Blog Entry: 2011 December Blogging Challenge- Heart Felt So far this week I have read many great local stories of those who are giving back and truly showing the holiday spirit.  There was one article today though that really pulled at my heart a bit. Terri Finch Hamilton for the The Grand Rapids Press wrote "Santa, can you get my mom a job?  Some kids' holiday wishes are tough to fill". After interviewing a local "Santa Legend", Terri writes about the new wishes Santa is asked to fulfill in these hard economic times. In these economic times children are more in tune to the financial well being of the family than many parents may realize.   I ask that you just take a few minutes to pay closer attention to  the needs fo those around you in your local area.  It is amazing the little thi... 12/13/2011

Do we let our personal bias interject into our home selling representations? I do not think most people, at this point, exercise intentional discriminatory practices or statements.  Real estate agents know the law and have a duty to inform clients of the discriminatory issues that arise.  If a real estate agent feels uncomfortable siteing the legal requirements they certainly tell them where to find and read it for themselves.  Check the legal requirements telling where to find the legal requirements on discriminatory practices rather just telling a potential client where to look up the law may not be enough to protect you either. We all know the legal requirements of the law so it is safe to say overt statements are not in this blog nor do they have any place in our social or business ... 12/10/2011

Selling your home is usually an emotional issue. Add the financial decisions of being pushed into selling your home because of health or employment, divorce or death and it becomes even more difficult emotionally. I have assembled a quick link so you can get the Top Ten Tips for selling your home using the short sale method.   Most sellers hope they never have to make the decision to sell their home using the short sale method.  I can certainly understand after listing and selling my clients homes with this method.  Banks do not always cooperate.  The systems seems to be positioned for failure yet thousands have sold their homes across the nation using a short sale as a method to sell. Short sales require more paperwork and patience to achieve.  Short sales also require time!  Many sell... 12/10/2011

Leading real estate software provider Taro Systems, Inc. today announced a competitive upgrade, allowing real estate owners to have a one-stop-shopping solution with the addition of a full data conversion wizard with the ProGold i2 and ViewMyListing.com for new customers. Additionally, in defining One-Stop-Shopping, Taro Systems offers solutions that cover all areas of the real estate brokerage business from sales leads to SEO and everything in between.  "To Date Taro has integrated over 850 MLS providers as well as full data imports for Century 21 affiliates, Colwell Banker affiliates and ERA Brokerages -- close to 14 million imported listings, 186,000 real estate professional, and 16 million sales prospects have been added to ProGold i2 application with all of our available data impor... 12/05/2011

The Grand Rapids area is full of many great venues that offer great opportunities to get out and enjoy the community.  Here are just some of the links to Grand Rapids, MI Area Entertainment and Attractions:   Van Andel Arena Grand Rapids Public Library Public Museum of Grand Rapids Grand Rapids Art Museum Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum Grand Rapid s Children's Museum Grand Rapids Civic Theatre Rosa Parks Circle Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park La Grande Vitesse (Calder Plaza) Robinette's Apple Haus and Winery Fallasburg Historical Society West Michigan Whitecaps Grand Rapids Griffins ArtPrize John Ball Zoo Blandford Nature Center Detroit Red Wings Detroit Pistons Detroit Lions Detroit Tigers Michigan State Spartans Michigan Wolverines Michigan Golf 11/30/2011

Oh that silly classic movie, "What about Bob?".  The story of a man full of fears of the world "out there".  At one point in the movie he bravely steps out and tries something new: sailing.  He has to be tied to the mast of the sailboat, but he does it!  In shouts of triumph he proclaims "I sail!  I sail!". Well, I have made a determination to try new things, and today, I begin to blog.  My first blog post ever.  I'm a reasonably intelligent human being, I've got some knowledge and insights to share.  So here I go.  "I blog!  I blog!". In my first couple of years in Real Estate I learned so much.  But each day in Real Estate I am learning exponentially more, and growing from it.  I love the people, and frankly, I love the houses!  Most of the time.  On both the people and the houses ha ... 11/15/2011

