The Best Cities for Retirees to Call Home

Saturday, August 19, 2017

by Tom Stachler,ABR,CDPE - Group One Realty Team

The Best Cities for Retirees to Call Home

Ask any retiree what mattered most in their search for a new home, and most will tell you location. A recent study by WalletHub ranked the top locations for soon-to-be retirees, weighing cost of living, health care, quality of life and recreation—and in a not-so-unexpected twist, the top three locations in the ranking were all within the Sunshine State:

Orlando, Fla.
Tampa, Fla.
Miami, Fla.
Scottsdale, Ariz.
Atlanta, Ga.

Several other cities outside of the top five were named ideal for retirees, as well. Laredo, Texas was ranked No. 1 based on cost of in-home care and cost of living, while Plano, Texas, and Grand Prairie, Texas, were ranked No.1 and No. 3, respectively, in most employed retirees. (Many people of retirement age are simply forced to keep working due to a lack of savings, according to WalletHub.) Some sprawling metropolitan areas are suited for retirees seeking an active lifestyle; Washington, D.C., for instance, is tied for first for the most museums and senior centers per capita.

When it comes solely to weather, however, California cannot be beat: Glendale, Riverside and Bakersfield ranked in the top three for “mild weather,” followed by Scottsdale, Ariz., and Henderson, Nev.

Of course retirement anywhere is a joy and who is to say you can't split it between downtown Ann Arbor in the summer months and someplace warm in the winter. Or maybe Harbour Springs or Charlevoix up north in the summer is great and a warmer climate in the winter?

Tom Stachler is a licensed real estate broker and builder living and helping people with their realty needs for over 25 years now. Looking for something in a retirement condo in the Ann Arbor, Saline or surrounding Michigan areas? Contact us today or check out the All MLS listings link up top which is just a few of the helpful Links and services Tom can provide.

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Temporary Rental Housing Options in Ann Arbor and Saline Michigan

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

by Tom Stachler,ABR,CDPE - Group One Realty Team

Temporary Rental Housing Options in Ann Arbor and Saline Michigan

Please check with us early with your short term rental housing needs and assistance on our Real Estate One Corp Group rate or discount etc before contacting some of these vendors or giving them your name.

Sublets and Temporary Housing

https://annarbor.craigslist.org/search/sub

Extended Stay Lodging

http://ann-arbor-extended-stay.biz-stay.com/

(we have group rates at both locations on Briarwood and Boardwalk)

Short-Term Apartments

http://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Michigan/Ann-Arbor/short-term-apartments-4id/

Please mention that we referred you and you would like the Realtor discount.

Temporary Housing in Ann Arbor

Click Here

Also McKinley Properties has rental housing options at Glencoe Hills and their Meadowbrook communities too that vary from vacant apartments to furnished units. Contact the manager at these communities for more information.

When checking for rates, usually a three month rate is less than a monthly rate. Also, especially in the case of the extended or hotel stays, you always want to ask for a min on month rate which will avoid the (less than one month) rates that have the Visitor and Conference taxes etc that are assessed on weekly or nightly rates.

Of course for terms longer than a few months, please visit www.Saline.rentals for rental condo and housing options that are listed in the Board of Realtors MLS system.

Thank you for visiting and let us know if we can help further.

Tom Stachler is a licensed Broker & Builder plus marketing expert for commercial, condo and homes in the Ann Arbor Michigan community and surrounding areas such as Dexter, Saline, Chelsea, Milan Ypsilanti and Pinckney real estate markets. Note the Search Properties link above to view a complete Inventory of homes and condos for sale. Also click on the resources tab above for other helpful information Links, contractor discounts and sources. Have questions want sell your home or get a price ? Go to www.MyPrice.guru to get started and see comparable Home sales. Or maybe you want to search for property and view an updated MLS inventory report created for those Buying properties . Hit the contact me link to the right or call us with any questions because we would love to hear from you. We also have a Contractor Discount page here on our website or many helpful Links in the tab above for more resources.

