Farmington Hills Real Estate and Events talk Michigan

I got an email today from Brad Anderson.  He had gotten a contact from a buyer who had purchased one of my listings.  They had their own buyers agent.  They asked Brad to ask me to take the blog down on the home they purchased.

I did right away, but it got me thinking.  Know I have to start searching some of my old blogs on other homes because really they should come down.  Or do you think they shouldn't come down?  It is an interesting question because of course we lose the back links to our websites when we delete the blog.  We lose the points when we delete the blog.

But some buyers don't wnat their home out their one the internet forever.  Some people are very private.  They don't want people to know what they paid for it or what the list price was.  Some people are afraid of burgulars are going to use the information.  And of course there are the scams on the internet using our pictures to rent a home.  Some buyers want their privacy.

So should we be deleting listings once they are sold?  I lean that way.  If I can find them or I am asked I will always take them down.  If it make the buyer feel comfortable I say do it.  gotta go I have to check out all my old listings.

Here is the latest list of Canton MI foreclosures that are on the market as of 6/27/2010. 

Photo	Price Status MLS Prop. Type	Address City Area Number Map Coord	Bed Bath Style Sq.Ft.	Exterior Basement Garage Size Lot Size/Acres	Year Built Summer Tax Winter Tax School Dist.
	$26,000	39510 KOPPERNICK RD CANTON MI	4 2 COLONIAL 1,524	VINYL NO GARAGE 55X150X55X150/0	1930 580 995 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$48,900 NEW 210073633 RS	49720 MOTT RD CANTON TWP	3 2 RANCH 1,288	OTHER 1 CAR IRR/4.33	1955 1,912 2,254 VAN BUREN
	$59,900	1043 N LOTZ RD CANTON MI	3 1 RANCH 1,175	BRICK NO GARAGE 2.25/0	1940 1,526 1,470 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$79,900	39875 Edmunton Canton	3 1.1 1,379	BRICK, ALUMINUM 2 CAR 52 X 114/0	1969 1,237 1,192 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$87,900	42318 EDENBROOKE DR CANTON TWP	3 1.1 RANCH 1,656	BRICK 2 CAR 61X120/0.18	1978 2,666 2,056 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$94,900	1695 WOODSTOCK ST CANTON TWP	3 1.1 SPLIT LEVEL 1,585	2 CAR 60 X 120/0	1975 1,218 1,570 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$97,500	696 FOOTHILL DR CANTON TWP	3 2 RANCH 1,235	2 CAR 60X120/0	1979 1,366 1,317 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$99,900	2382 BROOKFIELD CANTON MI	3 1.1 COLONIAL 1,616	BRICK, VINYL 2 CAR 60X120/0.17	1978 1,171 1,342 WAYNE-WESTLAND
	$106,900	1577 BROOKVIEW DR CANTON TWP	3 1.1 SPLIT LEVEL 1,633	BRICK, VINYL DAYLIGHT 2 CAR 60 X 120/0.16	1976 1,372 2,608 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$119,900	8440 ORHAN ST CANTON TWP	3 2 RANCH 1,306	BRICK FINISHED 2 CAR 52 X 165/0.2	1965 1,292 1,448 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$122,000	44344 Umberland Canton MI	3 3 RANCH 1,487	BRICK FINISHED 2 CAR /0	1971 1,366 2,195 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$122,500	46448 SPINNING WHEEL DR CANTON TWP	4 1.1 COLONIAL 2,067	BRICK, ALUMINUM 2 CAR 65X120/0	1978 3,402 2,723 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$129,900	43024 RYEGATE ST CANTON TWP	3 2.1 RANCH 1,361	PART FIN 2 CAR 60X120/0.17	1972 1,395 1,432 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$131,900	6733 BROOKSHIRE DR CANTON TWP	3 1.1 SPLIT LEVEL 1,626	BRICK, VINYL 2 CAR 126X23/0	1973 1,269 1,949 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$137,500	7261 N KINGSBRIDGE CT CANTON TWP	3 2.1 COLONIAL 1,926	BRICK, ALUMINUM PART FIN 2 CAR 70X50X130X130/0	1973 1,563 1,611 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$139,400	1958 RECTOR CT CANTON TWP	4 2 CAPE COD 1,696	BRICK UNFINISHED 2 CAR 60X145/0	1958 1,272 1,451 WAYNE-WESTLAND
	$139,900	41634 RAVENWOOD ST CANTON TWP	3 1.1 RANCH 1,279	BRICK FINISHED 2 CAR 65 X 120/0	1974 1,124 1,083 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$139,900	915 Burlington Canton	3 2.1 1,731	2 CAR 70 x 124/0	1988 1,585 2,121 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$144,900	373 WILLARD CANTON TWP	4 2 SPLIT LEVEL 1,162	BRICK, WOOD 2 CAR 60 X 120/0.18	1991 1,327 1,280 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$155,900	44905 LESLIE CANTON	3 2.1 RANCH 1,550	BRICK FINISHED 2 CAR 61x120/0.17	1978 1,384 1,605 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$166,000	3359 RIVER SIDE CT CANTON TWP	4 3.1 COLONIAL 2,309	BRICK, VINYL FINISHED, UNFINISHED 2 CAR 80 X 100/0	1995 1,743 2,055 VAN BUREN
	$185,250	2780 DENTON RD CANTON TWP	4 2.1 COLONIAL 3,500	BRICK, VINYL 2 CAR 2.47 ACRES/0	1965 4,959 3,014 VAN BUREN
	$219,000	46726 POLO DR CANTON TWP	4 2.1 COLONIAL 2,420	BRICK, VINYL FINISHED 2 CAR 85 X 114/0	1989 1,762 1,705 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$242,000	45296 DANBURY CT CANTON TWP	3 2.2 COLONIAL 2,982	BRICK FINISHED 2 CAR 87 X 144/0	1992 2,490 2,400 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$245,000	44612 DANBURY RD CANTON TWP	4 2.1 COLONIAL 2,497	BRICK UNFINISHED 2 CAR 75 X 125/0	1992 2,339 2,158 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$272,900	49390 WOODSON WAY CANTON TWP	4 2.1 COLONIAL 3,080	UNFINISHED 3 CAR 100X150/0	2004 5,771 3,423 PLYMOUTH CANTON
	$279,900	379 COUNTRY CLUB LANE CANTON MI	4 2.1 3,061	BRICK FINISHED 3 CAR 73X145/0	1996 2,617 2,522 PLYMOUTH CANTON

