Island of fiscal sanity in Michigan

Whatever is good for Oakland County, is some small way, effects us in northern Michigan. This is good news, even if who should take credit for it is right or wrong.


Island of fiscal sanity in Michigan

Shared via AddThis

Go Ahead, Walk Away From That Underwater Mortgage - Companies * US * News * Story - CNBC.com

Go Ahead, Walk Away From That Underwater Mortgage - Companies * US * News * Story - CNBC.com

Shared via AddThis

Come With Me and Escape...

Welcome Don Stauffer!

Don Stauffer bought a house through me a few years back and is giving a Wellston a better name. He is quite the fisherman - and my only regret is that he hasn't taken me fishing, YET.

Here is a link to his blog, hope you enjoying reading about fishing around Manistee.

http://donaldstaufferfisherman.blogspot.com

The 4 seasons at Pierport Shores!

Lake Michigan living is a dream of millions.....here is a wonderful slide show of the peaceful living you could enjoy for years to come. Imagine building a family cottage that grandparents, children, aunts and uncles and cousins could hang out together for generations - celebrate 4th of July, summer picnics, Thanksgiving. New Year's. Most of all, the beach becomes your favorite hangout for walking, building sun castles and soaking up sunshine. Bring your chairs down to watch the sunsets...bonfires, marshmellows, story telling. A truely unique memory builder for generations...Spend a few minutes checking this out....all 4 seasons.
It is the only lakefront development in Arcadia township, just a couple of minutes to Arcadia Golf Course, nestled between Frankfort and Onekama.....
CLICK BELOW FOR A NEW 4 SEASONS LOOK AT PIERPORT SHORES.

http://picasaweb.google.com/sandpiper9952/PierportShores?authkey=Gv1sRgCNvx5NGHyaq1AQ&feat=email#slideshow/5375574439307898338

Now Is a Great Time to Buy

Attention all Shoppers! By the time you may decide to buy, prices may be on their way up. So if we are at the sloppy bottom, we should be seeing more sales. I believe part of a buyer's hesitation may be with the pricing.

Because of the slow sales in the last 12 months, it becomes increasingly difficult to get real estate priced right without a lot of comparables. Appraisers are having a tough time as well, to get the job done accurately.

And then there is the absorption rate. A "Balanced Market" is 6 months of active inventory. Anything beyond that is considered a Buyer's Market. That is where we are today in northern Michigan. We have been in a declining market for 48 months. Many of us believe we are at the bottom. How long we stay here depends on changing perceptions.

What does that mean for the buyer? When the market was balanced, we would show a buyer 3-5 houses and they would put a bid in on one. Now it is not unusual to show 20 or more homes to an individual buyer before they make a committment. There is simply a lot of available inventory. Buyers need to get focused on what is important to them, location, size of home, amenities. So I gonna switch things around a bit.

Buyers, decide what you want first, and then look at the pricing. I think we are going about finding homes for people backwards in the current market. We used to be able to ask first, "what price range are you in?" Lets face it, buyers and sellers agree pricing is high and low all over the place due to bank foreclosures, short sales, people upside down in their mortgages, old inventory with old pricing on it, new inventory priced right, etc. It's a mixed bag and not pretty. Obviously, you should have SOME idea of what you are qualified to spend - but focus on what you want. Please don't spend more than you can handle, but remember the definition of "Market Value". Market Value is defined as the highest price that a ready, willing, and able buyer would pay and the lowest price that a ready, willing, and able seller would accept.
Note to sellers: If you are getting lots of attention but no bids, maybe you should revisit your pricing if it hasn't been changed in a while. Ask your agent to provide you with the absorption rate for your type of property to get a better idea of pricing. They will be glad you did.

SOLD BY LYNDA BROWN - WATERFRONT

Very fortunate to have discovered the buyers seeking a waterfront property. This house has 150 ft on Portage Lake, the new owners are looking forward to taking their boat from the backyard out to Lake Michigan - for some of the finest fresh water salmon in the world.....

Yeah. Sold for $500,000. I'm lovin' it....

Manistee Recognized by OUTDOOR LIFE magazine

Manistee is ranked #1 in the lower Peninsula of Michigan among the 200 Best Towns for Sportsmen in the U.S, with an overall rank of #71 out of 200.

Don’t take my word for it. Credit for this ranking goes to OUTDOOR LIFE, June/July 2009 issue for their research on the 200 BEST towns for Sportsmen.. Now in fairness to our other half, the UPPER Peninsula, Marquette, Mi. ranked an AWESOME #2. However, the population of Michigan clearly sits below the bridge and MANISTEE has everything to be proud of.

