Ann Arbor Housing Report August 2011

Ann Arbor August Housing Report 2011

The Ann Arbor Area Board of REALTORS has released the August Ann Arbor Housing Report.

A lot of friendly neighbors were saying “Welcome to Ann Arbor” last month. The Ann Arbor  housing report for August 2011 shows  a big win for the Ann Arbor area Real Estate market. The electricity in the housing market was comparable to the electricity in the air at the Notre Dame vs Michigan night game last Saturday. Well, that may be a small exaggeration, but it was definitely an exciting time in this office. Board-wide figures indicate that there were 322 residential units sold in August, up 23 percent over last year.  Sales of condos jumped 46 percent, from 65 in August of 2010 to 95 in August of 2011. Sales of all property types are up 27 percent compared to August of 2010. Not too shabby, all of you Ann Arbor Realtors!

The Ann Arbor Area Board of REALTORS attributes this growth to continued affordability and low mortgage rates. According to the Ann Arbor Housing Report, year-to-date sales are on pace to match or exceed 2010 numbers which were strongly influenced by the federal tax stimulus. The year-to-date average sales price continues to climb, showing 4.2 percent growth over last year.
For additional information or stats from the August Ann Arbor Area Housing Report, please call us at 734-747-7500 or 734-747-7700 weekdays, or 734-660-0105 evenings and weekends. You can also email us at info@prusnyder.com or online at www.prusnyder.com anytime. Choose Prudential Snyder & Company for the best Ann Arbor Realtors and Ann Arbor Real Estate.

You can view the actual report at the following address: http://www.aaabor.com/downloads/News/HousingStats/2010-2011/08-2011stats.pdf

Android Real Estate Apps

Android Real Estate Apps

Real Estate Apps for Android Devices to help you house hunt on the move.

Have you ever been out for a drive and thought to yourself, I would love to live here? With mobile apps, the time investment to house hunt on the spot has been drastically reduced. Instead of going home, getting on the computer and searching from there, you could be checking out some of the local real estate for sale in Ann Arbor right now. Searching for houses for sale in Ann Arbor on the go is a lot more efficient when you use mobile apps on your smart phone. Whether you’re on your way to lunch, out for a run, or on the way home from work, you can find homes or rentals near you with mobile apps for your Android device.
To help you make the most of your mobile search we’ve compiled a list of mobile apps for your Android device. These are the best of the best and have the ratings to prove it.
REALTOR.com App for Android

• This app has the most frequently updated database, which will give you the most correct and most current information. The database is updated at least every 15 minutes, so you are never without correct and up-to-date information that may be lacking with other apps. The information you will find on other apps is usually either incomplete or out of date (for days, weeks, or even months).

Zillow App For Android

• This app is the golden standard for usability by which other mobile real estate apps are measured. It has information on over 90 million homes, voice search, Google Street View, and GPS tracking & search capabilities.

Trulia App for Android

• With this app, the focus is on usability. Of all of the apps, this may be the easiest to use! Some awesome features of this app are integrating open house times straight to your phone’s calendar, GPS tracking & search capabilities, and voice search.

Smarter Agent App for Android

• This app shows aparments for rent as well as homes for sale. It has search capabilities as well as all of the information listed in the MLS for a property.

Homes.com App for Android

• This app is pretty basic and can help you find what you are looking for without any bells and whistles. It has search capabilities and allows you to refine your search pretty easily.

For additional information, please call us at 734-747-7500 or 734-747-7700 weekdays, or 734-660-0105 evenings and weekends. You can also email us at info@prusnyder.com or online at www.prusnyder.com anytime. Choose Prudential Snyder & Company for the most knowledgeable and innovative Ann Arbor Realtors.

What is a deed?

What’s a Deed and are there different kinds of Deeds?

A Deed signed by President Fillmore. (Photo: Meredith Harris)

A deed is a written legal document by which ownership of real property is conveyed from one party to another. It must contain five essential elements in order to actually convey the ownership of the land from one party to another.

First, the deed must identify the grantor or seller and the grantee or the buyer. The actual act of conveying ownership is known as a grant.

Second, the deed must state the consideration, or money, was given by the buyer to the seller.

Third, the deed must contain words of conveyance which clearly states that the seller is making a grant of real property to the buyer.

A legal description of the boundaries and the exact location of the land is the fourth requirement.

Lastly, the grantor, seller, executes the deed by signing it.

In order for the deed to take affect, there must be delivery and acceptance. The seller delivers the deed to the buyer at closing and then to ensure that a record of the transfer of ownership has taken place, the deed is recorded with the local government as evidence of the change in ownership.

There are several types of deeds. The one most commonly used and considered to be the best deed a buyer can receive is known as a warranty deed. It contains all of the five elements referenced above. It also warrants that there are no liens or other encumbrances on the property other than property taxes or municipal assessments. Unfortunately, as a result of the high level of  foreclosures, buyers of foreclosed properties will receive a sheriff’s deed. It conveys the foreclosed party’s title and warrants that the sheriff has not damaged the property’s title.

Information courtesy of Charles J. Jacobus & Bruce Harwood authors of Real Estate Principles

For additional information, please call us at 734-747-7500 or 734-747-7700 weekdays, or 734-660-0105 evenings and weekends. You can also email us at info@prusnyder.com or online at www.prusnyder.com anytime. Choose Prudential Snyder & Company for the best Ann Arbor Realtors and Ann Arbor Real Estate.

5 tips to sell your home fast!

Top 5 things you should know to helpsell your home fast.

Our Ann Arbor real estate is selling fast, and it’s because we follow some simple rules.

1. Curb appeal is key to selling your home

If it looks like a dump, then it has probably been treated like one! Why would
anyone want to live there? Curb appeal is all about first impressions. Buyers
want to feel like they could live there from the moment they pull up in front of
the house. Fix what’s broken, paint, cut the grass and plant some flowers.

2. Deodorize

If it smells, it never sells! Even though Fido and Princess Kitty are part of the
family, they frequently are responsible for making the house smell like a kennel.
Professionally clean the carpet and the furniture. Some carpet may need to be
replaced. Keep the dog clean. Cats take care of themselves. Besides, washing a
cat can turn a beautiful day into hell on earth.

3. Really want to sell your home? Repair and Repaint

Putty and paint makes it what it ain’t! Repair the dry wall, gouges in the wood
surfaces and paint the walls. Your daughter’s favorite purple wall color has got
to go. We like to repaint our Ann Arbor homes with a neutral shade that will be attractive to a wide variety of buyers.

4. Put away your moth collection

One man’s treasure is another man’s junk! De-clutter! Knick-knacks, heirlooms
what ever you want to call them have got to go. After all, they are special to you
and only you. If you are lucky enough to have expensive collections you should
put them away to keep them safe.

5. No guns, drugs, or other valuables

This isn’t the OK Corral! If you own a gun, lock it away. Don’t leave it on the
night stand next to the bed. The same is true for prescription drugs, fine jewelry
and valuable art work.

We may be putting these tips into effect in one of our newest properties at 1003 Berkshire Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, MLS #3102999.

For additional information, please call us at 734-747-7500 or 734-747-7700 weekdays, or 734-660-0105 evenings and weekends. You can also email us at info@prusnyder.com or online at www.prusnyder.com anytime. Choose Prudential Snyder & Company for the best Ann Arbor Realtors.