Susan Says - Comments on Ann Arbor Real Estate, and Life

Who Art in Heaven

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:31:55 -0500

A man died in our community yesterday. He was bicycling, struck by a young man driving in rush hour with a storm moving in. The lives of these men and their families will never be the same, one gone far too early and the other likely under the shadow of this tragedy for the rest of his life. I don't know either of the men or their families, or if they believe in heaven, but I would like to think that they do and that that is where the victim is right now.

It was an odd coincidence that this event happened soon after I read chapter one of my daughter's debut novel. The chapter is devoted to a graveside service and it made me cry; I have been to far too many of these and recognized in her writing the numbness of the participants, the details of the scene, and the realization that it is all utterly unreal.

Sara graduated from the University of Michigan in May 2009 with a major in English Literature, a minor in Art History, and a completed novel, just short of perfection. She has been polishing and rewriting some parts of the novel this summer, previously guided in her efforts while wrapping up her last term at Michigan, by a multi-published professor . Sara was the recipient of a coveted Cowden Memorial Award at the university's spring 2009 Hopwood Award Ceremony after submitting parts of her novel for consideration. It was pretty clear then that she had something good going on.

Over the last couple of days Sara told me she was putting the last puzzle piece in place - finding a literary agent to represent her and market her novel to publishers. She sent a dozen letters out to the most suitable, reputable agents she could find who worked her brand of fiction. These are not pay-to-read agents, or those pointing authors to vanity presses. They are the real deal, taking on writers they believe will have critical success. They choose carefully the authors they represent. Sara prepared for a long wait on responses, as would be typical. She received two responses within 24 hours; one agent asked for her full manuscript.

When I told Sara that her writing made me cry, she was surprised. She hadn't viewed the chapter as particularly moving. (I can only imagine what the rest of the book will do to me.) I thought about that and realized it wasn't just what she wrote but that she had written it. We have watched her grow up like all parents do, wondering what their children will make of themselves, and now we are here.

Sara is moving to New York City in September with a defined plan and willingness to take a risk. We have two other children younger than Sara who have yet to have their special gifts acknowledged, though their days will come too.

Our youngest child told me, circa age 3, as we were resting before our afternoon nap so many years ago, that she had picked us. I asked her to explain and she told me that before she was born, she looked down from heaven and saw our family, deciding then that that was where she would go. Perhaps these were the ramblings of a preschooler who had never been schooled in any notion like this, but I choose to believe it happened just as she said it did.

Who Art in Heaven. The beginning and the end. One day, I hope to find out.

I Want To Be Your Friend, Bill Gates

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 18:47:23 -0500

I just read a news piece where Bill Gates admitted to backing away from the high-tech environment he is hugely responsible for creating. It seems that real life personal connections rather than electronic friendships might actually be something to value. Yes, I am paraphrasing, inferring, and assuming, but Bill, I suspect you are someone just like me. OK, at least on this one point....

Yahoo! News reports "Bill Gates quits Facebook over 'too many friends' ". Not a problem I necessarily have on Facebook given my once monthly or so visits there but I definitely know where he is coming from. Enough is enough. Can't we have a private thought or moment any more? Must we, must YOU continually update everyone with your whereabouts, your activities, your thoughts, plans, successes, and (probably not) your failures? Please. Tweet me not.

The article noted that he had trouble figuring out whether he "knew this person, did I not know this person" and that "It was just way too much trouble so I gave it up."

Gates also admitted to not being that big on texting, not being a 24-hour tech person, and that he reads - sometimes not on the computer. I would like all dying newspapers and publishing companies to sit up and take notice since there could be a backlash coming. Some/many of the literary public want to curl up on a chair or tuck into bed and not wonder if their wireless will go that far or if the battery is going to die and need to be plugged in, leaving the reader entangled in cords. They may not want a history stored somewhere of what they've been looking at or reading for the world to somehow resurrect if they can and care to, for whatever reason is deemed necessary, fun, or stalker-like.

While Gates admits that he envisioned a computer on every desk and in every home, and that the tech revolution has been "hugely beneficial", he seemed to caution against overuse.

"All these tools of tech waste our time if we're not careful."

Amen.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is proof that Bill Gates lives by his words. People and charities deserve more attention than self-promotion via social networking. It is is real, besides. I can't remember Bill Gates ever promoting himself - he was in the news because others wanted to promote him. Do the right thing and you won't need to pat your own back. There will be plenty of people lining up to pat your back for you.

Come on Bill, don't you want to be my friend? OK, OK, just testing.

Art and Provenance at the Ann Arbor Art Fair

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:09:28 -0500

First let me state the "facts" about the Ann Arbor Art Fair:

*it will rain on opening day and perhaps throughout the entire Wednesday through Saturday event - there may even have been hail at times in past years - so far just some light rain on opening day this year - not bad!

*locals will leave town for the duration

*traffic flow will be seriously affected

*many businesses will shut down for "vacation" during this period

*massive crowds from all over the US will descend upon Ann Arbor, both artists and aficionados alike

*most visitors will go home with something "on a stick" - I have a cherished copper hummingbird that is planted in my garden beds - I have seen variatons in many locations in and around Ann Arbor - great deal for under $50 - but one does feel a bit uneducated for having fallen for the 'thing on a stick' and buying it.

To be more specific, this art fair is one of the most influential and fair art fairs in the country. There are actually multiple "art fairs" in the mix, some with just juried work, others with whatever the market will bear, and others with everything in between. This is not an event to be taken in in just one day. Wear comfortable shoes, sunscreen and a hat, and leave babies and pets at home. Bring money.

In previous years our entire family has attended but the men quickly lost interest so it has become a girls only event. One rule we have worked with is that when we reach that artist whose work elicits a gasp of delight, we know we are done. We may not be able to purchase that artist's work, but we are satisfied with our art fair exposure. One year for me, it was coming across an artist booth that featured cast concrete wall art. The low relief human faces brought my gasp of appreciation but my pocketbook did not stretch anywhere near that far to be able to do a purchase. I will never forget the discovery though - one day, maybe one day....

This year our oldest daughter was the first to do the art fair experience. (She and her younger sister visited again on the last day.) She lives downtown and is walkable to the exhibits. After viewing many artists' work, she found her gasp. It was a photographer, with photos so vivid that she could not look away. As so often happens, the artist emerged from his behind-the-scenes solitude and began a conversation.

First, he asked her how old she was since he said he rarely saw appreciation for his work in someone her age. She said 21. (She neglected to mention that she had just graduated from the University of Mighigan with a minor in art history, major in English.) She asked how he got his depth of color in his photography and then he really opened up.

He said he preferred little about modern photography and worked with an ancient camera that had the cloth hood covering the head of the photographer - I am quite sure he relayed that more exactly than I am doing here. He then said he had met Ansel Adams once and had quizzed him on how he achieved such depth of color, or light and shadow, in his work.

Ansel replied by throwing a glass of water on the artist's shirt. Thinking he had offended Ansel by asking what his secret was, he was pleasantly surprised to learn that it was a lesson. Ansel asked him to observe the color difference between the wet and dry parts of his shirt. There was the answer. Always shoot on rainy days. This man listened and it shows. His art has color that seems unnatural in photography. He said he brings someone along to hold the umbrella over his head while he shoots.

My daughter wavered between two works, one framed with a rowboat and reeds - I have seen it and it is exquisite. Another was less expensive as a matted piece but similarly compelling with the autumn foliage of a bright red tree punctuating the other fall trees in the background.

When she decided to buy the framed rowboat piece, the artist said it was one of his favorites and asked her when her birthday was. "November," she replied. He said he would give her the second as a birthday gift. She protested, too much, and her birthday was too far away. He replied, "I am 70 years old. I may not be alive in November."

She is well on her way to accumulating original art, little by little through travels and this sort of generosity. Her heart is touched by these exchanges and the stories will undoubtedly live beyond the lives of the artists. She also has her provenance.

The Ann Arbor Art Fair, and Ann Arbor itself. Prepare yourself for the unexpected.

TIC Property Sales in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:45:33 -0500

Let me take you back to your real estate exam days.

