Wintertime Home Tips - Ice Dams

This morning at my networking group, our restoration/construction expert, Shawn McDonough of Laurens Construction, passed along some great tips regarding roofs and ice dams. Yup, it's that time of year again.

USE A SNOW RAKE before the dam builds.

NEVER THROW ROCK SALT ON YOUR ROOF - it damages the shingles and will kill the flowers in the garden beds below the roof line.  Instead put some calcium chloride in old pantyhose and put them on the edge of the eve.  Cutting off the legs and using the remaining section gives you three pieces to use.

DO NOT TRY TO HAMMER, CHISEL OR CHIP AWAY the ice as you are more likely to cause damage. 

Like most things, prevention is better than having to deal with an emergency, but if you need help, Shawn and Laurens Construction are available 24/7.  They serve all of SE Michigan, including Livingston County.  248-528.2880.

You can read his post at facebook.com/LBN.H3 under 'recent posts by others' on the right side of the page.

Image courtesy of Suat Eman/freedigitalphotos.net

Small Business Saturday – November 30, 2013Small Business Saturday – November 30, 2013

Back in 2010, the American Express Company started advertising a ‘small business Saturday’ on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  The general idea was to use your American Express cards and patronize the local ‘Main Street’ businesses, rather than shopping at a big box store.  It was quite successful.

Since then, there have been a number of other ‘small business Saturdays’ at other times of the year.  With that history in mind, we now have another such day coming up on November 30^th.  Being in real estate, I see that there are many factors that keep a community strong and vibrant.  And honestly, nothing makes me madder than scraping off every penny by shopping online providers.  If your local business district isn’t healthy, your community is suffering. If your community is suffering, your schools will suffer, your property values will suffer, and a downward trend has been formed.

I make a point of shopping locally. Sometimes I pay a few pennies more for an item and I’m OK with that.  I’d rather do that than see empty storefronts on Main Street.  The trade-off in service, return policies, and attention certainly make up for the small premium I pay when I shop local. And that’s not to say that there’s always a premium. Many local businesses will match prices – especially if you ask.

 So here’s my request to you.  This year, on Saturday, September 30^th, be sure to do some shopping at your local small businesses.  Maybe it’s a jeweler, a specialty shop, or a boutique.  Maybe it’s a wine store, a meat market, or a bakery.  If you value that kind of diversity in your local community – support it. I’ll give up a $5 specialty coffee once a week to spend a few extra bucks at a small local business. How about you?

Howell Winter Marketplace Open For The Season

The Farmer’s Markets are closed until Spring 2014, and while that means we’re not going to have fresh local produce, there are still some great options for local shopping. The Howell Winter Marketplace is one of those choices.

It is open 2 Sundays a month through April 2014, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.  Some of the items that will be available are fresh eggs and butter, baked good (including gluten-free products), jewelry, arts and crafts.  A new local coffee shop, Teeko’s, will also be on site to sell coffee. 

The Howell Winter Marketplace is at the historic Howell Opera House at 123 W. Grand River, Howell 48843.  The schedule for this season is:  November 3 & 17, December 1 & 8, January 5 & 19,  February 2 & 16, March 2 & 16, April 6 & 13.  For more information, visit the Howell Opera House website and click on ‘events’ or call 517-540-0065. While you’re on the website, check out the other great activities that they are hosting for the community.

http://howelloperahouse.com/events.html

Recent Solds in Howell Michigan

I've had some recent solds in Howell Michigan.  1282 Morning Mist in Marion Township (48843) sold for $204,000.  It was a foreclosure that was put into 'move in' condition by the bank.  Paint, carpet, kitchen appliances, refinished hardwood floors - a do-nothing-but move-in home.  Multiple offers, of course.  Great neighborhood with sidewalks and municipal services, a bit of dirt road to get to the sub (quarter of a mile perhaps), but very good location for downtown Howell and I-96 ramps.  I hate seeing foreclosed homes, but it's wonderful to see them occupied by owners that will help keep neighborhood values up.