Ann Arbor Real Estate for Sale, Saline Real estate for sale, whatever the need in the surrounding areas, we have it using the navigation tabs above. Temporary Rental Housing furnished and unfurnished for short term rental stays or requests.

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Why You Should Own a Home in an A+ School District

Friday, August 12, 2016

by Tom Stachler,ABR,CDPE - Group One Realty Team

Why You Should Own a Home in an A+ School District

Whether you have children or not, it pays to buy in an area with great schools. Realtor.com® recently released a new study that identifies the price premium to buy a home in a strong public school district, as well as the top 10 districts garnering the highest home prices and demand from buyers.

School districts rising to the top are: Beverly Hills Unified in Los Angeles; Highland Park Independent School District in Dallas; Kenilworth School District No. 38 in Kenilworth, Ill.; Rocky River City School District in Cuyahoga, Ohio; Clear Creek Independent School District in Harris, Texas; and School Town Of Munster School District in Lake, Ind.

Realtor.com® compared homes located in school districts rated 9 or 10 on the GreatSchools.org 10 point scale to homes situated in districts rated six or less. The analysis shows homes within the boundaries of the higher rated public school districts are, one average, 49 percent more expensive – at $400,000 – than the national median of $269,000 and 77 percent more expensive than schools located within the boundaries of the lower ranked districts with a median of $225,000.

Houses located in these areas, on average, also move eight days faster than homes in below average school districts and sell four days faster – at 58 days – than the national average of 62 days. Additionally, properties within the boundaries of higher-rated school districts are viewed 26 percent more, on average, than the average home on realtor.com® (an indicator of buyer demand) and 42 percent more than homes in areas with below average schools. “It’s common knowledge that buyers are often willing to pay a premium for a home in a strong school district,” says Javier Vivas, research analyst for realtor.com®. “Our analysis quantifies just how good it is to be a seller in these areas. On average, homes in top-rated districts attract a price premium of almost 50 percent and sell more than a week faster than those located in neighboring lower ranked school districts.”

A look at the top school districts

The district with the second highest Home Price premium is Highland Park Independent School District in Dallas where homes are 632 percent more expensive at $1.8 million than the median home in Dallas County at $277,000. Homes in Highland Park are 3.7 times and 4.4 times more expensive, respectively, than neighboring districts of Coppell Independent School District in Coppell, Texas – rated 9 – with a median of $470,000 and Dallas Independent School District in Dallas – rated 5 – with a median of $400,000, respectively.Highest Price Premiums

In top-ranked Beverly Hills Unified School District, homes sell for 689 percent more, at $3.8 million, than other homes in Los Angeles County, at $550,000. That’s 1.6 times the premium of homes located in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District – rated 9 – that covers Santa Monica, Calif. and Malibu, Calif. and has a median list price of $2.5 million. Beverly Hills’s price premium is 3.9 times more than Culver City Unified School District in Culver City, Calif. that has a rating of 8 and a median list price of $975,000.

Kenilworth School District No. 38 in Kenilworth, Ill., where homes carry a median sales price of $1.6 million, ranked third in the nation with its home price premium of 606 percent compared to Cook County. That’s 2.1 times more than the neighboring district of Wilmette Public Schools District 39 in Wilmette, Ill., rated 10 by GreatSchools, with a median list price of $780,000, and 1.2 times more than Winnetka School District 36 in Winnetka, Ill., rated 10, with a median list price of $1.4 million. Winnetka School District 36 is also ranked fifth in the nation for its home price premium.

Highest Demand from Home BuyersRounding out the Top 10 school districts with the highest price premiums are: Indian Hill Exempted Village School District – Hamilton, Ohio; Winnetka School District 36 – Winnetka, Ill.; Manhattan Beach Unified School District – Los Angeles; Scarsdale Union Free School District – Westchester, N.Y.; Saddle River School District – Bergen, N.J.; San Marino Unified School District – Los Angeles; and Mariemont City School District – Hamilton, Ohio. See chart below for additional detail.

