If you've decided that you're tired of the ups-and-downs of the stock market, and are bored with a simple savings account, you might be a candidate to become a landlord.  Not everyone has what it takes to be a landlord, but those who do, may find that owning rental property can be a way to build wealth.Once you've made the decision to buy rental property, your real work begins. Finding a profitable rental property usually takes time, connections and plenty of research.  There's a lot I can write about on this topic, so today I'll just cover the basics.  Here's what you need to know to get started: In Our Area:In the Saline area, you'll have a more limited market for rental property than you would in a larger community like Ann Arbor.  In general, in Saline, you'll be looking at single-... 01/14/2008

I live in Saline, MI. It is a small, friendly community outside Ann Arbor, MI. We moved here 14 years ago and have enjoyed everything about it. The schools are great, the teachers are great, the administration is great and is is so easy to get to know people. The Chamber of Commerce is very active and I served on the Board for 6 years. Here is a little slide show of some of the schools, historic places, and things to do in Saline, MI.If you are moving to the Ann Arbor, Saline area, you can search for homes here. This site has Google Maps, Google Satellite Images, and multiple photos. When you are ready to re-locate to Michigan, give the Missy Caulk Team a call, with four Buyer Agents we can help you all over Washtenaw County. Missy Caulk734-216-2822Missy@MissyCaulk.com Find more photos ... 12/19/2007

Our first snow fall in Saline, MI.  Oh, we've had a few flurries... but his is the real thing.My son, Jamie who is going into the Navy is home and his girlfriend who lives in Tennessee flew in for the weekend. Malena was born and raised in California.Malena is sooooooo excited. It is hard not to pick up some of her excitement. Her excitement made me think of our 1st time home-buyers, how excited they are. Even though I mostly list, I still work with a few buyers that are past clients or referrals from other agents. Buyers are so much fun! Our pastor just called, they are canceling church. Now that is a first for me. Apparently, he shoveled his driveway, got into the street and got stuck. Unfortunately, we still have to get out in the snow. Allyssa is at a camp about an hour away on a on... 12/15/2007

Well congratulations to Saline, Michigan!  You have been named one of the top Best Places to Live in the US by CNN Money Magazine!  How exciting it is to look at the stats they pull together for analysis like this.  The statistics include average age, crime rate, standard of living and crime rate for the cities.  Saline can best be discribed with the experiences you have had there.  The resraurants are great, the schools are award winning and the community feeling is really wonderful.Saline, Michigan is home to the Washtenaw County Fairgrounds and if you are into antiques you certainly know this area once a month for one of the best antique shows for miles around.  It is a standard visit for many enthusiasts and a wonderful place to meet and greet!  This will be the 40th season for 2008... 12/14/2007

Saturday, December 1st the 32nd annual Christmas Parade is coming to downtown Saline, Mi. The theme for 2007 is "It's A Wonderful Life in Saline". The theme was chosen this year in honor of Saline, Mi being twice named in the Top 100 Cities my CNN/Money Magazine. The parade will begin at 5:30, with Michigan Avenue being blocked off. But, you can come early and experience the "Hustle and Bustle" with music and street entertainment at various locations. I started attending the Saline Christmas parade about 18 years ago. At that time, it was short and sweet. Now it is the parade that never ends. Boy Scout Troops, The Saline Marching Band, day-care centers, senior citizens, Ms. Saline, the twirlettes, floats, Paws for a Cause, Dance Alliance, Girl Scout Troops, churches and just about every... 11/25/2007

This is a post to enter the Buyers Challenge Contest by Colleen Kulikowski. *******************************************************************************************   Hi Tom and Michelle, Thanks for visiting my web site: Search Ann Arbor Area Homes and contacting me about your move to Saline, MI  As a mother of five children who has been in the Saline School System for many years,  I can tell you I am very pleased with the education my children have received.   Here are several web sites you might want to check out, since you are considering moving to Saline. Saline Area Schools Saline Chamber of Commerce Also I have written many blog posts about Saline, MI and our schools. You will especially enjoy the one where Saline Schools were ranked in the top 16% of the nation. The City of Sa... 09/09/2007

