Michigan Real Estate Video Blog with Ken Pozek

Custom Home Building in Northville

noreply@blogger.com (Vyral Admin) — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 20:32:00 +0000

Buying in the Northville area? Perform a full home search,

Selling in the Northville area? Get a Home Price Evaluation

Today, Mike Miller joins us to talk about his custom home building company in the Northville area. He started building homes in 1992. He developed an interest in this particular industry when he was younger. In fact, he studied it in college when it was less popular with a small graduating class.

He’s built approximately 200 homes independently and, with the company, has worked on closer to 400 homes. He particularly finds the framing to be the most interesting process within construction. You’re able to smell the wood and see the starting foundation as the building begins. You see your blueprint come to life. He’s involved with the process from start to finish with his talented team.

He sees customers requesting particular features to be added to their construction property that might be so new, they haven’t been tested. It could conflict with the home’s exterior environment, for instance. There are a lot of useful resources out there, such as home magazines and Pinterest, but sometimes, they create a lot of expectations for our business and the services we provide. However, we always ask for feedback and try to apply it to future projects.

His local business continues to experience increased government-mandated energy efficiency. You have to meet the minimum criteria and we have to prove this has been done by a residential check on each individual part of the property. For instance, you can increase the size of your windows and thus, raise your score, because you’re allowing more sunlight into your home naturally.

If someone is interested in working with us, Mike suggests first assembling a team with an architect, business person, and builder in a room. Secondly, you need to find a lot to purchase. It can be tough out there, especially in a high demand area. A common mistake we see with our clients is that they’ll start designing a layout a home before they find a piece of land. Ultimately, this timeline (including the design period) varies. He stresses the value of taking enough time to complete a home.

You can reach Mike on his cell phone at 248-797-7096 or email at mike@mikemillerbuilding.com if you’re interested in learning more about his business.

If you’re interested in buying or selling a home in Northville, as always, reach out to us today! We’re happy to discuss your real estate needs, and perhaps goals of 2016, with you soon. Additionally, if you have a local business you’d like to refer, we warmly welcome your suggestions.

Builders Don't Offer as Much as They Used To

noreply@blogger.com (Vyral Admin) — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 17:24:00 +0000

Buying in the Northville area? Perform a full home search,

Selling in the Northville area? Get a Home Price Evaluation

Hey everyone, we are coming to you today with the 3rd part in our builder series. When you get ready to make an offer on a newly built home, you want to make sure you are covering all your bases when it comes to doing your due diligence. Today, we are going to give you a list of the 9 things you should ask your builder before you enter a contract.

1. Do you offer gutters?
Unfortunately, this is one area where builders are cutting costs.

2. What are the grass and sprinkler systems like?

3. How many plugs are there and where do they go?
You want to make sure that your outlets are in the rooms and areas of your home that you want them to be in before you install them.

4. Are bedroom lights included?

5. Is there a humidifier included on the furnace?

6. Is there a gas line for your dryer?

7. Are appliances, like a refrigerator, included?

8. Who pays the transfer tax?
In Michigan, this can often run thousands of dollars. Some builders will try to pass this on to the seller, but it's really a seller-mandated thing.

9. What does the HOA charge for a new person?
Sometimes, a HOA join fee can be as much as $1,100 if you are moving into a new area.

Hopefully this series has been helpful to you. If you have any questions for us or are looking to buy or sell in the area, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to speaking with you!

Are You Planning to Build a New Home in Northville?

noreply@blogger.com (Vyral Admin) — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 13:17:00 +0000

Buying in the Northville area? Perform a full home search,

Selling in the Northville area? Get a Home Price Evaluation

It's moving season here in Northville! If you've been searching the area for homes, but are having no luck finding anything, building a home may be a really good option for you. Just the other day, I was sitting down with a good friend of mine, who happens to be a home builder here in the area, and he shared with me the questions that all buyers should ask their builder:

Can I see your personal home? Most of the big building companies here in town are going to have a model house you can see. However, if you're working with a custom home builder, their personal home is often their showpiece - something they want to show you.

How many homes have you built in the last 3-5 years? Find out whether the builder has been able to weather the storm of the recession. Now that things are going well in our economy, you want to work with a builder who has kept busy for the past 3 or so years.

Can I talk to your current and past clients? When talking to people who have worked with the builder in the past, you're trying to see if there are any disheartening trends with the builder. For example, are they no good with technology, or will they take forever to get back to you? Find out how others feel about them before diving in headfirst.

Are you licensed and insured with the state of Michigan? A lot of builders who have gone out of business and filed bankruptcy in the past may no longer be licensed with the state. Make sure that whoever you're working with has the proper documentation so that you're not at risk.

These are some very basic questions you should ask your builder before you commit to anything. In fact, this is only Part I of the three part series on the building process. We want you to be armed with knowledge when you go into a new construction situation, and we think these videos will help!

