Buyer Information

Metro Detroit ranks 3rd in terms of the nation’s most affordable housing markets, according to Forbes magazine.  They report these stats: Median home price: $154,600 Median household income: $63,052 Recent affordable home sales: 87.4% They explained that it would take just over two years of gross income to purchase a home in a market like [...]

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It’s not often that I comment on anything being done in Washington on this blog. I am not apolitical, but I keep this place as local as I can, and usually Washington isn’t doing too much that I want to talk about. Take that comment as you like. When the news popped up in my [...]

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Could there be a silver lining to the increasing number of foreclosures in Michigan? Maybe. Maybe not. The State of Michigan just changed the laws allowing foreclosures to be taken into consideration in property tax assessments. Previously the depressed sales were disallowed as aberrations. In Oakland County areas particularly hard hit by foreclosures, like Pontiac, [...]

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Carol Marshall recently wrote in the Oakland Business Review about the changing skyline of Royal Oak: Condo sales are stabilizing and improving slightly in Royal Oak compared to last year, according to Farmington Hills-based Realcomp II. By the end of June, 63 condo units in the city had sold, compared to 56 a year ago. [...]

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It is hard not to feel sorry for Alan Jacobson. He fell in love with a historic home in Virginia, made a deal with the seller, and waited for the seller to make repairs before close. It got really ugly after that, a contractor died, the two parties started fighting and lawyers reaped the benefit [...]

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Unfortunately, I am not a Birmingham MI home buyer, or a Troy MI buyer, or a Royal Oak MI buyer. I see some wonderful opportunities for investors and buyers nearly every day, and I would certainly love to help people take advantage of them. For those of you who are looking for a home in [...]

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I came across an article tonight that sounded like something I might have written. But since I did not write it, I will refer you over to this Realview piece. Highlights: Does the Agent have a strong online presence? Is the agent full time? What is the agent’s marketing strategy? There is more, so head [...]

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[youtube go4b7RWFBfE] Just came across this YouTube video of a news cast about a mortgage broker who was sold bogus leads from an on-line lead generation company. Lead generation might be one of the dirty little secrets of real estate and home finance. Or, depending on your opinion, it might be just another way of [...]

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A few weeks ago another Realtor in the Birmingham MI real estate market referred to me derogatorily as a “blogger”, somehow implying that blogging is not something that a real estate agent does to sell homes. Oh, how wrong he is. And I am OK that he does not know better. Another victim of “Old [...]

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Tomorrow is an extra special Last Tuesday Tour. The Birmingham-Bloomfield Realtor Network, our group of 9 top producing agents from competing offices, is teaming up with The Somerset Collection and King Financial to raise money for the Barbara Ann Karmanos Center. We will be accepting donations at each of the 9 wonderful homes we have [...]

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Ken Mascia from Oxford Financial is back today with some wisdom about the sub prime implosion and it’s impact on our Southeast Michigan real estate market. One topic has gotten a lot of press lately and it’s how everybody is in foreclosure. I have heard some of the craziest statements made as if they were [...]

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