Small houses cost less, not even buy but also to heat and cool. Home projects such as painting cost less in a smaller house, even furnishing and decorating costs more in larger homes. Douglas has beautiful homes that aren’t enormous, but are very spacious.

Small homes in Glenn save time. A large house takes longer to clean and maintain the yard. You can use the extra time to do something you enjoy like explore Michigan.

A smaller home in MI means less clutter. You wont have unlimited amounts of storage space, so you will be forced to simplify your home.

When making updates, like investing in new countertops, you can splurge because there is less space to cover.  You can have quality upgrades.

Smaller homes in Saugatuck, Michigan are easier to sell. Buyers are interested in energy-efficient homes. Bill Rowe can help you find the home of your dreams no matter that size.

Congratulations to RE/MAX Saugatuck-Douglas for being the top selling Saugatuck area real estate office for the year 2011.  This was no small task in a difficult year.  Here is to your future success in the year 2012.

Think outside the box. This newer contemporary 900 sq. ft office was built to be an executive retreat. Now bank owned and priced at a low $75,000. Here’s a twist why not make the simple conversion of this space into a wonderful 1 or 2 bedroom condominium. It already has a beautiful fireplace, nice cabinets and wet bar that could very economically be converted into a kitchen and the all the bath needs is a shower. Township SAU would be required but the reward would be great. This building is located just a few blocks from Downtown Saugatuck and would make an excellent summer rental and it this price you should definitely make this property cash flow. What else could you find in this good of condition at this low of a price. Call Dick Waskin or Bill Rowe at RE/MAX Saugatuck-Douglas 269/857-2191 to view this property before it is gone.

Prevention makes the biggest difference. Be a good neighbor. If you know one of your neighbors is going to foreclose find out what you can do to help keep the property looking nice and be sure to maintain your property.  If the neighborhood looks nice chances are the foreclosure won’t be vacant long.

If you see broken windows, trash in the yard, or overgrown weeds, report them quickly. You don’t want to problem to get worse. This isn’t a big problem in Saugatuck, Douglas or Glenn, but being prepared will continue to prevent a foreclosure from hurting housing prices.  An eyesore can turn into a health or safety hazard quickly.

Another option is to help sell the Michigan property. Call Bill Rowe to help sell your MI property. Talk up the area and see if you know anyone who’s looking to buy in your area.

Don’t waste your time trying to find out who owns the house to make them take responsibility, and avoid trying to fix the problems without permission. Go through the proper channels.

Depending on what you want out of your home, finding the right style for you can be a lot of work – fortunately, it can also be quite a bit of fun.

Costs of New vs. Older Michigan Homes

In the past, deciding which type of home you wanted was largely a matter of price, since most older homes came in at a considerably lower price tag than new developments. In today’s market, however, there are new and historic homes that fall into the entire spectrum of housing costs – as long as you know where to look.

Older homes with renovated interiors have the double advantage of supplying old world charm and the latest in kitchen and bathroom amenities. However, older homes that haven’t been updated with modern heating, cooling, pipes, or electricity can become a financial drain when it comes to dealing with the MI weather. In this same way, newer homes with jetted tubs and a pool out back might provide everything you need to live comfortably, but there might be a trade-off when it comes to lot size and unique architectural features.

Of course, location matters, too. Saugatuck and Douglas homes for sale that have a little bit of historic charm tend to be found within small, unique neighborhoods closer to the downtown center. New development homes and those in gated communities tend to be found further out, especially in more suburban regions where there is more room for growth. These differences in location can have an impact on housing prices, since you may have to pay more for proximity to the city.

Benefits of an Older Home

Although all older homes vary – especially when it comes to things like updates, renovations, and location – most of them provide great benefits from an aesthetic point-of-view, including:

• Craftsmanship and architectural details
• Unique layouts
• Larger lot sizes
• Centuries-old features
• Mature landscaping

Benefits of a Newer Home

New homes tend to come with a much lower level of hassle, which can be a great boon to those buying a house for the first time or for young families who may not want to put a lot of time into their residence. Some of the features of a new Saugatuck home include:

• Less maintenance overall
• New pipes, roofs, appliances, electricity, etc.
• Larger storage spaces/More square footage
• Often closer to family-friendly features like schools and parks
• Energy efficient updates

Which Home is Right for You?

If you have been considering buying a Saugatuck home for awhile, you might already have a good idea of what you want out of your house, and what types of architecture appeal to you the most. However, many of the benefits of old homes (or new homes) can’t really be appreciated until you see them first-hand.

Ask your Saugatuck, Douglas, Glenn Realtor to show you the best of both worlds, and you might be surprised by what really draws you in. Just remember that every house – even the new ones – will require a little bit of work before they really start to feel like home.

The Former Westshore Golf Course Restaurant/Bar is now being offered for sale.  Over 4,500 sq. ft., includes a liquor license.  The building is solid but in ruff shape.  The views over the valley and creek are amazing.  High traffic road on the way to Oval Beach and walkable to downtown Douglas.  This is an excellent opportunity to revive an old standard and create an amazing destination restaurant.  The asking price is a very, very low $225,000.  Call Dick Waskin at RE/MAX Saugatuck-Douglas for your private tour and details.   616/218-3191 cell  Start today and be ready to open next season.

In the current Saugatuck real estate market, many of the things that make a house unique – its paint color, flooring, the kitchen counters, and even the size or type of the windows – are being upgraded to entice buyers. But if your home has a restricting layout, which makes the house look smaller, darker, or inaccessible, you might have a difficult time making a “quick fix” to increase your chances of a fast sale.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to make your MI home for sale more appealing. If you do have a layout that might be sending out the wrong signals, you can try the following.

Remove the clutter. Staging your house is an important part of any home selling process, but never more so than when your layout might be confining or restrictive. Extra furniture, shelves, tables, and even the rack where you hang your coats all add to the inaccessibility of the house as a whole. By displaying your space as open and clearly as possible, you are allowing homebuyers to see the house through fresh eyes.

Add room dividers. A very long (or even a tiny) living room or a bathroom that is taken up almost entirely by a washer and dryer can be a difficult sell, because buyers might not see how the space is livable. Room dividers, or screens set up in strategic locations, are one of the tricks that decorators often rely on to maximize space, since they add clean lines and more storage opportunities.

Open up the entryway. Although this task might require a little bit of construction work on your part, opening up the home’s foyer to make it more appealing and inviting is often all you need to do to allow your home to shine. Most homebuyers make a decision about a house within the first 6 seconds, so you have to make those seconds really count.

Adjust your bedrooms. If your Douglas house has adjoining bedrooms, or if your Glenn condo has a bedroom right off the kitchen, you might want to re-market the space. Few people want to sleep in a room that offers reduced privacy, but if you stage it and/or list it as an office, a library, a playroom, or even an add-on, homebuyers might be more tempted.

The MI real estate market is on its way up, but selling a home can still be a challenge – especially if you own a challenging home. By taking a little extra time to adjust the way you see your house, as well as the way it is presented to others, it is possible sell that house faster and with a higher price point.