Tips for Holiday Decorating on a Dime

Buying in Southeast Michigan? Perform a full home search

Selling in Southeast Michigan? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

The holidays are approaching. Today, we thought we'd do something a little different and share this festive video on holiday decorating tips from HGTV. Designer Angelo Surmelis shares several great ideas to spread holiday cheer throughout the home. Here are some of our favorites.

1. Pay attention to the mantle. If you don't have some already, buy some kind of garland to drape over the mantle. Next, use leftover ornaments and candles to add light and texture. When choosing ornaments and candles, ensure they are in the same color-palette. This helps make your mantle a great focal point!
2. Use smaller Christmas trees. Every house has their main Christmas tree. In addition, you can also purchase smaller, inexpensive, eco-friendly trees to place throughout the home. Decorate these trees with strips of fabric from a T-shirt in holiday colors to save money for the main tree.
3. Use what you have. Be resourceful. Adding a plate charge and place mat to your everyday dining set adds some jazz to your table. Fresh-cut flowers and candles will help finish the look. You don't need grand, expensive candles -- a little candlelight goes a long way!

As you can see, it doesn't take much to make your home feel more festive. If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

Your Referrals Mean the World to Us!

Buying in Southeast Michigan? Perform a full home search

Selling in Southeast Michigan? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

Today, we've got a quick update about our referral status so far this year.

As most of you know, our goal at the start of the year was 78 referrals. As of early September, we are happy to announce we've received 41 referral clients this year! We are very grateful for the continued support of our team!

In December, we are going to do another iPad giveaway. Keep those referrals coming and you'll be eligible for the drawing! Thanks again for trusting us with your real estate needs - it means the world to us!

If you have any questions or need real estate assistance of any kind, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

Don't Miss Our Second Annual Thanksgiving Pie Giveaway!

Buying in Southeast Michigan? Perform a full home search

Selling in Southeast Michigan? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

Email us to RSVP Now!

Well, it's that time of year again folks! Coming up in November is our annual Pie Giveaway!

On November 24, we invite you to take part in our Second Annual Thanksgiving Pie Giveaway event! It will take place at Burton Manor in Livonia, where we will have hors d'oeuvres and wine, and, of course, your choice of apple or pumpkin pie!

Keep your eyes peeled for an RSVP postcard we'll be sending out soon! This great event is just our small way of saying thanks for the continued support, so we hope to see you there!

The Latest Southeastern Michigan Real Estate Statistics

Buying in Southeast Michigan? Perform a full home search

Selling in Southeast Michigan? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

The latest statistics from the Southeastern Michigan MLS are in, and we wanted to give those to you today. If you want a full copy of the report, we’d be glad to send it to you but for now, let’s talk about what’s been happening in our market:

• July was one of the best sales months in over 10 years for single-family home sales.
• MLS sales increased by 9.3%.
• The median home price climbed by 7.7%, which is a 10-year high.
• The median sale price has risen from $149,000 to $161,000.
• The average time on market is at 41 days.
• Inventory in Metro Detroit is at 25,700, up 2% from last year.
• 94.5% of inventory is designated as non-foreclosure. During the recession, over 40% of homes were short sales or foreclosures.

If you have any questions for us about these numbers, or if you want a copy of the full report, just give us a call or send us an email and we’d be glad to help out. Talk to you soon!

How we helped Carl find a home by providing quick communication

 
"Wendy did everything she could to help us find a house.She got back with us promptly whenever we found a new listing and would make appointments for us to look at homes quickly.We were very happy with our results." 

How Can You Stage on a Budget?

Buying in Southeast Michigan? Perform a full home search

Selling in Southeast Michigan? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

If you are looking to sell your home, your goal is to get the most money possible in the shortest amount of time. One of the best ways to add value and appeal to your home is through home staging. You have a lot of options for how you want to go about it. You could hire a professional staging company, but that comes with a hefty price tag. Most of the time, a few simple fixes is all it takes to transform a living room. 

Today we are going to go through some of our most favorite, inexpensive home staging tips for you. We hope these will help you save both time and money when it comes time to sell your home.

A fresh coat of paint is always a good idea. Neutral, warm colors work best for highlighting the natural light in your home. This will make it easier to punch up the room with some colorful accessories and pull everything together.

A common design problem facing many homeowners is that they have no real entry way, as their front door opens up to the living room. To fix this, you can add a table, some lighting, and a rug to "fake a foyer" and make it feel like the living room and entryway are two different spaces.

A patterned rug, some pillows, or bright curtains add a ton of texture and an eclectic layer to the space, which is essential to a well-designed room.

