Are you selling or aren't you?

My pet peeve of the week is sellers who won't let people in. Last weekend we set it up an appointment through another real estate office. We showed up at the house and the seller told us we could not come in. She wanted to know if 3 days from then would be okay!!! Duh. The seller just got the buyer mad and they are not coming back to look at that house. She supposedly does not empty her messages off the answering machine to know when the appointments are scheduled. Not the smartest seller in the world.

I have two more. Another one we called to see tomorrow they said how about next week towards the end of the week. This was a lease. The people need to move. They will be looking elsewhere.Another one we called to see tomorrow (a different buyer and seller) the seller said not tomorrow but how about Sat between 12-1 or Sun 4-5. 3 days later again and to at their convenience.If you are going to sell your house make a commitment to yourself and let it be shown whenever possible. It is a slow market you can't afford to let a buyer go by. There are some houses that are not getting lookers but once a month. I can understand if you have out of town guests, birthday party, a child sick, but let your agent show it as much as he can. Even if it short notice, even if it is not perfect.I sold one house this way. Another agent was in front of my buyers house and called me. They wanted to get in right then. They liked the looks of the house. I called my buyer. He ranted and raved about no notice. I told him to quickly make the bed and apologize to the prospective buyer on how it was not totally cleaned up. That buyer bought the house. They put in a bid that night!!!

If you are thinking of selling your home. Don't let the buyer get away. Don't let the buyer get away. Don't let the buyer get away.

They are far and few between right now. They will put your house on the back burner like you did them. There are so many houses on the market to look at. Make it available. Make it easy to show all the time. I know it is work to keep it clean and pretty. But if you truly want to move and sell the house then you might have to pack up the kids, the dog and run out of the house. Go to my website and do one of the March things to do in Michigan. If you want to search for Michigan Homes go to my website www.russravary.com May today's problems become solvable and easy. Russ Ravary

Open your Door and make an impression!

With the Michigan economy and sales in homes down nationwide now is the time to make sure your home is ready to sell. You need to make your home as appealing as possible to help it sell. What does your home really say from the street? Is it impressive? Do people want to come in? Are trees and overgrown shrubs blocking the house? Do you have clutter and junk on the front porch? With the internet people search for homes online first, then do a quick driveby. If they don't like the looks of the house they are not coming back. So if your picture is not good enough to draw people to come and look at your home, then you lose a possible sale. You have to get them inside. Straighten the shutters. Plant some flowers. Put some potted plants around. Trim the shrubs, and green up the grass. Trim up the low lying branches. Put everything away out in front of the house. Cut the grass more often. Edge the lawn. Make sure your picture of your house on the internet is good. Tell your real estate guy to take another picture if necessary.

Tell your neighbors you are going to sell. If you have to, cut their yard too. Nobody likes living next to an unkept house. Pull your weeds, put some fresh ground cover (mulch, stone) down. Do it as if you were going to have a party. Make your home beautiful.

Have a friend come over or ask your realtor what they think about the front of your house. Do what they say. Make your home more desirable from the street. Is your front door painted or varnished nicely? Does the door have finger prints. What do you outside lights look like? Is the caulking falling off? Are your windows clean? How do your shades, blinds, and curtains look from the outside. Does the siding need powerwashing? Borrow a powerwasher from a neighbor. Need to paint some of the wood trim. Do it. How does the front door handle look? does the key turn easily? You don't want somebody not to get it in because there is a trick to turning the key.

Sure that tree might cost $200 to trim or $400 to take down. But it may open up the front of the house.

For more home selling tips go to Russ Ravary Michigan Real Estate. You can search for Livingston County Real Estate, Wayne County Real Estate, Oakland County Real Estate or any county around Metro Detroit real estate
Did you know the city of Novi was not named after the number 6 stop on the railroad? The railroad did not come until 20 years after the city was named. Did you know that Detroit had the first street paved in Concrete?

Open houses in Michigan

What is the value of an Open house. According to statistics only 2% of all homes are sold from an open house. There is more value for the real estate agent to hold an open house because they may get more prospective clients from it.
The pros of it are that it is one more avenue of getting more people to look at your house. I try to put out fliers in the neighborhood before hand inviting the neighbors to see they house. That way more people know about the home. The neighbor may tell one of their friends, co-workers or family to come and see the house. Usually if you get 5 buyers to come through in one day you are lucky.
The con of it is the security risk. Sometimes people are there just to steal. There have been instances where Realtors have been mugged or raped in the house.
The bottom line is that if your home is for sale and the agent has time to hold an open house and he is willing to do it. What is there to lose?
I have 2 above average homes for sale right now. They are beautiful Wayne County Homes. One is a completely updated Allen Park Bungalow(1044 sq ft). Just about everything has been updated from the copper plumbing up to the roof. The other is a Livonia Colonial (2096 sq ft) with an in ground pool. It has a lot of updates and the owner has taken care of it. Search my featured listings or search Michigan homes
I am still at the on page 1 for Livonia Real Estate on MSN, Google, and AOL. Internet exposure sells house. So if you want somebody that is dedicated to getting your home out there on the Internet on as many sites as possible contact me at my website www.russravar.com Enjoy your Sunday.

