Northern Michigan Real Estate

Campbellsville Real Estate, Kentucky Hunting

2008-10-31T15:57:00.003-04:00

Are you in the market for a quality managed piece of deer hunting real estate in Campbellsville? If you're a school teacher like me, you won't be able to afford good quality whitetail land. Now, if you're looking for a solid 80-300 acre piece of land, let me tell you about one. You can take a quick peak from this link: Campbellsville Kentucky Real Estate Homes and Land For Sale or just listen below.If you're in the market for 300 acres, if you buy the wrong piece, you might have well just bought 40 acres. If you've read any of my other articles, you've learned that the deer managment among neighbors is more important than your own practices. These bruiser kentucky trophy class deer don't just stay on the same 80 acres of land as you know. I'm luck to have 80, 500 and 600 acre neighbors who won't shoot anything small than an 8 pointer. We'd rather not shoot small 8 pointers, but because we manage so much land, getting rid of the smaller breeding 8 pointers will only help our herd.Feel free to call 989-766-3797 or peak at a few photos at the above website if you're interested in buying the perfect lifetime hunting property.

What is google doing to the marketing of Northern Michigan real estate?

2006-07-18T16:27:00.000-04:00

Wow, google has done it again. Marketing northern Michigan real estate to buyer is a very complicated subject. The problem is everyone says, "northern Michigan real estate" but this could mean Traverse City real estate or Onaway real estate. These two cities are worlds apart and hundreds of miles apart. There are only a few people that really know how to promote the real estate industry online in the state of Michigan. Here is how it works:

Most Michigan real estate companies will have an ambitious person trying to learn how to get to the top. Ultimately, this person will run into 1 of 4 websites. Northernmichigan.com, north-bound.com, soldbydebbie.com or northernmichiganrealestate.us. This ambitious person will realize in time that there is no sense in fighting against people who do this for a living, so this very good agent will pay either of the first 2 websites mentioned to be apart of their database. Well, this is a good move. However, if you want to be the best marketer of northern Michigan real estate or even more specifically, Traverse city Michigan real estate, this person should have figured out who created www.soldbydebbie.com and now who owns and promotes www.northernmichiganrealestate.us. Currently Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors of Michigan own my expertise.

Basically there are two choices as a website promoter. Either you can have 100 different offices pay you a little to be represented on your website, or, like Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors did, be the ONLY company on a highly competitive website and pay more money. That is the solution to 9 out of 10 problems in the world isn't it. The key is time spent online promoting Michigan real estate, which in turn costs money.

Who to List Property With...continued. Franchise vs. Small Northern Michigan Real Estate Company

2006-04-09T16:02:00.000-04:00

This is never a easy subject to dicuss. Being an objective writer of northern Michigan real estate topics, you want your opinion to be respected by all, however, from time to time, you will offend certain entities. Unfortunately, in small town USA (northern Michigan), it is only a matter of time before you have somehow offended the entire population. With that said, let me give you my opinion on what company you should consider listing with.

We've discussed listing with friends and relatives. This of course should be the your first option, only from a humanistic perspective. Give them the opportunity. If no results are produced, then you need to consider your options. It is a touchy subject. For every $100,000 of property you own, when it doesn't sell, it will cost you over $9,000 annually due to interest lost, taxes, insurance, etc. At some point, "It's not your friends, it's your business"...Jerry Mcguire.

Obviously you want to get with the biggest and highest producing real estate office. However, just because a Century 21 may sell X number of homes in Alaska which is 100X the amount of property your small town real estate office has sold, doesn't mean they are even an option. I've seen this happen too many times. My radical example is always, "People don't go to Detroit to see and learn about property in small town northern Michigan". Closer yet, people don't go to Indian River to buy real estate in Onaway.

Back to franchises. Franchises such as Coldwell Banker Schmitt Realtors are one of the biggest. They tend to be one of the more successfull companies no matter what city they are located in due to their great reputation. Franchises tend to be the way to go in most bigger city circumstances. You need to remember the following: ALL FRANCHISES WERE STARTED FROM 1 VERY SUCCESSFULL BROKER IN THE MIDDLE OF SOME SMALL TOWN SOMEWHERE. Margie Haaxima of Banner Realty is a good example of this. She leads the county of Alpena in sales every year, yet she is not considered a franchise. Debbie Artrip of Cardinal Real Estate leads Presque Isle County in sales every year, yet she in not franchised either. Ten and tweny years from now, when these areas are more built up, maybe Banner Realy and Cardinal Real Estate will be "franchises" then.

