Let them see the house...

Here’s a quote by a famous actor from the past that I’d like to apply to real estate:

“My father used to say, ‘Let them see you and not the suit.’”  (Cary Grant)

What the heck can I do with that? How does that apply to selling your house? Well, let’s just pervert it a little bit –

“My Realtor says, ‘Let them see the house and not your stuff.’” (Norm Werner)

One of the tougher things for me to get across to sellers is the concept of their house as a product and no longer their home. Sure, they may still be living there; but, as soon as it goes on the market, it is a product competing with all the other products out there for the attention of the buyers. Buyers aren't interested in seeing your wall of family photos or all of the sports trophies that you kids won in high school. Buyers could care less about the miniature teacup collection that you have from all of the places that you've visited or the Hummel collection of cute (if somewhat dusty) figurines that you have in the corner cupboard. They aren't very understanding when they open a closet and half of the sports equipment that you are still storing for your kids tumbles out at them. These are not selling points for your house.

Most people are pack rats, whether they admit it or not; they just keep too much stuff. If you have closets that are stuffed to the brim, you are a pat rat. If you have stacks of papers or magazines or things you have clipped out to get to later; you are a pack rat. If you have boxes of tools and shelves full of half full bottles and cans of stuff you can no longer remember buying; you are a pack rat. If you have boxes full of items that you used to collect and display but no longer do; you are a pack rat. If you have boxes up in the attic or out in the garage that are still unpacked from your last move; you are a pack rat. So, admit it – you are a pack rat- and then let’s get on with life.  

When it comes time to sell your house it is time to deal with your problem. Get rid of stuff! Hold a garage sale. Load up the car and head to the nearest Salvation Army drop-off location.  Rent a storage unit, if you just can’t bring yourself to part with your treasures; but, get it out of the house. People need to be able to see the house and not just your stuff. You may well find this exercise in getting rid of stuff to be very liberating. All of that excess stuff is like baggage that you may have been dragging around for a long time.

And what about the precious memories that have become a part of the house? Who didn't have the kitchen doorway or wall with the little ruler marks and dates on the wall or doorjamb that marked the passage of time and the growth of various family members? Paint it over! Buyers might think it is cute initially, but then it just becomes another update project on their list and something that they will take off money for to cover the paint. And what of the stars on the ceiling mural in the Princess room, lovingly placed to warm the heart of your little princess? Get rid of them and paint the ceiling. Take down the bead curtain on the closet, too, and put the door back. It might be little Tommy’s room next. Finally, there’s the Hunter Red family room that seemed so cool when you had it all decorated with your daughter’s Dressage pictures from the equestrian team.  Paint it neutral and deep six the horse pictures.

The real point of all of this is not to call into question your tastes while you were living here, but to drive home the point that you have made the decision not to live here anymore and now you need to present the house in as neutral and unobtrusive way as you can. If the new owners want a Hunter Red room, they’ll paint one that color. If they want to put up soccer pictures of their kids, they can. If they have a little Princess, too, let them create their own fairy land bedroom. If they don’t want any of that stuff they certainly won’t want your old hand-me-downs.  People looking at houses need to be able to see the house well enough to imagine their stuff in it and not be distracted by all of your stuff.

I know that this is a tough point to get over for some home sellers, but it is an essential point. Once you can get past the issue of your home becoming a product – a house competing against other houses of similar size and cost – then you can join you Realtor as a more effective partner in making that sale happen. What was your home will always be there in your memories. You will remember lining the kids up for the annual marks on the doorjamb, even if the marks are no longer visible. No one can take away your memories of the house as your home, but now it’s time to let someone else take your house and make it their home. 

In real estate, mind your Ps and Cs…

 

There is an old phrase “Mind your Ps and Qs” the origins and meaning of which there is not a consensus. Various learned sources trace it back to various uses in England in the 1500 – 1600’s. Google it to read all of the various sources that are referenced.

In real estate, I tell my clients that in order to sell their house they must mind their Ps and Cs, and I do have a explanation for them about that.   

What I tell them is that, when it comes to selling a house, there are three Ps and Three Cs in real estate, which are primarily things that they control. There are certainly lots of other factors that they can’t control, such as location, the local economy and the style of the house (once a tri-level, always a tri-level).

Here are factors that they do have personal control over:

The three Ps – Price, persistence and perseverance.

Price -  Sellers always have input and the final say on the price at which the property will be offered to the market. Hopefully, they have retained a good, local Realtor® to help them properly price the home within the market context and have listened to that advice. Sometimes it’s hard to hear that the market doesn’t care what you need to get for the house or what you think it is worth. That has been especially hard for those who have been underwater on their mortgages. Setting the right initial price can mean the difference of a quick sale at asking price vs. lingering on the market for months and slowly, begrudgingly lowering the price to where it should have been. Normally homes that linger on the market for months end up selling for less than they would have, had they been properly priced at introduction to the market.

Persistence – Selling your house means consistently and persistently having it ready to show. It means getting into a routine with your family of straightening everything up before you leave for work or school in the mornings and being ready to leave on relatively short notice to accommodate showings. Sometimes it means having to accommodate the inconvenience of leaving your home for a showing when you’d much rather just stay warm and comfortable inside on a blustery winter day. Sellers with small children may benefit from creating a game-like environment with the children to see who can get their rooms picked up and ready fastest before school or for a showing. Having a crate for Fido or Tabby, or taking them with you is also highly recommended.  Showing Realtors hate being challenged by the showing instructions - “Don’t let the cat out”- when they call to show your house. 

Perseverance - This means giving the real estate process time to work. In today’s tight inventory market you may not have to preserver quite as long as in the past; however, you can’t be like the children in the back seat saying “Are we there yet?” to your real estate agent every day. Even though you hear about and read about fast sales in today’s Sellers’ Market; it may take months, rather than days or weeks to find the right buyer for your home. You also need to understand that there is a process involved with getting from an accepted offer to the closing table that can take 30-45 days. Hang in there!