It is that time of the year again, and as the commercial says, "It's the most wonderful time of the year." That is the time when all the children in Michigan start back to school. This year school starts on Sept 2th. Several years ago the State Legislature mandated that school would start the day after Labor Day, in order to gain one more weekend for tourism which is a big industry in Michigan. Right now Michigan needs all the help it can get so that was fine. My family and I live in Saline, Mi. Saline is located just 2 miles south of Ann Arbor, close to all the major cultural, educational and recreational centers but still maintaining its small town atmosphere. It has been the driving force of this small rural community for 100's of years. The quality of education in Saline Schools has... 08/23/2007

The Rodeo on its way to Saline, Mi. The Pro Rodeo will be appearing at the Washtenaw County Farm Council Grounds, outside of Saline, Mi on August 24 through the 26th.The concept of rodeo is simple: Stay up on a bucking horse or raging bull for 8 seconds and end with the highest score.  Other events include riding a quarter horse, through the barrels faster than any other competitor.Did you know that Rodeo is the official state sport of Texas and Wyoming ? This year there will be a Tough Enough To Wear Pink campaign on Aug 25th.  Everyone, fans, cowboys, and cowgirls are encouraged to wear pink to show their support for Breast Cancer Research. Voluntary funds raised will benefit the breast cancer research at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. Tickets can be purchased... 08/11/2007

 Area residents and business people in the Saline Community are celebrating today the fact that Saline has been named to CNN Money Magazine's annual list of "Best Places to Live:  Top 100 in the United States".  The list represents extensive demographic research that examines areas like financial performance, housing, education, quality of life, leisure and culture, and health.  A complete list of the study's details is on their website (http://www.money.cnn.com/).           The City of Saline, located in the heart of Washtenaw County in Southeast Michigan, was one of just three communities in the State to make the list (#59).  The other two were Plymouth Township (#37) and Farmington (#55).  In 2005 Saline was also made this list.  According to Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell, "We're al... 07/17/2007

Missy Caulk is your Ann Arbor Michigan real estate professional.   Call today: 734-302-1500.Today I ventured out to learn a little something about Ann Arbor, just to my north, and man was I amazed at the things I found.   First some background and history:Ann Arbor became the seat of Washtenaw County in 1827, and was incorporated as a village in 1833. The town set aside 40 acres (16 ha) of undeveloped land and offered it to the State of Michigan as the site of the state capital, but it lost the bid to Lansing in 1836. In 1837, the unused land was given to the University of Michigan, forever linking Ann Arbor and its history with the university.[3] The town became a regional transportation hub in 1839 with the arrival of the Michigan Central Railroad, and in 1851 Ann Arbor was chartered ... 06/11/2007

  Saline Schools was just rated as among the top 16% of the country's public school district by Expansion Management Magazine. Expansion Magazine is a business magazine for executives of companies actively looking for a place to expand or relocated their facilities in the next one to three years. Expansion Magazine rates 2,819 secondary school districts with enrollment of 3,300 or more students in the district. "In todays knowledge based global economy, nothing is more important to companies than the ability to find and employ an increasingly well-educated work force," said Bill King, chief editor of the magazine. The education quotient is calculated on how well students learn and how many stay to graduate, a community's financial commitment to the education, and the community's adult e... 05/10/2007

The Saline, MI Farmers Market opens for it's 8th year this Saturday. It is located on South Ann Arbor Street in Parking Lot 4. It opens at 8 a.m. until noon through Oct 27th. As the summer progresses wonderful fruits and vegetables can be found.Esther Macdonald wil be on hand with her planters and baskets.Hector DeVulder with annuals and early vegetables from his family farm.Jeff Brown will be there with his delicious honey. Fred Karpo and his famous baked goods and jams.Susan Capelli brings her hand carved wooden items including he solar garden lighting.Mike Prochask will bring his herbs, soaps and flowering baskets. A master gardener from Michigan State will also be on hand to answer any questions about gardening.Spend a little time visiting all the merchants in Charming Saline, MI. 05/04/2007

