Over the next several days I will be making significant changes to this blog. Many of the posts were written when the housing market was down and distressed sales were the norm (foreclosures and short sales). Tags and categories were assigned accordingly. We now appear to be back to a normal market, and I am […]

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 […]

Clarkston MI and the surrounding areas offer a plethora of both indoor and outdoor activities- a quaint downtown shopping area, township and state parks, top of the line restaurants… and the topic of this post Pine Knob Ski and Snowboard Resort. Pine Knob is located on the southeast corner of Clarkston and Sashabaw Roads in […]

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 […]

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 […]

If you email me and don’t get a reply within 24 hours (usually much sooner) the chances are I never received your email. Just because you sent it, doesn’t mean I received it. Technology is great, but is not perfect. Sometimes I get the feeling others (especially other Realtors) feel a bit put out when […]

On Nov. 11 I got my first deer. A pretty good sized 4 point. Nov. 22 I got my new car. A deer hunting tip- it’s cheaper to bow hunt than to use your car. If you are looking for hunting property, please don’t hesitate to call Jackie Hawley with ReMax Encore. Jackie Hawley, Realtor […]

Lake Orion MI Home Sales- Market Update Unit sales are down and average and median sales prices are up. Or are they? Lake Orion, MI is recovering from a housing crisis that lasted close to a decade. Statistics show that prices started dropping in 2006. I felt it in 2005. In 2009 the amount of […]

3600 Orion Oaks, Lake Orion MI – Open Sunday from 2-5 Custom home on a one acre wooded lot. Instead of writing a book about all this outstanding home has to offer I embedded a video below. Your host will be Marcia. Agents- send your buyers; we won’t poach. BTW- The song is performed by […]

858 Esther, Lake Orion Open Sunday, Nov 20, 2016 from 1-4 pm

Over the next several days I will be making significant changes to this blog. Many of the posts were written when the housing market was down and distressed sales were the norm (foreclosures and short sales). Tags and categories were assigned accordingly. We now appear to be back to a normal market, and I am […]

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 […]

Lake Orion MI Home Sales- Market Update Unit sales are down and average and median sales prices are up. Or are they? Lake Orion, MI is recovering from a housing crisis that lasted close to a decade. Statistics show that prices started dropping in 2006. I felt it in 2005. In 2009 the amount of […]

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 […]

Why Zillow is a Good Thing They are well optimized so my listings get good exposure. And their Zestimates are SOOOOOOO wrong!! The first is a no brainer. Free exposure with a pretty decent format. My listings are attractively displayed with multiple photos and a good description. I can edit the photos and text, and […]

When High Tech is just an excuse for laziness This post is NOT a criticism of electronic signatures, Twitter, Facebook… nor of agents who utilize these methods in their real estate business. This post IS a criticism of agents who criticize those of us who choose NOT to use any of the above in our […]