In addition to the three-Ps, there are three Cs that are definitely the responsibility of the seller. Without a commitment to the three-Cs the sale process may stall or be drawn out and the sale price will likely be lower.

The three-Cs – Condition, Clutter and Cleanliness.

Condition – this has to do primarily with the things that some people get too used to living with – a gutter that needs cleaning, the marks on the door where the dog chewed, that window with the broken seal that fogs up in the cold weather, that missing knob on the cabinet drawer. This is mainly about maintenance or the deferral of maintenance. It could be something big, like the leaking roof or the air conditioning that no longer works, but more often than not it’s a whole bunch of little things that the owner has just gotten used to looking past and living with. Those things need attention before you put the house on the market or they will kill a sale or lead to much lower offers.  This is an area where a good Realtor can also help by doing a critical walk-through of you house to provide you with a list fo things that he/she sees need to have attention. In some cases, it may even be worth it to hire a home inspector to do and inspection and give you a list of things that will be found later anyway. For $300-400 up front, you can avoid (or at least know about) the bigger issues that may kill a sale later. Keeping the place in good condition during the listing is also the sellers’ responsibility.

Clutter – Having too much stuff in a house is the most common issue that Realtors face with sellers, especially those who have lived in the home for many years. De-clutter is usually the first piece of advice that a seller will hear. Buyers don’t really want to spend time looking at all of the family pictures that you’ve collected over the years. They could care less about your bowling trophies and fish mounts. Would be buyers need to be able to walk through the house without having to navigate around a labyrinth of furniture and knick-knacks and souvenirs from all of your family vacations. When they open the door to a closet they do not expect to have to catch the stuff falling out on them.  De-clutter, de-clutter, de-clutter and then de-clutter some more.  If you can’t bear to part with some things, consider renting a storage unit to put them in until you move. Moving will likely force you to re-think things, since many people are downsizing and won’t have room for all of that stuff. If you need help with this, have your Realtor give you de-cluttering and staging advice or hire a professional stager (whose first piece of advice will likely involve de-cluttering).

Cleanliness – Potential buyers aren’t going to inspecting the cleanliness of your home with white gloves, but they will notice the dust bunnies or cobwebs under the tables or in the corners of the rooms. They will see whether or not you have kept the grout clean on floors and walls. They will see the dark streaks that can build up on cathedral ceilings and wonder what is causing that. They might notice a dirty washer or dryer and wonder what other appliances you have neglected. The point is that lack of cleanliness just brings unwanted attention to things and ignites the imagination of the buyer in ways that aren’t usually good. I often recommend that a seller hire a local cleaning company for a thorough deep cleaning, especially if the sellers both work and don’t have time to do the cleaning themselves. It will still be up to them to keep it clean during the listing.

So, now you know about the Ps and Cs that you will need to mind, if you are selling your home. You really need to think about these and make the commitments that are necessary to do your part in the sales effort. Your Realtor will be focused upon the marketing of the property and getting buyers through to take a look. Most of what they see is up to you. Call me if you'd like my take on your current Cs and to discuss the Ps of selling your house.

Don't try to understand; just go with the flow...

 “Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.”  (Robert Heinlein)

The idea behind today’s saying is similar in concept to the title of the popular book Men are from Mars and Women from Venus. The underlying truth is a difference so profound in how men and women view the world and the things that are happening around them that it cannot be understood by either party. Many men never relax and get used to it, so they go through life being continually astounded and confused by the actions and reactions of women. Women, on the other hand, seem to be able to at least accept the idea that their mates live in a completely different world and they try to show sympathy or empathy for the actions and reactions of these befuddled beings.

Perhaps the tendency of men to try to make logical sense of things is at the root of the differences. Embracing logic as the basis for life’s decisions and actions is very restrictive and confining in terms of creativity and even emotions. Men’s tendency to think about things too much and too logically can also lead to hesitancy, which kills the spontaneity that so many women exhibit. I won’t pretend to be able to discuss what drives the actions of women. Some say intuition more than anything else, which tends to reinforce the notion of women living through a “feel” for the situation, rather than the pure logic of it all.

So, I think it best to take the advice that Robert Heinlein gave and just get used to it; rather than trying to figure it out. Men might actually have more fun in life if they just go along with the women in their lives who are doing as they please. 

Appraisal issues a never ending battle…

As much as the market has been straining to break out of the recent recession and regain lost property values, one component of the market has been acting as an anchor, holding back or at least significantly slowing the positive progress. That component is the dreaded appraisal. I say dreaded, because it has become the biggest obstacle to sales these days. The house can be in move-in ready condition with a clean bill of health from the home inspection and still have the sale

queered by a low appraisal. That’s happening a lot these days. Why is that?

One of the constant battles that go on in the real estate market is that between the Realtors involved in listing the houses and the appraisers over what the market value of the house should be. Appraisals can be the cold splash of reality in the face for many sellers. Appraisals take all of the emotion out of the process of putting a market value on your property.  The battle over market value is one that is likely to continue forever, just due to the different natures of the two sides in this argument.

Realtors, especially listing agents, tend to be optimistic and they also tend to bake the direction of the market into their listing pricing. In a rising market, like we have now, it is quite easy to miss the market on pricing, either low or high. If the listing agent prices the property too low, it might sell quickly; but, the seller will not have gotten the most out or the sale. If, on the other hand, the listing agent is too aggressive with pricing the property for a rising market, he may price it too high and it will just sit there, waiting for the market to catch up.

