Real Estate Information Archive

SALES UP: Retail sales rose 0.6 percent in December, the sixth consecutive monthly increase.

YEARLY SALES: For all of 2010, retail sales rose 6.7 percent, the best performance since 1999, although it followed two straight years of falling sales as the country was hit by a severe recession.

2011 OUTLOOK: Economists believe that sales will continue to strengthen in 2011 as consumers start to spend the extra money they will see in their paychecks from the tax cut.

Google has a new beta online application called fusion which allows one to organize data into tables etc online.  Check out this example table providing average Home values for different parts of the country.  Good way of tracking cost of living if moving perhaps?  Click here to see the data.

Dont forget to check out our new real estate search system.  It provides Google aerials, walkscores, zestimates, demographics, school info, distances to popular retailers and more!

Best of luck to you in 2011 !

I know I have trouble remembering the rules when I get to these new intersections.  Did you know that if you are in a roundabout and an emergency vehicle approaches you are suppose to wait to pull to the side AFTER quickly clearing or exiting the roundabout?  Here is some more information to review.

When approaching a roundabout, slow down. For multi-lane roundabouts, look for roadside signs and pavement markings to guide you into the appropriate lane. It is important that you be in the correct lane prior to entering the roundabout.

Always stay to the right of the splitter island (either painted or raised). Splitter islands are used to divide directional traffic on the approach to the roundabout.

Be cautious of pedestrians as you approach the crosswalk.

As you approach the yield line, look to your left before entering the roundabout. Vehicles within the roundabout have the right-of-way. Enter the roundabout and merge into the traffic flow once an adequate gap is available.

All movement within the roundabout circulates counterclockwise. Never turn left into the roundabout from the yield line.

When traveling within the roundabout, only stop to avoid a collision. You have the right-of-way over entering traffic.

When approaching the roundabout, avoid traveling at a speed greater than the posted advisory speed.

When circulating within a multilane roundabout, avoid changing lanes.

Give special consideration to trucks, trailers and other large vehicles within a roundabout. Avoid passing or driving adjacent to larger vehicles within a roundabout. Large vehicles need more than one lane to circulate the roundabout.

Sometimes you will encounter a cyclist traveling within the roundabout. Use caution, be courteous, and share the road.

Continue through the roundabout until you reach your exit. Use your turn signal when exiting.

As you exit the roundabout, be aware of pedestrians crossing the roadway.

If an emergency vehicle approaches the roundabout...

Directly behind you just prior to you entering the roundabout (single lane approach); Enter the roundabout and travel to your exit. After exiting the roundabout, immediately maneuver your vehicle to the right side of the road to allow the emergency vehicle to pass you. Do not stop in the roundabout.

On another approach prior to you entering the roundabout; Wait for the emergency vehicle to enter and exit the roundabout before proceeding with your maneuver.

While you are circulating within the roundabout; Exit the roundabout and immediately maneuver your vehicle to the right side of the road to allow the emergency vehicle to pass you. Do not stop in the roundabout.

Looking for Real Estate in or around the Ann Arbor, Michigan area?  For New listing updates, please click here. 

Remodeling? Choose the Right Vinyl Siding

Given its durability, vinyl siding is more popular today than ever before. According to some statistics, approximately 50% of homes now use the material. That said, this is one product that experts say you should not skimp on when looking at quality vs. cost. Cheaper-made siding will fade, warp and sag much quicker than a better quality product or more expensive options like Hardy Plank and LP wood composite Siding generally found on more expensive homes.

Here are five tips for homeowners on how to choose high-quality products, courtesy of VinylSiding.net:

Thickness - Vinyl is made from chemical combinations, which vary greatly. Thicker options will be stiffer and more durable. Thinner ones may be low quality and could sag or warp. According to building codes, vinyl siding must be at least 0.035 inch thick. Premium choices are 0.044 to up to 0.055 inch thick.

Fading - Cheap vinyl siding is more likely to fade. Homeowners should find products with UV protection and be sure the exterior can handle direct sunlight. To lessen the appearance of fading, lighter colors can be chosen.

Wind Resistance - Homeowners will want vinyl siding that can resist wind up to 150 mph. Some high-quality options have warranties that cover winds of 180 mph. Homeowners should be aware of wind codes in their area as they do vary.

Installation - The installation is just as important as the materials. Panels are not attached tightly. Rather, they "hang" on the side of a house because the material expands and contracts with heat and cold. When getting vinyl siding estimates, homeowners should ask about the installation process and warranties. Double hem mounting typically provides better attachment than a single hem. If installed too tightly, there will be poor ventilation, which is needed. If installed too loosely, it can be noisy.

Rain Resistance - Vinyl siding also "hangs" on a structure to provide better ventilation by allowing air to flow behind the panels. There are also small holes in the butts of each panel to release water. If poorly installed, it can trap moisture or cause water leaks into the house. To avoid this, the installer must add proper flashings, house felt or builder's wrap. 

Or you can look for property with fresh siding already in place by clicking here.

