home selling: Why Home Searching is NOT Sight Seeing...
- 08/25/13 06:51 AM
Earlier in my career, I had a friend who became a client. Well, a quasi client would be a better descriptive. My friend LOVED looking at houses. She spent time in each listing admiring the decor and gathering decorating tips. She even drove around town searching for more homes for us to preview! But it was what she didn't do that determined that she was not a home buyer at all, in fact she was simply taking a sight seeing tour. Being a brand new REALTOR at the time, it took me a bit of time to recognize the difference. … (44 comments)
home selling: Magnolia Sprinkles...Springtime Brings Increased Activity to the West Michigan Housing Market
- 03/27/12 01:01 AM
Spring has arrived early in West Michigan in more ways than one. The Grand Rapids Association of REALTORS® released its' February 2012 Statistical Report which indicates that based on PENDING SALES, there is only 4.5 months of Housing Inventory available. Well, here's a Short Primer about Inventory Levels and how the Supply & Demand Curve impact your position as a Home Seller or Buyer.
BALANCED MARKET A Balanced Real Estate Market (aka as a Transitional Market) refers to a market which has approximately 5-7 months of home inventory supply available. You will often hear agents reference 6 months … (12 comments)
home selling: 9 Myths Designed to BLOCK the Sale of Your West Michigan Home!
- 12/30/10 05:07 AM
Click Here to Read Part #1 of this series on the first THREE myths. Click Here to Read Part #2 of this series on the next installment of myths... Over the years, I've had the dubious experience of becoming a myth collector. Specifically, regarding the myths around why a home has not Sold. As I talk with agents around the country, it has become clear that these myths are actually very widespread and have developed a life of their own...sometimes with variations which are location specific. As a public service, I am going to do a mini-series regarding these myths and … (4 comments)
Over the years, I've had the dubious experience of becoming a myth collector. Specifically, regarding the myths around why a home has not Sold. As I talk with agents around the country, it has become clear that these myths are actually very widespread and have developed a life of their own...sometimes with variations which are location specific. As a public service, I am going to do a mini-series regarding these myths and give some insights regarding why they ought to be dismissed … (23 comments)
home selling: 3 Myths Designed to BLOCK the Sale of Your Home...
- 12/29/10 05:02 AM
Over the years, I've had the dubious experience of becoming a myth collector. Specifically, regarding the myths around why a home has not Sold. As I talk with agents around the country, it has become clear that these myths are actually very widespread and have developed a life of their own...sometimes with variations which are location specific. As a public service, I am going to do a mini-series regarding these myths and give some insights regarding why they ought to be dismissed and rejected. 1. Myth #1...My home is Special. It is much nicer than the home down the … (8 comments)
Potential Sellers silently question, "Will this Home Sell?" or "Will anyone even want to look at my home?"
This is especially troublesome when the home across the street has been For Sale for the past 6 months...and you've never seen anyone come to take a look. This question was actually raised during a recent listing appointment. I've been hearing many reports of homes now sporting 12 month listing … (7 comments)
home selling: Calculating the Cost of Opportunity as Grand Rapids, MI Enjoys Dramatic 35% Increase in Home Sales over 2008!
- 11/02/09 06:17 AM
Good News on the housing front & just in time for the Holidays in Grand Rapids, MI. In a market which has seen the worst of times in recent years, a recent article in the Grand Rapids Press heralding an increase of 35 PERCENT in home sales over 2008 was more than welcome...local professionals are ecstatic! It's been great to touch base with so many agents who tell me they are busy again. We sold most of our inventory within the last couple of months and are "re-stocking the shelves." The 'HOT PRICE' range is $100,000 ~ $140,000. This has helped … (3 comments)
home selling: Royal Treatment...Are Your Clients Getting What they Think They Deserve?