Appraisers go at value pricing from a different perspective. They are required to use sold comparable properties as a barometer of the market; thus their data is always trailing the market, sometimes by as much as 6 months. In a rapidly rising market that almost always means that they miss the value on the low side. For a long while appraisers were also forced to include the sales of foreclosed and short sale properties in their comparable properties. Fortunately much of that business is behind us now, but there are still a few of those types of sales that were done in the last few months that can affect appraisals.

Another major factor in many appraisals is something that the seller can’t do anything about – the style of the house. House styles come and go, with each decade usually having some dominant style. There are a few “classic styles” – ranches and colonial, for instance, that never really go out of style, but which might be less desirable than a more modern architectural style. For the past couple of decades the 1 ½ -story or Cape Cod seems to be the preferred style. Split levels, which were all the rage in the late sixties and seventies, have really fallen out of favor as a style. Those style preferences show up in the appraisals. Bi-levels, tri-levels and quads definitely appraise lower than ranches, colonials and Cape Cods of the same size. Homes that were sometimes classified as modern or contemporary when built can also fall out of favor, since many of them have very unusual floor plans.

What can you do about all of this as a homeowner who wishes to sell? Not much about the style issue; but you can make sure that your house is the best one of whatever style that it is on the market. A house in great, move-in ready condition will still attract buyers. Another thing that sellers can do is to compose a list of the updates and upgrades that they have put into the house, hopefully not too long ago. It is not obvious to the appraiser exactly when the roof was replace or a new furnace put in, but those things make a difference. Some updates, like granite counter tops will be obvious, but many others may benefit from being pointed out for the appraiser. Taking care of the many little “deferred maintenance” items that you may have been putting off can also help by removing those value detractors.  

Another thing to do is seek professional advice. Get a good Realtor to do a Market Analysis for your home and then follow his/her advice. You don’t need to fight with both the Realtor and the appraiser. Call me and I’ll help you understand more about the market value of your home and what you can do to improve it.

Face into the storms in your life...

 “Facing it, always facing it…that’s the way to get through.  Face it!”  (Joseph Conrad) – from the Jack’s Winning Words blog.

From what Jack went on to write, seamen know that once you are in a storm, you get through it by facing into it, not turning away or trying to run away from it. Life is like that, too. We don’t go looking for storms in life, but occasionally we all get caught up in them. Perhaps it’s a disagreement with a loved one or friend. Perhaps it has to do with dealing with a bad situation at work. Maybe it’s realizing too late that what you mistook for love for someone else in your youth turned out to be just lust and now that the ardor has cooled there is little substance to your relationship left. These  t

ypes of things are the “storms” in our lives and we must do as the seaman would and face into them, not try to run away.

Many people are what is labeled as non-confrontational; they just hate confronting anyone about things. That’s OK and actually not as bad as being the overbearing opposite – a bully. However non-confrontational you are, there is still the need to face the issues that are affecting your life. Acquiescing to situations that are wrong or make you feel uncomfortable, just to get along, is a sure prescription for misery. Facing those problems is not being confrontational, it’s just being practical.

One benefit of just facing the storms in your life is that it gets over with quicker that way. The more you try to run or hide from life’s storms the longer they linger and sometimes the stronger they grow. Face it, get through it and get on with life. No matter what the short term hardship or pain, you’ll be surprised how good it feels when you come out on the other side. You probably will also realize how many of the bad things that you feared might happen were really all in your imagination. Humans have an amazing ability to imagine scenarios and consequences that seldom come true.

Another thing that you can do to help you get through life’s storms is to face them with a smile.

Nothing is as disarming to those who would spread hate or trouble into your life than to have their efforts be met with a smile. At first they’ll be annoyed that they can’t drag you down to their level; but, then, they’ll begin to wonder what you are smiling about and how you can smile in the face of whatever negative energy they are trying to spread. Eventually, they’ll go away, seeking someone else to infect with their problem or they may ask you how you can appear to be so happy in the face of the storm that they are trying to conjure up. You may end up making a new friend out of that conversation.

Now, I certainly don’t recommend that you become a storm chaser. Avoiding storms altogether is something that everyone should try to do, if you have enough warming about them; however, when you find yourself swept up in a storm, heed the advice of the seaman and face it. Here’s hoping that you have a sunny day with no storms on your horizon.

Finish the day and move on...

 “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

I saw that saying by Emerson on the wall of someone’s cubical recently and it struck a chord with me. While it would be a mistake not to learn from yesterday’s blunders and absurdities; it would be a bigger mistake to waste one’s time dwelling on the past, rather than moving on in life with a fresh and positive outlook. So much of the pressure and worry and fear that we experience in life is self-inflicted, conjured up in our imaginations and not really based upon facts or what is really happening around us. Much of that negative energy comes from dwelling on the past.

So let us resolve to start each day at peace with ourselves and those around us; carrying no baggage from yesterday; but, rather, focused upon the wonder and hope that each new day brings. Start out happy. Start out positive. Start out open and friendly to new ideas and new people in your life. With a start like that, you’ll go far. And when you finish today, be done with it and look forward to another fresh start tomorrow.

Halloween fun in MIlford, MIchigan

I had diner at Hector & Jimmy’s last night and what a frightening experience it was. We were greeted at the hostess stand by local restaurateur Jimmy Eggl, replete in a wedding gown from Gina’s Bridal in Milford.  I forgot to ask Jimmy who did his hair and makeup, but his shoes appeared to have been supplied by Nike.

All of the wait and bar staff were in costume with most dressed in a theme for the evening of Alice in Wonderland characters.  I’ve seen worse than Jimmy in drag, although I have to go way back to days when I’d frequent bars until the wee hours, when almost everyone still there at closing looked a lot like Jimmy in drag.Jimmy in drag - 1

I have to say that Jimmy’s gown looked lovely and if Gina can make him look that good just think
what she can do for a real bride. Jim owns Hector & Jimmies, Gravity and The Bar in Milford and is an all-around good guy and a good sport when it comes to Halloween.