Another one is the other side of the coin.  410 W. Clinton, a block off Grand River in the downtown Howell area was a very distressed property.  It had apparently been used as some sort of a group home.  Much deferred maintenance, shoddy repairs, and generally chopped up. It was bad enough that the bank decided (uncharacteristically) to sell it 'as is'.  Now, all bank properties are sold 'as is', but this one was without repairs because the scope of work would have been extreme.  I want to give some kudos to Paddock Builders for taking this project on.  I don't know if they'll rehab and flip it to a private owner or turn it into a rental, but it is a very large project regardless of which way it goes.  The one thing I do know is that the adjacent owners will be happy to see somebody putting some money into it and making it a viable residence again.  There's a place for everybody in this world and that applies to investors, too. Not all investors are ruthless money grubbers.  You can make a very good case for investors being transitory owners that provide stepping stones to healthier neighborhoods - in some instances.

Sometimes investors get short shrift from private owners.  You'll hear things like, "they're in it only for the money", or "they don't care about us", but my guess is the neighbors of this property will be very happy in comparison to when the prior owners had it. The important thing is that whomever owns the property doesn't let the area get dragged down.

Food for thought: Google "broken window theory", including the quotation marks.  You'll get articles pro and con for this topic, but basically the theory postulates that an abandoned home with a broken window or grafitti will cause some local residents to lower their standards of adhering to the norms of the area.  That means that small infractions (at first) result and if left unpunished they continue to escalate - all the way up to major crimes.  Food for thought, indeed.

Multiple Offers – Michigan Real Estate Law

I’ve had a couple of recent calls inquiring about the correct process for multiple offers.   There’s a lot of confusion on the way that consumers think they should be handled as opposed to what Michigan real estate law says.  Here is what the Michigan Association of Realtors has to say about multiple offers.
 

·         License law requires all offers to be forwarded by a licensee to seller. After the offers are delivered the seller may consider them in any order he or she desires.

·         The buyer's agent is generally prohibited from contacting the seller who is represented by another agent.

·         There is no requirement that a seller must reject an offer in writing or even acknowledge receipt of the offer. A seller can accept, reject or counter an offer. Or the seller can choose to do nothing, or sit and wait for a second offer.

·         A buyer can request that a seller respond in writing but the seller has no legal obligation to do so.

·         There is no requirement on multiple offers that a seller treat each potential buyer equally or fairly (except for the protected categories under the Fair Housing Act which are race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin).

·         Any material change to a counteroffer is a rejection and becomes a counteroffer back to the other party (true for all offers-not just multiple offer situations).

·         A seller is not required to take the highest offer, but could actually take a lower offer based on terms or cash.

·         The seller can disclose the amount of the offers to none, some or all of the other potential buyers.

·         A seller can offer one buyer an opportunity to submit another bid, without offering the other buyers a similar opportunity.

·         An offer cannot be accepted orally. You do not have a binding contract until the written acceptance is delivered to you (or your agent).

·         An offer or counteroffer can be revoked at any time before it is accepted (even if it contains an expiration date).

·         An offer can be revoked orally.

·         A seller is not required to accept a full price and terms offer.

 Most prospective home buyers believe that a response is required by the seller, and that if they get their offer in first that they are ‘first in line’.  Neither is true.  Remember that this is based on Michigan Real Estate Law. Laws in other States may vary.  To see MAR’s primer on multiple offers, go to:

http://mirealtors.com/content/upload/AssetMgmt/Documents/primermultipleoffer13.pdf

 

image courtesy of scottchan/freedigitalphotos.net

 

Pine Creek Ridge Home For Sale - 5250 Hidden Pines 48116

  This great Pine Creek Ridge home is back on the market.  We originally had multiple offers at a higher price, but inspection found mold in the attic.  That has been remediated, we have good clean air test results and the bank has done a little extra sprucing up, too.

Now at just $484,900!  Call me for info, and see the full listing here: http://www.realestatemich.com/10/listing/24154

You can do a complete MLS search for the Pine Creek Ridge community or other areas directly from my web site at http://www.realestatemich.com/102/MLS-Home-Search

New Land Listing - South Lyon Deeded Lake Access

South Lyon - Deeded Lake Access

Here's a great piece of land for that dream house.  1+ acre with deeded lake access to Lime Kiln lake, one of four all sports lakes.  It's a bit tough to find, so call me if you're interested, but if you venture on your own, please drive slowly and carefully on this private gravel road. 