- 09/13/09 12:24 PM
It seems that every year, a new study comes out which highlights WHY real estate commissions should be lower. This one was written by academic researchers from Stanford University. The conclusions were: "the typical commission paid for the average real estate transaction does not impact the initial price offering for a home or the sale price. However, the home does tend to sell more quickly. In the estimation of the researchers, the average Commission of $34,000 (6% was the number quoted) on the average home they researched was too steep a price to pay for the efficiency gained in time." In a related … (45 comments)
home selling: Understanding How Your Home is Valued During the Short Sale Process
- 04/17/09 10:09 AM
While the number of homes being Sold under 'special conditions' a term which is a euphemism for distress sales in Grand Rapids, MI trended slightly downward in March, home owners will still be dealing with the impact of so many homes in 'crisis' on the market this spring. The spring market is traditionally the period for the most activity in the real estate industry. In Grand Rapids, MI; a gorgeous day like the one we enjoyed today, is just the tonic needed to spur many potential home buyers into the buying mode. With the tax credit available to buyers who purchase … (4 comments)
home selling: Assist to Sell...Kicking Your Real Estate Transaction Up A Notch!
- 03/10/09 12:20 AM
Passing the soccer ball correctly is perhaps the most important skill set that budding soccer players have to master. It is often the Pass, not the shot that enables the scoring of the goal. In soccer terminology, that pass is revered...it even has a special name. It's called an Assist. Passing the ball correctly and accurately allows a good team to dominate the playing field. One of the drills which our sons practiced over and over was called "touch & pass." I'll be honest with you, when I first saw this particular play in operation on the field, I didn't like it. … (40 comments)
home selling: "The Other 30 Percent" A Savvy Seller's Guide to Beating Today's Real Estate Odds!
- 02/07/09 11:35 AM
Flying underneath the radar, cloaked underneath the drab, dismal garb of 'bad news' about the real estate market in Grand Rapids, Mi is a little wisp of information which is not yet tracking on the screens of the local media. It's this little secret...some homes in Grand Rapids, MI are getting multiple offers! Say What? How is that possible? Well, certain hard working real estate agents first caught a whiff of this strange activity in the latter portion of last year. While folks on every TV station known to man were bemoaning the demise of the real estate industry as we … (15 comments)
home selling: Success Strategies for Selling in A Short Sale Market!
- 02/05/09 08:45 AM
Grand Rapids, MI 2009... Homeowners in Grand Rapids, MI have witnessed a startling increase in the rates of homes sold through foreclosure sales and short sales. In the early portion of 2007, the percentage of home sales that were 'crisis sales' hovered between 14% - 16%. But by the end of 2008 and into early 2009 the numbers had escalated dramatically to account for over 70% of the homes sold by the members of the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors Board. Selling a home within this type of environment requires a different approach. Although marketing a home has never been easy, … (1 comments)
home selling: Why Chasing Down The Market is a Bitter Pill to Swallow...(Updated)
- 08/18/08 12:56 PM
*This post was orginally written in February of this year(2008). The issues that were explored then continue to be relevant six months later. Some changes have occured such as the removal of the Declining Market designation as a pre-requisite for financing and the post is updated to reflect them. In Grand Rapids, Michigan it's an argument that every real estate agent has heard at least once. In the opinion of most...one time too many. It goes something like this. I'd like to sell my home, but I need (X) amount from it. I know that you are recommending I list … (7 comments)
home selling: Introducing the iPod DJay...
- 04/28/08 02:23 PM
It's Friday night. If you're anything like me, Friday Nights are nights when you let down your hair and relax a little...perhaps dinner, a movie, or a show. This past Friday is no exception. We've still got a teenager at home who doesn't drive, so Friday night involves playing part-time taxicab driver too. As we're preparing to go out, I notice that he's busy at the computer. I'm a "quasi hip" mom, so I presume he's checking out Facebook to see where everyone will be hanging out. Imagine my surprise when he tells me he's downloading music because he's going to be the … (13 comments)
home selling: Spring in the Evening...