Tonight was the Milford Boo Bash. It rained for the first hour of the Bash, but the kids still turned kid in ghost costumeout in droves to walk Milford’s Main Street and get candy from the merchants. What a great local tradition!

Milford is  a great place to celebrate Halloween. Kids find the grid pattern streets to be easy to navigate  and houses are close enough together that they can hit quite a few homes in just a few blocks. We usually get between

80 – 100 kids at our house on a good Halloween night. I’m looking forward to it. I just hope it warms up a little, so I can sit out on the from stoop and pass out candy with out freezing.

Make a difference every day - LIKE someone in person

From the Jack’s Winning Words blog comes this post -  “The happiest people are those who help others.”  (Scott Pelley)  The 4th Saturday in October is Make a Difference Day, a day for doing things to improve the world around you.  Here are some things that people have done…go to a park and pick up trash…rake the leaves in your neighbor’s yard…volunteer to work in a soup kitchen, or go to a thrift store and offer to sort clothes.  Making a difference can make you happy!    ;-)  Jack


It’s great to have a day set aside to celebrate the acts that people do to make a difference in the lives of others; but I think it would be more impactful if people would just resolve to make a difference every day. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to go do something physical for someone else, like raking their leaves or working in a soup kitchen every day; however, it does mean approaching each day and each person with the attitude that you can make their day better somehow. Sometimes that might just be holding a door open for someone or just wishing them a great day. Just the fact that you acknowledge them in some positive way can make people feel better.

The good news is that helping others or making others feel good about themselves also makes you feel good about yourself. Happiness is very contagious. You can’t help but be happy when you make someone else happy. Try it. If you make someone else smile or laugh or just be happy, you’ll find yourself smiling and feeling good, too. The easiest way to do that is to reach out to others. No one is gong to come up to you and ask you to open a door for them or to thanks them or to say something nice to them. You have to make that effort; but, once you do, you are sure to be rewarded with some of that contagious happiness.

As a society we have become fairly insular, perhaps because of our focus upon technologies that tend to isolate us from real contact with people and make everything a screen-based experience. It’s hard to notice the people around you who might benefit from an act of kindness if you are absorbed by the latest Tweet or Facebook post. I sometimes think that the people posting requests that you” Like” them on Facebook are really crying out for help. Somehow getting a Like on Facebook is not as rewarding as getting a soft “Thank you” in person from someone that I just helped or acknowledged.

So, put away the smartphone for a while and see the world around you. There are people out there that you can actually LIKE in person. Maybe you can even help them with something. They’ll feel good about that and so will you.

Lots of history in places called MIlford



Did you ever wonder every now and then about other towns around the world that have the same name as the town that you live in? I do. So below is a collection of links, admittedly hastily compiled,  that will lead you to several other places named Milford. I live in Milford, Michigan; which is a relatively young iteration of Milford, given the oldest Milford on this list goes back to about 500AD in Wales. The newest one on this list is out in Utah. There are several in the New England area, as you might expect. Some of these are fairly dry accounts and some have very rich histories to relate.

The histories of other cities, towns, boroughs and villages called Milford. Arranged generally in chronological order of when the places were established. As one might expect there is a common thread through all of these histories, since all of the locations were on rivers or streams where water power could be used for transportation or harnessed for power.

Milford on the Sea , Wales, United Kingdom - http://www.milfordonsea.org/#/the-village-history/4533907218
Southwest Wales, Milford Haven - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Milford_Haven
Milford, Delaware -  http://www.cityofmilford.com/index.aspx?NID=166
Milford, Massachusetts -  http://milford.ma.us/pages/boards-committees/historical-commission/milford-history.php
Milford, New Hampshire -  http://www.milford.nh.gov/about-milford-nh/history/how-milford-came-about
Town of Milford, New York - http://www.townofmilfordny.org/town-history.html
Milford, Ohio -  http://www.milfordhistory.net/slide-view/slide-5/
Milford, Pennsylvania - http://www.milfordtownship.org/2009/mt_hist/history.html
Milford, New Jersey –  - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milford,_New_Jersey
Milford on the Delaware, New Jersey - http://visitmilfordnj.com/Our_Town.html
Milford, Maine - http://history.rays-place.com/me/milford-me.htm
Milford, Michigan - http://www.milfordhistory.org/milford_history.html
Milford, Utah - http://www.onlineutah.com/milfordhistory.shtml

For much more on the history of Milford, Michigan, please visit our Historical Society web site - www.milfordhistory.org

Have no regrets; you'll live longer...

“Never regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s experience.” (Victoria Holt)

Regret is one of those human nature things that are hard for many to let go of, just like self-doubt. Some may mask the term in other words, like “Monday morning quarterbacking”; however, that Monday morning look back only has positive value if it is used as a way to glean experience and not as an opportunity to wallow in regret.

Although the quotes of athletes is often derided as being full of cliques; there is much truth in many of those cliques about looking ahead and not back or putting things behind them. Professional athletes know that they cannot dwell in regret over every loss. They try to learn from those setbacks. They spend time in the film rooms reviewing a blown play or a missed opportunity to see what they can learn from them.

Life is full points in time where decisions were made that might have been made differently. Some of those times turned out OK and we seldom think back on what might have been, had we taken the other choice that was in front of us at the time.  But, sometimes things didn’t turn out as we had planned or thought that they would and we tend to look back and see (or find) those decision points where we might have done it differently, especially if we knew the potential outcome. Well, we weren’t prescient and things turned out the way they did. Let it go. Move on. If you must replay the film in your mind, at least treat it as a learning opportunity and not an opportunity to beat yourself up.

