The Greater Kalamazoo Association of REALTORS® (GKAR) and the Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo (HBAGK) will be jointly hosting a Property Tax Symposium on Thursday, February 10th from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm in the Raymond C. Becker Auditorium at the GKAR facility located at 5830 Venture Park Drive, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 49009.
The Symposium is titled “Questions You Were Afraid To Ask About Your Property
Taxes” and will include a moderator and a panel made up of local assessors, members
of local boards of appeals, appraisers, legal counsel and industry representatives.
Members of GKAR and HBAGK have been invited and the general public is
encouraged to attend as well. There will be no cost for this event as the goal is to
provide education regarding the State Equalized Value (SEV) and Taxable Value (TV)
of homes, as well as to answer questions relative to the assessment appeal process.
Showing posts with label Kalamazoo Home Experts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kalamazoo Home Experts. Show all posts
Monday, January 31, 2011
If you are considering any home repair projects or would like to see what is on the horizon when it comes to home improvement products...then the Greater Kalamazoo Home Builders Association Home Expo is for you!
The Home Expo, a Southwest Michigan premier home and garden event, is put on annually by the Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo in March. Each year the Home Expo showcases new building trends, products, ideas, and inspiration! Whether you are a homeowner, looking to buy, or plan to own your home in the future, this is a great family-friendly event. Home Expo also features lots of educational sessions, special show discounts, and activities for the kids. Save time! Come visit our exhibitors all under one roof - everything you could need for your home, don’t miss the next Home Expo!
Home Expo 2011:
March 9-12 at the Former Sam's Club Building in Portage
Wednesday- 5-9pm
Thursday and Friday- 12-9pm
Saturday- 10am to 7pm
The Home Expo, a Southwest Michigan premier home and garden event, is put on annually by the Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo in March. Each year the Home Expo showcases new building trends, products, ideas, and inspiration! Whether you are a homeowner, looking to buy, or plan to own your home in the future, this is a great family-friendly event. Home Expo also features lots of educational sessions, special show discounts, and activities for the kids. Save time! Come visit our exhibitors all under one roof - everything you could need for your home, don’t miss the next Home Expo!
Home Expo 2011:
March 9-12 at the Former Sam's Club Building in Portage
Wednesday- 5-9pm
Thursday and Friday- 12-9pm
Saturday- 10am to 7pm
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
8 Quick Fixes to Increase Value
To attract buyers, sellers must up the ante to convince them that their property offers what many want most — top value for dollar expended. Here are eight fast fixes:
1. Buff up curb appeal. You’ve heard it before, but it’s critical to get buyers to want to look on the inside. Be objective. View listings from the street. Check the condition of the landscaping, paint, roof, shutters, front door, knocker, windows, house number, and even how window treatments look from the outside. Add something special — such as big flower pots or an antique bench — to help viewers remember house A from B.
2. Enrich with color. Paint’s cheap, but forget the adage that it must be white or neutral. Just don’t get too avant-garde with jarring pinks, oranges, and purples. Use soft colors that say “welcome,” lead the eye from room to room, and flatter skin tones. Think soft yellows and pale greens. Tint ceilings a lighter shade.
3. Upgrade the kitchen and bathroom. These make-or-break rooms can spur a sale. But besides making each squeaky clean and clutter-free, update the pulls, sinks, and faucets. In a kitchen, add one cool appliance, such as an espresso maker. In the bathroom, hang a flat-screen TV to mimic a hotel.
4. Add old-world charm. Install crown molding at least six to nine inches in depth, proportional to the room’s size, and architecturally compatible. For ceilings nine feet high or higher, add dentil detailing, small tooth-shaped blocks used as a repeating ornament. It’s all in the details, after all.
5. Screen hardwood floors. Buyers favor wood over carpet, but refinishing is costly and time-consuming. Screening cuts dust, time, and expense. What it entails: a light sanding, not a full stripping of color or polyurethane, then a coat of finish.
6. Clean out, organize closets. Get sorting — organize your piles into “don’t need,” “haven’t worn,” and “keep.” Closets must be only half-full so buyers can visualize fitting their stuff in.
