Ann Arbor and Saline Michigan Real Estate

Ann Arbor Schools, 3384 Maple OPEN HOUSE

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Sun, 09 Jul 2017 07:59:51 -0700

3384 Maple Ann Arbor Schools3384 Maple features custom walnut cabinets in the kitchen and opens to family room and eating area with Cherry hardwood floors and window box seat. Separate sitting area with fireplace makes this a truly unique, open space. Fabulous for entertaining.Stainless quality appliances.Year round sunroom with gas fireplace, built-in cabinets and Jenn-Aire cooktop, ceramic tile floors. Formal LR/DR with crown moldings.First floor study or home office with built in bookcases, large laundry/mud room which opens to the outside brick paver patio. Gorgeous double lot with impeccable landscaping surrounding the house.First floor study or home office with built in bookcases, large laundry/mud room which opens to the outside brick paver patio. Gorgeous double lot with impeccable landscaping surrounding the house.Upstairs includes five bedrooms with a beautiful master suite, built-in bookcases, luxurious master bath with spa tub, skylights, granite, double vanities and large walk-in shower. Finished basement,w/ built in cabinets for entertaining, wood burning fireplace. Lots of storage space.Finished basement,w/ built in cabinets for entertaining, wood burning fireplace. Lots of storage space. Interior Features Custom Walnut Cabinets in Kitchen Stainless Appliances Cherry Hardwood Floors Year Round Sunroom Granite in kitchen and all bathrooms 1st Floor Study or Home Office Huge Laundry room and mud room opens to paver patio 3 Fireplaces, 2 natural wood, one gas 5 Bedrooms Luxurious Master Bedroom Suite Spa Tub Walk-in Shower Finished basement with built in cabinets Fireplace in basement Over 4100 S. F of living space including the finished basement with fireplace.Exterior Features Corner lot Surrounded by gorgeous landscaping Brick paver patio Private setting Covered front porch Separate well for sprinkler system OPEN HOUSE3384 Maple located off Ellsworth Rd is open on Sunday, June 9th between 2-4 P.M.This home is in excellent condition and shows like a brand new construction home. The yard is beautifully landscaped and has its own well for watering and maintaining.Take a look at this virtual tour with a complete interactive floor plan. If you are in the market for a home located in the Ann Arbor Area School District this one is too good to pass by.Four Ann Arbor Public Schools High Schools won silver medals in the recently released U.S News and World Report 2017 Best High Schools rankings. This achievement continues a trend of Ann Arbor Public Schools high schools medaling in this rigorous national comparative assessment of high school programs.Originally posted on AnnArborRealEstateTalk.com by Missy Caulk at Savvy Realty Group. Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Mystic Ridge in Dexter Schools

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Sun, 03 May 2015 07:22:52 -0700

Mystic Ridge subdivision in Dexter Schools For Sale: 5664 Seney Circle Features Located in DEXTER SCHOOLS is this fabulous ranch home with a full finished lower level. Three bedrooms on the main level and one private bed and bath in the lower level. Stunning views, backs to designated nature preserve with open space. Mystic Ridge features 183 acres of preserved land with miles of walking trails in an "up north" setting. Winding streets Respectful of the natural environment Cherry cabinets with high-end appliances in the kitchen grace this open floor plan home. Vaulted ceilings in the great room. Master bedroom with double closets. This four bedroom, three full bath ranch home is an eat on the floor, clean home. Mystic Ridge also boasts walking trails, a basketball court, a soccer field and a baseball diamond. Elementary Middle High

DEXTER - Cornerstone, Bates, Wylie, Creekside

Mill Creek Middle School

Dexter High School

Low township taxes, easy access to U of M Hospitals & US 23 N or S. You will love it! Mystic-Ridge-Estates-MasterDeedMystic-Ridge-Estates-1st-AmendmentMystic-Ridge-Estates-2nd-AmendmentContact Christa Caulk @ Savvy Realty Group734-330-1871Search ALL the homes in Dexter Schools ***Originally posted on Ann Arbor Real Estate Talk*** Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

University of Michigan "Match Day 2015:

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 01:00:37 -0700

Match Day 2015 at University of Michigan March 20th, 2015 is "match day" for doctors doing their residency at the University of Michigan. The Main Residency Match is managed through the NRMP’s Registration, Ranking, and Results® (R3®) system. What an exciting time for our new medical residents who will spend 3-5 years at the University of Michigan. "The last 10 years my team has been working with doctors moving here that want to buy a home or a condo in Ann Arbor." Here is a fantastic recommendation we got from two of our husband and wife doctors. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to work with Missy Clark and her team in our home buying experience. When we decided to buy our home in 2013 we hard spent the last four year immersed in our graduate education and did not know the first thing about the home buying process. Luckily for us the Missy Caulk team understood exactly where we were coming from and worked with us to explain the intricate process of purchasing a home. They were readily available to answer our questions, had an intimate knowledge of the Ann Arbor real estate market, and were able to work with our difficult schedules. They truly went above and beyond what we expected in the home buying process. The Missy Caulk and her team are the only realtors we would consider working with when it comes time to sell our home. I have been a certified DRS agents in the Ann Arbor area for the last 10 years helping many physicians located here. DRS AgentTM is an exclusive designation to a limited member group of realtors nationwide that have achieved a level of success and desire to enhance their real estate business with medical professionals. The DRS AgentTM Network is proud to associate itself with PhysicianLoans who have been working with medical professionals since 1993 and have helped thousands with niche product home financing. Getting the right loan Most doctors are looking for loans with low interest rates that enable them to put VERY little or a ZERO down payment, NOT use their student loan debt if they have any in their debt ratio, use future income rather than current or past income, and yet enable them to move in before they start their job. PhysicianLoans is the specialty division of Tower Mortgage Corp, founded in 1993. They offer a unique product, The Doctor Loan, that we only make available to Medical Doctors, Dentists, and Veterinarians. Some of the features our medical residents are looking for in a home loan that benefit the Residents relocating to Ann Arbor are:No Money DownNo PMI - a great way to achieve lower monthly payments. No Pre-Payment PenaltyStudent Loans treated in a special manner - Making it much easier for you to qualify. Are you aware that standard loan guidelines, including Fannie Mae, must still count student loans payments even if the loan is deferred?Low Rates - We keep our rates extremely low even with little to no money down and No PMI.Flexible Terms: Select from our PhysicianLoans Adjustable Rate Mortgages (3-Year ARM; 5-Year ARM; 7-Year ARM; 10-Year ARM; or 15-Year ARM) Over the years, we have found that the residents we have sold homes to over the years have been extremely happy with the PhysiciansLoan Program. Home Search Our Ann Arbor home search site is state-of-the-art with all correct data. We get an Ann Arbor MLS raw data feed every 15 minutes so you can be one of the first to see a home or condo. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you look at it; the last 2 years we have been low on home inventory. Some of our residents have had to buy "site unseen" because they could not get flights into Ann Arbor soon enough as the condo's and homes were flying off the market with multiple offers. We personally went out to the home under consideration and did iChat with the physicians so they could see features you don't always get just in the MLS photos. One of our doctors told his parents, "we are buying a house unseen from a Realtor we have never met." Their parents just shook their heads. P.S. They loved the house and are still living there. If you are "matched" to the University of Michigan we would love to help you find the perfect condo or home for your time in Ann Arbor. I know most of you like to text so feel free to text or call me at 734-216-2822. and #GoBlue Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

All Real Estate Agents Are Terrible!