In the Frank Sinatra song My Way, about aging he has a line – “Regrets, I’ve had a few; but

then again, too few to mention.” The song goes on to extoll the virtue of moving on and doing things in life your own way. At the end of the day, the main regret you will have if you let things get you down and you spend time in self-abusing remorse, is that you’ve wasted another day. Life’s too short to throw days away.

Getting ready for Halloween in small town America...

Halloween has become the second largest annual holiday, as far as sales of decorations and stuff to

celebrate the day, right after Christmas. It’s a fun holiday without a lot of patriotic, emotional or religious trappings. One could be tempted to say it’s a holiday for the kids; but, that would ignore all of the Halloween parties that adults seem to like to dress up in costume and attend. For me Halloween has somehow come to symbolize the passing of another year. I guess it’s feeling that we might be enjoying the last gasp of whatever decent weather we’ve had and that it’s then time to head into winter.

In the Huron Valley there are also some fun events in advance of Halloween night. On Saturday, October 26, the downtown merchants of Milford host the 7th annual BOO BASH! This wonderful event finds the streets of Milford filled with pint-sized superheroes, goblins and zombies as the children parade in costume by the front doors of the downtown stores. Merchants fill their goody bags with candy. The event runs from 5 until 6 PM in Downtown Milford.

After the BOO BASH in Milford you might want to load up the kids and take them over to the Carl’s Family YMCA for Halloween at the Y. Kids are encouraged to come in costume. There will be activities and refreshments from 6 until 8 PM.

Or you may wish to load the family up and head to historic Fisk Farm in White Like (off M-59 in

front of Walmart) for Fright Night at Fisk Farm. The North Oakland County Storytellers presents these chilling tales that are sure to bring goose bumps to your neck. Scary stories begin at 7 PM with even more frightening tales starting at 8:30 PM and lasting until 9:30 PM. Of course if you are the type who likes to do it all, you could hit all three of these events that evening. You would probably have one tired little goblin in tow by the time you finished.

Then on October 31st there is the annual  Fun on the Farm: Halloween Party at the Kensington Metropark Farm Center at 10 am – This program is especially for the little ones. It’s time for toddlers to trick or treat all around the farm. For more information of this event and all of the things going on in the Milford area for Halloween go to my web site www.movetomilford.com.

Milford is one of those little towns that are laid out perfectly for trick or treating. Milford’s trick or treating normally runs from about 6:00 PM (5:30 for the really little ones) until 8 PM; with the last hour primarily for the older children and local teens that still go out. We normally get between 100 and 150 children at our house on Halloween night. On warmer nights in the past,  many of the neighbors actually sit out front and pass out the candy. So stop by if you’re out with the kids trick or treating on Halloween and say hi! I’ll be on the front steps passing out candy.

October Market Update

Each month our Broker, Dan Elsea, does a video update about the current real estate market in the southeastern Michigan area. This is his update for October. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe3Y9s6D5rc&feature=youtu.be

Support Team Huron Valley during Special Needs Awareness Month

October is Special Needs Awareness Month and there is a local event coming that will help families with special needs members understand what programs might be available and what protections under the law they should be aware of.

The Family Aging & Law Center is hosting a special event at Baker’s of Milford on October 20^th from 2 until 4 PM. This educational event will focus upon the laws as they pertain to those with special needs. If you are a caregiver for a special needs person, you already have your hands full and not knowing the rights and programs that might be available under the law just doesn’t make sense.
Local attorney Nicole Wipp of the Family & Aging Law Center will conduct a workshop – “Planning for the special needs of your family: Designing a legal strategy for a lifetime of protection, guidance and love.” – about  the various laws and programs that might be able to help provide needed services or support.  Click here to view the event poster.

All proceeds and donations from this event will be given to support the Team Huron Valley drive to send its Special Olympics team tot eh Special Olympics National Athletic tournament in New Jersey next June. The local team needs to collect $6,500 in order to be able to go and participate in this event, a first for the local team.

In addition to Nicole Wipp, there will be venders and government agency representatives with displays at the event who can answer your questions about various programs and services that are available to caregivers of special needs children. If you are a vender or government agency that wishes to participate, click here for the form to sign up for the event.

So plan on attending this event to learn more about caring for special needs family members  and to support a great cause – sending Team Huron Valley to the Special Olympics Nationals in New Jersey. For more on Team Huron Valley, visit their web site or visit their Facebook page.

Change the way you see things...

“Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.”  (Wayne Dyer)-  from my daily read at the Jack’s Winning Words blog.

What an easy saying to do a blog post about.  Taking a positive attitude about how you look at things will make things look positive. I suppose the opposite is true, too; which is why pessimists see so much to be unhappy about in life. This is the classic cup half-full or half-empty conundrum.

If one doesn’t look at a challenging situation and see negatives and problems; but, rather opportunities and solutions; then things don’t look so bad. I guess that also applies to looking at people. If one looks for faults or ugliness, you will probably find things that will drive you away. If

you look beyond a few faults and find the good and beautiful that is somewhere within everyone, you may just find a friend.

So, how do you look at things when you start each day? Does the day look long, dreary and unappealing to you as you start out or does it appear to hold opportunities to meet fascinating people and achieve great success? The fact that you woke up with another opportunity to live a day, should serve as a positive start to the day, if you think about it. Days are like blank slates and what ends up written on that slate at the end of the day is up to you.

If you should encounter someone who is angry or maybe down, you can look at that encounter as something to be avoided or as an opportunity to help. There is something behind the anger or depression that you are seeing and sometimes what the person is really trying to do is to find someone else to share that something with, so that they can start on the road to healing. You can be their emotional first-responder, a human aspirin (as the lady on the HAP commercial on TV says), so to speak. You may be amazed how much better that other person will feel (and look to you) after spending a few moments talking with them. You’ll also be amazed how much better you may feel for having taken the time to help.