Forest Hills Michigan Top Best Buy Waterfront Homes Oct 2011 Waterfront homes are in high demand in all areas and in all localities, proving the old adage: the 3 best things to consider when purchasing a property are: Location, location, location.    West Michigan is very fortunate to have many lakes and rivers that make wonderful year round homes on the waterfront a viable option.   We have included a list of 22 homes in Forest Hills Schools Kent County Michigan under $500,000 with private water frontage.  Autumn is a great time to purchase a waterfront home.  The market slows down when winter approaches and sellers might consider an offer very seriously.       Address                                        Price 6588 Tanglewood SE                 $  170,000 2780 Thornapple River Dr   ... 10/28/2011

It was a only a matter of time before cities started creating "Landlord" rules for minimum standards for single family rental property. Grand Rapids Michigan has just passed a inspection requirement on single family rental properties. This was directly caused by the investors that did minimal clean up and repairs and started renting properties that were not safe or functional in many cases.     We can look at the market of foreclosure homes that created a depressed below market price and greed to snap up as many of these homes as possible.  Making the investment the priority instead of the quality of the home after the investment. From years of investing I can tell you maintenance is one of the first drains on your capital.  Fixing requiresappropriate licensed service providers or inspe... 10/26/2011

Senate has Passed a Measure to Restore Higher GSE Loan Limits Late yesterday the Senate approved the amendment to restore the maximum loan limits on government backed mortgages to where they were two years ago; $729,750. Additionally, this restores the FHA loan limit to 125% of the median home price in low cost areas (it was reduced to 115%). This would roll back the October 1 reductions in the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA/VA loan limits in high cost areas.   The goal with this is to get the housing market moving faster to play a part in the economic recovery.  At this point every little bit is going to help. This was an amendment that was heavily lobbied by the National Association of Realtors to get the votes needed.  The Senate approved this amendment by a 60-38 vote, so now it is... 10/21/2011

It is possible to remove late payments from your credit report, one process is called re-aging.  The re-aging process can remove late payments from your credit report which will help raise your credit score.     Yes, you can erase bad debt. So what is re-aging? Most people, even a self-proclaimed “Credit Expert”, is unaware of the positive aspects of re-aging an account.  You will find hundreds of articles on negative re-aging.  The FCRA is clear that a charge-off can only be reported in a credit history for 7 ½ years from the date of the first delinquency.  As accounts are transferred from one collection agency to another they may report a more recent delinquency date.  This illegally extends the time period in which the charge-off or collection is included in a credit history.  This i... 10/19/2011

Energy Bills are going UP!   This past weekend I did my fall review to save energy. I am like everyone else.  I don't have enough time or commitment to do things when I should when it comes to my own home.  Sure I do basics, like turn off the lights, when my wife is still in the room (she always says something when this happens :-).  Make sure the water is not dripping from my faucets.  Faucet leaks can drive up water bills and water heater bills if it is the hotwater faucet leaking. I check the obvious spots that can make the fastest impact on my heat bills.  I checked my doors for leaks around the seals.  This is always a key spot for leaks.  I found some again this year.  Foam strips with peel off adhesive backing that allows for quick and easy installation to stop door seal leaks. W... 10/19/2011

Sellers want to believe their home will sell.   Sellers want to think it is a beautiful to others as it is to them.  Sellers want to believe the value they see in their home will be apparent to buyers as well.  Sellers Want to believe. Real estate agents are the trained professionals that make that belief possible.  When it doesn't happen it is the agents fault in the eyes of many sellers.  This can be true and it can also be the sellers lack of market understanding.  This is something else sellers do not want to hear. I know I have been both and am an active real estate broker that no only counsels sellers but markets and promotes properties for sale. The four words sellers never want to hear?  You're Priced Too High!  I don't blame sellers for not wanting to hear these words. Think of... 10/19/2011

Grand Rapids Michigan Third Quarter 2011 Suburban Real Estate Market Reports     The following suburban market reports cover the third quarter real estate activity in each Grand Rapids area.  Some local areas are holding their value better than others.  All areas are still seeing some price erosion, though a small percentage.   If you are considering selling your home, we recommend listing as soon as possible.  The nation's largest banks still have foreclosure inventory that has not hit the marketplace.  These estimated 4 million homes will be  put on the market starting in January of 2012.    We would be happy to give you an idea of what your home is worth today. Give Terry a call at 1-888-240-1968 ext 0.     Caledonia Michigan Real Estate Report East Grand Rapids Michigan Real Estate ... 10/15/2011

