Tuesday, October 30, 2007

To Sell Your House, Make It Shine

Recent stories ARE true, we definitely ARE in a downtrend in the real estate market. Since the middle of 2005 here in Metro Detroit, it's turned from a sellers market, where sellers could literally name their own price, to a buyers market where buyers can literally name their own price. There are many, many more homes on the market at this time of year, than there were at a similar time in any year, from the late 1990's to 2005. As a result, there is a "glut" of homes on the market, meaning a buyer has many homes to choose from fitting his or her needs. An example would be a buyer looking for a ranch in the $200,000 range. 5 years ago, there may have been 10 houses to look at, matching the buyer's criteria. Today, there are 40. So what to do to make your home stick out amongst the "glut.".

First and foremost, price it right. A buyer who's done their homework and a good real estate agent will know value when they see it. An agent can just look on the Multiple Listing Service, see a price in a certain neighborhood and know it's priced to high and may not even show your home. If you price your home to high with the thought of gradually reducing the price a bit at a time, you could be in for a long wait for an offer. While your house sits on the market, more and more houses are entering the marketplace making your high priced home, even less desirable.

Second, make your home sparkle. Remove the clutter and open it up. Do work both inside and out to give the home more curb appeal. Inside, paint walls, polish floors, shampoo carpeting and follow the advice of your Realtor who knows what's appealing to buyers currently out there looking, because in many cases, your Realtor is also working with buyers and he knows what their current likes and dislikes are.

Third, choose your agent carefully. Select at least 3 agents from 3 different companies to interview. Many sellers think the important thing is what commission the agent will charge. But MARKETING is the key. An agent may charge you a low commission, take a picture or two and put your home on the Multiple Listing Service and that's it! A full service broker WILL charge a higher commission, but will not only take pictures and put your home on the MLS, but will do virtual tours, put your home on many Internet websites, buy print advertising and will constantly keep you informed about what's happening in the marketplace. The full service broker could get your home sold weeks, even months faster than the "commission cheapie."

All in all, it's not easy being a seller. There are big decisions to make and I'm here to help you make the right choices!

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Let The World Series Begin!

Well, it's World Series time and I have to say I think the Red Sox will take the Rockies in 6 games or less. Now I have to be careful here, as a native New Englander and lifelong Red Sox fan, not be to biased. Boston has been going to World Series since the first one was played, back in 1903, when the then Boston Pilgrims beat the Pirates. Back then, there was no such thing as Fenway Park. The Boston franchise played it's games at the Huntington Avenue Grounds, now the site of Northeastern University. Fenway Park didn't open it's doors until April 20, 1912 and what a season that was for the renamed Red Sox in that fine piece of real estate.

One of the big differences between Detroit baseball and Boston baseball is the Tigers are not a regional team, they basically draw from Michigan, Northwestern Ohio and parts of Western Ontario and that's it. The Red Sox are New England's team, drawing fans from all six New England states and the Canadian Maritimes in what really is a regional franchise. And that's where the great 1912 Red Sox team comes in, the first Boston team to win a World Series with the nickname of Red Sox. With a roster full of New Englanders, they beat John McGraw's Giants. The 1912 Red Sox featured 2 eventual Hall of Famers, outfielders Tris Speaker and Harry Hooper, neither of whom were New Englanders. Catcher Bill Carrigan was from Lewiston, Maine. Pitcher Ray Collins who went 2-1 in the World Series and was from Burlington, Vermont. Backup 1st baseman Hugh Bradley, 4th outfielder Olaf Henriksen and 20 game winner Buck O'Brien were all from Massachusetts. There was even a Michigander on the 1912 World Champion Red Sox, utility infielder Neal Beal from Grand Haven.

Finally, one of the great clutch hitters of his era anchored the infield at third base. Burlington, Vermont's Larry Gardner! Now I met Larry in 1975 in Burlington, where I worked in radio. Here was this white haired little man, at that time age 88, at a dinner I attended and I was introduced to him. Turns out I knew little about him other than I was told he played at one time for the Red Sox. Well folks, Larry Gardner should be the third Hall of Famer from that 1912 Boston Roster. He started at third base for 4, count 'em, 4 world champions. The 1912, '15 & '16 Red Sox and the 1920 Indians. He had a lifetime average at 289 and just under 2000 career hits. A superb fielder along with his clutch hitting, Gardner, like fine wine, actually became better with age, have back to back 100+ rbi seasons with the Indians in 1920 and 1921 and his batting averages got higher as he got older. His stats stand up to any third baseman who's ever played the game!

Larry Gardner retired from major league baseball in 1924 and went back to Burlington to become head baseball coach and athletic director at his alma mater, the University of Vermont from the late 1920's until the early 1950's. The indoor track facility at the school is named for him and his former 1912 Red Sox teamate and fellow UVM grad Ray Collins, the Gardner-Collins cage. Larry Gardner was also a lifelong friend of University of Michigan baseball coaching legend Ray Fisher, who was also a native Vermonter and they annually coached against each other in the summer Northern Collegiate Baseball League, which was based in Vermont.