So try to change the way you see things – see opportunities rather than roadblocks, see the beauty in people rather than just the faces that they initially present, see the wonder of the world around you and not the day-to-day ugliness; and, by doing so, you will change the things that you see.

Lots to do in the Huron Valley

There’s certainly lots to do in the Huron Valley area – Milford, Highland White Lake and Commerce – in the month of October, much of it to do with pumpkins and hayrides and  little ghosts and goblins. To check out the events in this area go to my Web site –www.movetomilford.com I try to keep up with the posters that pop up around town and the events that various groups and organizations are running during the month.

 

If your group or organization has an upcoming event that you’d like to see posted in the calendar or a poster for the Poster Wall on my site, please send me an email – normwerner@comcast.net If you have a PDF file of your poster or flyer that would be great.

 

One of my favorite annual events is coming up near the end of the months – the Milford BOO Bash. There is nothing that epitomizes small town America more than this parade of costumed kids past the doors of the downtown stores and businesses. Merchants and restaurateurs hand out candy to the kids as they pass by. I’m sure that Mayberry probably had something like this, too; or they wish that they had.

 

Looking further forward there’s an interesting Survival Training weekend at Kensington Metropark on he first weekend in November. Participants will learn how to find their way out of being lost on Saturday and how to build as shelter (I guess if you can get out) on Sunday. Also on that Sunday is an event in Milford at the Hibbard Tavern commemorating the 120th birthday of Edsel Ford. See  more about all ofth is on the calendar at www.movetomilford.com

Put some fun back into your life...

From the daily blog Jack’s Winning Words comes this post - “When baseball’s no longer fun, it’s no longer a game.”  (Joe DiMaggio)  Joltin’ Joe was batting .350 and was a highly paid player when he retired, saying,” baseball is no longer fun.”  I suppose most of us would not classify our job as fun, or as a game, but I really did enjoy my work.  Maybe you can say the same about your occupation.  Have you heard the expression, “The game of life?”  What makes life fun for you?    ;-)  Jack  

 

If you can still do it, think back to your childhood, when life in general was still fun. Children view life as a daily fun adventure up until the time that adults start taking that fun away by putting life pressures on them – that generally starts sometime in grade school, I think. From then on we allow ourselves little snippets of fun from time to time – a hobby, a sport or a favorite pastime; but, in general life becomes something that we have to work at, both literally and figuratively. Jobs, family, obligations, responsibilities all demand time and attention, leaving little for just having fun. Some lose the fun in life altogether for a while.

 

As we get older there is a chance for some to recapture some of the fun of life. If one is not in a situation where day-to-day survival is still a struggle (which unfortunately is the case for far too many elderly people), then there is time to recapture some of the fun of life. Perhaps that is found in

spending time with grandchildren or perhaps just having the time to get back to an old hobby or pastime. Some things are considered by observers as “being silly”; but for those oldsters who’ve managed to get back there, it’s just having fun in life again.

You don’t really have to wait until you’re old to recapture some of the fun in life, you just have to try. In our goal obsessed world, perhaps you need to set a goal for yourself to take the time every day or every week to just have some fun; to do something “silly”, or to just let go for a few minutes and relax. You’ll know when you’ve made it back to that fun spot in life when a little smile creeps across your face. Life’s too short not to have any fun living it.

Stop and savor the world...

 “I arise in the morning torn between the desire to save the world and a desire to savor the world.  This makes it hard to plan the day.”  (E.B. White) from my favorite daily blog – Jack’s Winning Words.

I think I might exchange the word “conquer” for “save” in the saying above, but then it wouldn’t have the poetic flow of the original. However, as I get a bit older, I find myself wanting to slow down and savor things a bit more, rather than constantly striving for more and more. I suspect that is a fairly natural thing. When one is younger the appeal and even necessity of achieving more and getting more is strong. I suppose it is the eventual accumulation of what we call wisdom that kicks in and helps dawn the realization that having more things isn’t as important as enjoying the things that you have, with the people that you love.

So a couple of times this past weekend, my wife and I just did some porch sitting. We live in a big, old Victorian home with a screened in wrap-around front porch. It’s the perfect place (especially on the rainy days that we had this weekend) to sit and watch the world go by. I don’t do that often enough these days. The world slows down a bit and life gets a little less hectic when one just sits on the porch for a while. All too soon that respite from the pace of life comes to an end, but is does provide a refreshing break.

So, take a moment in your own life to find a porch or a quiet room to sit in and just relax. If you can, put away your smartphone, turn off your TV, and just sit back and let the world go by. Surprisingly the world does just fine, not knowing where you are or what you’re doing for a few moments and you’ll be able to get by not knowing those things about everyone else, too. Share a porch-sitting moment with me.

Help for the small businessman on ObamaCare

 

As a small business owner are you confused about what to do about The Affordable Care Act or what’s being called ObamaCare? There’s no need to be confused or fearful. There are lots of options available to you and your employees. What you need is some information and help from people who have been trained on what this all means and what the options are for you and your business.

There are lots of free Web sites with lots of very detailed information about the program and the options; however, you really can’t Google your way out of this one.  If you need to get back to running your business, you need consulting from pros, not lots of suggested articles and places to spend your time doing research. Locally that means you need to contact Debbie Stroup of HD4 and arrange for a free consultation appointment. Debbie is at 248-227-0347.

Debbie and others on her HD4 team will go over what plans and options may fit best for you and what options your employees might be given. While she’s there, ask her how she can also help you in other areas of your small business and with your small business payroll. HD4 is a woman-owned local business with a focus on the needs of the small business owner. Tell her Norm sent you.

For a flyer on their Health Care Reform Services, click here.  For more on HD4, click here.

