New Listing - 1348 Edgebrook Dr, Howell 48843

This single family detached home (site condominium) is in the River Downs subdivision, accessible N off Grand River, and south of Highland (M-59). Minor repairs, carpet, paint and new microwave, range and dishwasher have put this home into move-in condition.  Listed at $129,900 it has gotten a lot of showings in the first two days on market.

3 bedrooms, all on the upper level, a generous sized living room, family room with pass through counter to the kitchen, dining area and informal eating area in the kitchen are all here. Two full baths up, half bath on entry level.  There is one finished room suitable for an office in the basement.

No offers will be considered for the first 7 days. Offers from owner occupants only will be considered days 8-13. Any other offers will be considered days 14 and afterwards.  If financing required, you must have a Wells Fargo Home Mortgage (WFHM) pre-approval accompanying your offer, but you may use any lender you wish.  Please feel free to contact me if you do not have a  WFHM representative.

See the full listing here:  http://www.realestatemich.com/10/listing/21855

Are We Ever Happy With The Weather?

My locale in SE Michigan (roughly the 42nd parallel) has had a milder than usual winter – at least so far.


September weather was more like November weather should have been – cold, windy, rainy. October wasn’t bad temperature wise and our snowfall this year is way down. I’ve been seeing kids in tee shirts out playing at certain times on some days, and we’re in February right now. There have even been a couple of golf courses that have opened intermittently as the weather allows. Crazy!

It’s been a nice respite from the last three winters, which have been cold and very snowy. We’re joking about not needing to go to Florida this year because we have the same weather (at least maybe for northern Florida).

But there’s a big negative to this, too. Our local ski area, Mt. Brighton, has struggled to keep snow. That’s a lot of extra electricity use for minimal gain. With fewer skiers our local restaurants, gas stations, hotel, and stores are getting less seasonal traffic, too.

I feel really bad for the local landscapers that make winter money by plowing snow. Most of these are getting paid ‘by the push’, and as an REO (foreclosure) listing agent I can tell you that my properties have only needed two (2) pushes so far this winter. That’s two snowfalls of 2 inches or more. And we’re halfway through February.

Of course, there’s good news, too. Local road commissions have been able to do a few extra repairs with the milder weather. They’ve also had reduced crew payrolls and they’re not using as much salt. I believe they probably purchased much of the needed salt up front, so I don’t know what kind of savings they’re seeing.

If I were to answer my own question (in the title of this blog entry), I guess I’d have to say, “Not for very long.”

Brighton Optimists' Camel Race February 4-2012

On February 4, 2012, the Brighton Optimists will have their 4th Camel Race at Crystal Gardens, 5768 E Grand River, Howell 48843.  This fundraiser features admission, a great meal, and draft beer/house wine tickets - all for just $30/person.

There will be door prizes, giveaways, 50/50 raffles and of course, wagering on the camels.  The betting is parimutel style (like at a horse track).  Local businesses have 'adopted' camels which will be decorated and on diplay prior to the start of races. There will also be a contest for the 'best decorated' camel, where those in attendance vote.

This is a State of Michigan Charitable Gaming activity (License M70719) and proceeds go to the youth activities of the Brighton Optimist Club and their 501c3, the Optimist Foundation of Livingston County. This group puts on the Free Fishing Derby for Kids every June at the Brighton Millpond and sponsors a 'Spring Break Fun Day' for elementary school-aged children every spring.  While their activities are free to the kids, it still takes money to conduct the events.

For more information and to purchase tickets through a secure online site, please visit http://www.bigcamelrace.com/.

Lakefront Foreclosure-5440 Sharp, Howell 48843

This foreclosure home is in rough shape and likely will not qualify for financing other than a rehab loan. It is being sold 'as-is' for now.


About 100 ft of frontage on the north side of East Crooked Lake, two detached 3 car garages that abut each other but are not connected in their interior. Originally a cottage built in 1947, has ben extensively remodeled and added onto, but it would take a special person to really love the floor plan. Might make a better weeend/summer getaway place than a primary residence. Needs extensive cosmetic work.

