Metro Detroit Relocation tips

 Whether you are moving to Metro Detroit, out of Michigan, or just in state it is stressful if you are not prepared.

1. Get rid of things you don't want to move.  No sense moving items that will stay in boxes for years.  No sense paying to move stuff to have it sit in a box.  Have a garage sale or give it too charity.  You will get a tax deduction for those items.
2. Get lots of boxes before hand.  Go to your local fruit market or buy them at the local moving store. Get lots of packing materials.  If you have breakables you never have enough old newspaper.
3. Get organized.  Get large colored markets or colored tags so you can mark boxes where they can go.  For example Red tags for kitchen, blue for the kids bedroom, orange for the living room.  Label the boxes with what is in them.  Label them on the top and one side so you can see what's inside from anywhere.
4. Take valuable papers, valuables, electronic chargers, and any other important paper work with you.  Don't pack them in the moving truck.  Anything that you might need before the truck arrives.  Some of the things you might want to take with you ................your phone book with all your new important phone numbers, home closing papers, check books, bank account info, new school information, etc.
5. If you have pets, pre-plan where they are going to stay, or how you are going to travel with them.  Do they need updated shots?  Do they have id tags?  Do you have their lease, food, dog bowls, and collar in your car?
6. Have you contacted the new school for what is needed for your kids?  Get their shots updated for the new school.  Have their school transcripts with you.
7. Make a list of all the things that need to be done.  A Things to do list and when they need to be done will make your life easier.  Triple space the list so you add more things to do between.  Don't be afraid of redoing your list.

Buying Metro Detroit real estate or selling a Michigan home is crazy enough without adding moving to it.  Every preparation you can make before hand will help make your Metro Detroit Home move  a breeze.

My thought of the day is

"The secret to a genuinely peaceful world is within us.
We can make it so, if we all start now.
Right now, pledge to do acts of kindness each and every day
Be gentle, kind, caring, and loving
Always smile. Laugh!
Learn. Teach. Above all, be patient.
Share, be part of a team, and be fair.
Listen. Sing. Play. Be the music.
Hug someone.
Remember the ultimate goal of true unity...
And the world will live as one."

Amanda Beadle written in the 10th grade 

Michigan Property tax information

When closing on Metro Detroit Real Estate you will notice on the first page of the HUD Settlement paper (the page with all the numbers) tax pro-rations

The tax pro-rations are the money the buyer owes the seller for the unused portion of Michigan property tax that the seller has paid.   In Michigan Summer tax bill is sent out on July 1 and the Winter tax bill is sent out on December 1.  In most Michigan counties the summer tax bill is the bigger bill.  In most Michigan counties the tax bill is paid forward.  So the winter tax bill is paid on Dec 1 2007 and covers from Dec 1 2007 until Nov 30 2008.

To explain this easily lets say the summer property tax bill is $2400 and the winter property tax bill is $1200.  Let's say we are closing October 1 2008.  So the seller paid the summer tax bill ($2400) as of July 1 2008.  So breaking it down each month  is $200.  (2400 divided by 12 = $200)  So if the seller paid the in July and we are closing in October, the seller will have used up  3 months of his money ( July, August, September)  So the buyer owes the seller 9 months of the unsed summer tax money.  9 months times $200 = $1800

The Michigan property tax pro-rationsfor the winter tax is figured the same way.  The seller paid the winter tax on Dec 1,2007.  So the seller has used up taxes all the way to October 1,2008.  So the Seller used Dec, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September.   So the seller has used up ten months.  So the buyer only owes the seller 2 months of the unused taxes.  So the winter tax bill was $1200 divided by 12 months = $100 a month.  So the buyer owes $200 for the winter property taxes.

So the total Michigan property tax pro-rations the buyer owes the seller as of October 1, 2008 is $1800 (summer tax) and $200 (winter tax) for a total of $2000.

For more on closing costs, Michigan mortgages,  Metro Detroit mortgages, or fighting your Michigan property tax assessment, understanding your Michigan tax bill

Relocating to Michigan?  Searching Metro Detroit real estate?  Have you decided on Wayne County or Oakland County?  If you have narrowed your search down to Oakland County then Farmington Hills might be a city to look at.  Located off I-696 and M-5 and close to M-10 and I-275 the ease of getting around Detroit is simple.

