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Battle Creek, MI Real Estate News

By Michael Delaware, REALTOR®, CRS, GRI
(North Sky Realty LLC)
The Kellogg Company Headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan sits at the helm of one of the largest food producing companies in the world.  Kellogg's, with 2008 sales of nearly $13 billion, is the world's leading producer of cereal and a leading producer of convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavored snacks, frozen waffles, and veggie foods. The Company's brands include Kellogg's, Keebler, Pop-Tarts, Eggo, Cheez-It, Nutri-Grain, Rice Krispies, BearNaked, Morningstar Farms, Famous Amos, Special K, All-Bran, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Club and Kashi. Kellogg products are manufactured in 18 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries around the world. The Kellogg Company Headquarters is in Battle Creek, Michigan, USA.    The company's origin ...
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By Michael Delaware, REALTOR®, CRS, GRI
(North Sky Realty LLC)
Everyday people walk by the intricate limestone carvings in downtown Battle Creek, Michigan and few take time to notice the details.  I admit, I myself have walked by many such buildings without noticing them.  However, when you look at this work, it is hard not to admire the detail. Here is are some photos of one of the towers of Michigan Avenue.  It features some wonderful limestone carvings in downtown Battle Creek.  Notice the one detail of the gargoyle face in the upper left (see photo below)?  When I took this photo, I never even noticed that one!  When I have researched the emergence of limestone carvings in downtown in the city archives, I learned that much of the stone came from Indiana in a quarry down there.  The limestone can be seen in area buildings such as the Hart Hotel,...
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By Michael Delaware, REALTOR®, CRS, GRI
(North Sky Realty LLC)
There is a great deal advantage to buying profitable single family investment homes at low cost in Battle Creek, Michigan.  This market is probably the best market to get started in as an investor, without having to outlay a large investment on your first home. Buying profitable single family investment homes at low cost starts with working out a plan.  You can get started with your first home with a investment budget of $30,000 quite easily.  There are costs one needs to factor into the process: 1) The entire cost to purchase the home, including inspections and closing costs. 2) The cost of any repairs or upgrades needed to the property. 3) Annual operating costs: Property taxes, insurance, repairs to damages caused by tenants, local rental housing ordinance fees, and routine maintenan...
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By Carole Morgan, RESA-PRO Certified Home Stager
(StageRight Home Staging )
NOW THESE ARE SERIOUS SELLERS! StageRight (www.stagerightstaging.com) just had a stage and the home owners are the type that we all dream about.  The owners were engaged, they made the necessary adjustments to the paint colors and fixtures they needed to make.  What a team!  The property was pristine clean, the home owner (they have already moved) brought items over that StageRight Home Staging had picked out that could be used in conjunction with some rental items and the end result was amazing. This was not a small job, nearly every room was painted and wallpaper removed, light fixtures replaced, outdated draperies removed, medicine cabinets replaced and a plate rail and obstructive pantry were removed as well.  This is a great property but it has been on the market for over a year an...
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By Carole Morgan, RESA-PRO Certified Home Stager
(StageRight Home Staging )
MAYBE YOU ARE NOT READY TO SELL YOUR PROPERTY If you are really ready to sell your property, then you have to have that difficult conversation with yourself regarding preparing your property for market.  Staged properties sell fasted when compared with un-staged properties, even in a down market.  A staged property is viewed as well maintained and shows better than competing properties.  Staged properties are typically remembered in a more positive light and look better in print and web media.  Everyone is busy in today's hurry up world.  Most perspective home buyers are not inclined to move into a property that they have to fix up or use their imagination. Of course some would, but that percentage is small (only 10% of the population has vision). So why take the risk of appealing to on...
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By Carole Morgan, RESA-PRO Certified Home Stager
(StageRight Home Staging )
BATHROOMS-THE POWER OF CLEAN-COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS TO DEEP PRICE REDUCTIONS If you are preparing your property for sale look at your bathroom.  Is it mother-in-law worthy?  A professional home stager  (www.stagerightstaging.com) is the next best thing to having your mother-in-law assess your property.  The bathroom has to shine and sparkle.  It has to say "STAY HERE" and "LOOK" around because it is pristine clean, not because it is OMG gross.  Even the tiniest detail needs to be looked at.  New caulk around the tub, clean grout (by-the-way did you know you can paint grout?), fresh paint on the base boards, a vanity decluttered of old make up, crusty toothpaste tubes (I could go on but you know exactly what I mean) etc.  Make an investment in some storage baskets and place your stored...