Remember to always go with the company with the most webpresence. That is how 70% of all potential buyers go before they even consider contacting a real estate company. And that number will grow to 100% as the generations pass who are simply not familiar with computers.
If you'd like to find any Traverse City Michigan Real Estate, I of course suggest that you click on the afore noticed link to have a professional help you find what you are looking for.

Who To List Your Michigan Real Estate With?

2006-04-02T17:37:00.000-04:00

Who would best represent your property? Women vs. Men, Young vs. Old, Franchise vs. Private, Big City vs. Small Town. These are all good questions and each of them can be argued both those savy policitally correct folks. Lucky for you I call it the way I see it. For the most effective marketing of your Michigan real estate listing, follow a few simple steps.
#1) If you list with family or friend, don't worry, the listing will go into an MLS service giving all companies an equal chance to sell it.
#2) NEVER list with a company that does not belong to a board of Realtors.
#3) Go with a familiar face and company. These people have been in the real estate business for a few years for a reason.
#4) NEVER list with part-time agents. These people are not serious about selling property. So, if you are not serious about selling your Michigan real estate, go ahead and give your favorite relative a chance.
#5) Always list your property with a local real estate office. Too many times have I seen some idiot think they are better off listing with a big city office 45 miles away. If you are looking for a piece of property in Indian River, do you go to Detroit? Nope.
#6) For the finest of services, make sure your real estate company has a great presence online. All of them say they do, but check for yourself. If you can't find them, then neither can your potential buyers.

Unpolitically correct yours, a memo from the private sector.

Who do you blame when your listed property doesn't sell?

2006-04-02T17:34:00.000-04:00

The answer is easy, but not for the reason you might think. Sometimes I blame the seller for this reason. Sellers only care about one thing, "how much money am I going to make". Often times sellers unjustly use this normal desire to decide who they list their northern Michigan real estate with. If one agent says your home is worth $50,000 while another says it's worth $75,000, who are you going to list with? Obvisously most folks go with the higher figure. This leads to an overpriced market with too many listings. Assusming the home does not sell, I blame the irresponsible real estate agent for this common malpractice. They told you a high figure just to make you happy (for the short-term). What this has done has caused you to put off your life for another year because your home did not sell. It gets worse. You just spend a ton of money on taxes, upkeep and interest on the loan as well over the course of the year. So now you need to sell the home for at least $55,000 just to get the $50,000 the professional realtor suggested in the first place. It is a slippery slope commonly seen with new and unsuccessful northern Michigan Realtors. If a real estate agent turns down your listing, suck up your pride and list with them. Chances are they know what they are very good at their job.

So, who do you blame for your listed property not selling? Now that you've read this, you should blame yourself.

The Best Michigan Real Estate Broker I've Ever Met

2006-03-26T01:14:00.000-05:00

This lady owns and operates two successful real estate offices in Presque Isle County. Cardinal Real Estate has lead the entire county in sales for many years. I believe one of the primary reason to her success is that she genuinely likes people. You can't train a new agent to be personable. Buyers and sellers alike want to feel comfortable with the real estate professional they are entrusting their most valuable asset with.

Debbie Artrip is not only a very likeable person, but she treats everyone who walks through her doors the same. It doesn't matter if the potential buyers look like they live out of their care and have 2 bucks to their name or just pulled up in a new model SUV wanting to spend $300k. With this said, she also backs up her great salesmanship with vast amounts of real estate knowledge and experience.

When I'm looking for a broker to market my properties, I also care about how the brokers agents conduct themselves as well. Debbie expects nothing but perfection out of her staff. Often times this will push away the less ambitious agents from her office, but the ones that do pass all the tests, tend to be sharp full-time agents. The Broker is not that only one helping you sell your property, the entire staff represents and contributes into the selling of your property as well. This includes making sure the phones are being answered from 9:00am until 5:00 pm. There is nothing worse than having property listed with an office who is closed down during the middle of a work day. No matter how good the Broker is, they can't do it alone.

Well, after 7 years of marriage to Debbie Artrip and a recent divorce from her as well, I believe I've said enough good things about her for one day. Be on the lookout for the next Michigan real estate broker I take to the top with a premium online website presence at: www.northernmichiganrealestate.us

The Art of Making Offers on Northern Michigan Property

2006-03-23T00:22:00.000-05:00

How many times have you wondered how much you should offer on a piece of real estate? Thoughts go through your mind, "I don't want to insult them" or "I really want the property, but do want to make an offer less than full price". Here is my favorite, "I wonder if they'd take 1/2?" All of these thoughts are common and good questions. You just have to ask yourself, "How bad do I want the property?"

