About Mecosta County, MI

Foreclosure Bus Tours Is it Right for YOU?

This type of marketing of foreclosure homes has been going on all over the nation for over a year now. Is this the right method for you to find a bargain?

Here are a few thoughts that may make you think twice.

All you have to do to be included on these tours is have a pre-approval letter from your lender. That is simple enough you should have that before you start your home search anyway.

But have you considered the other issues?

•1. Multiple buyers are looking at the home at the same time. This drives competition and you may be in a bidding war for the home you like.

•2. You have people all around you while you are viewing the home. You lose the privacy of a personal showing.

•3. You are limited on questions until later, after the bus tour. Why would you want to tip your hand or ask a question that creates another buyer to bid against you?

•4. You may spend all day and not see a home that interests you....your schedule is based on the agents idea of what the good buys are, not on what you are looking to find.

•5. If the home doesn't interest you do you wait in the bus while others stream through the home?

•6. Taking photos to review later is a good idea. If you only take photos of homes you are interested in, people on the tour will note to themselves which homes you are photographing. Again creating more competition....which means a good option is to photograph all homes and discard the photos of homes you have no interest later.

Who wins on a bus tour? Obviously the agent or company that is doing the bus tour to sell homes creates competition ahigh selling prices...more commission. I find that personal tours of homes that meet your exact needs works better. The competitive bids can still happen but you are less likely to create competitive bids when you are alone. The crowd effect increases your chances of competitive bids. You spend less time looking at homes that don't meet your needs or may be in poor condition or wrong location.

You have more time to spend on homes that meet your criteria. You only see homes that will meet your needs instead of a whole cross-section of homes that may or may not be what you want. Remember bus tours are about mass appeal so the homes selected are based on what is most likely to sell quickly. This means the homes can be selected on price alone. If the home you would normally find is outside the price range you may never see it.

Personal services are personal. Agents and companies have enjoyed limited success with the mass showing approach. It sounds like a great way to see a bunch of homes and it is....are they the right ones? The reasons companies stop this method of showing homes after a brief time is cost and results.

If you are looking for a Foreclosure or HUD home call an authorized broker or agent. Get a personal tour of a home that fits your needs. You don't need to sit in the back of the bus....to find the right home!

Short Sale ~ Foreclosure ~ Authorized HUD Broker

Not under buyer contract and want a bargain price home? Give me a call for a personal tour of homes that meet your needs.

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free: 877-667-4699
Local: 616-784-2360 Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com

Living in Your Home VS Selling your Home, There is a Difference!

When you are not selling your home you can pretty much live your lifestyle any way you see fit.

When you decide to sell your home living in your home and selling your home take on very different meanings.

Living in your home you can have the junk drawers....I think I have two myself. I think almost everyone but the most twisted neat freaks have a junk drawer! :-)

You can have your closets packed full so you have to put a visitors coat on your bed or other convenient dropping place. You can have a week's worth of newspapers stacked up next to your favorite chair. You can have dishes from the last time you run the dishwasher sitting inside. You can have your basement or garage packed full of collectables...those things you know you are going to need if you throw them away!

Clutter is the enemy when selling your home. Your collectibles may be your prize possessions but they might be the perfect attractor to the future owners small children who grab one before mom or dad has a chance to say "NO" and it brakes on the floor. Collectibles take up space too, which is what you want buyers to see....space for their possessions.

All those family photos with nails or hanger brackets....all buyers see is patching walls! That workbench area with all those must have treasures you collected....that interprets to no space and no storage options in the buyers mind. Remember it only takes one buyer to sell your home but it may take many showings to find that one buyer.

Look at your home from a new perspective when you are ready to sell. Living in your home versus selling your home is two different things. Sure it may interrupt your lifestyle for a little while but you have to do what you have to do to reach your goals.

A few simple steps and your could be the former owner! Happy selling!

If you live in Grand Rapids or West Michigan area, are not under contract, would like to sell or buy a home....give me a call. It could save you thousands in your next real estate transaction. FlexIt Realty designs selling and buying programs to meet our clients' needs. Your call is always confidential and you are never pressured.

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free: 877-667-4699 Local: 616-784-2360 Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com

Do You Communicate Your Efforts To Sellers?

Sellers need a communication stream of information or they never know what you are doing for them. I had a perfect example this week. One of my agents clients calls for the agent, who is out of the office, as should be the case.

The seller says, "I haven't heard from the agent in weeks, are they still working?" I assured them they were still actively working on selling their home in fact, "have you seen the magazine ads with your home listed or the cable ads your agent is running in addition to the virtual tours and Internet advertising being done on your behalf to sell your home?"

The seller says I had no idea all this was being done.

I told the seller I would put magazine ads and copies of the other advertising in the mail along with links to the various websites for them to see what the agent has been doing to market their home. I will also pass along we spoke and have your agent call you as well.

The client was happier than I was when we ended out conversation. This is such an easy part of the business and crucial to retaining clients. Why agents think communication is not important is beyond me. In a difficult market communication is the cornerstone of your relationship building efforts.

If you do a disappearing act after you list a property you can count on your clients doing a disappearing act on you when the contract expires!

Do you think communication is important?

If you are a licensed Michigan Realtor or Broker and want to know how you can not only survive but thrive in this market, give me a call. Your call is always confidential, it is only talk but could be the best career move you ever made!

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free: 877-667-4699
Local: 616-784-2360
Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com

Mold is with us and nearly in every building or home.

The significance and amount of mold is another story. Mold prevention is almost impossible. That said, preventing mold build-up is very possible. Remember mold likes moisture. Remove the moisture source and it is likely that you mold will never form.

Sound so simple until you have mold.

Click on the link below for an article on mold. It will help you understand more about the mold issues you could face. Once mold has been allowed to progress to advanced stages it will have to be dealt with professionally. Most home owners will not have the skill or tools to deal with molds.

Mold spores can cause irritation of the lungs, infections and my even require physician care.

Click on the link for more. http://www.flexitrealtymichigan.com/MoldintheHome

Forward the link to friends and family so they also have great information on mold.

Hope this helps.

If you live in the Grand Rapids or the West Michigan area, are not under contractand would like to sell or buy a home....give me a call. It could save you thousands in your next real estate transaction. FlexIt Realty designs selling and buying programs to meet our clients needs. Your call is always confidential and you are never pressured.

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free: 877-667-4699 Local: 616-784-2360
Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com

Home warranties can be good and bad.

Ever heard, read the fine print? I use home warranties on a regular basis but I know what the company cover and does not cover. I have had them pay claims for clients too.

I have only had good experiences with them myself. Like anything you should read what they cover. Some of the companies offering home warranties offer very little while the long time reputable companies actually have significant coverage.

I have an article on my website that covers home warranties. Most people do not have a lot of extra cash the first year after buying a house. The home warranty can be a blessing if you have a covered major repair.

Knowing what is covered is key. Calling an 800 number is all it takes and a service fee of as little as $50.00 and up to $100.00 depending on the deductable chosen.

Many people do not know you can put a home warranty on foreclosed properties when you buy them. Some restrictions apply but most to a time delay when a warranty is used on a HUD or Foreclosed property.

Take a minute follow the link and read the article. It will help you understand some options that you may not have known were available to you.

http://www.flexitrealtymichigan.com/HomeownerWarranties I hope the article helps you make a better real estate decision.

If you live in the Grand Rapids or the West Michigan area, are not under contract and would like to sell or buy a home....give me a call. It could save you thousands! FlexIt Realty designs selling and buying programs to meet our clients' needs. Your call is always confidential and you are never pressured.

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free: 877-667-4699 Local: 616-784-2360 Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com