People from all across the country are coming to Traverse City to par take in the annual Cherry Festival. Hotel rooms, rental homes and condos are selling out. The Festival officially kicks off July 5th and runs through the 13th. The Blue Angels will be here this year to add to the show! After to talking to hotel owners and landlords, they are expecting record crowds. This is a great family event that kicks off the summer tourism season here. The weather will be perfect and the hospitality is extraordinary. You can get more information on the Cherry Festival at www.cherryfestival.org you can also go to www.visittraversecity.com. Both these websites have information on lodging and area attractions. If you are flying in we have a wonderful airport (Cherry land Airport) and you ca... 06/23/2008

Vacant land prices in Northern Michigan (in particular the Traverse City Region) seem to be flat.  I have not seen any major price drops on vacant waterfront property in the past year.  In fact I have seen most prices hold firm.  Unlike the stock market which can plummet on a frenzy of sales, land is different.  In order from prices to fall you need to be able to sell.                              Fortunately most people who own waterfront property are financially stable and don't need to sell.  They have the option of waiting for the market to turn which seems to be the case.  I will admit some developers are willing to slash huge discounts off property if a buyer makes an offer but they are not necessarily making this public by lowering the prices in our MLS.   06/18/2008

After another crazy Monday I am amazed with the amount of work there is out there if you just keep positive and striving forward. I am an average guy who came from a lawn care background that took a very big risk and this past fall(07) I decided I was not going to go back to my full time job in early 08. I will try my hand at this real estate game full time. If I wanted to keep my hopes in not going back to my secure job I had to work very hard and quickly. I had a mentor with EXIT Realty who showed me that knocking on doors could be a great way to get leads in a down market.....the road less traveled, right? Well, my mentor ended up leaving to try something different and I was left out to dry. He left some of his listings that I was know in charge of selling.  I was super excited! The ... 06/16/2008

Short Sale..170 feet of private Indian Lake frontage! Priced to sell QUICKLY! Property features are, Fenced in yard, Large deck overlooking the lake, private doce, fire pit, 170' of private frontage, 2 car garage, and workshop. This year around home or cottage has it's own dock and word has it, great fishing. Don't wait to see this home! Call Today, Matt Hodges Realtor / Short Sale Specialist Exit Realty Paramount313 E Front St Traverse City, Mi 49684 231.624.1650 Cell231.946.4404 Office231.946.4504 Fax Mailto: MHodges@TCExit.com website: www.MattHodges.net See my short sale listings at www.EXITShortSales.com   05/31/2008

Friday I was fortunate enough to have 2 closings, one of which I saved a homeowner of going to foreclosure on June 16th. This deal seemed to drag on and have multiple issues, but with the right people involved, we were able to make it happen. The basics of this deal was the seller owed more than 325K on this large home on Traverse City's west side. The problem here was the home was built in the mid 90's and hadn't had any updates since it was put in. It also had a small water issue do to a toilet freezing in the fall, and the last tenant seemed to not care and left the carpets a mess. 4 offers and 5 1/2 months later and a buyer that wasn't afraid of some work, got a great deal. Persistance pays when dealing with most things. The deal, as I said, had issues, but with a great buyers agent... 05/31/2008

I would like to personaly wish a Happy Memorial Day to all the Veterans as well as those currently serving in our Military today. Please take a moment tomorrow to remember all of our fallen heroes from this conflict as well as all past battles. As I sat through today's service at my church a few tears were shed as Taps was played as all of the branches were remembered. As a current member of the United States Navy Reserve I was pleased to stand this morning among some great people. Take a minute tomorrow to thank a friend, family member or someone on the street that may have served this country. A thank you can go a long way... Happy Memorial Day!  Matt Hodges   AKA "BM3 Hodges" 05/25/2008

Today I was contacted by a homeowner that is going through foreclosure and is just looking for any advice/options. I have done many short sales with many variable before but I have yet to come across one that has a Federal Tax Lien on it. I have heard mixed reviews on hopw to do this so, stay tuned some un charted waters on this topic(for me at least) and If you have any input or a good contact for this I would greatly appreciate it. Have a great week! Matt Hodges  --  231 624 1650 EXIT Realty Paramount www.MattHodges.net 05/19/2008