In some cases, a "make-under" is just what you need. In the case of most fireplaces, taking some accessories and clutter away enhances the look and feel of the room greatly.

You could spend well over a few thousand dollars with a staging company, or you could do these fixes yourself for around $500. That's a normal investment considering the value that you add to your home by adding those pieces.

If you have any questions for us about staging your home or anything else real estate related, give us a call or send over a quick email. We are always here to help, and would love to hear from you!

How we helped Yvonne with her real estate transaction by knowing and looking for what she wanted

"They were great. They were able to help me find the mortgage that I wanted. Wendy never stopped looking for the home that I wanted and she found it. I am very lucky to have used them." 

How we helped Sue with her real estate transaction by always being there and helpful

 


"I had a fantastic experience. Both of them were always right there explaining the process to me so I could understand what was going on. I have used them for multiple real estate transactions and there were able to get my homes sold within days of being on the market. They were above my expectations!"

How we helped Joe get his house ready to sell with by being an attentive and helpful team

 

"We were very impressed. They were able to get our house ready to sell in no time. They were efficient and brought the whole process together as a team. They came together as a team to prepare the house for the market.  I think that they all understood what needed to be done and were hands on during the entire process."

How to Make a Good Offer on a Southeastern Michigan Home

 Buying in Southeast Michigan? Perform a full home search

Selling in Southeast Michigan? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

When the real estate market gets competitive, you need to go ahead and start making strong offers on homes. Today I'll be explaining three things that I believe will make your offer stronger and have a higher likelihood of being accepted.

1. You need to have a strong purchase price to show that you are a serious buyer. Figure out the comparable properties, find out the condition of the home, and make a fair offer on it. Otherwise you stand the chance of looking uninformed and uncommitted as a buyer.
2. Use a reputable lender. You want someone that is well-known in your community, and someone that people trust. You'll also want to look for someone that can close on time and get you into that home when you need to be there.
3. If you can give the sellers occupancy, then your offer will be much, much stronger. Not a lot of people can afford to buy a home and not move into it right away, but if you can do this, you'll be in much better standing with the sellers.

If you have any questions about buying or selling in Southeastern Michigan, please don't hesitate to contact me!

You Don't Want to Miss This Event

Buying in Southeast Michigan? Perform a full home search

Selling in Southeast Michigan? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

Hey everyone, we just wanted to send out a quick reminder about our client appreciation event.

We can't put into words how thankful we are to have you in our lives. Your business and your referrals mean the world to us, and this event is just a very small way to show our appreciation.

On August 1, we will be hosting this event, and you have the opportunity to win raffles and other prizes.

Don't forget to RSVP by calling or emailing us at 734-331-8842 or Info@KimeRealty.com!

We look forward to seeing you.

How we helped Pete with his real estate transaction by being available and professional

 

"We were very pleased. They both took the time to get to know us and what we were looking for. It wasn't just them just trying to sell a house and move on. They have been available to us with their questions and concerns. They have been available and approachable though the entire process. I think they went about their job professionally and if we needed someone to call somebody or get us some information they did it in a timely matter."

Condos Are On Fire in Northville

Buying in Southeast Michigan? Perform a full home search

Selling in Southeast Michigan? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

Today's video is very short and sweet.

I just wanted to let you know that condo sales are very hot right now. We listed a condo in Northville yesterday in the low $200K range, and it got 11 requests for showings in the last 24 hours!


If you've got a condo, or if you're considering selling your condo, please don't hesitate to contact me. You have a very good opportunity if you're looking to make a nice profit.

I've sold over 300 condos in my career, and I can fill you in on the process. Buyers are purchasing them faster than we can sell them, so contact me soon!

How we helped Colleen find a home by figuring out what the customer needed

 

"I was really happy with them! We were relocating from the other side of the state, and I wasn’t even sure what city I wanted to live in. They were great about taking me to look at houses in all different areas. Wendy got a good feel for what we wanted, and they narrowed down the search more to fit our needs. The biggest thing is that they were really patient with me. They were fast to respond, and they would get us in right away to see any house we wanted!"

How we helped Julie sell her home using our convenient app

 

"It was amazing! I had 39 showings in four days, and by day five I had eight offers on the table. It blew me away! Greg himself came over and spent a lot of time setting up the listing. He took really great pictures. I loved that they have an app so I could check in. I’m a teacher, so I couldn’t field any phone calls. It was really convenient, because both of us work full time jobs and we didn’t have to take any time off. It was a pleasure to work with them! "

How we helped David sell his home using our unique business model

 

"The results were great! We sold it in one day when we got it back on the market. I think they’ve got a unique business model. Most Realtors try to be a one-stop shop whereas Greg and Wendy have a team they work with. They are very professional, and I enjoyed everyone I worked with. Greg takes great pride in his photography. I don’t think anybody compares with what he puts out there! "

Where Is the Southeastern Michigan Marketplace Heading?

