buyers market: Your Home is an Investment ... but so much More
- 02/22/09 07:39 AM
In all of this talk of foreclosures, bailouts, short sales and refinancing, what is sometimes lost is that money spent buying real estate is an investment, and, like any investment,its value can go up or down. Why is the prospect of losing our homes so damaging to our economy but even more devastating to our national psyche? Stock prices plummet and you lose money. You knew the risk ... or should have. It may break the bank but it doesn't break your heart. Homes are different. A home is the only investment most Americans make which keeps them warm at night. … (1 comments)
buyers market: $8,000 Tax Credit to Home Buyers - FREE INFORMATION
- 02/16/09 09:29 AM
There seems to be a great deal of confusion over the $8,000 tax credit for home buyers which President Obama plans to sign into law tomorrow. Who qualifies for the tax credit? Is it for anyone or is it limited by income? Will I be required to repay the tax credit? When must I buy to get the tax credit? Here is a chart to help understand the changes with the bill being signed tomorrow by the President. If you have any questions, call me! 616.648.0800, e-mail me: don@donphelan.com, or sign up for one of my upcoming seminars on HOME BUYING! … (1 comments)
buyers market: Buying a Home? Get Good Advice.
- 02/12/09 04:59 AM
Whether you are a first-time home buyer or an experienced real estate investor, the same basics rules apply: Know what you can afford; Know what you are buying; Know what you are offering is accurately written in the purchase agreement. Know what you can afford ... realistically. Unless you are buying with cash, get prequalified by a mortgage lender. A lender can tell you the maximum amount they will lend to you. That's the first step. The second step is to review your monthly budget. How much money do you bring home as take-home pay? How much do you spend on … (0 comments)
buyers market: The Story of the Man and the Village
- 04/14/08 08:03 AM
Recently, I wrote the following piece for a friend of mine who is the creative director for an ad agency in Houston. It was the result of a conversation about how the business of marketing has changed dramatically during the past 10 years due to the internet and blogging. At the risk of preaching to the choir, I'll share it. We all know the value of the internet and blogging. The Man and the Village.Once upon a time, in a village far away, there lived a man. His fellow villagers would make things, bring them to the man and he would tell others … (1 comments)
buyers market: Even Alice in Wonderland had a Business Advisor.
- 02/01/08 02:57 AM
In Alice's first encounter with the Cheshire Cat, the cat points out the fundamental flaw in Alice's business plan. Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?The Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.Alice: I don't much care where.The Cat: Then it doesn't much matter which way you go.Alice: ...so long as I get somewhere.The Cat: Oh, you're sure to do that, if only you walk long enough. Think about your real estate career. If you walk aimlessly about, you will get somewhere, eventually. But doesn't it make more sense to … (2 comments)
buyers market: Real Estate and Texas Hold 'em -- Are you "All-In?"
- 01/31/08 03:37 AM
Real Estate and Texas Hold 'em -- Are you "All-In?" A career in real estate is a lot like playing Texas Hold 'em. One of the basic rules of the popular card game is "raise or fold." That is, if you believe you hold a winning hand, raise the bet. If you believe you have a losing hand, fold. Throw your cards away. If you "check" -- hold off on betting until someone else does -- it suggests to the other players that you may not have a very strong hand and you're hoping for some divine intervention that will turn your … (1 comments)
buyers market: Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.
- 12/12/07 06:05 AM
On September 21, 1897, it was buried on the editorial page, under articles about politics, railroads and a new bicycle design. A letter was sent to the editor of the New York Sun newspaper from an 8-year-old named Virginia O'Hanlon, the only child of a New York City Coroner's Assistant, questioning the existence of Santa Claus. Francis Pharcellus Church, who wrote for the newspaper, replied to Virginia and his editorial became a piece of Christmas lore. In keeping with his newspaper's policy, Mr. Church was not credited for writing the editorial until after his death in 1906. Virginia lived to the … (3 comments)
buyers market: Did you know (a little Christmas Trivia)
- 12/11/07 05:47 AM
Did you know that Dr. Clement Clarke Moore, who wrote, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," which, today, we refer to as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," was the author of a Hebrew dictionary and for more than 20 years, would not acknowledge he was the author of the famous Christmas poem? Moore was Bible scholar from a wealthy family in New York and taught at Columbia College. He lived in New York City on a big estate in Manhattan called Chelsea, which later it gave its name to the neighborhood. The poem was written originally for his children but was first … (2 comments)
buyers market: SOLD!! within 36 dayS!!!