- 04/25/08 11:40 AM
It was one of those absolutely gorgeous Spring days here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Magnolia tree is blossoming in full splendor! The flowering Crab tree is pushing out it's first blossoms too. But there's something else happening...(This picture was taken a couple of days ago) Now, this tree has started to shed those large, luscious flower buds onto the grass. It's barely perceptible if you're just looking at the tree, but if you're up close & personal...you can see that the buds will only be here a little longer.
This is a floral pictorial for what we are seeing in the … (26 comments)
home selling: 9 Reasons to Smile If You're A Grand Rapids Home Seller!
- 03/08/08 03:35 AM
Homeowners in Grand Rapids, Michigan got several pieces of good news during the past 60 days! Here they are in a nutshell: There was a sustained & steady increased in the number of homes Sold for October 2007 to January 2008.January 2008 Sales were the highest number recorded since 2004!In February, Fewer homes were placed on the market...a definite boost for an over-saturated market A tax stimulus package was approved by the Federal Government giving home owners an additional 600-$1200.FHA Lending Limits were raised from $200,050 to $271,050 for the Grand Rapids, Michigan area!This enables over 1,100 More Currently Listed Homes to Be Eligible for FHA … (4 comments)
home selling: What's It Gonna Cost to Sell My Home in Grand Rapids, Mi?
- 12/14/07 04:28 AM
Glad you asked! This is a Valid Question. Sometimes, the real estate process can feel as though the Costs are not readily discernible or understandable. Because a real estate transaction coordinates the services of different specialities such as title work, required inspections, real estate services and state and local sales tax, this can be a little intimidating. To simply the process, I've compiled a comprehensive list of costs that may be a part of a real estate transaction. Your home is unique however, so to get a detailed analysis which relates to your specific situation you should contact a qualified real estate … (26 comments)
home selling: Maximizing the Value of Specialization...Understanding Foreclosures & Short Sales (Part 2)
- 11/27/07 02:24 PM
* This blog post is Part 2 of : Maximizing the Value of Specialization...Understanding Foreclosures & Short Sales. Refer to links below for other blog posts in this series about Effectively Marketing Your Real Estate Skills to Provide Value and Optimize Your Income. There are many challenges associated with determining the viability of taking a listing which is in trouble with the bank. It is important to assess the implications carefully before proceeding. There are times when it is not possible to be of assistance. However, many situations can be greatly aided by the skills of a properly trained, licensed real estate agent. Here are some … (17 comments)
home selling: Maximizing the Value of Specialization...Understanding Foreclosures & Short Sales
- 11/27/07 02:22 PM
Earlier this month, an insightful discussion occurred within the comments of a blog post entitled "A Sure Fire Method to Rapidly Increase Your Income." The post opened with this statement about the reality which many in the real estate community are facing as we enter into the holiday season... "As the holiday season approaches, many in the real estate community have two head bangers to deal with. The prospect of having to buy gifts and other holiday fare at a time when there's traditionally a slow down in home sales AND the spectre of looming tax bills around the corner just after the holiday … (6 comments)
home selling: Did You Tell Them to....Please Google Their Home?
- 11/21/07 03:35 PM
I'm not sure exactly how many MLS systems we have in Michigan...but there are a lot of them! I pay to have access to one local Board and fork out more money to have limited privileges on a second. I recently took a listing which caused me to investigate the possibility of listing privileges with a third board. Our initial contacts yielded limited success, but we were finally routed to the right person just in time...for them to go on vacation! Unfortunately, there was no one else to answer the question or process the paperwork, so we waited. When, the individual got back from vacation, we were … (23 comments)
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
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Buying A home in Grand Rapids, Mi
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Relocating to Grand Rapids, Michigan
Earlier in my career, I had a friend who became a client. Well, a quasi client would be a better descriptive. My friend LOVED looking at houses. She spent time in each listing admiring the decor and gathering decorating tips. She even drove around town searching for more homes for us to preview! 
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