Soon the leaves will be falling and the landscaping will start to look a little bare.  Now it the time to plan to have great fall curb appeal.  Buyers drive by at all times to look at the house.  Is your home looking it's best?

• Make or buy a Autumn wreath for the front door  
• Keep the leaves cleaned up and the lawn cut
• Pull out all the dead flowers
• Cut back all perennials
• Buy some mums for cheap inexpensive flower color.  A $100 -$200 worth of flowers will make a world of difference.

Somethings that you should be doing that won't be noticed.  Clean the gutters out, air the house out one more time, clean the garage.  Doing simple things like this will be noticed by home buyers.

For more Metro Detroit Home sellers tips or Wayne County home sellers tips check out the categories on the side.

Would I buy a FSBO in this Wayne County buyers market?  NO WAY!!!!

I have been looking at a lot of Wayne County homes with some of my buyers.  When we are out looking we have seen some Metro Detroit For sale by owner homes.  In Dearborn Heights we were looking at $70,000 homes, yet the For Sale by Owner Home was listed at $120,000 for the same home.  In Dearborn we were looking at $120,000 homes, yet the same small colonial by For Sale By Owner home was listed for $190,000.  In Brighton we were looking at $490,000 home and the neighbor who was For Sale By Owner was listed at $590,000.  The homeowner said "the last two houses in the sub were given away.  Why just a year ago our house was worth $610,000.

When we call I have been shocked by how high the For Sale By Owners prices are.  Of course none of my buyers wanted to see any of them.  I can understand why they are For Sale By Owner.  The FSBO'shave not come to grips with the current real estate market.  Unfortunately as realtors we are the bearers of bad news right now.  Some of my friends even called me a pessimist last week.

I wish I could lie and tell you that the metro Detroit real estate market is coming back.  That your Plymouth home for sale should be pulled off the market because it is going to be worth a lot more next year.  I wish I could lie and tell you that.  Unfortunately as a home buyer you need to price your home at CURRENT MARKET PRICES...... NOT LAST YEARS..... OR TWO YEARS AGO.  I want to give you the current sold home prices in your neighborhood and then help you make a decision on where to price your home.

As a home buyer I would call on FSBO's but if their price is way off base don't bother going into the home.  You don't want to over pay in this Michigan Home buyers market.  Don't waste your time or take the chance of falling in love with a overpriced home.  Especially if it is ridiculously overpriced home.  If you overpay for a home now it may take ten to fifteen years to break even.  You may be locked into a home that you overpaid for. 

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

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