Lee Morof's Real Estate Blog

Being the new kid on the block can be tough. Not only does your family have to adjust to their new Royal Oak Michigan home, but they also have to get to know an entirely new neighborhood. The Halloween festivities are the perfect time to do it!

Don’t let your family become as estranged as the Adams Family in their new surroundings. Be outgoing to help relieve any creepy-crawly feelings your kids have about the new neighborhood. Review the tips below and take advantage of the holiday season to make new friends, get involved in the community and experience hot spots near your new Royal Oak Michigan home.

• Don’t be shy; say hi! Find opportunities to meet your neighbors. Linger outside by raking fall leaves or putting up Halloween decorations. You’ll be amazed at how many doors will open.
• Host a haunted open house. Neighbors always want to see how you’ve redone the place, so be proactive and invite everyone over for a haunted open house party. Serve special spooky treats such as caramel apples and hot pumpkin cider.
• Get involved in the community. Whether you join the community center, attend a local church or volunteer at an area shelter, find something your family is interested in and can do together. Most of these establishments also host holiday parties or trunk-or-treat events.
• Plan a new experience each week. Try a new restaurant, go to an annual festival or cheer on a local sports team. Having something for you and the kids to look forward to will help build excitement and an affinity for your new neighborhood.

By implementing a few of these tips, your children will know their way around the neighborhood in no time. And you’ll know all the little witches, mummies and ghosts that show up at your Royal Oak Michigan home for candy come October 31.

If you’re in the market for a new home, I can help. Please call me at 248-514-2640 or email me at info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com for more information.

Lee Morof
Associate Broker/Certified Distressed Property Expert/Attorney Lee Morof
RE/MAX Showcase Homes, Birmingham, Michigan
www.NorthWoodwardHomes.com

It’s always difficult to find the perfect gift for your father to express how much he means to you. However, this Father’s Day, with just a little bit of money, effort and time, you can show your father you care by helping him stage his Royal Oak Michigan home for sale.

While fathers might be good at fixing broken appliances and taking care of lawns, most are uninterested in making a house feel welcoming. Below are five inexpensive ways to give a little back to your dad and help him stage his Royal Oak Michigan home for sale so it sells faster.

1. Evict the pack rat. Decluttering and cleaning should go without saying. While this personal issue might be touchy, your father will thank you later. Be strong and carry on.
2. Replace kitchen hardware. Your father has a good point when he says, “Those drawer pulls work perfectly fine.” However, you can give a kitchen an immediate facelift with modern hardware that is easy to install.
3. Display fresh cut flowers. Whether from your garden or the supermarket, add flowers around the house, especially when it is being shown. The scent and beauty of the flowers make rooms feel brighter and cause potential buyers to smile.
4. Fluff up the bathrooms. Again, most men don’t seem to notice the dingy bathmat or pilled towels. Buy a set of fluffy, new towels and bathmats to put out when buyers are walking through. It’ll make your dad’s bathroom feel fresh and clean. And he can take the towels and bathmats with him to his new place.
5. Add a pop of color. If your dad’s house feels a little drab, find some inexpensive throw pillows, blankets or picture frames to give each room a memorable note.

With a little bit of time and money, you can give your dad the perfect Father’s Day gift. If you’d like more information on how to stage a Royal Oak Michigan home for sale, please call me at 248-514-2640 or email me at info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com.

Lee Morof
Associate Broker/Certified Distressed Property Expert/Attorney 
RE/MAX Showcase Homes, Birmingham, Michigan
www.NorthWoodwardHomes.com

Whether you’re looking to update your Royal Oak Michigan home before selling or you want to remodel a new place before moving in, it’s imperative that you have a good relationship with your contractor. Unless you’re planning to do the renovation work yourself, you’ll be relying on the knowledge, competence and trustworthiness of someone you might barely know.

While you want to stay on good terms with the person renovating your Royal Oak Michigan home, there are a few formal guidelines that you should follow to ensure your projects are completed on time and on budget.

