Forest Hills Michigan Neighborhood Real Estate Market Reports Jan-Dec 2011

 The 2011 Market Reports for Forest Hills suburbs of Grand Rapids

are linked below.  Some areas went down in activity, some went up, some

stayed relatively the same.

Which proves the maxim, all real estate is local.  These are local Forest Hills

neighborhood reports, so they will give an overall  picture of what has happened

in these spe cific Forest Hills areas.  If you want to know what is happening in your

neighborhood, just give us a call.

Adacroft Commons Market Report

Adatowne Market Report

Adawoods Market Report

Caravelle Village Market Report

Cascade Springs Market Report

Catamount Market Report

Centennial Park Condos Market Report

Clements Mill Market Report

East Village Market Report

Forest Hills Gardens Market Report

Greentree Estates Market Report

Thornapple River Dr/Burger Dr Market Report

HUD Good Neighbor Next Door Home Sales Program

This HUD program is available to a select group:

• Law enforcement officers
• Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade teachers
• Firefighters
• Emergency medical technicians

These buyers are offered a discount of 50% from the list price of a HUD home.

The buyer must remain in the home for 36 months and be your sole residence.

The program is being offered in certain areas, revitalization areas, are listed

only for sales through the Good Neighbor Next Door Sales program for purchase

through the program for five days.

HUD requires that you sign a second mortgage and note for the discount amount.

No interest or payments are required on this "silent second" provided that you

fulfill the three-year occupancy requirement.

The number of properties available is limited and the list of available properties

changes weekly. To learn more, go to Good Neighbor Next Door.

Originally published at Grand Rapids Real Estate Blog

Ada Township Michigan Christmas Tree Recycling

Once again, Ada Township offers recycling for natural Christmas trees

for its residents. They can be dropped off at the back parking lot of Ada

Township Park until  Monday January 13th, 2011.

The trees will be recycled into wood chips for use in the park. 

Please remove any decorations, wires, strings, ribbons or other items

that might interfere with a chipper. 

Please no wreaths or garlands.

SEARCH FOR ADA MI HOMES

This article first appeared at Grand Rapids Real Estate Blog

Grand Rapids Michigan November 2011 Sales Stats

The November home sales statistics are in and the news looks good.

Sales are up in November across the board in all price ranges.

The price range that has seen the most activity is $100,00 – $ 139,999;

almost 1 in 5 homes sold in November 2011 were in this price category,

with overall highs ranging over $1 million and lows under $ 19,000.

The Grand Rapids housing market has 24.6% fewer listings year-to-date

than last year.  This means shrinking inventory for buyers and good news for

sellers. 

The Average Home Sales Price is up from 2010 by about 3%; from $ 118,217

to $121,920.  In our opinion, this increase is caused by the REO’s and foreclosure

sales numbers are down and more banks are embracing short sales.

Please note these prices are averages for the whole Grand Rapids market.

If you would like to know what prices are in your neighborhood, give Terry a call.

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Real Estate Myth #7: Waiting for Spring to Sell Your Home Will Get You More Money

The old adage that told sellers to wait until the improved spring market

to put their home up for sale is just that – an old saw.  And not true today.

Buyers tend to favor the spring and early summer market to move but this time

around, it could be costly for both buyers and sellers.

If you haven’t been following real estate news, yes, I know, it starts

to become blah, blah, blah, after awhile; then you might be unaware of the

shadow inventory.  All the experts agree, this 4 million+ housing inventory

of foreclosed and about-to-be foreclosed homes is weighing the market down

right now—and we have 45 more months of inventory to work through.

 Continue reading......

Forest Hills and East Grand Rapids Schools on AP District Honor Roll

East Grand Rapids and Forest Hills Public Schools merited placement on

College Board’s second annual report.  This report names schools that have

had significant gains in advanced placement access and student performance.

Nationwide, only 367 public schools were on the list this year.  To earn a

place, schools must increase the student count enrolled in advance placement

coursework while maintaining or increasing the percentage of students

earning scores of 3 or higher on AP exams.