These Canton MI foreclosures have been on the market an average of 38 days.  Which means the turn over for foreclosures in Canton MIis relatively quick.    Some of the foreclosures have been selling for over list price so my advice to you is to have your real estate agent pull recents sold homes in Canton.  That way you will know roughly what the house is worth.

Feel free to call me if you want to see any of these foreclosures in Canton.

Click on the links below for more information on:

Canton MI Real estate

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photos and listing Information provided courtesy of RealComp II Ltd.

We have been on a roller coaster here in our household.  Marianne has just gotten halfway through her chemo.  It has been a very rough three months for her.  I feel so bad for her.  She has lost over 20 pounds because she is so nauseous.   She can't seem to hold anything down some days.

The chemo has really taken a toll on her.  She has no energy to do anything.  She wants to get out of the house but doesn't have the energy to do it.  I wish there was more I could do for her.  Some days I feel so helpless.

She is taking so many pills any more.   She is taking nausea medicine, pain medicine,vitamins, then 3 pills to keep her body regular.  Chemo does so much to her right now.  All I can do is to call friends and family to see if they can get Marianne out.  It is like a no win situation because if she sits in the house all day all she does is think about how bad everything is.  She gets more depressed.  Her friends cheer her up, but there are some days when she doesn't even want to talk to them.

This week is extremely stressful for us because she is getting a MRI and CAT scan done.  She is so scared that the chemo isn't working.  Cancer has changed my wife so much.  She is so scared of dying and no matter what I say or do can't alleviate those fears.

All I can do is be there for her.  And pray that she beats it.  I wish she could have some good days that she feels good.

Today I saw a question on a national news morning show and I thought it could be about Canton Real estate.  Interesting enough it really was from Michigan.  The sellers were having to relocate.  They sold their Michigan home but because home values had fallen so much they didn't not get any money from the sale of their home.

WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW?

How do they buy a new home if they got no money from the sale of their old Canton Home.  My suggestion is to go back to the basics.  Get an least expensive apartment and LIVE BELOW your means.  Yes you have to go back to saving.  For many people that is a foreign concept.  But for all the people that have lost their homes that is what you have to do.  There is no more 100% loans unless it is a rural development loan.

You have to have a down payment now!  The only way you are going to get that money is to save it or have somebody give it to you.  So how bad do you want a home?

• Do you want to live in a rental home forever?
• Do you want to hear your neighbors next door all the time?
• Do you want your landlord to tell you what you can and cannot do in your home?