This is the 2nd survey OUTDOOR LIFE has done, and they wanted to provide sportsmen and women, with the top 200 affordable, thriving, and perfectly wild towns in America. Written by John Taranto, it is a must read for anyone considering their next move, especially if you are nearing retirement. On the other hand, why not work where you love to vacation?

All of these towns offer affordable housing, low unemployment and the potential to earn a decent living within a short drive of FIRST RATE hunting and fishing.

Not news to me! The researcher measured “population percentage growth, median household income, median home value, cost of living, unemployment rate, mean commune time”. And a measurement of outdoors categories, such as, “gun-friendliness, huntable and fishable species nearby, town’s proximity to public hunting”…..the list goes on.

Pick up a copy and read all about it.

Bird House Planter

HOW HUMBLING. This delightful planter was a gift from one of my customers, absolutely breathtaking. Can't wait to thank them!

People do seem to enjoy buying property in Manistee county! I'm happy to be of service!

Visit my www.manisteerealestate4sale.com

or simply write me at letmelook4u@hotmail.com

I'm happy to find anyone a home or vacant land, and I don't expect a gift, just a smile and an update once in while on how much you love your new property!

Manistee - Jazz Concert Information

A World Class Jazz Production
Tuesday Night Concert Series
7-9 PM
For the 7th straight season, Manistee's First Street Beach will be the destination for friends, neighbors, and visitors on Tuesday nights when World Class Jazz Productions sets up the Rotary Gazebo state. Outstading professional musicians from all over the country will perform against a backdrop of Lake Michigan sunsets, lawn chairs, picnic baskets, and coolers, while the audience smiles, chats, and enjoys the sounds of superb jazz, blues, and variety music. People of all ages are praising the quality of Manistee ShoreLine ShowCase!
All Concerts are FREE, donation buckets are available to help defray the cost.
2009 Schedule
June 23
Rick Hicks Soul-Jazz-Blues Persuasion
June 30
Root Doctor
July 7
NYC All Stars - Jerry Weldon, John Hart, Hill Hyde, and Rudy Petshaurer
July 14
Petra van Nuis and The Andy Brown Quartet
July 21
Tom Hagen - Cherie Lynn Trio with Rick Reuther
July 28
Mary Rademacher and the Rad Pack
August 4
Alberta Adams, "Queen of Detroit Blues"
August 11
Freddie Cunningham wiht Organissimo
August 18
Nichole Pasternak and Ralph Lalama with The Steve Sandner Band
August 25
New York City Teachers Jazz Band featuring: SIDE-ORDER and SAX APPEAL
PLEASE CONSIDER BECOMING A SPONSOR
These successful concerts are the result of generous contributions by both businesses and individuals. Please consider helping sponsor the 2009 season.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or would like more information contact:
Tom Amor - Phone: 231-723-7825 Email: tom@amorsign.com
or
Kasey Briske - Phone: 231-723-2349

Arcadia Township, Manistee County

Manistee County's uppermost township along the shoreline of Lake Michigan is virtually undiscovered, but getting set for big development. It has the most exciting opportunities because big development has gone south to Manistee/Ludington and north toward Traverse City. With miles of sandy beaches for the walking/jogging activitist all this is about to change. Because development is on it's way.
For months I have telling everyone about http://www.pierportshores.com/ . No where else can you purchase 1 acre lots with beach frontage like this in Manistee County at reasonable prices.
Now get ready, we have another big development coming - Arcadia Highlands -

http://www.arcadiahighlands.com/ I will post updates on the progress as I receive reports. This is another Coldwell Banker A.L.M. Realty & Associates listing.

In the meantime, if you are serious about investing in Arcadia here is a wonderful link to tell you all about our beautiful yet to be discovered township. All the facts/history/township information to help you make an informed decision. http://tinyurl.com/qfb7lo

CONDO SOLD IN THE CITY OF MANISTEE

Now, why, would I give this such a big headline? Because it's May 12, 2009 and it is the first condo closing we have had in our mls for the City of Manistee since the first of this year. Many condos for sale, one buyer. I had the buyer and they are THRILLED with their purchase. This is a 3 bedroom/3 bath home with 2 car garage overlooking the Manistee River and Lake Michigan. BEST CONDO AT LIGHTHOUSE, BEST VIEW - LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF CHERRY AND FIRST STREET. Sold for a great price of $275,000. If you want a GREAT DEAL on a condo or Lakefront home, I'll find you one!