There is also a swirl of talk by sellers, buyers and agents over pricing homes to sell. Here are a few facts the may offer you a glimpse of why price should be part of your selling strategy. When we talk about selling strategies for homes this creates a mental picture in everyone mind.  The strategy can be singular...price for example or it can have many facets to achieve the goal of selling. Personally I don't believe price is the only factor to consider unless you are desperate or have a specific time frame the requires your home sold.  Foreclosure dates, relocation dates can dictate a time frame for example. Pricing your home to sell as part of your selling strategy can be very powerful.  Buyers are always looking for value.  Sellers have the opposite goal, selling for the highest pr... 10/14/2011

When your home doesn't sell but you want to still sell your home. Every home is different even if it has exactly the same floor plan as the home next door.  Every home is decorated differently.  The color paint on the walls is an obvious difference.  Decorating can make homes look larger and smaller. What makes one home sell and another not sell?   Not Selling is usually a combination of issues.   Available for showing buyers.  Not all sellers make their homes available to show.  This means you miss showings. You have to have your home ready to show.  Having reasonable access, for example 24 hour notice isn't difficult.  Agents don't always care about sellers and their schedules.  They want to show homes when buyers  are available. They also don't always make their appointments on time... 10/13/2011

It’s time to take another look at short sales As recently as a few months ago, if you would have told a real estate agent who specialized in short sales that they’d be raving about a lender’s stellar service and rapid approval times—not to mention significant cash incentives for financially strapped homeowners for pursuing a short sale—you’d have gotten some strange looks. That’s all changed.  And it’s changed faster and to a greater extent than most real estate professionals ever could have imagined. With a glut of bank-owned properties dragging down the recovery of the real estate market, as well as the national economy, major lenders are more eager than ever before to avoid foreclosure. So they’ve sharpened their focus on short sales. Big time. The biggest lenders in the country hav... 10/13/2011

Looking for the easy way out, to find that bargain property at a unbelievable price?  So is everybody else! By now everybody knows that the asking price and the sell price are thousands of dollars different in most cases.  They tell you on TV.  You hear these stories from co-workers about the bargain foreclosure that was perfect and half the original asking price only a year ago! You know a house that sold for less than any other house in the neighborhood...so a friend of a friend said. The truth...there are some great deals.  The interest rates are at record lows.  Are there deals available?   Yes!  One on every corner with your name on it? NO! Today a buyer calls.  She said, "I love this house and I can't understand why it hasn't sold".  She went on to say she hasn't seen a for sale s... 10/02/2011

Forest Hills Michigan Top Best Buy Waterfront Homes Sept 2011 Waterfront homes are in high demand in all areas and in all localities, proving the old adage: the 3 best things to consider when purchasing a property are: Location, location, location.  Waterfront homes are in high demand in all areas and in all localities.  West Michigan is very fortunate to have many lakes and rivers that make wonderful year round homes on the waterfront a viable option for many.   Current market conditions have brought home prices down to levels we haven’t seen in about 10 years. Homes at all price levels and amenities have been affected, as well as interest rates.  Now is a great time to purchase a Waterfront Home if you have been considering living on the water in West Michigan. We have included a list... 09/29/2011

Today I arrived at the Michigan Association of REALTORS annual convention being held in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  While waiting for my hotel room, I took a walk along the waterfront and took these photos of an art display.  It is essentialy some very creative dumpster art, and I thought it was quite interesting.  It's not everyday you get to see dumpster art is it? The DeVos Plaza in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan is quite a beautifully developed area, and it makes for a nice location to host a convention.   09/28/2011

Grand Rapids ArtPrize 2011 in Full Swing What do encyclopedia pages, twine, horsehair, firecrackers, paper-cuts and aged bronze all have in common?  ArtPrize 2011, of course. We previewed a few of the ArtPrize 2011 installations at the Grand Rapids Art Museum last Sunday and have included a few photos of the diverse entries displayed. This piece is made from steel and encyclopedia pages.  I knew I shouldn’t have got rid of that old set of World Books. This unusual piece is made from twine. Ditto above statement. Even bronze woman and I have a pose in common. Many unusual materials were used to recreate this replica of a war rug.  Did you guess firecrackers?   Horsehair, grapevine, and a hand hewn wheel comprise the elements of this entry.  The depth and intricacy of these paper sheets h... 09/23/2011