I just returned from a meeting with sellers who have a home to sell that they no longer occupy.  They have purchased another home and have physically and mentally moved on.  Except for this one small detail...they have a home to sell!  The odds are daunting.  In their price range there are 22 homes for sale in the surrounding area, only 2 have sold in the past 12 months.  Of all of the units sold throughout our Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in the Grand Rapids area, only 2% of the properties sold were in this same price range.  That means at the current level of activity we have a 10 year supply!  Our discussion was frank and to-the-point.  They have been under contract with a company who charged them a flat fee to have the property on the MLS but did no marketing for them. In fact th... 11/14/2008

It's a gorgeous day here in West Michigan and we are in the midst of the fall season.  I think it's my favorite season of the year.  The colors of fall are the color palette of my home and I find them warm and restful....greens, browns, purples, oranges, reds, yellows.  The mixture is breathtaking on a bright sunny day against the blue sky. There's something about autumn that make people stop and take in the wonder of the world around them.  The air is different...crisp and fresh and frosty mornings sometimes take your breath away.  The sky is bluer, the air clearer and the grass greener.  Last week I drove to Traverse City, Michigan and enjoyed the views on my way. Black cows juxtaposed against a golden field surrounded by flaming trees casting long fingered shadows as the sun dropped ... 10/30/2008

I just returned from visiting my oldest daughter and her husband in California.  Our first grandchild arrived on September 27th so our new grandson, Whitaker, was the star attraction of our visit!!  I've heard that grandparenting is the best but words hardly describe the feeling of holding a grandchild for the first time! While there the headlines were all about the financial crisis and the ups and downs of the stock market.  The saying goes that "if it bleeds, it leads" and the media certainly never gives us a breather from day to day.  I remember when my daughter and husband planned their move to California last April and considered buying a home there.  Was it wise to do so now or was it better to wait for the "bottom", whatever that was?  They decided to take advantage of the downtu... 10/18/2008

Everyone I talk with in the last few days has been keeping close track of the financial news and the hourly (even momentary) tweaks and nuances to the Federal Response to the financial crisis of the last several weeks. The landscape sometimes seems pretty bleak. We worry as REALTORS about the impact on the housing market, our clients, communities and our own livelihoods, if we're really honest!  Unfortunately I still have several conversations each week with those who are in trouble financially with regard to their current mortgage and may be sinking further by the day.  In all of the turmoil of the past weeks many have lost sight of the potential relief that if available for home owners in the form of the new housing bill (HR 3221, Section 1403) which was signed into effect on July 30,... 10/01/2008

Once again there is talk of football and all sorts of opinions about which team will be most competitive which signals that school is about to begin and summer is nearing its end!  Those of you who know me well know that I love football...high school, college or professional.  That being said it is always hard to believe another summer has flown by.  With time seeming to fly by, I find it more and more important to remember to focus on what is important in my life and to stress less about what is not.  I recently came across a quote from Warren Wiersbe that I found very insightful and valuable enough to share with you. "At some point in life, each one of us must decide what is his highest joy, for the thing that delights us directs us.  Generally speaking, a child finds his delight in w... 08/25/2008