson shows up, particularly when they are a GOOD Salesperson.
So what's the difference between a good Salesperson and a lousy one? Well, one could write a book about that and since this is a short blog post, I'll just highlight a few key points which make a huge difference for me.
1. Good Salespersons LISTEN with two ears & TALK with one mouth
While, this may seem to be the nature of creation, I'm often amazed by how much talking a poor Salesperson does. I guess it's called 'Selling' me a product. Problem is, I don't need to be SOLD something, I'm already indicating I'd like to buy. I simply need assistance in making the right selection. To help me with that, you've got to listen more and talk less.
2. Good Salespersons NOTICE stuff.
A couple of years ago I bought a new car. I really wanted to purchase a particular brand of car, but when I walked into the showroom and started to look around, no one noticed. That's not to say, there were not sales agents there. They seemed occupied, talking to each other, walking around...in fact doing anything other than noticing that there was a NEW customer in the showroom who might be interested in buying a car. Well, after about 10 - 15 minutes, I walked out. Fortunately, the competing dealer down the street had Salespersons who noticed. Needless to say, I've been happy with my purchase.
3. Good Salespersons don't tell LIES
Sometimes, the truth can be a tricky thing. So what do you say when someone asks you if they look good in something and you really think they look awful? Not an easy situation, I know. Yet, integrity in sales is the cornerstone foundation of good business in my opinion. When people trust you, they feel comfortable with the fact that you are making a recommendation for their good, not simply to line your pockets. Sometimes the truth is hard to swallow. Like, 'Mr & Mrs Seller, your home has lost 30% of its value OR, you are not in the position to purchase a home right now. But, it's better to tell the truth, albeit with politeness, than to lead someone down a false trail.
We're ALL in Sales...
Yes, we are. Everyday, all of us are selling something. Many of us are not aware of this fact and consequently do a very poor job at it. If you're a parent, you're in the daily business of training a child to do the right thing and in a sense convincing them that doing so will be beneficial. We sell when we present ourselves to the world every morning.
We're selling even when we don't think people are watching. We're selling every time we convince or ask someone to do something. When selling is done from good intentions and motivations, it has the capacity to influence lives in a very compelling way. People want to know what is best and how to make quality decisions. They want to have the knowledge required to prevent mistakes. They want to know that you care about THEM, not just the product you're selling. When I meet a salesperson like that, irregardless of whether they're a REALTOR®,teacher or a clerk in a retail store, I for one, appreciate the service!
Lola Audu, is the Designated Broker & Owner of Audu Real Estate. Our company specializes in helping people buy and sell homes in the greater Grand Rapids, West Michigan area. We've had the privilege of helping hundreds of clients succeed in their goals of purchasing and selling property including demonstrated success in the negotiation of Short Sale Transactions. You can contact us via e-mail @ info@auduhomes.com or by phone at 616-791-0511.
With all this wonderful unseasonably warm weather, it seems that Spring has come early to West Michigan in more ways than one. The Grand Rapids Association of REALTORS indicated that over the past 65 day, over 12,000 requests have been received for home showings!
The year end stats also showed positive trends with an increase in the average sales price and most importantly for future home sellers, a decline in inventory. The good news for home buyers is that interest rates remain incredibly low...as low as below 4% for buyers who qualify for Freddie Mac loans.
So, if you're out and about this weekend, we thought it would be helpful to have links to Open Houses in the area. The links are arranged by school district and include interior pictures and directions. If this weekend doesn't work for your schedule, please feel free to contact our office for a private pre-view tour at 616-791-0511. Homes are selling in West Michigan...and that's great news!
Here Are A Few Simple Pointers To Maximize Your Time At Open Houses:
1. Utilize this Site for Up to the Minute Information on Open Houses
2. Map your Tour utilizing the Mapping Function on every listing to conserve Gas, Energy & Time.
3. Take items to occupy your children if they will be accompanying you on tour so you can concentrate
4. If you are working with an agent, take their card to give to the real estate agent so you can preview homes without being pursued as a "live prospect".
To Find Out More Information about ANY of these Communities, Please Contact Audu Real Estate. Contact Audu Real Estate for All Your Real Estate Needs! Just One More Value Added Service from the Professionals at Audu Real Estate.
