Michigan real estate brokers listen up - 12/31/08 12:06 PM
I get a lot of solicitations from other brokers to join their firms. I always like to get them. Some make me laugh. Some stroke my ego. Some are insulting to my intelligence.
I'm not moving anytime in the future. I like Remerica Hometown One. They support us. They have the support system to back us up. Here is one area of the many support systems they have.
They have receptionists that answer the phone. Nothing special right, wrong there are some companies that just have answering machines. There is no person on the other end!!!! They will get back to … (1 comments)
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Farmington Hills MI events and happenings - 12/27/08 05:22 PM
Farmington Hills Ice Arena
To Host FREE Skating Clinic Jan. 10 2009
The Farmington Hills Ice Arena will host a special FREE clinic on Saturday, January 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. as part of U.S. Figure Skating's National Skating Month. It's Great to Skate welcomes new skaters to a fun-filled event with free skating, demonstrations of different ice sports, giveaways, and raffle prizes.
Every year, U.S. Figure Skating Member Clubs reach out to the community through It's Great to Skate activities at local rinks. The goal of National Skating Month is to increase awareness and participation in the sport, … (3 comments)
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What do you think I should do - 12/27/08 08:14 AM
I'm frustrated with a Northville short sale process and I don't know what to do. We submitted the offer back on 9/09 for this Northville condo. I am the buyers agent. So I don't get much information from the listing agent. She did not even know that the homeowner was going into foreclosure or not. We found out that the home was in foreclosure by driving by and noticing the public notice posted on the front door of the Northville condo. The listing agent says she is not getting any response from the bank. Or that she has not heard anything.
We got a … (16 comments)
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Do you ever get the feeling? - 12/26/08 01:54 PM
That you are a better person for being part of Active Rain? It is my one year anniversary today. I started exactly one year ago today. I honestly can't say what got me to active rain, or what got me to be an active blogger.
All I know is that I have become a better person because of active rain. I have become a part of a community, a community of great people. A community that shares their knowledge. A real estate community that has buyers, sellers of real estate and their interests in their heart. People who are trying to be … (16 comments)
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My Christmas wish for all the real estate agents on Active Rain - 12/25/08 09:21 PM
I read a comment from a new blogger, somebody that was struggling with the economy. So here is my Christmas present to all of you.
Blogging brings business. As a newbie blogger it takes time to build the business. So devise a plan to noticed by the search engines for your area. So write about different key topics and use your city, county, area in front of it. So if you live in Livonia MI You would write about Livonia MI first time home buyer tips, or Wayne County condos, Livonia subdivisions, Livonia ranch homes. Write about your local area always using your keywords. … (32 comments)
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Wayne County Victorian homes - 12/23/08 10:31 PM
Metro Detroit area Victorian homes
Where do you look if you want to buy a Victorian home in the Metro Detroit real estate market where do you look? Settlers started arriving in Southern Michigan in the early 1820's. There are still old farm houses, and Victorian homes scattered throughout Southern Michigan. You will find more of them near old city center. There are quite a few Victorian homes that are over a 100 years old in Southeastern Michigan. And many more built in the early 1900s.
Below I have listed cities that have Metro Detroit Victorian homes in Wayne County
Wayne County Victorian Homes
Belleville … (3 comments)
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MY 2008 success story - 12/23/08 09:33 PM
So how do we describe success? To many people it means different things. Success is not out of reach for anybody. Active Rain makes it easy!
I have 204812 points on Active rain. Am I the highest member of Active Rain.....no, nor am I the most subscribed to blogger. Do I have the highest number of invitees..... most posts......... no, most comments..... no. Am I the highest Rainer in Michigan...... no
What makes me a success then on Active Rain? Is it because I closed over 2 million dollars of real estate transactions from clients contacting me from Active … (10 comments)
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Snow and fire safety - 12/22/08 09:29 AM
Clear Your Fire Hydrant
Simple Clearing of Snow Saves Firefighters Valuable Time and May Save Lives
Southeastern Michigan has experienced heavy snowfalls early this year and area Fire Departments are asking for your help. "We can't do our job if we can't locate a hydrant, and that puts people's lives at risk," says Lieutenant Denny Hughes, a fire safety educator with the Farmington Hills Fire Department.