The district with the highest home buyer demand – as measured by realtor.com® listing views compared to the surrounding county – is Rocky River City School District in Cuyahoga, Ohio, rated 10, where listings within district boundaries receive 2.8 times more views than other areas in Cuyahoga County. Homes in the Rocky River District also receive 1.7 and 1.5 times more listing views, respectively, than Westlake City School District in Westlake, Ohio ranked 9 by GreatSchools and Lakewood City School District in Lakewood, Ohio with a GreatSchools rating of 6.

Vivas adds, “While highly ranked school districts in these markets have pushed home prices higher than their surrounding areas, the majority of these high demand markets are relatively affordable when compared to the national median, which is a big factor contributing to their popularity.”

The second most popular school district in the nation for home buyers is Clear Creek Independent School District in Harris, Texas. It garners 2.2 times the listing views of Harris County and 1.2 and 1.0 times as many views, respectively, as nearby districts of Pasadena in Pasadena, Texas (rated 5) and La Porte Independent School District in La Porte, Texas.

Coming in as the third most viewed school district for home buyers, School Town of Munster School District in Lake, Ind., has a GreatSchools rating of 9 and receives nearly 2.2 more listings views than other homes in the county. That’s 1.36 more views than neighboring district of School Town Of Highland Independent School District, rated 6, in Highland, Ind.

Completing the Top 10 list are Orange School District – New Haven, Conn.; Etiwanda Elementary School District – San Bernardino, Calif.; Longmeadow School District – Hampden, Mass.; Strongsville City School District – Cuyahoga, Ohio; Plymouth-Canton Community School – District Wayne, Mich.; and Regional School District 05 School – District New Haven, Conn.

For more School information and District Maps, please click here and look at the bottom of the realty resources page you will be directed to. Its important to keep in mind that the most popular districts may not always be the state's top rated scholastically due to inventory supply and demand, but its generally safe to assume a "popular district" will be one providing superior results or resident satisfaction.

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Saline Summerfest 2016

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

by Tom Stachler,ABR,CDPE - Group One Realty Team

GREAT FUN FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

On a fine summer weekend, along the streets of Downtown Saline, a wonderful assortment of activities, attractions, and amusements will bring together people of all ages and interests. It’s a super hometown celebration – Saline’s Summerfest 2016!

Click here for more information.

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Vogels Locksmith Ann Arbor Scam

Monday, March 7, 2016

by Tom Stachler,ABR,CDPE - Group One Realty Team

Scam Alert - Locksmith Scam

If you use Vogel's Lock and Safe for locksmith work, please be aware that their Google Links have been compromised. People reached through a Google search are posing as Vogel's representatives. Their goal is to gain entry into properties to burglarize the property.

Please call Vogel's directly for service at 734-668-6863 (same number for 100 years). Their service vans will say Vogel's on the side, their employees will be wearing blue, yellow and white shirts with Vogel's on the front. They do not have an after-hours answering service, and do not demand cash or follow customers to the ATM for payment.

Vogel's is a local, family owned Ann Arbor company which provides quality service. They are courteous and make appointments in advance. Be sure to call them directly to arrange for service.

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Eagle Springs Subdivision - New Construction Homes for Sale in Milan Michigan at 189K

Friday, July 10, 2015

by Tom Stachler,ABR,CDPE - Group One Realty Team

Welcome to the Eagle Springs located just 3 minutes from Downtown Milan Michigan and only a 15 minute commute to Ann Arbor. All our new construction Home listings have many standard features that many other builders only offer as options. Each model below is available in 3 different front elevations each and the standard features can be viewed by clicking on their respective Links below. Click here for mapping directions or the map to the right for a larger aeral image of the surrounding community.

