Real Estate Information

Time... to most of us it is how much we have of it!  These days, many of our lives leave us with little time to "get things done".  Which brings me to something I have to share with all of you that has saved me that precious thing we call TIME.

Meijer's Grocery Express has become my new friend and time saver.  Who would have thought something so close to our finger tips goes unused by so many.  It is the greatest invention ...  well at least in recent times to me.

Its quite simple actually.  Here are the basics...  you go to meijergroceryexpress.com.  Here you will find three simple steps.  You order, they shop and you pick up.  The website has separated out Produce, Beverages, Snacks etc... for the user.

Although it does take some time learning how to navigate through the website, it is well worth it as it will save you hours and hours of indoor shopping down the road. A great feature I love about this website is that you can simply add items to your grocery list or you can also click on icon to add to your “weekly” grocery list. This will give you a basic list to go from every time you shop. You simply edit your original list.

From here, you will select a day and time for your grocery pick up. If for some reason one of the items you selected is not available in the brand you chose, they will ask if it is ok to substitute with another that is available.  Another beautiful thing, there is a special parking area for Grocery Express. You pull into a spot, call them and they bring your groceries out to your car!

This is not to say that I will not go in the grocery from time to time, but the basic guts of my every week grocery shopping can be stored for me on the Meijer’s web site and brought up every time I need it. For some people this could be weekly,  for others it could be bi-weekly or even monthly. Either way it is a fabulous time saver and one that must be tried.

Can’t say enough good things about this time saver! Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping!

Did You Hear?

The City Planners Association of America named Heritage Hill one of the 10 great places in America for 2012.  They described how we almost lost it to urban renewal in the sixties and said they are thrilled that it’s still here.  Go to the MLive.com link below and see the whole story.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/10/almost_lost_and_found_grand_ra.html#incart_river_default

Barbara Corcoran of “The Shark Tank” gives “The View” an occasional update on real estate.  (She is on of the most successful Realtors of all time.)  On her recent appearance, she said the best place to buy a house is Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Why?  Low prices, friendly people, good schools, etc.  All the things we already know.  To see the clip, click on the link below.

http://theview.abc.go.com/video/barbara-corcoran-shark-tank

This year, “This Old House” magazine named Heritage Hill One of the Best Old House Neighborhoods in the United States.  Click on the link below to see the entire article.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/03/this_old_house_magazine_includ.html

Fred Meijer Gardens is one of the “1000 Places to See Before You Die.” It’s the 2^nd most visited tourist attractions in the Midwest.  It’s also one of the 100 most visited art museums in the world and one of the 30 top “Must See Museums” on the planet .  In 2010, only their 13^th year, they had 6 million visitors.

Grand Rapids is Beer City USA!  Well, we tied Asheville, North Carolina but they’ve had the title all to themselves for years and our first year in the running we tied.   This is because of all of our terrific Craft Breweries like Founders, Brewery Vivant, and many more. 

I am so proud of us for making a great city and great historic neighborhood.      

HOW CAN I MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER?

          This is probably not the kind of letter you were expecting from me, but I was just thinking of my clients and friends and wondered if there is anything I could be doing to help you out.

          Most people only reach out to me when they’re buying or selling a home.  The truth is, there’s a lot of little ways I might be able to lend a hand.

Are you looking for a referral to a contractor?  A plumber?  An electrician?  Are you looking for new quotes on insurance, or considering a home equity loan?  I have a large network of people I trust, and would be glad to make a personal recommendation.

My connections in the community puts me in a position to help connect people with others, but people frequently don’t think to contact a real estate agent for this kind of help. 

I’m also able to provide advice about home maintenance, upgrades that are worth the investment (versus those that aren’t!), and even assistance if you have friends or family looking for a rental.

I just want to make sure you know I’m available as a resource.  If there’s anything I can do to make your life easier, please drop me a line.

