I was introduced to this website by Amy Miller, a real estate agent with ReMax Sunquest here in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  She said she knew I would love it!  She was right.  TED is an inspired network of the spoken word.  Launched as a Free Site to the public in 2007, TED stands for Technology Entertainment, Design.  It's a place where you can experience the power of ideas by inspired thinkers and visionaries.

The video below is a talk by Daniel Goleman, the author of the book Emotional Intelligence.  Goleman's perspective of the story of the Good Samaritan is presented in a way that I'd never thought about.  At this time of the year when shopping is BIG, BIG, BIG...his thoughts about connecting knowledge in a way that informs our purchasing choices responsibly was very interesting and intriguing.  It's about 14 minutes long...but well worth watching.

The Truth is Very Powerful!  It's more powerful than Spin.  The Truth about the Grand Rapids, Michigan housing market is the primary means by which home owners can escape being held captive to the whims and negative judgements of dooms day predictors and naysayers. 

In the housing market in Grand Rapids, Mi this year, the Truth has sometimes seemed obscured by all the negative news.  Well, it's about the end of year and time to take a look at the TRUE numbers for sales in and around the Grand Rapids area.

Here's a Summary of the Housing Market in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Just over 10,116+ homes have Sold so far this year. This was against a backdrop of approximately 34,000 Listings for the year. Over half of the sales for the entire Grand Rapids, Michigan real estate board were priced below $150,000.

On the average it took 253 days to get to the Closing Table. But those who did at the beginning of year on the average got approximately 96% of their Asking Price. The average list price in the Greater Grand Rapids area was in the low $140,000's and the average Sold Price $137,000.

Some homeowners took a risky gamble this year and priced their homes above what the current housing market could support. You may want to refer to my earlier post entitled: "What's It Gonna Cost to Sell My Grand Rapids, Michigan Home?" to  understand what happened to those who made this mistake.

As the year progressed, home owners became much more realistic about adjustments that were necessary to Sell a Home Successfully.  Subsequently, reductions were made in pricing and the average days on the market until close dropped along with the average list price. Most area sales ranged between 10% -15% less than what a similar home would have sold for last year. Hardest hit were those who had purchased their homes in 2004 or later. 

Short Sales were a big deal this year.  At the beginning of the year, the number of Short Sales in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area ranged between 14% ~ 20%.  By the end of the year 30% ~ 40% of our Market Share was dominated by homes in Foreclosure or Short Sale. At Audu Real Estate we succesfully negotiated a number of Short Sales which allowed home owners to release a tremendous amount of debt and/or renegotiate the terms of their loan agreements.

So, the TRUTH about the Grand Rapids, Michigan housing market is that homes are Selling. To date, the total number of transactions successfully processed in 2007 is about 92% of what was successfully processed in 2006.  Given the issues that have plagued the market with reference to the substantial credit crunch, this is remarkable. Realistic, Motivated home owners can expect to sell their homes in 2008. To Successfully Sell Your Home these are some things you can do:

1.  Pricing Your Home Correctly the First Time! 

The market is not forgiving of error.  Adjust quickly when it tells you that you've missed the mark. 

2.  Stage Your Home to Sell!

Your home is in compeition with the largest number of listings in the history of the Grand Rapids real estate board. Everything you can do to make your home stand out will help. Showing well starts with Cleaning to the Max.  I've heard it referred to as Q-Tip Clean.  Clean, Attractive homes sell faster and for money.

3.  Try to Make it Work!

An offer may come in which feels like an insult.  Don't take it personally.  It's better to have a bird in hand than two in the field...as the saying goes.  Be creative with a counter.  Add incentives which make it hard for the buyer to walk away completely like giving a little on your price for a faster closing date or throwing in appliances and a Home Warranty for acceptance on your counter-offer.

In Summary...

There were some interesting variations in the report.  For instance, East Grand Rapids home prices held steady.  Although this area has traditionally had good appreciation, home owners were probably thankful not to have the double digit losses in home equity that other areas experienced.  In addition, an area closer to the downtown Grand Rapids area actually had a 6% increase. 

It's important to understand that average numbers will not provide the complete detail for any specific area.  If you would like detailed information about your specific neighborhood or community, please contact us.  e-mail:  info@auduhomes.com.

Copyright 2007 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

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I think the holidays evoke this warmth because it is at this time that we pause to Celebrate and Remember what makes our homes Special. For some it's the food and holiday baking.  We delight in getting together with family and re-kindling friendships.  This is also time when we savor some relaxation after a hectic year.  And of course, there are the presents!