Eagles Springs is a 158 lot subdivision including our 60+ lots now available for your new construction model home. Lots range up to 1/2 acre with sidewalks and parks and are serviced by the City of Milan for utilities, care of the public streets and trash removal. Contact Tom Stachler for a list of available the lots and or spec homes. We are happy to build a home to your specifications as well and the project would be builder funded and not require you to obtain a construction loan.

We look forward to working with you !

Home Models Offered for Sale

Ashwood 1457' Ranch

Heron 1360' Ranch

Stonecrest 1757' 2Story

Pinehurst 1935' Ranch

Cypress 2028' 2Story

Currently Available

STANDARD FEATURES INCLUDE

Hardwood or Ceramic Floors in Foyer, Hall, Powder Room, Kitchen/Nook
Ceramic Floors in Full Baths Standard
Egress Window and two ventilated Glass Block Windows in Basement
Raised Oak Panel Cabinets
Kitchen Island
Concrete Driveway and Sidewalks
Tile Showers with Upgraded Frameless Glass door
Electric Garage Door opener
Granite Counters Throughout with Under mount sinks
9 ft Extra High-Full Basements with Enamel Sealed Floors
Dishwasher, Garbage Disposal Standard
Central Air Conditioning and High Efficiency Furnaces - Standard

More About Milan Michigan

If you are thinking that Milan, Michigan, is named after that city across the Atlantic Ocean in Italy, you are correct. The Milan here in the states is located partially in Monroe County (about 40 percent of the its total area and 25 percent of its citizens) and partially in Washtenaw County (about 60 percent of the its total area and 75 percent of its citizens).

The City of Milan resides about 50 miles southwest of Detroit, 40 miles northwest of Toledo, Ohio, and 15 miles southeast of Ann Arbor, and is home to nearly 6,000 residents. It is able to boast an impressive population increase of more than 16 percent since the year 2000.

The myriad homes for sale in Milan include some spectacularly beautiful and devotedly maintained 19th century Victorian, Italianate, Art Modern and International architecture, for which the city's downtown was rewarded with a highly coveted spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Many are quaint, lovely, charming and unique.

According to Sperling's Best Places, the median cost for one of the homes for sale in Milan was an amazingly affordable $83,300 in 2012. Milan's average home appreciation was nearly 2 percent last year. But just in case you need more reasons to love Milan, it contains approximately 200 acres of magnificently maintained parkland and, in comparison to the rest of the United States, offers a cost of living that is more than 14 percent lower than the national average.

Established in 1831, and named Tolanville by founder John Marvin after his son-in-law, the area of land remained officially classified as a village until 1967, when it gained cityhood as Milan.

Some of Milan's Most Popular Attractions Include:

Original Gravity Brewing Company
Hack house Museum
Mill Pond with Public Park
Annual 4th of July Carnival with Fireworks show
The Milan Dragway
Talladay Farms Corn Maze and Wasem Fruit Farm
City of Milan Activity Calendar

Watch this Video for some more information about the subdivision and the surrounding community. Its a great place to live for those looking for that small town feeling and friendly neighbors. Click the 4 arrows bottom right corner for a larger HD image.

Eagle Springs Subdivision, Milan, Michigan from Tom Stachler on Vimeo.

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Ann Arbor Real Estate Market in the Top 3 in the Nation

Monday, April 13, 2015

by Tom Stachler,ABR,CDPE - Group One Realty Team

3 Michigan cities rank among nation's hottest housing markets

Lansing, Detroit and Ann Arbor are among the three hottest real estate markets nationally. A Lansing neighborhood is pictured.

The local multi-list (MLS) Realtor associations gather data from searches on its housing website. In March the organization measured the number of listing views as compared to the number of listings for the 200 largest housing markets in the country to come up with a list of the "hottest" markets.

