2010 Home Buyers and Sellers: First Time vs. Repeat Buyers
• 50% first-time buyers
• 50% repeat buyers
• 30 median age of first-time buyers
• 49 median age of repeat buyers
Actions taken as result of an Internet home search:
• 45% walked through a home viewed online
• 29% found an agent used to search/buy home
• 21% drove by/viewed a home
In 2010, For Sale By Owners (FSBO) accounted for 9% of home sales. The typical FSBO home sold for $140,000 compared to $199,300 for agent-assisted home sales.
According to the 2010 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of home buyers and sellers.
LUCKY IRISH STATS
34.5 million: Number of U.S. residents who claim Irish ancestry. This number is almost nine times the population of Ireland itself (4.1 million).
9: Number of places in the U.S. that share the name of Ireland’s capital, Dublin.
128,000: Number of U.S. residents born in Ireland. (excluding people living in group quarters.)
Source: American FactFinder
Have a Safe & Happy Saint Patrick’s Day from all of your friends at Prudential Snyder & Company Realtors!
In the last two blogs, we’ve covered the real basics of a home search – type and style. Let’s take a look at a typical MLS (multiple listing service) sheet and define a few more of the items you’ll see.
Generally, you’ll see the nuts and bolts information about a particular home for sale in the top inch or two of the layout – depending on which website you’re on, it may be to the side of the property photo or directly below it. This will give you the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, acreage if any, year built, size of home, and current listing status. There are several items to be aware of:
Square footage: the number you see on the should not include any lower level finished area unless it is a walkout basement or has full egress windows. Sometimes Realtors will note that there is an additional number of square feet in the lower level, but our MLS guidelines note that below grade square footage should not be included.
Bedrooms in basements: these aren’t included either – unless it’s a walkout or has egress windows, so read the descriptions to get full information.
Listing status: a home will be marked as “Active”, “Pending” or “CTS”. Active homes are listed and do not have offers. Pending homes have offers in on them and are awaiting closing. CTS indicates that we can “continue to show” meaning that there is an offer submitted on the property but not all contingencies have been removed…we’re seeing lots of these lately because of the volume of short sales on the market awaiting approval from the banks.
Most websites advertising Ann Arbor Homes for Sale will also include information on what school district (and often which specific schools) the home is located in, association fees (if applicable), whether the house has well & septic or public water and sewer, size of the garage, and other general amenities.
The tax information the website should indicate both a tax amount AND a tax year. Taxes get confusing sometimes because those taxes change from year to year, when the home is sold, and also there are homestead exemptions that may or may not be in place. To add to the confusion, some counties pay taxes in arrears and some pay up front, so make sure that you ask your Realtor how the taxes are paid when you find a home of interest.
Next time we’ll take a peek at more of the lingo that’s used in real estate transactions. In the interim, if you have any comments, suggestions, or ideas, please let us know!
As always, we here at Prudential Snyder & Company Realtors are here to assist you with any of your Ann Arbor Area home buying, home selling, rental or other Ann Arbor real estate needs.
Call us at 734-747-7500 or 734-747-7700 weekdays, or 734-660-0105 evenings and weekends. We’re also available via email at info@prusnyder.com or online at www.prusnyder.com anytime. Choose Prudential Snyder and Company for the best Ann Arbor Realtors!
We’ve talked a lot about Ann Arbor Real Estate, the short sale and foreclosure market, and the changing housing market. The internet gives us a plethora of information on Ann Arbor homes for sale, but often the jargon used by Realtors goes undefined. With that thought in mind, I’m going to run a new series to help home buyers and home sellers decifer the details shared in our marketing pieces and listings.
Let’s start with the basics today: What is a condo?
If you own a condo, you do not own the land surrounding your living space.
A condo owner owns only the unit itself, which is taxed as an individual entity, and sometimes a percentage of the common areas of the community.
Condo communities may provide such shared facilities as a pool, gym, tennis courts and clubhouse, all maintained by the condo association, which takes care of all day-to-day management tasks. This is one of the key advantages of condo living — all of the joy of using the amenities, none of the hassles of maintaining them.
Condominium owners pay a monthly fee to the condo association, which also sets the rules for the community.
There are well over 100 condo communities in Ann Arbor alone. Each development is centered around the unique needs of its owners and has a distinctive set of accommodations and special features that make it exceptional.
If you’re interested in learning more or have any comments or suggestions, please let us know. In the next blog, we’ll take a look at the different types of single family homes available in the Greater Ann Arbor Area.
As always, we here at Prudential Snyder & Company Realtors are here to assist you with any of your Ann Arbor Area home buying, home selling, rental or other Ann Arbor real estate needs.
Call us at 734-747-7500 or 734-747-7700 weekdays, or 734-660-0105 evenings and weekends. We’re also available via email at info@prusnyder.com or online at www.prusnyder.com anytime. Choose Prudential Snyder and Company for the best Ann Arbor Realtors!
We all know that the summer seems to be the time when most people move in Ann Arbor and the surrounding areas, but don’t let that stop you from putting your home on the market. It’s a great time to sell your home now…
The inventory of homes for sale relatively low right now.