We all learned a lot of things to pass our real estate tests, and if you had an instructor like I had, you were likely told that most of what you learned to pass the test would not be needed in day-to-day business. That probably explains why so many agents called me when I listed my odd Ann Arbor property quite prominently as a "TIC property sale" involving three individual residences under a TIC property agreement. Apparently, this is the first property listed this way in all of Michigan.

The calls flooded in from agents. "What does TIC mean?" "Tenancy in common," I told them. I would then go into my spiel about my particular cluster of 3 residences tied together by a common well and septic field on a parcel too small to create additional wells and septics, short setbacks on two of the three, etc. Suffice it to say, non-conforming on multiple fronts. However, TIC ownership could allow the properties to be sold in a fractional ownership situation with each individual/entity having designated exclusive right of use of a part of the property. As long as the buying parties agreed to the TIC document details, which they themselves would author, or perhaps more precisely, alter to their needs and requirements, under the guidance of a TIC attorney, everything should be just fine.

Not too scary, right?

The fear factor of a joint mortgage paralyzed many from the start, no matter how many safeguards were to be written in to the TIC agreement. Remember, Michigan is no stranger to mortgage defaults and the economic climate is not suggesting many positive vibes to the contrary. Skepticism abounded but the showing requests were enormous since the price points are fabulous. Breaking this $299,900 property into 3 individual sales made the list prices appealing to buyers while the 3-in1 price had been decidedly unappealing to investors. If the properties condo-convert, there should be an equity jump for all, investors included.

So I am looking forward to offers shortly on some of the best deals on vintage single family homes in a tranquil setting within Ann Arbor schools, opposite a picturesque lake and commutable to multiple popular destinations. Other parts of the country long ago embraced TIC property sales and it is time for Ann Arbor and Michigan to roll out the welcome mat too.

Please click on the links below. This is not really a listing; it is an education. I welcome any and all inquiries. I apologize for the lack of interior photos for some of the properties - they are tenant occupied. View and enjoy. Then write me an offer!

P.S. Did I mention that a local bank is considering offering financing on the individual properties in the TIC sale agreement, removing the scary all-in-one mortgage from the table? Stay tuned - more to come!

http://aaar.mlxchange.com/Pub/EmailView.asp?r=518109012&s=AAR&t=AAR - 7493 Plymouth, $134,000

http://aaar.mlxchange.com/Pub/EmailView.asp?r=518109012&s=AAR&t=AAR - 7491 Plymouth, $69,900

http://aaar.mlxchange.com/Pub/EmailView.asp?r=518109012&s=AAR&t=AAR - 3865 Albert, $96,000

http://aaar.mlxchange.com/Pub/EmailView.asp?r=518109012&s=AAR&t=AAR - buy all three! $299,900

www.susanwalters.net

Helping you find your way home.

Specializing in TIC Property Sales.

They Call Me the Workin Man

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:28:49 -0500

OK, they don't call me the workin man, but that is the phrase from a classic Rush tune that my 19 year old son has adopted regarding his summer job. He knew he needed to work, filling the gap between freshman and sophomore years at Michigan Tech, and applied just about everywhere when he arrived home in late April. Finally, by answering a newspaper ad (so old school!) from a temp agency, he was offered two jobs in two days. He passed the requisite drug test with flying colors and deliberated between the two positions. In the end, the position in Saline, near his old high school, won out.

Keep in mind that our son is majoring in computer science, flirting with minors in both sound design and electrical engineering technology, and is trying to squeeze in significant humanities studies just for the love of the written word. He works at Michigan Tech's superb Rozsa Performing Arts Center during the school year and loves every minute and aspect of the work, not to mention the performances. So what is he doing this summer? Working the assembly line in a flatbread bakery/factory, night shift, 10PM to 6AM. In our still struggling Ann Arbor/Michigan economy, finding any work was quite the accomplishment.

That first day he came home exhausted, disgusted, but full of stories about the bread factory environment. He swore he was going to quit, and swore that again the next day. Day three he learned there is more to work than the task at hand and he embraced the opportunity to do this job. His tales remind me of the many, many descriptive passages in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina where wealthy landowner Levin pontificates about toiling with the field hands on his land, trying to find the meaning of life.

Our family is treated daily to the adventures in breadmaking that he is a part of, descriptions of fellow workers and situations so artfully conveyed that a picture is painted. His stories are always told with the good humor he has possessed since birth, even when he described being stop-watched as he left the assembly room floor to begin his 3AM lunch, returning precisely 20 minutes or sooner as required. When he spoke about the hairnet, beard net, and safety goggles, we roared with laughter. It was that day he began to shave daily, eliminating one of the three heat-trapping fittings forever.

So what exactly does he do? His shift is spent standing on a cushioned mat, flipping a bag of flatbread as it comes down the line, rotating it into a precise position, then off it goes to a sealing machine. I asked how quickly the bread bags arrive; he replied, "Five every three seconds." For 7.5 hours. WOW.

Recently he came home and told us that only he and one other temp worker had been kept on. He was told he was the only newbie on the line who hadn't needed the conveyor belt slowed down until they got the hang of the job. Productivity was up. His common sense emerged too whenever there was a breakdown in the line, box folding error, crumpled or torn flatbread (it is called flat for a reason...), overheated ovens, overloading of product into a bag, etc. Calm, calm, calm. Adjust. Carry on.

There is a new appreciation for every job out there and for the intensity of the 40 hour work week. There is enthusiasm about reaching high academic success when returning to Michigan Tech in the fall. There is a changed attitude apparent. It is more than making bread for the summer; this is the bread of life.

Kevin, we call you the workin man.

Writing Impassioned-Opinion Blog Posts

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 23:23:11 -0500

Being opinionless has never been my problem. Being discreet about my opinion, well, I only occasionally have managed that. I once got into trouble for a blog post, actually just a response to a blog post, that ended up costing me quite a few dollars and within certain circles damaged my reputation as well. It was not identifiable to client in any way except decision processes, but when condemned I confessed. I am nothing if not truthful. It wasn't my finest moment.

Tonight I almost did it again. I read an article on CNN and thought a particular Congressperson had the perspective all wrong on a point. I have never written to a government official before but decided it was time to start. I composed my letter on the contact website, perfected it, then, right before sending I erased it - just like so many blogs I have written here since the incident previously mentioned.

Am I afraid? In a word, yes. I am afraid of the negative consequences of speaking my mind - on big public topics that beg for opinion, and on little topics that I feel like commenting on. Real estate is not that great in Michigan to allow me to offend anyone. Gaining fans with my opinion? Like that old adage, they'll be ten complaints for something done wrong to every one praise for something done right. How do I know beforehand if my opinion is "wrong" or "right"?

In the interest of my business right now, I don't dare risk it. I must say though, I am getting mighty bored and there will come a time when this top will blow. The blogs I would write, the drafts on hold, I guess they will have to hold until the market turns and I have the luxury of losing clients. We are getting there, I am getting there, the market having driven so many Ann Arbor area realtors out of the marketplace. I am busy, even if the deals are low dollars.

I am looking forward to being myself again, tempered though, as life tends to do to us. Underneath, understand that I will be seething, opinionated, impassioned, no matter how measured the words. I have a lot to say and I can't wait to be talking again.

In the meantime, I could post stats and my listings, and do a lot of commenting. I could recycle other people's topics in my own words (no plagiarism, that I promise), or supply links to expert opinions and hope to benefit from that. I could re-blog too.

You know what? I don't want to do any of that. I want to say what is on my mind, lose the potential clients who may not agree, and earn the clients who do agree. I like original thoughts; I am quirky like that. For the moment though, mum is me. I am hoping 2009 will allow the changes I need to see. Things are looking good so far but it is too early to tell.

I hate being vanilla. Butter pecan is my passion and I truly despise mint chocolate anything. I can't get into too much trouble with these ice cream admisssions, can I? One never knows....

So your septic field looks doomed?

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 04:10:07 -0600

I am working on a deal right now and though it wasn't required by county code, I encouraged my buyer to complete a septic inspection. The water is city, not well - no inspection warranted.

The company who did the inspection is highly reputable but the recommendations begged another opinion, particularly given circumstances of a very heavy snow melt of a season's accumulation two days prior. The downspouts on the back of the house were also submerged and not very far from the field.