Offers from owner occupants can be submitted Wednesday, January 18th and investor offers on Monday, January 23rd. See listing at http://www.realestatemich.com/10/listing/21682. MLS 212003325

Study Shows Strategic Default Influenced By Social Circle

Strategic default is defined as walking away from a mortgage that you have the ability to pay. Why do homeowners do this? Or not do this? It can be pretty much broken into two schools of thought.


First, the ethical argument. You agreed to buy your house at a then fair market price with a mortgage at the then market rate. You signed a contract obligating you to keep making payments even if similar houses are now selling for half the value of what you paid. Even if a new mortgage can be obtained at a lower interest rate by another buyer. Even if you can’t refinance.

The other argument is that this is a business deal, plain and simple. If I don’t make the payments, you take the house. I’m not going to make the payments, so feel free to take the house.

The report examines the use of social media and social influence on our decision making. If enough people that you know (or are connected to) are saying its fine to strategically default, you begin to get more receptive to the idea. After all, it worked out great for them, why not me? (A lot like the continual anecdotes I hear about the ‘buddy’ that picked up a $600,000 house for $100,000 as a foreclosure - I can do it, too.)

An industry source, CoreLogic, says that 11 million homes (22 percent of the housing market) are underwater and that another 2.4 million have less than 5% equity, so there’s a lot of potential for more strategic defaults out there.

Banks are also part of the problem. People looking for refinance options often get the runaround or can’t qualify with the current stringent requirements. I know mortgage reps that can’t refi their own homes, what chance does a regular consumer have? It may be easier for some people to opt into strategic default as a result of feeling helpless, or because they think the big corporations don’t care about them.

A single strategic default (which ends up as a foreclosure home) won’t kill the value in a neighborhood. But think about the areas where there are a lot of strategic defaults in addition to the short sales and foreclosures due to hardship – loss of a spouse, losing a job, illness. Distressed sales do, in fact, bring down property values and are not good for neighborhoods. Strategic default is only a part of the overall problem.

Cash Is Still King

A report in DS News quotes a study that claims 38% of all homes bought in 2011 were financed by cash, not mortgages. Tight lending criteria is likely one of the causes, but investors are also looking for ways to make their money yield better returns, too. This trend is expected to continue for the near future. And right now we’re seeing true record low mortgage rates (sub 4%)!


My own experience is that there are a lot of cash buyers who want to be owner-occupants. It’s not unusual for me to see cash offers on homes up to the $140,000 price point, so there’s a lot of competition for homes in ‘move-in’ condition.

A recently released Realtor Confidence Index for November 2011 also indicated that 28% of home purchases were cash financed. This report was based upon results obtained from just over 3,000 Realtors nationwide and is conducted monthly by the National Association of Realtors Research Division.

Please remember one very important thing. A cash offer does not guarantee that you will be the successful bidder in multiple offer situations. While it takes some uncertainty out of the equation for the seller, many sellers are still looking at the bottom line. Depending on the margin between a cash and financed offer, they may take a ‘cleaner’ and lower priced cash offer or they may take the higher priced mortgage offer knowing that it will take up to 45 days to close.

Everybody wants a deal but if you’re seriously underbidding on homes that have been on the market less than a month, you’re not going to be in the game.

A Lot Of House For The Money

This 7 yr old Pulte-built home is in the first phase of the Hidden Creek development in Oceola Township.  1790 sq ft, 4 bedrooms, two full and one half bath, first floor laundry, two car garage (opener present but no remotes), and it is ready for you!

Freshly painted and recarpeted it is in 'move-in' condition. You'll love the gas fireplace in the great room, the doorwall to the deck and a full unfinished basement.  Municipal water and sanitary sewers, the community has a common pool and clubhouse and public sidewalks for ease of walking.

Minutes from I-96 (Exit 141) and newer shops and restaurants at Grand River and Latson, you'll love the convenience.  Very close to Faulkwood Shores and Chemung Hills public golf courses. Howell Schools.