Moving towards a ruder society...

I have thought lately about how often I have to be rude or bordering on rude to get through to some telemarketing lackey that I really don’t want to discuss whatever goods, services or cause they are calling about. More and more these intrusive callers just don’t take “no thank you” for an answer. All too often the only solution is just to hang up on them. Is that rude? Perhaps, but it seems to be the only thing that they understand. Just as often it is a robo-call anyway, so I’m really only hanging up on a machine.

I have one west coast company that calls me every week to try to sell my real estate leads. I listened once and said no thank you. They called again and again and again. For the first few of those calls I took the time to tell whoever had called that I wanted them to stop calling; that I wasn’t interested and that I wouldn’t be interested next week either. They called and called and called. So now I don’t even answer calls from their area or, if I do answer, I just hang up as some as they start their pitch. Unfortunately that happens a lot lately. There are just tons of telemarketing companies making millions of unwanted calls every day. Now that they also have our cellphone numbers I get those same calls on my cell phone, even though I signed up on the do not call list for my cell phone.

So, all that is left is to be rude… just hang up…no “no thanks”…just click. I suppose that the folks who do these calls for a living get used to being hung up on. Some have even called back and left a message that we somehow got cut off.  Some of the robo-calling machines even are programed to call back and pick up in the pitch right where they left off when I hung up. Now, that’s hutzpah!
I also read recently about the degraded civility in the nation’s capital between members of congress. The Senate in particular has always been a bastion of feigned civil behavior, with members calling each other “the gentleman from” or “the gentlewoman of”. Lately they have been calling each other something else, none of it gentle.

I’m not sure what has caused this decline in civility and increase in rudeness, although I have a theory that it is somehow connected to technology (especially the robo-calls), always being connected and the greatly increased pace of life. It does, after all, take a bit longer to be polite or civil that it does to just hang up. And the polarization of the political parties in Washington is just reflective of the extreme views out in the public these days. I suppose taking the time to call a congressional colleague “the gentleman from (insert a state here)” would lose its affect if the next phrase were “is a jackass”; though one might get credit for the accuracy of the statement.

So if you’re on the west coast and you have something to sell, please don’t call me. I’ll just hang up. I may feel bad about being rude for a nano-second or two, but I’ll get over that and it’s sad to have to say that.

Be the cheerleader...

From my favorite daily blog comes this sage bit of advice -  “Sit loosely in the saddle of life.”  (Robert Louis Stevenson)  The Shaka!  Perhaps you’ve seen it.  Fold down the middle 3 fingers and extend the thumb and the pinkie   In Hawaii, it means hang loose...relax…everything will be OK.  In the dark days of WW 2, Churchill held up 2 fingers in the form of a V.  Hang loose!  In this world where every day seems to present a new problem, someone needs to give the Shaka sign.   ;-)  Jack - www.jackswinningwords.blogspot.com

In real estate this is especially true these days. There are no easy, straightforward real estate deals anymore, or so it seems. Every sale is a struggle to get to the closing table. There always seem to be more issues, more rules, more reasons to delay or not approve things – more people who are up tight. Yet things get done, sales close and houses change hands. I’m convinced that today, more than ever, having a positive, “can do” attitude and being persistent is critical. Sometimes that’s hard, but it is necessary. I’ve found recently that having just one person who won’t give up and continues to act as a cheerleader for the others in the process can make all the difference.

So, while I agree with the philosophy to hang loose, everything will be OK, I also think someone needs to be out front leading that cheer. Sometimes that needs to be me. Maybe sometimes that needs to be you.

September Market Report

The Fall starts the seasonal slow down for home sales so we can expect fewer multiple offers. We will still see the vast majority of homes (over 85%) sell within 90 days or less. For Buyers in a bidding war, our rule of thumb has been, “as long as the offer is at or below the peak 2005 value, the overbid is a safe bet.”

I have included two charts, Comerica’s local economic trend and the latest Case-Shiller value trend. Both show good news for housing and our local economy.

The Comerica Michigan Economic Activity Index continues to show strong growth through this summer, surpassing the prior 2007/08 high points. This represents the fuel for sustaining our local housing growth trends.

Case-Shiller shows Detroit with one of the highest year-over-year value growth rates. Although we are the only major city still below our 2000 value baseline, that is heavily influenced by the decline in values for the city of Detroit (the good news is city values are rising quickly again). The typical Southeast Michigan market is at or above 2000 values.

The area around Milford that I tend to focus upon has done a bit better than the regional numbers would indicate, but the trends are similar. Our area is probably back to about 2004 levels for prices, still below the peak but better than the harder hit areas like Detroit, Ypsilanti and Pontiac. Home values are up in this area anywhere from 16 - 20% year-over-year, but remember that they are starting back up from a drop of anywhere from 30 to 40% in value, so it will take more time to recoup the paper losses that occurred. It is important that you get an updated market value for your home if you are thinking about selling. Things are changing too fast to rely on an old number, where the term "old" means 2-3 months ago or longer.

Milford Home Tour Weekend

Just a reminder that Home tour is this weekend.    Visit 5 beautiful historic homes located right in the Village and all within walking distance.  Home Tour is Saturday, September 21st and Sunday, September 22nd.  Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.   Tickets are $15.00 for Adults and $13.00 for Seniors.

This year we are proud to highlight five beautiful kept historic homes, all located in the Historic District and all within walking distance.  A group of volunteer docents who have an interest in our heritage will guide our guests through the homes and give a glimpse of the history behind each home.