5 tips for working with a contractor: 

1. Keep in constant communication – Try to touch base with your contractor every day. Exchange cell phone numbers, set up a daily appointment or send periodic emails. This allows your contractor to keep you up to date on changes or issues, and it allows you to voice questions and concerns.
2. Know what you want – Decide the type of materials (such as hardware, tile or wood) you’re going to use before you bring in a contractor to give you a bid. Without all of the information, he or she could vastly under or over estimate the renovation cost and budget. 
3. Sign off on all project changes – Put in your renovation contract that you want to be informed of all unforeseen changes to the project. This ensures that you stay in the loop and allows you to manage the total cost of your renovation.
4. Accommodate and be helpful – You and your contractor will be happier if you make his or her workers’ lives easier by designating a bathroom for them to use or providing them with something cold to drink on a hot day. You’ll help motivate and boost morale!
5. Make sure you only pay for work completed – Never pay the full amount up front.  Instead, set up a pay-as-the-project-is-completed schedule. Depending on the size of the renovation, decide on how much you’ll pay after certain points of completion. This ensures work for the money.

If you want to learn more about dealing with Royal Oak Michigan home contractors, call me at 248-514-2640 or email me at info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com for more information.

Lee Morof
Associate Broker/Attorney  
RE/MAX Showcase Homes
Birmingham, Michigan
Call:  248-514-2640
info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com
www.NorthWoodwardHomes.com

As a society, it seems like we’ve gotten away from appreciating our Royal Oak Michigan homes for their emotional and sentimental worth.  Instead, we focus solely on their monetary value. 

An appraiser can estimate a Royal Oak Michigan home’s monetary value, but to gain a true concept of your home’s worth, you must also take into consideration:

1. Pride of ownership.  You don’t buy a pair of Prada shoes because you’re going to be able to resell them and make a profit.  You buy them because they make you look good and feel good.

2. Security and stability.  Your home provides a roof over your head that’s in your control.  You can decorate it how you want.  You don’t have to worry about a landlord selling the property or asking you to move out.  In the “olden days” (or should I say “golden days”), we called our homes our castles because, as owners, we felt like the kings and queens of our Royal Oak Michigan homes.  You can still feel that way!  Claim your castle and crown yourself king or queen today.

3. A safe haven.  After a tough day at work or a day of disappointments, where’s the first place you think of going?  Home!  As Dorothy says, “There’s no place like home.”

4. A place to make memories.  Your son’s tree house and daughter’s playhouse.  The markings on the wall that tracked your children’s growth.  The porch swing where you start and end every anniversary celebration.    

5. A neighborhood full of friends.  In the event of an emergency, your neighbors are your first line of defense.  They’re also the simplest, best and least expensive form of security.  Additionally, they may have the exact tool you need for a project; the extra pair of hands you need to complete a project or children to become playmates with yours. Neighbors also give you that much needed in-person, up-close social network.

Even if your home’s economic value has dropped, you continue to benefit from its emotional values of community, stability, security and success.

Thinking of buying a home in southeast Michgian in Oakland County?  I can help you evaluate the emotional and monetary worth of homes and find a home that fits your values and lifestyle.  Give me a call today at 248-514-2640 or email me at info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com.

Lee Morof
Associate Broker/Attorney  
RE/MAX Showcase Homes
Birmingham, Michigan
www.NorthWoodwardHomes.com
info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com
Call:  248-514-2640

Before you put your Royal Oak Michigan home up for sale, you want to make sure it looks as attractive and modern as possible. Buyers usually walk away from a Royal Oak Michigan home for sale with outdated color schemes and fixtures. This is especially true of bathrooms. Even if you lack the budget and space to turn your bathroom into a spa-like retreat, you can still give this room a quick facelift.

1. Get creative with color. If you don’t have the time or budget to replace dated ceramic tile, try camouflaging it with towels, rugs, and other accessories for a more modern color scheme. For example, you can pair pink with brown or bright blue with light green.

2. Replace your fixtures. Brushed aluminum and pewter bathroom fixtures are more modern than the shiny chrome fixtures from years ago. They are also easier to clean because they don’t show water marks as easily.

3. Find new lighting. A bathroom light can do more than just illuminate the space; it can create an atmosphere. Sconces placed on either side of a mirror tend to look better than harsh overhead light. Track lighting can be arranged to provide light in dark corners of the room.

