market: Greater Lansing Real Estate Buyers and Seller's Seem to Be Getting Mixed Messages These Days About the Real Estate Market From Disaster to Recovery. - 08/06/10 08:56 AM
Greater Lansing Real Estate Buyers and Seller's seem to be getting mixed messages these days about the real estate market from disaster to recovery. An example sprang up yesterday as one of our leading news sources for real estate news, Inman News had two separate articles with headlines titled: Real Estate Market: Worse Than Expected? And the other titled, Another Record Week for Mortgage Rates.
Sometimes headlines are what confuse the buyers and sellers on market conditions because the headline might be all they read. Both of these articles are great and have some valuable information that would be a benefit to read.
My point is, the … (2 comments)

market: Lot’s of Great News for Greater Lansing Real Estate Market and the Tri-County Area - 12/17/09 06:07 AM
Lot’s of great news for Greater Lansing Real Estate Market and the Tri-County Area has been the buzz for the past month or so, with signs that home selling may get a big shot in the arm this winter producing a strong 2010 for buyers and sellers.  Seller’s who want to get the jump on selling their house should begin early to meet that Home Buyer Tax Credit date of May 1st, 2010. Buyer’s should also start soon for obtaining the best interest rates in nearly 40 years and locking those rates down. 
Here’s some of that positive news hitting the streets … (1 comments)

market: Ten Reasons to Sell Your Home in the Winter, Plus Some in the Greater Lansing Real Estate Market - 12/02/09 09:25 AM
I received this list below in my email today, Titled: Ten Reasons to Sell Your Home in the Winter. This list has been floating around for several years on why to buy and sell real estate in the winter month's or holiday season. I made a few alterations because this year 2009/2010 is an unusual time for real estate in the Greater Lansing Real Estate Market and could be the best time ever to buy or the worst time ever to sell, depending on your circumstances. I also added a few remarks at the end of the list for your information.
Ten Reasons to Sell … (7 comments)

market: Buyers and Sellers Need Professional Consulting - Greater Lansing, Michigan Real Estate Market - 09/16/09 10:59 AM
Buyers and Sellers need professional consulting in a challenging real estate market like we have experienced the past few years in the greater Lansing area.  Real estate transactions involve one of the biggest financial investments most people experience in their lifetime. There are many negotiating factors, including but not limited to price, financing, terms, date of possession and often the inclusion or exclusion of repairs and furnishings.Buying a home can be an emotional, time-consuming, and complex process. There are a few things that you can do to help make the process go as smooth as possible. Number one is consulting with … (0 comments)

market: Good Reason for Sellers in the Greater Lansing Real Estate Market to Prepare Well - 08/09/09 09:16 AM
According to a recent article published by RISMedia; nearly half of brokers polled for a Coldwell Banker survey last year found that affordability was the No. 1 concern for first-time buyers, 81% said move-in conditions were very important to these buyers. Only 7% said first-time buyers were looking to purchase fixer-upper homes that they could buy on the cheap and renovate.
That's good reason for sellers in the greater Lansing real estate market to prepare wellto show your home off at it's best when selling. You can do that by making small cosmetic improvements, minor renovations, home staging, competitive pricing, ease … (0 comments)

market: How's the Real Estate Market in Greater Lansing, Michigan? - 07/27/09 02:56 PM
How's the Real Estate Market in Greater Lansing, Michigan?I get asked that question almost everyday. It's unbelievable, I say. It is unbelievable. Now, you can take that either way, positive or negative. Being the eternal optimist that I am, I chose to be positive that things are getting better.
Homes are selling if priced correctly, prepared properly, and marketed throughout the Internet with plenty of syndication, active portals and websites, and promoted with plenty of photos.
Just look at what's happening in sales Year to Date compared to last year based on the latest GLAR stats:

Note: that Listings are … (0 comments)

market: Optimistic Growth, Events, and Opportunity for Greater Lansing, Michigan - 06/24/09 11:57 AM
There's new energy and enthusiasm in the Greater Lansing Regional area with businesses, events, and opportunity.  Most homeowners like the Lansing area because it's a great place to live, work and play.  With many projects in the works for future growth, I am optimistic that Central Michigan will begin to see light at the end of the tunnel for the challenging times we have experienced.
The housing market is beginning to bottom out with inventory continuing to shrink, pricing stabilizing, and pending sales beginning to exceed last years numbers. The residential market surplus was 9.2 months of inventory compared to 15.7 months last year at this time … (0 comments)

market: "Now's the Time to Make Your Move" Greater Lansing Michigan Home Buyers - 06/22/09 10:02 AM
"Now's the Time to Make Your Move" Many people in the greater Lansing Michigan real estate market are concerned about how today's challenging economic environment might affect their ability to buy a home, or even whether they should become homeowners right now. Real estate remains a wonderful long-term investment compared to renting.
The greater Lansing real estate market will see an increase in home sales as a result of the Federal Housing Administration program to allow qualified home buyers to apply the $8,000 tax credit when purchasing a home. This true tax break is for first-time home buyers. 
 You can get … (0 comments)

market: Golf & Real Estate, Lansing, Michigan Has Both & They Compare Sometimes - 06/03/09 11:48 PM
I posted this a few years back, however it's worth another look in today's challenging real estate market. Golf and Real Estate are so much alike.  Sometimes you just have to go golfing to clear your mind.
In golf, weather conditions change your game; in real estate market conditions change your approach to business.
In golf, if you want score well you have to have the right equipment.  In real estate today the right equipment means being on top of the best technology to provide great pictures, websites, syndication, and communication.
In golf, if a golfer wants to score well, he … (0 comments)