The verdict had been cautionary - septic field failure in one to three years. The second and third opinions differed considerably. This was the make or break part of the deal. The sellers were already upside down in the mortgage, even with relocation company help, and the buyer was as far up in price as he could go.

Number two and three septic opinions turned in a different verdict and both said the field probably had plenty of life in it. There wasn't true "failure" evident and the quality of the gravel/stone in the pit was evidence of that. Most likely, water table conditions, clay soil, downspouts, flat lot, and the early spring thaw all contributed to the equation and initial verdict.

The lesson here? When a buyer says they are about to throw in the towel on a deal, on a property they really like, seek additional advice! There are so many variables in a situation like this that no one really can predict what might happen. In this case, the family size will be decreasing from previous so right away there would be improved conditions in the field with less water usage.

This is a deal that could have fallen apart. A reasonable buyer and additional advice is saving the deal. All is well that ends well. Now let's march to closing!

Pay No Attention to That Real Estate Cable Show!!!

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:14:13 -0600

After spending a fair amount of time working through taxes with my husband tonight, I totally let loose and camped on the sofa. Woo Hoo! I scanned the channels for good movies, found nothing appealing, and worked my way through the regularly scheduled offerings.

As usual, I gravitated to the DIY and abundant real estate oriented cable shows.I'm thinking that with all this programming, and I suspect the audiences would not be there if there were no interest, we are in for a huge upsurge in activity when the fear factor in real estate evaporates. Just my opinion....

Anyway, I clicked on one show that shall remain nameless but in looking at the description, "A Charming Home Has Been On The Market For Over A Month," I immediately thought, "In what market!!!!???"

Real estate is local, and I know I am preaching to the choir here, but if people are watching these shows and believing that one month on the market is a catastrophe, well, we are all incompetent real estate fools! One month may introduce buyers to the property, excite real estate professionals to the property if price and condition are ideal, but to call in emergency help? Hmmmm, seems a bit extreme to me.

I am selling in Ann Arbor, Michigan and I gladly accept your pity. :/ However, I am seeing a huge uptick in buyers right now but urgency can hardly be described as their motivation. Choice is still so huge in the market that decisions are difficult, even for those who carefully whittle down their showing preferences to just a few properties.

Sellers are generally realistic and motivated. I spent Saturday evening presenting to sellers my plan for making their property more palatable to buyers. It involved furniture moving/elimination, cutting holes in walls, new doors, new kitchen counters and eating areas, more landscaping (if spring ever comes to Michigan), and the addition of more baths. I had lain awake one night thinking about how to get their property to sell and arrived that day with floor plans and enthusiasm. They couldn't have been more delighted. My ideas had been in their minds already to some extent, but at much more cost. We actually moved some furniture that night and I bet the other transformations are well on their way. Sometimes perception is NOT reality, and that is all I see their problem being - there is much more space than meets the eye but solid walls do not convey that.

So back to those cable TV shows. NAR has had a great ad campaign running for a long time now, talking about real estate being local. It couldn't be more true. National news does not represent local reality, good, bad, or otherwise. Consult a local realtor for the real story. Forget about cable TV.

Supplemental electric heaters - do they really save money?

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:38:44 -0600

As we weather the unusually cold winter in Michigan, with snowfall already close to the season expectation and half the season still ahead of us, we recently invested in some supplemental electric heaters.

We are watching every nickel we spend since my husband lost his automotive position in late October and heat was big on the list of "can do without." Of course, we cannot completely do without it and fortunately have two zones of heating in our home - one in the primary area of the home and one in the bedroom area that also includes my office and the kitchen.

Zone 1 was adjusted to a 60 degree temperature for day and lower for night. Zone 2 was adjusted to 55 degrees day and night. There are time variations for weekends via the programmable thermostats but those temperatures are not toasty by any means.

The three supplemental electric heaters were purchased for under my husband's desk, under my desk, and under our high school daughter's desk. With a cooked meal in the kitchen for dinner, we were heating up the property to a comfortable level. No t-shirts allowed; we dress for winter with two layers on the top plus socks and slippers on the bottom.

Our family TV area has a large bed-size quilt made by my mother that is incredibly warm and can cover multiple people on a sectional sofa. It feels a bit like Little House on the Prairie sometimes, particularly The Long Winter, but no one is complaining. It is a source of conversation to our regular visitors who know to dress warmly when coming to our house. One of our children's friends gleefully exclaimed once, "You have so many fleece blankets!" We do.... We raise the temperature for our less regular visitors who haven't necessarily dressed for winter. It is a trade-off to enjoy their company.

Back to my main point though. Do these little supplemental heaters really keep our massive propane expenses in control, given that we are adding electric charges to the mix? The cost of the units was less than $100 and they will likely last for years so cost can be considered inconsequential.

I was thrilled to see that Ask This Old House was covering the topic of supplemental electric heaters the other night but disappointed to not have any information reported as to whether the idea makes financial sense. They were heavily in favor of the oil or water-filled radiant heaters, reminiscent of the old fashioned radiators removed from older homes and happily discarded when ductwork was installed for central air. What a mistake - those units will throw heat long after the boiler has stopped firing; I know, we owned 2 previous homes with them and miss them greatly. No blast of cold air as the furnace turns on or cools down, just heat, always heat, hotter and then very slowly cooler. Progress is not always progress.

So thoughts anyone? Aside from caulking, weatherstrip, insulation, and the passive solar technique of covering windows on sun-less days/times and opening the window treatments wide on sunny days, do these supplemental heaters really help? We feel better but will our pocketbook? We need to know and haven't yet seen an electric bill reflecting changes. Why suffer if it makes no difference in the end? Comments are appreciated and wanted.

"Measure Twice, Cut Once"

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 03:02:05 -0600

I first heard this phrase of wisdom from Norm Abram on This Old House in the early 80's when my husband and I bought our first house and I became engrossed in the series. I literally never missed an episode for years - it was the thing I cared about most. OK, in TV time, it was the thing I cared about most....

I learned so many basic skills from watching the guys on the program that I felt I could do anything. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing but when a friend of my husband's came to our home one day and we were showcasing the things we had corrected in the 1940ish structure, he was shocked when I said we needed to scribe the woodwork to fit the plaster-contoured wall into the basement. "How do YOU know about scribing?" he asked. "I watch This Old House," was my answer. (What a chauvinist!) It was the first DIY show, it is still the best, for true construction knowledge (in my opinion) and I will love it until the day I die. I do watch other DIY shows and was caught up in one tonight about renovation mistakes. So much was true - some mistakes we have made, some we have avoided. I loved the one about accurate measuring. Measure twice, cut once.

My best example of this error was when we had an addition put on our house about 6 years ago - very competent company and subs. We were relocating/reusing windows that were being displaced; I had supplied the dimensions for the windows and the framers had taken my word as gospel. The windows did not fit into the framed openings.

When the error of my measurements collided with rough openings needed, the supervisor and I came up with a simple plan to rearrange where the windows would go. I think only one or two openings out of five needed minor modifications, and to my delight, a spare window found the perfect home in what would have been a blank second floor wall. The contractor just looked at me, put an arm around my shoulder, and the framers said at least I was always one step ahead of them. Sometimes you cannot plan these things and out of lemons you make lemonade.

Renovations can be treacherous. We still laugh about the addition and having those guys in our house for months, almost like family. My youngest recollects the day she slightly awakened to find a man pushing open the attic access in her room while she still slept (they started VERY early and it was summer break). Me, I remember the day I was washing dishes in the kitchen and singing, as I so often do for fun in my home (I can't carry a tune) until my older daughter reminded me that there were men just 15 feet away while I belted out, "I need some hot stuff, baby, this evening!" They told me I was their favorite customer ever, but I did put on coffee every morning and had a cooler stocked with soft drinks, carbonated and not, and beer for the end of the day. Those guys did a great job!

There was some material left at the end of the job - small pieces that we asked them to leave for fire starters in our natural wood-burning fireplace. There were also a few large pieces of the tongue and groove they used for the ceiling - we finished parts of the interior of a basement room with that and created a frame for our youngest's work of art. I doubt there would have been any leftovers at all but I was privy to the conversations. They knew what they were doing - they measured twice and cut once. Who wants to go back to the lumber yard for just one board?