7. Update window treatments. Buyers want light and views, not dated, fancy-schmancy drapes that darken. To diffuse light and add privacy, consider energy-efficient shades and blinds.
8. Hire a home inspector. Do a preemptive strike, since busy home owners seek maintenance-free living. Fix problems before you list the home and then display receipts and wait for buyers to offer kudos to you for being so responsible.
Sources: Ernie Roth, Roth Interiors, Los Angeles; Angel Petragallo, ABR, Group One, Boise, Idaho; Melissa Galt, Galt Interiors, Atlanta; Steve Kleiman, CEO, Oakington Realty, Houston; Sid Davis, Sid Davis & Associates, Farmington, Utah, and author of First-Time Homeowners’ Survival Guide (Amacom, 2007); Steve Hochman, Friendly Note Buyers, Roxbury, N.Y.; Margi Kyle, designer and spokesperson for Hunter Douglas.
To attract buyers, sellers must up the ante to convince them that their property offers what many want most — top value for dollar expended. Here are eight fast fixes:
1. Buff up curb appeal. You’ve heard it before, but it’s critical to get buyers to want to look on the inside. Be objective. View listings from the street. Check the condition of the landscaping, paint, roof, shutters, front door, knocker, windows, house number, and even how window treatments look from the outside. Add something special — such as big flower pots or an antique bench — to help viewers remember house A from B.
2. Enrich with color. Paint’s cheap, but forget the adage that it must be white or neutral. Just don’t get too avant-garde with jarring pinks, oranges, and purples. Use soft colors that say “welcome,” lead the eye from room to room, and flatter skin tones. Think soft yellows and pale greens. Tint ceilings a lighter shade.
3. Upgrade the kitchen and bathroom. These make-or-break rooms can spur a sale. But besides making each squeaky clean and clutter-free, update the pulls, sinks, and faucets. In a kitchen, add one cool appliance, such as an espresso maker. In the bathroom, hang a flat-screen TV to mimic a hotel.
4. Add old-world charm. Install crown molding at least six to nine inches in depth, proportional to the room’s size, and architecturally compatible. For ceilings nine feet high or higher, add dentil detailing, small tooth-shaped blocks used as a repeating ornament. It’s all in the details, after all.
5. Screen hardwood floors. Buyers favor wood over carpet, but refinishing is costly and time-consuming. Screening cuts dust, time, and expense. What it entails: a light sanding, not a full stripping of color or polyurethane, then a coat of finish.
6. Clean out, organize closets. Get sorting — organize your piles into “don’t need,” “haven’t worn,” and “keep.” Closets must be only half-full so buyers can visualize fitting their stuff in.
7. Update window treatments. Buyers want light and views, not dated, fancy-schmancy drapes that darken. To diffuse light and add privacy, consider energy-efficient shades and blinds.
8. Hire a home inspector. Do a preemptive strike, since busy home owners seek maintenance-free living. Fix problems before you list the home and then display receipts and wait for buyers to offer kudos to you for being so responsible.
Sources: Ernie Roth, Roth Interiors, Los Angeles; Angel Petragallo, ABR, Group One, Boise, Idaho; Melissa Galt, Galt Interiors, Atlanta; Steve Kleiman, CEO, Oakington Realty, Houston; Sid Davis, Sid Davis & Associates, Farmington, Utah, and author of First-Time Homeowners’ Survival Guide (Amacom, 2007); Steve Hochman, Friendly Note Buyers, Roxbury, N.Y.; Margi Kyle, designer and spokesperson for Hunter Douglas.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Kalamazoo/Portage Real Estate is on the Rise!
Interest rates are at an ALL TIME LOW and Buyers are taking notice!
If you have been thinking about selling your home, now is the time.
There is no such thing as a seasonal trend in real estate...do not hesitate to put your home on the market before the holidays, the Buyers are out there now!
Contact us today for market details for your area, or to schedule a pricing consultation. We can help you get your house sold for the best price and in the least amount of time!
If you have been thinking about selling your home, now is the time.
There is no such thing as a seasonal trend in real estate...do not hesitate to put your home on the market before the holidays, the Buyers are out there now!
Contact us today for market details for your area, or to schedule a pricing consultation. We can help you get your house sold for the best price and in the least amount of time!
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