You'll need well and septic, but the land is high and sandy.  It is a private gravel road, but the residents are trying to get a better road to County specs put in.  No through traffic, great views of the lake and an HOA launch site that allows you to put up a seasonal dock if you wish.

Like Kiln lake connects to Sandy Bottom, Dollar and 10 Mile lakes.  Enjoy fishing, swimming, water sports.  Only $65,000.  MLS# 213072715. Sign on property and approximate frontage lines marked with ground paint. Call for more information.

Ethical or Not? – Landlord Collecting Rent on Property in Foreclosure

Many of us have heard of landlords collecting rent while their property was in foreclosure. Usually, it’s in a news report or perhaps you’ve heard it in person from a buyer or through a friend or acquaintance.  I was surprised to hear an attorney take the landlord’s side recently.

While it seems distasteful in the least and dishonest at the worst, it is not illegal.  Because the landlord is still the owner through the end of the redemption period (here, in Michigan), they have the right to collect all rents due – at least until redemption expires and they are no longer the legitimate owner.  Hmm.

I suppose that if they had been upfront with their tenant/lessee, that’s one thing.  Maybe the tenant would even get an extra month or two of accommodations for free out of the deal.  I recently had the experience of talking to a tenant that had been given a ‘great’ rental price for a two bedroom condo, just a couple of months before the redemption period expired.  He was in a pinch, on a budget, and this was practically a gift from heaven.  Until he found out that the condo had been foreclosed upon and he was asked to vacate.

So that landlord smelled the coffee, rented it cheaply and made a few bucks on it before losing it.  Again, not illegal, but it sure seems like a large misrepresentation to me.  Certainly it is a major omission. 

What do you think? Do landlords have the duty to disclose a pending foreclosure to tenants or is it optional?

graphic courtesy of hyena reality/freedigitalphotos.net

Senior Real Estate Designation Received

I’ve worked in real estate for 16 years and have had my share of transactions with elderly clients.  Because of the graying of our population, I decided to ensure that I will always do the best for my clients in the older age groups. I have recently completed a course of study and been accepted into the Senior Real Estate Specialist Council, a group that has knowledgeable and passionate members serving the 50 and older market.

If you know somebody that needs this kind of specialized real estate knowledge in my market area, it would be my privilege to assist them. Likewise, I know that often people are reluctant or not ready to make a major life change but may still have questions.  I am always willing to be a resource for area residents, their families and their friends.

New Listing - 1687 Andover, Howell 48843

You'll love it here!  Paved roads, sidewalks, and Hartland Schools.  Close to shopping and the US-23 interchange at M-59, commuters to Ann Arbor find this neighborhood very convenient.

Gorgeous, well-maintained bi-level home in Millpointe of Hartland features over 1700 sq ft of living space with some finished walkout space in the lower level.  Rear of lot backs to a wooded area for privacy and nature views. Vaulted ceilings, gas fireplace, hardwood floor in dining area.  HOA dues only $110/quarter.

Open house Saturday, July 20th, 1-3 pm.  See the listing sheet here.  MLS# 213070592

Intentional Underbuilding Conspiracy?

I came across this article in Realtor Mag’s Daily News section today.  Citing an article from the Phoenix Business Journal, it states that, “New-home builders don’t appear too anxious to help meet the demand.” 

To be fair, they do mention the lack of qualified tradesmen and the fear of another housing bubble that is keeping builders cautious.  It also suggests that perhaps this is being done to keep prices higher in view of short inventory.

Personally, I can’t speak to the desert Southwest’s conditions, but in this area (West Oakland and Livingston), it appears that builders are pretty active - and they seem to be ramping up. But that takes time.  I have heard that there is difficulty finding qualified tradesmen, and that they are shopping work for the best rates – but who wouldn’t do that?

