All Blog Posts Tagged 'real' (8)

A different year, a different real estate market.  If you're seriously considering purchasing a new or second home in Northern Michigan in 2013, it's time to hit the reset button.  The market is changing and so should your ideas about how to shop for a home.

What's Changed?

In most areas in Northern Michigan prices are rising and the number of  the most desirable homes on the market are decreasing. Last year saw the healthiest market in five years. The average sales…

It's one of those annoyingly consistent and ignored pieces of financial advice universal among professional investment advisers -- "don't try to time the market." They are usually discussing the stock market. Nevertheless, most of us hear that voice rattling in our heads when we look at our largest single financial commitment (outside of kids) -- buying and selling real estate.

Ironically, if the last real estate downturn taught us anything, it was "timing IS…

Christmas is coming early for area home buyers and sellers

Michigan first time homebuyers (any state resident who has not owned a home for at least three years) can soon qualify for a grant for up to $3,000 toward the purchase of a principal residence, $5,000 for active military and veterans. There are no income limits nor restrictions on the purchase price of the home. The grant just cannot exceed 25% of the purchase price. (Since there aren't a whole lot of desirable $20,000…

If you want to see a REALTOR wince, tell him you have a late 60's early 70's home to sell that "might need a little updating."  Why? Let me count the ways:

            First, "a little updating" in this era can mean things such as "green shag carpets", orange patterned kitchen vinyl flooring and…

When the federal, first time home buyer tax credit ended in April 2011 many left the market thinking that incentives had disappeared. If you're talking up-front incentives you'd be right. But for many qualifying first time buyers and those in  targeted areas in Michigan (and that includes all…

We all have encountered them -- friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and strangers who "inexplicably" can't sell their home. They'll tell you it's the market, the economy, the neighborhood, stingy lenders, even the weather. And sometimes they're right. Other…

Recently our local papers began trumpeting the "sudden" rise in sales activity in the local real estate market  (Regional Home Sales Jump in Feb. ) and some are wondering if this is just a patch of fair weather that brought out the optimists or if a trend may be taking shape.  Were I a betting man I would say it was the latter not the former. Here's why:

1. Mortgage rates are…

                “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” …