Buddy Kain's Blog

Birmingham Michigan, I NEED Agents!

ChangingStreets.com — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 10:31:03 -0800

I just signed a lease for a new store in Birmingham Michigan so we can service the growing number of listings we are getting. We currently have 20-25 listings (depending on what time you read this/ we think this may double by May based on Pipeline) and 23 pendings, we sold 60 last quarter on the listing side.

I am looking for two buyers agents to handle calls and buyers these listing generate. The potential is great, I have agents driving from Flint for showing and we are doing five-eight buyer sides a month now, we both now a local agent can do way better.

Based on average list price I proforma this office to do $1.5-$2.0 million a month in BUYER sides only by end of April with the right TWO agents.

You will have an office in a fantastic Birhmingham location with easy parking and easy access to anywhere, you will have the most advanced virtual office in the business (VoIP Phone system, exchange email, blogs, listing text, fantastic direct mail all from your laptop), you will have sign calls going directly to you and your teammates, you will have NO fees except for licensing and dues.

This will jump start your business for 2011, my agents average 30 plus transaction sides each, this office should be doing 50+ with volume of calls, emails and leads.

I don't expect you to believe all of this without be showing you, so email me at Buddy@ChangingStreets.com, confidentially of course and we can set up a online meeting or meet when I am in town later this week.

Genesee County HUD Homes...

ChangingStreets.com — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 10:09:31 -0800

ChangingStreets.com has been awarded a portion of the HUD MM3 account to sell HUD Homes in Genesee County. This is a truibute to our property marketing efforts. Each Hud Home in the Flint Area will have a dedicated buyer team, text for info, a special phone line for HUD only inquiries and a web page, http:Flint.ChangingStreets.com/HUD, where buyers can collect information, view homes, schedule appointments and request information.

We feel this is a big step forward for HUD Home sales. In the past HUD Agents have had to do too many things for too little MM3 allows agents to focus on consumers adn property marketing. The goal is to increase the perception of a HUD Home, they are not what they use to be. ChangingStreets.com currently has HUD Homes listed in Linden, Fenton and Grand Blanc that are very nice and priced right. HUD Homes are not just inner city $5,000 homes for sale anymore, they still exist but there are great opportunities in other parts of the market.

This is kind of full circle for ChangingStreets.com founder Scott Hoyt, as he started his "career" doing drive by occupancy inspections on HUD forclosures at the age of 16.

You can get new listings for HUD Homes in Genesee and Lapeer Counties at either http://Flint.changingstreets.com/hud or follow @flinthud on Twitter.

A New Day in Michigan...

ChangingStreets.com — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:18:28 -0700

Sometimes any change is good. For Michigan yesterdays elections are good. It feels different a little different in the mitten this afternoon, the shoe has dropped and we can move forward with "the Geek".

Michigan needs a concise, business forward message and an implementation plan to pull it together, I am excited to see what a business man can do with this turn-around opportunity!

Let's all the ride the wave of optimism

Recruiting Stories and Election Hopes!

ChangingStreets.com — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 20:49:05 -0700

I am so glad all this campaigning will be over tomorrow! I have to say Buddy is excited about today, a new governor for Michigan, a strong possibility of Nancy and Harry joining MSNBC and some great story telling with my business partner.

The elections had us talking and laughing this morning, both excited about the prospect of a new day in America. My partner had been doing some consulting and recruiting in North Carolina for a big company and was telling me about a couple of his more interesting "candidates" this morning and where they are now!

Rhis came up because one of the potential agents he interviewed and respectfully let remain at KW is running for office in North Carolina and his opponent is running ads about how he bounced checks all over town and my partner indicated that at the interview the "candidate" told him he had closed over $12 million in business the trailing 12 months when the reality is the number was $1.2 million. He denied the low production and the bounced checks, both we proven. He never got a second interview but he won a primary? Wierd Country, hopefully he will not be having the last laugh tonight.

The best story was about a newer agent that was telling him it took six months to get her marketing in place because her hair stylist was having a hard time matching her hair to her poodles'. Yes, she was dying her hair to match her dog for her business card picture...not kidding. She had her picture taken with her poodle for her cards with matching hair, it took four shoots!

She just opened her own shop, with 38 career sales, that sells real estate and interior design!!! Seriously, the poodle lady will not sell your home and decorate it too! She also was not given a second interview and stayed at KW until she decided to change the face of real estate, or at least the hair!

