Farmington Hills Real Estate and Events talk Michigan

Farmington Hills Ice Arena

To Host FREE Skating Clinic Jan. 10 2009

  The Farmington Hills Ice Arena will host a special FREE clinic on Saturday, January 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. as part of U.S. Figure Skating's National Skating Month.  It's Great to Skate welcomes new skaters to a fun-filled event with free skating, demonstrations of different ice sports, giveaways, and raffle prizes. 

 Every year, U.S. Figure Skating Member Clubs reach out to the community through It's Great to Skate activities at local rinks.  The goal of National Skating Month is to increase awareness and participation in the sport, which has enjoyed consistent growth.  National Skating Month activities offer people of all ages the opportunity to learn the basics of ice skating from professionally trained instructors across the United States. 

 U.S. Figure Skating, the national governing body for the sport, is comprised of more than 585 member clubs representing nearly 160,000 members.  For information about the free It's Great to Skate clinic or any other program at the Farmington Hills Ice Arena, call Michelle Sibley at 248-478-8800

For more on Farmington Hills real estate and Farmington real estate check out my websites.

I'm frustrated with a Northville short sale process and I don't know what to do.  We submitted the offer back on 9/09 for this Northville condo.  I am the buyers agent.  So I don't get much information from the listing agent.  She did not even know that the homeowner was going into foreclosure or not.  We found out that the home was in foreclosure by driving by and noticing the public notice posted on the front door of the Northville condo.   The listing agent says she is not getting any response from the bank.  Or that she has not heard anything.

We got a verbally accepted offer at $125,000 back in October.  This is a cash deal.  During October the bank received a much higher offer of about $155,000.  We upped our offer to $145,000 cash.  The bank never accepted either offer.  Well the other offer dropped out back the day before Thanksgiving. 

So there are no other offers on the table.  It is a cash offer but we have not heard anything one way or another from the bank.  A month ago and we have heard nothing!!!!  I am so tired of waiting on the banks personnel and the lack of action that I am thinking of FED EXing the banks president and ask what is up on this deal.  I was going to wait until the 15th of January then I was going to climb the chain of command.

What happens in Michigan that once a sheriff sale happens then the short sale must happen within 6 months of the sheriff sale.  Otherwise it ends up as the banks property.  Then it becomes a foreclosure.  And the whole short sale offer is thrown out the window as the property is transferred to another department.  I had another offer blow up because the bank waited until the day before the property transferred to act.  The bank accepted the offer but said we had to close it in one day.  Unfortunately it was a mortgage deal and the bank had not even ordered title work.  So it was impossible to close.  What a torture for my buyers.

It is sad when you have had a verbally accepted deal.  Then the bank doesn't act and the deal just sits and sits.  It is no wonder that some banks are in the position they are in.  It's a cash deal.  It could have closed back in October.  It has basically cost the bank $1000 in taxes to hold this property.  Don't you love how our bank bailout money is used.

I want my buyers to close on this condo and move on with their life.  What do you think I should do?  Wait until the bank responds or climb the chain of command on January 15th?

That you are a better person for being part of Active Rain?  It is my one year anniversary today.  I started exactly one year ago today.  I honestly can't say what got me to active rain, or what got me to be an active blogger.

All I know is that I have become a better person because of active rain.  I have become a part of a community, a community of great people.  A community that shares their knowledge. A real estate community that has buyers, sellers of real estate and their interests in their heart.  People who are trying to be better at their business, through honesty, integrity, and constant learning.

We are becoming more transparent in our dealings.  We put our thoughts, our trials, the problems of our everyday business out there so others can learn from our experiences.  Thanks to the Active Rain leadership, and it's members I feel I have grown.  I've learned from all of you.  Thanks for making me a little better person.

Thanks for being there.

Russ Ravary

Just a metro Detroit real estate agent.

Metro Detroit area Victorian homes

Where do you look if you want to buy a Victorian home in the Metro Detroit real estate market where do you look?  Settlers started arriving in Southern Michigan in the early 1820's.  There are still old farm houses, and Victorian homes scattered throughout Southern Michigan.  You will find more of them near old city center.  There are quite a few Victorian homes that are over a 100 years old in Southeastern Michigan.  And many more built in the early 1900s. 

