Lisa Bender - Livingston County Michigan Real Estate Blog

Blogging Class Taught By the Wonderful Missy Caulk

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:32:50 -0600

I just wanted to let any agents know who may be in the Brighton, MI area that Missy Caulk and Chet Hill from the Keller Williams office in Ann Arbor will be at our Keller Williams office in Brighton to give us the scoop on Blogging.

We're all very excited and any interestd agents (Keller Williams or not) are more than welcome to attend. The class will take place tomorrow, November 12th, 2008 from 1:30pm - 3:30pm. So come one, come ALL.

It's going to be very informative and may be the added boost to your bottom line that any one of us could use!!! I'm sure many of you fellow Active Rainers have seen Missy Caulk all over Active Rain. Her blogs are great. So come learn from the Master!

Hope to see you there!

Lisa Bender

Keller Williams - Brighton

www.ClickThisHome.com

Commercial Real Estate

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:13:59 -0500

Just curious what other fellow agents think of commercial real estate opposed to residential. I'm currently selling residential but have been fortunate enough to do a little commerical and really kind of like it. I'm getting a rather large database of investors and I'm possibly considering entering this market.

Wondering how difficult it is to break into the commercial real estate industry, what does it take?

Do you need any additional training? I've looked into he CCIM Designation ... is there a way to get my hands on the study material to see if it's something I'd like to pursue?

Any thoughts or comments are greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Lisa Bender

Keller Williams Realty

www.ClickThisHome.com

Stately 3 Story Tudor in Dearborn, MI

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:32:00 -0500

Lisa Bender | Keller Williams | 810-534-2058

21975 Wildwood St, Dearborn, MI

Stately 3 Story Brick Tudor in Highly Desirable Dearborn Subdivision.

5BR/2.5BA Single Family House

offered at $749,900

Year Built	1930
Sq Footage	2,954
Bedrooms	5
Bathrooms	2 full, 2 partial
Floors	3
Parking	Unspecified
Lot Size	Unspecified
HOA/Maint	$0 per month

DESCRIPTION

PRICED TO SELL! STATELY 3 STORY BRICK TUDOR. COVED ARCHWAYS ADD STUNNING ACCENTS. FIREPLACE IN MSTR BED. UPDATED KITCHEN. FORMAL DINING. 3 CAR GARAGE. BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOOD. WALKING DISTANCE TO GORGEOUS GOLF COURSE. EXCELLENT AREA,

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

Central A/C	Hardwood floor	Family room
Living room	Bonus/Rec room	Office/Den
Dining room	Basement

COMMUNITY FEATURES

Garage parking

Golf course

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

Fireplace in Master Bedroom

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Seller contact info:

Lisa Bender

Keller Williams

810-534-2058

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Sep 19, 2008, 4:24am PDT

Vacant Lot in Jerome, Mi with Lake Access

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:20:21 -0500

Lisa Bender | Keller Williams | 810-534-2058

Vacant Lot Springmill, Jermome, MI

Vacant Lot in Jerome. Access to Mirror Lake.

.23 acres Vacant Land

offered at $7,000

Lot Size

.23 acres

DESCRIPTION

EXCELLENT CORNER LOT IN DESIRABLE SUBDIVISION. ACCESS TO 75 ACRE ALL SPORTS MIRROR LAKE INCLUDING GATED RESIDENTS ONLY BOAT LAUNCH. PRICED TO SELL. ALSO WILL SELL ADJOINING LOT 39 TOGETHER WITH THIS LOT FOR $12,000. LOTS CAN BE COMBINED AT NO COST WITH TOWNSHIP

see additional photos below

LOCATION FEATURES

Short walk to gated boat launch on Mirror Lake

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

Can be combined adjacent lot on Wedgewood

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Seller contact info:

Lisa Bender

Keller Williams

810-534-2058

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Sep 19, 2008, 4:18am PDT

Vacant Lot in Jerome, MI with Access to Beautiful Mirror Lake

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:15:50 -0500

Lisa Bender | Keller Williams | 810-534-2058

Vacant Lot Wedgewood, Jermome, MI

Vacant Lot in Jerome. Access to Mirror Lake.

