Survey

Do you really want to spend hard earned money on a survey?
 No, but you must.
 Recently a customer purchased a rural home and pole barn on some acreage. The price was attractive and the buildings were in relatively good condition.  There were very few improvements required.
 The home was cleaned, painted in and out and new carpet [...]

House Numbers

When doing a major renovation on a home, cottage or even a commercial building, it is easy to overlook the small details. That was recently the case for us. We had just completed a large project, with everything from a new roof to new foundation walls and just about everything in between. But, we forgot [...]

More on Foreclosures

I have often written about different aspects of foreclosures,  but as with the subject, there always seems to be a new quirk.
As with intuitional sellers, during the offer/counter offer process, they will have an addendum to the buy/sell agreement that will consist of many pages of verbiage that will slant in favor of  the seller.
One [...]

Cash for Keys

With the large amount of foreclosures and load defaults today, many lenders have taken very aggressive action. One of the more innovative methods some lenders are using is known as “Cash for Keys”.
The lender often faces a lengthy process to recover possession of the property. In attempt to expedite the process, the lender may offer [...]

Homework

I had a call the other day from a buyer looking for a home. He had the address of the property from the ad I had placed in the local newspaper. I was impressed that he had done some of his homework on the property and was asking intelligent questions.
He was also viewing the property [...]

Fifteen Minutes

Over the years I have developed some business practices that I adhere to religiously.
One of those is my 15 Minute Rule.  If I am to meet a client or potential client to look at an apartment, view a home or inspect some dirt, I will wait for fifteen minutes and then I am gone. Fifteen [...]

Michigan Lake Front Property

On this site I try not to promote our business in a very overpowering way. But I have been asked many times about a new site we have launched a few months ago, so I thought I would make a few comments about it. As an introduction,  it is entitled:  Michigan Lakefront Property.com.
I know the [...]

Abandoned Structure

Whether you are building a new home, renovationing a lender foreclosure, or working on a lakefront cottage,  or a cabin in the northern Michigan woods, you may encounter the local building inspection department.
These men and women are not your enemy. They simply enforce a building code that was put into place to maintain safety, health [...]

Incredible Buy

Over the years I have worked with many buyers and sellers. Buyers always are looking for an incredible buy, the buy of a lifetime. Who doesn’t want that?
I remember many years ago attending an open house of a property that was being offered for sale by a lender. The property was held open only for [...]

Riparian Rights Made Simple

Sometime ago I posted on Riparian Rights and later posted More on Riparian Rights. I was asked recently out what you can and cannot do with your Michigan waterfront.
Generally speaking,  you may have sand brought in to place and spread along your shoreline. You may not place any sand or any other type of fill [...]

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