Whether you're a homeowner, business owner or snow removal company, Hughes asks everyone to do their part in assuring that fire hydrants are visible to responding fire tucks. "Some contractors have nowhere to put the … (4 comments)
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Detroit Lion's no#1 in the nation - 12/21/08 04:25 PM
The Detroit Lions are officially the NFL's worst team in the history of the NFL (at least in some Detroit fans opinions) . Wahoo!!! I am glad they are number one. Now we get the first draft pick. I would like to take that pick and trade the whole team to China.
Then I would start over. I would hire 80 of Detroit's unemployed at $60,000 to play. We would at least have the same record next year. So if you multiply 80 players by $60,000 it would cost $4,800,000. Minus that new payroll number from the current Detroit Lions payroll of $90,947,657 … (2 comments)
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Christmas in Metro Detroit - 12/21/08 09:08 AM
With 12 inches of the snow right now it is hard to look at Metro Detroit Real Estate. It is cold, windy and sloppy so what about this idea. Warm up the car, and pack up the kids and take a look at some of metro Detroit western Suburbs best Christmas light displays.
Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. Something about lites glistening in the dark just seems so magical. The brighter the better for me. I have Clark Griswold blood. These homes here are like postcards from the past. Some of them have large trees so the … (0 comments)
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A special message - 12/20/08 12:57 PM
Dear President Bush,
I finally want to thank you for something you did in the last 8 years. Yes, I don't have a real fondness for you. But right now I am proud of you that you stood out and put Republican priorities aside and got the auto bailout. I too believe it is just a band aid for the problems in the auto industry. But if it buys another year for Chrysler, GM, and the unions to face the problems then I am all for it. We have given money to AIG, the banks who have since give lots of bonuses … (2 comments)
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10 inches - 12/20/08 12:29 PM
of Snow and depending on who you talk to there was 12 inches of snow that fell in Metro Detroit MI yesterday by noon. I went out this morning and showed some houses.
Not one of the houses bothered to shovel the snow. So my clients and I had to trudge thru 10 inches of snow. I had expected the builders model to be shoveled, and the home owner to shovel the other one. Of course I didn't expect the bank to have the Northville foreclosure cleared of snow. The foreclosure had no heat so the floors were freezing, so my … (11 comments)
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Western Wayne County MI Hospitals - 12/19/08 09:03 PM
Livonia MI St. Mary Mercy Hospital
St Mary's is located in western Wayne County in Livonia at 5 Mile Rd and Levan. So many Livonia residents and Wayne County residents depend on St Mary Mercy Hospital for quality health care and emergency services.
St. Mary Mercy Hospital(SMMH) in Livonia joined Saint Joseph Mercy Health System in February 2008. It is a 304-bed acute-care hospital providing the highest quality services with leading-edge technology. St. Mary Mercy has been named a Top 100 Hospital by Thomson Reuters; a Bariatric Surgery Center of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS); is a … (0 comments)
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Northville MI events - 12/19/08 08:30 PM
Northville is a great city to live in. A family place, a city that cares about it's residents. If you are looking for things to do on New Years Eve with the family and live in Northville then check out:
11th Annual Northville MI Nite Family New Year's Eve Event Rock Out 2008 'n Roll In 2009!
What are you and the kids doing the New Year's Eve? Put on your poodle skirt and varsity sweater because Northville Parks and Recreation is rockin' in the New Year 50s style at our annual Family New Year's Event Bash!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008, 4:30pm … (0 comments)
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The best things in life are not things - 12/18/08 10:16 PM
Now that is a powerful sentence. Life is not about acquiring things. Many people think success is about being rich. I have a buddy that is a great family man. He is rich. He has risen up from being poor to having lots of money.
But now with the economic situation in Metro Detroit his once thriving business is struggling. It's not his fault. He is doing all the right things. He is making the right business decisions. Yes his business may fail. But he is a rich man.
He is successful at raising a good family. He treats them well. … (8 comments)
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Help I need some cheering up! and help with my Christmas wish - 12/17/08 07:13 PM
I've been sick the last few days. So sick that I don't even want to blog. I'm wore out. I'm down in the dumps. This economy has taken the Christmas spirit out of my life. I am normally an up person, happy. I love Christmas, I love the lights, the buying of the gifts, the family get togethers.