0 sqft Vacant Land

offered at $7,000

Lot Size

0 sqft

DESCRIPTION

EXCELLENT LOT IN DESIRABLE SUBDIVISION. ACCESS TO 75 ACRE ALL SPORTS MIRROR LAKE INCLUDING GATED RESIDENTS ONLY BOAT LAUNCH. PRICED TO SELL. WILL SELL LOT 38 FOR $12,000. LOTS CAN BE COMBINED AT NO COST WITH TOWNSHIP. TERMS NEGOTIABLE.

see additional photos below

LOCATION FEATURES

Vacant Lot with Access to Mirror

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

Short Walk to Boat Launch

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Seller contact info:

Lisa Bender

Keller Williams

810-534-2058

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Sep 19, 2008, 4:07am PDT

$199,900 Historic Rochester Hills Home for Sale

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:16:34 -0500

Lisa Bender | Keller Williams | 810-534-2058

1046 E. Tienken Rd., Rochester Hills, MI

Historical home ... Diamond in the rough! Excellent location, close to charming downtown Rochester Hills.

4BR/1BA Single Family House

offered at $199,900

Year Built	1901
Sq Footage	1,169
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	1 full, 0 partial
Floors	2
Parking	Unspecified
Lot Size	66 sqft
HOA/Maint	$0 per month

DESCRIPTION

EXCELLENT INVESTMENT ON THIS HISTORICAL HOME. CLOSE TO CHARMING DOWNTOWN ROCHESTER HILLS. SPACIOUS 1ST FLOOR MASTER. EXCELLENT AREA, SURROUNDED BY BEAUTIFUL HOMES. MUST SEE TO APPRECIATE THE POTENTIAL. MOTIVATED!

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

Living room

Bonus/Rec room

Basement

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

Historical Home, Close to Downtown

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Seller contact info:

Lisa Bender

Keller Williams

810-534-2058

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Sep 18, 2008, 5:08pm PDT

$149,900 - 3792 Embarcadero St, Waterford, MI

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:20:50 -0500

Lisa Bender | Keller Williams | 810-534-2058

3792 Embarcadero St, Waterford, MI

Beautifully restored all brick 3 Bedroom ranch in desirable subdivision. Hardwood flooring, added sunroom, full basement and extra wide 2 car attached

3BR/1BA Single Family House

offered at $149,900

Year Built	1957
Sq Footage	1,088
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1 full, 0 partial
Floors	1
Parking	2 Car garage
Lot Size	.26 acres
HOA/Maint	$0 per month

DESCRIPTION

You'll love this home and all it's amenities the minute you've arrived. Starting with it's meticulous landscaping and underground sprinklers. Extra wide and deep 2 car garage. The lovely living room has a beautiful bay window overlooking this quiet, family neighborhood. You'll see many families walking on the neighborhood's sidewalks down to the beach. There you'll have a playground for the kids or grandkids as well as a pavillion for family get-togethers not to mention the beach itself.

This 3 bedroom, brick ranch includes a dining area for the family and as a bonus owners added Florida room to enjoy the lovely backyard. The bedrooms are generous size and contain wonderfully finished hardwood floors. The home is tastefully painted and only needs your special touch. The basement is full size, clean and dry. Additionally, the home offers many other amenities such as central air, ceiling fans, newer kitchen cabinets and vinyl windows. This home has been well cared for and move-in ready.

It's not a foreclosure or short sale ... bring us your offers and we'll get you living inside your new home while others are still waiting for answers from the banks. Sellers are willing to help contribute to buyers closing costs.