For those of us who have spent any time hanging around Ann Arbor in the summertime, we surely remember the hustle, bustle and excitement surrounding the Ann Arbor Art Fair.  The Art Fair, originally established in 1960, is a combination of four award winning, independently juried art fairs, held simultaneously throughout Ann Arbor.  This year, the annual Art Fair runs between July 20-23, 2011.  The hours on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are from 10am – 9pm and Saturday, from 10am – 6pm.  Visitors in town searching for homes will definitly wish to attend this event.  We suggest you go early at 10am (preferably on Wens) thereby avoiding much of the larger crowds and this will help you see most of the display areas.  The cost for attending this renowned event is free!
            Together, the four fairs attract over 600,000 visitors from across America, and create an amazing outdoor gallery featuring over 1,200 artists.  There are an abundance of things to see and do while spending an afternoon outdoors at the Art Fair.  Activities include learning about and Buying art from the nation’s best artists, lively entertainment, artists’ demonstrations, 4 Imaginations Stations for art activities, more than 150 restaurants, and special sidewalk sales from downtown Ann Arbor to the University of Michigan campus.  You can also check out a complete list of exhibiting artists  and artist applications are available here.  This spectacular event attracts the finest artists producing top quality art work in every price range and is considered to be the largest art fair in the country.
            Transportation to and from the Ann Arbor Art Fair is extremely convenient.  There are several parking structures around campus, including the Maynard Parking Structure which has recently been renovated.  It is generally $10 per day for the parking structures and $5 after 5pm.  There is parking in and around nearby neighborhoods for low cost as well.  If you wish to avoid parking downtown near the Art Fair altogether, there are also shuttle buses that run throughout Ann Arbor.  Parking to catch the shuttle bus is available at Briarwood Mall or Pioneer High School.  The AATA Art Fair Shuttles will run every 10-15 minutes from 9am to 10pm, Wednesday through Friday, and on Saturday from 9am to 7pm.  The fares will be $1.50 each way, and children 7 years old and younger ride free.   Click here for a complete list of maps, parking and bus schedule.  You can visit the Visitors and Conference Bureau for infrmation on lodging, restaurants and more. Don't miss this nationally renowned art exhibit here in town! 

Visitors can check ann arbor real estate prices by clicking on the "All MLS Listings" link above for property listings for sale or Rent.

Ten Ways to Protect Your Child from Cyberbullies

Cyberbullying has quickly turned into a pandemic on the web, causing severe emotional and psychological pain to children. According to the National Crime Prevention Council, over 40% of all teenagers with Internet access have reported being bullied online. 

Cyberbullies seek to terrorize or humiliate perceived enemies and rivals under the cloak of anonymity, and with the proliferation of social media tools and multiple points of connection to the Web, they have an ever-expanding array of opportunities to achieve their goals. This activity presents a daunting challenge to parents who want to ensure their children's safety in today's technology-driven communications environment. Simple tips that worked in the past are fast-becoming ineffective: it's no longer sufficient to block access to specific websites, messaging programs, social networks, or computer use altogether. 

Parents can gain important insights into their children's digital lives by communicating with them about this important topic, and better monitoring their web, email and mobile phone activity. Here are 10 tips for parents to help protect their children from cyberbullies and other online dangers:

1. Start by talking with your children about their online activities and the dangers of cyberbullying - set their expectations by discussing your views on monitoring their Internet and smartphone use

2. Set up Google Alerts to monitor mentions of your children's names on the Web

3. Friend your children on Facebook and monitor their privacy settings so you are able to view their profile and activity

4. In addition to Facebook, cyberbullies use other social networking sites like Twitter to post hateful messages. Familiarize yourself with these sites and set up an account to enable you to routinely search what others are saying about your kids

5. Inform teachers if you suspect your child is being cyberbullied.  Teachers are among the first to notice important changes in children's behavior, and it's possible the bully may be a classmate

6. Consider implementing parental monitoring software on your Home computers and children's smartphones

7. Many school districts also now use computer monitoring software on all classroom computers. Check with your school principal, PTA or school board to ensure these tools are in use at your child's school

8. Prohibit your children from having multiple e-mail addresses, screennames and social networking accounts

9. Prohibit your children from using geolocation tools and apps on Facebook and smartphones

10. Always be observant as your children use electronic communications tools. Changes in habits, such as frequency and timing of use, mood swings and other indicators, could be a sign that your child is being bullied or a target of other online mischief

If you are looking for new real estate listings, try www.shelterquest1.com

As of July 1, 2010, it is illegal in Michigan to text while driving and could result in fines.

The law says that reading, typing, or sending a text or email on any wireless two-way communication device behind the wheel is illegal. This civil infraction carries a first-time $100 fine and $200 in fines for subsequent violations.

To read the full story about the new Michigan Texting Ban, please visit AnnArbor.com at:http://www.annarbor.com/news/michigans-texting-ban-takes-effect-today-will-it-reduce-crashes/

Get new property listings reports at www.shelterquest1.com

In a state suffering from the decline of the auto industry and the loss of manufacturing jobs, Ann Arbor remains an economic and cultural oasis. The city has grown up around the university, which moved to Ann Arbor from Detroit in 1837, shortly after Ann Arbor was founded. A focus on research, technology, arts, and tourism has spared the local economy many of the hardships felt elsewhere in Michigan.