As a real estate investor, I make no personal connections to any property, "it clouds the judgement" (Gordan Gecko). The time to sell is when you don't want to. The same goes for buying. If you money is not burning a hole in your pocket, nor do you need a place right away, you can risk offering 70% of list. If you've just sold a home and are going to be in a bind, then 95% would not be out of line. It all depends on your personal needs. For more information and articles about northern Michigan real estate investing, click on this link to see my personal website.

My Northern Michigan Real Estate Blog is Back.

2006-03-21T20:48:00.000-05:00

My recent divorce from a real estate broker slowed me down for a bit, but I'm back online. The good news is my real estate investment company will still recieve commission free listings from the Ex. As long as I advise and aid in search engine optimization for "our" website that is: http://www.soldbydebbie.com .

Since this article touches on relationships, I wanted to touch on the advantages of knowing somebody in the real estate business. All too often to I need blank purchase agreements, lead base paint disclosures, land contracts etc. for my personal dealings where the true real estate professionals are not involved. "For Sale By Owner" parties should never feel guilty about seeking a little help from Realtors. Most of the time, they will be glad to help. I guarantee you this. If a Realtor helps you free of charge with your private sale where they are not making a commission, you will appreciate it. In return, without thinking about it, you will refer them future business. Realtors know this and are pleased to assist you in anyway they can.

Where To Move In Northern Michigan?

2005-12-09T02:09:00.000-05:00

Where would be the best place to invest your hard earned retirement monies? Northeastern Michigan real estate by far is the area where you will recieve the most return on your money. Traverse City Michigan and the Petoskey region are great places to live. If you like Malls, high-dollars surrounding and traffic, you can't beat the northern Michigan element. However, don't expect to be achieve the traditional high returns on your recreational property investment. If you have a portfolio of over ten million dollars, then you really don't need to worry about your golden years. If your networth is less than that amount, consider northeast Michigan real estate. You can purchase that same type of beautiful lakefront property or vacant land for often times 25% of the price. 40% is probably more common. You just need to decide how close you need a Wal-Mart. - Jamie Gwilliam.

Northern Michigan Property Listing

2005-12-09T00:07:00.000-05:00

When you list your home, lakefront property, riverfront property or vacant land with a realtor, make sure to request extra advertising. If you make this request apart of your listings condition, you will receive it. Extra advertising in a local newspaper or magazine doesn't hurt. Realtors really do a great job getting your listing out in view of the public, but why take the chance. More is better, right? Well, it makes you feel better anyway. It really isn't cost effective, but it's not your money either. What I find is that local advertising is only for the sellers. All the active buyers will recieve your listing through whichever realtor they are working with. 99% of all sincere buyers have at least one realtor working for them. Paper advertising is a thing of the past, but Realtors do it anyway to make sellers feel good. Paper advertising pales in comparison to today's world of online real estate advertising. Weigh out your options and just be honest with your up north Michigan realtor and they will take care of you. - Jamie Gwilliam, Northern Michigan

Northern Michigan Real Estate

2005-12-08T23:57:00.000-05:00

Which company should you list your property with? The answer is easy, the company who offers the best online exposure. Next question, who is the best. The answer is not so easy, but in a nutshell, I am one of the best. Here is the problem. If an search engine optimization (SEO) expert is that good, he'll need to get paid for it. A person with my knowledge needs to make $100,000 per year. Here is the problem. Which northern Michigan real estate companies can justify that. Answer: None of them. So, what we are forced to do is create a database of real estate companies under one website. This way the costs can be shared by 50 different real estate companies. The result is no one company really stands out. My recent divorce from my wife, who is the owner of a few small real estate offices, had the luxury of somebody of my skill level only promoting her real estate website. This is unheard of, but due to our relationship, I was able to do that for her and maintained the #3 real estate website in all of northern Michigan. Now, I am for hire. - Jamie Gwilliam Contact My Northern Michigan Services Here