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By Carole Morgan, RESA-PRO Certified Home Stager
(StageRight Home Staging )
Staging is a proactive alternative to deep price reductions.  Preparing your property to appeal to all potential buyers in your price range just makes good business sense.  There isn't anything else you would sell that you wouldn't do some preparation before selling and so it should be for your largest personal investment.  How many price reductions will it take before the objections that potential buyers have made to purchasing your property no longer matter?  How many showings with no or low offers does it take before you make a small investment in staging and preparing your property for market.  Only 10% of the population has enough vision to see past objections such as taste specific decorating, minor repairs and upgrades.  Are you willing to wait for someone in that 10% to view you...
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By Carole Morgan, RESA-PRO Certified Home Stager
(StageRight Home Staging )
WHAT IS THE SELLER THINKING? If you are about to sell your property, what are you going to do to make it the best of all possible choices that the potential home buyer has?  When you have a garage sale what do you do?  You prepare everything to bring in the optimum price.  You wash, you dust, you arrange, you present, you neatenize YOU ARE SERIOUS!  When you get ready to sell furniture, or your car what are the steps you go through?  Why would you take a chance on the largest investment you have and not apply those very same principles to selling a home.  If you want to be a seller instead of a dweller market all the potential of your property through home staging.  Staging www.stagerightstaging.com is presenting to sell.  You should hire a professional stager but at the very least try ...
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By Carole Morgan, RESA-PRO Certified Home Stager
(StageRight Home Staging )
Sometimes I see photographs on the MLS and I am not certain what is for sale.  I see counters, shelves, display cases, table tops, closets and rooms that are filled with stuff.  It's impossible to look beyond all the stuff and see the property.  I think to myself "look at all that stuff".  If I am having trouble viewing the property can you imagine what the potential home buyer is thinking?  We are all in love with our stuff and we love it when others love our stuff, but when preparing to sell a property why, why, why would all the stuff remain everywhere? When personal items become the focal point, the message being given is that the homeowner has to move because there isn't enough space.  To top that off, when the stuff is disorganized not having enough space is amplified.  Stuff is w...
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By Carole Morgan, RESA-PRO Certified Home Stager
(StageRight Home Staging )
When you are ready to market your property it is important to remember that shabby is not chic.  Old paint, outdated fixtures, taste specific patterns, tattered and worn furniture and window coverings do not present a home that is ready for market.  93% of properties that are staged and properly priced sell, on an average, in one month or less.  Top that off with only 10% of the house shopping public having vision for a property's potential and you have a recipe for home staging to the rescue. www.stagerightstaging.com A home staging professional will walk you through what you need to do to properly prepare your commodity for the competitive housing market.  This market is over in inventory, so making your property stand out against the competition is the only way to garner offers. A fe...
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By Carole Morgan, RESA-PRO Certified Home Stager
(StageRight Home Staging )
Maybe it's time for a little TLC regarding staging your property for market.  Is every room and space "market ready?"  Even the garage?  If you are not selling the garage with the property then you can probably skip all the advice, but home staging goes beyond the impact rooms and the curb appeal.  All too often when we review a property at StageRight Home Staging (www.stagerightstaging.com) we see garages, basements and out buildings that are not "staged" and ready for market.  If your garage is dry walled a fresh coat of inexpensive paint really cleans it up.  Packing up those seasonal items that are "out of season" and organizing what is left is a little bit of work that can go along way in differentiating you property from all the others. Clean garage windows and sills, cob webs tha...
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By Carole Morgan, RESA-PRO Certified Home Stager
(StageRight Home Staging )
What to do with vacant properties!  Have ever really watched a potential home purchaser "look" at a vacant property?  They give each room the "head bob", they duck in, bob their heads and walk on.  They may stop a few times, typically the kitchen, at a window but they don't pause and reflect.  Home staging with a few strategically placed pieces of furniture, art and accessories gives the viewer a cause to pause.  Every room doesn't have to be staged.  Just the impact rooms.  At the very least the first rooms to be seen should be staged.  You will want the viewer to go WOW orouuuuu, just like a kid seeing fireworks.  It takes a home staging professional to determine what rooms need to be staged, how much furniture is needed to do the home staging properly and where to place the pieces of...
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By Carole Morgan, RESA-PRO Certified Home Stager
(StageRight Home Staging )
Home staging is part of the natural process of putting your home in market ready condition. On some level all homes need staging.  I would have to stage my home and I am a stager by profession (www.stagerightstaging.com). You see we live differently than we sell. We decorate to live but we stage to sell. Preparing your property for market is smart in any housing trend, whether up or down. Home staging is just good marketing.  When you decide to have your home staged to sell, it does not mean there is anything wrong with your home.  It can be beautiful, charming, cozy and decorated to the hilt, but it isn't staged.  It's personal, it's your home.  You are not selling your decorating you are selling possibilities.  If the potential home purchaser is falling in love with your decorating or...