4. Accessorize. Put your personal touch on your bathroom with shower curtains, soap dispensers, and scented candles. Don’t feel like you have to stick to the bath accessories aisle, either. A clear vase can display bath salts. Baskets can hold rolled-up towels. A beautiful serving bowl can be filled with potpourri.

Preparing your Royal Oak Michigan home for sale is an important part of the process. I can help you prepare you home to sell it faster and for more money. Call me today at 248-514-2640 or email me at info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com to schedule a free consultation.

Lee Morof
Associate Broker/Attorney
RE/MAX Showcase Homes
Birmingham, Michigan
www.NorthWoodwardHomes.com
info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com
Call:  248-514-2640

There is no simple way to discover which home-improvement projects will yield the highest return when you’re ready to sell your home. There are many variables that come into play such as the state of the real estate market when you put your Royal Oak Michigan home up for sale, how old your home is, and the style of your home. 

Here are several costly projects to pass up if you want to get the biggest bang for your bucks:

Extravagant Landscaping

Buyers expect a well-maintained yard; they don’t expect the home’s value to increase because of it. Beautiful landscaping may encourage potential buyers to take a closer look at your Royal Oak Michigan home for sale, but it most likely will not add to the selling price. If a buyer is unable or unwilling to put in the effort to maintain an elaborate garden, it becomes a negative feature rather than a positive one.

Swimming Pool

A swimming pool seems like fun to have, but can actually be more of a hassle than a pleasure. Many potential buyers consider swimming pools expensive and time consuming to maintain. Buyers may say no to an otherwise perfect house if it has a pool. Or, they may include in the contract a stipulation that the seller has to take down an above-ground pool or fill in an in-ground pool, at their own expense, before closing.

High-End Upgrades

Buyers don’t want to see the absolute cheapest renovations in a Royal Oak Michigan home for sale, but they also don’t want to pay more for the highest-priced upgrades that they don’t need.   Marble countertops in a kitchen and a built-in sauna in a bathroom are nice, but unless you have a high-end home in a high-end neighborhood, don’t expect to get your money back from these upgrades.

Don’t spend thousands of dollars on a home-improvement project that will not increase your home’s value when it comes time to sell.  Do spend money on projects that will make your home a wonderful place to live in now and that may increase the selling price when you’re ready to sell.

Are you ready to sell your home?  I can help.  Give me a call today at 248-514-2640 or email me at info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com.

Lee Morof
Associate Broker/Attorney
RE/MAX Showcase Homes
Birmingham, Michigan
www.NorthWoodwardHomes.com
info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com
Call:  248-514-2640

I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, the fall is a great time to sell Royal Oak Michigan homes for sale. Nostalgia runs rampant in potential buyers. That “nesting” feeling pushes them to look harder for the perfect home. After all, who wouldn’t want Thanksgiving or Christmas to be the day their friends and family see the gorgeous new home?

With this in mind, many sellers hold open houses in the fall. It gives potential buyers the opportunity to walk through Royal Oak Michigan homes for sale looking for that dream home they can call their own. Agents, homeowners or both smile, nod, and graciously offer drinks and snacks. It’s a beautiful thing.

It’s amazing what a little extra touch can do to spice up an open house. A cider wassail bowl may be just the extra touch that could help sell your home this fall.

This wassail bowl is a hot and spicy cider punch. Traditionally, it’s made with ale or wine, but you never want to overdo it with the alcohol at an open house. You can make it hours before, and put it in a slow cooker on very low to keep it warm. This recipe makes 12 servings.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
5 small red cooking apples  
2 quarts apple cider
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 stick cinnamon
4 whole cloves

Directions
Heat corn syrup in a small pan; combine sugar and ¼ tsp. cinnamon in a shallow dish. Roll each apple in hot syrup, then in the sugar. Arrange on a baking pan and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes (apples shouldn’t lose their shape).

In a large pan, slowly heat the apple cider, lemon, stick of cinnamon and cloves over a very low heat. Don’t let it boil; boiled apple cider gets a bitter taste. Before serving, strain out the spices and add the roasted apples. Serve piping hot.

This is my favorite cider recipe to use, but this wassail bowl recipe is equally tasty.

When you have multiple Royal Oak Michigan homes for sale, like I do, you quickly learn the things that work and the things that don’t. Whether you serve apple cider, cider wassail or just a plain fruit punch, the little things can make all the difference.

