Downtown Plymouth  ~  We invite everyone to visit our open house at 146 Hamilton in Downtown Plymouth this Sunday, May 3rd from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Conveniently located a short stroll to Kellogg Park in popular Daisy Square, this sharp condo is a former Builder's Model & is move-in ready!

This is just one of hundreds of homes being held open during The Big Open House, which of which are in the Plymouth area. Come check out the condo when you're attending the Green Street Fair in Downtown Plymouth.

Property information ~ North off Ann Arbor Trail, East of Main

NOTHING BUT THE BEST! Awesome Location Minutes From The Heart of Downtown Plymouth, This Beautiful Former Builder Model Townhome Features Custom Upgrades Throughout Including 42" Cherry Maple Cabinets With Pullouts, Granite Countertops, Hardwood Floors, Oak Spindle Entry Railing Plus Stainless Steel Appliances All Stay * Upstairs Loft Area With Skylight & Vaulted Ceiling For In-Home Office or Private Gaming Area * Master Bedroom Suite With Generous Walk-In Closet & Custom Master Bathroom With Dual Sinks and Soaking Tub * Large Deck + Garage * Just A Short Walk to Kellogg Park For Friday Night Concerts This Summer To Enjoy Plymouth Lifestyle At Its Finest!

Property information ~ $238,900
2 Bedroom, 2.1 Bath, 1,732sf Former Builder Model

Hard to believe, but we're nearly done with the first quarter of 2009 and the Spring selling season is upon us.

The good news is home sales in 2009 continue to outpace 2008 levels in Southeast Michigan. February sales in Wayne County were up 18.4%, Oakland 12.3%, Livingston 27.9% with an overall increase across the MLS of 16.5%.

Another good piece of news is that the inventory of homes and condos is way down. Last Summer I had "Search over 70,000 homes..." on my website. Today when I checked the MLS, there were less than 50,000!

Average days on the market has also fallen. However, the market remains a challenging one for sellers, which helps explain why there are fewer homes on the market. A fascinating chart by Standard & Poor's graphically shows home prices nationally have dropped 26.7%. Many values in the Metro area are at pre-2000 levels.

Hopefully with increased demand and decreased inventory, our market will start stabilizing and begin recovery. Much of that depends on our local jobs picture, and hopefully Michigan's portion of the federal stimulus will provide a boost.

The upside is that with the recent cut, interest rates are at their lowest point in more than 35 years! However the mortgage process is a bit challenging right now with all the political scrutiny of banks. I recently had a situation where the lender went out of business 3 days before our closing date!

The $8,000 credit for first time buyers has helped stimulate a strong buyer's market. Bottomline, with historically low interest rates, there may never be a better time to buy or invest.

Q. I want to move to a bigger house but every agent I talk to tells me I won't get what I want. It's not that I "want" it, I need it be able to make a move.

A. If you're serious about selling, better to price where the market is selling rather than 'chase the market down', by continuing to reduce your price. This usually results in a longer time on the market plus a perception by buyers that there is something 'wrong' with your house because it has been on the market so long.

That said, you can ask whatever you want for your home. The rub comes after you've found a willing and able buyer ready to pay your price because your home needs to appraise for the selling price. Appraisers will use the very same comparable homes that the agents have shown you.

Remember, the beauty of this market is that although you'll take a hit on your home, you'll also be paying a lower price for your new home!

If you've been renting an apartment or leasing a home for awhile in Northville, Plymouth or the surrounding area, this might be the perfect year to buy your first home.



In addition to the low interest rates and great deals out there right now, the big advantage to buying before the end of 2009 is the $8,000 tax credit enacted by Congress this year to stimulate the housing market. Unlike the 2008 credit, the 2009 tax credit does not have to be paid back.

Here's a great video about the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit with answers to a lot of questions you might have:



If you'd like to explore your housing options further, give me a call!

I don't remember when things changed, but Daylight Savings Time seems much earlier than usual this year.

It was 2007 that Congress changed Daylight Savings Time to be observed from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, adding a month to Daylight Savings Time. For the complete details on the history of Daylight Savings Time, check out InfoPlease.com.

Buds are popping & birds are chirping...let's hope market values start perking!

I know, its the first day of March, but better late than never.

The January statistics issued by our local MLS Realcomp indicated home sales continued their upward trend. In fact, sales increased 25.7% over January 2008.

• Freddie Mac to let residents rent homes after foreclosure
• MSNBC FirstRead's explanation of the Homeowner Afforability and Stability Plan
• A blog post with several resources for laid off workers
• Detroit Free Press article with advice for tax appeals

Q. If you had a choice between buying a home owned by Fannie Mae or HUD, which one would you choose, all things being equal?

A. What is most important is finding a home you're crazy about in an area you like that is mechanical sound. That said, however, the advantage of HUD is that they are offering a $2,500 owner occupant incentive which is applied toward your either your closing costs, tax prorations & repairs to the home. If all other things are equal, that's pretty nice incentive.

When you couple that with the $8,000 tax credit given to first time buyers through the end of December, 2009 is a great time to jump into the housing market!

Not sure of the difference between a colonial style house and one that's called a cape cod? Can't describe what classifies a home as a Victorian versus a Craftman? Don't feel bad, you're not alone.

Thankfully, you can visit RemodelingCenter.com to view a slideshow showing examples and explaining the differences.

For more renovating ideas, click on their related links to tour a remodeled Craftsman-Style Foursquare or a beautifully renovated Cottage-Style home.

Q. I'm interested in a Westland MI home that's a short sale. Who pays for real estate city inspections and how do I know if one has been done?

A. Unless specifically negotiated in the purchase agreement, it's the seller's responsibility to schedule and pay for the inspection, which is $180 for a single family residence. A City inspector reviews the major mechanical systems, health & safety items, and any issues that violate the Property Maintenance Codes.

Call the City of Westland Building Department at (734) 467-3210 to see if the inspection has been completed. If it has, you can go into their office and review the report. If it hasn't, I'd have your agent call the listing agent to find out when they plan to do it.

Since it's a short sale, if there are any issues that need to be addressed from the inspection, the seller may not have the funds to address the issues. Because the inspection period can take 3-4 weeks, it's important that it be done ASAP so that the bank is aware of any issues that need to be addressed to sell the property.