No offers for first 7 days, then offers from owner occupants until day 13, all others after that.  Must have a Wells Fargo Home Mortgage pre-approval to submit an offer or proof of funds for cash offers.  Priced at $133,900 - watch my web site for price updates and other new listings.  MLS# 211128026.

How Do You Legislate Common Sense?

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) thinks it’s by banning all cell phone use while driving.


It actually recommends banning the use of all hand held electronic devices, even if they’re ‘hands free’. So answering a call while wearing your Bluetooth headset would be illegal. Interestingly, they exempted GPS devices, most of which are not integrated into the car dashboard, because they are “designed to support the driving task.” Hmm. So a navigation app on my cell phone would probably be illegal, but maybe not. I guess that will depend on the interpretation of the officer that pulls you over.

None of us would reasonably argue with their premise that, “no call, no text, no update is worth a human life.” But there are many distractions available to drivers, from fiddling with a sound system, to drinking a cup of coffee or eating while driving, to even arguing with a passenger (usually a family member). How about the folks that are smoking and driving? While using a standard transmission?

I personally will answer a call with my Bluetooth, but the only way I initiate a call is by using the voice controls, which means you have to be in my address book. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made a caller wait for a time (seconds to minutes) until I could pull over and safely have a more in-depth conversation or to write something down.

I think those of us that are on the road a lot, whether you call yourself a ‘road warrior’ or not, are more in tune with safe driving practices. Michigan already has a ban on texting and driving (July 2010) which I think is reasonable and a good thing. But don’t tell me I can’t use my hands-free device to answer calls. If I think conditions are too bad for that, I will let the call go to voice mail. But then, I consider myself a reasonable person.

Regardless of your opinion, contact your legislator and let him or her know how you feel about it. You can use this service to find your Michigan State Representative if you don’t already know who they are.

The entire NTSB Meeting summary on this topic is here.

Holiday Spirit in Howell Michigan

OK, I admit it. I’m a big proponent of shopping local. I don’t care if you’re from Waterford or Birmingham, Ann Arbor or Brighton – patronize your local shops.


A couple of weeks ago, some business owners in Brighton got together and made a video about just that topic.

Now we have a great promo video of being in downtown Howell during the Holidays. A lot of video was shot during the Fantasy of Lights Parade (which everybody should see at least once!) and really gives you the feeling of shopping in a downtown area.

Big box stores and malls are fine for some things, but don’t forget about the folks who work right there on your Main Street. They usually do a lot more for your community than the big franchises (sorry, corporate policy doesn’t let us do that) and they really are more a part of your town than the big outfits.

Make a pledge to yourself that you’ll do at least some of your shopping at the smaller, local businesses this year. And while you’re in your downtown, why don’t you stop at a local restaurant for lunch or an appetizer and try something new?

Foreclosure Purchases By Owner Occupants Declining?

Wow. Real Estate Professionals know that buying a foreclosure is an economical way for first-time homebuyers to get into a house of their own, so this recent study by New Vista Asset Management surprised me a little.


As reported in DS News, New Vista began tracking foreclosure sales in Q1 of 2009 and has continued their quarterly tracking since that time. They monitor 18 national housing markets, of which only Wayne County is in Michigan, but they plan to add additional unnamed housing markets beginning in 2012.

There has been a general decline of owner occupant purchases since the advent of the data collection. An owner occupant is a homebuyer that plans to live in the house, as opposed to a purchase by an investor for rehab-resale or as a rental property. Interestingly, the only one of the eighteen markets that showed a gain in owner-occupant purchases was Wayne County, MI.

I list foreclosures, and it’s not unusual to have a stipulation in the listing agreement that says no offers will be submitted for the first 7 days, then offers from owner occupants only for the following week. However, this is not universal among banks and some entities are going to auctions and bulk sales of ‘as-is’ homes that will generally not appeal to an owner occupant, due to either the cost or scope of needed repairs.

Banks that will take the time and effort to put a home into move-in condition are the most likely to have sales completed by an owner occupant purchaser.

USDA Rural Development Loan News

On December 1st the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development (RD) program reported that they are funded for FY 2012 in the amount of $24 Billion for their Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program (SFHGLP). Purchase loans are available now but it will take approximately two weeks for the funds to be posted to the program for loan refinances, and in the interim they will approve ‘conditional’ commitments for loan refinancing.