If you have any questions about new construction, or any real estate topic, don't hesitate to give us a call. We're here to be your real estate resource for the Northville area, and we would love to hear from you!

New Construction Questions Part Two

noreply@blogger.com (Vyral Admin) — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 18:15:00 +0000

Buying in the Northville area? Perform a full home search,

Selling in the Northville area? Get a Home Price Evaluation

Today I'm continuing my series about building your own home. I recently talked about what you should talk to a builder about before you go to build a home, and today I'll be showing you four questions to ask before you sign a contract.

Ask to see a home they built 5-10 years ago. This will ensure that they're building quality homes that stand the test of time. Look to see if the home is disheveled or unkempt in any way, because this is how your home could look in the future, too.
Ask what the total price of the home will be. Some builders have a base price, a lot price, and then structural upgrades that can add up throughout the process. There are lots of hidden fees with new homes, so be sure you know what you'll be paying before you break ground on a new home.
Make sure you know who to contact after you sign the contract. Will it be project manager, or will it be the builder themself? You need a line of communication throughout the process to ensure no problems arise.
What is their warranty information? Every builder will have a different warranty in terms of what's covered and how long the coverage will last. Sometimes the structure is under warranty, but not the roof or the foundation.

In my next video, I'll be speaking about 10 things to ask your builder to save big on construction costs. Hopefully this information has been useful to you.

As always, if you ever need help buying or selling in the Northville area, please don't hesitate to contact me.

What Are You Losing by Waiting to Sell Your Home?

noreply@blogger.com (Vyral Admin) — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 19:37:00 +0000

Most agents won't tell you this, but you should list your home TODAY instead of waiting until the spring. Why, you ask? Here are three reasons:

1. There is less competition during the holiday season than there will be at the start of next year. Many sellers want to wait until the spring because that's when the most buyers will be in the market. While that's true, there is going to be less competition among sellers today than in the spring, which will allow you to get top dollar for your home in the end.

2. There are more serious buyers looking today than there are in the spring and summer. The serious buyers who NEED to buy are looking during the holidays. Keep in mind that we have a lot of relocation buyers coming to the Detroit Metro; often, these people are starting their jobs in January and need to find a home quickly.

3. Your home looks beautiful during this time of year. Holiday decorations add a lot to a home's appeal because they create an emotional experience. The more times you can draw out the emotion of a buyer, the more opportunities you will have to get an offer.

There you have it. We hope this information is helpful. If you have any questions about market conditions in your neighborhood, or if you want to buy or sell a home, don't hesitate to give us a call or shoot us an email. We would love to give you a hand!

Market Snapshot for Northville Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (Vyral Admin) — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 14:17:00 +0000

Lately, we've seen our market flat line. After the crash, we saw the market bounce back strong from 2011 to 2013 but now it's settled down again. To get an idea about what's happening in the market, there are a few indicators to look at. When we see a lot of homes listed that are not selling or are being forced to reduce their price, that indicates we have a buyer's market. On the other hand, when we see appraisals coming in lower that what the sales price is, we're in a seller's market.

Right now, we're seeing appraisals get a little easier because the market is flat. There are fewer multiple offer situations and appraisals are coming in around where the sales price is. Just the other day we were working with some buyers who were interested in a home in a neighborhood where homes had been selling for around $600,000. We were able to make and secure an offer under the list price because the house needed a great deal of work - it needed new carpet, paint, appliances, etc. Six months ago, that offer never would have gone through.

What does all this mean? We have a very stable market. It's not trending up or down, but is staying consistent. This means neither buyers or sellers currently have an advantage. If you want to know what's happening in your specific area, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We can help you make the most of our current conditions.

How Can You Prepare Your Home for the Winter Months?

noreply@blogger.com (Vyral Admin) — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 14:04:00 +0000

Fall is well on its way, which means winter will be here before you know it. Fall is the perfect time to prepare your home for the cold months ahead. Here are 3 basic things you should take care of before the weather takes a turn for the worse:

Have your furnace inspected: Make sure that it is cleaned, the filters are changed, and the humidifier is checked. You want to make sure your furnace is functioning properly before the cold weather settles in and the repair company is too busy to help you. We recommend our friend John with T & J Heating and Cooling, who you can reach at (313) 580-1319. Tell him we sent you for 10% off your service fee!
Change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors: If you don't currently have a carbon monoxide detector, we highly recommend having one installed. It's only $40-$50 and goes a long way in keeping your family safe.
Keep water away from your home: The fall is an ideal time to clean your gutters. To ensure you avoid leakage problems, you need to make sure your gutters are clear and able to transport water far from your home.