And in SE Michigan there are still not a lot of lenders doing construction loans. That means if you’re not a pretty good sized builder with a lot of office staff you’re taking time to try to find finance solutions for your potential clients instead of working on new homes.

I don't buy the premise that new builds are low just to keep prices up, and I'd have preferred a less dramatic title. Something like, “Why Are So Few New Homes Being Built,” or something less paranoid.  What do you think?

Disaster Recovery For Your Home

How would you recover from a disaster at your home? What would you do if a tree fell on your house, or if a storm ripped off the roof?  How about a flooded basement?  Of course, these things seem to happen in the middle of the night, to make things worse.

I had an opportunity to talk with Shawn McDonough of Laurens Construction Company about this kind of event.  Shawn is a former insurance adjuster – so he knows that side of the business pretty well.  As a repair specialist for Laurens Construction, a 24/7 response company that serves all of SE Michigan, he’s seen some pretty amazing things.

This interview is just under 9 minutes long.  Listen to it – then call your insurance agent and review your coverage.  If there’s anything worse that your home suffering damage at the hands of Mother Nature, it’s finding out you’re not carrying the right rider to your homeowner’s policy.

Bob Smith, SRES
Preview Properties, PC
130 W. Grand River, Brighton, MI 48116
810-220-1478
http://www.RealEstateMich.com

Keeping Wine Fresh

I don’t often have wine that sticks around for more than a few days after being opened, but for those of you that do, you may have struggled with keeping wine fresh.  This is definitely more of a problem with red wine.  White wine can be capped and placed in the refrigerator and seems to ‘keep’ so much easier.

A few years ago, I purchased a Vacu-vin for around $10.  Special stoppers and a hand pump that suck the air out of the wine bottle works very well for my short term storage of open bottles.  But I came across an article this morning that reviewed five different wine storage techniques – with varying prices and varying degrees of effectiveness.

I know that wine is a much more popular choice for many people than in years past and thought I’d share it with you (the article, not the wine!).  If you have a favorite way to keep your wine fresh, feel free to share it here.

image courtesy of vacuvinusa.com

Free Fishing Derby For Kids - Brighton Michigan

Saturday, June 8th, from 8:30-11:00, the Brighton Optimists will hold their annual Free Fishing Derby for Kids in Downtown Brighton, at the Millpond.  Registration starts at 7:30am.

Bring your rod and reel and a bucket for the fish. This is a catch and release event. We also have a limited number of loaner poles and buckets.  Free bait while supply lasts.  We will provide free pizza to the kids and the local jump rope team (Jumpin' Allstars) will be performing prior to awards.

While you’re downtown for the fishing derby on Saturday, be sure to check out the Farmer’s Market.  The kids will enjoy the Imagination Station, too.  And if they get warm, you can cool them off at Jack’s Custard, the Dairy Queen, or the Yum Yum Tree.  Plenty of options!  For a complete list of downtown events and businesses, check out the downtown Brighton web site!


The Brighton Optimists are looking for community service-minded individuals. If you have an interest in making your community a better place to live, contact them at info@BrightonOptimist.org.

Drones and Real Estate

This article about an experimental drone system to deliver Domino’s® Pizza caught my eye.  Tongue-in-cheek, I wondered if the pizza was still hot when delivered.  But it made me think about a short excerpt that I saw back in March about drones (technically called ‘unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAV’s) and real estate.

A few real estate professionals have experimented with camera-carrying drones to get wonderful photos of their listings.  And why not?  In the past, if you had a large parcel of land or a magnificent estate, agents would hire small airplanes or helicopters with photographers to get photos that would show the property at its best.  Now, with drones, it can be done quicker and more affordably.

Ah, but there’s a catch. Isn’t there always?

Local law enforcement and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have ordered some drone operators to cease, citing lack of regulations for commercial use - and this is considered a commercial use.  Congress has ordered the FAA to have a plan by September 2015, although it’s expected that there will be guidelines for units that weigh less than 55 lbs or less earlier than that, perhaps by the end of this year.

