Karen Reeber's Real Estate Blog | West Bloomfield MI | Short Sales, Foreclosures, First Time Home Buyers, Real Estate Market, Buyers, Sellers
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From 5/17/2009- 5/23/2009. 37 listed homes went under contract and/or sold in West Bloomfield last week from $43,300 to $489,000, 24 of which were bank owned or otherwise distressed sales.
42 new listings came on the market last week from $34,900 to $2,500,000, 7 of which are bank owned homes or otherwise distressed properties.
And, for the rental market, 3 homes recorded as being rented over the last week by an agent. Overall, 8 more homes were added to the rental market by an agent.
We all think that we know what Memorial Day is all about; however, many of us don’t truly give this day the respect and reverence that it deserves. I wanted to know more about how this day actually came about so I looked it up on Wikipedia and found out some facts that I never knew about.
Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day is a remembrance for all those who have died in our nation’s service. Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5th 1868 by General John Logan, a national Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic in his General Order number 11. It was first observed on May 30th, 1868 when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
Memorial Day is now observed by most states on the last Monday of May. Moina Michael conceived the idea to wear red poppies on Memorial Day to honor those who have died serving the nation during war. The VFW became the first veteran organization to sell red poppies shortly before Memorial Day in 1922. Memorial Day is about reconciliation. It’s about honoring those who gave their lives.
In December 2000, there was a resolution passed to help re-educate and remind Americans about what Memorial Day is supposed to be about. This resolution is called the “National Moment of Remembrance”. It asks that all Americans pause at 3:00 in the afternoon (local time) and give a moment to remember and respect the lives that this day stands for.
The freedoms that we still have, which would include owning real estate, we have because of the many who have given their all.
Plum Market is finally open. I know as I drove by Olde Orchard square, at the south east corner of Orchard Rd and Maple, I doubted they would meet the deadline posted on the sign. I moved to the area mid 2006, at which time, there was talk of Papa Joes moving to the abandoned Farmer Jack. Of course, that never happened. Then word of Plum Market opening there surfaced. Opening a Plum Market at Olde Orchard seemed kind of odd to me, given they have a location down the street on Maple around Cranbrook Rd.
I received the direct mail marketing coupons the week prior to the opening. So, my family and I decided to check it out on opening day, which was May 7th. We arrived around 10 am and could barely find a parking spot. There was a line out the door! They even temporarily ran out of grocery carts! A truck with a shipment of nice 2 tiered carts arrived within five minutes of the delay and all shopping carried on.
The store generated so much excitement from all the patrons. If you haven’t been in a Plum Market, I equate it to something like Whole Foods, plus regular merchandise you might find in a store like Hiller’s or even Meijer’s (but not as large). They had samples galore! The soups were amazing, flat bread stone pizza hot out of the oven, even desserts from the brownie and truffle counters were available.
Pricing seems decent on most items. They have some amazing deals to get patrons though. I do not work for Plum Market, obviously, I am busy selling houses, but I was impressed. We all got a specialized hand bag with our purchase as well. It was actually so much fun, we all went back the next day to see if there was still a buzz. And, while parking was easier the second day, the store was still packed.
I think it will be interesting to see what happens with all the major specialty stores so close: Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Hiller’s and now Plum Market. I hope that our economy will be able to support them all, as I feel each place offers something a little different. Living in the quadrant that carries all these stores is fantastic. I certainly do not envy my friends who have to drive thirty minutes to find one of these stores.
From 5/10/2009- 5/16/2009. 21 listed homes went under contract and/or sold in West Bloomfield last week from $49,000 to $375,000, 12 of which were bank owned or otherwise distressed sales.
43 new listings came on the market last week from $79,900 to $2,399,000, 5 of which are bank owned homes or otherwise distressed properties.
And, for the rental market, 6 homes recorded as being rented over the last week by an agent. Overall, 10 more homes were added to the rental market by an agent.
Many homeowners are looking at the repeatedly nice weather and realizing it is the time of year to open your pool. If you haven’t called your local pool company yet, you might want to, as there is generally a line to get the pools open before Memorial Day (which is fast approaching)!
Last year many pool owners had an issue with an imbalance of phosphates. That created many green, swamp-like pools at the end of the 2008 swimming season. You always want to make sure you have your pool opened and closed by a qualified professional. Especially if you had any type of chemical imbalance so you start the season off correctly. The best person I’ve found who services the West Bloomfield area is Mike Cloud. He has a fantastic team that not only services & maintains pools, but he has a crew that can beautifully rehabilitate pools.
The average cost to open a pool runs from $300-$450. If you recently purchased a home and haven’t had the opportunity to make use of your pool be prepared to pay out something along these lines. Always remember, you get what you pay for.
If you don’t have a pool and are thinking about creating one, make sure you get multiple estimates. It seems like the best time of year (economically) to take on a project like that is early Spring (April) or late fall (October). If you want to purchase a home with a pool, let me know. I can certainly help you with that!
To all the owners thinking of selling it is important to know this… your house needs massive exposure to get buyers. The more interior pictures you (or your marketing agent) supply to the public will allow for the greatest opportunity for exposure. Buyer’s want to know what they are looking at before they spend their time physically viewing homes.
Not all agents are the same, as in any field. Some seller’s agents (roughly 25%) do not include any extra photos on the listing – multi-list system. The Western Wayne Oakland County Board allows for agents to upload 25 photos. So, on the multi-list system, if you have a good marketing/selling agent, you should have multiple photos of your home for all the potential buyers to see. Realtor.com is a package that some agents pay for. If your agent has a Realtor.com package then you can have up to 25 pictures on that site too (it is the number 1 public website for home searches). Regardless of Realtor.com though, an agent doesn’t have to pay any extra to load the pictures on the multi-list.
Good pictures are a separate category as well. Some agents post pictures that do not highlight a homes best assets. Remember, with hundreds of listings for buyers to scroll through on the internet, they need a reason to stop on your West Bloomfield home and write down the address to give their agent. Make sure the photos highlighting your home are attractive enough to bring those buyer’s through your door. Of course, photos cannot account for an inaccurate price. That is a separate blog.
Make sure you find out which type of agent you have working for you! All of our clients’ homes receive the highest quality photos for internet marketing. We have a Team member who edits all photos and posts only those that will show off the best qualities for each room in a home.
Avg. Sales Price: $246,028
Avg. Days on Market: 135 *From final list
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