Farmington Hills Real Estate and Events talk Michigan

My ninth day of Christmas giving was actually yesterday.  Each day we are warm in our homes.  But there are many people that can't afford to heat their homes.  They can't afford to pay for their monthly bill. 

Some people can't afford to pay for a decent jacket, hat or gloves.  We are lucky to be able to afford those simple comforts in life.  "We are lucky to be have those simple things in life."

We are lucky to be able to afford a blanket or the heat bill.

So give to the Salvation Army, Purple Heart, Vietnam Veterans, or any church that will help the needy who need a little warmth.  Take your blankets, gloves, and blankets and help keep somebody warm. 

Whew! finally caught up on my days.  Now I have to think on three more things to do before Christmas.

My eighth day of Christmas was actually a few days ago.  It is a simple thing.  All of us can do it.  It is a simple as writing a check or donating some cash towards any charity.

It doesn't have to be much.  It can be a five dollar bill, twenty, or a hundred if you feel generous.  We can't change the world with a ten or twenty dollars.  But we can make a little difference.  We can make the world a little better place.

I wrote my check so I could deduct it on my taxes.  I hope you write one today for your favorite charity.

Whether it is donating to the humane society, the local childrens hospital, the boys and girls club, the United Way, the March of Dimes, or the cancer society .  It doesn't matter which charity you support.  Your money will help out.

I am catching up tonight on things I have done in the last few days.  But between Christmas shopping, working and attending closings, and doing these 12 days of Christmas has kept me from writing about them.

Today I went down to Allen Park to get my favorite strudel.  I went down and picked up 7 apple, cherry and cheese strudels.  The strudel shop I stopped at is the Hungarian Strudel shop on Park Avenue.

So I took the strudels and delivered to some older ladies that are more or less homebound.  I shared something I loved with somebody that couldn't go out and get it.  So my challenge to you is who do you know that would like good food.  Take the time and deliver something good to them.  And sit and talk for a few minutes.  They will love that.

So have a great day and try it out.

On the sixth day of Christmas I took two of our latest cell phones down to our local mall to donate for "CELL PHONE FOR SOLDIERS".  I just updated my two year old blackberry for an Android EVO.  Which I am very happy I did, but my blackberry was in great shape and only a couple of years old.  So I wanted to give them to somebody that could use them.

So I fought the traffic at Laurel Park Place Mall....I had to park at the far end of the lot and went in and dropped off the two cell phones.

Sure you could get a few bucks on EBAY or craigs list but....   So join me and donate your old cell phones.  Here are a few charities that need them.  One that I especially like is the domestic abuse charities that give the cell phones to women that are battered and abused.  This gives them the ability to get out of a bad situation and the ability to call for help.

Or google your local area cell phone donation.

 www.verahouse.org/supportus/cellphones.htm

 http://www.americancellphonedrive.org/

 www.unitedfamilyservices.org/cellphonedonations.html 

cellphonesforsoldiers.com

www.phones4charity.org/donations.php

Of course the fifth day of Christmas in the song is the focal point.  It's five golden rings... so what is the most important thing in our lives... it's family.

So it is symbolic to me that the fifth day of Christmas is supporting our office Adopt a Family.  Each year my office Remerica Hometown One calls up and adopts a family.  All the agents donate so we can make a families Christmas a little brighter.

Many times they are families that are struggling with medical hardship and hard times.  This year we got selected to help a family of ten.  So our office went out and bought gifts especially for each member of the family.

Sometimes some of these families never see a Christmas like we see.  We are lucky in life to afford some many things in life.  So many times we forget that some people never will have the chance to get even a 1/4 of the presents we get.  So many families struggle and the holidays are very frugal for them.

So join me and our office today and if you can adopt a family!

http://www.voa.org/sp/Adopt-a-Family.aspx  Volunteers of America

http://www.gracecentersofhope.org/Adopt%20a%20Family.htm  Grace Centers of Hope

http://www.loveinthenameofchrist.org/project/adopt-family-christmas  Love in the name of Christ

http://www1.usw.salvationarmy.org/usw/www_usw_cascade.nsf/ce952dea4507ee7780256cf4005d2254/e641fe1ec26712988025713f00823076?OpenDocument   Salvation Army

http://www.stvincentdepaul.net/PS-ChristmasAdoptFamily.htm St. Vincent De Paul

I am running behind on my days of Christmas.  But yesterday I thought I would donate some time for bell ringing for the Salvation Army.  I signed up to volunteer and went out and rang the bell in front of Macy's for a few hours.

My post for the night!

 Salvation Army does some great things:

Community and Fellowship

• Kroc Centers
• Youth Camps
• Recreation

Rebuilding Lives

• Disaster Relief
• Prisoner Rehabilitation
• Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation
• Fight Human Trafficking

Comfort and Support

• Christmas Charity
• Elderly Services
• Community Cares Ministries
  

 So if you are passing by a red kettle this holiday season, drop in what you can.  They even will take your change.  Thanks in advance from the Salvation Army.