Buying in Southeast Michigan? Perform a full home search

Selling in Southeast Michigan? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

Today, we answer our most commonly asked question: What's going on in Southeastern Michigan marketplace?  

 
When we give these market updates, we use data compiled by Realcomp, the largest multiple listing service in Michigan. Here are the latest numbers:

• Sales for the month were up slightly (1%), from 5,143 to 5,193
• Median sale price was up 21.7%, from $118,000 to $143,550
• Average days on market increased by 1 day, from 55 to 56
• Inventory increased by approximately 6.3%

What do these numbers mean for you? For one, they mean our market is quite healthy this year and continually improving. Take, for example, the amount of distressed property on the market: this year, 93.5% of market inventory is designated as non-foreclosures, whereas last year that numbers was only 90.3%! This means that our market is normalizing and is getting better by the day!

If you want a copy of the latest market statistics, or if you have real estate questions of any kind, give us call or shoot us a quick email. We would love to hear from you!

Do You Have Our Benefits Card?

Buying in Southeast Michigan? Perform a full home search

Selling in Southeast Michigan? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

Hey everyone, thanks for joining us. Today we want to go over our Raving Fan Benefits Card, and how it can serve you in your every day life.

 
You don't need to be in the thick of a real estate transaction to receive help or stay in touch with us. We can still provide many services for you outside of that realm. Here are just a few of the benefits that our benefits card offers you:

• Moving boxes
• Garage sale signage
• A FREE equity evaluation
• Access to our conference room by appointment
• Relocation services
• A 30% discount on paint at Sherwyn Williams

These are just a few of the many benefits that our Raving Fan Benefits Card offers to our friends and family. If you would like your own card, just give us a call or send us an email and we would be glad to send one over. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to reach out!

How To Choose The Best Offer On Your Home

Buying in Southeast Michigan? Perform a full home search

Selling in Southeast Michigan? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

Today I just wanted to provide you with a brief real estate market update for our local area. It's mid-April and our market is off to a very hot start. Listings under $400K are generating a lot of activity and we're seeing multiple offer situations pretty commonly. That's why today I'll be discussing how you can handle those situations and pick out the best possible offer.

A client of ours named Paul got multiple offers on his home, and if you look at the graph you can see that one client offered full price and put down a 40% down payment with a $5,000 earnest money deposit. Some of the other offers didn't even cover the listing price, so in this instance, we knew very clearly who was the most serious buyer and we elected to go with him.

If you're finding yourself in a fix and don't know which offer would benefit you the most, then please don't hesitate to contact us. We would be happy to help you!

Why Are Sump Pumps Essential?

Buying a Southeast Michigan home? Perform a full home search
Selling your Southeast Michigan home? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

Just recently, a great client of ours named Larry asked us about sump pumps. Are they a reflection of basements that have had leaking problems in the past? In other words: does the sump pump say anything about the home?

Over 20 years ago, sump pumps were included in the building code. Any new construction property requires a sump pump. It sits in what's called the sump pit; when water from the outside of the home seeps into the backfill zone and through the gravel, it is funneled through the weeping tile to the sump pit connection where the water then fills the sump pit. At this point, the sump pump pushes the water through a discharge line that pumps the water away from the foundation. In short, the pump protects your foundation from water damage! 
 ​
 

This is a time-tested and reliable method for keeping basements dry. If the power goes out, there are two methods to deal with the situation. Some people have a water backup system, while others have a battery back up system. In other words, there are always backup plans when it comes to getting water out of your basement.

If you have any questions about this topic, or if you have real estate questions of your own, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you soon!

Our Featured Listings Will Amaze You

Buying in Southeast Michigan? Perform a full home search, 

Selling in Southeast Michigan? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

Today we'd like to show you some excellent properties we have available that are surely not going to last very long.

One of our properties is located in Canton's Cherry Hill Village. This home has over 3,500 sq. ft., 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, a 3-car garage, granite countertops, and a huge walk-in pantry. The master bedroom has a great bathroom that even comes with heated floors! There's also a first-floor library and two-story ceilings in the living room. This home is a steal at $430K!