Michigan Real Estate Commissions

2005-12-08T23:48:00.000-05:00

Sellers beware! How many times have you been told to shop around for the lowest commission? When you do shop around for the cheapest real estate commission, what do you find out? Basically, everyone is about the same give or take a percent. In the overall picture, it doesn't add up to much. If you have a home in the city, the commission will be hire than if you have a highly desirable home on a lake. If you're home is under $50,000 you will be paying a much higher commission than your neighbor who sold his $200,000 home on 40 acres at a 6% commission. Bottom line is that when companies start cutting commissions, there is something wrong. In northern Michigan, if you are in a bigger city with jobs, commissions will be competative. If you own a home in small town USA up north, these are very tough sales that bring low national average selling prices. Commissions will be hire. The costs to the real estate in Onaway Michigan is the exact some as a "big time" real estate company in Traverse City. Advertising is advertising and closing costs are closing costs. Remember this, when companies start lowering their commission rates substantially, they are hurting for business. There is a good reason they are hurting for business! Refer back to my latest article about homes not selling cost sellers on average $8,000 per year. - Jamie Gwilliam, Northern Michigan Properties

Part-Time Michigan Real Estate Agents

2005-12-08T23:46:00.000-05:00

To those part-timers offering their opinions of real estate values, STOP IT! You are not familiar with the market just yet. You create conversation by telling innoscent victims that their homes are worth 50% above market value. Boy, do they appreciate your thoughts and really think you know what you're talking about. Guess what, you are doing is destroying the local real estate economy and stagnated the market. Do you realize these people take it to heart when you tell them their home in town is appreciated just like vacant land and waterfront property? Do you realize that each year the average northern Michigan home owner sits on their listed home that doesn't sell costs them over $8,000 per year in taxes, interest, insurance, maintenance etc. Full-time agents who take overpriced listings are even more guilty of such immoral practices. You actually know better! For more of my northern Michigan property opinions, view my northern Michigan listings here. - Jamie Gwilliam

Northern Michigan Employment vs. Real Estate Values

2005-12-08T23:27:00.000-05:00

The fact is high paying jobs will never come to northern Michigan. Because of the shortage of stable work up north, there is tremendous opportunity for factories to flourish. Northern Michigan residents by their very nature are appreciative of employment. We know how hard fullt-time work is to come by. For this reason, there is a vast number of people in the area that have been use to working odd jobs just to get by. We are not leaving northern Michigan! For this reason, should factories decide to take an interest in northern Michigan, $10 per hour jobs would be highly applied for and cherrished. Several "factory" atmospheres are seeing this potential and competing globally due to the willingness to work for less than top-dollar wages. Learn more about me and my northern Michigan opinoins. Northern Michigan Real Estate.
- James Gwilliam

What is going to Happen to the real estate market in Michigan?

2005-12-08T20:36:00.000-05:00

With the troubles of automakers, what is going to happen to the northern Michigan real estate market? My best guess is nothing. "Homegrown" northern Michigan folks have always gotten by on very little. Those "downstaters" wanting a piece of heaven up north are those who have done better than most financially downstate. Our potential clients downstate have already put in their 20+ years of hardwork, they have made their money. Recreational property, in my humble opinion, we continue to increase in value for the next decade. Property will not increase, especially vacant land, at the rate is has for the last decade. Conclusion: Don't be alarmed when talks of decreasing property value in northern Michigan. Homes in small towns will continue to maybe compete with inflation, but recreational property will continue to flourish. - James Gwilliam, creator of powerful northern Michigan Real Estate Websites.

Upper Pennisula Michgian Real Estate Link Exchange

2005-11-10T00:58:00.000-05:00

Free Link Exchange to all Michigan real estate companies who are interested in link exchanges with a PR 4 site. Upper Penninsula Michigan real estate companies are also welcome.

Northern Michigan Foreclosure Property

2005-11-10T00:52:00.000-05:00

Northern Michigan Property going through foreclosures found affordable here. 4 bedroom ready to move in stickbuilt homes for sale at $29,000. Northern Michigan vacant land foreclosures as well. If you'd like to find northeastern Michigan property on the Lake Huron on side, this site can also help.

Northern Michigan Real Estate

2005-11-10T00:46:00.000-05:00

If you're looking to invest in the hot Northern Michigan Real Estate market, look no further. Find out how to buy 40 acres of land for less at $1,500 an acre. The northwest side of Michigan is at a much higher price, but each side of the state offers it's own unique ammentities. One side offers great malls, shopping, hospitals, fine dining etc. At the same time, there is a lot more traffic which is associated with higher prices. Northeastern Michigan offers much lower real estate prices, but there is not always a place to purchase certain goods and services.