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 00:29:24 -0700

This was an interesting post to read today as last night a Ann Arbor buyer contacted me. He is a friend of my son's and although we are Facebook friends I have not seen in awhile. He was buying a FSBO home and wanted to know "how he could get out of the contract". I told him to send it to me and let me look at it. Turns out it was a crappy PA probably drawn up by the FSBO. I reviewed it, and he was still in the 10 Day Notice of Objection Period due to inspection issues. I won't bore you with all the details, but I doubt he will now IF he ever did think ALL Real Estate Agents are terrible. All Real Estate Agents Are Terrible! Some years back while attending a RE/MAX convention one of the speakers relayed the results of a public opinion poll. The essence of that poll? Something we've heard repeated many, many times: the public didn't think highly of our profession. HOWEVER, that same poll identified the public thought VERY highly of their own real estate agent!! That diversion in opinion was really interesting to me, but it makes sense. As a whole, how does our profession get portrayed? To read the bulk of mainstream media articles, it's not pretty. Do you see articles like:"How My Agent Saved Me $20,000"? "How My Agent Saved Me From Buying A Money Pit"? "My Agent Drove 10 Miles Through A Blizzard To Make Sure I Didn't Lose My Dream Home!!!"? "My Agent Took The Stress Out Of Selling My Home!"?No, the more likely article follows the concept of "if it bleeds, it leads" philosophy:13 Dirty Secrets Your Agent Won't Tell You Real Estate Agent Arrested for Stealing From Clients Agents Using Seller's Home As Love Nest Yada, yada, yadaThose articles reinforce a less than stellar reputation and tell the public to be wary, to fear real estate agents. Just like with any large cross section of society, there will be a few bad apples in our profession. But far and away the vast majority of real estate agents aren't the agents portrayed by the media. We're out there working hard for our clients. Doing things behind the scenes, investing money back into our business, sacrificing to make sure our clients are well taken care of. We know happy, satisfied clients are the best path to long term success in this business. It's why when everything is said and done, we have the raving fans that can comfortably say: MY REAL ESTATE AGENT IS GREAT! That conversion from skeptic at first contact to raving fan, that's the challenge for every real estate agent. How do you as an agent win over wary callers? Liz and Bill aka BLiz REALTORS(S) Serving Warren County Ohio & Adjacent Areas The Liz Spear Team of RE/MAX Elite Elizabeth & William Spear Ask for us by name if you visit the office! Two locations: Lebanon & Mason, OHDirect: 513-520-5305 Direct #2: 513-265-3004 Fax: 866-302-8418 MailTo: LizSpear@Go-Concepts.com Our Website: www.LizTour.com OUR SERVICE AREA: View Liz Spear Team of RE/MAX Elite Primary Service Area in a larger map Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Time for a Change...In a Good Way

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 01:31:23 -0800

Making a Change in a Good Way After 19 years of working for two “big box” real estate companies in the Ann Arbor area, I made the decision to start a smaller, boutique brokerage, Savvy Realty Group. We are forever grateful for everything we learned by our affiliation with RE/MAX and Keller Williams. Due to this recent move, we have also made the decision to affiliate with Homes for Heroes. Homes for Heroes Homes for Heroes was created after the tragic events of 9/11 as a “Thank you” to the men and women who have given so much. Heroes across the country register on our website every day looking for the savings. How does Savvy Realty help the military, teachers, health care workers, EMT’s, firefighters and ALL veterans save money?The Hero receives a 25% rebate, at closing, from the real estate Affiliate’s company’s gross commission. Discounted lending fees charged by Homes for Heroes® lender affiliates. (Yes we have a lender affiliate) So when YOU buy a home or SELL your current one, we can credit back to you 30% from our Realtor and lender fee’s. Check out some of the testimonials of people who have saved money working with a Homes for Heroes affiliate. Let Savvy Realty help you save money! Last year Homes for Heroes was able to save 8.4 Million dollars for our military, firefighters, police, teachers and health care workers. Now that is a ton of money that people like you were able to keep in your pockets to help with your new home in the Ann Arbor area. If you have more questions you can contact me at 734-926-9797 or sign up on our Homes for Heroes… Begin your Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County home search right here. ***Originally published on Ann Arbor Real Estate Talk blog*** Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Having An Unsecured E-mail Can Cost Your Clients Money

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 05:37:18 -0800

I am reblogging this because I believe this is critical information for Title Companies in the Ann Arbor area to know. I also recently learned that a large brokerage in Ann Arbor had just started doing direct deposits for their agents. I had not heard of this latest scam. But, can't imagine as a business owner having my computers and banks accounts frozen while the issue is tracked down. I am also NOT sure what the solution would be unless a phone call would have verified that the builder had sent a new email and a new bank account number. What are your suggestions? Having An Unsecured E-mail Can Cost Your Clients Lots Of Money - It know this seems like it's not possible, but it did happen here in Nashville, and I'll leave the names of the parties out, because they are part of a criminal investigation. A typical closing is scheduled on Friday, it's a new construction home and the agent representing the builder has a long term relationship with the title company handling the closing for both sides. On Thursday, the title company receives an e-mail from the realtor representing the builder with instructions on where to wire the proceeds of the closing when they are available. Later that day, they received another e-mail from the same realtor saying that he had made a mistake, and here is the correct account information. It's a typical request, so nothing is questioned. The realtors e-mail had been hacked at an earlier time, and the hacker had just been waiting for the right opportunity. This was it. They opened a new account at a bank in the name of the builder, and when the funds were wired they immediately moved the money to an account in Russia. On Monday, the builder called the title company to find out where his money went, and they said per the realtors instructions, the money was wired it to his account. Since it was over $100,000 everybody was in a panic. But it gets worse. When they report the theft to the police, the Secret Service and FBI get into the process, and the first thing they do is freeze all accounts, take all the computers, basically shutting down the company until they can insure that the title company employees were not involved with the theft. Is this ugly or what? It all could have been prevented with a secure e-mail. Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Two Massive Problems With NAR's AgentMatch That Hurt Successful Agents

