Detroit Real Estate

Pricing your Metro Detroit Home

A few weeks ago one of my first time home buyers put an offer in on a Novi home.  It wasn't a Novi foreclosure.  We looked at all the comparables for the home and my clients made a good decision on offer price.

But the problem was that the Novi home sellers were chasing the market down.  They were always over priced for the Novi real estate market and they still are a little.  My buyers offer was a reasonable offer.   But now the Novi home sellers were digging their feet in the sand.  They have put a list of $215,000 out there and they didn't want to sell it for less than $215,000. ( price has been changed to protect the identity of the seller)..

We were $5000 apart when we stopped negotiating.  If you call it negotiating.  My buyers kept coming up in price and the other side didn't budge.  My buyers were willing to pay a little over market for the home.     But when we tried to negotiate they were firm on their stance they weren't going to take less than $215,000.  NO WAY, NO HOW  WERE THEY GOING ANY LOWER.  My new Novi home buyers moved on, and bought another Novi home, and the seller's home still sits for sale.

There are three mistakes the seller is making.

1. Not being realistic for the market.  Look at the recent sold prices and accept them.  You want to sell your home right?
2. Not being flexible.  You can't dig your heels in and not negotiate most of the time in this market.  It is still a buyers market.  You will have more buyers walking away than selling the house.
3. Pricing the Novi housewrong.  The seller should have priced the house $5000 higher.  You have to give the buyer the feeling of getting something off list price in the market.

For more Metro Detroit home sellers tips feel free to visit my other website if you can't find enough good information on the right side of the page in the category sellers tips

Livonia Real Estate Wayne County homes for sale

Russ Ravary your Novi relocation specialist

It was sunny here in the Metro Detroit area so my quote of the day is:

Blest power of sunshine!--and genial day,
  What balm, what life is in thy ray!
    To feel there is such real bliss,
      That had the world no joy but this,
        To sit in sunshine calm and sweet,--
          It were a world too exquisite

Thomas Moore

So you are buying an Oakland County home and you are doing a home inspection.  You have noticed some water in the basement running out from behind the finished walls.  How do you determine what is going on behind the wall?  It is tough to know whether the wall is cracked, or has major structural damage.  How long has the wall been leaking, or is the wall full of mold?

You call in a basement wall repair man and he says let's take down the finished wall, and we will be able to see what is going on behind the wall.   Whoa.................You can't do that.  You don't own the house.  You don't have the right to damage a house you don't own.  What happens you take down the wall and decide not to buy it.  Do you think the owner is going to be happy that you damaged their home.  I think you would be sued for the damage.  The real estate agent, the inspector, and the real estate company would all be sued for the damages.  You can not take apart or damage any home you are inspecting.

So the bottom line is that you can not damage or take apart anything in the house in order to expect.

So here are your choices:

1. Hire an experience contractor to explain the situation, possible costs, and your choices.
2. Request the seller to remove the finished wall, verify the issues, and correct the problem.
3. Ask for enough money to solve the problem
4. Ask for mold test  
5. Buy the house as is
6. Decide not to buy the house because you can not determine the extent of the problem

Do not take apart or damage a house otherwise you will be paying for a house you don't home.  If you have to pay thousands of dollars for repairs in a home you don't own you may not have enough for a down payment on another home.  Plus you could lose your earnest money deposit.

So whether you are buying Farmington Hills real estate or Novi real estate knowing what you can and can't do in an Metro Detroit home inspection is important.

I hope this helped.

Russ Ravary  your Oakland County Real estate specialist

My quote of the day is:

Famous archer, Howard Hill won all of the 267 archery contests he entered. He could hit a bullseye at 50 feet, then split first arrow with the second. Would it be possible for you to shoot better than him? YES, if he were blindfolded! How can you hit a target you can't see? Even worse, how can you hit a target you don't even have!? You need to have GOALS in your life!

Zig Ziglar

 Novi subdivisions Simmons Orchards

Novi MI Homes for sale

Simmons Orchards subdivision is located right down the street from Novi's police station and city offices. (off Ten Mile)  Novi has lots of great shopping, restaurants, and easy access to I-96.  With homes ranging from $100,000 (1200 to 1400 square foot ranches) to Million dollar estates.  ( Bellagio Subdivision )

Simmons Orchard subdivision is actually 4 subdivisions with one homeowners association.  Simmons Orchard has approximately 255 homes in it.  The homes were built during the years of 1983 -1988.

The homes are mostly Colonial, Cape Cod, and ranch style.  Most of the homes have brick/wood exteriors and brick/vinyl exteriors, mostly 2 car garages, 3-4 bedrooms, 2 + bathrooms, basements and some slab.

Square footage of the colonial homes range from 1400 - 2200 square ft.
Square footage of the ranch homes range from 1200-1600 square ft

The school District is Novi Community Schools

The location of the subdivision is between 10 and 11 mile roads and between Taft and Beck Roads.  You can enter the subdivision off 10 Mile

The streets that are in the Simmons Orchard subdivision are:

Cider Mill
Sarah Flynn
Crestview
Simmons Drive
Surfside
Fairway Hills
Riverview
Bonnie Brook

 Simmons Orchards has a combination of ranch homes and colonials.  Some of the ranches have no basements.

All of the above information is general information.  We do not guarantee the information.  This is to give a guide to the subdivision.

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Michigan Trivia

Did you know that :

• Pullman sleeping cars were first manufactured in Detroit in 1871 by George Pullman.
• Did you know that the the Tigers first placed the distinctive letter on their uniforms in 1904, one year before any interlocking NY appeared on a Yankees shirt.
• In 1817 the University of Michigan was the first university established by any of the states. Originally named Cathelepistemian and located in Detroit the name was changed in 1821. The university moved to Ann Arbor in 1841
• Indian River is the home of the largest crucifix in the world. It is called the Cross in the Woods.

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• Use the search box - type the word or information you need
• Click on the categories on the side
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Novi MI Data

Novi MI has really grown in the last 20 years.  Novi was a farming community.  Located in Oakland County which is considered as one of the wealthiest counties in the country for its size.            

Novi starts at Haggerty road on the east side.  Novi has 1000 -1500 square foot ranches with no basements located in the area of 10 mile and Meadowbrook Rd. 

There were quite a few subdivisions that were built between the 1960 to the 1980's.  Like most of western Wayne County the majority of the home styles were

• colonials.... 1600 to 2200 square foot.  3 & 4 bedroom, 2 bathrooms, 2 car garage, and basement
• bi-levels, tri-levels and quad- level homes built in the 1960 and 1970's.  Just like the colonials above but a little smaller in square footage
• ranches...ranging up to 1800 square foot

The majority of homes built in those years were colonials.

As the years progressed homes got bigger and bigger.  Newer Novi subdivisions range from 2500 square foot homes or 3000 square foot homes.  Then there are subdivisions that range from 3000 to 4000 square foot.

Four of Novi's elegant or "upper end" subdivisions are

• Island Lakes
• Maybury Park
• Bellagio
• Beckingham 

I hope this gives you a good idea of what some of Novi home stylesare like if you have a Novi relocation in your future.  Whether you are moving to Michigan from out of state or just moving around within Oakland County MI Novi is a great place to call home. 

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My quote of the day:

If you love someone you say it, you say it right then, out loud. Otherwise the moment just...
passes you by...

-My Best friend's Wedding

photos courtesy of Realcomp Ltd II