I can't seem to help people right now. I get calls from people to refinance but I can't get their homes to appraise. So many Metro Detroit homes have lost 35 - 50% of their value. It's hard to explain to them that … (11 comments)
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Michigan property taxes - first time homebuyer question - 12/16/08 08:32 PM
Michigan property tax assessment.
I recently got this email from a first time home buyer that was visiting my website Livonia Real estate and Wayne County Real Estate
I recently purchased a home in Farmington Hills, MI. I am a 1st time home buyer and had a couple of questions regarding assessment, taxes, etc.Info:The house sold for 248,000 in 1999.I purchased it recently for approx. 148,000The combined tax bill is 4908 currently
Questions:Will my taxes go down because my purchase price was lower than the previous purchase price? If so, how do I determine what they will fall to, and when … (2 comments)
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Boy, I am glad - 12/15/08 08:47 PM
As everybody knows the Metro Detroit real estate market is bad. Metro Detroit area homes are still declining in value, both Wayne County Real Estate MI and Oakland County real estate are taking over 5 months to sell. So I have been thinking about the people I had to really convince to accept a lowball offer.
I remember about two years ago I had an retiree that needed to sell their Plymouth Condo. They bought the condo for $179,000. There were 12 unsold units still for sale. We put the condo on the market for $185,000 per the adamant demands of … (3 comments)
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Farmington Hill MI December Concert - 12/15/08 04:21 PM
Farmington Hills Youth Choir
Presents Free Concert December 17
Farmington Hills evnts
The Farmington Hills Youth Choir invites the public to enjoy a free concert on Wednesday, December 17 at 7 p.m. at the Costick Center. The ensemble will perform a selection of holiday pieces, blending their uplifting voices with the joy of the season.
The Farmington Hills Youth Choir, created in 2007 by the City of Farmington Hills, gives its members the chance to practice their vocal skills, work with others, meet new friends, and learn performance techniques in a supportive environment. Auditions for the 2009-10 FH Youth Choir … (0 comments)
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Holiday Acceptance - 12/13/08 09:39 AM
Holidays are usually fun and enjoyable for most people. With the current economic times we more than ever need to stay positive. Here is my short list of why we are so lucky.
The holidays is about religious beliefs. Each of us has our own. That is what is great about America. We can each practice our beliefs and faith without fear of persecution. What a great place America is. Women don't have to hide behind veils if they don't want to. But if they do that is okay too. It is okay to be Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, or agnostic. Many … (8 comments)
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Livonia MI data and info - 12/13/08 07:31 AM
Livonia hospitalsSt. Mary's Hospital is located right in Livonia MI on 5 mile Rd. If you don't want to use St. Mary's there are several hospitals within 20 minutes, Providence Hospital in Novi, Garden City hospital in Garden City, and Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn. Many doctors, and dentist make Livonia home making it easy for you to locate a family practitioner close by.The city has good police force and good firemen that have worked hard to keep Livonia ranked in the top of the nation's safest cities. As the City´s motto proclaims, "People Come First" in Livonia. With a population of over 100,000, Livonia is the:
2nd … (0 comments)
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Metro Detroit Short Sale seminar - 12/12/08 12:03 PM
Did you miss Thursday's Short Sale seminar at the REIA of Oakland? Did you attend but want even more detailed information than the 2 hours allowed? If so, read on!
This past Thursday, Steve Dillon, gave a short 2-hour seminar at the Michigan State University Management Education Center in Troy, MI on how to navigate the short sale process from a unique perspective; he worked on the inside for over 12 years as a loss mitigator for 2 large banks. As a loss mitigator, he handled over 8,000 short sales, conducted training classes for loss mitigators, and even wrote many … (0 comments)
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I'm not participating in this recession - 12/11/08 05:12 PM
Yep.... you heard it right. I am refusing to buy into Detroit Michigan's recession. I am not going to doomed and gloomed by the media. I can't afford to be scared. Me and my family are making a stand!!! WE HAVE DECIDED NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS YEARS RECESSION
I'm not participating in this recession. My family, friends, and co-workers are going to work hard. We are going to stay afloat. We are going to different things to make money. We are going to work harder and smarter. We are going to take the extra steps or steps to keep our jobs … (85 comments)
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I'm not participating in this recession - 12/11/08 01:23 PM
Yep.... you heard it right. I am refusing to buy into Detroit Michigan's recession. I am not going to doomed and gloomed by the media. I can't afford to be scared. Me and my family are making a stand!!! WE HAVE DECIDED NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS YEARS RECESSION
I'm not participating in this recession. My family, friends, and co-workers are going to work hard. We are going to stay afloat. We are going to different things to make money. We are going to work harder and smarter. We are going to take the extra steps or steps to keep our jobs … (21 comments)
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Somebody is jealous in Michigan - 12/10/08 10:02 PM
I have been lucky. My blogs are showing up everywhere. I am showing up on the front page of google for almost every Northville subdivisions, Novi subdivisions, Plymouth subdivisions, and many Livonia subdivisions. I am working hard to give Michigan real estate buyers and Metro Detroit home sellers enough information to make good decisions.