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 06:22:26 -0800

Ann Arbor Realtors are you reading and keeping up with this issue on a product called Agent Match? I haven't seen your smiling faces on ALL the Facebook groups talking about this. Here is a survey you can take on change.org. if you are as opposed to this rating system as I am. Bryan covered most of the points but my biggest concern's are: 1) Defining the neighborhood...is it by zip code, community, or subdivision. 2) Hurts new agents just getting started in the business. 3) Sellers themselves need to be asking Realtors they are interviewing, not having our Association pitting one agent against the other. Thanks for allowing me to reblog your post Bryan Robertson Realtor. Other resources available since Bryan posted. Open forum and within that is a link to more about Agent Match.http://www.realtor.com/advice/agentmatch-open-forum/ This link shares some of the concerns agents have about this system, not the least of which is inaccuracy in the numbers: http://www.inman.com/2013/11/15/can-realtor-coms-bold-experiment-with-agentmatch-survive-agent-backlash/ Here is an article about the survey: http://www.inman.com/wire/agent-launches-change-org-petition-to-stop-realtor-coms-agentmatch/ Via Bryan Robertson, Innovator, Writer, Speaker (Catarra Real Estate, Inc): REALTOR.COM seems to be working aggressively toward falling even farther behind Zillow and Trulia with their limited beta release of AgentMatch. Let's forget that the term itself, agent match, is already used on several other websites so the consumer will be easily confused. It's a beta so we can forgive that little marketing faux pas. What's truly lacking is any foresght on their part as to the flaws in their system and the damage it could do to the REALTOR brand image. Confused? Let me clarify. The Devil Is In The Data While NAR is proud to claim that their new ranking system uses data from MLS systems, that's actually the biggest flaw. For starters, in many markets around the country MLS services have been raising the issue of "off market" sales. In fact, the most recent issue of REALTOR Magazine had an article in it from Robert Bailey who points out that off-market sales accounted for 26% of San Francisco Bay Area residential sales in Q1 2013. In some micro markets the figures are even higher. Now, if NAR is basing their agent ranking using MLS data, doesn't this mean that they are missing a substantial portion of the sales data in each market by not including off-MLS data? I'm willing to bet this impacts many major markets including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and others. Let's look at it another way. In the markets I work in, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, the biggest agents are also the ones doing the most off-market sales. In fact, the Top 10% producers have access to off-market resources other agents don't. So, if these top producers are missing a large part of their data, it stands to reason the information NAR will provide to the consumer is, by default, inaccurate. That lack of accuracy is something Trulia and Zillow are often criticized for and now REALTOR.com is building a new service with the same flaws. If NAR is trying to send consumers a message about data accuracy, this is really not the best way to do it. Now, if they were able to allow agents to add these off-market sales to the data being used to rank the agents, then all is well. However, I somehow doubt that's ever going to happen. How To Damage The Brand and Members The biggest issue with agent ranking systems is they don't give any credit to agents in several categories including new agents, those on teams, and niche experts (where volume may not be significant). I'm all for "raising the bar" so that consumers get the best agents we have to offer. The problem with agent rankings is that someone with a strong professional background and little production looks like a bad choice simply because they haven't sold enough homes. Let's extend the argument to those in niche markets who sell at higher price points so they don't do the same volume others do. Are they inferior agents? Should their trade association penalize them for selling only a few homes a year, even when their service record is otherwise spotless? Those agents could be a huge local resource but they'll be labeled as inferior to consumers using AgentMatch to verify their performance. The NAR impact on brand image in this case is fairly clear. An agent ranking system based on MLS data heaps rewards on those who sell large volumes of homes for the greatest GCI. Even if they added factors for positive feedback via the MLS (which is NOT a universal feature), this hurts other members in ways they can't recover. A Better Way To Rank Agents My suggestion to NAR is to scrap this massive waste of time and take a track that's truly innovative. Pairing consumers with agents requires a smarter approach that's more about personality and expertise than pure sales figures. Add additional dimensions of data that take into account aligning personalities for starters. That alone would take NAR down the path to matching people on both expertise and personality. If we're all about creating a team with the consumer, then aligning on personalities would be a good way to go. My point to the NAR folks - if they're reading - is that the technology exists to do this better and take a leap above the competition. I'm ready, willing, able to point you to the companies that could easily make it happen. If you have enjoyed reading my blog, please subscribe HERE! Want to know more about me? Just Google Me! Bryan Robertson, CEO | T: 650.799.9951 | Email: bryan@catarra-re.com | Website: http://www.BryanRobertsonHomes.com |CA BRE# 01191946 | Catarra Real Estate, Inc | 171 Main St #220 | Los Altos, CA 94022 Follow @Brobertson_home // Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Real Estate Revolution...Listing Pages

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 04:06:45 -0700

Real Estate Revolution A Revolution is a sudden, radical, or complete change in the way of thinking about or visualizing something: a change of paradigm. My first featured post on Activerain was December 22, 2006, it was my 11th post and was titled Read My Lips, I pay for leads. Now that is a long time ago, and a long time to be involved in lead generation. To say the landscape has changed is an understatement for lead generation. When I first started my journey with lead generation I was working with a local programmer from Ann Arbor. That local programmer, let’s say his name was Joe...it is, founded Tiger Leads and continued to program at Tiger for many years. Approximately a year ago, Tiger Lead sold to Move.com who also owns Realtor.com for 22M. Tiger Lead grew to become the industry standard followed shortly by Market Leader, Zurple, Boom Town, and others. As more and more lead generation sites were developed agents were fighting for the same eyes of the buyer. In Ann Arbor we sell (whether in a good market or a down-turned market) the same amount of homes each year. The same amount of people buying each year + more lead generation companies = higher cost per click and a lower rate of return. Last month I terminated my long time relationship with Tiger Leads. To be honest I had been looking around for another company since Tiger was sold to Move. I sat through many webinars, spoke to multiple companies and agents around the country and could not find anything different or better. I was searching diligently for a new experience for my potential buyers. Not the same ole’ same ole’. Since I began blogging in 2006, the Real Estate landscape has changed in many ways. More and more people are spending time on Social Media and engaging with people around a conversation. Enter Listing Pages Listing Pages is a new way of communicating with buyers, around a house. Listing pages is like Google + in that all my clients and leads are in a private circle. Listing pages is like FaceBook in that we communicate about a house right from the site. What a time saver! Typical Scenario Ms. Future Home Buyer logs on to your site, asks a question about a house. You stop what you are doing, go to your MLS, pull the listing, send it to her via email. She responds back via email. Then Mr. Future Home Buyer emails you a question. You log back on to the MLS, look up the listing and respond to him. Back and forth it goes with each and every home they are interested in. New Scenario Listing Pages updates every 15 minutes from your local MLS. Mr and Mrs. Future Buyer and Sellers are both in your private circle where they can talk to each other and you about any house. They can ask questions right there, LIKE any photo, comment on any photo, set up showings, and book-mark their favorite homes. Because it is a private circle they can invite anyone into their circle, ie...mom and dad, lender, friends, significant other...anyone they want to communicate with around a house. Do the buyers love it? Yes they do. We recently closed on a condo, from a family that was referred to us, she was moving here to attend Medical School at University of Michigan. Her mom and dad were buying the condo for her and her fiance’. We were all able to communicate back and forth about condo’s they were interested in purchasing. No more going back and forth with emails, everyone saw everyone else’s thoughts on a location, price, square footage, bus routes or anything provided from your MLS IDX feed. Social Media for Real Estate on Steroids One of my favorite feature’s of Listing Pages is the buyers can see when a home goes under contract and when it is removed. They now know when a home is under contract and can see how fast the homes they LIKE are selling. In this low inventory market the buyers understand and see for themselves how quickly homes are selling. They now understand based on what they are seeing that they have to get out there and see a home or it will be gone. Mobile and iPads Listing Pages is designed for mobile right from the start. When a lead logs on and signs up I am able to see what device they came from. Personally, I had no idea how many home buyers were searching for Ann Arbor area homes on their mobile device. Are you seeing this in your market area? Here are some quick screen shots at what I see from my iPhone for each buyer client. Once logged onto Listing Pages buyers can change their search to location based on neighborhoods, zip codes, schools so they are getting exactly what they are looking for. Each site is designed uniquely for you and your market area. My son who is a Realtor in Nashville and founder of the Move In Nashville team had different needs for his buyers than I did in Ann Arbor. Territories There will only be ONE agent in each territory...not two...not three...not four. Listing Pages was just launched on August 1st and yes it is the same local programmer that started Tiger Leads. He is really a genius engineer who understands completely real estate and consumers who are looking to buy a house. The site is designed for the way buyers are looking for homes in today’s market; yet pulling in all parties to engage in the conversation. The owners of Listing Pages are not making any profit or up-charge on the PPC Campaigns. You decide what you want or need to spend that month on your marketing. Now how many lead generation companies do that? Once you own the territory no Realtor is going to come in and snatch it away or be fighting for the same buyers eyes. You start with an initial marketing fee and can change the amount or stop it at any time. Many of you contacted me after Tiger was up and running and missed out on getting your location. Now is the time to jump on this revolutionary site before it is gone. I am available to speak to anyone who has more questions. 734-926-9797 Get ready to be wowed and so will your buyers. Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

I Wonder Why Realtors Drive a Lexus...