For Information visit my wesbite:
www.ClickThisHome.com

***** OPEN HOUSE 9/21/08 1 - 4pm *****

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

Central A/C	Hardwood floor	Living room
Bonus/Rec room	Dining room	Breakfast nook
Dishwasher	Refrigerator	Stove/Oven
Basement	Laundry area - inside	Balcony, Deck, or Patio
Yard

COMMUNITY FEATURES

Clubhouse

Lake

Playground

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

Fresh Paint and Newer Carpet.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Seller contact info:

Lisa Bender

Keller Williams

810-534-2058

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Sep 18, 2008, 4:24pm PDT

The Best Time to Lock In Your Mortgage Rate

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:59:59 -0500

Financing Solutions with David Reed

The Best time to Lock in Your Mortgage Rate

Visit Reed's Website

"What do you think about rates ... should I lock in now or wait to see if they fall further?" Think I've been asked that a time or two over the past 18 years? You better believe it. It's a good question-one that goes through every single buyer's head at some stage.

A quoted interest rate is no good unless you've confirmed, in writing, that your loan is indeed "locked," or guaranteed for a designated period of time. You need to be proactive with your locked rate as well and don't assume that your loan officer already locked you in. In fact, your loan officer shouldn't lock in your rate without your specific instructions. If it was locked in and rates went down you'd be pretty mad, wouldn't you?

While neither real estate agents nor loan officers are in the business of predicting the future, it's still possible to make a prudent choice in the face of uncertainty. Would you rather lock in your rate and watch rates fall or not lock in your rate and see rates go up?

If you decided to lock and rates go down, you've secured the market rate that you were happy with. But if rates went up and you didn't lock, you'd be paying for that mistake for the rest of the loan.

There is an even worse possible scenario: After not locking in your rate, rates shoot up and you no longer qualify for the loan. So it's important to ask yourself: "Which way would I rather be wrong?"

If you are comfortable with the rate you've been quoted, talk to your real estate agent about the possible consequences of waiting to lock it in.

Written by David Reed, author of Mortgage 101 and Mortgage Confidential.

Looking to buy or sell, please visit my website at: http://www.ClickThisHome.com. Search for Michigan homes without the hassle. Save your searches for easy use and save your favorite homes for future reference.

Lisa Bender, Keller Williams Realty - www.ClickThisHome.com - Direct: 810-534-2058 - Email: lisabender@kw.com

Bruce Hardie - Succeeding in A Buyer's Market Course

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:05:27 -0500

Bruce Hardie is an excellent trainer and hugely successful, active agent out of Spokane, WA. This is sure to help agents at any stage in this buyers market. It's going to be held in Livonia, MI at Laurel Manor and agents from any company are welcome. If anyone is interested in attending, please let me know and I will get you on the list. I've been told he shares a lot of his marketing pieces as well. Give me a call or send me an email. He's also training in 4 other locations around the US for those out side of the Detroit Metro area. I'd be happy to get you other location information as well.

Lender Not Cooperating?!?!?!

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:16:16 -0500

Many people are having difficulty with their mortgages for one reason or another. We all have heard about Michigan's forecloures rates as well as the rest of the US. Many of us are banging our heads against the wall trying to talk to someone at their mortgage company. It can be mind numbing! I can empathize with what you're going through as I help a lot of people with short sales. So, I talk to these banks on a daily basis. Some mortgage companies are better than others. Here's a few tips to hopefully help you when dealing with your lender:

Document all phone calls, who you talked to, date and time and the nature of the conversation and the result.
Don't be afraid to ask for their Manager if you feel you are not getting the answers you need.
ALWAYS be polite ... kill them will kindness!
Ask questions to understand their process.
Create a dialogue sooner than later. DO NOT wait until you are facing the sheriff sale or worse when your redemption period has expired.

Additional things you must be doing:

Talk to a mortgage broker, they can help assist you in possibly working out a loan modification to help make your payments more managable.
Don't bury your head in the sand, this problem will NOT go away.
Always communicate with the lender and start the dialogue early. (I said this one already ... YES, it's that imoprtant!!!!!)
If you have to sell your home, but owe more than it's worth, consult with a few different Realtors who have had experiene in dealing with short sales. Get it on the market NOW.