Since 2009, East Grand Rapids High School has increased their student

participation in AP classes from 183 to 257, offering 13 different AP classes

to high school students.  Forest Hills District increased their number of students

from 630 in 2009, to 774 in 2011. 

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East Grand Rapids Photos

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Forest Hills Schools Photos

Roselle Park Improvement Plans Announced

Future improvements to the popular Roselle Park in Ada Township

have been set.  The Master Plan calls for a new main entrance,

a Resource Center that will hold 75 people for meetings, a kitchen,

a veranda, restrooms, and adjacent parking.  Trails and boardwalk

would be extended into the park from this new building near the

new entrance across from Michigan Street.  Additional future

enhancements will be an Adventure Playground and a Picnic Area

for large groups. 

Most of these future improvements are waiting for funding through

grants, memorial gifts, and donations by local individuals and service

groups.  If you are interested in donating funds, a tree or bench in

memorandum, contact Mark Fitzpatrick, Ada Director of Parks at

            616-676-9520       or email him at mfitzpatrick@adatownshipmi.com.

SEARCH FOR ADA HOMES

Roselle Park Photos

Is Pricing Stalling Home Sales?

Recent Survey Results:

87% of buyers by survey want a “no fixes” home

67% of buyers think homes are overpriced

77% of sellers have their home overpriced

No one thinks our Grand Rapids housing market is as normal

as it used to be.  But many disagree on why.  Most Sellers think

their home is worth more than it really is.  And most Buyers

think the home of their dreams will be available at fire sale prices. 

How do the two sides ever come together to engage in a home sale?

Each of these positions has a grain of truth.  The seller’s home

may well have been worth 25-40% more just a few short years

ago.  In fact, if they bought at the height of the market, they

will most likely not be able to sell their home for what they paid.

This can be painful and lots of potential sellers are stalled from

selling because they cannot make up the difference between

their mortgage and the home’s probable selling price.

Today’s Buyers are savvy and know what homes are going for

 in the neighborhoods they want to live in.  Most buyers do research

for 4-12 months before purchasing.  But they shouldn’t take an overall

estimate of home sales, like Zillow’s Zestimate to really nail down the

purchase price of their dream home.  If there are any Short Sale or

Foreclosed Homes included in the mix, they will usually sell for much

less  than a traditional home in good condition, and for good reason. 

Not many neighborhoods today have homes that have not been

in either a short sale or a bank foreclosure.  Major repairs on these homes

are usually required and may need to be completed before occupancy.

Since most Buyers want a NO FIXES home, this means they will likely

have to pay the market price for the home of their dreams, and the

Seller will have to sell at market pricing.

This is where the art of negotiation by your REALTOR comes in. 

Negotiating a 10% difference in price can take some time for both parties

to come to an agreement.  Don’t be mistaken, expert negotiating skills

are paramount to getting a home sale closed.

Syndicated from Grand Rapids Real Estate Blog

Grand Rapids Michigan Oct 2011 Best Buy Suburban Real Estate Market Reports

Every month we search the West Michigan MLS for the best buys in each of 

the suburban areas we cover extensively.  These reports are based on cost 

per square foot, a logical way to approach the cost of home buying.

Lowell Michigan Top Best Buy Homes Oct 2011 

East Grand Rapids Michigan Top Best Buy Homes Oct 2011

Forest Hills Michigan Top Best Buy Homes Oct 2011

Kentwood Michigan Top Best Buy Homes Oct 2011

Caledonia Michigan Top Best Buy Homes Oct 2011

 Rockford Michigan Top Best Home Buys Oct 2011

If you have an interest in a Top Best Buy Home, please contact me.

Foto Friday: Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club Arcadia Michigan

This photo slideshow takes you on a little trip to northern Michigan 

on a gorgeous fall day in early October.  The spectacular scenic links at

Arcadia Bluffs was our challenge for the day.  

Thanks for going on a trip to Arcadia Bluffs with us.  Michigan and golf

are great companions, as you can see.