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 22:17:17 -0700

In response to my friend's post on Why Realtors Drive a Lexus. I drive one and have for years, not for luxury but for the customer service I get every year. Now it is no where near the cost you described here. I drive the Rx350. The MRSP is 39,600, which is what I lease. Matter of fact I drove the Honda 4 years ago to think about changing. My husband who was in the back seat and only drives Honda's went with me for both test drives. The Lexus was 15.00 more a month. I looked at him and said "which one?" He said "are you crazy, the Lexus." Again, it is all about the customer service I receive at Lexus of Ann Arbor. I work with Gerald Creech and he is the best. Missy Caulk Realtor in Ann ArborIn the Olden Days, people who bought Cadillacs were assumed to be financially well-off. And most were. Those who weren’t were quickly found out and thought to be nothing more than four flushers. People who weren’t considered wealthy, if they bought a Cadillac, did it as a reward to themselves – they had just retired, and they thought it would be the last car they would ever own. "Good job!" they said to themselves as they patted themselves on the back. That’s not the case today. Many people, especially Realtors, feel the need to own new luxury cars if they want to succeed in their business. The MSRP of a 2013 Lexus LS 460 Sedan is shown by the manufacturer to be $72,000 A lot of those buy them before they have even the beginnings of success, and struggle to make the monthly payments, with $5,000 down, often being as much as $1,400 or more per month for five years at which time they have no choice but to buy or lease a new one of at least equal value. But what about a loaded 2013 loaded Honda Accord? The MSRP is shown by the manufacturer to be $33,500. With $5,000 down and financed for the same five year period, the monthly payments are about $500. So let’s assume the Realtor picks the Honda Honda Accord Sedan ===>>> but saves the $900 a month difference between its payment and that of the Lexus. And she puts each of those $900 monthly savings into a retirement account. Our Realtor is 35 years old and she continues this strategy until she is 65, when she retires. If the money is invested in non-risk financial products, on her 65th birthday, even without one dime of earnings on this investment, she will have $324,000. Conventional wisdom says she should be able to draw out $13,000 for every year for the remainder of her life without significantly reducing the original accumulated principal amount. Wonder why a significant portion of America’s Realtors insist on driving luxury cars? Especially when more than 85% of the retirees in America now live below the defined poverty line. WILLIAM S. CHERRY AND NO COMPANYAmerica’s Wealth Coach972 677-7028 Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

The Ravines in Ann Arbor

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Wed, 29 May 2013 06:35:18 -0700

The Ravines in Ann Arbor The one thing I love about the Ravines is the 3 Ac park, tennis courts, and ball field. At the entrance of the subdivision you will find a gorgeous gazebo surrounded by water. The schools children attend are Dicken Elementary, Slauson Middle School and Pioneer High School, are all served by buses. The Ravines was built by Wexford Home Builders between 1998-2001 and has approx. 101 home sites. The Ravines is located in Scio Township between Scio Church Road and W. Liberty. 1663 Reserve Ct. Ann Arbor, MI 48103 I just listed 1663 Reserve Ct in Ann Arbor, located in the Ravines. One of the best lots in the subdivision, it backs up to 20 Ac nature preserve land. The landscaping is impeccible and the entire back yard is surround by trees for a very private back-yard. Wrap around porch, new cherry hardwood floors, new roof, two-sided fireplace to enjoy from family room, gathering area or dining room. Professionally finished walk out lower level finished with full bath and recreation area opens to brick paver patio. Rare Fenwick model features 4 bedrooms, three bathrooms and a rare side entry garage in the Ravines. Vaulted ceiling in great room. You will never want to leave once you see this back-yard and privacy it affords the new owner. Call Today 734-926-9797 Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Partridge Creek in Ypsilanti Township

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Sat, 18 May 2013 22:44:22 -0700

Partridge Creek in Ypsilanti Township Partridge Creek subdivison is located off Whitaker Road and Textile Road in Ypsilanti Township. Partridge Creek is one of the many subdivisions built by Pulte Homes. Although it is not a big subdivision it does have 40 Ac of Woods, common area's, and ponds We listed 6492 Meadowlark Lane on Friday morning, and already have had 16 showings. We have in hand three offers, two of which are way over asking price. Ann Arbor area homes are selling at or near asking price, especially if they are in model like condition. This is actually one of my buyer agents homes and we are meeting tonight to review all the offers, after four more today. The inventory is still so low in the entire Ann Arbor area that multiple offers continue to be the norm.6492 Meadowlark Lane, Ypsilanti Township 6492 Meadowlark Lane is located on one of the best lot's in Partridge Creek! Move in ready home backs to woods, only one next door neighbor & playground across the street. Ample sized 4 bedroom, 2 full/2 half bath home with finished basement. Large Master Bedroom suite with vaulted ceiling, walk-in closet & Master Bath. Newly renovated half bath, new entry and kitchen flooring, updated lighting fixtures, and many of the rooms have a fresh coat of paint. This home boasts a relaxing and bright living room with gas fireplace, 1st floor laundry, attached 2 car garage, expansive back deck & bonus backyard shed for extra storage. Student's living in Ypsilanti Township, Partridge Creek sub, attend Lincoln Schools. Lincoln Schools are also schools of choice. 6492 Meadowlark Lane was built in 1998 and the asking price is $159,900. Contact the Missy Caulk Team for the Homeowner Information Manual for Partridge Creek in Ypsilanti Township. 734-926-9797 We love serving the Ann Arbor area home buyers. Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Multiple Offers and the Code of Ethics in Ann Arbor

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 11:21:36 -0700

Multiple Offers and the Realtors Code of Ethics There are 17 Articles in the Realtor Code of Ethics, and each of those are broken down into three divisions. You can read the entire Realtor Code of Ethics here. Duty to Clients and Customer's Duty to Public Duty to other RealtorsArticle 1 of the Code of Ethics When representing a buyer, seller, landlord, tenant, or other client as an agent, REALTORS® pledge themselves to protect and promote the interests of their client. This obligation to the client is primary, but it does not relieve REALTORS® of their obligation to treat all parties honestly. When serving a buyer, seller, landlord, tenant or other party in a non-agency capacity, REALTORS® remain obligated to treat all parties honestly. (Amended 1/01) Within each Article are Standards of Practice Standard of Practice 1-6 REALTORS® shall submit offers and counter-offers objectively and as quickly as possible. (Adopted 1/93, Amended 1/95) I interprete this to mean you can not hold onto one buyers offer "while you wait" for another offer to come in. Quickly means quickly. A client is someone you have a contractual relationship with, a customer is someone you are helping with your services but have not signed a Listing Contract with or a Buyer Agency Contract with. The Code requires us to promote and protect OUR CLIENTS best interest Being honest and fair to all parties and other Realtors is part of the Code of Ethics of Realtors. Let all parties know up front what your plan is in a multiple offer situation. As Realtors working with Sellers and Buyers the ultimate decision is up to them, we can advise them, show the data to them, but do not in any situation make decisions for them. Multiple Offers Today the Ann Arbor area Board of Realtors sent out a email on this to remind Ann Arbor Realtors, how to handle multiple offers. We are seeing so many homes with multiple offers. My TEAM submitted some offers where the listing agent told us she would not present until "after the open house." We have seen some Brokerage's holding their listings until an offer comes in from an agent in their own brokerage. Our MLS in Ann Arbor rules in Ann Arbor allow for 2 days before the listing has to be made public. In a tight market this is allowing for companies to sell their own listings. One of my buyer agents has been going out to the homes the minute they come on the market and doing an IChat with her buyers, then writing the offer...sight unseen. It is working as she got 4 under contract last week that way. Crazy out there. If you are thinking of listing your home, now is a great time to do so, which the demand for homes in Ann Arbor is up due to the low inventory. Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Ann Arbor Real Estate, NAR and LockBox Safety