Our next featured property is a ranch-style home in Southfield. The floor plan is inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, and has a square footage of 1,920. This home has 3 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms. It sits on a peaceful and cozy lot, where you'll be sure to see wildlife in this wooded area. This home is currently listed at $120K.

Another property we have is an attached condo in Waterford. It features over 1,500 sq. ft., 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, a finished basement, and excellent hardwood floors. This home is listed at $120K.

For any of you looking for new construction, we currently have 120 units of available condos in the Van Buren Township. Contact us for more details.

If you know anyone that might be interested in learning more about these excellent properties, please contact us!

Southeastern Michigan Real Estate Market Update

Buying in Southeast Michigan? Perform a full home search 

Selling in Southeast Michigan? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

Today I'm going to be speaking briefly about what's happening in the southeast Michigan real estate market. We hope that you use this information to your advantage when you're buying or selling in this market. We have a plethora of other resources available to help you, just ask us if you need help.

Here are some things to consider about our market:

• Interest rates have fallen below 4% for 30-year fixed rate mortgages, but they may not stay at such low rates for long. This means that if you're going to buy this spring, then you better act quickly before you lose buying power. Just a 1% increase in interest rates means a 10% decrease in your buying power.

• Median sale price has increased by 15% in our market since last year.

• Sales were down 6.1%, and this could be attributed to decreased affordability because of appreciation in our market.

• The average days on market is sitting at the same amount of time as last year, from 57 to 58 days.

• Inventory levels have also increased by 5% since this time last year.

Hopefully this provides you with a clearer picture of our local market. I think the main thing to remember is that affordability is high right now, and this actually helps both buyers and sellers. If you're serious about buying or selling real estate this year, please get into contact with us and we can get you on the right track!

How to Avoid a Long and Stressful Home Sale

There are many great Southeast Michigan area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (734) 446-5744 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

 

With the spring selling season right around the corner, we thought we would share some pro tips on how to get your home ready for the market!

The market is already starting to heat up. If you want to be competitive in a crowded marketplace so you can sell fast and get top dollar, we recommend contacting us to get our 75-point checklist. It has everything you need to get your home in the best condition possible for the market. It's a detailed list that outlines a proven formula for getting more money for your home in the most cost-effective way possible! 

Give us a call or shoot us an email to get a copy of the checklist. It's valuable information that has helped many sellers before you, and we're sure you will find it helpful! We hope to hear from you soon! 

How we helped Kim buy and sell a home using effective time management

"They were fabulous! Greg and Wendy were very attentive. They addressed all of our needs and concerns, and were always quick to answer phone calls and emails. They made sure that everything got addressed in a timely manner. Our original home sold very quickly based on the marketing plan Greg devised, and we were able to find a beautiful house that we loved! It was a wonderful experience, and I recommend them to all my friends."

How we helped Tanya sell her home using careful attention to the client’s needs

"We could not have had a better experience! I heard a friend mention their great experience with Greg, so I reached out to Greg and Wendy when we were selling our house. At our first meeting, we were very specific about what we were looking for in a home and in a Realtor, and Greg and Wendy listened intently. They took care of everything we needed!"

How we helped Michele with her transactions by guiding them through the process

"Our experience was absolutely incredible. Greg guided us through the whole process of selling our home at a time when the market was sort of iffy. We trusted him and his experience, and did everything he advised. The house sold in about five days! We even wound up with a full price offer! Greg and Wendy also helped us purchase a home. Buying a house is a stressful situation, but Wendy's relaxed demeanor and Greg's consistent updates turned it into an amazing process. We recommend Greg and Wendy to everybody we know!"

How we helped Chris sell a condo by always being available!

"I got great results with Greg and Wendy. My mother had passed away, and selling her condo seemed overwhelming at first. An overwhelming number of repairs needed to be made, but Greg and Wendy connected us with people who took care of everything! Greg and Wendy are both very down to earth and easy to talk to. Greg was very accessible, and he always answered any questions that I had. We wound up getting more than what we originally asked for! Bottom line, it was an excellent experience working with Greg and Wendy. "

Are you the Lucky Winner of the iPad Air?

There are many great Southeast Michigan area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (734) 446-5744 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Hello and welcome to a very special edition of our video blog!

Today, we're doing our iPad raffle! In 2014, we were blessed by many of you who referred  us clients, and we received a total of 32! 

We're VERY thankful for the support!

To show you how much it means to us, we're giving away an iPad Air to the winner of our drawing.

AND THE WINNER IS...MARK AND MICHELE! 

Congratulations! Thanks to Mark and Michele, and everyone else who referred someone to us this year. It truly means the world to us!