By acting now to prepare for the winter months you can avoid a lot of unnecessary problems down the road. We have a host of vendors we have worked with in the past and have a great deal of trust in that we would love to put you in contact with. If you would like more tips on how to prepare for winter, or are interested in entering the Detroit area real estate market, don't hesitate to give us a call or shoot us an email. We are always available to give you a helping hand.

What Does Zillow's Acquisition of Trulia Mean for You?

noreply@blogger.com (Vyral Admin) — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 14:42:00 +0000

There are many great Novi and Northville area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (248) 345-4894 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Recently, Zillow bought Trulia for $3.5 billion in stock options - but does this affect you in any way? Unless you are a stockholder in one of the companies, it probably will have no effect on you as a homeowner. The better question to ask is: Why does anyone still use these websites in the first place?

Online home search sites have inaccurate data 10%-40% of the time. We get calls all the time asking to see a home found on Zillow or Trulia - 9 times out of 10 the home is no longer available or was never available in the first place. If you aren't planning on moving anytime soon but are curious about what the market looks like, online home search sites aren't so bad. They are easy to use and pretty to look at. This is intentional - they want you to visit, click, and give them your data so they can sell it to real estate agents.

If you want accurate and up-to-date information, your best source is your local real estate professional. If you want good data, you need to find someone who is knowledgeable, can interpret data, give you market trends, and let you know what's going on in general. If that sounds better than the misinformation found on the web, give us a call or shoot us an email. Our knowledge and expertise is at your disposal.

Why Quality Over Quantity?

noreply@blogger.com (Vyral Admin) — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 14:54:00 +0000

Hey all, I've noticed a trend in our town that I think important enough to share with you. Having worked closely with many Northville residents, I've found that buyers are more concerned with the quality of the home than the size.

This has ramifications for those of you who are looking to build a house. Because it is an investment, you should be aware of what buyers are looking for so you can get the maximum return down the road.

For example, it means that you should reconsider adding that extra square footage and instead put some thought into spending that money in other ways.

I often advise my clients to perhaps use the money to finish the basement, or purchase a walk-out lot. Focus on things buyers will be looking for down the road, such as updated kitchens and bathrooms.

These are but a few examples of the easy ways in which you can improve the quality of your home. It's a simple but necessary fact to remember: in this market, quality trumps quantity just about every time.

I'll be sure to keep you posted on any further developments in our market. For now, be sure to make the investment in quality, you won't regret it.

If you're thinking about selling in the Northville / Novi area, Contact me via phone or email if you're interested.

Open Houses are Super-Effective in a Seller's Markets

noreply@blogger.com (Vyral Admin) — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 21:49:00 +0000

Now is the Perfect Time for an Open House

Today I was on a listing presentation speaking about how I use open houses as an efficient way to sell properties. I think they're an extremely useful tool because in seller's markets (like the one we have here in the Northville area) buyers flock to open houses.

When inventory is low, buyers want to make sure that they see everything on the market. Open houses are a convenient way to invite potential buyers right into your home, and because you get so many people at once you have a high likelihood of receiving an offer. On the flip side, when there are lots of homes to view, open houses don't draw too much of a crowd because there are so many other properties available. However, right now is a perfect time to conduct an open house because we have a low inventory of homes.

I have found open houses to be an extremely effective selling tool in seller's markets like ours here in Northville and Novi. The way I thoroughly market my open houses gets 30-50 people coming through. This isn't your typical open house where you put out one sign and pray someone shows up. I market the open house online to over 200 websites and mobile apps, invite all our buyer leads, invite local brokers with potential buyers, and invite the local community including people currently renting that may want to buy.

So, would you rather have 30-50 individual showings or would you rather leave for an afternoon and come back with a purchase agreement? When you go through with an open house you will have your home seen by many different buyers and it will significantly increase your chances to sell with multiple offers.

If you're thinking about selling in the Northville / Novi area, I would urge you to consider holding an open house on your property. I can almost guarantee you good results.

Contact me via phone or email if you're interested.

New Construction is Opening up Opportunities for Buyers

noreply@blogger.com (Vyral Admin) — Thu, 08 May 2014 18:13:00 +0000

New Construction is Opening up Opportunities for Buyers

Today I wanted to speak about some of the opportunities that you might have to buy new construction. Because home values are shooting up like crazy, new construction is almost on par with resale property.

I get many buyers calling me, and they say that they can't find what they want online, so they ask me about new construction. This is a great option to consider for all the areas that I cover, which includes Northville, Canton, Novi, Plymouth, and South Lyon. New construction actually represents 20-40% of the total sales in those areas for the past year or so.

There are some things that you might not think about when looking at new construction. Usually landscaping is not included when you buy a new home, and other things like appliances, finished basements, and patios or decks are not often included with new home purchases. These things you will have to pay out of pocket for, so if you're on any kind of budget, you might want to consider this.

