Art & Apples festival - 44th Annual - Rochester, MI

September 10-12, 2010

Rochester Park

Rochester, Michigan

 Presented by Paint Creek Center for the Arts, the Art & Apples Festival is Michigan's second largest juried fine art festival with an average attendance of over 125,000 festival-goers and 250+ artists from across the country. The festival showcases artists from across the country, local and national entertainment acts, a free Kids Art Zone, Activity Zone, 3 food courts and more.  http://www.artandapples.com/artandapples.php

ARTS, BEATS & EATS

Oakland County’s Summer Festival

September 3-6, 2010

200 Performances on 10 Stages!

Oakland County’s Favorite Summer Festival Celebrating Art, Music, Cuisine and Humanity returns September 3-6, 2010. Now in its 13th year Ford Arts, Beats & Eats Presented by Citizens Bank will take place in Downtown Royal Oak, a great place to live, for the very first time. The festival will offer more than 200 performances on ten stages, a highly ranked Juried Fine Arts Show, local restaurants with some of the finest cuisine in metro Detroit and international, regional and local attractions that will make the city of Royal Oak the premier destination for Labor Day weekend 2010.

http://www.artsbeatseats.com/

Event Hours
Friday September 3rd 11:00am - 11:00pm
Saturday September 4th 11:00am - 11:00pm
Sunday September 5th 11:00am - 11:00pm
Monday September 6th 11:00am - 9:00pm

WHERE TO FIND A QUALITY HOME INSPECTOR

1) Ask for referrals: Try to gather two or three referrals.


2) Interview the home inspectors: Find out about their education, years of experience, number of inspections they’ve performed and insurance coverage. Also, do they participate in continuing education or stay up-to-date on current laws and building codes?

3) Determine the inspection cost: Ask how much they would charge and what areas of the house it includes.

4) Make sure you are welcome at the inspection:. This is a unique opportunity to see your new home through the eyes of an expert.

5) Get the home inspection report in writing: Ensure that he or she will provide you with a comprehensive report.

INSPECTIONS: how Much Do They Cost?

A professional home inspector evaluates the current condition of a house. It is NOT an appraisal, which estimates the market value of a property.


Many inspectors offer a home inspection for a flat rate based on the square footage, age of home and number of rooms. The price should include a written report, often with accompanying photos of problem areas. The average home inspection should take 2-4 hours and will cost between $250 and $500, depending upon the size of the home. Home inspections do not cover everything. In some circumstances additional inspections may be needed for swimming pools, septic systems, pest report and/or mold inspection.

HOW CAN A PRE-SALE INSPECTION BENEFIT A SELLER??

Easier and more realistic pricing. A professional home inspection helps with pricing in two important ways.
    1. It allows you to see your home through the eyes of a critical third-party and increases objectivity. It helps you to price your home realistically.
    2. The inspection report reflects the current condition of the property – good, bad, or ugly. A seller can take that true condition into consideration and set the price lower accordingly.
Enhanced marketing impact. Prospective buyers are likely to find a pre-inspected home more attractive because the “what if” factor is not as great.
Greater negotiating leverage. Sellers discover any issues that might delay or derail the transaction and can make advance repairs, thus heading off potential price concessions sought by buyers. Even if repairs are not made, disclosing any defects upfront and pointing out that the price is adjusted accordingly can deflate buyer’s objections. You have the time to get reasonably priced contractors or make the repairs yourself, if qualified.
On going safety ensured. It may alert you of items of immediate personal concern, such as radon gas or active termite infestation. Alerting you to immediate safety issues before agents and visitors tour your home.
A professional home inspection helps with pricing in two important ways.
1. It allows you to see your home through the eyes of a critical third-party and increases objectivity. It helps you to price your home realistically.
2. The inspection report reflects the current condition of the property – good, bad, or ugly. A seller can take that true condition into consideration and set the price lower accordingly.
Enhanced marketing impact.
Prospective buyers are likely to find a pre-inspected home more attractive because the "what if" factor is not as great.
Greater negotiating leverage.
Sellers discover any issues that might delay or derail the transaction and can make advance repairs, thus heading off potential price concessions sought by buyers. Even if repairs are not made, disclosing any defects upfront and pointing out that the price is adjusted accordingly can deflate buyer’s objections. You have the time to get reasonably priced contractors or make the repairs yourself, if qualified.
On going safety ensured. It may alert you of items of immediate personal concern, such as radon gas or active termite infestation. Alerting you to immediate safety issues before agents and visitors tour your home.