Transition necessary - job loss is not the end of the world

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:02:07 -0600

Things were looking pretty grim when I last posted. In Michigan, nobody is going to deny that things are sad. Ask Congress.

My husband lost his job in the auto industry on October 28, 2008 after nearly 20 years as a dedicated and continually valued professional. At first it felt devastating but then with the severance package we felt empowered. A huge bonus to leave? Well, I guess that is better than, soooooorrrryyyy. Or a note on the door when a person arrives for work one day.

We paid down debt and allowed ourselves many months of expenses, not even allowing that I would make a dime in real estate - that is a pretty iffy proposition in Michigan as well. Tomorrow is a new day and it started the day my husband lost his job. Amazing what adversity will do to the spirit!

I felt I needed this bridge blog, husband with salaried job no more, wife with commission only job, as always. My husband has had numerous responses to his highly qualified resume and he evaluates all of them. Looking for a job is almost as difficult as having a job, except it can be done in sweats and occasionally allows for loading the dishwasher midday. Sadly, no job offerings have been in Michigan.

The quandary of the bailout of the auto industry is evident to all of us here in Michigan. No one wants to bail out private industry, but is the banking industry not private? We just bailed them out; if I were a better mathemetician, I believe that might equate to the auto industry bailout, to some power of whatever. OK, again, not a mathemetician; let's see what that bank bailout really costs us in the end. P.S. Homeowners are still losing their homes in record numbers.

Bottom line? I spoke to two people in the last two days who are or were auto industry suppliers. One person plainly stated that the loss of one job in the 'big three' auto industry equated to 7 jobs total in the greater auto industry, suppliers included. Can our nation afford this industry defeat?

So it is looking pretty clear. We will probably be leaving, though I will stay until our daughter finishes high school in 2010 and of course her braces need to come off - we relocated once mid-braces and it was starting all over again, expense wise. We are not doing that again. Funny the things you value.

Should there be no commutable offer for my husband, we will dearly miss our home. It is a treasure that has been enjoyed by many, particularly our children and their friends. We will miss Ann Arbor, the bastion of liberal thinking, always pushing the envelope. We prefer to stay for now, but I don't know if that is reality.

The ocean is calling, probably eastward. Family and familiarity will be near. Time will tell.

What does failure look like to you?

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:33:09 -0600

Recently a Michigan Association of Realtors publication posed that question within the text of a piece entitled, A world without...you. My real estate year was hardly going to plan. In fact, even for Michigan, it was badly awry.

Among the many disasters in the road to closings were the usual failures to qualify despite pre-approvals, loss of buyer income, loss of down payment assistance programs, no timely letter of acceptance on short sales, but also the more unusual and unbelievable.

One listing agent removed the CTS status on a property my buyers had bottom lined. All contingencies but financing had already been removed. The agent would not believe that the underwriter on the loan had suffered an aneurysm, was in a coma, and that the reassignment of the loan was going to delay closing by one week. (I admit, that was pretty out there.) Refusing to sign the extension, certain that the issue was really with the buyers and the coma was a ruse, the property was re-staged and held open that weekend. My first-time buyers were terrified. We closed as expected, one week late. At closing, the agent did not greet me or the lender and the sellers were no-shows for an hour - the closing had not been confirmed with them. They were apologetic, kind, and found they had a connection to the buyers. The sellers saved the day but the listing realtor gave our profession a black eye. (I do not know if the underwriter is still with us....)

Another deal, a drawn-out bank closing where I was representing the buyers, was delayed first for massive gas leaks both inside and outside the building. The saga continued in waiting for frost laws for heavy equipment traveling over roadways to be lifted, delaying the bank's installation of the county-required new well - then the water quality test failed twice before passing on the last strike. Eventually, just days before contingencies were to be removed, the ghost of the previous owner was revealed to the buyers by a neighbor - suicide in the garage - where they had planned to extend the living space for their master bedroom. No one can make this stuff up. The offer was withdrawn.

I won't detail what went on with the purchase that followed and closed for those buyers, only that I questioned whether the entire industry, sellers, lenders, appraisers, were all losing their grip on reality. My tenuous hold frayed and I seriously considered quitting.

The stories of 2008 seller/buyer dramas could take up many more pages but those two stand out.

So when I read the August 2008 MAR issue, I felt a real connection. I questioned what failure looked like to me, and I was pretty sure it looked like my real estate career. I began to seek other relevant employment but being Michigan, that was pretty hard to come by.

I stumbled upon what seemed to be a great job - part time, small salary with a title, commission on sales, creativity required. I interviewed and was offered the job. My meager closings were going to get some regular relief with the salaried paychecks. I would continue in real estate full time and supplement with this new position.

About one week later, my husband lost his auto industry job. Panic, then calm, immediately descended upon our household. The worst had happened and it would be OK, for a while. The next week brought the downsizing of my new position right out of existence, leaving me again with a commission only second job to back up my commission only first job. Lightining had struck twice. I decided to resign.

Here is what I learned.

First, relying on someone else to provide a paycheck is foolish. My husband's nearly 20 years of loyalty to his company, where upper management regularly required attendance at seminars on integrity and other lofty goals, may have been misguided. The company had never really internalized the messages itself.

Second, being a corporate employee after being self-employed is nearly impossible. It is stifling, draining, spirit-killing, and not income productive. The only way to make money in this economy, perhaps ever in this world, is to be in control of the results of your own efforts.

What does failure look like? It looked like what I had been doing in real estate in early 2008. Now, it looks like I just needed to focus a bit more. By taking those 20+ hours that I had been spending at the new job and using them effectively on lead generation, lead conversion, prospecting, and followup, I'd soon be on a path to success. Even in Michigan.

That was a lot of learning in a three week time period, perhaps the best business lesson I have ever learned. It all boils down to two things, freedom and control. Freedom - to make my own schedule and decisions, freedom to succeed, and unfortunately, freedom to fail. Control - of my own destiny and income - nobody is going to do it for me. I get it now. I know what I want to be when I grow up. Lucky me, I am already there - I am a Realtor.

Yes, Virginia ?????, there is a Santa Claus

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:04:56 -0500

I believe Santa Claus is Barack Obama.

I welcomed a comment today from a reader on a blog I wrote a while back about the political process in this election season. I specifically noted my daughter who is studying AP Government with a wonderful teacher who will not reveal his political leanings so that all students will feel free to express their opinions. As a result, she has developed a very good method for evaluating and questioning political facts put before her. She will happily (gleefully) tell us when we miss the point or if we are wrong.

My daughter and I watched all of the debates together. I read the news in print and online, she went to class and read the news online (print is so old-fashioned), and we both kept each other informed.

Following is the comment from a reader, and my response. The commenter's name has been eliminated to protect her identity.

***Your candidate is untested and we really know very little about him except for the details of his personal life. A vote for him is a vote in the dark.

And my response:

***I appreciate your point of view (-protected identity-) but after weighing all the options of each candidate (and their running mates) I have no fear in voting for Obama. For years I said that if I were to leave my Democratic base I would strongly consider John McCain since until recent years he has been so solid and sensible but I don't believe he has what our country needs now. Choosing Sarah Palin was the last straw. As someone recently commented in a political discussion about her, she is dumb and arrogant, a very dangerous combination. We DON'T know if she would ever be called upon to assume the presidency but I DO know that if Joe Biden were called upon, we could rest easy. With Sarah Palin....no comment. I say give the "new guy" Barack Obama, with education, Washington experience, and a straight-laced family a chance. The negative ads? Read the fine print. If you want to, you will see the truth.

P.S. My husband was laid off from his job yesterday after 20 years of exemplary service with the same automotive firm. We have moved several times for his company, including internationally. He has held positions in multiple departments and was doing the work of 3 employees, about to take on the work of a 4th employee when he was hit yesterday. Three months ago he received an excellent performance review and a raise. His department was growing, profitable, well-funded. He is 53 years old, 1.5 years from eligibility for 1/2 pension. I am quite sure that the CEOs of both Ford and Visteon made handsome salaries and welcomed many additional perks during the time of his employment and during these last few years of downsizing. We are not in the $5,000,000 middle class that John McCain talks about. (We know how many homes we own - one, sort of, via mortgage - and cars, total: one 2007 Mercury Mariner - minimally equipped and bought as a demo, one 1999 Ford Taurus, one 1987 Ford Tempo.) We are not even the $250,000 "Joe the plumber" that John McCain talks about. Just like Christmas morning, I prefer to be surprised and delighted with the unknown. The unknown/untested is Barack Obama. I believe it beats the known of John McCain - you cannot teach an old dog new tricks. We know all of his tricks.