market: The Right Price on Your House for the Greater Lansing Michigan Real Estate Market - 05/10/09 09:07 AM
The Right Selling Price Affects Your Bottom LineWhen you're selling your home in the greater Lansing, Michigan real estate market, the price you set is a critical factor in the return you'll receive. That's why you need a professional evaluationfrom an experienced Realtor. This person can provide you with an honest assessment of your home, based on several factors including:Market conditions Condition of your home Repairs or improvements Time frame In real estate terms, market value is the price at which a particular house, in its current condition, will sell within 30 to 90 days.
If the price of your home is … (0 comments)

market: Delta Township, Waverly Home Buyer Attributes Draw Attention - 01/16/09 09:35 AM
Many times when someone is buying a home in the greater Lansing real estate market, they ask me about schools, entertainment, and other attributes of the community. The nice thing about the Lansing Michigan area is that our highway system can get you almost anywhere you want to go within minutes.   There is so much to offer in the Tri-County area of Eaton, Clinton and Ingham counties, when it comes to family values.
Research and data about school differences has become increasingly important during recent years. Professionals from many fields need experts who can provide customized information and support services - … (0 comments)

market: Prime Time for a Buyer to Buy a House in the Greater Lansing Real Estate Market. - 11/28/08 10:25 AM
On Tuesday the government announced an $800 stimulus plan for the credit markets. Some $500 million will be spent buying mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae in an effort to push down mortgage rates. The best time to buy in any market is when it is down (a buyers market) and the circumstances for you are right. This is a prime time for a buyer with good credit and/or a good down payment to buy a house in the greater Lansing real estate market. Right now inventories remain high and prices have fallen over the past … (0 comments)

market: Featured Homes of the Week! Greater Lansing Michigan Real Estate Market - 10/31/08 02:24 AM
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market: Let's Look at the Positive News in the Greater Lansing Real Estate Market for Home Buyers - 09/26/08 11:19 AM
 
The good news for buyers in the greater Lansing real estate market is that now is a great time to buy a house if you have a job, if you have a good credit rating (700 or above) and you have the motivation to be a home owner vs. renting. The all American dream is more affordable, more feasible and more realistically priced today. here's why:
1. Interest rates are low - Average 30-year fixed mortgage rate 6.0% - 6.25% 9/25/08
 
2. Housing affordability index is 117.7 which mean a family earning the median family income has 117.7% … (0 comments)

market: Questions Answered for First Time Home Buyers in Lansing Michigan Real Estate Area - 09/13/08 04:49 AM
Here's twenty nine questions and answers provided by the National Association of Realtors for the first time home buyer in the greater Lansing real estate market, who wants to learn more about taking advantage of the new interest free loan being offered.
I had a chance recently to throw out the question to some of my LinkedIn connections on how they as, mortgage brokers and Realtors have been taking advantage of this new incentive for their clients and customers. Here's what they had to say: "In a market where currently we have a situation of low interest rates and high … (0 comments)

market: Delta Township, Grand Ledge Real Estate Market, How's Business? unbelievable! - 05/24/08 02:49 PM
The number one question I am asked these days is, how's business?  I usually answer the question, that it's unbelievable! You can take that any way you want; however, I take the positive road when it comes to the real estate industry. I have often told my agents that if we did not have problems in this industry, sellers and buyers would not need us. So, in today's market we are experiencing what I call a challenging market, with foreclosures driving down average sale prices, a glut of inventory, unsure job situations, inflated gas prices and a series of other pot … (0 comments)

market: Lansing, Michigan, Big Loser, Scariest City for Real Estate, THAT'S BUNK - 05/14/08 01:36 AM
Several news articles have broken in the past few days about how Lansing Michigan is the big loser when it comes to drop in housing prices, referring to the median price drop of 27%. What most articles always tend to leave out is that the national median normally is a typical market price, where half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less. 
NAR President Richard Gaylord, said the U.S. market is very dynamic. "It's more important than ever to examine what's happening with home prices at the city and neighborhood level," Gaylord said. "The old real … (2 comments)

market: Fed Drops Rates, Activity Picks Up, GM May Go Back to Work, Yes for Lansing Area! - 05/01/08 09:52 AM
Lots of good news this week around Lansing area as the weather starts to break, additional good news hits the streets with the Federal Reserve lowering rates and the strike being settled. We started noticing increased activity last Sunday with open houses reporting increased traffic 3 and 4 fold compared to previous weeks. The telephone has been ringing with buyers and sellers, the conference rooms are being used more frequently and it appears to be business as usual in and around the greater Lansing real estate market. Notice I said business as usual vs. back to a booming market. The boom … (1 comments)

market: Lansing Housing Market 2007 Update and 2008 forecast - 01/02/08 11:19 AM
The stats are in on 2007 vs. 2006 for the greater Lansing real estate market, based on searching residential sold units off the MLXchange for 2007 I found 4248 residential sales with and average sale price of $143,000.00 compared to 2006 having 4933 sales at an average sale price of $153,618.00. Units are down 14% while average sale price is down 7% over one year. So don't believe what you read, it's hogwash, spin, and dirty media tactics to sell bad news.
Overall Lansing faired well compared to most areas in the country. Keep in mind that the reduction in sale … (0 comments)

market: I Have Great News! - 07/04/07 03:34 AM
I am pleased to announce that I am back into the market of listing and selling real estate. After over 25 years of managing, brokering and training other agents, I see opportunity in today's market conditions that most people do not. If you read the Newspaper you would think the sky was falling. (They're part of the problem) Current market conditions in Lansing are challenging (to say the least) with nearly 7000 properties on the market. But, there has never been a better time to buy. Interest rates are the lowest in nearly 40 years, there is more to choose from than … (4 comments)