The FY 12 loan structure is 2 percent upfront guarantee fee for purchase transactions; 1 percent upfront guarantee fee for refinance transaction; and 0.3 percent annual fee for both purchase and refinance transactions.

RD loans can be refinanced WITHOUT an appraisal. Contact your lender or loan originator for more details. USDA RD loans are a great option for those that qualify. See their web site for more information. All Livingston County Michigan single family homes are eligible for RD financing, if you meet the income requirements.

Support The Troops - Rush Time!

Hey, Livingston County! One of the Brighton Optimists, Donna Campbell, is helping a friend collect items to send over to the troops in Afghanistan.  She'll be collecting items Thursday morning at the Bauery Restaurant at Mt. Brighton, during the weekly Brighton Optimist Club Meeting.  An excerpted list of items that are wanted are:

lotion, sunscreen, deodorant - all travel size; chap stick, soap, eye drops, disposable razors; individual packets of trail mix, beef jerky, and general munchies; disposable cameras, small toys like beanie babies that the troops can hand out to the kids over there; zip lock bags and holiday decorations, duct tape, writing paper. Optimists, let's fill her vehicle up THIS THURSDAY - then go ring bells for the Salvation Army. Bring your stuff to Mt. Brighton at 7:30 am Thursday, December 1st.

All Livingston County residents - if you can stop by with some of these items, please do so.  Stick around for breakfast on the Brighton Optimist Club if you wish.  If you can't make the early hour, drop your items off at Campbell's Collision on Grand River just east of Whitmore Lake Rd.   Let's help make the Holidays a little nicer for our troops!

Ypsilanti One Of Least Expensive College Towns for Home Buying

An Inman News article released today listed the top 10 cheapest and top 10 most expensive college towns in the USA. Michigan had two entries in the least expensive category - Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti at number 3 with an average list price of $107,458, and Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo at number 5 with an average market list price of $116,455.


The least expensive college town listed was the University of Memphis, in Tennessee, at $89,244. They were also the only town where the average listing price was below $100,000.

Eight of the ten most expensive towns were in the western part of the country, with UCLA (Westwood CA) being tops. The average listing price in that market is $1,271,428. The bottom of the list for most expensive college towns was Annapolis Maryland, home of the US Naval Academy. Their average list price is $522,420.

I guess that means that East Lansing and Ann Arbor fell somewhere in the middle. Inman News is a Real Estate industry news service.

Holiday Fundraiser Gives Both Ways



courtesy Dutchman Tree Farms

 I’ve been an active member of the Brighton Optimist Club for many years. They are a community service group under the Optimist International umbrella and their motto is, “Bringing Out The Best In Kids.” Over their 35 years of existence, they’ve done a lot of great things for the community and its youth.


But these projects take money, so fundraising is needed. Their annual Holiday fundraiser is called Green2Green, in partnership with Dutchman Tree Farms in Michigan. Dutchman sells container grown evergreens, balled and burlap trees, holiday wreaths, and both 7’ cut and 3’ tabletop Christmas trees.

We’ve been getting their wreaths and they are outstanding – pleasing to the eye, fresh, and lasting well past the holiday season. Friends and family that have purchased trees have been very happy with them, too. For every purchase made with the Brighton Optimist Club’s promo code, a donation is made by Dutchman Tree Farms to that organization. Dutchman ships across the USA and they guarantee that if you are not happy with the product upon delivery, they will get you a replacement within a business day. No hidden fees and prices include delivery.

Please consider supporting a Michigan business and this local community service organization by making a purchase this Holiday season. In return you’ll be getting a great product AND you’ll help a community group to continue their work. To order, just click this link - http://www.dutchmantreefarms.com/organization/OCBRMI

New Listing - 7061 Braun, 48843

This great newer 3100 sq ft home sits on 10 acres. The 4 car attached garage features individual doors, each with opener (no remotes included). Patio from walkout basement sits adjacent to a small landscaping type pond.  There is a creek that runs through the acreage and ends up in a natural pond near the front of the property.  A fenced dog run is also present.