You can also donate your time by ringing the bell or they have many other volunteer  opportunities at the http://www.salvationarmyusa.org   

Livingston County Lakefront home selling tips

When you going to sell your Chain of lakes waterfront home or any other Livingston County lakefront home; you are selling to people who want to live on the water.  They obviously like or love the water.

They have the dream of living on a lake whether it is Patterson Lake or Woodland Lake.  They want to see what living on the lake is like.  They want to see:

• barebeques,
• fishing
• people water skiing
• kids tubing
• kids laughing
• people enjoying the water.

BUT.... the problem is that they may not see that on the day they come out to see your Livingston County lakefront  home.  It may be overcast, rainy, or a miserable day.

So you the lakefront home seller have to show them what the lake is like.  You have to be able to provide them the idea of how great the lake is even on a cloudy day.  If you have sunset pictures, Lake pictures, or family photos of you enjoying the lake then put them out in a small picture album.

We are selling the dream of a relaxing, fun lakefront home.  Your Livingston County lake pictures will help sell that dream. 

Click on any of the other Metro Detroit home selling tips they may help you sell your home quicker and for more money.  If you want more Livingston County lakefront home selling tips send me an email.  Or if you want me do a free no-cost no-obligation walk thru of your Livingston County lakefront home give me a call.  I am good at staging your home to sell.

More Michigan home selling tips

Search Southeastern Lakefront homes for sale and get the latest listings emailed to you.

On the second day of Christmas I did my second good deed.  I made pepperoni rolls and took them over to some friends house.  Their mother is very sick.  I remember how people brought food over when Marianne was sick.  It was very nice to come home after a long day at the hospital and not have hospital or fast food. 

It was nice to have a home cooked meal. So I needed to pay it forward.  So I made Marianne's pepperoni rolls and took them over to them.

I took more than two pepperoni rolls.  So in the spirit of the holidays.  Who do you know that could use some good home cooked food?  Take them a plate or invite them over for dinner.  The holidays can be very lonely for some people that don't have a lot of family and friends.

Now which would you rather have two turtle doves or some pepperoni rolls

Rolling Oaks Subdivision is located in Plymouth Township MIoff North Territorial Rd just  west of Beck Rd.  So it is a great subdivision is you need freeway access because the M-14 and Beck Rd entrance ramp is right around the corner.

Rolling Oaks subdivision has about 156 Colonial and Cape Code homes in it.  There are some ranch  homes.  The subdivision has a clubhouse and community pool. 

The average time on the market for these Plymouth Township homes is 30 days.  If you would like to see any of these homes or want more information on them send me an email at info@russravary.com

Moving to Michigan here is more Plymouth real estate information.

 So there was one home that leased for $2300 and 3 homes sold and one pending.  If you notice the homes sold very quickly in 11 days, 16 days, and 12 days.  So price your Plymouth home right and the house will sell.

Search Plymouth Homes for sale

Plymouth Home selling tips

13 mistakes that could cost you thousands of dollars
Can you afford to move up and make sense?

10 steps to takes before selling your home
Common Selling mistakes

They want to buy - but it is smart not to buy this Northville home

Why the banks take a lower cash offer on your West Bloomfield home

Information provided courtesy of Real Comp II Ltd.  Listings shown above listed by various member realtors.

Christmas is about giving so I am trying to figure out things to do to give over the next twelve days.  So here goes on what I did on my first day.  It is surprising how things fall in your lap, sometimes it is easy to do something nice for somebody else. 

This is my first day of Christmas.  I got an email from a lady I had met on a flight from Detroit to Tampa earlier this year.

She was on the way to do the Tampa 3 day cancer walk.  She did the 3 day cancer walk, but she is way short of her fundraising money needed.

You see when you volunteer to raise money for the Susan G Komen you guarantee to raise $2300.  They do this because it is a big expense to put together the walks they do.  They want to stay up there in putting most of the donated money to good use and towards the cause of fighting breast cancer.

She's a young single mother that was just trying to help out, but she is about $800 short of the $2300.  If she doesn't raise it through donations it gets charged on December 31st to her credit card.  She isn't in the financial position to have it charged.  A $800 donation is hard for any one person to do.

She asked me how I raised so much money for my walk.  So I sent her an email on how I raised $13,000 for my walk, but I thought I didn't do enough.  So I went to the website Susan G Komen 3 day for the cure. and donated a little money for her walk.  She is going to be charged $800 for doing the walk unless we can help out. Go to Http://The3day.org/ and look up Jessica Fiorelli. Donate if you can.

She was just trying to help out other women.

So join me on my first day of Christmas and help out a single mother that got in over head when trying to do a good thing.