Has anyone noticed all the "puberty" in real estate this year? Every agent with less than four years experience is changing the way real estate is done... remember when you discovered the world was round and thought you knew it all? I remember the day I found our I didn't, a younger friend came home from school with the same cocky, know it all attitude I had three years earlier. That was the day I realized I hadn't discovered the answer, it was there all the time I just had not been open to it.

That is what our industry is like today. The same mistakes are being made that were made in 2002, 1998, and 1994, by a new group "reinventing the business" with the same old ideas and no horsepower to make it happen. My advice...math is simple, there is only 100% in every deal, join the professionals that have been changing the business for years...playing catch up sucks, working on a strong team is the bomb.

Well I guess the point is our government is a lot like our industry, the bar has been set pretty low and we bet our country on a person with no experience that was going to change the world two years ago (how is that working, I just read in New York magazine only 10% of Obama Nation from the last election is still energized) hopefully tonight we will see some positive change, and hopefully just not for the dogs.

Detroit 1-2-9. Yeah Thats Right The D Added More Value Than Your Town!

ChangingStreets.com — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 11:06:34 -0700

I was looking at our Metro Detroit market blog today, how boring. We are beating a dead horse in Detroit, all we have been blogging about are sales price increases. I guess when you are so fired up about something so unexpected you can't help but dwell on it.

Prices are up in Metro Detroit over 12% third quarter of 2010 vs. third quarter of 2009.

Why do you care if you live somewhere else? Because we were the first in and the hardest hit! We are coming back around, well off the lows on price and thinking we could continue a solid appretiation for while. Property is just so cheap, infratsructure is good, labor is relatively cheap, and shoot we have global warming on our side (did anyone see the blurb in Wired magazine?).

Agents in Detroit rock. They know how to move property and benefit buyers and sellers, they stopped the price reductions and started rocking value, it worked.

Check out our Detroit market blog, I promise to quit bragging about home prices! You will not believe some of the increases.

Mobile Marketing by ChangingStreets.com

ChangingStreets.com — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 09:37:06 -0700

ChangingStreets.com buyers can now get information on any listing by text. As a buyer they can do the Sunday drive and text SWM to 25827 they will by instructed to reply with the address. ChangingStreets.com will automatically send price, size and info with a link to photos and a mobile web page. The buyer can then link to a ChangingStreets.com agent to request a showing.

This is a proprietary system through ChangingStreets.com that will increase the user experience for our buyers....that is smart, easy, sane real estating!

ChangingStreets.com is a turn-key consumer focused real estate brokerage opportunity, to find out more go to ChangingStreets.com/join-us

Sales Down, Prices Up...

ChangingStreets.com — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 11:07:24 -0700

I have been getting ready for the end of the third quarter and running a lot of marketing reports this morning and have noticed a trend you don't here on the news.

Yes sales are down, a lot in some areas. But average sales prices are up, in some areas a lot. Not just up from last year but up from last quarter.

Flint Michigan sold home prices have risen four months in a row.

Not only are Oakland County Michigan (Northern Suburbs of Detroit) on a roll, 11% average price increase, but the high end is on fire...over 29 million dollar plus homes sold already this quarter, up from 21 all of Q3 2009.

Get Scoop on Metro Detroit Real Estate at http://detroit.changingstreets.com/blog

Get the Scoop on Flint Area Real Estate at http://flint.changingstreets.com/blog

Follow Raleigh Area Real Estate at http://raleigh.changingstreets.com/blog

Voted the Best!

ChangingStreets.com — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 11:09:31 -0700

ChangingStreets.com has always prided itself on being a consumer focused company, and yesterday we found out our consumers appreciate it. ChangingStreets.com was voted the best real estate company in Genesee County by consumers and readers of mLive and the Flint Journal.

ChangingStreets.com web traffic grew 40% last month alone and now features homes for sale in Kalamazoo, Homes for sale in Flint, Homes for sale in Raleigh, Homes for sale in Oakland County and Homes for sale on Maui. ChangingStreets.com is also in discussions with groups in Florida, Texas and Southeastern Michigan to open additional operations to serve additional consumers.

Later this month ChangingStreets.com will debut its text system allowing consumers to text changingstreets.com on 95% of the homes listed in the states of Michigan, North Carolina and Maui. This will allow consumers to get information faster and connect with the best buyers agents in the business by text, a true win for home buyers.