If you want your own home again start saving.  Find a nice safe, convenient rental home or apartment that is close to your work and good schools.  Don't get the most expensive one.  I see this mistake happening all the time. 

People lose their home that their were paying $2500 a month on.  So they go out and rent a home for $2100.  They are crazy.  They need to re-think what they are doing.  Get the $1500-$1700 home.  Forget about appearances.  LIVE BELOW YOUR MEANS!  So you can save for a down payment for your next home.  It will be good practice for your financial future.

Whether you are planning to buy Canton Real estate or any Metro Detroit real estate live below your means for a while and save some money.  You will be glad you did.  

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Now that summer is here here are some summer Farmington Hills home selling tips.  Michigan home buyersare out in force right now.  After they look at pictures of your home on the internet many times they will do a drive by.

They don't call to tell you that they are coming by. 

                   They don't send you an email to let you know. 

                                          Your real estate agent doesn't call you. 

 So when you are selling your Farmington Hills home you need to keep the outside looking good.  Here are my tips:

• If you have a junky looking or overfilled garage - don't keep the garage door open
• If you have kids try to keep the toys put away, and neat looking
• Put some flowers in
• Trim the bushes and trees back so home buyers can see your Farmington Hills home
• Keep the grass cut and neat looking
• PULL THE WEEDS!!!!              
• Don't work on your car in your driveway.  I know that sounds stupid.  But your home is a stage.  What is showing on the outside determines who comes into your home.  I have had several buyers say they didn't like a home because there was a "gang" of people working on a car next door.  So work on your car at your brother-in-law's house.
• How you act outside sometimes influences buyers too.  Don't scream at your kids or yell at your wife.  Show a little class because you never know what buyer is looking.

You can't help want your neighbors house looks like but you can help yourself. 

SPRUCE UP YOUR OUTSIDE FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT DO DRIVE BYS!!!

    

I hope these Farmington Hills home selling tips get your home sold quicker.

 

Selling your home - Get a Michigan home valuation

 

This loan officer was trying to steal home from my client. 

                                  

 My single woman home buyer was being robbed by a loan officer.  She was buying a Brighton Lakefront home.  When I first met my buyer I called the loan officer to go over what my buyer needed in sellers concessions.  He told me she would need about 3.5% sellers concessions.  I point blank asked him what the closing costs would be in the beginning.  He had told me there were no points for the loan as my client had great credit.

Well tonight the night before closing my buyer got a big surprise.  Her closing costs were much higher.  Some of the things she was telling me made me nervous.  These were some tell tale signs that you should be nervous about a loan officer.

1. You ask for a good faith and you don't get one
2. You ask for a good faith again and you still don't get a copy
3. Your loan officer says not to worry about how much you have to bring to the closing
4. Your loan officer says you have a lot of money your account and doesn't understand that you need some of that money for car payments, your living expenses, and moving expenses

It's not all his money to spend on loan closing costs.  I didn't get the seller's concessions for him to up his origination fee.  This is what the new HUD form was supposed to stop, but it didn't in this case.  So I had to go to bat for my client.

I called the loan officer and asked what was up.  I reminded him that we had talked and he told me in the beginning what was needed.  So why did my buyer need more now?

He told me his $2600 origination fee covered the $800 underwriting fee and his $700 processing fee.  But what about the other $1100.  Well he went on to tell me he has to charge more for "harder" loans.  I asked him what about what he told me in the beginning.  No real good answer from him.  I said fine, that the buyer and I would call the home office in the morning and get a manager.  I left it at that when we hung up.  Well about 15 minutes later the loan officer called back and said he would give the buyer a $762 credit to reduce the closing costs.

My buyer agreed to take it and move on.  I am glad it wasn't one of my referred loan officers that did that.  My buyer had found this loan officer.  He worked for a good company, but....  I myself don't ever try to change a loan officer that a buyer has.  Unless the company is really bad, or the loan officer is attrocious I don't go there.  I haven't had that problem yet.  I feel the buyer knows what they are doing.

But this loan officer is going on my "DO NOT CALL LIST"

                              

Here is a quick update on Livonia real estate and the new rules on Livonia home inspections.  The City of Livonia Michigan has instituted a vacant property inspection.  Whenever the city determines a home has become "abandoned" it is required to be inspected by the City of Livonia.  I believe the cost is $400.   Then all violations have to be repaired and fixed before anybody can live in the home.  I think the city is keying on foreclosures that have not been lived in a while.

I have been told that there is several ways they determine if the home is abandoned.    (Now this is just here say)

• if a neighbor complains about the property (ie. grass not being cut)
• if the utility company has put a lock on the gas meter
• if a city inspector sees a vacant home.