If you live here, it helps to be a Wolverines fan. The roar from Michigan Stadium—which seats more than 100,000 and is known as the Carnegie Hall of sports—resounds through town on football Saturdays in the fall. The games always sell out, drawing fans from around the country. If sports aren't your thing, there are still plenty of other activities, many associated with the university: several museums and galleries, an arboretum, an annual arts fair, an orchestra, and local opera and ballet companies.

The university employs about 16,000 people from all over the Detroit area, plus another 12,000 at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Private-sector employers add to a vibrant white-collar economy largely based on research and technology. Automakers like General Motors and Toyota account for some research jobs; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and companies like General Dynamics and Google provide others. Longtime local companies include Domino's Pizza and Borders.

Ann Arbor has cold, snowy winters, and moisture from nearby Lake Huron and Lake Erie contributes to a high proportion of cloudy days. But summers tend to be warm and comfortable, with highs in the low 70s and nighttime temps in the 50s or 60s. And Ann Arbor—known as "Tree Town"—is one of the greenest, most densely forested residential areas in America.

If you can tolerate cold winters and can afford the slightly above average cost of living, Ann Arbor is a dynamic retirement spot with year-round enticements. Detroit's metropolitan airport is about 40 miles away, with nonstop or one-stop jet service to most big cities, so grandkids can visit—or you can easily flee to the south in the winter.

In addition to the University of Michigan, there are several smaller colleges nearby, including Cleary, Concordia, and Eastern Michigan. Big Ten rival Michigan State is about 65 miles away, in East Lansing.

The University of Michigan Medical Center is one of the top hospitals in the country. There's also a VA hospital in Ann Arbor, and St. Joseph Mercy Hospital is just a few miles away (with some facilities in Ann Arbor itself).

After the University of Michigan, the biggest employers are auto supplier Visteon, General Motors, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Eastern Michigan University, and Borders. Drug aker Pfizer has employed several thousand in the area but is closing its operation.

The median Home price in 2008 was about $206,000, higher than in many surrounding areas. But consider that a sign of a relatively healthy economy: Prices in 2008 fell by a modest 6 percent, a small decline compared with other areas. Much cheaper homes are available in surrounding communities, where builders binged during the housing boom. In 2009 and 2010 both nearby Saline and Ann Arbor realty prices have gone up an average of 3% per year.  

To get real time foreclosure, short sale and other realty listings click here.

LOOKING FOR LANDSCAPING SERVICES?

Well, beware....I would not recommend Brian Stimach or Meadowbrook Acres Sod Farm located in Brighton, Michigan.  I tried this service last year requesting some simple services like putting in black corrugated landscape pipe in the ground with drains to extend away from the building the downspout water running off from the roof.  Simple stuff right?

Their crew was more interested in getting the job done quick instead of the right way.  Trenches were dug too shallow, no care or concern to fill in and compact the soil so it didn't settle and leave indentations a week later after the first rain fall, drains installed to high, poor seeding techniques, etc.

Worse yet, when I called the foreman Brian Stimach, he resisted fixing these issues and finally kept saying how he would have someone get in touch with me in a few days.  Never happened even after a few follow up calls.  He actually spent more time telling how busy he was, that his family was living in Florida and he had more important things on his mind with the business down there and the commute coming up on the weekend.  Guess I was suppose to be sorry to have an expectation that they cared about the quality of their work and a satisfied customer.

What happened to the success business plain of putting the customer first and quality of service??  But I have to admit, this type of approach to customer satisfaction is too common in the landscape business.  Beware of contractors who want to get a deposit for your job with promise to come back next week to get started.  While deposits are not that unusual, I would never recommend you pay one until their first day on the job.  Landscaping contractors are notorious for running around booking jobs in the spring and taking deposits so they have work to carry them through the 4 months of prime landscaping season.  Everybody wants their work done in the Spring, but guess what....that's not possible regardless of their promises, so beware.  

A good larger company to consider might be Continuum Services. Their contact number is 248-286-5200.  They do a lot of commercial work involving design, and grounds maintenance.  If you ever have any problems with them, let me know as I know person in charge and unlike MeadowBrooke and their foreman mentioned above, he IS concerned about customer service and satisfaction.  He even volunteered to ask MeadowBrook Sod to go back out to fix my problem as he subcontracts some work out to them and other smaller or specialty firms.  Of course, having grown tired of making numerous phone calls and receiving false promises, we decided it was easy to get someone else to correct the previous inferior work.

Take care and good luck.  Remember you can get the latest new MLS property listings by clicking on this link.

The State of Michigan requires Brokers such as myself to stay current on legal and industry matters with minimum continuing education requirements per year.  Recently I attended a seminar on IT legal issues and the evolution of information resources on the Internet. 

It got me thinking about our current school curriculems in comparison to the rest of the world and I was amazed by some interesting statistics. 

Check out this 5 minute video clip called Did you Know? Most people find it quite interesting.