For more information log onto www.ChangingStreets.com

Some Interesting Michigan Migration Trends

ChangingStreets.com — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:22:40 -0700

I am a sucker for useless information, and the Forbes "Where Americans Are Moving" map is like a drug for me. I have been disecting some of my markets for the last 24 hours and here is what I have found:

Who is Moving to Oakland County Michigan

We all know people are leaving Flint Michigan, but where are they going?

Who is moving to Maui.

Great stuff, please check out the blogs, then check our your town!

Fantastic Torch lake Home for Sale.

ChangingStreets.com — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 12:29:15 -0700

Amazing Torch Lake Home

There is little debating Torch Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. This home sits on one of the greatest spots on torch lake, a cove in the middle of the lake with a sandy bottom and no neighbors to the north for over a 1/2 mile. It is like your own private cove with caribbean blue water.

The house has a little going for it as well, 6 bedrooms (four with private baths), five and half baths, fabulous master suite with deck overlooking the cove, full walk out with wet bar, and huge family area, and fire pit.

I have had the pleasure of staying in this house and it lives perfect, a great modern house with room for everyone, with a cozy-up north feel. You feel like you should be relaxing, it is not hard!

The home has over 44oo square feet but lives much larger with the abundant deck and patio space. Three of the bedrooms (on every level of the photo to the right) not only open to a patio or deck they also have there own bathrooms complete with large showers and separate whirlpool tubs. There are three additional bedrooms on the top level, one with a private bath the others share a bath.

When building the home the builder took great care to pay tribute to one of the worlds most beautiful lakes. With tons of knotty pine, field-stone, hardwoods, the home truly feels indigenous to the cove it over looks. The colors mirror those found in the lake at different times in the day, the sand, the turquoise water and the sky are all represented in this fabulous home the current owners called "Spirit".

6 bedrooms

5.5 baths

4446 Square Feet

$1,200,000 For more information contact Andy Goggins, ChangingStreets.com 810.845.0300 or see the property Here!

Oakland County Home Sales Outstanding in May.

ChangingStreets.com — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:47:20 -0700

The May sales numbers look great in all markets vs May of 2009, but Oakland County, Michigan home sales in May were, simply put, outstanding. According to ChangingStreets.com blog the increases were significant.

"The year over year home sales increased in Oakland County for the month of May, the numbers are outstanding. Unit sales were up 19%. Average price increased 8%, pretty darn good numbers."

Read the rest of the blog and see the numbers here:

May Home Sales For Oakland County...UP, UP, UP

or check out what is happening to Genesee County Home Sales:

Genesee County Home Sales for May.

ChangingStreets.com is your Smart, Easy, Sane solution for buying or selling a home in Oakland County, Flint, Raleigh, Cary, Kalamazoo and Maui.

What We Love About the Flint Area!

ChangingStreets.com — Tue, 25 May 2010 10:06:27 -0700

Unusual subject huh? Well Flint is loaded with smiles and treasures and we want to hear what you love about Flint!

Read our thoughts and either leave yours in the comments section or email us a whole blog to post!

Lets share the love!

What do we love about Flint? click to read our list!

Great News For Allegan County Home Sales

ChangingStreets.com — Mon, 24 May 2010 15:09:22 -0700

For the first four months of 2010 Allegan County home sales are up, up, up. That's right up three times, more than 2009, 2008 and 2007! There is also a lot of evidence that we are firmly off the lows of the market and ready for a slow stable recovery.

Read the Word on the Street blog to get the whole story including percentage jumps, sales numbers and insight into why this is the market we will be talking about in 20 years.

Welcome Team ChangingStreets.com MAUI!

ChangingStreets.com — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:24:51 -0700

Aloha! We are so stoked, our brand of real estate has found it way to my favorite place...Maui, Hawaii. Bob McCollor will lead the ChangingStreets.com Team in Maui. Bob has over 25 years of Maui real estate experience, he knows how to make real estate Smart, Easy, Sane.

Maui has always held a special place in Buddy Kains heart, my family spent many Christmas vacations in Maui prior to the my twins being born, I bought my wifes engagement ring at Tiffanys in Whalers Village and gave it to here in the middle of Haleakual Crater (yeah she didn't find the 16 mile hike romantic)!

Ok, enough Buddy, more Maui! Check out Maui.ChangingStreets.com to see all the Maui homes and condos for sale! And if you are interested please give Bob a call and his team will show you the spirit of Aloha!

Flint Market Finds Bottom!

