Ann Arbor as a good neighbor to have

One of the great things about Canton is that you are half way between the big city life of Detroit and the college town life of Ann Arbor.
Often when we've helped families purchase in Canton they talk about going into Ann Arbor for some of the cultural entertainment (and college football games!).

Here is a video I noticed on another real estate broker's blog that shows some of what Ann Arbor has to offer:

Agency class misses the mark

Today I'm sitting in a class for real estate agents and brokers on
agency. Unfortunately many of the topics and responses are off the
mark. The most difficult part of agency for buyers and sellers is
designated agency. And when the first hard question came up the
instructor couldn't (didn't want to) answer.

Designated agency is very complicated. Just because agents don't
understand it doesn't mean it isn't real.

Sent from my iPhone

Aldi grocery store coming to Canton

The Mlive website just ran a story about International Grocery Store chain Aldi and how they are going to be expanding into Canton. The link above goes to the article.

I've read about Aldi and their unique service, I think they will be a great addition to the Ann Arbor, Canton, and Howell retail mix.

Important Inspection Tip for Canton Home Buyers

This link talks specifically about Ann Arbor home inspections but the advice is super important for anybody buying a home in Southeastern Michigan where the home has synthetic stucco exterior. (Sometimes called Drivit or EIFS or Exterior Insulation Finishing System)

Here again is the link: Canton Home Inspection Issue

How To Buy A Foreclosure Class

We had another one of our free "How To Buy A Foreclosure" classes last night here in Ann Arbor. Unlike last month, this time we had extra seats.

I could tell that a couple of the buyers who were there were gaining insights about the process. One of the buyers who had actually viewed a number of foreclosed and short-sale homes was clearly much more comfortable with the process when he left.

Since we are active helping Canton area buyers one of the examples discussed in the class was actually a Canton home.

Click on the link above for information about the next class if you are interested.

Home Buying Adventure

Our office helps buyers in the Canton Michigan area but our main office is physically located in Ann Arbor so we also help a lot of home buyers there.

Last week when I was out evaluating homes in that area we came across a skeleton in the living room of a vacant home.

Not just a skeleton, one dressed in a suite and a top-hat. If you think I'm kidding click on the link above, I snapped a picture.

Aliens in the basement - when I'm previewing a home

This link goes to an article about the funny things we see when we are showing homes.

(As Exclusive Buyer Agents we only work for buyers so we end up going through a lot of homes.)

In any case I still remember waiting for a buyer neat Beck and Geddes watching a roofer putting shingles on a new home. As I watched I thought something looked a little strange. Then I realized he was putting the shingles on right over the sheathing. (Violating the building code, which requires tar paper.)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the article.