The master suite has a two-sided fireplace shared by the bedroom and master bath, which has a jetted tub, a bidet and a multi-head shower that includes an instant steam feature.  There is a motor-operated chandelier that will make it easy to dust and change bulbs.

The great room also has a motor-operated chandelier and antoehr fireplace and looks to the acreage in back.  Kitchen has high end stainless Thermador (TM) appliances, a butler pantry and another gas fireplace in the breakfast room portion of the kitchen.

The mud room features a floor sink with a hose sprayer for your pet, and an egress door that leads directly to the fenced dog run area.

The upper floor has three more bedrooms, each with their own bath, and one bath has a bidet.

The 2000 sq ft finished basement is very spacious, has a half bath, a double walkout and game room lighting installed.

The interior has just been repainted and recarpeted and is in move-in condition.  Hartland Schools. Offered at $340,000.

http://www.realestatemich.com/10/listing/21547 for the complete listing.  Some seller concessions may be possible. A Wells Fargo Home Mortgage pre-approval is necessary to submit an offer, although you can use any lender.

Shop Local Video - Brighton Michigan

A group of business owners got together to write, rehearse, and shoot a little video on patronizing businesses in their town - Brighton Michigan.  The narrator is George Moses of George Moses Company, publisher of the Marketeer.  Many other business are featured.  What a great idea!  My wife and I do almost all of our Holiday gift shopping in either downtown Brighton or downtown Howell. We do a lot of other shopping in the downtowns, too.  We like to keep our dollars local as much as possible.  Oh, and if you want to buy a Brighton home for sale, or a house for sale in Howell - give me a call!

Here's the video link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJdzXWjBmY4

12 Days of Gleaners

Last year, local radio station WHMI (93.5 FM) in Howell, Michigan, began a program to raise money for Gleaners Food Bank of SE Michigan. WHMI partners with the Howell Soft Cloth Car Wash for the 12 days prior to Thanksgiving to raise funds. With Gleaners’ buying power, $1 will feed 1 person for 1 day.


Volunteer organizations each take a day and solicit change from the customers at the carwash. Today is the day that I help out with the rest of the Brighton Optimist Club. We’ll be on site from 10am to 6pm. My shift is from noon to 1pm.

WHMI was pleased with the contribution level in 2010, their first year, but hope to do even better this year. Gleaners of Livingston County cannot meet the needs of the county on their own, and regularly food from other Gleaners locations have to be brought in. If you live in Livingston County, consider stopping by today between 10am and 6pm to make a small monetary donation. No family should have to go hungry and the needs are more acute during the holiday season.

Kudos to WHMI and the Howell Soft Cloth Car Wash for their efforts, as well as to the Brighton Optimist Club and other community groups that each take a day for service to those in need.

To Hell and Back

Yup, and it only took a little over an hour.

I had to preview a bank owned property today. It was what I euphemistically call ‘a Purell ®‡ house’. You know, the kind that you can’t wait to get back to your car to wash your hands with Purell®? This kind of property has made me an expert and turning lights on and off with my elbows, by the way, so my wife will be pleased to learn that you can teach an old dog new tricks. The house was in the Pinckney zip code, but really it was just a bit west of the lovely hamlet of Hell, Michigan. Yes, there really is a Hell, Michigan.

And jokes abound, of course. In summer, if your city is warmer than it is there, you can honestly say it’s “hotter than Hell.” In winter, if you record a lower temperature, it’ll be “colder than Hell.” Meteorologists’ from around the world actually call the general store to find out the temperature so they can work one of those little gems into their weather broadcast. If you feel the need to check the weather in Hell, this link will do it for you. You can then amaze your family, friends and acquaintances with little known weather knowledge. You may even win a free drink at your favorite tavern with a properly phrased wager.

But it goes on. Some taxpayers take their returns to the general store in Hell to have a hand cancellation that reads, “Hell, Michigan” before mailing to the IRS! No lie. Rumor has it that ‘Dear John’ and ‘Dear Jill’ letters also get the hand cancellation treatment, but I’m betting that texting and emailing are cutting into that market.