If you are still not getting anywhere with your lender, you can always call the Attorney General. I have been successful several times in getting the names of contacts who can HELP me. Who are decision makers who can make things happen. If it's Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac there is always the Office of Federal Housing Oversight (www.ofheo.gov). I just recently was sucuessful in negotiating a buy back for a previous owner who lost her home and the redemption period had expired.

Don't give up and don't hesitate to seek professional assistance from a mortgage professional or real estate professional.

Feel free to visit my website at www.ClickThisHome.com and email if you need any assistance or more information.

Howell, Brighton, Hartland Housing Statistics

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:29:20 -0500

First quarter of 2008 is officially over and the stats are in:

- HOWELL -

* 690 Homes For Sale * 197 Average Days On Market * $249,106 Average List Price *

* 116 Sold Homes * 151 Average Days On Market * $171,692 Average Sales Price * $179262 Average List Price of Homes Sold *

- BRIGHTON -

* 518 Homes For Sale * 256 Average Days On Market * $368,075 Average List Price *

* 78 Sold Homes * 134 Average Days On Market * $205,433 Average Sales Price * $218,137 Average List Price of Homes Sold *

- HARTLAND -

* 312 Homes For Sale * 196 Average Days on Market * $291,998 Average List Price *

* 51 Homes Sold * 124 Average Days on Market * $181,380 Average Sales Price * $195,998 Average List Price of Homes Sold *

Visit my website at www.ClickThisHome.com for more local real estate information.

Kids Spring & Summer Activities in Howell

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:04:21 -0500

Believe it or not, my 9 year old just told me there are only 47 days until summer break. No ... that is not a typo. How are we going to keep our kids busy this summer? Well, here's a few ideas to help us keep our sanity:

- The Howell Carnegie Library has many programs for kids of ALL ages to keep their minds sharp and busy over the summer. Here's a link http://www.howelllibrary.org/. Just use the index tab on the left to navigate your way through the site. *** Visit my website at http://www.clickthishome.com/ and send me an email to sign the kids up for my summer reading contest ***

- Howell Aquatic Center: Swimming lessons available for all levels for those still in swim diapers to Level 5. Spring registration is still going on. Summer Lessons will begin in the brand new facilities at the new Parker High School in Howell. http://www.howellaquatics.com/Howell/Default.aspx

- Howell Nature Center: Summer Resident and Day Camps. See Flyer http://www.howellnaturecenter.org/2008%20One%20sheet%20brochure%20One%20side.pdf or visit their website at http://www.howellnaturecenter.org/.

- Howell Parks & Recreation: Spring activities still available and the summer brochure will be coming out soon. www.cityofhowell.org/parksandrecreation.

Hopefully, this will give us all a good start on planning the kids' summer activities this year.

Best wishes for a wonderful, fun-filled summer!

Lisa Bender

Keller Williams Realty

www.ClickThisHome.com

Newsletters ... Recipes or Real Estate Stats?

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:21:10 -0600

I'm trying to pull together a newsletter for my sphere and not sure what approach to take. On one hand, can I really do a newsletter for my sphere since they live all over the place? Or should I only do newsletters to the neighborhoods I want to work in? What does everybody send as far as newsletters and how often?

Do you make them yourself or use a company???

Just curious ...

Welcome!

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 09:05:03 -0600

Hello everyone!

I've created this special group for the Keller Williams Camp 4:4:3 participants. It's a great class for those wanting to get a running start on their new career in real estate or even seasoned Realtors looking to get back to basics.

If you've checked out my profile you will see I work for Real Estate One. Yes, I'm a brave soul mixing amongst all those Keller Williams agents. Well, after reading Lori Lincoln's blog (www.activerain.com/lorilincoln) about the Camp, I felt compelled to check this class out. It really was just what I was looking for and everyone at the Brighton, MI office have been wonderful.

It's a lot of fun, check it out for yourself!

Feel free to post about your triumphs, challenges, ideas, etc.

Best Wishes!