What the City of Livonia is trying to do is keep the neighborhoods up and keep home values from falling.  Plus it brings in much needed revenue for the building and inspection department.  I myself think that is the primary driver for the inspector is just money.  But hey everybody has to live and get paid.

I myself bought a foreclosure and had to go through the process.  It was a very tough inspection.  They got into code violations and even simple things like

painting outside trim

putting a door closer on a screen door

caulking around the tub

putting flooring down

So if you buy a Livonia foreclosure be aware that you may have a lot of repairs to make on the home.

Search Livonia homes for sale

Yes we have it tough in real estate right now.  Home prices are down and the market is tougher.  But it could be worse.  Think of all the people that depend on the Gulf for a living.  The shrimpers, the tourism industry is taking devastating losses.

Then think of all the innocent wildlife is dying because of the oil spill.    Animals and birds that have done no wrong, now are suffering immensely.  Some are dying.  Too many things are being destroyed by man's stupidity and greed. 

Now thousand's of British people are going to suffer.  BP's stock prices have fallen dramatically.  British retirees are being hurt too.  So I feel bad for all involved.  The economy of Britain and the southern US states are going to suffer. Corporate management is going to have to start realizing that profits at the expense of the environment, safety, and people is a recipe for disaster.

It is same way in our business we must always put the people first.  It's not about dollars.  Over the years I have helped people get homes.  It hasn't been about the biggest commission for me.  It has been about helping people.  It's about families not profits.  It's about making a difference in the world, making a living, and helping people. 

Hopefully BP management will double their efforts to get the oil stopped before it is too late. 

 

 Well today I got two contacts from Vivan.  I myself think Bob Stewart threw her over and now she is trying to make him jealous by going out with a better looking older guy.  I think she just wants to get back at Bob.  But I'm not going to fall for it.   I am a very happily married man.  No matter how hard she wants to get back at Bob, I'm not going to be part of it. She is just going to have to find another good looking guy to go out with.  Though I thought I would help here out.

I hope Jason Crouch, Richard Weisser, Steve Loynd, Danny Thornton, Paul Henderson,  Andrew Mooers, Gary White, Greg Nino, Jeff Corbett, Rich, and Charles Buell don't  mind that I sent Vivan an email back from each of them stating how much they would love to have such a great woman such as Vivan in their life.

P.S.  You should post her picture once you get it and I picture of you with her, so you can make Bob jealous.

Here is here email contact I got from Active Rain from Vivan in case you want to contact her too. 

Name: Email Address: Subject: IP: Message:

vivan hakam

vivan_20@yahoo.com

Hello

196.207.198.237

Hello.(vivan_20@yahoo.com) My Name is vivan I was impressed when i saw your profile and i will like you to email me back to my inbox so that i can send you my picture for you to know who i am.i believe we can establish a long lasting relationship with you.In addition,i will like you to reply me through myprivate e-mail box (vivan_20@yahoo.com).This is because i dont know the possibilities of remaining in forum for a long time.Thanks,waiting to hear from you soonest.Vivan (Remeber the distance or colour does not matter but love matters alot in life)

I didn't know my profile was that good.  I wonder if she saw my left side too.  I think it is my better side.

P.S.  this is just another true story that I figured would be a great ha.ha.  Plus I am testing if any of these guys have google alerts.

In fact if any of you have a picture of Vivan post it in the comment section. 

Last year I got back into vegetable gardening.  I gave away a lot of the vegetables to some of my recent buyer clients.  I would put tomatoes, cucumbers, zuccini, and peppers in a little bag with an olive oil bottle.   My clients were happy to get the fresh vegetables.

                                                                                   

Last year in July one ground hog invaded my garden and ate up quite a few cucumbers, tomatoes, and cucumber plants.  I successfully live trapped the ground hog and relocated him to a wildlife area.  Well this year I one invaded my garden early and caught him too.  I let him lose on at a church that backed up to a wildlife area.  He just went running when I let him out of the trap. 

                                                                  

But it seems my neighborhood is over run with ground hogs.  They are decimating my garden early.

 

This latest ground hog has eaten over 25 plants down to the stubs.  I feel like Caddy Shack.  But instead of fighting gophers I am fighting a ground hog that has escaped my life traps.  He has been eating good at the Ravary household, but now I would live to give him a long vacation ride over to Edwards Hines Park.  Lots of fresh greens, lots of woods to hide in, and many acres of land to roam is where he is headed.

 But right now I think he is laughing at me.