Michigan cities fared well: Ann Arbor came in third nationally, Detroit came in at position #10 and Lansing came in 20th. Among states, California and Texas claimed as many top markets. Detroit, Ann Arbor and Lansing are among the most popular cities for real estate, according to data from the National Association of Realtors.

Here's the full list:

Waco, TX
New Orleans, LA
Ann Arbor, MI
Denver, CO
Santa Rosa, CA
Fort Wayne, IN
Vallejo, CA
San Diego, CA
Columbus, OH
Detroit, MI
Manchester, NH
Boston, MA
Austin, TX
Boulder, CO
Springfield, IL
Charleston, WV
Pittsburgh, PA
Tampa, FL
College Station, TX
Lansing, MI

The site lists 700 homes for sale in the Ann Arbor area, 2,106 in Detroit and 1,077 for sale in Lansing.

Traffic on the association website was high in March, with the website's most unique visitors ever. Home sales tend to pick up in the spring, according to the association.

"We are now firmly in the time of the year when peak demand and peak inventory levels typically occur, through spring and early summer," said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors, said on the site's blog. "Buyers should expect substantial competition, especially in the hotter markets, and for affordably priced homes within most markets." Websites like www.shelterquest1.com will help provide buyers with a jump on the market so they see listings before other competing buyers.

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ANN ARBOR VISITORS GUIDE 2015

Saturday, February 7, 2015

by Tom Stachler,ABR,CDPE - Group One Realty Team

ANN ARBOR VISITORS GUIDE 2015

Looking for things to do in the Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter and other areas? Click here to download this years local visitors guide for events, resources and other local area information in this Michigan community.

Let us know if we can help with other information or Ann Arbor Homes for Sale or try the "All MLS Listings Link or if you have a Home update project, don't forget to visit our Ann Arbor Area Contractors Discount page here.

Take care and thanks for stopping by. We are here to help before AND after the closing.

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2015 Ann Arbor and Saline Real Estate Market Update

Saturday, January 10, 2015

by Tom Stachler,ABR,CDPE - Group One Realty Team

FHA Making Homeownership More Accessible and Sustainable?

FHA is reducing annual FHA mortgage insurance premiums by 0.5 percentage points from 1.35 percent to 0.85 percent. This reduction in premiums will produce an average savings of $900 annually for all new FHA borrowers.

More than 800,000 FHA borrowers are projected to take advantage of these lower rates in the first year, saving millions of dollars in total.

Lowered premiums will create opportunities for 250,000 new homeowners to purchase a Home over the next three years. In recent years, many aspiring homeowners have been waiting on the sidelines before Buying a new home. By making mortgages more affordable and helping create further confidence among those wanting to buy a home, the FHA premium reduction will help hundreds of thousands of additional families own a home for the first time.

The new home buying activity and benefits of the cost savings to borrowers will help further strengthen the housing market. An increase in first-time homebuyers and more affordable mortgages will help spur more residential construction and help create new jobs in the housing sector. FHA will also be starting a automated program for lender underwriters to check appraisers pricing with assigned comps or recent home sale prices to loans. Appraisers feel this is ridiculous and may create another 7-10 days to the appraisal process. Look for more on this as the program rolls out.

Each Year the Market moves Closer to a Sellers Market as Inventory Challenges Arise

There were no dramatic changes for the housing market in November and the first part of December. The median sale price increases in the last 90 days have been modest at under 2%, however the real value increase has been closer to 4%. The difference being that with a slowing upper price market, median values will tend to be lower than the true appreciation rate. The Month's Supply of Inventory (MSI) has been declining, with a small jump in November, a sign that although inventories are rising, demand is still strong. Sold properties have been rising through the fall season, but slowing in November compared to last year. Some of that decline might be weather-related and the fact there was one less business day in November this year. The slower sold pace does reinforce our feeling that the market is settling down to a more normal pace, especially in the over $500,000 segments. With buyers spread out among more listings, many sellers will feel that the market is slower than it really is.

