A Cool Story About My Old Home

I wanted to share a really cool story about a house I used to own that fell on hard times. With just a little bit of help, this home that had failed to sell for nearly a year had a successful sale.

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I wanted to share a cool story with you today.

I used to own the house behind me in the video above a little more than 20 years ago, right here in the heart of Wyoming Park.

It was really cool because last summer I was looking over some expired listings and I noticed that this home was on the market for more than 300 days, and it kind of bothered me. I asked the owner for a walkthrough to determine why it didn't sell, and I was a little puzzled.

However, I gave them some hints for staging and some ways to make the house look a little better, including some awesome photography. When we got the house back on the market, it sold within five days!

The home expired at $120,000 but we sold it for $126,000!

The really great part is that it expired at $120,000 and we sold it for $126,000!

I really love working on projects for clients, so if you ever need any help any with real estate needs, give me a call or send me an email. I'd love to help you out!

How Can You Buy and Sell at the Same Time?

Buying and selling a home at the same time is contingent on clear communication and deliberate timing.

Selling your Grand Rapids home? Get a free home value report

 Buying a Grand Rapids home? Search all homes for sale

How can you buy a house if you already have a house to sell? The process is simpler than it sounds.

The first step is to go out and look at a couple of homes that you would like to buy. Once you feel comfortable with that, you would have a Realtor such as myself come over and take a quick look at your home and determine the exact price that it would sell for in a quick and efficient time frame. 

From there, you and your Realtor would communicate very clearly with the listing agent of the home that you intend to buy to determine what your game plan should be to complete the dual transaction. Your timing in this circumstance must be deliberate. With my clients, I typically institute a time frame of 60 days, which gives us time to sell the one house and have the closing done on the other. 

With my clients, I typically institute a time frame of 60 days to get the job done.    

So remember, timing and communication are key. This year, our team has handled more than 100 transactions where a homeowner has sold their house and bought another house in the same time period following that same formula, and we haven’t experienced a single problem with in any case.

If you have any more questions about buying and selling a home simultaneously or need help doing so, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. Just give me a call or send me an email, and I’d be happy to help you!

Home Inspection Tips From an Expert

As you know, when you buy a house, it’s a great idea to get a home inspection. Today I’m here with Brent Modderman from Integrity Inspection Services to go over a few things you need to know about the home inspection process. 

What do you look for in a home inspection? 

We are going to look at the overall condition of the home, inside and out. We start with the roof and work our way down to the basement. We’ll look at the heating and cooling system, electrical, and plumbing to make sure that things are done correctly. We’ll also make sure the foundation is set. 

We make sure the home is safe and in good condition for you.

Basically, we are looking to make sure that the overall condition of the home is up to par and that the property is safe. We also want to make sure that you know exactly what you are getting into with this property. 

How much does a home inspection cost? 

The home inspection runs about $350. If you want to know what the radon levels are in the property, the radon test will cost $125. Termite inspections cost $75. If you are buying an older home and want to test for lead paint, that will cost you $50. 

How long do home inspections take? 

Home inspections last about two hours on average. If you do the radon test, we do have to leave the test kit in the property for 48 hours. 

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen on an inspection? 

The weirdest thing was that I had various drug paraphernalia fall out of the ceiling on me. Of course, there are always some people who don’t quite pick up after themselves, even though they know their home is going to be inspected. 

If you have any questions for Brent, give him a call at (616) 581-8575, email him at IntegrityInspectionServices@gmail.com, or check out his website. As always, if you have any real estate questions, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!