Lisa Bender, Real Estate One

www.clickthishome.com

And, This Is Why We LOVE Michigan!

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 08:35:03 -0600

I took this picture on November 5th of this year. It's a picture of an Iris blooming in my front flower bed. Yes ... it's really blooming in November! I guess with all the warm days we've had in October, my plants must be a bit confused! I hope it actually opens up that would be really cool to see. I'm afraid the frosts we've been having out here in Livingston County might do it in before it has a chance to bloom.

Want your own November blooming Iris? Visit my website at www.clickthishome.com for your next home in this crazy, special place we call Michigan! :-)

Home Buying Seminar

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 07:25:22 -0600

The Michigan Mortgage Brokers Association is offering a FREE Consumer Education Seminar titled

"My Home, My Future"

There will be plenty of on site experts such as Mortgage Experts, HUD Counselors, Legal Representatives and Credit Report Experts.

Email me if you'd like to attend. It's free and packed with lots of information!

Email: LisaBender@realestateone.com

Call: 517-206-3026

Visit my website: http://www.clickthishome.com/

There you can sign up for my EXCLUSIVE "1st To Know" program before you buy your new home.

FORECLOSURE Investment Seminar

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:11:24 -0600

This should be an excellent opportunity for new investors and seasoned investors to get in on some of the foreclosure investments in Oakland, Macomb and Livingston Counties. They'll talk about the foreclosure market, what to look for when doing inspections on these homes and the mortgage products available to investors.

Please feel free to call me with any questions or if you'd like to register. You can email me as well at LISABENDER@REALESTATEONE.COM

Drinking the Kool-Aid

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 20:56:58 -0600

I've now heard this phrase 3 times in the last couple of weeks ... "Drinking the Kool-Aid".

It's been used in reference to Keller Williams and being the Real Estate One agent that I am, I'm clueless as to what this means. It appears to be a Keller Williams thing ...

Come On Keller Williams folks, give me the 411 on the "Drinking the Kool-Aid"!!!!! :-)

Bank Owned Offers ... Ughhh!

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 20:20:49 -0600

OK, what's a gal gotta do around here to get a final purchase agreement signed??? I'm a pretty patient person, but all these bank owned properties are exhausting.

I have a pending offer in on a bank owned property and we're all very excited. It was a long process to get the banks to accept our offer. Now, we've got a meeting of the minds and the bank is taking forever to return a final, SIGNED purchase agreement. I call relentlessly almost every day to get an update ... nothing.

Anyone have some magic trick to get the ball rolling???

Livingston County Market Report

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 18:19:47 -0600

Here's a market report for Livingston County as of 10/19/07.

SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES

TIME PERIOD # OF SALES MEDIAN SALE PRICE

Sept 2007 163 $190,000

Sept 2006 235 $220,000

Aug 2007 171 $185,000

Aug 2006 302 $207,750

2007 YTD 1186 $190,000

2006 2752 $205,000

Research states our market will start to see an improvement by 4th quarter 2008.

To search for all Michigan real estate, visit my website: www.clickthishome.com.

I Wanna Get More Stuff Done!!!

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 07:33:45 -0500

Don't we all!

Here's 12 tips on how to make better use of your time:

There are only 24 hours in a day. We can only manage ourselves, not time!
Maximize Your Office Space: Organize your desk, remove any and all items of distraction.
Create a prority plan and prioritize: make priority list for the day, start with the major things and work your way down. If you've ever used a Franklin Planner, top items would be A's and so on.
Do the right thing! If you follow your priority list that's doing the right thing and being effective and not just efficient.
Get rid of things/people that steal your precious time! Eliminate those obstacles quickly!
Use and Master your CRM. It seems like a lot of work at first, but it will eventually make your work easier and you'll end up more effective in what you're doing.
Learn to say "NO". It's a tough one for me. Being mindful of your goals will help make the "no's" a little easier.
Use a to-do list. Yank all those sticky notes and scrap paper of things to remember and put them all in one place ... your to-do list.
Use email for communication. Ignore junk mail, but use email to keep in touch.
Observe & Emulate: watch those that are very productive in the office and do what they do.
REWARD YOURSELF!!!!! When you do good, do something just for you whether its alone time with a quiet cup of tea and a book or a weekend get-away! You have to do it once in a while.
JUST DO IT ... change your behavior today!