These charts from the National Association of Realtors focus on some of the underlying economic trends that should translate into a multi-year real estate recovery.

Household Net Worth at All-Time High

Most people do not realize how far household net worth has risen from the bottom of the recession, and that it has exceeded the prior 2007 peak. The stock market jump has certainly helped move the numbers up, but the majority of the yellow bars are made up of home equities. Higher household net worth translates into higher consumer confidence and increased consumer spending.

GDP Growth = Job Creations (8 million lost, 10 million gained)

Going hand-in-hand with increased household net worth is the increase in total jobs, again exceeding the peak year of 2007. The jobs added during this recovery are more service-based and do not have the same buying power as those in the past, but with so many dual income families, the combined incomes create buying power for housing. Michigan as a whole may lag compared to the national averages in these two areas, but Washtenaw should actually exceed the national averages.

Young Adult Homeownership Rate (under 35 years old)

The young adult homeownership rate is one of the biggest challenges for housing growth. With tough lending standards, slow job growth and high student loan debt, young adults have a hard time getting financed. As lending standards move back to more reasonable levels, some of that first time home buyer pent-up demand will be released, moving that ownership percentage closer to 40%.

Homeowner households have not grown since 2006, but are primed to grow.

This chart clearly illustrates the effect of the housing bubble. After 20 years of growth in the number of homeowners in the U.S., we have been at a standstill for the last six years. Most economists expect the homeownership numbers to resume their growth, but probably at a slower pace than in the past. Much of that future growth is in former homeowners, who were forced to Rent, and hope to buy again the first chance they get.

National Housing Forecast

Overall, we are carrying an improved listing inventory, good economic momentum and some evidence that there is still some pent-up demand out there along with the prospects of continued affordable interest rates. The skies look good going into 2015 for stable and steady growth in the Washtenaw real estate market.

Please keep me in mind for any of your real estate needs. I am happy to assist you.

tom stachler is a real estate broker working and living in the ann arbor and saline michigan markets. check with him when looking for ann arbor homes for sale or saline michigan homes for sale as well.

ann arbor and saline real estate market update for january 2015

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Annual Ann Arbor Marathon Moved from June to March

Thursday, February 20, 2014

by Tom Stachler,ABR,CDPE - Group One Realty Team

The third annual Ann Arbor Marathon will soon be underway. This year however, the marathon has moved from June to March, which means that participants should begin making plans to compete right now.

The inaugural race took place in 2012, when it was held on Father’s Day. As a result, a number of area residents and business owners had to contend with certain streets being blocked off so that the event could take place. As a result, Mayor John Hieftje noted that changes to the race’s schedule needed to take place so as not to inconvenience locals.

In 2013, the race was held on a different day in June, and also included a new route in order to minimize its impact on traffic flow. Although these changes were good, race organizers felt that a switch from June to March would better benefit both the city and participants. An email blast sent to race participants from previous years showed that most people agreed that a date in late March would work best for everyone concerned.

In addition to changing the date, a number of other changes will take place in 2014 as well. The route will once again change, with the finish being on South Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor between East Liberty and East William streets. The course also begins on Main Street at the northwest corner of the “Big House,” and will run partly through the University of Michigan campus as well as along the Huron River.

There will be one 13.1-mile route for half-marathon participants, and marathon runners will be required to complete two full loops of the same course. Organizers have planned a 5k and 1.2 mile race in addition to the marathon and half-marathon.

Registration for the event is already underway, and individuals can take advantage of discounted fees for the time being. Runners may obtain registration forms by visiting the marathon’s website. An early bird discount is available from now until February 28th, 2014. A portion of these registration fees is earmarked for distribution to the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation.

The Ann Arbor Marathon is also a qualifier for the Boston Marathon. Since the annual Ann Arbor Marathon has moved from June to March, runners who would like to participate should sign up now in order to participate in this exciting event that’s coming up on March 30th, 2014.

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