Now, Hell is no novelty to me since I live fairly nearby and have visited it on many occasions. Hell is not a novelty to me for other reasons, but I won’t digress. The Dam Site in has dam good burgers and pizza, Screams Ice Cream Parlor serves great goodies and you can buy all sorts of Hell emblazoned merchandise at the store (with the Post Office inside. There are only three buildings in Hell and if it’s too hot for you, you can walk down to the creek and dip your feet to cool off a bit).

There’s a fairly new miniature golf course, and frequent events that can draw an amazing number of people. In September of this year, a new Guinness Book of World Records milestone was met when Hell hosted the longest ever parade of hearses, with 51 vehicles officially participating.

It has been a while since I’ve been to Hell and I was both pleased and surprised to see a new sign! Yes, a piggy back on the Pure Michigan (Michigan’s Official Travel and Tourism site) campaign, with the sign at the right. Also, I’m not sure when Hell starting billing itself as ‘The Hysterical Town’, but today there were no signs of hysteria, mass or otherwise. If I had been a little later I would have stopped for a Smitty’s Burger at the Dam Site Inn, but alas, this was an earlier in the morning expedition.

People get married in Hell (guess they want to get the worst part out of the way early), and you can actually be the Mayor of Hell for a Day! If you’re planning a visit, the official road to Hell is Livingston County Road D 32, otherwise known as Patterson Lake Rd (at least east of Hell). Drive to Pinckney, turn left at the park in the center of the Village (Howell Street), then go down to the first stop sign and make a right. It’s just a short jaunt to Hell from there.

And if you want to find a house in Hell, call me. According to some, I've been an expert for years.


‡=Purell is a Registered trade mark of Johnson & Johnson.

Brighton Michigan Housing Market Snapshot-Nov 2011

Brighton, Michigan is located in Livingston County, roughly at the crossroads of US-23 and I-96. It is between Flint and Ann Arbor on a north-south line, and between Lansing and Detroit on an east-west line. The Brighton area consists of the City of Brighton as well as parts of the surrounding Townships of Green Oak, Hamburg, Genoa, Hartland and Brighton Township. Homes in Brighton Michigan seem to consistently be more desirable than many other homes in Livingston County.


Brighton has a vibrant downtown area with a number of restaurants serving a variety of cuisines, small specialty shops, a large children’s play area - the Imagination Station - and is centered by the Mill Pond. There is a gazebo at the Mill Pond, as well as a renovated Village Cemetery, and if you feel like walking you can stroll on the boardwalk and ‘tridge’ to get around the downtown area. There are many civic events in the downtown area all year round, and commercial interest remains very high for restaurateurs, office space and retailers.

This snapshot will be for homes in the City of Brighton. Right now, there are 132 active residential properties. They have been on the market for an average of 123 days and range in price from $24,000 at the low end, to $364,900 at the high end. The average list price is $149,482 and the median list price is $146,250.

In the last 12 months, 72 homes have sold ranging from $25,100 to $390,000. The sold properties were on the market for an average of 117 days and the average sales price was $144,348 and the median sales price was $143,500.

Brighton has a variety of home style and ages. Established neighborhoods have homes going back 100 years right up to newer subdivisions built within the last 10-15 years. All homes in the city limits have municipal water and sanitary sewer, and all are on paved roads.

Housing Market News

I receive bulletins from the Chief Economist at Comerica Bank, Robert Dye. A couple of the recent emails that pertain to the housing market indicate that home sales dipped 0.3 percent in September, while prices are down 3.5 percent from a year ago. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) gained 0.3 percent in September and is up 3.9 percent for the year. September 2011 housing starts were up a hearty 15 percent to a 658,000 unit pace, but this is judged as ‘not sustainable’. This data is a compilation for the nation and the report was subtitled, “More of the same, No Breakout, No Backslide.”


If you’d like to subscribe to these periodic emails, visit the page at http://www.comerica.com/economics, then follow the link titled, “Subscribe to Newsletter.”