In the Greater Ann Arbor Area, competitively priced homes are selling quickly!
Curb appeal can be great this time of year.
It typically takes at least 30-45 days for a home sale to close after being put under contract, so you wouldn’t have to move until school is out.
Interest rates are still good.
As always, we are here to assist you with any of your home buying, home selling, rental or other real estate needs.Call us at 734-747-7500 or 734-747-7700 weekdays, or 734-660-0105 evenings and weekends.We’re also available via email at info@prusnyder.com or online at www.prusnyder.com anytime. Choose Prudential Snyder and Company for the best Ann Arbor Realtors!
Here’s the recap of Lloyd Alter’s great article on http://www.treehugger.com about the best money (and environment) savers for the winter.The best news:Many of them are free!
1.Lower water temperature to 120°F
2.Wash clothes in cold water
3.Air dry clothes when possible
4.Turn off unneeded lights
5.Get a Programmable Thermostat
6.Stop Air Leaks (caulk doors and windows)
7.Insulate your Water Heater
8.Add Attic Insulation
9.Install Efficient Showerheads
10.Weatherize Your Windows
11.Increase AC thermostat by 3°F (in summer)
12.Install Faucet Aerators
For the full article, go to http://tinyurl.com/4pygj4 – it’s got a neat chart indicating savings in Energy, CO2 and Dollars.If you have questions regarding Green Living, please feel free to contact one of our Certified Eco-Brokers® for answers.
As always, Prudential Snyder & Company Realtors are here to assist you with any of your real estate needs. Call us at 734-747-7500 or 734-747-7700 weekdays, or 734-660-0105 evenings and weekends.We’re also available via email at info@prusnyder.com or online at www.prusnyder.com anytime. Choose Prudential Snyder and Company for the best Ann Arbor Realtors!
If you’re ready to take control of your life, your earning potential and your future, you’re ready to talk to us!Ann Arbor Real Estate is not an easy profession, but if you’re intelligent, motivated and committed to your success, you can control your income, your hours, and your life again.Whether you’re a brand new agent just getting started or a veteran who is looking for a fresh outlook, you’re welcome here.
As the internet becomes the starting point for the majority of the homes searches in the US today, it is vital that a real estate company stay on the cutting-edge of technology.Our iPhone applications, ability to search by area and by mapping grids, advanced search saving and notification of new listings features, and a multitude of other website enhancements make us the best search site in the area.Come learn about how these features can work for you as you build a business.
Take an hour of your time to learn about what your future could hold!Don’t worry, if you’re unable to attend one of our formally scheduled programs, we’re always happy to meet with you individually!Please contact Jon Gordon at 734-747-7700 or jgordon@prusnyder.com for seminar schedules and any additional information.We look forward to meeting you soon! Choose Prudential Snyder and Company for the best Ann Arbor Realtors!
Whether you’re purchasing your second home or your tenth, the road to purchasing a new home can be a rough one at times and there are a lot of things to consider, so we’re offering free buyer coaching workshops!
Consider it a refresher on the items you need to know to purchase a new home as well as an overview of the current market situation and how it can/will affect your choices. This is the biggest investment that most people make in their lifetime, so let us help you learn to make educated decisions!
Our first set of workshops is this Sunday, October 18th. We will have two sessions, the first from 12 noon to 2 p.m. and the second from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Both will be at our office located at 2655 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor (in the Traver Village shopping center by Kroger). If you have questions or need directions, please call us at 734-747-7500. Choose Prudential Snyder and Company for the best Ann Arbor Realtors!
We look forward to having you join us!
Three home sales to report on the West Side of Ann Arbor!
The count down begins as University of Michigan Football season is upon us here in Ann Arbor, MI!The new renovations at The Big House look sharp and Michigan fans are prepared for a fantastic football season.
It’s that time of the year again!After a long cold winter, Ann Arbor welcomes the highly anticipated Summer Event known as Top of the Park!This FREE event features everything from major feature films, live concerts, food, drinks and more. TOP OF THE PARK SCHEDULE.
CLICK HERE for a detailed map of parking and venues.
This evening Top of the Park features:
7:00 p.m. – Musician Harper Part harmonica wizard and part rhythmic explorer, Harper is a fiery artist who blurs the lines between rock, blues, soul and world music.
8:30 p.m. – Brett Mitchell & the giant Ghost is a Michigan singer/songwriter rock band with a hint of alt-country.
In our commitment to being the Local Innovation Leader, we at Prudential Snyder & Company would like to invite you to CLICK TO THE FUTURE of Real Estate!
LUCKY IRISH STATS
Generally, you’ll see the nuts and bolts information about a particular home for sale in the top inch or two of the layout – depending on which website you’re on, it may be to the side of the property photo or directly below it. This will give you the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, acreage if any, year built, size of home, and current listing status. There are several items to be aware of:
7:00 p.m. – Musician Harper Part harmonica wizard and part rhythmic explorer, Harper is a fiery artist who blurs the lines between rock, blues, soul and world music. 
8:30 p.m. – Brett Mitchell & the giant Ghost is a Michigan singer/songwriter rock band with a hint of alt-country.