Lola Audu, is the Designated Broker & Owner of Audu Real Estate. Our company specializes in helping people buy and sell homes in the greater Grand Rapids, West Michigan area. We've had the privilege of helping hundreds of clients succeed in their goals of purchasing and selling property including demonstrated success in the negotiation of Short Sale Transactions. You can contact us via e-mail @ info@auduhomes.com or by phone at 616-791-0511.
I've always told my clients that if they want to know what will be happening in the real estate industry, they need to be talking to a trusted real estate professional. If they want to know what has HAPPENED in the real estate industry, they can turn on the evening news.
The truth is that real estate professionals often get indicators about what is really going on much earlier than any industry analyst can predict or report. It's the benefit of being on the scene at the moment, having boots on the ground so to speak...
When the market began to change in 2005 - 2006 in West Michigan, historical data still indicated that things were on solid footings. But many experienced agents sensed a shift.
Early Warning Indicators...
By 2008, the evidence of a major slow down was unmistakable. Some of the criteria which gave agents early warning several years earlier were:
1. Fewer showings and offers on properties
2. More difficulty in marketing properties even after price reductions
3. Increasing numbers of listings for sale
4. Declining attendance at area Open Houses
Much of the publicly available economic data at the time was not sophisticated enough to detect these subtle changes. Certainly not as leading indicators for a major downward trajectory which would plunge prices down 25%- 35% in many areas and double the listing inventory; landing the Absorption rate at over a year in 2008. (the major exception being the Case/Shiller Index)
Market Place Unreality...
Consumers were also feeling uncertain about the future. Instinctively, there was an inner shift that was not discernible in the arena of indexes and mathematical equations. That unreality was sometimes expressed in peculiar ways such as continuing to re-finance as though there was no tomorrow...even when folks KNEW they could not meet the payments if any slight deviation occurred in their lives. I remember talking to one client who remarked about 'easy money'. That conversation still stands in my mind as a marker of how unreal things had become. We both knew...there is no such thing as 'easy money.' Yet, it seemed to be offered at every turn.
Pent Up Demand...
Over the past several years, we've watched consumers tighten their belts. Boosting their saving rates and working to clean up their credit. But, there's something else happening right now which may provide a key indicator of where things are going.
It's reflected in what we witnessed this past Thanksgiving weekend. While, there are many folks like me who could not be bothered to stand in line during the early hours of the morning, many of our fellow Americans not only did so, but also spent massive amounts of money shopping.
Sales were up 16% over the same period last year; with the average shopper spending $398.62 as opposed to $365.34 last year. What's most interesting is the 44% indicate that they spent this money on themselves! That's right...me, myself and I! This was not shopping for Christmas presents. This was about satisfying the driving craving to buy something...anything. To feel good again. Consumers are indicating that they're ready to move on with their lives. They've adjusted to the 'new normal'...at least for now.
What Does Black Friday Frenzy Have to Do With Real Estate?
So, what does this have to do with real estate? Potentially a lot. I believe there is a pent up demand to enter into the housing market again. Just like retailers used deep discounts to lure shoppers into the marketplace for deals which lead to other purchases, real estate is currently deeply discounted across many parts of the country. Some heavy hit areas like Las Vegas and Florida are already seeing an upward trend in sales from investors. West Michigan inventory levels are the lowest since 2003.
Lending & Spending...
What's holding the floodgates back in real estate? The reality of tight credit. Increasingly higher lending standards and uncertainty in the marketplace continue to make it difficult for those who would like to be in the market to qualify. During the most recent NAR convention, Economist Lawrence Yun indicated that if lending standards simply went back to pre-crisis mode, there would be up to a 15% -20% increase in activity almost immediately.
At some point, this horrible economic cycle will end. Nothing lasts forever. This is a global bust. The funny thing about money is that it order to grow...it needs to be put into circulation. Money that stagnates, eventually dissipates. That's why putting money under the mattress has historically produced few millionaires. Smart money has to work. They key is creating environments which will give the certainty required to allow it to do so with adequate safeguards.
