Like it or not, technology is playing a huge role in the real estate business. Personally, I like it. The use of tech tools and gadgets is something that I have always been drawn to and can pick up on very easily.

It boggles my mind when I hear agents in my office say they will not utilize the Internet and email in their business.  I think they're shooting themselves right in the foot.  Consumers expect information right now! They can get property listings, sales history, previous owners, price changes, etc with a click of the mouse. So when they ask you to email them the purchase agreement and they will email it back, you better know how to scan, attach and download.

It's a matter of who can do the job quickest and not sacrifice quality these days. Gone are the days of driving documents to the other agents office. Even fax has taken a back seat.

The tech train left the depot a while ago.

Here's a tidbit if you didn't already know. Trulia allows agents to set up a profile and put your listings on there. You can also set it up to directly email your seller weekly updates on the traffic they are receiving through Trulia. We need to provide our sellers with as much info as possible to help them make educated decisions.

Remember, at the end of the day, our experience and knowledge is something that can't be found on line.

Memorial Day is Monday and many of us are heading out of town for the weekend.  Personally, I'm going camping. I've always been a big fan of camping.  Sitting around enjoying the weather, drinking an ice cold "ginger ale", in the company of great friends and family. What's not to love?  Besides, I even have a camper which makes things better.

I've been cleaning up the camper for the season. I took everything out, scrubbed it top to bottom, then put everything back in. We are organized and looking good!  It really got be thinking . . . shouldn't our sellers be doing this when we list their homes?

If you went to your own house right now, took everything out, scrubbed it down, got rid of things you don't need, then organize it, how would it look. My guess is better than the day you originally moved in. Just like when you sell a car, you clean it up and get it looking really nice for the prospective owner.

Home sellers should be doing this before the home hits the market! It's important to make their homes look great. You can even rent a POD to store stuff in your driveway while you clean.

By doing this, you will increase the buyers appeal, and will help justify a higher purchase price.  With the amount of homes in bad shape on the market, it's great walking into a clean, organized one. Buyers will pay a little extra so they don't have to do it when they get the keys.

I've been working the foreclosure / short sale market for some time now. It just worked out that the clients I gravitated towards were buying up these "deals".  So I kept with it, and started to learn the in's and out's.  I ran with it and started listing short sales (still haven't broke into the foreclosure listing, open to help!).

I can't tell you how many times I've had a seller contact me about a short sale and tell me that their lender won't help them because they are current on their payments.  Basically, unless you are a problem now, we don't care.  So, is there no help for these people?  

I decided to take a different approach.  At listing time, I gather ALL the paperwork that the lender will typically ask for. Then price the house to move! I can't stress this enough. Pricing has never been more of a factor then with the short sale process. 

Once you get that offer, send your short sale package into the lender as quick as possible.  The lender will be more likely to react if they have an interested party.  I consider myself to be very knowledgeable on the short sales now, and have been getting them approved much easier.  You have to know what to look for when you take the listing, but getting your ducks in a row is worth it!

Meadowbrook Glens is one of the more well established neighbhorhoods in Novi, MI.  It's a very popular subdivision due to the mature trees, large fenced yards, variety of floor plans, and sidewalks. 

This subdivision in Novi is located South of Grand River, West of Meadowbrook.  You can walk to the grocery store, pharmacy, or to get a bit to eat.  There is even an ice cream parlour at the corner. 

Home sales in Meadowbrook Glens for the past year have been steady. As of today there are 10 homes for sale.  The asking prices for the sales range from $148,000 to $280,000.

In the past 12 months there have been 14 sales ranging from $141,000 to $240,000. The average sale price is $184,625, with homes taking approx. 4 months to sell.

You can access this area on Cherry Hill which is West off Meadowbrook, or you can go North on Kings Pointe, or Hampton Hill from 10 Mile Rd.

If you have additional questions about this neighborhood, feel free to contact me. 

Happy Hunting!

Rob Chubb
248-348-6430 ext. 223
Novi, MI, 48375
www.RobChubb.com

I haven't written anything for a while so I thought my first post back would be about housing and life in Novi, MI. 

Novi's median sale price for for the 1st quarter of 2009 was around $182,500 which is down about 5.5% from the previous year. The number of homes hitting the market in Novi, has also declined.  This tells us that the market is turning, and with less inventory, it's only a matter of time before values start to increase.

Novi is a popular place for prospective homeowners that are either moving from another city in Michigan or out of state.  Novi has many different housing options available at a wide variety of pricing.  If you prefer to live in a condo, small home, or luxury estate sized home, Novi has it all.  The area has also seen it's share of foreclosures. The positive light on these sales are that they are typically priced well and home buyers are grabbing them up quickly. 

Shopping, dining and night life make Novi a popluar destination for all different age groups.  Many well known restuarants and department stores call Novi home.  The Twelve Oaks Mall was built in the 1970's and recently went through a major addition bringing in many new stores.

If you are thinking about selling your Novi home, or calling Novi home, I can provide you with information.

Rob Chubb
Real Estate One - Novi
248-390-0850
rob@realestateone.com

"What is a Buyer's Agent?"

 I get this question a lot when talking to prospective home buyers. I was surprised to know how many consumers didn't know that real estate agents can exclusively represent the buyer in a transaction.

So what does the buyer's agent do?  The agents' main duties are: 

• To seek property that best fits the Buyer's needs
• To review pricing policies and trends
• To help the Buyer analyze and select neighborhoods, schools, driving distances, a closing attorney and so on
• To negotiate on behalf of the Buyer
• To provide assistance and guidance with mortgages, insurance, warranties, inspections, and repairs

All with the objective of making the purchase process beneficial to the Buyer.