Spring in Metro Detroit

Well the first of the spring showers are starting here in Wayne County and Oakland County. Now is the time to get started with the spring clean up. Clean the gutters, wash the windows, thatch the lawn, remove all the dead branches. You can loosen up the soil where ever you don't have bulbs planted. Remove all your dead plant material. Number one thing to do is check your fire alarms and replace the batteries now. If you have a carbon monoxide detector, or a radon detector change those batteries too. If it is a nice day open your windows and air out your house. Change your furnance filter and get ready to uncover your air conditioner.
One of the things I see many people do when they sell their house is to get it into tip top condition. They sometimes paint or remodel right before they sell. They put it off for years and then do it right before they move.
Why don't you enjoy the freshly painted room, or the remodeling yourself? You should use and enjoy something that you want to do or have to do before you sell. A remodeling job (even a small one) makes you feel better about your house. Simple things such as fixing the door knob, painting the kitchen, or putting new carpet in the family room makes you feel better. Do it if you can afford it.
Take the time to teach your kids to do the simple things. Teach them to paint. Give them the closet to do. How else are they going to learn if not from you. Be their mentor. Even if it is an hour of help, they are learning. Make it fun, maybe even say let's fix this and then go to putt-putt golf. Get involved with your kids.

Spring is almost here

Well tomorrow is officially the first day of Spring though you couldn't tell it here in Metro Detroit. Snow, ice and cold the day before spring. Can you believe another winter has flown by. I don't think this year's winter was that bad as compared to most. Plymouth's Ice Festival is a thing of the past and now we can start looking forward to cleaning up the yard so we have time to go out and enjoy the summer once the weather turns nice. Some of the things you need to do soon are: thatch the yard, put the spring fertilizer on, make sure the gutters are cleaned out, and wash the windows. Consistency is the key to a good yard. You know that old retired neighbor that has the beautiful yard. Well he is putting on his fertilizer/weed killer 5 or 6 times a year. Cutting the grass every 6 or 7 days all the time. Trimming the bushes three or more times. We are all so busy. We skip a fertilization here and there. Sometimes it's 10 days to get the grass cut with all the rain. And we're lucky to get the bushes trimmed twice a year after we get through running the kids around. Consistency. Let's get it done so we can head out to the ballpark.
If you are looking for something to do this week. How about going to Hitsville USA where all the big Motown Hits were recorded. Or visit Plymouth Historical Museum or contact your local city and see what historical sites they have right in your home town. There are many sites close by that will give you a background of what went on 50- 100 years before you moved into the city. If you want more ideas of Michigan Things to do by Month or a comprehensive list of all Michigan things to do visit my website at www.russravary.com for Wayne County Real Estate and Oakland County Real Estate
You can search Michigan Homes for free and nobody is going to bother you. Just put in your search criteria. May the grass be greener on your side of the fence this year. Russ Ravary

Michigan lake homes and Novi boat show

http://www.russravary.comWell we stopped by the boat show in Novi. I've decided you either are a boater or you aren't. I remember going to the boat show as a kid. It still is exciting. I love sitting in the boats checking out all the neat options. Some of the ski boats are so darn expensive. I can't believe some of them are $50,000 plus. You have to be a wake board or ski boat fanatic. I wish they had more booths with the toys that go with the boats. That is what adds up in cost. The tow ropes, the skis, the fishing rods, the tackle, the tubes, the life jackets. That's what makes the boat even more fun.
The reason we went to the boat is that I found a house on a lake for a client. They got a great deal on a 2800 square foot house on a lake. Now they need a boat. It had all the fun stuff in a home. A 16 ft bar, a sauna, a hot tub, boat hoist and docks. The master bathroom was the nicest bathroom we saw in the $430,000 to $585,000 range. It is a beautiful house. Even the chandelier was on a wench so it could lower so you could clean it with out getting up on a ladder. So if you are looking for a lake property now is the time. Lake properties around Metro Detroit have come down in price. Search for lake homes in Livingston County, Oakland County. There are great deals on homes in Metro Detroit right now. Lake homes have become more affordable in the last year. If you are thinking of making a move to a lake now may be the time to start your search. Go to Russ Ravary's dream home finder and put in what you want. I'll email you listings of homes that fit your criteria. Start dreaming of being able to relax after a hard day at work on your boat on your lake. Think of having a cold drink in your hand, watching the sunset on the horizon. It's possible with this market. Have a safe weekend Russ Ravary

More smelly real estate

Not to be one sided on the smell thing. We walked into a home last night that the dog smell was so bad in one room that my client walked in and turned right around. She said let's go. Deal dead. Make the house smell good. May God bless all that you do today. Russ Ravary