And as this happens...agents who are prepared and have the inventory and correct skill sets will be poised to take advantage of the pent-up demand. It's simply a matter of timing and preparation.
Lola Audu, is the Designated Broker & Owner of Audu Real Estate. Our company specializes in helping people buy and sell homes in the greater Grand Rapids, West Michigan area. We've had the privilege of helping hundreds of clients succeed in their goals of purchasing and selling property including demonstrated success in the negotiation of Short Sale Transactions. You can contact us via e-mail @ info@auduhomes.com or by phone at 616-791-0511.
Lately, I've been thinking about Focus. And the way our focus impacts our lives. Focus is a magnifier. It enlarges whatever it is directed towards. Focus also is an attractor. It brings to us whatever we pay attention to.
Focus is not just a mental activity. It incorporates just about every dimension of our being. And, it's not optional. We are all focusing on something. It's just a matter of WHERE we are choosing to place our focus at any given time and to what extent. Even folks who have a hard time at focusing are actually doing so. The difference is that they are simply jumping more rapidly from one thing; in other words a type of mis-directed focus.
Concentrated focus is incredibly powerful. When we concentrate our attention on anything, we have the capacity to tap into an enormous reservoir of energy and opportunity. Over the years, I've talked with many real estate agents. I've also had the opportunity to coach and train agents. One of the most interesting elements of training has been exploring where agents place their focus during the work day and how this correlates to the results they're achieving.
I was somewhat shocked to find that the average agent was spending less than 3 hours in any given day on real estate related activities which actually produced an income. Yes, they may have been at a desk and even in front of a computer. But what were they focused on? More often than not, the focus was NOT on the things that generate income for agents such as: Prospecting, Lead Generation, Follow-up, Listing Appointments and Buyer Appointments. It does not require genius to understand that three hours or less on any work related activity is not likely to bring in an living wage. Unfortunately, the advent of many online activities has made the issue of a lack of focus even more acute.
Focusing requires the discipline to take a step back and in some cases to step away from other activities. It is about prioritizing and re-evaluating the direction in which you need to go. Focus allows you to concentrate on things which need to be changed and to address issues which require urgent attention.
Lastly, focus requires balance. Anything taken to an extreme is not advantageous. In the past, I've focused so much concentration on my business that sometimes placed other important areas of my life on a back burner.
Balanced focus means that taking care of business does not come at the expense of family life, spiritual life, emotional health, financial well-being or spiritual vitality. For it is in balance that focus brings it's greatest gift. Living a focused life means that we are fully present in whatever we do and when that's over, we release and move on without regrets. These are some of my lessons. What does focus mean to you?
Lola Audu, is the Designated Broker & Owner of Audu Real Estate. Our company specializes in helping people buy and sell homes in the greater Grand Rapids, West Michigan area. We've had the privilege of helping hundreds of clients succeed in their goals of purchasing and selling property including demonstrated success in the negotiation of Short Sale Transactions. You can contact us via e-mail @ info@auduhomes.com or by phone at 616-791-0511.
The real estate market in West Michigan has been impacted by the rise in Foreclosures and Short Sales. Short Sale transactions are some of the most challenging transactions to process and require tremendous amounts of energy, follow-through and sheer tenacity to bring to successful conclusion. Today’s blog post reflects the experience of REALTOR, Donna Schimke and tells the story of how she was able to secure a Successful Short Sale for her clients in Grand Rapids, MI.
Donna’s background prior to real estate included working as a Buyer Specialist for Autocam and as a Property Management Specialist for Chase. Here’s the story in her own words…
Dear Friends,
In August of 2010 I was sat down with a young couple who were upside down in their mortgage like many people are now. When they bought this 2 bedroom house in 2002, they were new to Grand Rapids and did not know what the future would hold. As their family grew, and the neighborhood home values declined they realized that they needed to sell their home and move due to safety issues.
They were referred to me by a family member to sell their home. I did the research of the area and found that I needed to list the home for less of what they still owed on the home, meaning it would be a short sale. A Short Sale is when you are selling your home for less than what you owe on it, and will ultimately need bank approval.
We had 5 showings on the home and an offer was accepted in January 2011.