Still photos are easier to get with a UAV than video footage, due to motion stability issues.  A quick internet search revealed that you can buy a drone from around $100 up to over $5,000.  Some Realtors® cited in the articles say that they paid $700-$900 for theirs.  I guess it’s OK for consumers, but for now, drones and real estate is off limits.

Domino’s® Pizza, which stirred me to write this blog entry, is an early adopter of technology.  They were the first to use an insulated heat bag to keep pizza warm, developed the first corrugated pizza box, and later started the online pizza builder and order tracking service.  For the record, I have no affiliation with them and consider their product ‘alright’.  Not the best pizza I’ve ever eaten, and certainly not the worst.

photo courtesy of victor habbic/freedigitalphotos.net

Freddie Mac Consumer Credit Tutorial

First, for those who are really new to the process of buying a home, here’s a little bit of background.  The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), commonly referred to as ‘Freddie Mac’ is a corporation authorized by Congress to provide a secondary market for residential mortgages.  It is a public government-sponsored enterprise (GSE),   which buys mortgages on the secondary market, pools them, and sells them as a mortgage-backed security (MBS) to investors on the open market. This secondary mortgage market increases the supply of money available for mortgage lending and increases the money available for new home purchases.  You may have heard of Freddie Mac’s sister, Fannie Mae, another GSE.  They’ve both been in the news a lot over the last few years.  Not as much as the Kardashian’s, but still quite a lot.

Freddie Mac has come out with a free 12 part consumer tutorial called CreditSmart®.  The stated goals of this program are to understand the importance of building credit, see how lenders assess your eligibility for a mortgage loan, recognize the warning signs of predatory lending and scams, learn the steps to successful homeownership and safeguard your home and your finances against life’s unexpected challenges.  It also has a module that talks about what to do if you ever have difficulty making your mortgage payments.

It’s recommended that you take the modules in order to get the most out of the program.  Each module can take up to 20 or 30 minutes, but you can do them at your own pace.  If you’re a potential first time buyer, or if you have bruised credit and are thinking about a home purchase, you would be well off to go through this series. You can find it here.

Livingston Realtors Food Drive – May 4th

Every year the Livingston County Association of Realtors conducts their ‘Fill The Gazebos’ food drive in downtown Brighton and Howell .  May 4^th is the day for 2013. Cars can drive up and have volunteers take food donations, which are piled under the gazebos.

Collectors can also be found at some of the larger grocery stores, piling extra food into pickup trucks for the food drive.  Many local real estate brokerages are collection sites in the weeks leading up to May 4^th, also.  We load the food into trucks and it gets taken to the food pantry in Genoa Township, to serve our area’s hungriest families.

Please consider participating this year.  You can drop off food at Preview Properties real estate office (130 W. Grand River, Brighton 48116) before the event, or drive down Main Street in Brighton on May 4^th and have volunteers take it – you won’t even have to park (but you will have to stop!). The gazebo at the historic Howell Court House is another collection site.

I regret that I’ll be at a conference that day so I can’t volunteer, but I will be making my own food donation before that date.  Keep an eye out for sales and think about buying a few extra cans or boxes of food for the drive.  Some items that are wanted are meat sauce, macaroni and cheese, canned meat, peanut butter & jelly and cereal.  See the flyer here.

Signs Of Spring

We live in a big country.  We have almost every conceivable global climate within our borders. It shouldn’t surprise us that here in SE Michigan, we can have a very lovely Spring day while our friends in Colorado are getting hammered by a snow storm.  But there are always little joys if you have your eyes and ears open.

I had the windows down as I drove today, and in a wetland area, the peepers were almost deafening.  I pulled over and just listened to the chorus of small frogs carry on for a number of minutes. 

My tulips have started to sprout, but are still quite short.  Our winter has been stubborn this year, so even with a couple of warm days, I expect more cold days to come.  Visiting a listing today, I was made happy by the appearance of another harbinger of Spring – the crocus.

Sitting in an unassuming garden bed, they were the only splash of color present.  The iridescent purple petals offset by bright orange anther were like little spotlights in an otherwise drab setting.  I grabbed my camera and took a few shots even though the overall setting was not the most attractive, but let’s face it, crocuses don’t hang around long.  You had better enjoy them when you can!

