Rob Chubb

Like it or not, technology is playing a huge role in the real estate business. Personally, I like it. The use of tech tools and gadgets is something that I have always been drawn to and can pick up on very easily.

It boggles my mind when I hear agents in my office say they will not utilize the Internet and email in their business. I think they're shooting themselves right in the foot. Consumers expect information right now! They can get property listings, sales history, previous owners, price changes, etc with a click of the mouse. So when they ask you to email them the purchase agreement and they will email it back, you better know how to scan, attach and download.

It's a matter of who can do the job quickest and not sacrifice quality these days. Gone are the days of driving documents to the other agents office. Even fax has taken a back seat.

The tech train left the depot a while ago.

Here's a tidbit if you didn't already know. Trulia allows agents to set up a profile and put your listings on there. You can also set it up to directly email your seller weekly updates on the traffic they are receiving through Trulia. We need to provide our sellers with as much info as possible to help them make educated decisions.

Remember, at the end of the day, our experience and knowledge is something that can't be found on line.

Memorial Day is Monday and many of us are heading out of town for the weekend. Personally, I'm going camping. I've always been a big fan of camping. Sitting around enjoying the weather, drinking an ice cold "ginger ale", in the company of great friends and family. What's not to love? Besides, I even have a camper which makes things better.

I've been cleaning up the camper for the season. I took everything out, scrubbed it top to bottom, then put everything back in. We are organized and looking good! It really got be thinking . . . shouldn't our sellers be doing this when we list their homes?

If you went to your own house right now, took everything out, scrubbed it down, got rid of things you don't need, then organize it, how would it look. My guess is better than the day you originally moved in. Just like when you sell a car, you clean it up and get it looking really nice for the prospective owner.

Home sellers should be doing this before the home hits the market! It's important to make their homes look great. You can even rent a POD to store stuff in your driveway while you clean.

By doing this, you will increase the buyers appeal, and will help justify a higher purchase price. With the amount of homes in bad shape on the market, it's great walking into a clean, organized one. Buyers will pay a little extra so they don't have to do it when they get the keys.

Meadowbrook Glens is one of the more well established neighbhorhoods in Novi, MI. It's a very popular subdivision due to the mature trees, large fenced yards, variety of floor plans, and sidewalks.

This subdivision in Novi is located South of Grand River, West of Meadowbrook. You can walk to the grocery store, pharmacy, or to get a bit to eat. There is even an ice cream parlour at the corner.

Home sales in Meadowbrook Glens for the past year have been steady. As of today there are 10 homes for sale. The asking prices for the sales range from $148,000 to $280,000.

In the past 12 months there have been 14 sales ranging from $141,000 to $240,000. The average sale price is $184,625, with homes taking approx. 4 months to sell.

You can access this area on Cherry Hill which is West off Meadowbrook, or you can go North on Kings Pointe, or Hampton Hill from 10 Mile Rd.

If you have additional questions about this neighborhood, feel free to contact me.

Happy Hunting!

Rob Chubb
248-348-6430 ext. 223
Novi, MI, 48375
www.RobChubb.com

I haven't written anything for a while so I thought my first post back would be about housing and life in Novi, MI.

Novi's median sale price for for the 1st quarter of 2009 was around $182,500 which is down about 5.5% from the previous year. The number of homes hitting the market in Novi, has also declined. This tells us that the market is turning, and with less inventory, it's only a matter of time before values start to increase.

Novi is a popular place for prospective homeowners that are either moving from another city in Michigan or out of state. Novi has many different housing options available at a wide variety of pricing. If you prefer to live in a condo, small home, or luxury estate sized home, Novi has it all. The area has also seen it's share of foreclosures. The positive light on these sales are that they are typically priced well and home buyers are grabbing them up quickly.

Shopping, dining and night life make Novi a popluar destination for all different age groups. Many well known restuarants and department stores call Novi home. The Twelve Oaks Mall was built in the 1970's and recently went through a major addition bringing in many new stores.

If you are thinking about selling your Novi home, or calling Novi home, I can provide you with information.

Rob Chubb
Real Estate One - Novi
248-390-0850
rob@realestateone.com

"What is a Buyer's Agent?"

I get this question a lot when talking to prospective home buyers. I was surprised to know how many consumers didn't know that real estate agents can exclusively represent the buyer in a transaction.

So what does the buyer's agent do? The agents' main duties are:

• To seek property that best fits the Buyer's needs
• To review pricing policies and trends
• To help the Buyer analyze and select neighborhoods, schools, driving distances, a closing attorney and so on
• To negotiate on behalf of the Buyer
• To provide assistance and guidance with mortgages, insurance, warranties, inspections, and repairs

All with the objective of making the purchase process beneficial to the Buyer.

As a prospective Buyer, if you want your interests represented, someone who will negotiate hard on your behalf, and is knowledgeable about the things that are important to a Buyer, you need a Buyer's Agent to work with and for you!

Fellow Agents . . . make sure you are explaining the different levels of service that buyers can receive from you. It helps you to stand out above the rest and, it's the law!