Below I have listed cities that have Metro Detroit Victorian homes in Wayne County 

Wayne County Victorian Homes

• Belleville Victorian Homes, located around the city center and scattered around the city.  Belleville was a fertile farming area.
• Brownstown Victorian homes, Not many Victorian homes at all.  A  few scattered around the city.  
• Canton Township Victorian homes, Canton used to be a large farming community, no city center so the Victorian homes are scattered throughout the township.  Not a lot of them
• Detroit Victorian homes,  There are some beautiful Detroit Victorian homes scattered throughout the city
• Dearborn Victorian home,  Dearborn was located on the trail to Ann Arbor and Chicago so it is an old town.  Victorians are scattered throughout the city
• Grosse Pointe Farms Victorian homes,  Very few victorian homes left. 
• Grosse Ile Victorian homes, some victorian homes are scattered all over the island. Not a lot of them.
• Huron Twp Victorian homes,  Huron Twp was a farming community so farm houses and Victorian homes are scattered here and there around the community
• Northville Victorian homes,  Northville has a large amount of Victorian homes clustered around the old city center.  Some have been beautifully restored.
• Plymouth Victorian homes,  Plymouth also has a old time city center.  Victorian homes radiate out from the city center.  There are quite a few Victorian homes 
• River Rouge Victorian homes.  An old city just south of Detroit River Rouge has a few Victorian homes left.  It is now a lower cost community.
• Wyandotte Victorian homes,  Wyandotte is downriver of Detroit.  Many travelers that ventured to Detroit from Ohio may have passed through Wyandotte on their way to Detroit.  There are Victorian homes scattered in the city and some are close to the Detroit River. 

If you are looking for a Victorian homein Wayne County or near Detroit MI I would try Northvilleor Plymouth first.  Then expand my search to some of the other counties such as Oakland, Washtenaw, and Livingston.  Northville and Plymouth have the Victorians that are completely restored.  Or for the person that is looking for a restoration project there are plenty of them.  Northville and Plymouth Victorian homes are located near the cities centers.  Where the other cities will have them scattered here and there.

To Search Metro Detroit victorian homes for sale go to my website Livonia real estate and Wayne County real estate  or email me at info@RussRavary.com for your personalized list of Michigan Victorian homes for sale.  Or Call me on your cell

photos courtesy of Realcomp II LTd

Clear Your Fire Hydrant

Simple Clearing of Snow Saves Firefighters Valuable Time and May Save Lives

   Southeastern Michigan has experienced heavy snowfalls early this year and area Fire Departments are asking for your help. "We can't do our job if we can't locate a hydrant, and that puts people's lives at risk," says Lieutenant Denny Hughes, a fire safety educator with the Farmington Hills Fire Department.

 Whether you're a homeowner, business owner or snow removal company, Hughes asks everyone to do their part in assuring that fire hydrants are visible to responding fire tucks. "Some contractors have nowhere to put the snow after a large snowfall," says Hughes.  "But they need to be conscious about not piling it up on or around a fire hydrant."

 Homeowners and business owners are asked to shovel a clear path to the hydrant from the road, and assure that snow is also cleared at least one to two feet around the hydrant. It also helps if you take a broom and remove the snow buildup on the hydrant itself and clear the snow from any landscaping around the hydrant.

 "Remember -- if firefighters can't see the hydrant, they can't use it," says Hughes.

The Detroit Lions are officially the NFL's worst team in the history of the NFL (at least in some Detroit fans opinions) .  Wahoo!!!  I am glad they are number one.  Now we get the first draft pick.  I would like to take that pick and trade the whole team to China.

Then I would start over.  I would hire 80 of Detroit's unemployed at $60,000 to play.  We would at least have the same record next year.  So if you multiply 80 players by $60,000 it would cost $4,800,000.  Minus that new payroll number from the current Detroit Lions payroll of $90,947,657 I would have $86,947,657 to buy Detroit foreclosures.

There are currently 3246 Detroit foreclosures for sale.  I could probably make a deal to buy them all at $10,000 a piece for all 3246 Detroit foreclosures.   So now if I deduct the cost of my Detroit Lions new picks 3246 x $10,000 = $32,460,000.  Minus that from my Detroit Lion's payroll of $86,947,657 - $32,460,000 = $54,487,657 left to improve my team.

I would then take that money and hire more of Detroit's unemployed and pay for materials to rehab all 3246 Detroit foreclosures.  That would give me about $16,700 per Detroit home.  

Now that the William Clay Ford and the Lions owned all the Detroit foreclosures they would give them away to Detroit's needy and homeless with the help of Habitat for Humanity.

The Detroit Lion'swould get a big charitable deduction, tremendous good will, and the same record.  I figure if we did this for about 5 years we could put a big dent in metro Detroit's foreclosures, help the economy, get William Clay Ford a tax break, and help reduce the number of Detroit's unemployed.

What do you think?   Are you with me? A new start for the Detroit Lions

Dear President Bush,

I finally want to thank you for something you did in the last 8 years. Yes, I don't have a real fondness for you.  But right now I am proud of you that you stood out and put Republican priorities aside and got the auto bailout.  I too believe it is just a band aid for the problems in the auto industry.  But if it buys another year for Chrysler, GM, and the unions to face the problems then I am all for it.  We have given money to AIG, the banks who have since give lots of bonuses to executives.   You might as well help Metro Detroit out.  This will help the Metro Detroit area from imploding from extensive layoffs, home foreclosures, and business bankruptcies.