I hope this helps ... I'm sure some of you have tips to add????

Can We Really Manage Time?

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:21:13 -0500

It sounds like a trick question doesn't it?

My first thought was "Yes, I can plan my day by prioritizing and to-do lists and that's time management!" Well, no matter how much you plan, block time, prioritize, etc. everyone on this planet still only has 24 hours in a day. We get no more and no less ...

Stop trying to figure out how to fit it all in and more about how we can make better use of the time.

Remember the analogy about fitting rocks, pebbles, sand and water into a jar? The teacher after adding each item kept asking his students if the jar was full and they would say yes, but the next item would always fit in. In a nutshell, it illustrated that you had to fit the big rocks in first or you'll never fit them all in.

In other-words, do your most important tasks first, then work your way down. Instead of feeling exhausted at the end of the day and not feeling like anything was accomplished, commit to this way of thinking. And maybe you'll be able to reflect back on your day, not exhausted, but able to measure your production knowing it got you that much closer to realizing a goal.

I received some great advice on time management strategies today that I'd like to share in another post. For now, it's time for me to move on to that next big rock on my list!

SPOOKY MUSIC - Happy Halloween!

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 05:54:48 -0500

Happy Halloween everybody!

Check out some of these fun and spooky Halloween radio stations that you can listen to while you work from your computer!

www.live365.com - just type in Halloween in the "Find Stations" and there's plenty of variety depending on your mood.

Another great spot is www.music.aol.com - click on the "Radio" tab and there should one for Halloween.

It's a great way to get in the mood! I play it at home too and crank it up for all the trick-or-treaters!

The picture below is of me (on the left) with my forever best friend, Lisa Elwood back when we were around 12. We were transforming into the 2 headed monster. :-)

Howell Carnegie Library

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:44:48 -0500

Hey Moms ... looking for a fun, but educational activity for your young ones? If you haven't checked out the Howell Carnegie Library yet you should really stop in for a look around.

In the last year or so they have done some beautiful remodeling of the childrens area. You can find it in the basement of the building located on Grand River in downtown Howell. Here's a link to check out what they have to offer:

http://www.howelllibrary.org/kids.htm

I took both my kids there when they were in preschool and elementary and just needed that extra outlet for fun and learning. Here's a list of some the wonderful things the library has to offer:

Story Time: Late Fall registration begins 10/22/07 ... get there early, it fills up quickly! They have programs for infants with their parents all the way to 1st graders
Read, Music, Play (RMD): The format is a mix of fingerplays, songs, stories and time to socialize with the others in the group.
Halloween Party on 10/27/07, come in costume, trick-or-treat in the library and make a craft.
Computers filled with kid friendly and educational video games.
Free DVD and VHS rentals
Plus, TONS of kids books, software and music.

Check it out .... my kids loved and I'm sure yours will too!

CAMP 4:4:3 - Keller Williams in Brighton, MI

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:43:33 -0500

I just have to give a shout out to my new friends at the Keller Williams office in Brighton, MI. I attended their CAMP 4:4:3 class today and I'm very excited about becoming a "LEAD GENERATOR"!

They were all very welcoming and gracious enough to allow this Real Estate One agent into their group! There was a lot of energy in the room today, and I know this class will really be the kick start to a long and successful business for us all.

I hope some of you have checked out Active Rain since class and will take a moment to read my blog. I'd love any and all comments. Also, keep in mind Real Estate One would love to return the favor. We also have many classes at our Real Estate One Academy. Go to www.reoacademy.com and let me know if you'd like to drop in on one.

Also, special thanks to Lori Lincoln (www.activerain.com/lorilincoln) for putting me in touch with right people!

I look forward to class on Monday! :-)