Tickets can be purchased ahead of time at Main Street Art, Acorn Farms and Your Nesting Place or the Museum.  The day of the tour, tickets can be purchased at any of the 5 houses.
In addition to the Home Tour on Saturday and Sunday; there is the Milford Car Show on Sunday (cars start lining up early and stay all day) on Main Street in Downtown Milford – for more on the Car Show, go to www.milfordcarshow.com ; the annual Tractor Show, also on Sunday out at the Huron Valley State Bank at the corner of GM Road and Milford Road; and The Milford Rotary Club Duck Race, with family activities kicking off at 11 Am on Sunday and the ducks hitting the water at 2 PM.
Come on out to Milford this weekend for two days of family fun. For more information on all of these events, go to the Historical Society web site – www.milfordhistory.org .

The Milford Historical Society Meeting

The September General Membership Meeting of the Milford Historical Society will take place this Thursday, September 19th.  Our Speaker will be Don Wilson and will be speaking on the Evolution of the Bicycle.   Our speaker collected vintage bikes in the past but now only has three vintage bikes (pre 1910) in his collection.  Presently he just collects photos and postcards, which he had done for several years.  Don will be focusing on bicycles from 1800 – 1930.  He will share the most interesting ones with us.  Also we will see pictures on what was the “in” thing to wear for bicycle riders of the time.

Our meeting will begin at 6:30 with a Potluck dinner.  We will meet at the Milford Methodist Church located at 1200 Atlantic St.

Our evening will begin with a scrumptious potluck dinner at 6:30 pm at the MilfordMethodistChurch located at 1200 Atlantic Street.  A brief business meeting will begin at 7:30 pm followed immediately by our program.  Please feel free to invite a guest.  Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.  All are welcome.  You do not have to be a member to enjoy this Thursday evening with people who like history.  Bring your own table service and a dish to pass based on the first letter of your last name as shown below.

A – F = Salad      G – O = Deserts    Q – Z = Main Dish

So, come out and see what the Milford Historical Society is all about. Remember that “you don’t have to be a relic to be a member.” Visit us on the web at www.milfordhistory.org.

like me, Like Me, LIKE ME!!!

I’m not sure how anyone else feels about this, but I’m getting really tired of what Facebook has morphed into and the entire Like Me, Like Me, Friend Me requests thing. There’s nothing wrong with having a button to allow people to express that they do, in fact, like someone or some business. However, there is something sadly pathetic about people or businesses that have to send out emails to other people, some of who they really don’t even know, asking them to “Like Me” on Facebook or be my Friend.

If I know you or your business, I may “Like you” or it may just be that my feelings about you or your business are not strong enough to push the “Like Me” button.  Ironically the people sending those messages out really don’t care whether you like them or not; they are just trying to build up Like Me points within Facebook. Sad.

I’ve also got mixed emotions about the Friend Request thing on Facebook. I suppose it does serve a purpose to help one connect with others that you know; however, it too has been abused. I get Friend Requests from people that I barely know or don’t know at all. I always feel a little bad about ignoring those requests from people that I don’t know; but, then I think what difference does it make if I somehow offend someone I’ve never met by refusing their Friend request? Even worse is having to Unfriend someone because of their behavior - perhaps posting offensive stuff to your Wall or adding inappropriate comments to post strings. I imagine that they are sent a notice that they’ve been unfriended or that they will notice that they are no longer able to post to my Wall. Awkward!

Recently a new Facebook-wanna-be app has apparently been added to Yahoo that also has a like me, follow me, be my Friend feature, only with a new twist – it’s aggressive about it. I’ve been getting really annoying emails lately reminding me how many days it’s been since a certain person sent me their Friend Request. It’s not that I don’t like that person, I hardly know them; and, I’m not sure that I want to be listed among their Friends. One reason is that Yahoo would undoubtedly use that Friend information as an indication that I want other stuff emailed to me, which I don’t.

So now we have Internet apps that are getting as aggressive as a bad bill collector about bugging you to do something. I’m sure that I don’t LIKE that. I suppose that all of these sites – Facebook included – will eventually peter out as people move on to other things or get tired of what they’ve become. I imagine that most people didn’t sign up for a Facebook account because they wanted to be constantly tracked and attacked with unrequested and unwanted advertising and Friend or Like requests. Instant Messaging is also experiencing an increase in aggressive, push-based marketing, which at least one can opt out of rather easily; however, there, too, the sender is notified that you opted out. Sorry!

So how much of my personal issues with these things are just indications that I’m becoming an old curmudgeon? I’m not sure. I still believe that the Internet is a great place to find information about just about anything and I use it a lot for that. I’m just not one to excitedly share every detail of my life on public forums like Facebook or Twitter.  They may have served a useful purpose as they were originally envisioned. I’m just not sure about what they seem to be becoming. How about you?

Make two people happy today...

 “When someone does something good, applaud. You will make two people happy.” (Sam Goldwyn)

I’ve not been posting much to my blogs lately it seems. Perhaps I’ve been too busy or think I have been. In any event I went back and looked at a little page of sayings that I keep on my desktop, many of them from one of my favorite blog sites – Jack’s Winning Words.

I’m not sure that this saying by Sam Goldwyn came from Jack’s blog, but it looks like the kind of saying that he would post.

When you think about it, what Sam said makes a lot of sense. It’s obvious that applauding or complementing someone on having done something good will make them feel happy, People like to be complimented and feel special. Not as obvious, but just as powerful, is the good feeling that you will get about yourself from having helped that other person feel good about themself. Compliments and saying positive things to people about things that they have done can’t help but put you in a positive and upbeat frame of mind. It’s like that old saying says – it’s better to give than to receive.

So find someone to compliment today. Perhaps it is the waitress at a restaurant that you visit or a store clerk or someone else who does something in service to you or to help you. Maybe it’s just a fellow worker, who does some little thing that makes your day better. Say “thank you” or “that was nice of you” or “great job, keep up the good work.” You’ll make two people happy.

By the way, thank you for reading my blog post today. I hope it helps you have a better day.