April 2005

Mich.: REALTOR® Recognized for Courageous Act(April 21, 2005) – Stacy Peardon, a salesperson at Keller Williams Realty in St. Clair Shores, Mich., has been honored by two housing groups for taking action after three men threatened her for showing homes in a predominantly white community to African American clients.Peardon reported the incident to the Fair [...]

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We LOVE the Baldwin Public Library and are so thankful to have it as a resource for our community. The Friends of the Library is holding its book sale from May 6-9. Call 248-647-1700 for more information. [tags]birmingham michigan, baldwin public library[/tags] Written by Maureen FrancisSKBK Sotheby’s International Realty, 248.430.4450 Visit WebsiteSearch for homes in [...]

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Thursday, April 21, 2005By Robert J. BrussInman News Internal Revenue Code 121, the principal-residence-sale tax exemption, can be used over and over again, without limit, but not more frequently than once every 24 months. Some savvy home buyers have even created a tax-free business by buying a fixer-upper house, living in it at least 24 [...]

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Voters in the Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills school districts face separate ballot proposals on May 3rd that address school funding. While its intentions were good, Proposal A, which caps the rate at which a homes taxable value can increase, the effect on school funding in our districts has been detrimental. Home buyers choose to live [...]

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Just got off the phone with the Northville School District. On April 26th they are announcing plans to re-map the district for the upcoming school year. I was checking on the schools for a particular home, and found that they will likely be changed at that meeting. If you have questions about the re-mapping, give [...]

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Last year we had an acquaintance who listed her home with a firm that offers a service called MLS Entry Only. The broker has no responsibilities to the client other than to insure that the home is placed in the MLS. Essentially the home is for sale by owner. There is a very small fee [...]

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OK, I went to 8 years of catechism classes before I started my Catholic high school. But no where along the way did I pick up the notion that St. Joseph could help sell homes. When our mentor brought St. Joseph up during a real estate training session, I thought she was a kidding. She [...]

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Consumer Reports magazine, May 2005, page 14 has published a study done by “The Local Market Monitor” listing what they say are the Top 20 Overpriced Housing Markets in the US.The study compared average listing price for each market with the affordable price based on average local income.Not surprisingly 14 areas in California led the [...]

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Wonder how Warren Buffet and Bill Gates live? Forbes magazine explores their homes here. Click past the first page of ads for the article. Written by Maureen Francis Visit WebsiteSearch for homes in Oakland County

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CHARLESTON, S.C. — At a gathering of the Realtors from around the world, a survey of those in attendance showed that the most expensive home on the market was from Dallas — a $44 million, 55,000-square-foot estate. Written by Maureen FrancisSKBK Sotheby’s International Realty, 248.430.4450 Visit WebsiteSearch for homes in Oakland County

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In commemoration of the 37th anniversary of the Federal Fair Housing Act, L. Brooks Patterson, Oakland County Executive, has designated April as Fair Housing Month. A fair housing counselor is available to assist Oakland County residents with questions about suspected discrimination at (248) 858-5402. Written by Maureen Francis Visit WebsiteSearch for homes in Oakland County

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