Proceed with Caution: The weirdest part of talking to people about their loan experiences is that people usually are more particular about their Realtor than their Loan Officer. In reality, your Loan Officer is responsible for ten times more than your Realtor, especially in a foreclosure transaction.  They will be digging through every aspect of your life; they are exposed to some of your most sensitive information. They are responsible for organizing the entire transaction from open until close. Most importantly, this is the person that represents you, and your application to the powers that be, so you need to believe in them to portray your strengths and represent you well.  This is also a good time to realize that cheaper rarely means better. A good bit of advice I would give anyone.... 12/02/2008

If you are going to buy a home in Michigan, especially in this foreclosure driven market, nothing is more important than the team of professionals you choose to represent you. Consider these points in your search.  Rome wasn't built in a day. Do you not rush into any situation. Take at least a week to look around for reputable companies to deal with. Talk to friends and family, do some research on a few companies you target, and never consider only one source for information.  Your loan officer is the first step and most important step. This person will be digging through all of your most personal documents, and trust is necessary. It should probably be an actual person that you actually meet and actually believe in.  The biggest mistake is to judge just by numbers and promises, which a... 11/20/2008

Reports show the average home spends $1900 a year on energy costs; many homeowners are unaware of how much they can save with proper dryer and dryer vent maintenance   Grand Blanc, MI -Technicians who work for Dryer Vent Wizard in Genesee County, Michigan are working to educate consumers on dryer fire safety.  Home owners who think its normal for their dryer to take more than one cycle to dry clothes are in danger of starting a fire due to lint clogging their dryer vents.  They advise their customers that lint accumulation in dryer vents causes a dryer to over heat and to run inefficiently, causing fires and increasing energy usage.  Dryer Vent Wizard, Dry Clothes, Safe Homes is the largest chain of dryer vent specialists in the U.S.  Besides specializing in dryer vent maintenance, they... 09/20/2008

What is the real difference between Equity Financing & Debt Financing?London Financial Capital LLC. http://www.londonfi.com has been dealing in these markets for some time. Below is a brief explanation from Hunter Hebert CEO and Douglas Schulman CFO of the differences, benifits and pitfalls associated with these types of funding options.By definition debt financing is: When a firm raises money for working capital or capital expenditures by selling bonds, bills, or notes to individual and/or institutional investors. In return for lending the money, the individuals or institutions become creditors and receive a promise to repay principal and interest on the debt.By definition equity financing is: The act of raising money for company activities by selling common or preferred stock to indiv... 06/10/2008

Real Estate Communities we review on a monthly basis are:Brandon, Clarkston, Waterford, Lake Orion, Oxford, Grand Blanc, and Holly.Community Reports can be viewed at "The Pearson Group Website"Absorption Rate is a method we use to determine the supply and demand for housing.We determine the number of listings on the market within particular price brackets.  We then view how many houses have sold or pended in the past three months and calculate the average per month.  The number of active listings is then divided by the average sales per month to identify how many months inventory is available. Sellers Market - Less than 6 Months InventoryBuyers Market - More than 6 Months InventoryBalanced Market - 6 Months InventoryAll information included in the following graph is generated from Realc... 03/03/2008

Hundreds of Thousands Have Lost Their Homes and Are Stranded with No Help Farmington, MI -- Michigan has been hit hard by a storm that has the real estate market flooded with foreclosed homes. Over 200,000 home owners, along with a growing number of real estate companies, are victims of this disaster. Cities all over Michigan have vacant homes scattered throughout their neighborhoods. So many people losing their homes at once is eerily reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina survivors.  These homes are being sold for low prices, the best deals can be found at http://www.thequickfinder.com/.  Like the Katrina survivors, evicted homeowners in Michigan have not received any relief or assistance. Mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick, recently issued this statement to residents facing home foreclosur... 12/15/2007

 I was asked today "when do you think the market will come back and what will my home be worth then?  What would you have sold my home for 2 years ago?" (Michigan) 2 years ago I would have price the home in mid $90's-$100.  The square footage is an issue along with the bedroom situation upstairs.  I can't estimate a future price.  That wouldn't be fair to you and honestly, I don't know how long it is going to take for the market to come back.  You can find an agent to tell you what you want to hear, to price where you want to price, that doesn't help the home sell.Homes are selling.  They must be priced to sell and sparkle perfect.  Every month someone waits now, it costing unless you wait a couple of years and that's not gauranteed.  The market value is dropping monthly.  The foreign i... 12/01/2007

I recently experienced something unexpected...I had a harder time filling my rental house than previously.  I thought the poor economy and high foreclosure rates would have the opposite effect.  I assumed there would be more renters on the market.What has everyone else seen? 11/20/2007

I have some great Rental properties for sale.  Many priced to sell quickly.  One already has a renter in place.  The other is owner occupied.  One is priced 6000 below SEV but in great shape.  Check them out www.briancookrealtor.com 08/12/2007