They sprout and blossom to announce the end of the winter season, then promptly go back to ‘stealth’ mode until the following year.  I’m glad I caught them when I did, and I’m glad I could take a few minutes to enjoy the spring peepers, too.

 

photo by Bob Smith

Earth Day 2013

In case you didn’t know, Earth Day falls on April 22^nd of each year.  Started in 1970 to support environmental protection, this event is now fully international.   The Earth Day Network is emphasizing the ‘Face of Climate Change’ in 2013, but in truth there are many facets to Earth Day, and many ways to celebrate it and support environmental wisdom and consciousness.

Too much trouble to recycle?  Start with something small.  As small as a 9 volt or AAA battery.  Don’t just dump them in the trash, find an old bucket or margarine tub and put the used batteries in it.  When it’s getting full, you can likely find a recycle point right in your community.  As an example, my post office has yellow buckets (look just like a kitty litter bucket) under the counter in the 24 hour area of the building.  Next time you’re at the Post Office – drop ‘em off!  My County (Livingston) has a list on their web site of all the municipal collection sites and the restrictions (no car batteries).

How about newspaper and office paper recycling?  Don’t dump them in the trash.   Put them in a cardboard box and when it starts to get full, find a paper recycling bin near you.  You know there’s one close by.  They’re usually brightly colored so you really can’t miss them.  Look around Elementary Schools and Churches.

Then you can move up to light bulbs.  My local Lowe’s Home Improvement store has a bin right as you walk in.  You can take the burned out bulb with you to be sure you’re buying the correct replacement, and then leave the bad one there for recycling. How easy is that?

There are many, many things you can do all year round – so start now and don’t wait until Earth Day 2014 to act. Celebrate Earth Day every day!

Homeowner Equity Rising Again

The good news is - CoreLogic, a leading real estate industry data and analytical service, reported earlier this month that 1.7 million U.S. homeowners are now ‘above water’ again.  Of course, nobody likes or wants ‘negative equity’, but unless you were trying to sell or refinance your home it didn’t make a lot of difference – except mentally. 

The bad news?  Over 21 million homes with a mortgage are still underwater.  That’s around 10.4 million homes, according to CoreLogic.  3.9 million of them are properties with first and second mortgages. They have an average value of $296,000 and the average amount of negative equity is $80,000.

The worst states? Nevada, where 52.4% of all homes are underwater, Florida has 42.4%, Arizona is at 34.9%, Georgia at 33.0%, and yup – Michigan is at 31.9%.  These 5 states represent over 32% of all underwater homes nationally.

 

If you'd like a free market analysis on your property, you can contact me through my web site, www.RealEstateMich.com.

 

graphic courtesy of nattavut/freedigitalphotos.net

The First Robin of Spring

Here in SE Michigan the '1st Robin of Spring' usually means warmer, nicer weather. Not today.

For the last couple of years, the weather on St. Patrick's Day has been in the 70's. In fact, for the last two years, I've been able to get my first round of golf for the year played on March 16th or 17th. Not this year. It appears that our local groundhog prognosticator, Woody the Woodchuck (who resides at the Howell Nature and Conference Center) and the nationally known Puxsatawny Phil have both misled us. Early Spring, indeed.

It was still great to see a relatively plump robin in my serviceberry tree this morning, even though we had a light snow overnight. And Spring often means that home sellers are getting ready to list homes. If that's you, consider calling me for a frank discussion on price trends and market dynamics. I'd love the opportunity to help you with your real estate needs.

photo courtesy James Baker, freedigitalphotos.net

Brighton Trail Race, 3/23/13-No Frills All Thrills

On Saturday, March 23rd, the Brighton Area Road Striders (BARS) will host their annual race, the No Frills All Thrills Trail Run at the Huron Meadows Metropark in Brighton.

This year, the race changes from a 5 mile distance to an 8K (4.97 miles).  New this year is the 'Half Thrills' 4K event (2.48 miles) if you're not in shape to go the full distance - or if you just want to finish earlier and get back to the refreshment table before the 8K'ers come in.