John McCain pulled out of Michigan because he has no solution for the problems that plague us. Michigan embodies the problems that plague the USA, magnified. Seriously degraded manufacturing facilities due to outsourcing. Leader in unemployment since 2006. Foreclosures, bankruptcies, no health care for unemployed workers. As one comic said in his routine recently (it was not funny really), the guy with 18 houses versus the guy with one house - who do YOU relate more to? Who is more likely to understand YOUR position and the positon of most people in the USA? Remember THAT in the voting booth.

*****Now that my husband is unemployed and our financial future is threatened, can I get a bailout? Hmmmm, I thought not. I recently took a part-time job to keep me alive in real estate. If I take a third job I'd be "uniquely American" by President Bush's standards. No thank you, despite your kind words.

What we can learn from a sixteen year old in this election season

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 23:40:40 -0500

Having just commented on a blog about political posts, noting that I would rather alienate potential clients now than after 6 expensive months into a listing or buyer agreement, I am posting this political viewpoint.

How can we NOT have a political viewpoint? This country was founded on democracy; women fought hard to have their voices legally heard and minorities too! Should it be separate from business? Yes, if you cannot be tolerant of another person's reasonable views, but I then wonder how you can be a realtor since we have so many codes of ethics that require us by our licenses to be tolerant of everyone. If you are faking your tolerance, then maybe you should find a new career. Just a thought.

I had a discussion with a realtor in my office the other day who I knew was pretty much aligned with my beliefs and while we were discussing the political climate, another realtor walked by and joined us. I suspected there would not be a similarly amenable conversation should politics continue to be the topic. To my shock and surprise, my first friend came right out and asked our other friend who she was voting for. She hesitated just a moment and stated her choice, then was asked to defend her decision. She did. We nodded, then she said, "Convince me. Why do you feel that your candidate is the right choice?"

That led to a wonderful discussion with each of us voicing our agreements and disagreements, noting that we didn't know all the details of our candidates past votes, for and against. The conversation was lively and extremely civilized. I don't think anyone changed their minds about the other candidate but we all now have a better understanding of why each of us plans to vote the way we plan to vote.

That sixteen year old in the title line? My daughter. She is studying Advanced Placement Government right now in her high school and her teacher has told them they are extremely privileged to be doing so at this point in time, when what they are learning can have such concrete examples. Tonight my daughter and I watched the VP debate and she was able to comment on points I could not have at her age. She knew enough about the topics to be able to refute some facts and question others. At one point, she said, "I read in the Washington Post today..." and I just looked at her.... I know when I was sixteen I was not reading the Washington Post - my family did subscribe to Time and US News & World Report and scores of other publications and I read them all so I wasn't ignorant, but I did not have the fervor I see in my daughter today. This is her future more than any of ours. She cares; she is just too young to vote.

This election is big. Big isn't even a big enough word. Life-changing? For her it could be. Earth-shattering? The consequences could be. Landslide? I hope so. I hope so for her.

Clean and green, keep it simple home-sellers!

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:48:58 -0500

Years ago I heard that expression, "Clean and Green". It was uttered by a visiting lecturer at our son's preschool; he was talking about getting kids to do what you need them to do. Keep it simple was his message. Don't micromanage, at least in the beginning.

He talked about giving his preteen son the chore of cutting the grass. He instructed him and then left him with the memory phrase of "clean and green". In that parent's mind, that covered it all, and he is probably quite right. In cutting a lawn, the job must be done neatly, no wide rows with grass sticking up between the mower paths. No skipping the edging detailsthat make all the difference. No forgetting to rake up the grass piles, if that is a problem. The green part requires a bit more knowledge and perhaps parental guidance. Why is that patch over there so bare? Why is the lawn sprouting so many weeds? What to do about the areas that the dog has ruined....

This clean and green approach can be used to advise sellers in putting the best foot forward in a home sale. Nothing fancy, just clean and green. No stuff cluttering the yard, no need for extraneous and time-consuming plantings, no dead plants - please! A splash of color at the front door in flowerpots or annuals lining the walkway - anyone can manage that. Now if you want to micromanage, have them paint the entry, spruce up the house numbers and mailbox, change out the lighting fixture and maybe even the screen door. It is all about curb appeal in the beginning. But sometimes buyers like to see a little imperfection so they know they can make the property their home; don't stress if it is easily remedied. That screen door negotiation could be the thing that seals the deal.

Clean and green, and always ready to show. I learned everything I ever needed to know in kindergarten, or in this case, as a parent in a preschool meeting. Keep it simple, and sell that house!

I hate my son, part II

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:49:36 -0500

Yes, we are there again, with the sarcasm only partly in check. These darn kids have a way of growing up and having minds of their own, no matter what we do!

Tonight I was livid with my son for having lounged all day when chores had been assigned. His summer job search has brought nothing - it is Michigan, with record unemployment. His dad and I cheerfully stated that no paid work meant more free work at home to sustain his adequate lifestyle and that extra chores would be required. There was agreement but time has shown that there is very little adherance to implied contract. We should have gotten it in writing....

Anyway, today, there was a demand, a demand I say, for dinner, from him. The ingredients were there and this is not someone who can't get around a kitchen. Under shame and duress (we're Catholic) he produced a very terrific and quick meal. The success was preceded by a lengthy verbal battle and accumulation of stress on my part. I believe I uttered some non-religious phrases and ultimately won.

Everyone cooled off in the ensuing hours apart when evening brought its own opportunities. My son engaged me much later while he drank a cup of tea and spoke of his upcoming departure for college, 10 hours north of us at Michigan Tech (yes, you can drive 10 hours north from Ann Arbor and still be in Michigan...). He talked about missing his girlfriend and what that might do to their relationship. He pulled in Grandma and her recently diagnosed Parkinsons disease, and Grandpa who died last September from undiagnosed Parkinsons disease. Damn that kid, he knows how to turn things around.

To make matters worse, he wrapped up our conversation by saying how much he appreciated that we talked like this. I told him how parents have simply two duties - to give kids roots and wings. Too many parents give their kids roots but forget about the wings. We talked about that too, and people we knew who did that. I told him he could go, to fly away, and to never forget he could come home. He was truly grateful while he drank his tea. Then he asked if he could have another computer party where everyone including his girlfriend got to sleep over - they've done this before, guys and girls. I knew there was a catch to this whole thing. Yes, yes you can Kevin. You have your roots; I gift to you your wings.

Agents! Stop Stretching the Truth!

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:37:20 -0500

Now that you have all stopped rolling around on the floor laughing, please hear what I have to say. I just did a very involved market analysis for a property I hope to list. In the details I sent along in an email with comps attached I had to constantly state that "that is not allowed by our board's standards." It was nearly impossible to pull up comps for an already difficult-to-comp property when so many agents were declaring their non-egress lower level bedrooms in their bedroom counts, for instance. Or, another favorite, incorporating the square footage of a lower level into the total square footage of a property, with the side disclaimer that 1000 of the square footage is in the finished lower level. I don't care! You have a 2000 square foot home with an additional 1000 finished lower level. You do NOT have a 3000 square foot home! Get out of my comps! (This is Ann Arbor, MI - maybe these examples are OK elsewhere.)

In doing this particular market analysis, I was very clear in pointing out these discrepancies and resorted to calling the legitimate ones "pure" listings. They were following all the rules. Are these the same kids who cheated in school? Why do we let them get away with it? In my sampling, I did note that some of my most respected colleagues were the purest of the pure. Could they have gotten to their heights because of their integrity? Unthinkable!!! Truth begets success???!!! I don't care if that is true or not, that is the path I am choosing to take. I will point out the imposters along the way if necessary, you can count on that. Wish me well, I have a lot more rungs to ascend in my ladder to success, but I intend to, holding MY head high as I do. I'll make mistakes; I already have. They won't be intentional and there will probably be atonement. I won't bring it knowingly on myself. Honesty - it's the real thing.