Pierport Shores - The Movie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwOUNHiSNpA

Morels and Lakefront Are on My Mind

Spring in Manistee County must be here because people are finding the morel mushrooms. If you haven’t tried a morel, it’s worth the trouble to taste this delicacy.

More importantly, are that buyers are actually making offers and property is being transferred. Banks are busy. First time home buyers are eager. The up to $8,000 back gets their attention.

Boomers are looking for bargains to use in their retirements. Accelerated interest in condos and lakefront keeps agents busy making appointments.

The mood is brighter, the days are longer and timing is perfect if you want to buy. It is definitely a better spring than 2008.

A good lakefront acre lot can be purchase for less than $500,000 which is a bargain compared to prior years. Out of 15 vacant lot listings on Lake Michigan in Manistee County I have 7 listings starting at $395,000 up to $437,000.

Please don’t step on the morels!

Have you weighed yourself since the beginning of the Year?

I’m positively an absolute coward and in complete denial over my “current” weight.

The bathroom scale has accumulated ½ inch of dust but still manages to glow menacing at me when I sneak past the digital light. I’m 56 years old. I hate that darn scale. I won’t throw it away because my conscience tells me I’ll need to step on it soon. It might have valuable information in it to save my life. HA, sure….I know generally, about how much I weigh, right? I don’t need some accurate measuring device to tell ME what I know! Right? Stupid scale. This is worse than living with my mother, nagging me to clean up my room, hang up my clothes, do my homework, etc. Apparently I’m merely trading one bad habit for another. Unfortunately, MY DENIAL spills over into my work and although I think I know how our market performed in Manistee County last year, I only guessing, unless of course I gather some facts and figures off our MLS.

So (again I’ve avoided the bathroom scale), I sat down and made myself a little chart.
I’m somewhat surprised that despite our dreadful economy, we didn’t do as badly as I imagined once I faced the numbers.

The moment of truth was actually better than my fears. Now when sellers ask me how things are doing, I’ve got answers. If you have been successfully living in a bomb shelter and cut off from all newspapers, computers, TV for the last few years a declining market might be a surprise. Most of us though, have accepted the reality.

Yet actual numbers do make a difference between the sky is falling and can we weather this.


I live and work in Manistee County, Michigan, so this is my home turf. These numbers matter to me, so let me share them.

Remember though, JUST like weighing yourself on a bathroom scale, this is just raw numbers. The anomalies haven’t been discovered or removed. In other words, you don’t know if I’m weighing myself with my snowsuit on or if I’m in my swimsuit. I don’t have time to determine if everyone’s sold information is completely accurate. And, this information doesn’t include FSBO’s. I would say the information and the conclusions you can draw from it are fairly close. Because frankly, my snowsuit outweighs my swimsuit by at least 5-10 pounds. Unfortunately, not enough to disguise the truth.

Maybe I’ll go dust off the bathroom scale( tomorrow).

Anyway, here's what you need to know.

Differences between 2007 and 2008 - We saw a 9 % decline in the number of residential properties sold, and the difference between list and sell price went from 9% in 2007 to 12% in 2008. Number of days on the market increased from an average of 195 days in 2007 to 210 days in 2008.

For more information, don't hesitate to contact me.

I Get Asked Where to Eat in Manistee County All the Time

We get asked so many things and this is definitely in the top 10. Most visitors know where the expensive, we see you coming, add 10% to the price list, restaurants are - the high end tourist traps. Don't get me wrong, I can ALWAYS send you there and be assured you will probably like it. But when a hungry, tired client looks you straight in the eye after dragging themselves through 5 or 6 showings asks me this question, I'm going to tell them where I eat. As a local.

I'll try to answer that question once a week in my blog (or until I run out of restaurants) because I think it's important to know about Manistee County.

So here goes in no particular order. My restaurant of the week, is called, The Rock's Retreat. It is located at the north end of Manistee County, Bear Lake, Michigan. On the corner of US 31 and Norconk Road. 8925 Norconk to be exact. Easy to find, north of the village of Bear Lake. Sorry, no liqueur license. They don't need one to draw in the customers. We file in around 5:30 pm for the dinner buffet.

A one trip visit to the buffet consists of: a clean plate for your salad, and visit to the soup bar. The lettuce is all carefully selected, washed - and it's a variety of baby spinach, romain, iceberg, etc, in manageable bite size portions with a fine selection of toppings. Soups are all home made, one my favorites is the stuffed pepper soup.