After 5 weeks of having our 1st offer (Total of 4 offers on this one) we got a favorable response from them. Today I was asked to revise the HUD on how the second(Chase) was going to be paid off.  As slow as the banks have become on approving short sales, if we can hang on for 2-4 months to get paid it is worth it :) Thank you to all the Agents who offered on this property, I know it can be frusterating at times, but again, at the end of the day, we do get a pretty handsom paycheck. Anyone looking for a good contact at Chase Home Finance please let me know. This was a good experience with Chase and I will look forward to working with them once again very soon. Matt Hodges 231 624 1650 EXIT Realty Paramount www.MattHodges.net 05/19/2008

What a great deal! This home is price 10K less than the neighborhood. 3br 1ba hoem on TC's West side. Look at the comps and check out this home at www.MattHodges.net You will not be disappointed. Where can you find a home that is this new in a sub that like-kind homes are listed/selling for 130K+? As always, a short sale home is really just looking for offers. Lets take a look, if you like it, write it up for what you thin kit is worth!   Thanks Matt Hodges EXIT Realty Paramount 231/624 1650   05/18/2008

(Home is under contact, so no numbers will be used)I have had this one short sale listed since November with great success of getting offers, but with no luck of getting one accepted by Option One. This home is quite large in a very nice sub, but needed some updating and other cosmetic issues. There were supporting comps for many of the offers that I submitted to the bank, however, the bank flat rejected 3 offers and countered to one. The counter was significantly higher than what I had it listed for. They did say, however, that if we were to get an appraisal they would consider a lower number. So that's what we did...a few weeks ago I ordered an appraisal and walked through the home with the appraiser pointing out all the "issues" we had in hopes to get a better number. Note* I didn't ... 05/17/2008

RADISH, Traverse City's newest resturant is open for business! Located at 408 S. Union Street and specializing in local and organic food. They have a salad bar with 50+ items to choose from, two fresh soups daily and homemade organic tea. Radish is just another reason to come and explore Traverse City! To see all the homes in Traverse City check out http://michaelstpeter.point2agent.com or call Mike St. Peter 231-288-7879 05/13/2008

  This will be my first post of many and hopefully become a weekly and potentially daily habit for me. I have been doing short sales now for about a year and quickly have made a name for myself as maybe Traverse City's leading expert on this topic. As you may know, short sales can be a very lucritive business, but it can also be a bust. I would like let everyone know who I have worked with and what I thought about them. A few are, Ocwen, Wells Fargo, Countrywide, JP Morgan Chase, Huntington, and Option One. I have had great success with Ocwen, but they have called it quits in this short sale dept. A few difficult ones were Countrywide, simply because of there size, and Huntington. The good thing about Huntington is if your a stock holder, you will be happy for there resistance on taking... 05/07/2008

Winter in Northern Michigan sure is a pretty time of year and there was plenty of that fluffy white snow this year to go around. Lots of snow is great for skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing and enjoying all those great winter sports. It is also a wonderful time to setup and establish ourselves for creating the best Traverse City Real Estate Tours around.This time of the year is pretty slow in general and most Traverse City Realtors are waiting to do the big marketing push when the “Big Thaw” hits us around April. It is our goal to make the winters for this new Northern Michigan virtual tour company better and better as time goes on. For example some homes photograph brilliantly at night for our BlueLaVa Night Shots and we also have our BlueLaVa Green-Ups that are very affordable so agent... 04/03/2008

The Housing Game is coming to Traverse City April 5, 2008. It will be held at the Haggerty Center and sponsored by Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City Chamber of Commerce and TAAR.  The event will run from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and admission is free.....The Housing Game is for anyone thinking of Buying or Selling there house there will be a wide variety of boothes and information for you to check out. Here is a list of what you will see if you attend.Real Estate 101- A to ZWhy do you need a Realtor ( Agency MAR and Nar Speaker)Lending Topics- Credit Scores- How do they work, what do they mean, how to fix them.Financing Options: FHA, MSHDA, RD, VA, ConventionalMortgage Traps and How to avoid them. Special PresenterHouse Hunting In the Virtual WorldIs there GREEN IN GREEN HOUSEINGHo... 03/28/2008