The race is professionally timed, offers unique awards and has been a staple on the early season trail running circuit for many years.  The park offers gently rolling hills with heated rest rooms.  A metropark pass is required to get into the park and you can buy either a daily or season pass on the day of the event.  Season passes are good for all Huron Clinton Metroparks in SE Michigan through 12/31/13.

Starting in 2010, BARS began donating most of the race proceeds to Girls on the Run of SE Michigan, and plan to continue that effort again in 2013.  Girls on the Run is a program for 8-12 year olds that uses running to teach girls about their personal power and the importance of being active and healthy.

For more info on this event, see the race web site at http://nofrillsallthrillsrace.com.  You can find out more about Girls on the Run at http://girlsontherunsemi.org, and visit the BARS running club web site at http://www.BrightonAreaRoadStriders.org.  BARS also has a weekly run, Wednesdays at 6:30 pm, beginning at the Brighton HS Fieldhouse.  Check their website for updates as they run from downtown Brighton once a month, too.

So let's get out there and run!

Livingston County Home Show - March 22nd-24th

If it’s time for the Livingston County Home Show, Spring can’t be far behind – regardless of the weather.

Show hours are 5-9 pm on Friday, March 22^nd, 10am – 8pm on Saturday, March 23^rd, and 10am – 4pm on Sunday, march 24^th.  It will be at the Howell High School Field House, and admission is only $6/person, $5 if you’re a senior (60 or older).  On Saturday, from 11:30 am – 3pm, the show will also feature the popular ‘Taste of Livingston’.

There are workshops and demonstrations at various times and of course, plenty of contractors and vendors to see.  If you’re planning a home project, this will time well spent.

The show is hosted by the Howell Chamber of Commerce.  Get more info at:

http://www.livingstoncountyhomeshow.com/hours.htm

Change Your Smoke Detector Batteries Saturday March 9th

We all know that it’s a great, easy to remember time to change your smoke detector batteries when we adjust our clocks to ‘Spring Forward’.  But so many of our devices are now ‘smart’ and change time automatically that we may overlook changing the batteries in our smoke detectors.

Even if you have hardwired detectors, the battery backup is essential for times when you may lose power.  And why wait?  Who wants to hear the annoying chirp-chirp of a smoke detector?

While you’re at it, consider upgrading your protection to a combination smoke-carbon monoxide detector.  They start as low as $33, and if you’re already using a separate plug-in model CO2 detector, you can reclaim some outlet space and get rid of those clunky looking devices, too.  It’s a much cleaner look to have the combination ceiling detectors.  In any case, you should have a CO2 detector on each floor of your house and within 15 feet of the bedrooms to insure that everyone will hear it if it sounds while you’re sleeping. 

Many fire departments will donate and install smoke detectors for free to struggling families.  Don’t overlook neighbors, senior citizens or fellow church members that may be having a tough time financially.  Fires are devastating, and a smoke detector is your front line of defense.

Homeowners - A Property Tax Appeal Guideline

For those of you that are homeowners and who haven’t yet subscribed to my real estate e-newsletter (why not?), here’s some great information for appealing your property tax assessment that you probably missed seeing.  I get numerous calls every year about this very topic – this year they started in January.

State Senator Joe Hune (22^nd Senate District) has put together a very informative brochure that you will find useful if you want to make an appeal.  First, you have to appeal to your municipal Board of Review.  Don’t forget to make an appointment for this!

 If you fail at the local level, you can appeal to the State Tax Tribunal.  The brochure correctly states that you do not need an attorney to do this, but my anecdotal evidence over the years seems to point to a higher success rate when you are represented by either an attorney or a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Follow the format in the brochure to be as well prepared as possible. 

Editor Note: Because I have shifted web platforms, the link to the guide is no longer available. Feel free to contact me by email and I'll be happy to send the guide to you.

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First Time Buyer Programs

First time buyers are finding the combination of a USDA Rural Development loan and a Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) $3,000 grant a great combination.  First time buyers for purposes of the MSHDA grant have a few stipulations, but you can review the program outline here.