If you’d like to get your home sold over the holiday season, I can help. Call me at 248-514-2640 or email me at info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com for more information.

Lee Morof
Associate Broker/Attorney
RE/MAX Showcase Homes
Birmingham, Michigan
www.NorthWoodwardHomes.com
info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com
Call:  248-514-2640

Those with Royal Oak Michigan homes for sale are buckling down for the long haul, but exactly how long will that be? I spent a little bit of time roaming the Internet to get the general “feel” from people on the housing market. It turns out that the answer all depends on who you ask…

Housing Predictor
Housing Predictor.com says, yes, the housing market appears to be making a rebound. However, that rebound, says economist, John Hines, is a false front. The government is pushing the rise in sales to make the housing markets look good and increase buyer confidence. Will the market ever get back on track? According to Hines, if Congress can get the lending pipeline going again, we might finally see a bottom around the third quarter of next year.

The Ledger
According to an article at The Ledger, Stephen Blank of the Urban Land Institute isn’t at all optimistic. Blank says there’s no quick fix, and that 2010 will be sobering. While the housing market is being helped by various factors, the foreclosure rate probably isn’t going to drop and lenders aren’t lending. Blank worries that financing may be lacking, even for those wanting to buy. He doesn’t see the market doing much for another year.

CBS Money Watch
The best article I’ve come across so far, however, was written back in June at CBS MoneyWatch. The article says give the market at least seven years to recover. The author doesn’t just quote doom and gloom, however. She has some great points for people with Royal Oak Michigan homes for sale. I highly recommend the read, but here is the quote that stuck firmly in my mind:

“If you are a seller, get realistic about what you can get for your house. With so little upside in the foreseeable future, you may be better off to sell, even at a loss, since you can probably get back into a similar house at a lower price and very low interest rates.”

It’s a buyer’s market; the supply of empty homes is much higher than the demand for them. If you have one of the Royal Oak Michigan homes for sale and it’s not selling, you may need to change your mindset a little. In this buyer’s market, sellers may just have to bite the bullet.

Ready to buy or sell?  I can help.  Give me a call today at 248-514-2640 or email me at info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com.

Lee Morof
RE/MAX Showcase Homes
Birmingham, Michigan
www.NorthWoodwardHomes.com
info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com
Call:  248-514-2640

There’s a group of individuals constantly overlooked when someone has a Royal Oak Michigan home for sale. It’s not just newlyweds, families and women looking for homes. Men are on the look out, too. So what are they looking for? Here are a few points on the list:

1)  Location, location, location – Most men want a place close to their job. No long commutes, no hours on the highway. In fact, it’s one of their biggest considerations when choosing a home.

2)  The Man Cave – Is your Royal Oak Michigan home for sale set up with a man cave? Many men dream of having an extra room that can be converted into a place for recreation and entertainment. If you already have a man cave, you’re ahead of the competition!

3)  Surrounding area – In a fun survey, Sperling’s BestPlaces examined America’s cities and marketing trends to find the “Top 50 Manliest Cities” in the U.S. Believe it or not, Nashville took the top place as the Mecca of manliness. Why? A few reasons:

o High number of NASCAR fans
o High number of BBQ restaurants
o Popularity of hunting and fishing

What other things did Sperling’s look at to decide “manliness?”

• Major league sports teams in a city, nearby NASCAR events, monster truck events and local drag racing strips, among other sports venues
• Memberships in motorcycle owner groups, bowling, hunting, woodworking, DIY home improvement
• Number of manly retail stores, such as steak houses, sports bars, general hardware stores, sportsman stores, etc.
• Percentage of houses subscribing to manly magazines

So what does all this mean to you? If you have one of the Royal Oak Michigan homes for sale with manly decor as well as surrounding attractions, you have a match made in heaven for the busy bachelor. Okay, so women like monster truck events, motorcycles and DIY, too. And, okay, so the survey is a little silly. However, if you’re trying to sell that house and are having no luck, it’s definitely something to think about.

If you’re trying to sell your home, I can help. Call me for more information at 248-514-2640 or email me at info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com.

Lee Morof
RE/MAX Showcase Homes
Birmingham, Michigan
www.NorthWoodwardHomes.com
info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com
Call:  248-514-2640