What Do Rising Inventory Levels Mean for You?

What’s been going on in our real estate market? Now that 2018 is half over, it’s time to take a look at how conditions have changed.

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Now that we’ve reached the year’s midway point, inventory is increasing. These days I’ve been going on six to 12 listing appointments each week. So what does this mean for you? Well, this boost in supply is good news for buyers. If you or someone you know has been thinking of making a home purchase, now is a great time to start your search. And, as always, my team and I would love to help you achieve your real estate goals, whether you’re buying or selling. To hear my full message on our market, watch this short video.

Why Is This Former Homebuyer So Happy?

This latest client success story we’d like to share with you is one that’s 35 years in the making.

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A lot of people are afraid to buy a home, so I wanted my friend Matt to come in and talk to us about his home buying experience.

Matt and his wife were newlyweds in 2016 and wanted to buy a house right away. They had a nice sum for a down payment, but wanted to make sure they found a good Realtor. A friend mentioned our name to him, so he gave us a call and we got to work.

The process of searching for a home was enjoyable for Matt and his wife. We gave them a list of homes for sale that fit what we were looking for. I’ll let Matt take it from there:

“Once we found a good home, we got outbid the first time. The next time a great home came up, we wanted to make sure we got in right away. We helped them put in an offer right away, and it got accepted. We crafted the offer in a way that got them the home without having to pay the highest price.”

Matt and his wife had a very enjoyable experience.

It’s been a year and a half since they’ve been in the new home. They paid $140,000 and now it’s worth nearly $175,000. They've been keeping up with updates and they’re excited to have such a great investment in their possession.

Thanks to Matt for joining me. If you have any questions for us about the home buying process or anything else related to real estate, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Another Client Success Story From an Old Friend of Mine

This latest client success story we’d like to share with you is one that’s 35 years in the making.

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Today’s client success story comes from Michael Lapciuk, a friend of mine who I’ve known for a long time. This story starts all the way back in 1994. I asked him a few questions so that you all could hear the story in his own words. 

How did we meet?

“I’ve known you for years—since high school, and when you went into the real estate business, I wanted to buy my first house and contacted you. I didn’t know about the process or what it entailed, and I actually bought my first house right down the street from your parent’s home, so you knew the area, knew the market, and your dad was in the business at the time. You guys helped me through the process and helped me get the money to put down. It was easy, and I knew that when I was going to purchase my new home coming up this time, I was going to go back to you. It was easy the first time, so I knew where to go.”

This year, you were looking at selling a condo. What happened then?

“It was a very dynamic 2017 for us. We were sitting at the house and I remember contacting you. We were thinking about property in Arizona and you flipped the script on me and said, ‘Hey, what about selling your current condo that you live in?’ I said, ‘Well, it’s not for sale,’ and you said, ‘Well, we have some people who are interested in your property.’ We then sold the condo we were in, and you helped us find a new one—a For Sale By Owner—and helped us close that deal. But we also had the rental property you knew about that we owned in Kentwood. That rental property, because of the market and the advice you gave us, we put up on the market. At the same time, we closed on the condo that we sold for cash, we purchased a new condo to move into, and then the seamless sale of the one we owned in Kentwood as a rental property, it all happened in about two months. A lot of things that happened for us financially this year benefited us, so we really appreciate it and my wife and I are indebted to you wholeheartedly.”

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We always had the answers we needed.

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What is the best thing that came out of it for you?

“We reduced our monthly payment by half. To take a home that we made a lot of equity in and roll that over into a new payment on an upgraded condo. We just used the funding to reduce the payment and saved a ton of money, through the advice of you. Then also with the home we had in Kentwood, you gave us some advice as to what we needed to upgrade and what we needed to do to get it ready for the market. A client came up, you helped the process, and took care of it. Like I said, we owe you a lot of credit.”

How did it go working with our staff? 

“Easy! When you weren’t available, there was someone that had answers for us. When someone here wasn’t available, I was able to contact you, and you returned my text, emails, and phone calls. I know you’re busy, but we always had the answers we needed.”

I want to thank Michael for taking the time to sit down with me. We can provide the same great service to you that we did for him, so if you have any real estate questions or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in our market, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d love to speak with you.

Doing the Most for Our Clients: Andrew’s Story

Listen to this incredible story about how our buyer’s agent went the extra mile for his client and got him a great deal on a home.

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Today, I want to introduce Andrew, a buyer’s agent on our team. He’s an awesome guy and has a really great story that I’d like to share with you.

Andrew had a client that he’d been been working with for about a month or so. In working with him and showing him multiple homes throughout the Rockford area, Andrew was able able to find him a very nice home that fit his young, growing family well.

Then Andrew and his client found themselves in a multiple offer situation. That might sound intimidating, but he was able to work with the listing agent and the seller as well, and they were able to win that offer. Despite the competition, Andrew was able to get him under contract and begin moving forward.

I personally heard Andrew calling the mortgage banker for the buyer. He asked the lender to call up the listing agent and put in a good word for the buyer. Andrew went the extra mile for his client and ended up getting him a really good deal.

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In a multiple offer situation, the goal is to find out what’s important to the seller and match up your offer accordingly.

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Andrew ended up helping get the house for well below asking price, including seller’s concessions. It was great for them to have money set aside that they normally would have had to pay for closing costs, where they can now use that for repairs and renovations instead.

Thankfully, Andrew was able to work it out very well and create a win-win for everybody. In a multiple offer situation, the goal is to find out what’s important to the seller and match up your offer accordingly.

For any questions about buying or selling a home, or real estate in general, please feel free to reach out to us. We’d be glad to use our knowledge and skills to get you the best deals possible.

The Most Accurate Information Is on Our Site

Where can you find the most accurate information about homes for sale on the market? Look no further.

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Over the past six months, I’ve been developing a brand-new website. I got tired of people searching for and finding great properties only to later find out that they were already sold.

Our website is going to clear all that up and we’re excited for you to see it. You can check it out here. You can search for homes, check your home’s value, and more. All the information on here is accurate and up-to-date.

Everything is accurate and up-to-date.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or are looking to buy or sell a home, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

What a Past Client of Ours Has to Say About Working With Us

Today we brought on a past client for a buyer perspective on working with our team. Here’s what she had to say.

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Over the course of the month, several buyers come to me looking for information on the process of buying a house.

Today, I’ve brought on a past client, Quinn, to talk about her experience. Quinn heard about me from a good friend and former roommate, so she knew she would be able to trust my team and I.

“There were multiple times where within 20 minutes of a listing being up, you were able to get me directly into the house, right away. That was incredibly helpful with the market being what is,” said Quinn.

When we were working with her, we told Quinn not to settle. We truly wanted her to get exactly what she wanted, and that’s exactly what happened.

“You were able to help me figure out the best way to put out an offer that was going to be accepted over others,” she said. And even though she was at first unsure of how the process should go, she ultimately found that my team was able to make things easy.

From the home search, to the inspection, to closing, we worked hard to make things go smoothly for Quinn, as we do with all our clients. In Quinn’s own words, “It was a very seamless process.”

“A lot of that has to do with you and your team, and the care you take for your clients,” she added.

Overall, we did our best to help Quinn have a successful home search despite the sometimes difficult terrain of a seller’s market.

To those who are unsure about entering the market, our past client Quinn says, “Do it.”

That being said, Quinn had some final advice for those who are thinking of entering the market but aren’t sure. She says, “Do it. It’s intimidating, but with the right people, it’s doable. It helps to have a team of people who you trust surrounding you to help you along the way. I had that, every step of the way.”

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.