Farmington Hills was incorporated in 1973 and has over 82,000 residents and has 33.3 square miles.  The community was named for Farmington, NY.  Farmington Hills Michigan  has all the advantages of a major metropolitan area.  Within 30 to 40 minute drive here are some of the activities you can do

• Detroit Lions football
• Detroit Institute of Arts DIA
• Detroit Zoo
• Henry Ford historic museum and village
• International Auto Show
• Fisher Theatre
• Woodward Dream Cruise
• Acclaimed Detroit symphony orchestra
• more theatres and museums, jazz festivals
• The Holocaust Memorial Center is located at 28123 Orchard Lake Road in Farmington Hills MI
• and much much more

FH is the largest city in Oakland County (the most prosperous county in Michigan, and the third wealthiest county in per-capital income in America). It was the safest city in Michigan and 11th safest in the nation in 2003.  The median household income is $67,493 and has diverse international population: residents speak more than 80 languages.

Farmington Hills has a friendly neighborhood atmosphere with more than 80 clubs and professional organizations.  More than 200 residents volunteer on 50 different city boards and commissions.  Farmington Hills has over 40 churches, synagogues and places of worship.

Farmington Hills has 5,000 businesses, 17 industrial and business parks with a total of 836 acres, 10 Fortune 500 companies, more than 70 international firms, and more than 600 acres of premium commercial real estate.

The area code is 248 and the zip code is 48334 and 48331.

 So if a Michigan relocation is in your future consider searching Farmington or Farmington Hills real estate you won't be sorry.

So you sold your Metro Detroit home.  It took time, lots of hard work to keep it clean, and get the home into shape to sell.  It sometimes was inconvenient to back up and leave to show the home but your home sold!!!

Now some Metro Detroit home buyer is moving into your beautiful home.  They don't know the area, the don't know how things work in your house.  You do!  You have loved and taken care of the house.  You know the little tricks and quirks of the house.

Be a better person.  Sure you may be selling your Metro Detroit home below what you thought it should sell for.  It was a stressful time negotiating the sale.  But don't take it out on the buyer.  It is the economy, not the buyers' fault that Metro Detroit home prices are so low.

            This is some notes one of my buyers got.        

So be the nicest person you can be.  Make a list to help the new home buyer.  Tell them when garbage day is, names and numbers of contractors.  Leave them all the instruction manuals.  I have the philosophy of what you do for others will come back many times over to you.  Do a little extra for the new home owner.  Leave them notes on what switches operate what. 

So when you move out do the right thing and help the new home buyer out.  You would want the same courtesy and help when you move into your new home where ever it is.  Help make the world a little nicer today.  Write a few helpful notes out for them.  Have a great day.  Russ Ravary

When searching Metro Detroit real estate sometimes you don't know where you want to live.  What kind of city would make your house desirable.  Look at the cities events and characteristics.  Is it a place that is safe, that people want to visit?  Are the taxes reasonable?  Will property values appreciate in the long run?  Would people want to raise a family there? When relocating to Michigan you don't know the area or the local cities.

Could it be Plymouth or Plymouth Township?

Plymouth courthouse, this is the current one that was

built after the last one burnt down.

   Plymouth MI is a city that is close to many expressways.  M-14, I-96, & I-275.  Located in Western Wanye county it is a short commute to downtown Detroit, the airport, and Ann Arbor.  We consider Plymouth to be in the western suburbs of Detroit.  It is about 20 minutes from either Ann Arbor or Detroit, right dead center between them.  
      Plymouth has a quaint downtown with a central park, lots of restaurants, and neat shops.  It has plenty of old time town atmosphere.  Downtown town Plymouth Michigan has about every type of restaurant that you could want (from bar burgers to Irish pub, to higher end Italian or steak places.  So if you live in Plymouth you don't have far to go to eat out).
      What is nice is that they do several festivals a year in the downtown area that help the area thrive.  The Plymouth Ice Festival in January, the Plymouth Arts in the Park show in July, The Plymouth Fall Festival in September.  They also have a Chili cookoff in Kellogg Park.  These festivals draw people from everywhere and makes Plymouth a great place to live.

A street shot of some of the shops across from Kellog Park

      Downtown Plymouth also has an Old Village or "lower town" area.  They have a very nice Historical museum that is constantly changing exhibits.  

So if you are relocating to Michigan and looking for Metro Detroit Michigan real estate give me a call on my cell or visit my other website to find out more about southeastern Michigan, it's cities, it;s real estate.  www.RussRavary.com

My quote of the day:

I'm not sure what the future holds but I do know that I'm going to be positive and not wake up feeling desperate. As my dad said "Nic, it is what it is, it's not what it should have been, not what it could have been, it is what it is".

Nicole Kidman