There are ways to finance these side projects through different builders and lenders, but each case will be different, so if you have any questions about this, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Feel free to give me a call if you're looking for new construction because a lot of these homes have not come onto the market yet. You can also give me a call about resale properties or if you have, any questions about real estate in the Northville, Novi, Plymouth, Canton, or South Lyon areas.

Thanks for tuning in!

Promising Spring Real Estate Update for the Northville Area

noreply@blogger.com (Vyral Admin) — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 18:48:00 +0000

There are many great Novi and Northville area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (248) 345-4894 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Spring Real Estate Update for the Northville Area

Today I wanted to do a quick video update for you about what has been happening in our local Northville market. If you've talked to me at all in the last few years, then you know that the market is in a great recovery.

Home values have shot up by 30% since 2011.
Things have gotten a bit stagnant in the last few months because of poor weather - but in the last 7 days, 116 new homes have hit the market.

Only 57 of these have sold, and 42 homes have lowered their listing prices since being on the market.
This would indicate to me that these homes were initially overpriced, or that buyers simply aren't as interested in buying as they were at this time last year.

It's a good time to be a buyer here in the Northville/Novi area because there are twice as many listings on the market than what we are actually selling. This doesn't mean that inventory is large, but it does give buyers a chance to take a short breath and find the most suitable property available.
If you're a seller, it's critical that you price your home right and to make sure that your home is marketed to the maximum amount of buyers.

Hopefully this information has been beneficial to you. If you have any questions or comments, then please contact me and I would be very glad to assist you.

Consider me your #1 resource for real estate in the Northville and Novi areas!

Spring Cleaning: Which Remodels Bring You the Most Return on Investment?

noreply@blogger.com (Vyral Admin) — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 20:22:00 +0000

There are many great Novi and Northville area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (248) 345-4894 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Spring Cleaning: Which Remodels Bring You the Most Return on Investment?

With spring time is right around the corner, I have been receiving phone calls from past, present and future clients who are thinking about remodeling their homes. If you are thinking about doing this as well, I have two articles will help guide you in your decision.

The first article, which can be viewed here, is a list that the National Association of Realtors, coupled with the National Builders Association, compiled on home renovation costs and their return-on-investment nationwide. These numbers may be slightly different locally, but overall they are spot on. This list ranges from changing your front or garage door to full-scale kitchen remodels.

I have been finding that people generally believe that if they remodel their kitchen, they will receive more money for the sale of their home. They may receive more money, but the cost of the kitchen remodel will typically outweigh the extra money received in your sale price.

The second tool that I wanted to show you was houzz.com. Houzz is a website that you can visit for inspiration during your remodeling projects. If you’re looking to remodel your kitchen, bathrooms or outdoor spaces, you can view other people’s finished projects and even find out, for example, what type of back splash or refrigerator they used. You can also find out who designed it and where they are located! To save your ideas, Houzz has a great feature, the “Ideabook,” that allows you to save your favorite projects in order to show them to your contractor.

As always, your referrals are very important to me and are the lifeblood of my business – so please keep sending them along. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you around town!

Spring 2014 is a Blooming Market for Sellers

noreply@blogger.com (Vyral Admin) — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 19:35:00 +0000

As a realtor I get a lot of people asking me whether they should wait to list their homes in the summer, or do it now in the spring. There are certain benefits and disadvantages to both and it also depends on your own situation, but allow me to explain further.

When to List Your PropertyTraditional thinking suggests that you should put your house on the market near the summer when all the buyers are out looking for new homes. However, traditional thinking does not work well in an industry such as real estate. Every market is different, and our real estate market here in Michigan is no exception.

Here in Novi, Northville, Canton, Plymouth, and the South Lyon areas, we've experienced a very low inventory during the past year or two, and this leads me to believe that now is a spectacular time to sell your home.

Here is why this is true:

The horrific winter weather we experienced has kept both buyers and sellers from performing many transactions in the past few months. People simply weren't willing to go through with the home buying process in such adverse conditions.
Currently we have a very low inventory with a high amount of buyers looking to purchase homes.

These buyers are also being bolstered by historically low interest rates.
These market factors make now a wonderful time to sell your home.

A common objection from spring sellers is: "But I have nowhere to move into if I sell my home now..."

In this area it typically takes 1-2 weeks to close a contract on a home, and then another 30 days to get the mortgage closed. After this period you can also rent your home back for up to 60 days.
Competition is so fierce for homes right now that you'll find that most buyers are willing to give you that extra time to settle your living situation even though their mortgage is completed.
This potentially gives you 90-100 days after you've listed your home to find a new one.
With an aggressive Realtor like myself, I can find you somewhere to call home in this short amount of time.

Hopefully my explanation has been helpful to you, and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at (248) 345-4894.

Otherwise, please use the resources on my blog to your advantage. Home buyers should keep a keen eye on my free home search because it is updated every day. You'll also find great tips on many other aspects of real estate.