Best Wishes,

Kay   

Here is a great article written by Jim Harger of the Grand Rapids Press, which he recently posted on MLIVE.COM:

WEST MIGHIGAN HAS BECOME INCREDIBLY COMPETITIVE

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Housing sales continues to improve during August despite a declining inventory of homes for sale, according to the latest figures from the Grand Rapids Association of REALTORS.

“We continue to hear of multiple offers on properties; it’s become an incredibly competitive market,” said GRAR Executive Director Julie Rietberg.  “We’re obviously pleased with how the market has turned around, and there appears to be no signs that it will slow down anytime soon.”

Pending sales of homes totaled 1,069 in August, a 13.6 percent increase over August 2011 sales, the housing association reported. 

The average home sold for $136,425, an 11 percent increase over the average home sale in August 2011.  For the year, the average home sale has been $131,116, an 8.6 percent increase over the first eight months of 2011. 

Meanwhile, the number of homes listed for sale fell in August.  Homeowners put a total of 1,510 houses on the market last month compared to 1,544 in August 2011.  There were 4,043 homes on the market last month, GRAR reported.

The average home sold last month had been on the market for 65 days compared to 78 days one year earlier.

Meanwhile, Realtytrac.com reported 452 homes were in foreclosure in Kent County last month down 40 percent from August 2011 but up 12.7 percent from July.

Please click on the link provided below to view GRAR's comparative activity report for the month of August:

http://www.grar.com/docs/media/august_2012.pdf
 

Kay

Courtney and Abraham Properties
Kay Courtney
kaycourtney@grar.com
616-456-6166 Office (My 1st Choice) or 616-450-0525 Cell
Or
Melanie Abraham
melaniemabraham@gmail.com
616-295-8080
www.courtneyandabraham.com

Dear Friends and Neighbors –

          As you know, we have listed 480 Fountain NE.  We have listed the home as a

Single Family and we also listed it as a 2 Unit – same price, of

course.

          We will be holding it Open on Sunday, October 14 from 1 to 5 pm

and on Monday, October 15 from 5 to 8 pm and we would love to see you then.

          It’s immediate occupancy except Faite needs 10 days after close to

clear out the basement.

          It’s a fabulous house, in a great location, and it’s in terrific condition at 141 years young.

Best Wishes,

Kay

Kay Courtney

Courtney & Abraham Properties

231 Paris Ave SE

Grand Rapids MI  49503

616-456-6166 Office

616-456-1313 Fax

616-450-0525 Cell

kaycourtney@grar.com

www.courtneyandabrahamproperties.com    

DE-CLUTTERING YOUR HOME

          I just found some useful information I wanted to pass along to you.  I hope you find this as handy as I did.

          When I help people prepare to sell their home, we often work together to de-clutter cabinets, closets, and dens.  It makes a better impression on buyers when they tour the home and stop by open houses.

          For most people, de-cluttering is a completely overwhelming process.  Where to begin? What to do with all the “stuff” that’s built up over the years?

The article by Leo Babauta called “How to Tackle Your Clutter” offers some excellent tricks to make the de-cluttering process easier.  Really great strategies for turning the chore of “cleaning out” into an (almost) pleasurable event.

How to Tackle Your Clutter

http://zenhabits.net/tackle-clutter/  

Hope this helps!

Best Wishes,

Kay

JULY GRAND RAPIDS AREA SALES FIGURES

July New Listings                              up                                   16.4%

          Year to Date                                    up                                   17.2%

July Closed Sales

          Residential                                        up                                   17.8%

          Multi-Units                                        up                                   33.0%

          Vacant Land                                       up                                   78.9%

Year to Date Closed Sales

          Residential                                        up                                   17.5%

          Multi-Units                                        up                                   14.0%

          Vacant Land                                       up                                   47.7%

July Dollar Volume

          Residential                                         up                                  22.8%

          Multi-Units                                         up                                  49.3%

          Vacant Land                                       up                                 216.1%       

Year to Date Dollar Volume

          Residential                                        up                                   25.3%

          Multi-Units                                        up                                   42.7%

          Vacant Land                                       up                                   65.7%

Please note all of those “ups” – this trend will continue!

