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Download the September Data PDF

 

(Video Transcript)

 Hey, I'm Steve Volkers, Steve Volkers Group, now at Five Star. So, we added another brand connected to us and made a move. So, if you haven't seen the video, feel free, we'll post it again down below, maybe in the comments that you can see why we made the move to Five Star. But we are talking about the market. Like always, we've got the real estate market data that Kevin puts together for us. And I've got a lot of tabs today, a lot of tabs. Trying to figure out what's going on and I get it that everybody doesn't really know But I think we're maybe I put down on my notes here maybe stabilizing That's my hope or my goal right now is to try to see if the data starting to show stability.

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Download the August Data PDF

 

(Video Transcript)

Hey, it's Steve at the Steve Volkers Group. Of course, we're in our office in downtown Grand Rapids, and it's another monthly update, the data is in. So then we go through the data. Kevin puts together this really great book for us. If you haven't downloaded it or gotten it, It's worth getting.  I think it's worth getting, and I know the data is not for everyone.

It's for some people, but not for all. But, hopefully recording it and putting a video out, you take a couple of minutes to think about what's going on. So this is our monthly update. We do it every month. It is for August we're talking about, but obviously, it's in arrears. So all the data is July's data and past, so.

We have…

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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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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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Download the May Data PDF

Video Transcript (auto generated)

 Hey, I'm Steve Volkers, and this is the Steve Volkers report of the Grand Rapids Real Estate Market Data using this fancy booklet that Big Kev puts together for us each month. This is gonna be talking about the month of April. I don't even know how to say that, Kev. It can't be. It can't be May, but it is, and the sun's out today and it's 70, so we're loving it.

So this month's data, there's gonna be a couple of themes that I'm gonna, that I'm gonna talk about. Ultimately, it is all over the place in my mind, just based on offers and what I'm doing with clients, but then also trying to figure out what the data tells us. So, My word of the week is fickle.

I should probably…

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This is a scenario I think we as realtors see often: You stay in an Airbnb in another city and think how easy it must be for those owners and want to try it. So, you scroll through Zillow and see a downtown condo that is cool and updated and surprisingly not as expensive as you thought. Next you run the numbers (Purchase price of $425,000 with 30% down plus taxes, insurance and HOA Fees) and the monthly payment is only $3,400. You’d only need to rent out this place for 12 nights at $300 each to cover that, it has to be that easy. Finally, you reach out to your realtor friend to book a showing and this is where the bad news starts to come rolling in. 

First dose of bad news, condos have homeowner’s associations, which means they have additional…

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Dual agency is a term that comes up almost anytime there’s a listing presentation I’ve found, and although I might be the minority, I don’t like the idea of it. So, I’m going to break down here what it is, how some people can do it, and how it is illegal in some states. 

First things first, what is dual agency? According to Forbes they define it as, “Dual agency is when a single real estate agent represents both the buyer and the seller in a real estate transaction.” Sounds simple enough that one person can help both the buyer and seller complete the transaction in what might seem streamlined. But it isn’t that simple. Forbes goes on to say that “In 10% to 20% of home sales, both parties have the same agent. However, this practice, called dual…

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Now that we are in November and inching closer to Christmas, the season of giving is in full swing. As a person who has gifts at the top of my love language, I couldn’t be happier about this time of year. There’s nothing I love more than shopping and picking out the perfect presents for the people I care about most. As a realtor however the concept of gift giving can get a little complicated. 

One of the many changes following the crash from 2008 is the tightening and attention given to RESPA. RESPA stands for Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and isn’t new. In fact, it was signed into law in late 1974 and provides consumers with proper disclosures regarding settlement costs for closings and the transparency and elimination of referral fees and…

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Download the October PDF

The real estate market lags what is happening now in the financial markets...it's time to focus on your goals.

Hey, I'm Steve Volkers with obviously the Steve Volkers group in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and this is our market update. It is now November, and we just got done talking about Christmas. I am a Christmas guy. I really like the holidays. So you know, just for anybody that wants to. Christmas music is out and it's okay for me at least.

We have some, you know, scrooges in the office that don't agree with me this morning, but that's okay. Let's get into the market data. So market data. November, and obviously we're talking about the data for October that came out, that big Kev behind the camera put together for…

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There's a lot of talk about people staying in their homes and no one wanting to sell because rates have gone up. No matter what some situations always prompt people to at least consider selling, and those are the way to a listing agent's heart. I'm going to uncover a little bit more about each of those reasons why these people typically decide to move and sell a home regardless of what interest rates are. And they all happen to start with the letter D.

The first D is diamonds, typically implying an engagement or marriage. According to NAR (National Association of Realtors) in 2021 single females made up 18% of home buyers and single males made up 9% of home buyers, which combines for 27% of all home buyers. 

I think many of us that have been…

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