As a prospective Buyer, if you want your interests represented, someone who will negotiate hard on your behalf, and is knowledgeable about the things that are important to a Buyer, you need a Buyer's Agent to work with and for you!

Fellow Agents . . . make sure you are explaining the different levels of service that buyers can receive from you. It helps you to stand out above the rest and, it's the law!

The 08-09 First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit

In July 2008, the government passed the Housing Recovery Act (H.R. 3221) and part of that act allows some homebuyers to receive a $7,500 tax incentive.  So what do you need to know to get it? Here are the details.

1. If you purchase a home between April 2008 and July 2009, you are eligible. It's worth $7,500 and can be taken in a single tax year. The program ends July 2009.
    

1. You don't really need to be a "1^st time buyer". The credit is available to anyone who hasn't purchased a home in the past 3 years.

1. This credit is actually more of a loan. The government requires the tax credit to be paid back over 15 years at a low interest rate. Payments will start in 2011 and will not be more than $500 a year.
    

1. There is no application process. Just claim the credit when you have your taxes completed. Your tax consultant can help with that.
    

1. New construction homes qualify, however, any home that is not a primary residence will not. This would include rental or vacation homes.
    

This is a great incentive for home buyers in today's market. With historically low prices, and competitive interest rates, now is a great time to purchase a home.

Ok, I'm not here to paint a pretty picture on the real estate market. I'm not trying to say how great things are, or it's not as bad as it seems.  Not my style. I'm here to give you the truth, and nothing but the truth.

It's tough for Realtors today folks! Newsflash: foreclosures are high, prices are low, inventory is high, interest rates are low and the list goes on.  With all that said, we are seeing multiple offers on well priced properties.  That's right ... multiple offers!

So how do you sell your home in 90 days or less?  It comes down to 3 important elements.

1. Exposure
2. Condition
3. Price

Let's discuss exposure first.  All you FSBO's (for sale by owner) out there, listen up.  The right exposure could easily be the most important factor. Between 80-90% of home buyers are using the Internet to shop before seeing a home in person.  You must be on all the major home hunting websites. This is where the right Realtor comes into play.  Realtors have the proper resources available to them to get your home exposed on the right websites. They assure that the most qualified buyers are looking at your home. Along with that, you need multiple pictures, virtual tours, picture slide shows, videos and more!

The condition of your home must be PERFECT. I can't stress this enough. Don't think the cobweb high up in that corner matters? You couldn't be more wrong. Buyers notice everything, and unless it's a foreclosure, it needs to be spotless. Have your Realtor walk through and look at your house from the buyer point of view. This is where the expertise of a Realtor is priceless. They have the ability to see things from a buyer standpoint.

It all comes down to price at the end.  Pricing is key. If your home is sitting on the market and you're not getting activity, re-evaluate your price.  Buyers will look at recent sales data before making on offer on your home.  They are also working with Realtors who have shown them many homes.  The buyer's know if your home is overpriced to start.  Remember, you have to sell it 3 times before you can close the deal. 1st time to the local Realtors, 2nd to the buyer, and 3rd to the appraiser.  Price it right the 1st time and all 3 will be fighting to get in and close the deal.

Rob Chubb is a licensed Realtor in Novi, MI serving Oakland, Wayne, and Livingston Counties. He can be reached at Real Estate One, (248) 348-6430 or rob@realestateone.com

Attention Home Buyers! 

With the rising cost of gas, there is a better alternative to shopping for homes then the traditional "open house".  Realtors make homes available to home purchasers through multiple pictures, virtual tours, and slide shows ... all on line!  Homes on the market are ready for you to step inside the "virtual open house", 24 hours a day.

You can find these homes on almost any website these days. Yahoo, Google, MSN, Wall Street Journal, etc.  Google and Microsoft have very cool mapping capabilites that allow you to see aerial pictures of the house and neighborhood.  You can see inside and outside of the home without being there.

As time goes on, these websites are making it easier for Realtors to upload pictures and tours. In addition to the public sites that are available to you, Realtors can send you properties in real time.  The public sites are about 48-72 hours behind your area multiple listing service (MLS).

Rob Chubb is a Realtor with Real Estate One in Michigan.  He can be reached at (248) 348-6430 ext. 223. His e-mail is rob@realestateone.com, or on the web www.RobChubb.com .

Thank you to everyone who contributed to my CARE Packages for the troops in Iraq. 

But now I'm back!

Through my efforts I have partnered up with a men's group and we are selling raffle tickets. ALL the proceeds go to purchasing and shipping items to the troops in Iraq.

On Tuesday May 6th, we had a fundraiser kick-off lunch.  We had a solider that was stationed in Iraq come and speak.  I won't get into the details but just imagine not being able to shower for over a week! Seems crazy, eh?  I currently have a friend, Ssgt Logan McKay, with the US Marines that is over there. 

So, let's pull together and raise some money to get these men and women so comforts from home.  Tickets are as follows:

$5.00/ each or $50.00 per book of 10.

1st prize - $300.00
2nd -        $150.00
3rd  -        $75.00
and 10 4th prizes of $5.00/each.

Contact me at robsells1@yahoo.com for details.  You don't have to be present to win. I can take cash or check. Make checks payable to "Boys of Botsford".

If you mail me your check:  Rob Chubb
                                        43155 Main Street Ste. 2300
                                        Novi, MI 48375

Thanks! Your support is appreciated and necessary!