ChangingStreets.com — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:09:07 -0700

One of the first markets into the storm finally finds a floor. After 60 month of declining prices Genesee County MI finally put together two consecutive quarters of Year over Year price increases! The numbers in some segments of the market are outstanding, some segments pleasing and some areas still being torn apart by panick agenting and the rediculously low pricing on short sales. But hey two quarters of county wide increase is great....get the whole story at Word on Street Blog at ChangingStreets.com

Best City for a Sports Fan?

ChangingStreets.com — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 08:50:37 -0700

Where do I live? In the last six years my hometown has hosted the Superbowl, World Series, NBA Championships, WNBA Championships, The Stanley Cup, The Major League All-Star Game...ok take abreath these are all pretty awesome. I am a sports fan and it has been fantastic, but wait there are more:

The Final Four, The Ryder Cup, The US Open, The Frozen Four, a NCAA Football Bowl Game and Nascar Races twice a year.

I know you are waiting for the punchline, but this is no joke there is only one sports city in America that can claim this! What a great quality of life for my kids to have had access to all of these events, so close to home not to mention just having four professional franchises, two major colleges and many other mid-major colleges.

A clue; in that run my teams won an NBA Tile, Stanley Cup, WNBA Title, obviously appeared in a World Series, and my favorite college lives at the Final Four.

Now lets here from sports fans, where do I live?

Detroit Real Estate, the Other Side.

ChangingStreets.com — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 10:26:40 -0700

Ok, forget everything you have seen about Detroit Real Estate over the last five years. Forget about the $5,000 houses...here is what the "D" is all about. Think Great Gatsby, think about what the center of the Automotive universe was like in 1920...

This is one example of how we roll in the motor city. Keep in mind the men that started the automotive industry and all that supported it built these magnificent homes, then the heirs (both in fortune and business) and entrepreneurs picked up where they left off, Detroit and Oakland county have always been home to hardworking people that know how to live the life!

Take a minute to look at the homes in Detroit listed for more than $3,500,000 and be amazed! They all have tons of photos, it is awesome!

Detroit & Oakland Counties finest homes...

There has NEVER been a better time to buy in Michigan

ChangingStreets.com — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 08:58:23 -0700

There has never been a better time to buy a home in the state of Michigan. It is really that simple. I did not say house, I said home. If you are looking for living in a home for 3 years plus.

Seriously, there are quality homes available for HALF of what they costs. Interest rates across the board for first time buyers to wealthy individuals are extremely attractive. The tax credit applies to a huge percentage of the population.

Now true there are four buyers for every great home. But a friend of mine just bought a home that was on the market for $650,000 for $350,000. A six thousand sq ft plus seventies build custom home. The home is a fortress, a super high quailty build on nine acres in the heart of a great suburb. The home needs a massive redecoration. But guess what contractors in Michigan a cheaper than they were, Granite is half off....on and on....

He also has lived in his house for over five years and qualifies for a $6500 tax credit, which helps make his payments while he does renovations.

Or how about the client that bought an $85,000 dollar home with $4,250 down ( a gift from a relative) had a $690 payment, including taxes and insurance, and got a $8,000 tax credit. The tax credit covered her first years worth of payments! She basically lived rent free for 12 months.

Get a mortgage pre-approval. Get an agent with streetsmarts and get out there, you need a contract by April 30th.

Clarkston Short Sales, A Lot of Good Deals

ChangingStreets.com — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:58:35 -0800

Short Sales, they are everywhere, over 8200 in the metro area MLS system. What use to be a stigma is now the norm, not only are short sales endorsed and regulated by the federal government (as of 04/05/2010) they are encouraged. So, as is the American way the banks loss is your gain.

Check out the over 80 short sales in Clarkston

or the over 60 short sales in Birmingham

or the over 150 short sales in Rochester

or the over 130 short sales in Royal Oak

or the over 80 short sales in Novi

If you are buying a home there are some screaming deals in those short sale listings, short sales are often in much better condition than foreclosures at the same or lower prices. You will need a smart agent and some patience when pursueing a short sale. You can search for foreclosures and short sale listings at on ChangingStreets.com. Simply click on advanced search, click the foreclosure tap on the top of the map frame, scroll down and fill out your criteria. No log in, no sign in, just results.

To learn more about short sales vs. foreclosures from a seller perspective go here.

To find an agent that understands short sales email me at ShortSales@ChangingStreets.com.