The process of a short sale can be very tedious and may take months to close. Once an offer is accepted and the seller provides a hardship packet, (bank statements, financials, and hardship letter) it is submitted to the bank that holds the mortgage. Once the bank receives the packet it is assigned to a negotiator which could take several months.
After a month, I started making the phone calls to the bank to make sure that the bank was working on the file. I kept in almost weekly contact with the buyers, so they would know we were moving forward. In October, 10 months after I started, I received a call from the bank and they wanted to know if an offer had been submitted and I said that “we have had an offer in since Jan 2011”. Well that got the ball finally rolling and we closed within 10 days of the phone call. We finally closed on October 14th, 2011. The end of the redemption period for the home was Nov 20 2011.
If you are contemplating selling your home or know someone else considering selling their home, please contact me, I can help. Audu Real Estate has a short sale success rate above 80%, which is higher than the industry standard of 15%.
Donna Schimke
Licensed Real Estate Agent, Short Sale Specialist
616-881-6889
Lola Audu, is the Designated Broker & Owner of Audu Real Estate. Our company specializes in helping people buy and sell homes in the greater Grand Rapids, West Michigan area. We've had the privilege of helping hundreds of clients succeed in their goals of purchasing and selling property including demonstrated success in the negotiation of Short Sale Transactions. You can contact us via e-mail @ info@auduhomes.com or by phone at 616-791-0511.
They say 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. And if that's true, then Lindsay Hoekstra's passion for design and home decor has a way of transforming the unremarkable into stylisth items of artistic beauty. She has the ability to look way beyond what would be obvious to the casual observer, finding the hidden gem in a discarded piece of furniture or envisioning how a dramatic play of colors can radically transform the appeal of a living space.
And that's exactly what happens when Linsday works with design...space begins to live again. I discovered this talent first hand while helping Lindsay and her husband locate a home. We visited many lovely homes. But, it was a visit to a rambling, cottage style home set high atop a hill which captured her vivid imagination. The home had an eclectic combination of colors and was in need of some repair. While many home buyers may have been intimidated, her eyes sparkled with possibility.
Several months later, I stopped by to see what she had done with the living space. Seriously...I was transfixed at the entrance. The transformation was so complete. It felt as though I had stepped into the pages of a magazine! The home had old plaster walls. These had been restored and now featured rich earthtones. The decor throughout was artistic and elegant without being stuffy. The space now invited you to relax, converse and enjoy!
Lindsay, who is a graduate of North Park University in Chicago has also taken some fine arts training at Grand Valley State University. This brings an added perspective to her interior design and staging. I would highly recommend Lindsay Hoekstra for design/staging services. Lindsay can be contacted for initial consultations or more advanced projects. Please click here or on the picture above to take a tour featuring some of her previous projects.
Lola Audu, is the Designated Broker & Owner of Audu Real Estate. Our company specializes in helping people buy and sell homes in the greater Grand Rapids, West Michigan area. We've had the privilege of helping hundreds of clients succeed in their goals of purchasing and selling property including demonstrated success in the negotiation of Short Sale Transactions. You can contact us via e-mail @ info@auduhomes.com or by phone at 616-791-0511.
Over 225 Brokers, Agents, Mortgage Lenders, Stagers, Real Estate Technology Specialists, Media and Title Company Professionals enjoyed a date with 'Technology' on steroids today as the Grand Rapids Association of REALTORS hosted the 2011 ReBar Camp at Bar Divani.
Grand Rapids real estate professionals were joined by agents from various parts of Michigan who are in town to attend the Michigan Association of REALTORS Convention which starts tomorrow, the 28th of September.
The technology conference focused attention and education of a variety of social media and technology related topics. A purely volunteer effort included donations from sponsors and time, energy and education from individuals in a variety of areas. For many, the deluge of information was a little overwhelming...but where else can you get all this good stuff in a one day setting for FREE!
Lola Audu, is the Designated Broker & Owner of Audu Real Estate. Our company specializes in helping people buy and sell homes in the greater Grand Rapids, West Michigan area. We've had the privilege of helping hundreds of clients succeed in their goals of purchasing and selling property including demonstrated success in the negotiation of Short Sale Transactions. You can contact us via e-mail @ info@auduhomes.com or by phone at 616-791-0511.
