This is a common question I get when a person is considering selling their Oakland County MI home. First let me explain that most everything is negotiable; the purpose of this post is to address what is customary for the Oakland County and Lapeer County areas. Costs to the seller: commission (I normally charge 6%, […]

If you tried to sell your Lapeer County Lake house last year with no success, AND you were a fairly high priced listing, do not despair. It was not your house- it was the market. In 2014 there were only 4 lakefront sales over $600,000 and all 4 were on acreage. 2 of those were […]

Customer Service…. What doe is mean to you? I have been selling real estate for a touch over 23 years and it still amazes me sometimes how little effort other “professionals” put into a transaction. A little background without names or exact location. One of my listings is supposed to close this Friday. The sale […]

Why it’s best to close on your Oakland County home as soon as the buyer gets loan approval There are many reasons to close immediately after the loan is approved and the buyer is clear to close. Even if that happens 3 or 4 weeks prior to the close by date. Seller can die Buyer can die […]

Do Oakland County MI Houses Sell in the Winter? I have been asked this question quite a bit lately. The short answer is yes. Not as many as in the summer- as you can see from the graph below, there’s a big drop in January. This is due mostly to the Christmas holidays. Thanksgiving and New Years […]

The 72 hour contingency clause is often referred to as a first right of refusal; that is close but not quite accurate. A first right of refusal is an agreement between a seller and potential buyer that if the seller accepts an offer on a piece of property the potential buyer has a certain time […]

Interest rates are low- super low. How low? Low enough you can pay today’s prices for a smaller payment than 2008 prices with 2008 interest rates. Last week’s rates for a 30 fixed with 20% down and a half point was 3.625%. With good credit of course. A few weeks ago you could get a […]

When an Oakland or Lapeer County home buyer comes to us with a pre-approval letter for an FHA mortgage we will ask both you and your loan officer “Why FHA?” It’s not that we are FHA snobs or don’t want to work with FHA buyers, but FHA does come with its own baggage. Baggage that […]

Turning your home into that “dream house” Most Oakland County home buyers come to us with expectations for a home that exceed their budgets. Most people aren’t buying their “forever home” (too much time on pet finder with dogs looking for their forever homes). Many settle for something they like, build some equity and sell […]

Customer Service…. What doe is mean to you? I have been selling real estate for a touch over 23 years and it still amazes me sometimes how little effort other “professionals” put into a transaction. A little background without names or exact location. One of my listings is supposed to close this Friday. The sale […]