Not all locations are approved for the USDA Rural Development (RD) program.  Your lender or real estate agent can check to see if the house you are interested in qualifies by its location.  All homes in Livingston County qualify, even if they're located within the cities of Howell or Brighton. Please note that RD has its own buyer qualifications, too.

If you write an offer on a property and are using Rural Development, be sure to increase the usual time to close, as the offices handling those loans typically have a backlog of up to 28 additional days.  Again, your agent or lender can guide you on current backlog times.

Affordable homes are flying off the market, so it makes sense to have a game plan in place.  Get pre-approved, know what type of loan you're going to use, and be prepared to write that offer with the most information you can get.  A good lender and a great real estate professional can help you get there.  And feel free to call me if you have questions.

Who Says You Can't Get Blood Out Of A Seller?

Can't get blood out of a seller? Or a buyer?  Or how about a real estate professional, a lender or even a turnip?  Well, yes you can.  OK, maybe not the turnip.  But you can get blood out of the rest of the above - and from yourself.
 
As part of its ongoing community service activities, Preview Properties in Brighton, Michigan is hosting a blood drive for the American Red Cross on Tuesday, January 29th from 11 am to 4:45 pm.  Donating is easy and you get the chance to potentially affect the lives of 3 people in a positive way.  And while supplies last, donors will be getting coupons for a free donut from Dunkin' Donuts.  So if you know any policeman that can swing by, this might be right up their alley!

You can sign up and schedule your appointment at http://redcrossblood.org (Sponsor Code is PREVIEW) or call 1-800-RED CROSS. You may also call Lisa Bohlen at 810-220-1505.   Appointments are honored, walk-ins welcome if space permits.

And Preview Properties is a major drop off center for the Cell Phones for Soldiers program, too, so bring along any old cell phones you may have to help the members of our Armed Forces.

LED Faucet Sets With Temperature Control

LED faucet sets with temperature control?  Hmm.  Perhaps for the geekiest of people, these faucet sets and shower heads are battery operated and react to the temperature of the water to go from blue to yellow/green to red.  The kitchen faucet set works with a couple of watch batteries and is simply an adepter that connects to your existing spout.  Bathroom faucet sets and shower heads need AA batteries.

I haven’t been able to track down the manufacturer, but they are probably made in China.  No word of how long the batteries last.  Most likely these are pure ‘conversation pieces’ and novelty items right now, but we said the same thing about electric hand dryers and motion sensing faucets once upon a time, too. 

 

Here's a couple of links for the various fixtures.  

http://goo.gl/uSRz5

http://goo.gl/3DVZG

Know anybody that has one?  Are you going to try them?  In either case, I’d appreciate it if you drop me a line and let me know what you think about LED faucet sets with temperature control. 

Image courtesy of prettydarncool.co.za

Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act Extended Through 2013

This is really good news!  Congress has extended the Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act as part of the fiscal cliff deal.  What does it mean to you?

Well, really, nothing unless you’re going to sell your home as a short sale this year. Or, perhaps if you have a neighbor that needs to do a short sale.  What the Act did was to prevent the homeowner from being taxed on the forgiven debt that was part of the short sale.  Prior to the Act going into force in 2007, if you were forgiven $20,000 worth of debt on the sale of your home, the IRS treated it as income and you had to pay taxes on that amount.  Tough to do when you could prove a hardship and couldn’t make your mortgage payment to begin with!

It was anticipated that without the extension of the Act there would be no incentive for consumers to go through the stressful and rigorous short sale process and it would likely result in more ‘walk aways’, i.e., strategic defaults.  Not good for the homeowner, not good for the neighborhood. It’s always better to have homes occupied rather than sitting vacant.

As an aside, did you know that ‘fiscal cliff’ was one of Lake Superior State University’s entries on its annual ‘Banished Words’ list this year?  It sits alongside other terms like “kick the can down the road,” “boneless wings,” and “bucket list.”  See the list here.

And while you’re reading the list, feel good that the Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act was extended – even if ‘fiscal cliff’ has been banished.