The Things We Do For Love...and Dave Sedaris

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:50:47 -0500

Like walking in the rain and the snow and...

....standing in line for 4.5 hours inside the Borders on Liberty in Ann Arbor to have Dave Sedaris personally sign his latest book When You Are Engulfed In Flames. It's to be a welcome-home gift for my daughter who adores his writing and will be returning from Paris after 4 months of studying abroad. Wow is that hard on feet if not well-prepared! I wasn't....

I only heard about Mr. Sedaris (I bet he hates being called Mr. Sedaris) after my daughter began quoting passages from his books to me. I became intimately aware of his writings in Me Talk Pretty One Day just about a year ago as Sara and I alone together journeyed from Michigan to Pennsylvania, optimistically believing that we were visiting our recovering father/grandfather. She read that book aloud as we traveled the eight hours, interspersed with radio if we could catch a good station, along with food and rest breaks. We laughed out loud. It was one of the most enjoyable road trips I have ever had, me, Sara,and Dave Sedaris.

Well, things weren't so rosy when we reached Pennsylvania. My father was coming home after having been in the hospital since February, one catastrophe after another having befallen him. When the attendants transported him from the ambulance to the waiting hospital bed in the first floor TV room where we had gathered every night of our youth to watch television together, my optimism failed me and I had to retreat to the kitchen to have a quick cry. He was so frail. I remember hearing my mother say, "You're home now." It was all he had wanted for months, to be home, to be home with our mother.

When the attendants carried in a cardboard box, about one foot square, my mother asked what it was. "His prescriptions." That box provided a moment of comic relief for my mother, my sister, my daughter, and me, but it was no laughing matter. The care would be extreme as the battle to return to health continued, even with visiting nurses and home health care aides arriving more than once per day.

My mother and sister are early-to-bed people and my daughter used the evenings to read or catch up with her friends online. I'd sit with my father and watch TV, just as we had done so many years ago when I was his child, and later when visiting from Philadelphia, my own little children having been put to bed for the night. There wasn't a lot of conversation at any of those times, just the comfort of knowing that few words needed to be spoken. I'd get him a drink if he needed one, adjust the covers or the temperature, find a better show, and finally say goodnight. I'd be up late, my mother was up early - my father spent just a few short hours alone but within earshot.

When I came to tell my father that Sara and I were leaving for home that last morning in Pennsylvania, his eyes had been closed but he turned to me and looked right into my eyes - a long and penetrating stare that I knew then meant we would not see each other again. No words were spoken - we understood.

It was a less jolly ride back home to Michigan initially but we eased into it and picked up Dave Sedaris again. We stopped at Barkeyville for dinner (fabulous diner!) and laughed about that name for about an hour. The mood escalated as the return road trip progressed. Going back home and coming home was a relief. Duty had been fulfilled; honor had been paid.

My father returned to the hospital via the emergency room about two weeks later and was diagnosed as suffering from end-stage Parkinsons disease. The ER doctor was visibly shaken, wondering how the diagnosis had never been made in all the years he had suffered. My father died in September, 2007.

Time heals all wounds and the family has adjusted. My sister and her husband relocated from Arizona to Pennsylvania, bought our family home to be caretakers of it and companions to our mother. The garden is in glorious and robust bloom, my sister recently reported, the poppies as tall as our mother. Last year's summer of sorrow is replaced by this year's summer of abundance and beauty.

Sara will be coming home one week from Sunday, having completed her study abroad. I'll be picking her up at the airport and when we arrive at home, there will be stories to tell and gifts to exhange. She has already mentioned silk scarves and ties so I know I am looking forward to that, and my son is a sucker for a pretty tie. I'll give her the book, with the inscription, "To Sara, We're so glad you're back. Dave Sedaris" - maybe she'll read to us aloud.

FSBO? Is that you on my BPO trouble report?

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:28:56 -0500

So many topics to cover since it was deja vu all over again, receiving a call to do BPOs from a lender who had been very good to me in the past, until my contact there was promoted and a licensed realtor took his place. A very good deal became zero without notice at all. I have fond memories of those days three years ago - the bounty dropped in my lap that at minimum paid my office bill with months of credit in advance and at maximum gave me a double dip no-effort sale and a listing that spawned at least a dozen closed deals beyond the listing itself, plus more opportunity. (I believe I could turn that experience into a "Pursuit of Happiness"-like movie, but I just don't have the time...)

Today, completely out of the blue, I received a call from the same lender, new contact. The rank and file had shifted again and was I interested in being an inventory agent for them in Washtenaw County? Yes!!!!!! (I said quietly.) First, let me say that this lender is not like others looking for inventory agents. They ask for the BPO at the first sign of trouble and don't require updates until the loan is going to sheriff's sale. They'll request a second BPO, pay again, plus let me list if they haven't decided to auction or dispose of it some other way. So different than what I have heard from other BPO realtors!

Well, that FSBO notation in the title relates to this tale, so bear with me. As a newbie in real estate 4 years ago, I took anyone who gave me a second glance and showed them property. No pre-approval? No problem! You want to be an investor? I want to be your best friend!

I learned about the no pre-approval thing quickly but the investor thing took a bit longer. I had one guy who had documents stating he was capable of purchasing several properties in a year's time; I spent inordinate amounts of time showing him property. When he finally bid on one, was countered high, bid back low, and was accepted, he responded, "Oh sh*t!". We went through the inspection process, which you have to know he did not sign off on. One of my superiors said, "Cut him off; he is wasting your time." She was right; I did. I met him once more months later for a coffee to see where he was (he wouldn't sign a buyer agency agreement with just one agent...) - he hadn't bought a thing.

I bring him up in this tale because one of the properties I showed him was a foreclosure where I opened the door before he arrived and decided not to enter. It was scary and I waited. I had no idea how many properties I would enter alone that were far, far worse in the years to come; at least this one was free of eau de confined pet. It had shag carpeting on the backs of the kitchen cabinets that faced the dining area - was that ever in Architectural Digest, ever?! It also had metallic silver wallpaper on many of the walls and all the trimmings you would expect to go with that. In the midst of it all was a warm and fuzzy brick fireplace. That is where the decorating scheme should have begun and ended, but alas, no.

Anyway, my "investor" wasn't interested, despite the price per square foot value. I had no one else to present it to despite the great deal - trust me. I was driving by some time later and a man was in the yard so I decided to stop and ask if he was the homeowner, saying I had seen it at its worst. He proudly showed me the interior and the work yet to be completed and said they would be listing it for resale soon. They had made some good changes but amateur efforts were evident, with staging successes straight from HGTV. No one was going to overlook the fact that they had opted for eliminating the dishwasher in a 3 bedroom family home to give more cabinet space - no one likes to handwash dishes!!! The pebbles in the bathroom sink are not going to make up for that! I left my card.

Well, to pull this ADD post into a coherent picture, I was one of three agents who interviewed to list that property and was ultimately told they were going to FSBO. I had left my marketing plan with them as the other agents probably had too. We gave away our strategies and then were left out in the cold. Payback came full circle today when my lending connection gave me two properties to BPO and one of them was theirs - not the flip, their primary residence. I was shocked but can see how the arrogant attitude led them to this point, if in fact that is what did it. They did not want professional opinions when doing their flip (and made some poor choices), they did not want professional representation when listing their property, and where are they now? Facing a mortgage dilemma....

The DIY thing is so prevalent that many believe they can do anything themselves. Real estate is rarely a DIY thing, particularly in a buyer's market. There are legalities, knowledge of the market regarding buyers and stats, the unbiased view of the property from an outsider, not a friend, relative, or the seat of your pants. A FSBO I talked to today said he would offer realtors 2% - that is worse than what most banks will do! Plus I checked his stats when I got home and he is $25,000 over market besides! I'll still send him mailings with suggestions - that costs me little. I would like the listing in his nighborhood, but I want it on my terms - I won't work for nothing. Been there, done that. I am worth it.

Nobody Likes a Tease, Cont'd...