But the appreciation of home need not wane during the remaining 330 odd days of the year. We should never take our dwelling places for granted or dimish the Value of having a home to simply another Financial investment like an IRA or Savings Account. Our homes offer something an investment simply cannot.  Our homes are our personal refuge, a haven...a place where we can let down our guard and just be!

We recently attended a formal dinner party and were seated next to an elegant couple in their mid to late 60's. At the end of the event, we continued our conversation and discovered that they had lived in one of the coastal states that was hit by Hurricane Katrina.  In fact, they had been in their brand new, beach-front home a grand total of 7 days before the devastation hit their community, wiping out their home to it's bare foundations.

I listened as the lady shared her story.  She told of the horror of not being able to locate your community because all the markers were gone...no street signs, no landmarks...just bare ground.  She shared about being trapped within the nightmare because the roads were blocked and there was very limited fuel.  She described waiting in line for 5 hours for a meal and then turning around to go back to the end of the line to begin waiting again.  She said that for the next month, their car became her home.

We simply listened.  When she finished speaking, I asked them how they had rebuilt their lives without becoming bitter and cynical? She looked at us and said..."it wasn't easy, but you have to move on." Eventually, they were able to move back to Michigan and get back on their feet.  Now, several years later, they had recently moved into a new home.

I asked them why they had chosen Michigan?  They replied that they had family in the area and then the lady said something else. She told me that when they were finally able to get out, having lost substantial investments and savings, she had looked for a place in which her heart felt safe. They had the opportunity to rebuild, but her spirit had not been comfortable.  She did not feel she had the stamina within her to undergo another hurricane.

I was struck by how different the criteria that she described was from what we normally hear discussed when looking for a place to live.  Buyers are often consumed with the price of the home and the amenities, the location and the school district.  The frenzied pace of home purchasing has changed our relationship to the process.  We're more mechanical.  A home is often judged in terms that are sans spiritus...devoid of the the energy that informs a decision grounded in grace.

I think that this process has stripped away some important essential elements which have transformative power.  Homes are where lives are built, children raised, relationships restored.  It is at home that we first encounter the essential goodness of being a part of the human family. When the home purchasing process ignores these elements, the process is impoverished. In a world in which houses are Valued with a ticket price and put on the shelf for public display it would serve us well to remember that... Homes are created by the wealth inside the inhabitants who live in them. There's no Price Sticker big enough to place a Value on that!

This post was inspired by a recent comment by Lenn Harley on my blog post 3 Winning Strategies For Selling Your Home During the Foreclosure Crisis.

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone at a networking event and been struck by the fact that they seemed taut and alert to everything...but you! Fidgeting half-smiles and darting eyes belie the fact that they're they're eager to make a connection with....the NEXT person, more important than you are. And as soon as they think they've spotted them...OFF they go.

People like this are actually involved with three conversations. The FIRST with themselves...omnipresent and all important in their own minds. The SECOND being the current half engagement within the conversation at hand, and the THIRD conversation, well it's the one they intend to have as soon as they're finished with you.

There's a part of me that has to give grudging admiration to these network operators. They get it. A networking event is not about communing on deep, intimate levels, it's about making the largest number of connections within a short period of time. Some of which may eventually pan out to significant contacts in the future. I personally dislike networking events because I prefer deeply engaging conversation. But a networking event is not a success if you deeply connect with the 3 people you already knew before you arrived!

It occurs to me that there are some similarities with the world of the blogosphere. Millions of blogs published everyday prove that many of us have absolutely no problem having extensive cconversations within our OWN minds. We're all eager to share our mental machinations through our blogs. Hopefully, someone stops by or sticks around long enough to engage us for a bit. But, that's over usually within 24 hours. In-fact the conversation on the blogosphere is now stripping to it's most minimal reality in the twitter.

As the conversation within a blog eeks out it's last splutters of comments, we jump click...anxious to engage the next thought flitting through the cyber universe. The flirtation with the next newest idea or barely re-worked old one is picked up until something just a tad more titillating comes along. And what ultimately comes of this? Usually, not too much.

But, with the thousands of hits and views, a third level of conversation somehow manages to nab even the networkers. Unexpectedly, a chance encounter resonates at a core level of engagement. Sometimes the spark is instant, sometimes culled over several encounters. This is where magic appears. And it's often unanticipated.

Magic is conversations with people which seem strangely effortless. Magic is shared understanding and respect and admiration. Magic is when a chance encounter meets an irresistible force called Connection. This is the Third Conversation...and perhaps, the only that really matters. It stands to reason that in the world of real estate blogging, those who create Magic will ultimately make Money.

Understanding this frees me to appreciate the fact that all three levels of conversation have their place and I can enjoy them at the level which they are without expecting them to deliver something which they cannot.

Copyright 2007 Audu Real Estate All Rights Reserved

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