There will be an open house in the Grand Rapids real estate market at 3770 Ravine Vista in Cross Creek West.  The Sprich Group has this property listed and is having this Condominium open on Sunday April 3rd from 2-4:00 pm. This Grand Rapids Condominium was recently reduced to $214,900. It is one of only a few 2 unit Condominiums in Cross Creek. For more information, click here.

The Grand Rapids real estate market is ready for Spring and here is why.

1. The Grand Rapids Real Estate Board is reporting the lowest inventory of homes since 2005.  That is great news for sellers, as they try to sell their home and  buy a new home. As the Grand Rapids real estate market inventory comes down, prices will go up. This not only will help the Grand Rapids real estate market, but will also help help the Grand Rapids economy in general.

2. Interest rates are still very attractive and still near all time lows. This still makes buying a home  in Grand Rapids very affordable.  Remember, for every percentage point that interest rates go up, it is basically like paying an extra 10% for the home you are interested in purchasing.

3. Many Grand Rapids home sellers have been listed for more than a year and sometimes for more than 2 years. They are ready to deal…which makes buying more attractive.

4. With the economy starting to recover, people are starting to feel better about themselves. This then makes buyers and sellers more apt to get out into the Grand Rapids real estate market and get the Grand Rapids home buying or selling process underway.

5. Grand Rapids real estate has been stagnate or in a decline for 4 years plus. To hear that the Grand rapids real estate market is starting to turn around is good news for everyone…..so buyers, get out there and buy. Sellers, get your home priced right, so you can then be one of those Grand Rapids buyers.

6. Springtime is here. The next 5 months are the busiest in Grand Rapids real estate. You want to be priced right if you are a seller and you want to take advantage of the interest rates and great deals if you are a buyer. So contact your Grand rapids real estate agent and start to make it happen.

Buying  or selling a house in the Grand Rapids real estate market is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life,  so don’t you think you should have the “right Grand Rapids  realtor’ to help you in that decision? If you were going to invest your life savings into the stock market, wouldn’t you spend some time and find what you thought would be the “right investment advisor ” to help you make those decisions? If you were in a court battle , don’t you think you would want the ‘right lawyer” that specializes in your type of legal matter.  Well, the same thing goes for buying or selling a home in Grand Rapids.  I will just go through a few of the reasons why you want the “right realtor’ for your home buying or selling needs.

You want a realtor that sells Grand Rapids real estate for a living, not part time. It is important to find a realtor that is the “main bread winner” in the family. The agent  needs to be  hungry and needs to be a provider  for his or her family.

There are many Grand Rapids area realtors out there that help buyers and sellers in the real estate business on a part time basis or do it between jobs to help subsidize their income. They are not in it for the long term, they are in it to make a quick buck. You want someone that has your long-term lifetime goals in mind. That realtor wants you to come back in the next 5-7 years to buy or sell their next home. Or, hopefully, they will be very happy with their experience with their Grand Rapids real estate agent and will refer that agent to their family and friends. Part time or short-term realtor does not have those long-term goals on their minds. All they are thinking about is $$$$, not the needs of their client.

You want a realtor that has knowledge of the Grand Rapids real estate market. Hopefully, you can find someone that has been a lifelong resident, or a longtime resident of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area. That Grand Rapids agent should carry a great deal of knowledge about Grand Rapids area schools, pricing, market, drive times, and other important things that a newcomer to the Grand Rapids area may have trouble finding out. These are very important things to have in your pocket when looking to buy or sell your next home.

You want a realtor that has a strong personal website. Over 88% of all buyers and sellers today are on the internet everyday looking for their next home. If your realtor is not positioned on the internet with a website that feeds to all the national sites, then he is not the realtor for you. His or her website should have their listings on their site, a way to search for homes in the area, information about the area both Grand Rapids  real estate and other  surrounding areas. But, most of all, it should have some pertinent information about his or hers own person. Buyers and sellers should be able to go that site and get a feel for who the realtor is and what his or hers standards are when helping a buyer or seller in the Grand Rapids real estate market.

You want a realtor that works for a “national or international” broker. If you are working with a “local” broker, you again are missing out on the national relocation services that a national firm can offer you as a seller  or buyer. If you are planning on moving out of the area, with a national broker, like Keller Williams, they can refer you to another office of that same firm that has an office in your next destination and offer you the same services that you had here.

