Photos from Jon Boyd Ann Arbor Real Estate Buyer's Agent
Big Changes at the Big House -
Michigan Stadium is getting another major additionLocated in: Ann Arbor, MI
If you are buying a home in the city over about 40 years old you should be having a sewer line inspection.
Many homes built from the early 1940's to the mid 1960's used a material called Orangeburg for the sewer lines. Unfortunately Orangeburg has a limited life. (Do a search for Orangeburg on my blog for much more information and videos.)
Many of the homes of this generation have had the sewer lines repaird already, but there is a special issue on these homes you need to be aware of. There are typically three different parts of the sewer line that might be replaced. An they are not always all done.
1. House to sidewalk.
2. Sidwalk to curb.
3. Curb to main line in the street.
A listing may say "sewer replaced" when only the section from the house to the sidewalk has actually been replaced. The other two sections are generally more expensive and if they aren't failing at the moment a home owner may not have the whole job done.
As an example, about nine years ago we helped a home buyer buy in the Dicken school area. Our inspection showed the sewerline was starting to colapse. We negotiated to have the seller replace the sewer line to the main in the street prior to closing.
When I stopped by to check on the work the workmen were only replacing to the sidewalk.
I had to call the listing agent and specifically point out to her that the contract called for replacement to the main. She argued but eventually gave in.
To this day I don't know if she was just careless or if she was trying to cheat the purchaser. But the point is... you need to pay attention to the sewer line, even if the seller says it has been replaced.
Jon Boyd, Broker/Manager
The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor, Inc.
http://buyersagentannarbor.com/
member office of http://naeba.org
734-6620-6240
1908 W. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Ann Arbor's Most experienced Exclusive Buyer's Brokerage!
We cover a number of areas in Wayne County, the same county that includes Detroit.
I have shared the frustration of many in the state with the behavior of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Well, he has now stated that he lied under oath among other things.
Here is the news from the Detroit based Channel Seven TV station.
Jon Boyd, Broker/Manager
The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor, Inc.
http://buyersagentannarbor.com/
member office of http://naeba.org
734-6620-6240
1908 W. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Ann Arbor's Most experienced Exclusive Buyer's Brokerage!
I just saw this article in the Detroit news: GMAC plans major job cuts
It has been a long time since our Exclusive Buyer's Agent office used GMAC on a regular basis with out buyer clients, but we've had a number of GM employees use then in the last few years. We are sad to hear the news.
About 160 Michigan employees will lose their jobs. This is about 10% of their Michigan workforce.
Jon Boyd, Broker/Manager
The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor, Inc.
http://buyersagentannarbor.com/
member office of http://naeba.org
734-6620-6240
1908 W. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Ann Arbor's Most experienced Exclusive Buyer's Brokerage!
Here in Ann Arbor Michigan we've occasionally been frustrated by "admin fees" in the lisings.
There have been a number of posts here on the transaction fees that are sometimes charged to buyers by the listing office or seller.
There is a some potential good news as reported here:
These fees don't make much sense to us as an Exclusive Buyer's Broker. Just another trick to increase frustration for home buyers, something smart sellers shouldn't be doing.
What do you think?
Helping Home Buyers Locate, Evaluate, and Negotiate great home deals!
Jon Boyd, Broker/Manager
The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor, Inc.
http://buyersagentannarbor.com/
734-6620-6240
1908 W. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Ann Arbor's Most experienced Exclusive Buyer's Brokerage!
The Ann Arbor Business Review just reported that Citigroup, who bought ABN Amro, is going to close their Southfield office and move those 470 employees to their building South of Ann Arbor off State Street.
This is interesting because they also just layed off about 60 employees from the facility.
The mortgage marketplace has certainly changed here over the last few years.
Lets see if I can get this right:
ABN Amro bought the Standard Federal system a few years ago, but kept the retail name.
La Salle bought the Standard Federal banking and mortgage group and changed the retail name to La Salle.
Citigroup bought the ABN Amor mortgage division last year.
Bank of America bought La Salle and changed the retail name last year, but the mortgages are still done through Citigroup.
Citigroup then bought Countrywide om a purchase that was just finalized in the last few months. The Countrywide name is being absorbed over the coming year or so.
Helping Home Buyers Locate, Evaluate, and Negotiate great home deals!
Jon Boyd, Broker/Manager
The Home Buyer's Agent of Ann Arbor, Inc.
http://buyersagentannarbor.com/
734-6620-6240
1908 W. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Ann Arbor's Most experienced Exclusive Buyer's Brokerage!
Ann Arbor's Buyer's Real Estate Company - Helping you find the best home, negotiate the best deal, and save on loans and costs. All without the conflicts of regular agents! The Home Buyer's Agent
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
Powered by the ActiveRain Real Estate Network
© 2009 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved
