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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Karen Reeber
REALTORĀ®
    Years of Experience: 35+

    ABRĀ®: Accredited Buyer's Representative
    CRP: Certified Relocation Professional
    CRS: Certified Residential Specialist
    RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement

Direct: (248)-730-0451



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School & Home Searches

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

When purchasing a home, many buyers find it important to know what school district the home will have the benefits of. The public record field sheet that can be provided by your agent will state what district the house belongs to. The listing ticket itself should also have this information.

Some people think that a Buyer’s agent should be responsible to offer all information. That isn’t necessarily the case. In the case where a buyer will buy solely based on particular information, it is the Buyer’s agent responsibility to get the buyer the appropriate contact information on how to find the particular information themselves. For example, if you only want to buy a house with a particular elementary school you should not rely on your Buyer’s agent to tell you exactly which houses will comply with that need. While many Buyer’s agents will do this, it is more important for them to give you the contact number to the school district (often the transportation department) and/or a district map from the city.

It is always important to obtain the information for yourself as sometimes mis-information is given to the Buyer’s agent and if you rely solely on that you might be in trouble…all the while your Buyer’s agent has done their job to help you.

West Bloomfield has a wonderful website where you can go to learn about their schools and the district. You can also call for specific West Bloomfield school information: 248 865-6420.

When purchasing a home, please remember to utilize all the information that is available to you from your city. And, this information is often available for free!

Time To Open The Pool!

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

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!

The Tax Man Cometh and Homeowners Do Get to Benefit

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

THE TAX MAN COMETH and homeowners do get to benefit. Tax season is upon us and the deadline is drawing near to file those dreaded tax returns. However, if you are a homeowner, you do get some relief by being able to deduct your property taxes and the interest that you have paid on your mortgage for the past tax year. In most cases, this does add up to a neat little savings on the taxes that you owe Uncle Sam.

This is where home ownership has a main advantage over renting. When you look at what you are paying for rent and then look at what you could be paying toward owning your own home, there probably isn’t that much of a difference when you can calculate in the tax savings that you have at the end of each tax year. As a matter of fact, once you subtract out the tax savings, you realize that the house payment you are making is essentially less and probably more appealing than you first thought. Plus, as a homeowner, there are other numerous advantages to having your own property versus renting from someone else. It is always wise to consult with a tax specialist as there may be other tax advantages that you can realize through owning your home.

Market Recap

  • Avg. Sales Price: $246,028

  • Avg. Days on Market: 135 *From final list

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