Don't blame yourself.  You were just stupid.  Why just 6 - 8 months ago you said the economy was fine.  Not all the economic problems are your fault.  They are bigger than any one person and is going to take a lot of smart people and a lot of action to fix.  Some of these problems started before you and were things you could not control.  So sit back in your retirement, and soak up our retirement money while millions of Americans are struggling to live.  Don't worry now it's too late. 

Instead of spending money overseas on Pakistan, Isreal, Africa I think you and the politicians might want to consider spending our tax money just in the US.  Forget about Iraqs problems, and other countries problems and concentrate on ours.

I take one thing back.  You did step up and keep America safe.  We have not had another terrorist attack on your watch.  Thank you for that.  But I don't think the history books will be too kind to you and your tenure in office either.

I wish you and your family the best.  I hope the time speeds by and you are in retirement soon.

From all of us Metro Detroiters thank you, thank you.  You have made many Metro Detroiters feel a little better during this Holiday season.

Merry Christmas 

Russ Ravary

Just a local Metro Detroit Realtor

of Snow and depending on who you talk to there was 12 inches of snow that fell in Metro Detroit MI yesterday by noon.  I went out this morning and showed some houses.

Not one of the houses bothered to shovel the snow.  So my clients and I had to trudge thru 10 inches of snow.  I had expected the builders model to be shoveled, and the home owner to shovel the other one.  Of course I didn't expect the bank to have the Northville foreclosure cleared of snow.  The foreclosure had no heat so the floors were freezing, so my clients did not want to take their shoes off.

What a messy day to go out looking at houses, but my client did find one of the Northville homes to their liking.  They were going home to think about it.  Who knows they may put in an offer on a snow covered Northville home.

To search Northville homes for sale go to my website Wayne County, Oakland County, Livingston County Real estate

 Livonia MI St. Mary Mercy Hospital

St Mary's is located in western Wayne County in Livonia at 5 Mile Rd and Levan.    So many Livonia residents and Wayne County residents depend on St Mary Mercy Hospital for quality health care and emergency services.

St. Mary Mercy Hospital(SMMH) in Livonia joined Saint Joseph Mercy Health System in February 2008. It is a 304-bed acute-care hospital providing the highest quality services with leading-edge technology.

St. Mary Mercy has been named a Top 100 Hospital by Thomson Reuters; a Bariatric Surgery Center of   the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS); is a member of the Michigan Stroke Network as well as the Clinical Community Oncology Program (CCOP) for clinical research trials. 

St. Mary's also earned the 2008 and 2009 HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence (now five years in a row!), and the 2009 HealthGrades Clinical Excellence Award for Stroke Care.

We have:
24-hour Emergency Center
Heart & Vascular Center, Cancer Center
Birthing Center, Women's Center, Michigan Bariatric Institute,
Center for Joint Replacement,
Inpatient and Outpatient Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Units
Sleep Center
Behavioral Medicine Unit
Wound Care Center


St. Mary Mercy now employs 1,700 associates and has over 500 physicians on the medical staff.

For additional information about St. Mary Mercy, please visit www.stmarymercy.org.

St. Mary's Phone Numbers

For more information about Livonia MI real estate or to search Wayne County homes for sale go to my websites.

Russ Ravary "your local Metro Detroit Michigan real estate specialist"

Northville is a great city to live in.  A family place, a city that cares about it's residents.  If you are looking for things to do on New Years Eve with the family and live in Northville then check out:

11th Annual Northville MI Nite Family New Year's Eve Event
Rock Out 2008 'n Roll In 2009! 

What are you and the kids doing the New Year's Eve?  Put on your poodle skirt and varsity sweater because Northville Parks and Recreation is rockin' in the New Year 50s style at our annual Family New Year's Event Bash!

Wednesday, December 31, 2008, 4:30pm - 8:00pm
Recreation Center at Hillside, 700 W. Baseline Rd., Northville
Tickets Prices: $5 adults (18 and up), $10 children (ages 3-17),
$2 tots (ages 1-2)
Tickets will be sold at the event if still available.

Ticket purchase includes:

• Coffee house live music

• Carnival games

• Mini motor race way

• Putt Putt golf

• Home Depot wood crafts

• Huge inflatable bouncers

• Face-painting

• Electronic games and contests

• Sock Hop - dance lessons by Center Stage Dance

• AND MORE!!!!

Pizza and hot dogs available for purchase from the Northville Rotary Club.  Thanks to our sponsors:  Oak Pointe Church, Trupp Family Chiropractic, Northville Rotary Foundation

For more great Northville MI info or Northville Twp MI data check out my websites or email me at info@RussRavary.com 

Russ Ravary "your local Metro Detroit real estate specialist"