SELLER INSPECTIONS

A Great Tool for Competing Against Foreclosure Listings!

They Aren’t Usually the Bargain Buyers Expect: Banks will price a foreclosure near appraised value unless there are MAJOR defects. There is almost always a significant investment needed to bring the condition to a "move-in ready" state. Sellers can make their properties more enticing by having them problem free.
It Can Take a Long Time to Close on a Foreclosure: Banks will rarely respond quickly to get these poorly performing assets off their books. It can takes weeks to respond to offers & counteroffers. Prepared sellers will fare well in competition because buyers can close and move in on a realistic schedule.
Disclosure of Defects is Non-existent With Foreclosures: Banks will disclose nothing about the condition of the foreclosure home. Its "buyer beware" even with a home inspection. Some lenders will want some or all of the problems discovered during an inspection corrected before closing. The smart seller will have done their own pre-listing inspection and corrective action repairs.

BRIGHTER OUTLOOK FOR REAL ESTATE WITH JOBS COMING TO MICHIGAN

There are signs of positive growth for the Southeastern Michigan job market.  With companies adding jobs, consumer confidence is also on the upswing and more people are looking to buy or lease in the area.

A recent Free Press article claims "Jobs are trickling back into southeastern Michigan as technology and government-related fields grow. That's great news for local relocation experts, who say they are working with a diverse client base to help employees coming to Michigan find housing. Some are leasing and some are buying.

The companies with employees coming to metro Detroit include GE, General Dynamics Land Systems and Harman International, maker of high-end audio systems. Warren is to gain 1,200 positions from transfers at the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois, and more jobs are likely in coming years at the Warren Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command."

BY GRETA GUEST

FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
Free Press Article

Tony Robbins Offers Tip on How to Weather the Economic Storm

Tony Robbins, who has worked as a personal adviser to some of the world's top financial leaders, encourages people to be smart about the financial decisions they make in the coming months and years. "This is a season called winter and it doesn't last forever. Winter's followed by spring. There will be another great set of opportunities," says Robbins. "It'll probably take longer than we want, but if you're smart and don't let things stop you, you can see where these opportunities are."
The Huffinton Post has included his video on this subject and is truely work watching: Tony Robbins Video http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/11/how-to-weather-the-econom_n_677769.html

MICHIGAN'S ECONOMY CONTINUES TO GROW-SLOWLY

In an article from Crain's Detroit Business, Shawn Wright discusses some postive news for Southeast Michigan's economy. At its lowest point in January, the PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) showed a 45.2. Over the last six months, the index has indicated a consistently expanding economy to July's level of 56.7. As we see sustained growth in the economy, purchasing managers should become more comfortable with hiring once again. And, as people feel more confident in their job security, the economy, and housing prices, we should see some leveling off of the real estate market.

For Shawn's complete article, click here

MICHIGAN APPLIANCE REBATE PROGRAM EXPANDED!

According to a recent story by reporter John Lund of WILX-TV, Michigan will now add furnances & hot water heaters to the list of appliances available for rebates from the State of Michigan. It is another effort to stimulate the economy & help homeowners upgrade their inefficient appliances to more energy saving versions.

Rebate Website

Starting Aug. 1, the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth will offer rebates on hot-water heaters and furnaces. But those products are just the new addition to the Michigan Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program.
"Most of our rebates- we've given out 62,000 rebates, and most of them have been for refrigerators, clothes washers and dish washers," said Department of Energy's manager of technical assistance, John Sarver.
The program, part of the Federal Economic Recovery Program, has been around since February. It is like last year's Cash for Clunkers in the automobile industry. Except, this time, it's major appliances.
"This is most likely a one-shot deal, from the federal government," Sarver said. "These are federal dollars administered by the state to save energy, but also stimulate the economy."
The Michigan Trade Up program is similar to others around the country. But analysts say that Michigan is giving out more rebates than any other state.
"If we stay on the schedule, we should give out about 115 to 120,000 in rebates and that's about 13 times the amount of rebates other states will give out by the end of our program," said Stephanie Epps, appliance analyst for the Department of Energy.
Available at retailers wherever appliances are sold, the new eligible appliances are rated "energy star" or better, and are strictly for residential usage. Over $2 million is available for the furnace and hot water trade-ins, while $6.6 million is available for fridges and washers.
"Quite a bit of money available, but we're thinking that with the addition of the natural gas furnaces and hot water heaters, that the money will go fairly quickly," Sarver said.
Sarver estimates that the programs funds will be depleted by November.
FULL STORY