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 02:49:15 -0500

Recently I blogged about a teasing letter we received at our home regarding awards night at Saline High School that suggested our son was up for an award and strongly encouraged our attendance. Friends of his had received the same letter but they were actually LIKELY to receive awards so we were just confused. My son and I attended anyway, just in case.

Kevin is a kid who has learned extraordinarily well, has avoided the typical temptations of youth, besides computer games (death to computer games!) and a senior year girlfriend (we like her - she is motivated, technical like him, success-oriented no matter what it takes, and adorable). He has endured psychological testing to determine that he is decidedly not ADD and that his only real problem is boredom and "you can't make me do it" (damn you psychologist - we already knew that!).

So there we sat at award night wondering if there would be an award. Many of Kevin's dear friends received embarassments of mention, monetary and non-monetary, individuals who were the only recipients of very specific awards, sometimes repeatedly. Congratulations dear friends! There were honor roll awards (nope), specific field of study awards (nope), nice guy/gal awards (nope - though he is), and the departmental awards. Kevin was on the edge of his seat waiting and wanting one of several English department awards - his brilliance had been noted through the years - but how can an award be given to an individual with a sub 3.0 GPA? So many more candidates who put in the time and effort to hand in the homework and get good grades could not be upstaged by someone who shunned the requirements even if they led the discussions and invigorated the classroom. They could not be honored even if they received extra assignments since they had already read all the books in the curriculum and sat in the hallway with advanced reading material, popping in on cue to comment in the classroom discussions on books. The teachers may have known who the best candidates really were but they are bound by rules. The tap on the arm and hello to our son as his AP English teacher left the stage signaled to me that she wished she could have given it to him.

The most egregious example of this sort of thing was a few year's back when our daughter's friend was denied the position of number one graduate because he did not spend enough time in the high school during high school. As I understood it, he did not have the required high school credits - he was taking college courses at the university nearby since he had exhausted the curriculum at the high school. Upon graduation he could have entered the University of Michigan as a senior, age 18. In a "post mortem" or should I say "post mortar board" decision he was awarded first place, not in time for graduation; he got second billing then.

Here's the thing though. High school and even college are not life. They seem that way at the time, but the most brilliant student may turn out to be only a brilliant student - not a good employee and there are absolutely no guarantees about entrepreneurship. Someone who follows the rules is unlikely to take risks - just my opinion - and be an entrepreneur. There is a certain "devil may care" attitude, or "la-di-da" as my husband calls it in regard to my efforts in keeping bills paid, that is REQUIRED in entrepreneurs! If fear were to rule the day, no one would invent that better mouse trap or Microsoft Vista - sorry, wrong analogy.... I truly believe my son will do great things when the constraints are lifted. Time will tell.

Regarding that award, yes he did receive one - the Michigan Promise Award for exemplary performance on standardized testing, required by the state of Michigan. It is worth $4000 and he was in good company with about a quarter of his classmates. I wouldn't sneeze at a $4000 tax-free/company-dollar-free commission these days, would any of you?

Congratulations Kevin! When you hit the really big time I will be sure to blog about you then too. For now, good luck at Michigan Tech. (He applied and was accepted within six days - his ACT score was that good.) It is the perfect school for you Kevin, despite the snowfalls that require six foot poles above the fire hydrants so the firefighters can find them in the ten months of winter.... You are going to love it there! Seriously, you are going to love it there, just as we love you. Now get out of here and raise that GPA. Dad is researching that Arctic-rated parka he had in the Air Force and intends to order it for you. Make a snowman, make a snowfort, make a snow time traveller machine. I trust you can make anything you desire, if given the means. See you at Thanksgiving. Let's stock up on the Ramen Noodle now.

What a power desk!

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 02:23:28 -0500

In a massive procrastination move the other day, I decided to rearrange my home office furniture and all the electronic equipment. It was a very big job and only required the occasional request for help to reposition heavy furniture, so it was fairly successful. I threw a lot of useless stuff away.

My son, perhaps the strongest and most fit person in the family, was AWOL during the entire process and arrived late at night to express his opinion. After noting the improved flow, in which I had eliminated a 12 drawer dresser and downsized to a 4 drawer dresser to hold office supplies, he commented on the desk.

"That is one power desk!" he said. First, yes it is. It is massive and if I were a person comfortable working at a desk, I am sure it would be very useful. I prefer to work in the recliner in the room, with seating space available for one cat in the seat area with me, though there have been times when a spare cat has adorned the top of the chair behind my head as well. I have always carefullly positioned the printer/scanner/fax within reach of the recliner, plus all phones can be accessed as well. How thoughtful! My biggest problem is power cords. I appear to be on life support in the recliiner, and whatever cat (of 4) is visiting needs to tuck in under wires and cables and planners at times. They seem to understand; they keep coming back, over and over again, despite the aggravation. Cats love electronics, and me.

After my son's comment, I went on to explain the concept of desk placement in an office. The occupant must always be able to see the door. I believe this goes all the way back to Darwinism and survival of the fittest. If you can't see the opponent as they approach, how will you prepare your defense? Beyond that, the size and color of the desk is paramount. Mine was a massive scuffed-up mahogany desk from the 1800's, I was told when I bought it at a yard sale for $25.00. I swore I would have it refinished but never did. One day I painted it flat black and what a difference that made! Power indeed!

Here's the problem though. Apparently back in the 1800's they did not use modern office chairs. The chair opening for the desk is no more than 24" and I swear it is not more than 18". I have an old bentwood oak chair as the desk chair there. Do I need to further justify the recliner decision?

So my home office is now more functional, though still doorless. It used to be the dining room - I swear I will get those doors, ignore the view, and be extraordinarily productive. If now, if now, I could complete the taxes that prompted this office transformation, then that would be a coup indeed. Look out IRS, my return will be coming to you soon, right after.....oh, nevermind..... Where the heck is that stimulus payment? Wait, I need to file the tax return, don't I? I believe I have come full circle. Circles are good. As are multiples of three and not placing your bed opposite a mirror or under a beam. Avoid northern light. I'll get this all right one day and the living will be easy....even in real estate.

I Am Peeved!

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Sun, 25 May 2008 01:00:38 -0500

Peeved is a great word when trying to avoid cursing, isn't it?

I recently commented on a couple of blogs and returned to see what others had to say. One blogger had a lengthy negative response to my comment, but fortunately there was another commenter coming to my defense, sort of. I am also curious as to why a Florida realtor cares about a politician in Minneapolis - points? The rest of the comments struck me as ambiguous so I didn't really know what they were saying. Poop or get off the pot! (Another curse avoidance, I am afraid.) So it was bad, then good. I commented again so it is probably really bad now. It was a political blog and at this point in election time things are really critical, lines being drawn in the sand.

That old axiom about never talking about religion, sex, or politics - it is all over now. Religion is a no-go issue since tolerance is in. Sex is a non-issue since it is everywhere. Politics? Now that is where the mud-slinging is still perfectly appropriate. Apparently money earned is now also a talking point. Are we allowed no privacy at all?

The second blog I revisited was about investors and the timelines for re-selling a property. I have a lot of investors. Yes they make money when "flipping", but this is Ann Arbor, Michigan not California. What they are doing is almost community service. They are taking blighted properties, sometimes the only blighted property in a neighborhood and sometimes a bunch of properties in a neighborhood, and making ALL of the properties there more saleable by their efforts. Ask the neighbors what they think. Michigan has over 7000 HUD foreclosure homes alone, in a declared declining market and an exodus state . Someone has to do something. Three cheers for intrepid investors!

Investors are buying properties so bad that when I show them I need to cover my nose from the stench and wipe my shoes on the hopefully damp grass, if there is grass, when we leave. They are buying properties far past what the generic buyer looks at. Needs a roof, new mechanicals, new kitchen and bath, new floors, walls, landscaping - no problem. Of course, they are getting it "for a song." Most buyers cannot get past the fact that the third bedroom is painted blue, and they do not like blue. Good for investors! Why should they be limited? One of my investors is a mostly retired contractor with connections and can turn around the worst property in about a month. He freely admits he has lost lots of money on some deals. Is he in the black? Yes, but not on every deal. Risk needs reward.