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By Carole Morgan, RESA-PRO Certified Home Stager
(StageRight Home Staging )
When I suggested we paint a bright, royal blue master bedroom a neutral color the client said "I am not going to have another cream or blah room."  Getting the home owner to a comfortable place when making suggestions for preparing their house for sale can be a tricky situation but at StageRight Home Staging (www.stagerightstaging.com) we are trained to do that. Home staging is about appealing to as many potential buyers as you possible can.  Defining space, emphasizing all the amenities, square footage, character and possibilities a home has is the job of the home stager.  A home staging professional wants the property to sell and sell quickly.  The fewer the days-on-market the more sought after that home stager is.  Neutralizing a property does not have to be boring beige but it does ...
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By Carole Morgan, RESA-PRO Certified Home Stager
(StageRight Home Staging )
Home staging is the one of the best proven methods of reducing the DOM (days on market).    All too often I go into a property and the property is not "showcase" ready. There are personal use items spread out on the bathroom vanities, toys and lawn items carelessly left throughout the yard, overflowing closets, too much furniture, collectibles everywhere and laundry rooms full.  This is not putting your property's best foot forward.  You have about 6 seconds to make a good first impression and the first impression is the lasting impression.  As the potentential home purchaser views your property, where do you suppose they are looking?  They can't help it, they are looking and thinking about your stuff and when they get home and begin talking about the properties they have seen that day,...
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By Carole Morgan, RESA-PRO Certified Home Stager
(StageRight Home Staging )
In southwest Michigan, specifically Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, you may have heard that the real estate market is slow.  How then have so many home owners and real estate agents found quite the opposite?  In addition to hard work and customer service real estate agents have found that properly preparing your home for market through the process of home staging has resulted in quicker sales for the home owner. Home staging helps you properly prepare your property for today's market.  StageRight Home Staging (www.stagerightstaging.com) offers consultations as well as actual home staging as part of their service level to do just that. Home staging will help you depersonalize your space so that the potential home owner can envision themselves in your home.  For example, personal photographs ...
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By Dee Helping Sellers market their properties
(Homes By Owner Battle Creek)
We all know selling can be very stressful.  This is especially true when it is a buyers market.  The sellers have more choices, more options and ask for everything even when the home is perfect and nothing needs to be done.  How do sellers stand up to the challenge?  Many have simply said OK and sold at the offered price.  The buyers agents have expressed the "take it or we will walk" strategy.  What happens when the buyers really want the home and the sellers say, "OK walk"?  This strategy does not always work.  The other side of the coin the reason many sellers are accepting the threat and taking the deal is, they have been on the market a long time.  The other reason is they are motivated to get on with their lives.  The sellers challenges are many.  The constant reminder that the ma...
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By Dee Helping Sellers market their properties
(Homes By Owner Battle Creek)
"We need to talk". That is one of the last things more anyone wants to hear from an employer!  That usually means something is going to hit the fan and hopefully it is not us.Kids know when parent say, we need to talk that something is wrong.  Workers know that when their employer looks at them a certain way and says we need to talk they are in trouble or their job is in jeopardy.So what do you think a Realtor thinks when a clients calls and says "we need to talk"?  Hopefully it is just that a strategy session.  An update on the market.  A notification that the seller has made some improvements.  The fact that those words are used does not mean it is bad, but I must say that is the first thing that comes to mind.When seller become disenchanted with our service they do so mostly for lack...
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By Dee Helping Sellers market their properties
(Homes By Owner Battle Creek)
This market has created some unique opportunities for some seller's and become a curse for others.  When a market becomes a buyers market the buyers simply have more choices.  Because the buyers have more choices they become more selective.So if you know the buyers are going to be more selective what can you do?  Paint is cheap.  Take the time and put fresh paint on the walls.  Nothing makes a buyers head turn more when entering a door and smelling fresh painted rooms.  If you decide to do this make sure that you use neutral colors.  Don't follow the current fad and think this new color would really be good.  Stick to the colors that are considered neutral.  If you are unsure any paint store, or large home store will be able to help you with swatch colors.Clean out those closets that ha...
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By Dee Helping Sellers market their properties
(Homes By Owner Battle Creek)
We all want to offer our customer more service, more options, more results.  The truth is more costs something.  Many clients do not understand the expense, time and training it takes to offer more.We can not offer more if we do not understand what the customer needs or wants.  This takes research, marketing and experience.  It takes time and money too.  The more part of real estate is what makes the difference between a sale and a property sitting on the market for months.The more allows sellers to move on with their lives.  The more is a marketing plan that has shown results, not just based on hopes and maybes.  More is one of those words that is so easy to ask and so hard to fulfill.  When we offer clients more we really have to provide something more.Clients expect us to know what t...
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