The Saline Valley Farms, a farm cooperative on nearly 1000 acres, 3½ miles south of town, was begun by Harold S. Gray in 1932. Oral historian James Cameron has written, "(The venture) attracted struggling families during depression years. Over one hundred members lived with their families on site and worked cooperatively to operate a dairy, orchards, poultry house, and gardens. Success mushroomed as members developed a store at the farm to sell to the public and used delivery vans to bring fresh produce and canned goods to Detroit and the suburbs. By the mid-1950s, with the death of the cooperative's founder and a recovering economy and job market, second generation members of SVF families were attracted to life other than farming." It should be noted that most of the residents came to ... 04/28/2007

In the 19th century, Orange Risdon was attracted to what is now Saline, but at the time was part of the Territory of Michigan. He was surveying a military road from Detroit to Chicagoand was working at the request of the federal government. The road was subsequently known as the Chicago Road, later called U.S. 12 or Michigan Ave. MI Ave is still the main street in Saline going right through downtown. Michigan Ave runs from Detroit to Chicago. On April 5, 1825, Risdon purchased 164 acres from the government. In time, he built his house on the land and it was there that the first town meeting was later held. In 1832, Risdon was instrumental in Saline being platted as an unincorporated village, a status that was retained until 1866 when the village incorporated. Interestingly, the area "al... 04/28/2007

Well the Ann Arbor real estate market is coming down. I sold a home in a fantastic neighbor in Saline, Michigan in 2002. It turned over in September 2006 and sold for 415,000. with 5000.00 in concessions. Same house only a few rooms painted nice colors. My neighbors just listed there house. It originally sold for 465,000. Then it turned over a few months ago and they sold it for 415,000. He is with Pfizer and was transferred out immediately so it came on the market today for 389,900. Ouch that is also located in Saline, Michigan. Every month, I get data from Big House Data Company and this month was a bummer. Our average sale price in Ann Arbor was 204,037. Now that is huge for Ann Arbor homes. That is a 14% decrease from 2006. For the first quarter in the Ann Arbor area homes were down... 04/16/2007

Here is the executive summary from Big House Data in Ann Arbor, MI. This is a great company that I hire to do the research and compile the data for me. You can read the entire report here. I maintain it is still a great time to buy, the sellers are more realistic in their pricing and the buyers are having great opportunities. We wrote a offer yesterday on a 2100 s.f house in Ypsilanti Township for under 200,000. This would have sold for more a few years back. In fact it started at 289,900. Now what a opportunity for a first time home buyer !I remember when I first became a realtor and people would  be relocating to Ann Arbor and they would say, " We want to spend around 150,000 to 200,000 for a home. We would have the sad news of telling them that our starting price point in Ann Arbor w... 03/16/2007

Saline is located in southern Michigan's east-west, metropolitan corridor.  Saline was chosen as one of the most attractive, small cities in America by Money Magazine for many years. This growing community is home to 8034 residents and more than two dozen businesses. Some of these businesses include Ford Motor Company, American Soy Products, Inc. and Liebherr-America, Inc. Saline's strategic location, excellent school system and strong tax base make it an attractive place to live and work. Saline is a quick, ten-minute drive from Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan which offers cultural amenities, medical and business schools and America's largest collegiate stadium. In 2005 Saline was chosen as a " Cool City" beating out Ann Arbor. Old Indian trails converged on ... 01/13/2007

We have raised our five children in Saline, MI. We have seen the little country, farming community that I had never heard of when I lived in Ann Arbor, turn into a thriving community.Saline, Mi is located about 5 miles S of Ann Arbor. It has seen tremendous growth the last 15 years, with subdivisions growing throughout Lodi, Pittsfield, Saline Township and the City of Saline feeding into the Saline Area Schools. It is a fabulous school district with great music programs, sports programs and AP classes. This is a picture of downtown Saline in the Summer, where you can get a cup of coffee or just browse in the cute little shops.Welcome to Saline on the entrance into the city.Saline was named a cool city by MSN in 2005. Read more hereHere is the year 2006 year in review for Saline High Sch... 01/07/2007