Metro Detroit Real Estate Blog

If you want to borrow money, then the first step is to establish good credit. Let’s face it — if you can’t borrow money, you probably can not buy the items you want. It’s a good idea to start working on your credit when you’re young before you try to purchase your first home. By that time, you’ll want to have already established some credit.

Some people don’t necessarily have bad credit, but they don’t have good credit either. In other words, they don’t have any credit at all. Building up credit takes time and careful planning, but it’s not as difficult as you may think. With the right forethought, you can begin establishing credit right away.

First Things First

The first thing you need to do is get a credit card and begin working towards

Many people these days have a college degree. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center’s analysis of Current Population Survey data, “four-in-ten millennial workers ages 25 to 29 had at least a bachelor’s degree in 2016.” When you compare this group to the baby boomer generation, who has a lower percentage of college graduates, you can see how society has shifted its norms and expectations. The baby boomer generation ranks third in education attainment while millennials are at the top.

With the growing trend towards higher education also comes the growing debt load. In 2018, the “outstanding student loan debt in the U.S. surpassed $1.48 trillion, almost one-and-a-half times what Americans owe on credit cards.”

With the student debt so

Buying a new home is an exciting step, which can mean different things to different people. For some people, a new home purchase means financial independence. For others, a new home is a start to a new family or a new job. Whatever it may mean to you, it’s something to do with careful forethought. Since you’ll most likely be staying in your home for several years or maybe for good, you want to make the wisest financial decision.

One of the strategies of purchasing a new home is to buy mortgage points upfront. Let’s take a closer look at how mortgage points work.

What are Mortgage Points?

Mortgage points are points you can purchase upfront that will lower your interest rate. They are often referred to as discount points because they give you a

Purchasing a new home is often a challenging step for some people. Possibly a bad credit history is hindering you from taking the plunge to home ownership. Other people don’t have enough credit history established to get a loan.

Other individuals may have acceptable credit but plan to own the house with another individual such as a spouse. They may intend to repay the house together. Sometimes two people applying for a loan is more advantageous than just one person is.

Often, people have either a co-borrower or co-signer on their mortgage loan. Although these two terms may sound somewhat similar, they are entirely different. Each one serves a different purpose. Before you take the step of buying a new home, learn about the pros and cons of

Selling or buying a home is a monumental step in life. Whether it’s your first or fifth time going through the process, it can be fraught with anxieties. Half the problem is finding the right type of realtor who understands your unique situation and who is experienced in real estate.

You need the best of all realtor qualities to have an excellent transaction, and sometimes that’s difficult to find. You may be wondering what to look for. Or ask yourself what is important in the scope of buying or selling a home. Let’s take a look at some qualities and techniques that make a realtor stand out.

Premier Services

If you are looking for a topnotch real estate agent who will get the job done, then you want a team that offers premier services. That

Selling your home involves several steps. One of the steps includes getting an inspection. Inspections can be unsettling for some people because they may not know what to expect. However, homeowners find that an inspection is helpful because it tells them what things might be wrong with the house, which gives them an opportunity to correct things.

 Although it can be unnerving if your inspection has several flagged areas, some of these things are fixes you can do yourself. Even if the flagged things aren’t safety issues or emergencies, it makes sense to correct what you can because it will give you more leverage to negotiate the price you want. Here are five DIY projects that may want to consider fixing.

Seal Window and Door Gaps

Whether it’s

A real estate agent's goal is to sell homes quickly and efficiently. That means using different methods to optimize the house buying and selling process. Some of those methods include:

• Implementing proactive marketing techniques

• Utilizing technology to streamline communications

• Using technological solutions to highlight homes

As realtors use these tools, they can fast track the house selling process and increase customer satisfaction. Let's take a look at the two methods that deal with technology in closer detail.

Streamline Real Estate Communications Through Enhanced Technology

One of the most important parts of making a deal in real estate is keeping on top of the communication process. When someone calls

Sometimes life situations dictate that you must downsize. You may choose to downsize because the kids are grown up and moved out and a smaller place is appropriate. Other times, however, downsizing needs to happen when you have a family, too. Maybe the cost of caring for a family and the current mortgage is too high. Maybe you’re moving to a new neighborhood that is more expensive, so you’ll need a smaller home to afford the same mortgage cost. Whatever the reasons, downsizing with a family and kids can be a bit more challenging.

Most people appreciate their space, especially when they have children running around. It seems like you can never have enough room when the kids are young and growing. So, what do you do when you need to downsize your home

This Detroit-area neighborhood guide provides valuable information and insight to help you understand more about Detroit metro neighborhoods. Learn about other communities in the first part of this two-part series.

Northville

This smaller city in the suburbs of Detroit is located in both Wayne and Oakland counties.

• Population: 5,988 people.
• Real Estate Data: Median home value is $356,705. There are 64% of single-family homes in this city.
• Demographics: Almost 30% of the population is between the ages of 35 and 54, making it a good area for families.
• Education: 63.3 % of residents are college graduates, while 97.9% are high school graduates.
• Median Household Income: $99,052
• Job Sector: The top tier of the workforce is divided

Moving to a new neighborhood can be both an exciting adventure and a challenging prospect, especially when you know nothing about the community. This Detroit-area neighborhood guide provides valuable information and insight to help you learn more about the local neighborhoods that you can use when buying or selling a home.

Ann Arbor

This larger-sized neighborhood is the sixth largest community in Michigan.

• Population: 121,477 people
• Real Estate Data: Median home value: $390,329; very hot rating from Zillow.
• Education: 72.8 % of the residents are college graduates.
• Median Household Income: $57,697, which is $2,375 above the U.S. average.
• Job Sector: 93.24% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs

Birmingham