It had been 5 months since I had closed my photo store Blue Photo. After 32 years of faithful service and being in business for over 80 years in my family it was time. I closed down the shop and spent a wonderful summer being a family man and spending time with the two children remaining at home. We camped, hiked and shot lots of photos. I also spent the summer trying to keep up with the domestic duties but according to my wife Pam I was not doing the best job. As the summer came to a close I was getting a little restless and decided that it was time to figure out what I would be doing in my second life. Pam assured me I would not make a good chef and also not to consider trying out for Dancing with the Stars. Yes indeed it was really time to look elsewhere! As I sat at the computer lat... 03/19/2008

Once again the Howe Arena will be the place to check out all that it new and exciting in the world of hunting and fishing. The Traverse City Hunting and Fishing Expo is a great family show where you can talk to outfitters from around the world about your favorite outdoor pursuit or dream. This is a perfect place to book a hunt or fishing trip. You will also have a chance to talk to specialists outdoor recreation. Location: Howe Arena- 1213 W. Civic Center Drive ( Corner of Front Street and Garfield)Date: March 14-15-16, 2008 Cost: $5.00 per day Parking is Free!!!!!!!!!!!www.tchuntfishexpo.com See all the land in Traverse City at http://michaelstpeter@point2agent.comHope to See You There Mike St. PeterGreenridge Realty TC231-288-7879 03/12/2008

Traverse City is home to the crowned jewel of Wingshooting! Field Sport LtD has been open for business for 12 years here in Traverse City Michigan and has earned the reputation as one of the most respected puveyors of fine guns and associated equipment on the market. Weather you are an upland bird hunter, waterfowler or clay target shooter Field Sport offers a comprehensive selection of products from the best manufactures around the world. Bryan Bilinski and his staff provide a first class service to all of there clients and visting the store is truely a first class expierence. Field Sport has something for every skill and expierence level. They also offer a very unique and specialized shooting school.If you are a wingshooter check out there website and plan a trip to Traverse City! The... 03/10/2008

Grand Traverse Virtual Tours Get LockBox Approved!! Virtual Tour Ordering made easy!   BlueLavaMedia, a certified Real Tour Vision™ virtual tour provider, proudly announces full Supra Key / Lockbox certification for the Northern Michigan area. Their Supra Key certification will enable BlueLavaMedia’s current and future clients the flexibility to simply order a virtual tour and know that a qualified, responsible and Supra Key certified company will be arriving on location to capture professional images and complete their virtual tour. BlueLaVaMedia not only has the regions only professionally staffed and full insured virtual tour company, but now has full certification to move in and out of homes freely without the need for agents to be present. This service is especially beneficial to r... 03/05/2008

In 1988 the International Committee added Table Tennis to the offical summer Olympic roster, in 2007 Don Hayden Jr. added it to Grand Traverse County! Hayden Table Tennis located in Williamsburg is a World Class Table Tennis facility open to the public and all skill levels. The one of kind facility offers league play, tournaments and clinics. There is a weight and cardio room, entertainment center, pro shop, locker roomand secound floor viewing lounge. They have a couple of state of the art robotic training machines to practice with in between matches. The lighting scheme is the same used for international play. There are daily and monthly rates that are quite reasonable. Hayden Table Tennis is another example of the great and unique offerings of Grand Traverse County that make this reg... 02/25/2008

Making the decision to take on and startup a Real Tour Vision dealership was a very easy one to make. It all happened on a chilly October day when Susan Hintz called me up to inform me that she had just landed the opportunity of a lifetime that she could not pass up.At this point Susan was our local virtual tour provider for Traverse City and had spent the last five years in the business building relationships and making connections through her virtual tour company. Susan averaged anywhere from 40-80 virtual tours a month depending on the time of the season and every year her business grew along with her network. Susan landed her big fish when Al Rice, a Traverse City real estate agent asked her to enter into a partnership with her. Upon acceptance Susan would instantly acquire a shared... 02/18/2008