Earlier this year, Grand Rapids MI earned a spot on the dubious list of Top 10 Dying Cities in a Newsweek magazine publication. Thankfully, our city is not a place where we choose easy over medium/mediocre when it comes to responding to what we instinctively reject as false.
Rob Bliss, Grand Rapids' own Event Planner Extraordinaire determined to fight back with the most powerful weapon...the TRUTH. As a result, over 5,000 West Michigan residents joined together to film an event that included media personalities, the mayor, a high school marching band and a host of other people.
When all was set and done, the Youtube video had garnered over 2 Million hits in just a few days and the event had been carried on news media all over the world. Newsweek magazine issued a rare public apology citing the fact that they had been victims of poor research and had simply repeated bad data.
In some ways, this example mirrors the challenge that real estate agents face in West Michigan. As anxiety about the economy mounts, the real estate industry finds itself in a position in which everyone seems to have an opinion about what will happen within the real estate market in the future.
But in spite of these challenges, real estate agents in West Michigan have SOLD more homes in August of this year (2011) than they did in 2008 or 2009. This is no small feat in a market which has been significantly impacted by Short Sales and Foreclosures!
Today, the inventory of homes is less than 6,000 homes for Sale. Down from a high of approximately 12,000 homes just a few years ago. With plunging inventory, there has been an incremental rise in home sale prices. This trend has remained steady for seven months. We still have a ways to go as the average price of home fell to 2003 levels over the duration of the current crisis.
However, REALTORS in West Michigan are stepping up to the plate in ways that extend beyond selling homes. They are also actively giving of their time and talents to the West Michigan community.
REALTORS in West Michigan have determined to roll up their sleeves and take their service to the community to a new level. The official iGive campaign was launched at the end of May 2011 with an audacious goal of donating 50,000 FREE hours of services to community residents. The challenge has logged almost 5,000 hours to a variety of area organizations since May 2011.
By the way, that lip dub about Grand Rapids Mi has now garnered over 4 Million hits and was dubbed by Robert Ebert, the legendary film critic as one of the greatest videos ever made. Hardly the Requiem for a dying city is it?
Lola Audu, is the Designated Broker & Owner of Audu Real Estate. Our company specializes in helping people buy and sell homes in the greater Grand Rapids, West Michigan area. We've had the privilege of helping hundreds of clients succeed in their goals of purchasing and selling property including demonstrated success in the negotiation of Short Sale Transactions. You can contact us via e-mail @ info@auduhomes.com or by phone at 616-791-0511.
Grand Rapids, Michigan real estate information including houses for sale, rent and home buyer/seller tips. Also includes wisdom and insights from Lola Audu, CRS Associate Broker.
Grand Rapids, Michigan Real Estate
Grand Rapids Real Estate
West Michigan Real Estate
Buying A home in Grand Rapids, Mi
Selling Your Grand Rapids, Mi Home
Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grandville, Michigan Real Estate
Relocating to Grand Rapids, Michigan
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
The year was 2005. The call was from a struggling homeowner who needed to sell their home. However, there was one significant barrier. They had mortgaged their property for more than they could sell it for. Hard luck had resulted in a job loss and they were faced with the stark prospect of making a difficult decision. 
Have you ever been in a class where the instructor asked the real estate agents to name what the public thinks of real estate agents? Inevitably, someone will raise their hands and say...they think we're like used car salespersons? The tone & subsequent commentary indicate that this is NOT a good thing...
Posted by 
Lately, I've been thinking about Focus. And the way our focus impacts our lives. Focus is a magnifier. It enlarges whatever it is directed towards. Focus also is an attractor. It brings to us whatever we pay attention to. 
The real estate market in West Michigan has been impacted by the rise in Foreclosures and Short Sales. Short Sale transactions are some of the most challenging transactions to process and require tremendous amounts of energy, follow-through and sheer tenacity to bring to successful conclusion. Today’s blog post reflects the experience of REALTOR, Donna Schimke and tells the story of how she was able to secure a Successful Short Sale for her clients in Grand Rapids, MI.
Earlier this year, Grand Rapids MI earned a spot on the dubious list of 
;)
;)
;)
