When it comes to insurance, transparency, and knowledge are paramount for both policyholders and insurance companies. Insurers need accurate information to assess risk and offer appropriate coverage, while consumers deserve access to their insurance records to ensure fair treatment and make informed decisions. One crucial tool in this domain is the CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) insurance report. In this blog post, we'll explore what CLUE reports are, how insurance companies use them, and how you can access your own CLUE report.

What is a CLUE Insurance Report?

The CLUE insurance report is a comprehensive database maintained by LexisNexis, a data analytics company. It compiles and stores information about an individual's…

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Homeownership is a significant milestone in many people's lives, symbolizing stability, security, and a place to call your own. However, being a homeowner also comes with responsibilities, expenses, and occasional challenges. It can be a bit overwhelming to go from renting or living with family where when issues arose with the home, it was not your responsibility to deal with or fix them. However, there are many amazing resources offered for residents of Kent County that help negate some of the stress that comes with maintaining a home you own.

Home Repair Services

  1. The City of Grand Rapids recognizes the importance of maintaining safe and well-maintained homes. The Home Repair Services (HRS) program offers free and low-cost repairs to…

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I had big plans to call this blog post the Summer of Scams, you know like a play on words on of the Son of Sam case from New York back in the Summer of 1977. Then I realized not everyone is obsessed with true crime like I am, so it probably wouldn’t make sense, yet here I am telling you anyway and can’t think of a more clever title. But the fact is this crime spree of scams happening in real estate is not like the Son of Sam case and has been going on all over the country, and not just in the summer. Buying or selling a house usually involves the movement of hundreds of thousands of dollars from one person to another by way of a title company in most cases, so you can imagine all the bad people out there with some technological savvy try to prey on…

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This week, I closed on my fifth deal as a solo agent. As of this closing, I have now officially sold over one million dollars of real estate. Although I pride myself on being an agent who cares most about my client's experience rather than total volume, achieving over one million sold in just over six months of being a solo agent feels like an accomplishment worth celebrating. As I’ve reached this milestone, I have been reflecting on the lessons I have learned in the past six months. There are many things I wish I could go back and tell myself a year ago about the roller coaster that is a career in real estate. Although I can’t time travel to talk to my past self, I figured the next best thing would be to write about lessons I have learned and advice…

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Download the July Data PDF

Video Transcript (auto generated)

 Hey, I'm Steve Volkers and this is our monthly real estate market data update. It is July. We are talking about June data and beyond. July is just, we're just starting in July, right? Well, it's the 11th already. Holy cow. The month is going by fast. So, market monthly data. Obviously, we throw these up, you can see them on our website or YouTube. If you'd like to. And also, I think we throw it on our socials for sure. But, each month Kevin and I sort of ring through this. Kevin takes the data from the, association, plays with it, puts it in the fancy book, so it creates all these graphs for us, which is awesome. And we get to see trends and stuff. And so today I really want to talk…

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Rent v. Buy

Renting vs. Buying a Home: Making an Informed Decision

When it comes to finding a place to call home, one of the most critical decisions you'll face is whether to rent or buy. Both options have their advantages and considerations, and as REALTORS®, it's our job to help our clients through this decision-making process. In this blog post, we'll delve into the pros and cons of renting and buying a home, helping potential homeowners understand the factors that should influence your choice.

The Advantages of Renting:

  1. Flexibility and Mobility: One of the significant advantages of renting is the flexibility it offers. Renting allows individuals to move more freely, whether for career opportunities or personal reasons. Lease agreements are…

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