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 23:02:17 -0800

The National Association of Realtors is considering whether multiple listing services and Realtor associations will be allowed to require that their members pay for some services that are now considered optional, such as lockboxes. At least three MLSs have notified NAR of their desire to require all of their subscribers to pay for lockbox services, citing security issues when members don't use the devices, and potential cost savings from universal member participation. A policy adopted by NAR in 1996 to curb potential abuses of authority by MLSs and local Realtor associations limits the services that can be included in member dues. Products and services are defined as either "core," "basic" or "optional." Without knowing about this new NAR discussion, I wrote a post a few days ago on AnnArborRealestateTalk Electronic Lockboxes provide more safety Ann Arbor.com posted a story on homes being broken into while on the market. The crew is alleged to have stolen foreign coins, two-dollar bills, equestrian trophies, jewelry, electronics, cash, a guitar and custom-made brass bullets from homes in Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Township, Scio Township, Webster Township and Dexter Township. In one instance, a wall was destroyed in an unsuccessful attempt to open a safe filled with expensive jewelry, according to courtroom testimony Thursday. It took about 15 minutes for me to look on the Ann Arbor MLS and figure out where the homes were located. I looked at the date it was listed and cross referenced it with which ones provided on the map AnnArbor.com showed. Many of the homes were unoccupied at the time, while the homeowners were either trying to sell or on vacation. Does this bother you? It does me, because when I list a home for sale in the Ann Arbor area, I use a Sentri-lock lockbox. It is an electronic lockbox that we as Realtors must update our cards every 3 days. Although we have been offering them to our Realtor members for over two years, many agents have not upgraded to them and still continue to use the old punch key or locker type numerical ones. Heck, some agents still use the same combo's they have used for years!! Each lockbox is only $100.00 and our board of Realtors was offering them for $35.00 during the transition to get Realtors to use them. The card is $8.00 a month. Sorry for my rant...but it is inexcusable for listings agents to not use these to better protect their sellers. When a agent is showing a property is records exactly who went in and what time that we can check in our logs. Ann Arbor sellers be safe, INSIST you have a secure, electronic lockbox on your property. What do you think of the potential change in NAR policy that some of advocating for? Does it bother you that NAR now has a 20% interest in the Sentri-lock lock boxes? As a listing agent do you agree or disagree that is your responsibility to keep provide the best safety for your seller homeowners? Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Reflections on Memorial Day 2012

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:57:26 -0700

I was challenged in a real estate group on Facebook to write a blog on Memorial Day. Most of you who follow me know that I have not been blogging very much the last 7 months. So I came over here to Activerain and thought I would search my tags and see what all I had written before. To my utter surprise, I saw that for the last 5 years I had always done a Memorial Day post,so this make year six of a Memorial Day post on Activerain. As I reflected back the thought that kept stirring in me was that the more things change, in many ways they stay the same. When Jamie died in October from injuries that occured after a automobile crash, my life was literally turned upside down over night. Then when my granddaughter went to join him in heaven a month later...it was just unbearable. Today, as I look back on the all the old blog posts I had written here (linked below) it was a time of reflection. I realize how time goes so quickly. The bible says it best, Life is a vapor. Mortality is a given... all of us will die. When a soldier leaves home to serve his country they are literally putting their lives on the line for us, Americans. Freedom is not free, it comes with a price, a price that our forefathers understood and our soldiers understand today. Ronald Reagan said it best,"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same". Today as I reflect on the price of liberty my heart goes out to the families of the men and woman who didn't return home, who paid the ultimate price and left their earthly lives on the battlefields across the world. For every soldier who has not returned home there is a mom and dad and probably children left behind to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. This is something I learned through the loss of my son and granddaughter. As you enjoy your time with family and friends, I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on what Memorial Day really means and remember those who have gone on before you. What are you talking about around your picnic table? What is the message of history to us as Americans? Abraham Lincoln resolved when he dedicated Gettysburg during the Civil War, that "these dead men have not died in vain; that this nation should have a new birth of freedom; that this nation of the people by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth." In 2007 I wrote a post on what our family was doing on Memorial Day and although we will be celebrating the same way, it won't be the same, because Jamie will no longer be with us. My heart will be remembering him as my son who also served in the U.S. Navy. Along with all the other families who lost their love ones for the great cause of liberty I will be remembering. Memorial Day events around Ann Arbor and Saline. God bless you ! Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Golf Outing to Honor Nick Belanger

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Mon, 21 May 2012 01:03:19 -0700

Nick recently passed from this life into the next on January 22nd. Nick's parents live in my neighborhood and we have gotten to know one another through the passing of both our sons. My son Jamie left this earth on October 20th, with injuries suffered from a car accident in Nashville, Tn. There will be a golf outing to raise money for the Nick Belanger Assist Fund on June 15th at Brookside Golf Course in Saline, Mi. It was said in my grief support group that bereaved people like to talk to other bereaved people and I would have to say that is true. I am excited about this golf outing to raise money for The Nick Belanger Assist Fund. By taking the bull by the horns, Laurie and Van are moving forward in a positive way to carry on their son's legacy as a carrying, giving (assisting) human being. In hockey, players are awarded an “assist” when they pass the puck to a teammate who then scores a goal. Nick had a gift for the timely “assist,” supporting teammates both on and off the ice. Whether it be a kind smile, a boost to others’ spirit, a hug on a troubling day, or putting others’ needs before his own, Nick was willing to help friends or strangers at a moment’s notice. He desired to ease everyone’s burden, checking in routinely with those he loved in person or over the phone to ensure they were okay. The golf outing begins at 8:30, on June 15th, with a Continental Breakfast and the shot gun start is at 10:00. Lunch will be served at the turn and dinner at 4:30. Golf Fee Includes •18 Holes of golf with cart •Range balls •Continental Breakfast •Lunch at the Turn •Beverages •Dinner $50 per Washer Tourney Participant Participant Fee Includes: •Washer Tournament Entry •Beverages •Dinner $100 per Golfer $35 for Dinner Only Already The Nick Belanger Assist Fund has given funds to help in T Ball in the Pittsfield Township Recreation Program, to under privileged kids who otherwise would not be able to play T Ball this summer. Plans are underway to help out high achieving students that want to take Calculus and yet can not afford the calculators. For more information about the Nick Belanger Assist Fund Golf Outing go here. If you can not play golf then just come by for the dinner or to play Washers or help out with a Sponsorship. Registration is online or call Van at 734-930-3755 Follow The Coach Nick Belanger Assist Fund on Facebook. See you soon, Nick and Jamie! Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Home for Sale In Silo Ridge Subdivision (Saline Schools)