Kay                            

THE GRATITUDE EXERCISE

            I love this!  I’m doing it every day from now on!

            “Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.” – Aldous Huxley, (1894 – 1963) English writer

            Do you have a practice for dealing with daily stress?  I thought I’d share a simple and surprisingly effective exercise you can do each day that will not only boost your spirits, but lighten the perceived burden of “the daily grind.”  No running shoes required!  You can do it without breaking a sweat, right from the comfort of your car, your desk, or even the line at Starbucks.

It sounds simple, but it’s quite powerful:  Each day, think of five things you’re grateful for.  They don’t have to be big things.  In fact, it’s great to start with the little things.  It helps get you in the flow.

Start with one or two basic things you take for granted, for example:  “I’m grateful for a hot shower in the morning.”  Or:  “I’m grateful for a safe neighborhood.”

Come up with five new things each time you practice.  You might find this challenging at first.  There should be a little struggle, but push through it.  “I’m grateful for the smile of the guy at the bagel shop.”  Or: “I’m grateful for my family dinner on Sundays.”

It might seem silly at first, but you’ll notice that the more you express your gratitude, the more you’ll connect to a general feeling of benevolence for others and well-being.  Really take a moment for each simple gratitude to sink in.  Visualize what you’re grateful for and recall experiencing it.

This gratitude exercise connects you to the world in a positive way.  It make the annoyances in life hurt less, and reminds you to note what is in the world you truly appreciate.  When your focus shifts to gratitude, your attitude improves.

Give it a try this week and see what you think.  Waiting in line, stuck in traffic, killing time between appointments…they’re all great windows to practice a little gratitude.

Sometimes my clients ask me how I keep my cool when dealing with a difficult real estate deal.   Well, I don’t always, but I believe this will help me – and you – keep everything in perspective.  If you’re looking for a stress-free home buying or selling experience, I can help.    

Best Wishes,

Kay

Kay Courtney

Courtney and Abraham Properties

231 Paris Avenue SE

Grand Rapids MI  49503

616-456-6166  Office

616-450-0525  Cell

616-456-1313  Fax

kaycourtney@grar.com  or

Melanie Abraham

616-295-8080 Cell

Melanie@melanieabraham.com

www.Courtneyandabraham.com

MAY 2012 HOUSING STATISTICS

The May housing statistics are out.  They are as good as April with one exception – Listings.

Single Family Homes

Number of Closed Sales are up                   35%  (from May 2011)

Dollar Volume is up almost                          50%  (from May 2011)

Average Price is up 11% at                   $135,846

Pending Sales – New in May –                   1217

Pending Year to Date                                 5070

 (because of Short Sales and Foreclosures that take months to close!)

The Price Class most popular is $100,000 – 120,000

Multi-Family Homes

Number Sales in May   2012    34 up 70%      Dollar Volume up 170% (from May 2011)

Year to Date                            141 up   8%      Dollar Volume up  45%  (from 2011)

Pending – May 2012                34 up   3%      Dollar Volume up  15%  (from May 2011)

Year to Date                           167 dn  4.6%    Dollar Volume up  20%  (from 2011)

To Move or Wait it Out? What About Happiness?

I recently met a potential seller who wants to sell his home and move to Grand Rapids  where much of his family is.

He’s been holding out, refusing to sell his house in Michigan until prices go back to 2005-2006 levels. (Which may not happen for many, many years).

He’s now rethought it (as prices are inching up) – he’s realized his grandchildren are growing up without him and he misses his own grown kids.

So, he’s cleaning out the house, fixing things, giving things away, and getting ready to sell this year.

Please think about it, interest rates are at historical lows and where you might miss out on a couple bucks as a seller you will make it up as a buyer and in terms of happiness.  Talk to me about it.  

After we research the area you want to sell in/buy in we might be pleasantly surprised – real estate is getting better, especially in West Michigan.

Kay