Smelly real estate

Remember when you sell real estate your home needs to smell good. You may be used to the smoky smell, or the cat smell, or the fish smell, or the mildew smell in the basement, or the curry or garlic smell. But that odor is offensive to some. It's a turn off to buyers. It is a major strike against your home. People walk in and out of prospective homes. They notice smells right away. Get rid of the dirty diapers!
I have actually walked into a room that smelled like the baby was right there with a smelly bottom. Needless to say we didn't stay in that house long. Mildew smells make people start looking for water leaks. If your basement has a water leak fix it and then clean up the smell with a commercial deodorizer. They have great products that eliminate the bacteria that cause the smell and not just cover it up.
Put baking soda around to soak up the smell, clean the area, and deodorize it. Make your home smell good. Buy a chocolate chip cookie, or Cinnamon smelling candle. Candles are supposes to neutralize odors but a spray from the store will work best. Happy home selling. For more tips on selling your home go www.russravary.com Have a great day. Russ Ravary

Pictures of your Home, what's it worth?

One More Idea to get your home to sell. Everybody knows the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, it is so true. Especially in the Internet real estate market. You need to have as many pictures as possible of your best features of your home to get people interested in it. You want to create the desire for them to come and see it in person. Like everything, real estate is a numbers game. The more people that see it in advertising, the mls, and the Internet, the more people that will come thru it. The bigger chance you have to turn a looker into a buyer. Numbers. Numbers of pictures of good pictures create interest. They show off the best features and get people to come in.
So when your agent is coming out, set up your house to look it's best. Make sure your home has five or six pictures. If your house has only one picture your agent is not doing you justice.
If it is winter, you should have pictures of the outside in the summer. You want them to be able to picture how nice your house is with green grass, flowering shrubs, and bright sunshine. For more tips on how to sell your home visit my website http://www.russravary.com/ If you are thinking of selling and want to know what your house is worth go to http://www.checkmyhousesvalue.com/
Thought of the day If you are bored and down in the dumps. Take the time and volunteer for one of our charities. Go to your computer and Google: volunteer and the major city near you. There are many people who are less fortunate than us. Give them a hand. There are many organizations that can use your help whether it is one time for a few hours, or once a month. May life treat you well.

Russ Ravary

Well I had another laugh last night. I was putting in an offer on a home in Livingston
County. The house was already overpriced by about $50,000 in this market. Obviously either the agent or the homeowners were on crack. We had to put an offer in of $100,000 less just in case they want to negotiate and split it right down the middle. Sometimes it is harder to negotiate with people that don't have their feet on the ground. The agent even had the audacity to say it was priced right. It was a nice home but obviously they had not checked the sold comps. They must of been relying on "for sale" comps. I do not know if we can negotiate down to the right price or if the current home owners will have to sit on the house for another 6 months to a year before they get wise.
The current homeowners have already been on the market for 6 months. The four most recent comps were $40,000 lower, $45,000 lower, $57,000 lower, and $100,000 lower. If you took into account that some of those houses sold months ago the difference is even bigger. Because home prices are still falling. 3 of those houses were in better neighborhoods or better school systems. Which made our prospective home worth less than them.
If you truly want to sell your home you must price it right. If you are moving and want to find out the value of your home go to http://www.checkmyhousesvalue.com/ Have your agent pull the sold comps. Sit down and think how yours compares to them. If they sold while yours was on the market then why "if yours is such a great deal, didn't it sell?" Because like these buyers you are over priced for the features you have. Check out the for sale homes in your area. Which one would your cheap uncle buy? Would he really buy your home because 0f.... www.russravary.com

Well today I read that Toyota was opening another plant in the USA. (Mississippi) I'm glad that they are making more cars in the US though still 46% of their cars sold here are made overseas.

And then the other big news is who I believe is the biggest creep and dumbest criminal suspect this week is: Stephen Grant of Mount Clemens, who is the prime murder suspect of his wife. I never understand why guys murder their wife and think they are going to get away with it. I know money and custody disputes are big issues but just get divorced. It's not worth going to jail the rest of your life. Let's see he's worried about losing his wife, losing custody of his kids, and splitting half his assets when he gets divorced. But killing her he loses his wife, loses custody of his kids and loses all his assets, and loses his freedom. Not the brightest guy in the world.

If you are getting divorced and want to know what your house is worth click here. Sure you might have to sell and downsize but it is better than being in a 6 x 9 cell the rest of your life. Starting over is not the worse thing in the world. Some great men have started over late in life. Ray Kroc started McDonald's in his fifties. Life is good, enjoy every minute of it. If you want to search Michigan homes Have a great day Russ Ravary

Everybody knows that Home values have fallen in the last two years in the Metro Detroit area. The early retirements and buyouts at Ford Motor, GM, Chrysler have taken the toll on the number of homebuyers available. The simple truth is that we have too much supply and too little demand. Out of the 11 houses I showed last weekend 8 were vacant.

If you don't have to sell don't put it on the market.

Depending on who you talk to the amount it has dropped varies from 10 to 20%. I even heard one Realtor at a seminar yesterday say that home values were dropping about 1% a month. That may be a little off base. At some point they will level off.

It's a great time to buy. If you are looking for homes in Southeastern Michigan it is a great time to start searching before the normal upswing in sales in May and June.