Take another clean plate and visit the entree section. If it's Friday, you can expect ribs, (fall off the bone meat), baked fish, chicken or meat loaf, Lasagne, a steamed vegetable, baked fries or baked potatoes, baked beans. Notice a theme here? NOTHING IS FRIED. NO GREASE.

Take another clean plate and go visit the desserts. Again, all home made, cookies, brownies, fudge, bread pudding. All of this is called the one-trip to the buffet for $9.99. All you can eat is $11.99. I never see anyone but a newcomer do the all you can eat. Believe me, the one trip is plenty.

The owners, Val and Rocky, and their daughter Nicole are a humble and charming family. Val is the chief cook and will bake pies for $9 and do catering. Nicole is a young, quick witted blonde who can handle the crowds. Pay her respect, she's a hunter and has tried hunting bear as well deer. Need a pizza- call to order and pick up, their number 231-864-5500. Of course they are on my speed dial as well.

By the way they are open for breakfast on Sundays. It's home to many of us and your customers would love a place with great food, and children are welcome.

Free Lunch at Coldwell Banker A.L.M. Realty & Associates, Inc.!

COLDWELL BANKER A.L.M. REALTY AND ASSOCIATES, INC.

INVITES THE PUBLIC TO OUR OFFICE

1121 PARKDALE AVE

MANISTEE, MI. 49660

SATURDAY 28, 2009

FOR A FREE LUNCH

(if your valentine's day wasn't this happy, how about a free lunch on between 11-3 pm on Feb 28th? It's our 25th year anniversay! )

COME IN AND VISIT, HAVE SOME LUNCH!!

If you are still having trouble finding the perfect gift, I cann help you out and make it a complete surprise as well as a free lunch. Call Lynda Brown at 231-723-3555 or 231-383-0404 for further information.

Always Lead with a Joke and then I'll tell you about SWMRIC

My wife at down on the couch next to me as I was flipping channels.She asked, "What's on TV?"I said, "Dust."
And then the fight started...

----------

Many of you can relate to this. At some point every couple of years we all experience what is known as the "conversion" period. Using new and improved software for our business. Despite the advanced training, on-line help, 800 numbers, manuals, personal in-house computer geek or guru, we grow a little balder (from hair pulling) or a little grayer (just prior to hair pulling) and a bit more irritable (to put it mildly) in an effort to make the transition as "seamless" as possible.
I am happy to say, http://www.swmric.com/ with a public access to see listings over 7 or more mls sharing the same network is a wonderful new tool. I encourage you to check it out.
As your Realtor, I can guarantee that although I don't know everything about the functionality of this system I have consumed the required number of pots of coffee (9 in the last 48 hours), chained myself to the computer and sacrificed sleep, family and the dog to become a better and more knowledgeable agent.

For those of you that like to poke around and see what's out there enjoy!
ANYTHING YOU SEE I CAN SHOW YOU.
For my sellers
THE EXPANDED COVERAGE SHOULD BRING US MORE POTENTIAL BUYERS.

If you are from the Chicago area and are pondering buying property we have great deals in the Manistee area. Our prices are quite competitive and worth the drive up here. Now you have a tool to see real comparisons in pricing up and down the western shores of Lake Michigan....

SWMRIC stands for Southwestern Michigan Regional Information Center and although we are northerners we are pleased to be part of it.

Recognize this Man?

Now look folks. Enough is enough. I'm not trying to offend any skiers but frankly, it's time to move on.

If you haven't noticed the sun has been out.

And the days are getting a bit longer.

If you LOVE snow, this is the best winter ever. I think we had accumulated over 158 inches of snow in Manistee county this year.

Smelt fisherman - go on out to Crystal Lake. They are reelin' them in. Will get better over the next few weeks.

Hot deals in property are coming. We are expecting many new listings this spring.

Sellers please contact me with your listings if you are interested in doing short sales. I can help!

PORTAGE LAKE FISHING EVENT

The Manistee County Convention and Visitors Bureau presents the

Inaugural Manistee County Winter Fun and Ice Fishing Festival

On Portage Lake in Onekama, Mi.

January 31, 2009

Five hours 9 am to 2pm $5.00 per line,

Lots of prizes! Shortest and Longest of all species!

Any fish caught could be a winner! Cash and Prizes awarded.

Bring a scoop, your bucket, and your fishing equipment - whatever

you need to spend 5 hours on the ice. A limited number of extra poles

are available. Assistance with hole drilling will be provided if necessary.

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THE FUN!