I research many things on our local MLS listings. Our local MLS board Realcomp provides great Southeastern Michigan Real Estate information. When I started on Active Rain I called our board and talked to a customer service rep and told them how I was going to use … (9 comments)
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Chasing the market down - 12/09/08 08:34 PM
Real estate term explanation "Chasing the market down"
If you price your Wayne County home high you will be chasing the market down. What I mean by that is by the time you realize that you are overpriced you will lower it a little bit. But by then the Metro Detroit real estate market value will have dropped. So then even though you dropped your price you will be over priced for the Metro Detroit real estate market again. This will happen over and over as you chase the market down. You will finally get tired of chasing the market down. … (2 comments)
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Do you ever get peeved? - 12/09/08 08:19 AM
I am sitting in front of the TV blogging and a local window company came on. I used them and was very dissatisfied with their product. One of my large windows don't close well at all. I called several times and and they just gave me a run around. I recently had a client that used them and they were even worse for them. They delayed the installation, the salesmen was rude, and the people were taken advantage of. We were holding off listing the home until they installed the windows.
It is a sad commentary of our times when you … (7 comments)
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Detroit Michigan real estate - 12/08/08 08:44 PM
I am here in Detroit, I am a Michigan Realtor and I am surviving in the real estate industry! Another blogger today said she would not know what to do if she was in Detroit. Our real estate market is very tough but homes are selling and being bought. There were over 2000 foreclosures in the city of Detroit itself. There are homes that have been for sale for over a year. But many homes are being bought and sold.
Sure Detroit homes and Detroit Real Estate have lost 30 to 50% of their value. That directly correlates to our paychecks being 30 … (4 comments)
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WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE? - 12/07/08 09:35 AM
I THINK I ALREADY FIGURED THIS OUT BUT IF ANYBODY KNOWS PLEASE CONFIRM THIS. I AM BLOGGING ON MY SONS LAPTOP HERE IN CHICAGO. WE ARE VISITING AND HELPING THE ECONOMY OUT IN CHICAGO. TOO MANY GREAT RESTAURANTS AND FUN PLACES TO GO. WE WATCHED THE FLORIDA-ALABAMA GAME AT JAKES IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO AND THEN WENT TO ANGELINAS ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN LAKEVIEW. GOOD FOOD. THEN WE HAD TO WALK A MILE HOME IN THE FREEZING COLD.
BUT BACK TO MY QUESTION I AM BLOGGING ON AN APPLE COMPUTER. AND WHEN I POST ALL THE SPACES FROM BETWEEN THE PARAGRAPHS DISAPPEAR WHEN … (5 comments)
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Being a successful real estate agent - 12/07/08 08:58 AM
I read a post here about what does a successful real estate agent mean to me. I don't believe in the total flash concept. I don't believe that I need to flash my success in peoples faces. So you won't find me dripping in gold. I had a client when I was a landscape contractor (20 years ago) tell me she was turned off by another landscape contractor because he sooooo much gold on. She didn't even have that much gold she said. So you won't find me wearing loaded down with gold. I do learn from other people experiences.