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 05:49:24 -0700

Silo Ridge is located in Saline, Michigan with an Ann Arbor Mailing Address and Pittsfield Township taxes. 5587 E. Silo Ridge with Ann Arbor, address attends Saline Schools. Very few homes come on the market in Silo Ridge, it is located on the new walking path to to Ann Arbor and Saline Recreation Center. 5887 E. Silo Ridge is located across the street from an 11 Acre Community Park. Gorgeous lot surround by pine trees, no other homes behind you. Completely updated with Pergo floors throughout the first floor. The owner is an Architect and has modernized the home to reflect light, openness and space. Granite counter-tops in the kitchen with newer Maple Kitchen Cabinets. New windows throughout in 2010 and new roof only a few months old with Architectural Grade shingles. Screened in porch in the back of the house, off the family room to enjoy the gorgeous yard with garden and privacy. Multiple photos on the Flickr photo stream of 5887 E. Silo Ridge, you can also download a Vflyer here. Look at that nice private lot. Call me for more information or to schedule a showing, 734-926-9797. Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Find Your Perfect Ann Arbor Area Neighborhood

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 23:22:48 -0800

When folks relocate to the Ann Arbor Area they often wonder, where is the perfect Ann Arbor Area neighborhood for me to live in? 1) Suburban 2) Rural 3) Schools 4) Walking Distance 5) Local culture 6) Hip and fun 7) Fun for Kids 8) Small town or urban Everyone has different needs and priorities and now this is a fantastic way to search. I would have embed the widget here for you, but Activerain is not letting the java script or the WordPress short code go in, so you will have to click the link over to Ann Arbor Real Estate Talk to see the widget. Look no further, here is a place to Search for your perfect neighborhoods in the Ann Arbor Area. When I say Ann Arbor Area, I am including Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Ypsilanti, Whitmore Lake, Milan and all the area's in our MLS. Let me know if you like it, it is also on my business page on Facebook. ****Hat tip to Debe Maxwell for introducing me to this wonderful Ann Arbor Real Estate perfect neighborhood search tool. *** Let me know in the comments, what you think? If you like it Debe or I can hook you up with the developer. No, I am not getting paid to write this, just a cool tool I wanted to share. Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Some Solutions if Your Ann Arbor Home You are Buying Does Not Appraise?

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:28:48 -0800

Some solutions if Your Ann Arbor Home You Are Buying Does Not Appraise? The first thing to do if the Ann Arbor home you are buying doesn’t appraise is to not panic. You are excited and have made an offer on a home for sale in Ann Arbor, and now you are in the process of obtaining financing for your new Ann Arbor home. The bank or mortgage broker is going to want an appraisal on your home to guarantee that the home is worth what you are paying. When we are representing buyers on a the purchase of the home in Ann Arbor, we write into the contract, “the purchase price must meet the appraised value of the home.” (even if you are paying cash.) In this market, seriously… many homes do not come in at the Purchase price on the contract for Appraised Value. How does a low appraisal affect you? If the home does not appraise, then there is room for more negotiation with the sellers. If the appraisal comes in lower than purchase price, you have some options 1) You can walk away from your Ann Arbor Home, because the appraisal contingency is part of the contract, and if the property does not appraise, that is a contingency that you can use to end the contract. 2) Another option for you would be to renegotiate the purchase price – by offering the sellers to pay the price that the property was appraised at. If you really want the property, that is a consideration. Offer the appraised value to the seller, and see what their response is. 3) You “may” want to consider paying more than purchase price – bring cash to close the deal. This is NOT something that I recommend for my buyers who are purchasing Ann Arbor Real Estate. Keep in mind, if you are obtaining a loan on your property, then it is imperative that is appraises. Your lender will NOT loan you money to purchase the home if it doesn’t appraise at the agree upon purchase price. Issues with Ann Arbor Appraisals One of the biggest issues we have with homes appraising to the purchase price in the Ann Arbor Market Area is that appraisers are being hired by banks that do NOT live in the Ann Arbor area. Not knowing Ann Arbor, the schools, the taxes, (and a variety of other factors unique to the area) they often do not use the right home comparables. This is not the market to pay over appraised value, and I would advise my clients against this. I would not recommend paying more for the property than it appraises for even "if" you can. If I can answer any question about Ann Arbor homes for sale, or Ann Arbor real estate, please contact me. 734-926-9707 (originally posted at AnnArborRealEstateTalk.com) Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Market stats Lincoln school district, Ypsilanti Township 2/11/2012

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:57:26 -0800

Lincoln School District is located in Ypsilanti (Ypsi) Township. This market report is by Rachel Massey a local, and very good Ann Arbor appraiser. She has recently started blogging on Activerain and submitted this post on homes for sale in Ypsilanti Township and the current market conditions. This is what I am also seeing in Ypsilanti Township: "This is a contract to listing ratio of almost 34% which indicates a very active market. In addition, there are only 68 houses available for sale that are not under contract, and at the 33.3 per month rate of absorption in general, the supply dwindles to just over 2-months’ worth of inventory." If you are interested in Ann Arbor Real Estate and market data, I recommend you follow Rachel Massey, linked below. Thanks Rachel and Welcome to Activerain! Information included below is one appraisers interpretation of the market. It is intended for the readers benefit only and is not guaranteed as accurate and is based on specific perameters disclosed below. In this studyI looked at two different market segments over time in order to measure both what has happened to the market as well as current activity. The first of the market segment includes all of the Lincoln school district going back 4-years, MLS sales only.In this segment there is a significant drop in price from year one to year two of the study, followed by a slight increase and then a slight decrease in prices. The overall square foot of the houses remained steady and the days on market on average declined slightly (the days on market may not be accurate as it does not account for periods where a house was withdrawn or expired and then re-listed a week or two later). In this segment, there are on average 400 sales per year (33.3 per month). Out of the 103 houses on the market, 35 are shown as under contract. This is a contract to listing ratio of almost 34% which indicates a very active market. In addition, there are only 68 houses available for sale that are not under contract, and at the 33.3 per month rate of absorption in general, the supply dwindles to just over 2-months’ worth of inventory. The next market segment (above) includes only those properties in the defined market boundaries from Hitchingham to Bemis to Bunton and Textile, and only houses built between 2000 and 2011. This narrows the data considerably however shows that there is still an abundance of sales in this segment. As in the prior data run, there is a large decrease in median sales prices in year two of the study, followed by a slight market increase and then a slight market decline. The decline in the most recent segment erased the increase in the segment before it, and median gross living area remained relatively static. In this segment there is an average 168.25 sales per year (14 per month). With 43 houses on the market, and 23 under contract, there remain only 20 active listings available for sale. This is a contract to listing ratio of over 50% which shows a tremendous amount of activity in the market at present and based on historical absorption rates, indicates there is less than a 2-month supply of listings available at the moment. The final segment of the market study includes only the immediate subdivision. The entire MLS was searched back to 2006, and the sales are arrayed in order of sale date. What is noted here is a continual decline from 2006 (the decline started earlier but is tracked in this study only since 2006) until present, with a general leveling of the decline to almost stable over the past year. This is in spite of a rapidly active market with significant buyer activity. Above is net sales price (less concessions) over time Below is net sales price per square foot over time My interpretation of this data is that the market remains weak, due in part to the number of available short sales and bank owned properties, but there are signs of stability in prices occurring over the last few years, with only a slight decline since 2010. In general, due to intense interest (spurred on by reduced prices as well as reduced interest rates, which make ownership less expensive than rentals), I consider the market stable overall in spite of the slight decline noted above. The reader is cautioned however that these statistics present only a snapshot in time, and that market events could cause a rapid change to the data presented. Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Take The Garbage Out !!!