- 11/20/07 04:33 AM
NORTHWEST G.R. CHARMER (Covell/O'Brien Area) Extremely well-maintained ranch-style home near the Mines Golf Course. Great area, 3 bedrooms, 1 full bath, 2 half baths, 2 stall garage, finished basement. Central Air, aluminum siding, finished rec room on lower level. For more information, visit http://www.donphelan.com/ or call me at 616-648-0800. Don Phelan RE/MAX of Grand Rapids, Inc. e-mail: donaldrphelanjr@ameritech.net
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buyers market: For Moms and Dads of Teen or Tween Girls ONLY
- 11/09/07 01:44 AM
Yesterday, a lender walked through my door and saw the following piece on my wall. I'd written it back in 1998 when my now-college-freshman daughter was nine. the lender said, "You should share that. All of us parents have experienced those moments and it's nice to remember them." It has nothing to do with real estate but, for what it's worth, here it is: ______________________________________ Dear Jennifer, Today I watched you run. You came out of school as you always do -- your head upright, back straight, shoulders square. Your eyes scanned the rows of cars, their motors idling, all with parents waiting for their … (3 comments)
buyers market: Affordable Starter in Wyoming Rogers
- 10/03/07 06:02 AM
Totally redecorated from top to bottom and inside & out. New carpets, new paint, laminate floors, new vinyl -- even a new work room space. New carpet in family room, laundry room. Den/office with closet on lower level. Central air. $114,900. For more information visit www.donphelan.com. … (0 comments)
2-story living room with lots of glass to let the sun shine in highlights this home's contemporary floor plan and decor. The lot is larger than other lots in Bailey's Grove and is heavily wooded (see photos). Open floor plan provides a large kitchen perfect for entertaining. Master bedroom suite is large enough to accomodate a king-size bed comfortably. Professionally landscaped with underground sprinkling. Stove, refrigerator, washer & dryer stay. For more information visit http://www.donphelan.com/ … (0 comments)
buyers market: Wanna' Make More Money in Less Time?
- 10/03/07 05:01 AM
Wanna' Make More Money in Less Time? Better living through chemistry, that's the answer. More to the point, that chemistry class you slept through could help you manage your time more effectively and help you become more productive. What you may have missed that sunny autumn day when the fresh air pouring through the window caused your head to loll over and made your eyelids heavy was Beale's Law of Gaseous Expansion. It's a simple theory: A gas (vapor) will expand to fill the container it is in. The same amount of gas that fills a mason jar will expand to fill a 2-gallon … (3 comments)
buyers market: When LOGIC Fails, Go to EMOTION.
- 09/27/07 07:32 AM
"When Logic Fails, Go to Emotion." We've all heard this advice ... (haven't we?): When logic fails, go to emotion. The premise is good; if what you're doing isn't working, try something else. Simple enough. But why begin with logic in the first place? To quote a good friend, "Real estate is a drop of logic in a sea of emotion." Why then, do we start with logic? Shouldn't you start with emotion and go to logic if all else fails? Why do we start with logic? We start with logic because it is logical. That's the way the process makes sense to us … (4 comments)
buyers market: In a tough market, get back to basics!
- 09/12/07 08:15 AM
In a tough market, get back to basics! Remember your first listing? You hurried back to the office, eager to write it on the “New Listings” board, proud to show everyone you were officially in the real estate business? Remember how excited you were to have other Realtors go through in on “tour” or “Realtor open house?” Do you recall how you labored over each word in the first ad, choosing words that would make a buyer’s mouth water? Yesterday, I got a call from a homeowner to “come list me.” When I asked how she got my name, she said, … (2 comments)
buyers market: Seriously. I Need Your Help.
- 09/07/07 04:41 AM
This has absolutely NOTHING to do with real estate but I'd like your help. Recently, I submitted one of the poems I wrote to my daughter from Penny, her tooth fairy, to the Poetry.com contest and was informed it has made it to the "semi-finals," whatever that means. I don't know if it helps boost my chances of winning or not, but I guess it can't hurt. Click on the link below to read the poem. http://www.poetry.com/voteforme/poemvote1.asp?PID=12419416 Scroll down to just under the poem to where it says "Rate this poem." Please feel welcome to forward this on to your mailing list if you like. Thanks! … (3 comments)
buyers market: Myths vs. Facts About Selling Real Estate in a Buyer's Market
- 09/04/07 08:08 AM
After 20 years of selling real estate, I have a considerable collection of "Myths vs. Facts." In today's real estate market, it is essential to identify which is which. For any of you who have been in real estate for more than a week, you've probably already encountered most of them. Hope this helps! Myth: "Houses just aren´t selling." Fact: MOST houses aren't selling, it's true. The good ones still are, however, and at prices that are at or very close to the asking price, provided the asking price is nota pipe dream to begin with. The "good ones" are those that … (7 comments)
Articles and Discussion about Grand Rapids and West Michigan Real Estate, Preparing Homes for Sale, Choosing a Realtor, Information about Grand Rapids Area Schools.
In all of this talk of foreclosures, bailouts, short sales and refinancing, what is sometimes lost is that money spent buying real estate is an investment, and, like any investment,its value can go up or down. Why is the prospect of losing our homes so damaging to our economy but even more devastating to our national psyche?
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