Yes, I make commission on selling these properties if I list them when they have been renovated. But greed is not a part of the picture. A recent sale of mine was for $20,000. I paid my office bill for the month with that commission, nothing more. When it relists as a renovated property at $130,000 or so, I will not be cruising in the Caribbean; I will be paying orthodontia, utilities, GASOLINE, etc. I DO NOT MAKE AS MUCH AS YOU THINK I MAKE. I'll detail it all for you, compensation, less company dollar, less expenses, then net, if YOU will do the same with YOUR salary. I thought not....

Now that I have talked about politics, religion, and money, I think I will cruise my TV channels and find a movie with sex. It is the only subject that is innocuous it seems. Maybe I will get lucky. :)

Be Not Afraid

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Fri, 23 May 2008 00:58:17 -0500

Today I had some really disturbing news from one of my buyers. He had been in the neighborhood where we are scheduled to close on a property next Friday. The deal has been up and down, extended this long since an early March contract date for very legitimate reasons beyond the buyers' control. Today however, in talking to some neighbors, he learned that the previous owner had committed suicide in the garage.

When I heard this in a phone call from the buyer this afternoon, he asked if the bank was required to disclose this. It is a bank-owned property, surprise! No, the bank is not required to disclose this, and in Michigan, nor are realtors since it is a non-material fact of the real estate. Of course, had I known it, I would have disclosed it, and in talking to the listing agent, he did not know it either.

My team leader came by right after I learned this and I mentioned it to him. He asked the address and commented that it was not the same place he was thinking of. Apparently someone in our office has a listing where another homeowner committed suicide in their pole barn.

Things have been not good in Michigan for some time but there is light at the end of the tunnel. A recent Today show segment featured Barbara Corcoran and while she admitted that the Detroit metro area is one of the six most depressed markets in the nation, she also said that this area is on the way back up. It is official. We have hit bottom. Sadly, some homeowners hit bottom before the news got out.

I took this news in stride in the office but came home for a long power nap, awaking very subdued. I was physically refreshed but could not help but dwell on the news I heard today. We may talk in generalities about the number of foreclosures, the difficulties of short sales, the drastically reduced assessments. The human toll is rarely mentioned. Today I looked it in the eye and it hurt, literally.

As I drove to the supermarket for the requisite milk and bread, I had a song stuck in my head. "Be Not Afraid." It is a beautiful and sad song we sing in church, lax as I have been in attending of late, but the roots are deep. I remember being unable to sing this song the Sunday after our country invaded Iraq; the words were too difficult. I also could not sing it when we buried my little nephew recently. I'm sure the author of the song meant it to be uplifting, an affirmation that even in death there is hope. It just makes me cry. So crying is what I did, driving back from the supermarket.

You know what? I felt better. There is the release of tension that tears bring, but I think in this case it was more about faith, deep within me and sidelined far too easily. I don't know what end of life brings. I don't know where the 40-something man who ended his life is now; none of us really does. I have faith though that there is peace in the end, whatever a person's belief system is, even if it is just that the pain of living is done. That light at the end of the tunnel I mentioned earlier? I have faith it is not related only to real estate. In the end, if I have the means, I'll blog about that too. I'll try my best to get back to you on that....

Nobody Likes a Tease....

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Wed, 21 May 2008 02:52:49 -0500

Tonight I actually stopped at our rural mailbox and took the mail out.

I remember 32 years ago when getting the mail was such a big treat. My husband and I had no credit history, no accounts, didn't live anywhere long enough to have associations - we were blissfully free of the mail assault. The only mail we got was mail we wanted.

Now, 99% of the mail we get is nearly or completely unnecessary. We pay and monitor accounts online but keep getting paper statements since most online statements make NO sense; we need the paper for clarification but don't open them unless there is an issue. As for advertisements for goods and services, we shop when we want, where we want, by word-of-mouth, and buy only what we need. Little by little, we began to disregard the mail completely. (Anyone out there listening? - we are baby boomers and WE PAY NO ATTENTION TO OUR MAIL!!!) People call to see if we have received this or that. "Let me check; I don't bring in the mail." Hah! No one brings in the mail!! The other day our oversize rural mailbox was so full that one piece was in the weeds; I think I heard crickets too, it is so peaceful and natural around our mailbox. It was a rejection for a job at Lowe's for our son - no position available. How appropriate....

My son is the prompt for this post. Today he gleefully announced that he has ridden the school bus for the very last time. He's right. He has an extended fun day tomorrow and will drive to school, with exams on Thursday and Friday - his last day - so limited and busless days there too. And that is all there is to his high school years, except parties, the graduation ceremony, diploma, parties, and the long goodbye of the summer, punctuated by parties. We are hoping there will be paid employment too; time will tell. (He is going to Michigan Tech in August, Computer Science/English Literature, dabbling in music for fun - accepted? last September, his first choice of schools.)

So today's impetuous stop at the mailbox presented a letter addressed, "TO THE PARENTS OF..." and that was interesting. I opened it fully expecting to find that our son would not be graduating because of a four year library fine in the gazillions. We know his cap and gown is being expedited to our residence since he did not bother to order it IN NOVEMBER. We suspect there is no yearbook on order either, oh dear. We know his photo will be in the yearbook though - that was on us to arrange. But no, the letter read:

Kevin will be receiving recognition at the Saline High School Senior Awards Program. While many students are aware of the awards they will receive, some awards and scholarships may not be announced until the evening of the program. We strongly encourage attendance for this awards program.

WHAT? There might be some award for our son who almost certainly did not GPA for even the second or B honor roll? Is this some sort of joke? Yes, we know you all love him - you said so at conferences in the fall, and essentially in every year he has been in the district since grade three. You have said almost the same thing, all of you. "Intrinsically motivated to learn, not motivated by grades." Some of you have gone so far as to say he is brilliant, bored to tears, and needs to just be done with high school so he can experience the challenges that might motivate him. Wouldn't those be YOUR failures, not his? Just a thought. None of you have denied that he has learned, perhaps more than any other of your students, and has been a delightful and insightful contributor in the classroom. Some of you have admitted he is among the most completely intellectual AND well-balanced students you have ever taught. It has been a pleasure hearing those things. It has been less of a pleasure seeing the grades his non-compliance has wrought. Particularly the failing grade this past quarter from you, his psychology teacher! You said he was likely to get a 5 on the AP test - are there no allowances in high school for superior learning WITH non-conformance? Sometimes life just sucks!

Unless you are Kevin.... In his blissfully happy world, from the day he was born to present, life has been an adventure without worries. He is the most self-actualized individual I have ever personally known. As a parent, it has been an exercise in futility to get him to care about anything he does not care about. Did Einstein fail math? - so the rumor goes. Did Bill Gates drop out of Harvard? - I think so. Will Kevin live in a cardboard box under a bridge? - I hope not...

Is this letter a tease? Is this some sort of form letter sent out to the entire student body so there is a good audience to applaud the chosen few? Or does our son stand a chance at getting some sort of award or scholarship? Of course we will attend. I said he should shave and try to look nice. He said he would wear a suit. The way he thinks, his suit will be in his honor or for his friends who will certainly be winning awards. He has always hung out with the "right" (nerd) crowd. You can be proud for yourself and/or proud of your friends. As parents, we are proud of all of the kids graduating this year. It will be a great night with lots of applause, no matter who is on stage.

Before you paint your house...

Susan Walters (Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI) — Sat, 17 May 2008 22:53:09 -0500

My brother bought a fixer-upper late last year and is now in the process of doing the exterior of the house. Among the biggest decisions to be made is what color to paint the exterior. It is currently pale pink. I know, I know. But why do you think he got it for $150,000 or so and it immediately appraised at $216,000? People! Exterior paint does not cost $66,000!!!

Well, after at few attempts at slapping a quart on here and a quart or there, he was directed to a website that does the work for you. You can figuratively paint a house that may or may not be like yours and see the hopefully harmonious and favorable results without so much as lifting a quart OR a paintbrush.

I loved this site, mostly because it showed the errors of so many homeowner's color choices. Fortunately for me, I never strayed beyond the brown/green choices or I would be there still. I will not consider painting an exterior of a property, great or small, without first consulting a site like this:

www.thisoldhousepaints.com/visualizer/index.html

Enjoy!