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 13:56:27 -0700

"Take the garbage out #5&**!! I suppose there isn't a parent anywhere that hasn't yelled at their kids to take the garbage out. I don't do garbage, with 5 kids and a hubby, just not my thing. But, today I did, not my house garbage but....... My computer garbage or Trash. I deleted over 40,000 emails in my garbage trash can. Every Sunday night I clean up my Inbox, and NO I have never gotten to that mythical land call "Inbox 0" but I do feel more organized starting a new week. I have a folder for each of my Buyers and Sellers in Ann Arbor. Every bit of communication with my client is dragged into the clients folder. When the transaction is CLOSED or SOLD, I drag it into a folder called PAST Clients. In each clients folder there is anywhere from 99 to 598 emails, the most being when it is a Short Sale. I regularly delete my Junk Mail but have never really wanted to delete my TRASH because many times if I am searching for something it pops up in TRASH. Today I did the dirty deed. The easiest way to Empty your trash is to sort your emails by FROM. (see the graph below) The email program you use with sort them alphabetically like: Active Rain Notices, Groupons, Tiger Lead Notice, Face Book, Twitter, Lowes, etc... basically if you hit FROM in Outlook or the Apple Mail Toolbar. Then you can delete them all at one time. Nothing like football to get me into cleaning, except when Michigan is playing. GO BLUE!! How do you manage your email? I feel like Missy the Maid..... Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Short Sale Urban Myths – Short Sales with No Late Payments

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 10:49:54 -0700

Ann Arbor sellers, do you have to be behind in your payments to do a short sale ? No not necessarily. But, in my experience they take longer as the buyer is still paying and they are not loosing money yet. Like Melissa says in her post, it is totally up to the hardship letter and the financial work sheet. It happens all the time: I have sellers and agents call me at the office to ask whether a short sale seller (their prospective client) can list in a short sale because the seller has not missed any mortgage payments. Or, I may get a call from an agent who tells me that the bank told the seller that he or she could only get evaluated for a short sale if mortgage payments have been missed. Apparently, there’s this masked employee who seems to work at all the banks and spread this misinformation like wildfire. (It’s almost like the beginning of one of those urban myths—you know the friend of a friend who brings home a Chihuahua from Mexico but it turns out to be a rat). Can a borrower participate in a short sale if s/he is still current on his or her mortgage? Quite simply, the answer is yes. However, there are certain criteria that may impact an agent’s ability to successfully negotiate a short sale for a borrower who is current. So, here’s what you need to consider when taking a short sale listing like this: Does the borrower have a hardship or a legitimate reason for participating in a short sale? If the seller is simply sick and tired of being upside down on the mortgage, some banks may be a little bit less flexible in their short sale approvals. Banks are looking for solid reasons that sellers need to sell—job loss, divorce, death, illness, etc. How many liens exist on the property? Depending upon the number of mortgage loans and also depending upon the state where you live, there are many different programs available for short sale sellers. However, sellers who are current and who have second liens held by collection agents may find it necessary to throw in a little bit of cash in order to make the second lien holder agree to the short sale. (Don’t forget that you need to get the first lien holder’s approval in order to make a cash contribution to the second lien holder and that contribution must appear on the settlement statement.) Who are the mortgage lenders? With respect to folks who are still current, some mortgage lenders are a little more flexible than others. Many mortgage lenders will check the borrower’s credit and look into all aspects of the sellers’ financials, while others will be a bit more flexible and forthcoming with short sale approval letters. So, the next time you hear that the bank has told your seller to miss a few payments, you had better double check to make sure that the Chihuahua doesn’t smell like a rat. Photo: flickr creative commons by crispee Melissa Zavala BROKER/REALTOR® ● DRE #01324959 BROADPOINT PROPERTIES, INC. 760.839.3838 Search San Diego County Homes For Sale | Search Riverside County Homes For Sale Southern California Short Sale Support | Short Sale Expeditor Negotiation Services If you enjoyed this post, why not connect with me in these other communities? Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

What's the Difference Between an Offer and a Contract?

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 10:45:15 -0700

Ann Arbor buyers just because you write and offer doesn't mean you have a contract. Good post by Chris Ann Cleland explaining the ABC's. Search Ann Arbor HousesWhat's the Difference Between an Offer and a Contract? The language we use when talking about real estate transactions is important. In fact, in some situations the difference in one single word used over another can be critical to understanding what is happening, or what is expected in a real estate transaction. You'll often see the word CONTRACT used when the word OFFER should be used. There is a very big difference between the two words. They are not interchangeable. Real estate professionals know the difference, but so should you as a Buyer or Seller. An OFFER is what a Buyer makes to a Seller, or vice versa. It is all the terms under which the Buyer would like to purchase the property. It has been accepted in writing by only one party, that one making the offer. The Seller can counter-offer those terms, making changes and sending them back to the Buyer for review. Again, if this were the case, the terms have been changed and the changes have only been accepted by one party. You don't get to the point of CONTRACT until all parties all agreed to all the terms IN WRITING. As a Buyer you make OFFERS on properties. You do not write CONTRACTS. You are putting forth the terms under which you would like a contract to exist. When accepted by the Seller your OFFER will become a CONTRACT, but not until it is accepted in writing. Knowing the difference can be critical when explaining a multiple offer situation. If you said you were dealing with a Seller than had multiple CONTRACTS, you are dealing with a Seller who has agreed in writing to sell one property to multiple Buyers. That is a nightmare. If you are dealing with a Seller who has multiple OFFERS, you want to be the one the Seller signs and turns into a CONTRACT. It can be a competitive situation, but is not screaming for one or more lawsuits. When a CONTRACT exists both parties to it have obligations to perform. An OFFER has no such obligation until the terms of the OFFER are accepted by all parties. Chris Ann Cleland, Associate Broker- Licensed in Virginia, GRI, SFR, Northern Virginia Short Sale Specialist. Affiliated with Long & Foster, 7526 Limestone Drive, Gainesville, VA 20155. To contact Chris Ann, call 703-402-0037 or email chrisann@LNF.com. Or you can visit her website: www.nvarealestate.net. Header is a combination of photos, taken by Chris Ann Cleland, of various listings and neighborhoods in the Bristow-Gainesville-Haymarket area. Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

Saline, Michigan Market Reports

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 03:32:15 -0700

Saline, Michigan Market Reports When I think of the market in Saline, I like to see a comparison of where we are now vs where we were a year ago. You can see from the chart below that our inventory is DOWN. That is a good thing, unless you are a buyer looking in a certain price point or neighborhood. The other thing I like to look at is the price of homes, are they up or down? When working with buyers looking to purchase a home in Saline, Michigan it is important to know if the community is consistent, down or increasing in value. You can see from this graph that we hit a low ($192,000.) in March 2011 but now the price point is up to almost $220,000. This brings me back to the first point, inventory in Saline, Suppy vs Demand equals higher sale prices. The next chart is done monthly by Affinity Valuations, a local appaiser that I have known for years and trust completely. I like this chart because Pete graphs out for Saline, Michigan over a three year period. In this graph which Petes gleans from the Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors, You can see the trend in price per square feet, number of sales each month. The trend is price per square foot in Saline, Michigan has been consistent for the last three years. On my Ann Arbor Real Estate Talk blog you can get monthly updates on the market in Saline, either by checking back monthly or signing up for Executive Reports to be emailed to you. Originally posted Saline Market Report on Ann Arbor Real Estate Talk. Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

This needs to be seen by as many Realtors as Possible! Closings MAY be delayed if word does not get out!