Will … (5 comments)
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How long will the Metro Detroit buyers market last? - 12/06/08 09:51 PM
I honestly don't know the answer to that. Right now there are too many homes for the amount of qualified buyers that are able to qualify for a mortgage. When will that change? I don't think anybody can accurately predict that! I don't believe anybody can say this month the market is going to change. We are still getting quite a few foreclosures hitting the market. We have not seen the end of people losing their homes. I know of two friends that they are in foreclosure and the house has been sold at sheriff sale. But they are still living … (0 comments)
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I had a senior moment today - 12/06/08 09:38 PM
And I am only fifty. We drove to Chicago to visit our son Ryan. We thought we would take in Chicago's Christmas lights, take in a show, and of course take in some good food. We stayed at the Embassy Suites downtown. We don't stay at many hotels that we have to pay for parking. But that is another story. ($39 to park the car) But anyway after driving in we parked the car. We got in the elevator and my wife says do you remember where we parked? Of course we didn't watch right away but she said we parked … (7 comments)
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Christmas decorating when selling your home - 12/05/08 12:48 PM
When trying to sell your home in this buyers market the key is to appeal to the greatest number of buyers. That is why home stagers and real estate agents tell you to paint your house in neutral colors and have it move in ready.
So lets look at Christmas decorating in that way.
Does it appeal to the greatest number of buyers as possible? Does it turn some buyers off? (that is what you don't want to do at all) Does it keep a home buyer from identifying with your house? Remember when you went into the house with … (2 comments)
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Michigan Luxury Homes Sales - 12/04/08 08:41 PM
Metro Detroit Luxury home sales.
Below I have separated the Counties to show you what Michigan luxury homes have sold for in the last six months. I consider anything over a million dollars a Michigan luxury home. This shows you the average time on the market and the price range.
Comp and Listing Information Courtesy of Realcomp II Ltd, Properties shown have been listed and sold by various MLS member REALTOR® agents,
… (1 comments)
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Canton Michigan events - 12/04/08 08:13 PM
Celebrate the Holiday Season in Canton Michigan:
The 30th Annual Tree Lighting Event will take place on Wednesday, December 3 at 7pm. The "official Canton" tree will be lit in front of the Summit on the Park, located at 46000 Summit Parkway. Special family festivities will take place both indoors and outside in Heritage Park, from 6-9pm. There will be a large variety of activities, including seasonal entertainment, refreshments, holiday crafts, and more. Pre-registration is not required.Santa Claus Still Wants to Hear From You! Canton Leisure Services has made very special arrangements with the U.S. Post Office and Santa's helpers at … (0 comments)
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Downtown Plymouth MI decorated for Christmas - 12/03/08 09:15 PM
Economy have you down? Do you have the blues, need some cheering up? Want to get into the Christmas spirit.Then take a stroll down to downtown Plymouth MI.
They have decorated
Kellog Park with trees.
Local businesses and citizens decorate 6 foot live trees to support a cause or to celebrate a loved ones life.
Christmas songs play over speakers so you can really get into the spirit. The local musuem has holiday related exhibits and the Penn Theater is playing a Christmas classic.
People are strolling through all the neat local stores and enjoying the many restaurants and bars. Even … (2 comments)
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Why refinancing may not be a good idea. ( I have a bet on this) - 12/03/08 08:30 PM
I know the rule many people use is that is you can lower your rate by a half a percent or a quarter of a percent you should refinance. THEY ARE WRONG THERE ARE OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
If you have been in a mortgage for over 3 and a half years it probably is not wise to refinance. Here is an example why you should not refinance.
Let's say you got a mortgage for $200,000 at 6.125% back in Nov 2004. ( Your first payment was in November). So going off an amortization schedule your current balance this … (6 comments)
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I need your opinion and help! - 12/03/08 06:13 PM
I need your thoughts on this marketing strategy. I have a friend who owns a marketing company. They have sent out somberos filled with chips and salsa for Cinco de mayo. They gave out pizzas. They gave out milkshakes. They sent all these items to decision makers in companies they wanted to get business from. Now he wants to wrap a nice box with Christmas paper, put a candy cane on top. Inside he wants to put coal inside with a note saying you have been naughty and have not called us. With the notation that "we the so and so company … (24 comments)
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Buying Detroit foreclosures as investment properties - 12/02/08 09:44 PM
This will be a controversial post. I got an email from a investor (out of the country) that thought Detroit real estate were an absolute bargain. I get this all of the time. I have helped people buy Detroit foreclosures. That is when they knew what they were getting into.
The out of state investor saw homes that were $500 - $1000. He asked me my opinion. What is my opinion about buying Detroit real estate.
I am going to get grief from some people but this is the way many people see Detroit. Well here is my opinion.
When you … (7 comments)
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