3 sessions; start times 9am, 10:30 am and 12 noon

THE RULES ARE SIMPLE!

One winner - BIGGEST FISH - TAKES ALL

Registration for both Ice Fishing Contests begins at 7:00 am at

FISH TALE CAFE IN ONEKAMA

or

Vistors Center in Manistee at First St and US 31

Call Fred MacDonald at 231-645-8366 for more info

DNR RULES APPLY

Award Ceremony at Portage Point Inn at 4:00 pm

Must be present to win

Bring the whole family, dress warmly and prepare to

HAVE A GREAT TIME!

Property Taxes

Brian Calley, state rep from the 87th district is going to fight for property owners! It will take a state constitutional amendment - but the concept is simple. If market values decline so should property taxes. Remember , taxable values by law increase by the rate of inflation or 5% whichever is less. Your SEV may be going down, but taxable values continue to go up. This year in Manistee county, they went up 4.4%. It's not an option, but no one had the foresight to believe in the early 90's that market value could go down, therefore the law needs to be changed.

Brian Calley may have to start a grass roots movement and get 500,000 signatures to put this on the ballot. Stay tuned I'll keep you updated on his progess. Or feel free to contact him on www.Facebook.com

Wild Game Dinner

Despite a raging snow storm, my husband and I braved the elements to attend the 4th Annual Wild Game Dinner at the Baptist Church in Manistee last night.

And we weren't alone.

Almost 100 hungry guests showed up to feast on buffalo (generously donated by Oleson's in Manistee) and successful hunters shared their venison, moose, turtle soup, fish entrees on the lucky guests.

The hunters brought in their trophies and entertained us with stories on personal hunting experiences.

I am grateful to Rev. Don Long who brought in 6 trophy bucks and is an expert on calling. The Not only did I enjoy a fantastic meal but the knowledge I gained on using a grunt call was very valuable. I'm going to try calling them in next year - just for fun!

And people downstate wonder what we do up here......we are having a ball.

Taxes, Marley and Me, Etc.

Confused? So are most people. My brother down in Rochester Hills is planning on speaking out at the next city council meeting and I have been doing my best to help him out on this very topic. I have an article from the Manistee Advocate that was headline news on January 5th, 2009 addressing the the bizarre taxing structure we have in Michigan. If you are a property owner in Michigan - take a good look at your tax bills. Your assessment or SEV (state equalized value) may be going down to reflect our economy, but your taxable value is still going up. In the city of Manistee, taxable values can go up to 4.4%. It is a tough concept to get your head around - believe me as a Realtor I hear lots of opinions on this. Email me with any questions.

Better news? I'll change the subject!!

Go see a movie! If you like dogs, you gotta see Marley and Me. I forced my husband to take me (he claims it's a chick flick) to see it down in Ludington last Saturday. We shed a few tears apiece at the end. Not a flick for chicks only. Just a good old fashioned tale about love, marriage and a very difficult, untrainable 100 pound dog.

Looking forward to a new year and business is starting to pick up again. More inquiries, potential deals in the works, it is a great time to buy. Remember, we may be low in density population wise here in northern Michigan, but we make up for it in style. I wouldn't trade our Michigan shoreline for any condo in Phoenix....even when the wind is gusting at 50 miles an hour and it's 5 degrees outside. (Ok, it hasn't been that bad, but we have had a record amount of snow.)

By the way Onekama is having a festival out on Portage Lake on January 31st. I'll update you with details later.

Fire in the Sky

I LOVE MY HOUSE IN THE WOODS. Welcome to January 2009 - and this lovely picture was taken of the morning sunrise while I was fixing my coffee....I only wish you could see it in person.

Yesterday was my first full day back at the office. After 6 showings to 3 different customers, wading through snow drifts I'm THRILLED to discover the buyers are testing the waters once again.....

For those of you that put up with me - here is a quick up-date Tom and Max. Both my husband and dog had the same cold. Both had been wheezing, coughing, sneezing, aching, etc. Husband Tom is sticking to taking his Alka-seltzer Plus. Max, the 9 pound toy poodle went to see Dr. Jeff, our Vet. After listening to Max's chest, Dr. Jeff said, "I agree with you, Max has a bad cold, I'm hearing some sounds that ought not to be here." A shot, some pills and we headed home. Both are recovering nicely. We have the best Vet in the world.
Tom and I are headed out to see Marley and Me at the Movies in the great city of Ludington.
For those of you who fish, the steelhead are in and there are some VERY happy fishermen running around.