Remember at ChangingStreets.com we are all about:

US Department of Treasury Supports Short Sales

ChangingStreets.com — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:47:40 -0700

The US Department of Treasury, under the Making Home Afforable program has outlined a standardized process for short sales and will incentivize both the loan servicer and the borrower. This really takes the short sale program from the dark alleys to the front window.

Foreclosure Alternatives for Borrowers Eligilbe for MHA outlines the process and includes "borrower incentives to cover relocation expenses to homes that are affordable" as well as " incentives for servicers to pursue alternatives to foreclosures".

The long term tax issues were wiped out last year and these new developments make much more sense than foreclosure, and can eliminate "strategic foreclosure" in many instances saving taxpayers and homeowners millions by selling these homes as opposed to them sitting vacant.

Borrowers also benefit by not having a foreclosure on their credit history and avoid totally nuking their credit score.

Give us a call 888.767.3380 or email info@changingstreets.com if you are interested in avoiding foreclosure.

Please Vote For Flint Farmers Market!

ChangingStreets.com — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:24:43 -0700

The Flint Farmers Market is leading the " Love My Farmers Market " contest being sponsored by Care2.com and local harvest. The lead may look impressive, 500 votes, but Carrboro is an extremely tough competitor. (for those that do not know Carrboro is basically attached to Chapel Hill, the home of the UNC Tarheels that beat my beloved Spartans in the D for the NCAA title, So a little Flint Style Payback would be good).

Please take a minute and click below to vote, then take another minute to email the link to your friends co-workers, relatives, and more importantly visit the market, you will thank yourself.

Flint Farmers Market Rocks!

Thank You!

Genesee County Home Sales July 2009

ChangingStreets.com — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:16:24 -0700

Only 12 less sales in Genesee County in July of 2009 compared to July of 2008! Not bad all things considered.

According to the Flint Area Association of Realtors MLS service there were 375 sales in Genesee County in July, 2009 at an average sales price of $72,164. In July of 2008 there were 387 sales at an average price of $80,015.

Was there really a 10% price drop? Probably not, there are just so many FLINT foreclosures in very distressed areas selling for less than $10,000.00 that is putting a ton of downward pressure on the macro numbers. It is more of demand shift than a price drop.

Flint Foreclosures For Sale

ChangingStreets.com — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:23:37 -0700

Flint MI, Foreclosure listings total over 600 in the Flint area. Do you really want a list that long sent to you or would you rather search with pictures map and value information- with no sign in required? That is what I thought, search Flint foreclosure listings the easy way, get the assistance you want, and work with a group that has sold over 1,000 foreclosed homes in the last three years.

That is Smart, Easy, Sane Forclosured home purchasing.

You can also get a mortgage preapproval!

West Bloomfield Vacant Home Registration.

ChangingStreets.com — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:08:32 -0700

West Bloomfield now requires the registering of vacant homes. This is not exclusive to West Bloomfield as other municipalities are searching for revenue. This is what I just received from the North Oakland County Board of Realtors:

Vacant Home Ordinance Recently the Township of West Bloomfield, as well as other Oakland County municipalities, has enacted an ordinance which requires that "vacant" homes MUST be registered with the municipality. There are fees involved when registering such a property, as well as fees involved when such a property is not registered. If the fees become delinquent, they could become a lien on the property similar to assessments for weed cutting, garbage, etc. For example, the West Bloomfield ordinance contains many requirements which you should be aware of. For instance, the property management company must be located within 30 miles of the subject property. It also provides for inspections and issuance of "new" certificate(s) of occupancy. Should you require a copy of the West Bloomfield ordinance please let us know.

Lovely!

This is still not as good as the City of Detroit putting stickers on the doors of vacant homes notifying owners of violations. If the violations are not done in 24 hours the City of Detroit will do them and charge the owner! Seriously!

Michigan has lakes, great infrastructure and pathetic politicians...text me your opinion : ) lol.

Vote for Your Farmers Market!

ChangingStreets.com — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:48:15 -0700

Flint Farmers market is in first place in the Care2.com farmers market contest based on visitor voting. The winning market not only gets the honor of being voted the nations number one farmers market but the also receive $5,000.00 to improve the market!

Not only is Flint standing tall but, Port Austin, Holland, Mt Clemens and Royal Oak Farmers markets are all in the top 50! pretty outstanding.

You can vote for your favorite farmers market at www.Care2.com, the farmers market contest is on the right!