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 02:43:29 -0700

Notice to Ann Arbor residents, new appraisal guidelines are coming September 1st. In my case I have already had appraisers starting to do this on my listings under contract. Appraisers must complete appraisals in what is defined as UAD or Uniform Appraisal Dataset format. This is a GSE Fannie, Freddie requirement. Pass this along to every Realtor you know. Re-blog this post, whatever you can do to get the word out! As of September 1, 2011 appraisals will change drastically. We now must complete appraisals in what is defined as UAD or Uniform Appraisal Dataset format. This is a GSE Fannie, Freddie requirement. What does this mean for you? The new reports will look foreign to you and your clients with all the codes we have to use in the reports, so you will have to be versed on what the codes mean. Instead of the old days where we described a property as being Good in condition or Good in Quality of Construction, we will now be using codes such as Q=3 and C-2, etc. It will be far less user friendly to read and more automated system friendly. Fannie and Freddie want consistency across the board for all appraisals nationwide and the codes are the way they are trying to get this accomplished. They have clearly defined what Fair, Poor, Average, Good, Very Good and Excellent Quality and Condition should entail. No more leeway in how appraisers determine this on their own. Lenders are also gearing up for uniform delivery of their loan packages and the UAD is part of this whole process. If you GOOGLE UAD or Uniform Appraisal Dataset you should find a wealth of information on this topic. Be prepared and prepare your clients! What do we as appraisers need from you? One of the big changes is we must know in what YEAR any renovations to the BATHS and KITCHENS were completed. In addition to the comments you already place in FMLS/MLS about renovations, we need the renovation year for the kitchens and baths. If the exact year is unknown then we need a specific range, ie: less than 1year ago, in the past 5 years, in the past 10 years or in the past 15 years. If we cannot get this information in FMLS/MLS for the SUBJECT we must contact the owner if available or the Realtor and get this information and this takes time and mayt also delay closings! For all the comparable sales and listings that we use in our reports, we of course cannot contact the owner, so we will be contacting you the Realtor unless you have this information in your comments and photos. While we do NOT have to indicate year of renovations for the comparables, we really need this information in order to properly compare them to the SUBJECT. So any listing you have, please include as much detail about renovations as possible! What else do we need from you? We need photos! Lots of them, more the better. Photos of the renovations and if you can add descriptions under your photos, please include the YEAR the renovations to kitchen and baths were completed or use the range noted above. Also needed is extent of renovation! Was it a REMODEL or just an UPDATE. For appraisal purposes a Remodel means a significant change, Gutting of the bath or kitchen, all new fixtures, flooring, cabinetry, appliances, etc. VS. Updating which brings it to current market appeal and standards without a total REDO! New Paint, Some new fixtures, refacing of cabinets, etc. We must have this information included in every appraisal report. So if all Realtors add this information in the comments or under your photos, life will be easier for all as the appraisal will be completed SOONER and the deals will closed faster. Win/Win for everyone! Not to mention, the homeowner needs to get full credit for renovations and when they were performed! ** FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO PROVIDE GREAT DETAIL AND PHOTOS IN YOUR REPORTS, APPRAISER'S AND OF COURSE THE SELLERS THANK YOU! I hope this POST is featured as we have to get all Realtors on board with this ASAP! So please pass this along to your Brokers too and let me know if you have any questions. In Future Posts I will define in more detail the codes (which will look foreign to everyone for awhile) and what they mean and how they are defined in our reports Thanks guys! Mary Thompson Certified Appraiser http://www.lakelanierappraiser.com Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk

I Don't Care Who You Are, This Will make You Cry...We Let A Stranger In Our House...And A Friend Into Our Hearts

Missy Caulk, Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate (Missy Caulk TEAM) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:25:37 -0700

This is the most touching story I have read on Activerain in forever. Thanks to Elizabeth for reblogging it and now I am. Heading to my home town this week for a wedding and I had already thought about going to see if I could walk through my home I grew up in, in Paducah, Ky. I Don't Care Who You Are, This Will make You Cry...We Let A Stranger In Our House...And A Friend Into Our Hearts In early July, I admit, we did something most people would consider a very foolish thing. We let a total stranger in our house. It was a Sunday morning and my Chris and I were about to pull out of the driveway on our way to find breakfast at a yet to be determined restaurant, when I noticed a car was pulling over to the side of the road opposite our driveway. I asked Chris to roll down her window as I expected the solitary gentleman in that car might have a question or perhaps need directions. "Do you live here?" the fortyfive-ish stranger asked, "Yes we do," Chris replied. "This is the house where I grew up," he said. "Could I visit for a minute. I won't take much of your time. I can see you are on your way out."With that, I stepped out of the car and said, "Why don't you pull into the driveway and get your car off the road." In the next minute, we were shaking hands in the driveway and he introduced himself as Pete Martin. He asked if the Kelleys still lived next door and pointed to the second floor bedroom that was his and described how the chimney ran right up through the middle of the room. I asked if he would like to tour our home. He happily agreed. As we passed through each room, Pete shared some little memory about the room and about the house and asked if the lilacs were still behind the house where he had buried his much loved dog. I showed him that the lilacs, and most likely his dog, had been relocated to another part of the yard to make room for the pool that we now enjoy. Through this stroll down memory lane, Pete shared a bit about his life. Pete told us he had retired from a military career in the Air Force and now lived in Tennessee. After over twenty years of service, he was still not ready to give up flying and serving our country, so he became a Government contractor flying special operations forces in combat missions over Afghanistan, and tomorrow, he would be on a plane going back there and not returning until September. Out of pure coincidence, he was visiting a friend in Londonderry, NH and asked if he could borrow his car to drive over to North Hampton in the hope we might be home when he knocked on our door. He had made this drive some years earlier, and we were not home. :-( When we finished the tour of the house, Pete asked us if we could take a few pictures of him with his mobile phone and we took a few with our camera. We exchanged email addresses to stay in touch. As he was getting ready to leave, Pete made it clear, that by inviting him, a total stranger, into our home, we had given him something he something he would never forget. We had given him, the WORLD....and yesterday, well, he turned around and gave it back to us, in a way I know I will never forget. While I was at my first showing yesterday, Chris called me on my cell and told me we had received a package from Afghanistan from Pete. I could not get home fast enough from the showing. Seated at the kitchen table, Chris handed me the package and asked me to open it. Inside, was an American Flag, a copy of the Stars and Stripes daily newspaper published for members of the military, a copy of the July 2011 edition of Freedom Watch Afghanistan magazine and the following letter and special presentation: Now, most of you know I am a Pease Greeter at Pease AFB in Portsmouth, NH, welcoming our troops home from duty or sending them overseas to Iraq or Afghanistan. If you enjoy freedom, thank someone in the military. Maybe you could stop by Pete Martin's Facebook page and thank him. I know that's where I'm headed as soon as I publish this blog. If you would like to know why I chose Seacoast New Hampshire to make my home, click here to email me, and I can make a real convincing argument for you to choose it too! Or, if you would like to do your own home search, sign up NOW on my website for our exclusive Home Scout Program.

John McCarthy Your Seacoast NH Realtor 408 Lafayette Rd, Hampton, NH 03842 603-601-1110 Office 603-418-1521 Cell Visit My Website Email Me

Looking for a great REALTOR®? Let me GOOGLE ONE for you! Missy Caulk, Broker/Owner of Savvy Realty Group can be reached at 734-926-9797 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com Our Team of 6 agents are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI. Find Homes for Sale in Ann ArborFind Homes for Sale in Saline Find Ann Arbor Real Estate InformationGet a FREE Home Evalutation of your Homes Value Missy Caulk Ann Arbor REALTOR® Google Profile Move In Nashville Melissa Caulk Author Stay strong, stay faithful, stay honest, stay loving, stay true to who you are, most importantly stay true to who God is as you'll be who you are, and you'll be happy, you'll be you, you'll be free. -Jamie Caulk