The last thing to look for when choosing the right realtor is to choose a realtor that will have time for you….personally. There are many agents that have many other seller’s agents and buyer’s agents working for them. The problem with that scenario is that when you think you have hired that agent that other people talk about, you never get a chance to work with him or her. You may work with someone else from that team or group, and that isn’t what you signed up for.  So, when interviewing Grand Rapids real estate agents, make sure you find out “who” is going to be your agent.

Hopefully, these are all helpful hints for choosing the “right realtor” in Grand Rapids for you when are buying or selling your next home.

Here is some great information put together by a local lender here in Grand Rapids that I recommend for my buyers and sellers. Kip Doezema, Asst. Vice President and Mortgage loan originator for Chemical Bank in Grand Rapids, has laid out some numbers that will get buyers out there buying a new home. This information will show you that, with rates going up, as they are now, that a rise in interest rates of 1% is the same as a 10% sale price increase. Please see below for further explanation:
Mortgage Numbers for a home in East Grand Rapids:

$250,000 home with 20% down:

Taxes = $5500/yr Insurance = $600/yr

$200,000 @ 5.0% (30 yr fixed) = $1073/mo + 458 + 50 = $1581/mo
$200,000 @ 6.0% (30 yr fixed) = $1199/mo + 458 + 50 = $1707/mo

$275,000 home with 20% down:
Taxes = $6000/yr Insurance = $660/yr

$220,000 @ 5.0% (30 yr fixed) = $1181/mo + 500 + 55 = $1736/mo

Kip Doezema AVP – Mortgage Lender
Chemical Bank – East Paris Branch
kip.doezema@chemicalbankmi.com
4024 Park East Ct. Suite A
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
T: 616.588.7516 / F: 616.588.6361/C: 616.889.0684

Take a look at this great article and video put out by AOL real estate. This will help both buyers and sellers in the Grand Rapids real estate market. This will equip you with some of the knowledge you need to get a deal done. With the help of a licensed realtor, you should be ready to tackle today’s tough real estate world. Click here:

This incredible new listing in Grand Rapids Township, East Grand Rapids schools is one not to miss!!!!  This home sits on 1.33 acres and has over 5800 square feet of living space. This home offers 5 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths, 2 fireplaces, 6 car garage, sky lights, just about everything that you could ask for and only 15 years old!!! To see more information, click here.

Check out this new listing in the Grand Rapids real estate market in Alger heights. This 4 bedroom, 2 bath home with over 2200 square feet is a gem in the area. Take a Look!!!

Why buy real estate in Grand Rapids?
Well, let me tell you why buying a home in Grand Rapids is a very smart decision. First of all, the New York Times ranked Grand Rapids a top ten real estate market for buyers in 2009. Values have dropped over 18% and the median price for a 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home in the greater Grand Rapids area for 2009 was just under $152,400. Also, just on a recent Today show episode, Grand Rapids ranked third real estate value for the dollar in metropolitan areas of over 250,000 people. With interest rates still at near record lows and the current tax incentives out there for buyers, it is a great time to buy a home in Grand Rapids.
Now let’s talk about what Grand Rapids has to offer today. We have a wonderful and thriving downtown area, still growing and expanding into new and exciting things. We have numerous top flight restaurants, nightlife and arts and theater. Our conventions are still on the rise with more and more growth in the hotel industry around the city. Grand Rapids is soon to be home to the new Michigan State University Medical School on the Michigan Street medical mile. Some of the most philanthropic people in this town deserve a lot of recognition in being a big part of this plan. Mr.’s Devos, Van Andel, Secchia, Meijer to name a few, have put their time, effort and financial help to help make this happen. Grand Rapidians have hope that this will soon make Grand Rapids a major stop on the medical horizon nationally like other cities across the country, such as The Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic and so on.
Lake Michigan, being only 30 miles from the city, seems to be forgotten to some, but this is still a major draw to the city and surrounding areas of Grand Rapids. Many families spend most of their weekend time on the shores of Lake Michigan enjoying the beautiful parks and beaches that west Michigan offers.
Come to Grand Rapids and see what our city can offer you and your family.

There is a great new web site for Grand Rapids real estate, mlive.com. This site allows you to search for homes, find agents in your area and gives you valuable information about the real estate market in your area. This site is updated daily as it is associated with all of the papers in Michigan.

Check out this new web site, Viewmylisting.com. This is another great site to find real estate for sale in Grand Rapids.