Recently I was showing a foreclosed property and found the only thing left in the stripped property was this chalkboard mounted in the basement. The message "It was fun" struck a chord with me.

How many times have you asked yourself, "I wonder where the past owner went". Wonder what happened to the people who used to call this house a home? Where are the children who used to swing on the swing set out back? Where did the children end up? Where are their friends and loved ones? Are they managing better now than when they lost the house to foreclosure? Where they "tricked" into a mortgage they didn't understand? Did the interest rate on their creative mortgage spike up? Did they simply over buy, or was it a job loss?

Why did the past owner steal the kitchen cabinets knobs? Where are the kitchen cabinets & countertops? Why where the only remaining items in the kitchen the built in dishwasher and stand alone range? Where are the interior door knobs? Why did they remove the light fixtures and toilets? Why was the electric panel cut out? Why did they leave the property in disarray? Did the basement always flood, or is this a new phenomenon?

Who was the painter who painted this interior so poorly? And what about the bright purple painted bedroom? Whose idea was that anyways? Was it little Ashley's? Where are the closet doors? What happened to the furnace? What happened to the hot water heater and copper pipes? What's that smell? Why did the family pet urinate on that wall plug?

According to our recent MLS statistics, nearly 50% of our sales last quarter were foreclosures. The foreclosure market has prompted me to ponder many new questions, most without an answer. Will we ever have an answer?

When will the market "Get back to normal"? What do you tell your buyer when asked? I have been selling real estate in southeast Michigan for nearly 18 years. Now more than ever I find myself asking these series of questions.

I have heard that all real estate is local. Is it just me, or is your real estate market the same?

Shelby Township Michigan real estate residential market report for April 2009

I have prepared a report of the home sales data in Shelby Township Michigan for the month of April  2009.

The information below is gathered from Mirealsource Multiple Listing Service and represents those homes sold by participating real estate brokers and agents and does not include data from private sources.

For the period of April 1, 2009 through April 30, 2009:

Total houses sold:   42

Total condos sold:  12

Average sales price for houses:  $169,009

Average sales price for condos: $78,642


If you would like more detailed information in regards to the market value of your home in Shelby Township Michigan please don't hesitate to contact me either via phone or email.

www.LookForHomes.com

Macomb Township Michigan real estate residential market report for April 2009

I have prepared a report of the home sales data in Macomb Township Michigan for the month of April 2009.

The information below is gathered from Mirealsource Multiple Listing Service and represents those homes sold by participating real estate brokers and agents and does not include data from private sources.

For the period of April 1, 2009 through April 30, 2009:

Total homes sold:   78

Total condos sold:  17

Average sales price for homes:  $152,532

Average sales price for condos: $69,678


If you would like more detailed information in regards to the market value of your home in Macomb Township Michigan please don't hesitate to contact me either via phone or email.

www.LookForHomes.com

Macomb County Michigan real estate residential market report for April 2009

I have  prepared a report of the home sales data in Macomb County Michigan for the month of April 2009.

The information below is gathered from Mirealsource Multiple Listing Service and represents those homes sold by participating real estate brokers and agents and does not include data from private sources.

For the period of April 1, 2009 through April 30, 2009:

Total homes sold:   733

Total condos sold:  173

Average sales price for homes:  $81,510

Average sales price for condos: $49,766


If you would like more detailed information in regards to the market value of your home in Macomb County Michigan please don't hesitate to contact me either via phone or email.

www.LookForHomes.com

Fresh data provided by MiRealsource MLS, reports that bank owned real estate sales accounted for a whopping 45% of all real estate sold in Macomb County Michigan in 2008. This compares to only 27% in 2007.

Bank sales in December 2008, accounted for 55% of all sales compared to 37% in 2007. Not surprising is the fact that leases are increasing as well. They make up 11% of all transactions.  As owners struggle to make ends meet, many are resorting to leasing their property. Some are successful, some still end up losing their property to foreclosure.

In 2008 the average sales price declined in Macomb County. The average sales price in December 2008 was $159,295, Compare that to December 2007 when the average sales price was $179,397.

To put these numbers into perspective, in April of 2005, the average sales price was $189,457. Bank sales only accounted for 8% of all sales. Leases were only 3% of all transactions.

So are we at "the bottom"? I believe that if we aren't, we are pretty close. Now is a great time to buy in Macomb County. Property values on average are what they were back in 1995-1996. It is a great time to move into a larger, newer home. Or if your current home is too large, I can assist you in finding a smaller less costly property.

If you would like more detailed information in regards to the market value of your home in Macomb County Michigan please don't hesitate to contact me either via phone or email.

www.LookForHomes.com

View the entire report

Macomb County Michigan real estate residential market report for December 2008

I have  prepared a report of the home sales data in Macomb County Michigan for the month of December 2008.

The information below is gathered from Mirealsource Multiple Listing Service and represents those homes sold by participating real estate brokers and agents and does not include data from private sources.

For the period of December 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008:

Total homes sold:   613

Total condos sold:  2

Average sales price for homes:  $95,186

Average sales price for condos: $36,250


If you would like more detailed information in regards to the market value of your home in Macomb County Michigan please don't hesitate to contact me either via phone or email.

www.LookForHomes.com

Macomb Township Michigan real estate residential market report for December 2008

I have prepared a report of the home sales data in Macomb Township Michigan for the month of December 2008.

The information below is gathered from Mirealsource Multiple Listing Service and represents those homes sold by participating real estate brokers and agents and does not include data from private sources.

For the period of December 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008:

Total homes sold:   41

Total condos sold:  17

Average sales price for homes:  $162,331

Average sales price for condos: $73,712


If you would like more detailed information in regards to the market value of your home in Macomb Township Michigan please don't hesitate to contact me either via phone or email.

www.LookForHomes.com

Shelby Township Michigan real estate residential market report for December 2008

I have prepared a report of the home sales data in Shelby Township Michigan for the month of December 2008.

The information below is gathered from Mirealsource Multiple Listing Service and represents those homes sold by participating real estate brokers and agents and does not include data from private sources.

For the period of December 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008:

Total houses sold:   42

Total condos sold:  15

Average sales price for houses:  $205,676

Average sales price for condos: $65,883


If you would like more detailed information in regards to the market value of your home in Shelby Township Michigan please don't hesitate to contact me either via phone or email.

www.LookForHomes.com

Macomb County Michigan real estate residential market report for November 2008

I have  prepared a report of the home sales data in Macomb County Michigan for the month of November 2008.

The information below is gathered from Mirealsource Multiple Listing Service and represents those homes sold by participating real estate brokers and agents and does not include data from private sources.

For the period of November 1, 2008 through November 30, 2008:

Total homes sold:   653

Total condos sold:  3

Average sales price for homes:  $87,170

Average sales price for condos: $58,560


If you would like more detailed information in regards to the market value of your home in Macomb County Michigan please don't hesitate to contact me either via phone or email.

www.LookForHomes.com

Macomb Township Michigan real estate residential market report for November 2008

I have prepared a report of the home sales data in Macomb Township Michigan for the month of November 2008.

The information below is gathered from Mirealsource Multiple Listing Service and represents those homes sold by participating real estate brokers and agents and does not include data from private sources.

For the period of November 1, 2008 through November 30, 2008:

Total homes sold:   44

Total condos sold:  10

Average sales price for homes:  $194,035

Average sales price for condos: $101,855


If you would like more detailed information in regards to the market value of your home in Macomb Township Michigan please don't hesitate to contact me either via phone or email.

www.LookForHomes.com