So when you think of regional major league teams, don't forget the Red Sox and that team of 1912, which opened Fenway with a bang, won a World Series title and with a quarter of their roster being New Englanders, earned the Boston franchise the title of "New England's Team."

For those of you who are new to Larry Gardner's name, he died in 1976 at age 89, a few months after I met him. Check out his stats for yourself by clicking on this link. You'll be amazed at what this man did in his career of basically 13 full seasons and 4 world championships, I promise you:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/gardnla01.shtml

He belongs in Cooperstown! Thanx......Paul

Friday, October 12, 2007

October, the 10th and Greatest Month!

I love October. The weather in my opinion, is the best of the year. Early in the month, warm temperatures, then later crisp days and nights as winter draws near. The color of the leaves in their autumnal change lets you know that winter is just around the corner and many sports, high school and professional, start to go full bore in. In baseball, it's the playoffs and World Series and the pro basketball and hockey seasons are just beginning. The pro seasons are way to long though. I remember when I was a youngster, the World Series ended in mid October and the pro basketball and hockey playoffs finished in April.

Sports wise, the Tigers season was a disappointment in that injuries derailed them. They should bounce back strong next year with Pudge Rodriguez still there to lead. They'll find a new shortstop, possibly Cesar Izturis of the Pirates and look for them to enter the Adam Dunn sweepstakes to get a heavyweight and heavy hitting left fielder. In hockey, the Red Wings will disappoint their fans once again, with a great regular season then a slip and fall in the playoffs. When will Wing's management realize you must be competitive in the playoffs and win the occasional Stanley Cup, to keep putting fannies in the seats? It doesn't matter whether they play in the east or west, whether they are allowed to fight or not. What matters is to win cups and the Wings are now 5 seasons removed from their last title, soon to be 6.

In football, the Lions will have their ups and downs this year, but I still see them finishing at 8 and 8, which might get them into the playoffs. Michigan football will go 8-4 in the regular season, a far cry from what was expected, but Mike Hart will be one of the finalists invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremonies. And the Michigan State Spartans will have a winning season and will go to a bowl game. As for the Pistons, well, they like the Wings, are getting older, but there is hope that some youth will be infused with their new draft picks. They'll be competitive again but I don't see them getting to the NBA Finals.

As a Realtor, October signifies a slow down in the selling season, a chance to put on the brakes a bit and reflect back on the year 2007. As a Realtor in the only state in the union that's in recession right now, it's been difficult and I don't see it getting any better for us, Realtors or our clients, until mid 2009, so hang in there. October is also a time to look ahead for all of us to set our sights on that new year that's just around the corner. I can't wait for the excitement of 2008, with new hope ready to burst from every seam. The elections will be upon us soon and that will also bring change.

I can't wait. I love October!

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Post Season Baseball

Well, the regular baseball season is over and I for one, was disappointed that the Detroit Tigers did not fare better in their quest to repeat as American League Champions. What my feeling is, the Tigers 2007 showing was disappointing due to injuries. Kenny Rogers gone for most of the year, Fernando Rodney out for a month and a half and Joel Zumaya missing more than half the season, cost the Tigers 10 or 12 wins in my opinion and you add those 10 or 12 wins onto their final season win total of 88 and the Tigers are Central Division champions and in the playoffs. On other Tiger issues, nice to see Jim Leyland get a contract extension and I think that will be the route the Tigers use with Pudge Rodriguez. Rather than picking up his 13 million dollar option for 2008, I think they'll extend him 3 years at around 9 or 10 million a year, keeping him in a Detroit uniform thru 2010, if Pudge will accept that. What the Tigers need more than anything now is a left handed thumper to play leftfield, a new shortstop, preferably with a great glove more than a big stick and a veteran starting pitcher even if Rogers comes back.

As for the post season, in my opinion, the best team I saw the Tigers play all year was the California Angels. They have a great combination of speed, hitting and pitching and they looked more like a National League style team, whenever the Tigers played them . I really think the Angels will take the American League Championship and I have a feeling Lou Piniella will work his magic with the 2007 Cubs, as he did with the 1990 Cincinnati Reds and lead them into the World Series. It's my belief that the Angels will prevail in a 6 game Series, to bring home the bacon to Los Angeles for the second time in 6 years. I just wish the ol' singing cowboy, Gene Autry, could have lived to have seen his Angels win a title. He meant so much to the game over the years. The Cubs will give the Angels a battle in the series, but California has to much veteran experience when it comes to the playoffs.

As for real estate, an agent asked me in the office today, how many homes were for sale in Troy right now. Well, a check on the multiple listing service on my trusty computer, revealed 607. Before the Michigan recession began a couple of years ago, that figure in late September/early October would have been in the 350 homes range. Another agent asked, well if there are currently 607 Troy homes on the market, how many Troy homes have sold this year. Another check turned up the figure of 515 home sales in Troy since January 1, 2007. At the rate of 607 sales a year, that's enough real estate inventory to last thru next July! By the way, a third agent told me that 68 of the homes for sale in Troy are foreclosures, clearly 11% plus of the 607 homes available. Don't believe we're in a statewide recession? Well, those real estate figures speak the truth more than anything else speaks about our current Michigan economy!!