Comments Off on SOLD: 3107 Waterford Ave NE, Grand Rapids MI 49505
by liz
3107 Waterford Ave NE, Grand Rapids MI 49505
4 bedrooms, 1 bath, 1,419 square feet, built in 1950, 1 stall attached garage, listed for $189,900 and sold for $240,000.
This cape cod has lots of potential and is ready for you to make it your own! Featured include a covered side entry to dining area, galley kitchen with plenty of storage, family room with newer windows that faces the back yard, 2 main floor bedrooms, living room with large picture window, upper level with 2 bedrooms, lower level with rec room and laundry room, lots of storage, 1 stall attached garage, deck with steps to yard.
Desirable location near all of the conveniences on Plainfield (shopping, restaurants, entertainment), highway access on I-96 (less than 1 mile), Riverside Park (less than 2 miles).
Comments Off on SOLD: 7224 Crestwood Ave, Jenison MI 49428
by liz
7224 Crestwood Ave, Jenison MI 49428
4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, 2,608 square feet, 2 stall garage, built in 1963, 0.63 acres. Listed at $324,900 and sold for $355,500.
This Mid Century Modern home on a private wooded lot is much larger than it appears! French doors opening to the original slate tile in foyer, stunning windows with tons of light (per previous owners replaced in 2016), kitchen with stainless appliances (french door refrigerator) & a snack bar, dining area with laminate floors, half bath, spacious living room with a brick fireplace, sunroom that’s a perfect place to take in the beautiful wooded view, the upper level has 2 spacious bedrooms & a full bath, lower level has 2 bedrooms & a bath as well, in the basement you will find a large rec room & office space with a fireplace walkout access to the back yard.
Outdoor features include deck space spanning the length of the home, a firepit area, storage in a shed and built in under the deck, fenced wooded back yard (no neighbors behind!), 2 stall attached garage, underground sprinkling, new roof (replaced in 2021), A/C replaced in 2018 (per previous owner). Great location close to Rosewood Park (1 mi), Georgetown Library (1 mi), Jenison Jr & High Schools (2.6 mi), 196 highway access (2.3 mi).
Sold by: Liz Opatic, Realtor, @Home Realty, 5789 Balsam Dr
If you’re thinking about buying or building new construction consider these pros & cons:
Pros of New Construction
Custom-fit: Customizing your new home is the biggest pros of building new construction. It gives you the chance to design almost every inch of space to meet your needs.
No renovations: When you build or buy new construction, there’s no need for updating because your home will be up to date with materials, colors, and design from day one.
Builder warranties and financing incentives: Many builder warranties will cover anything that happens to the home within two years of the date of purchase.
That new home smell! Moving into a new home knowing that no one has ever lived there is an amazing feeling — plus, major systems and appliances won’t need replacing anytime soon.
Cons of New Construction
Cost: All that custom stuff? It comes with a price. On average, it costs around 20% more to have a new home built than to buy an existing one.
Limited options: Unless you build an entirely custom home, you may be limited in your design, floor plan, and finishing options.
Fluid sticker price: Because of delays, change orders, and added costs, it’s hard to know how much your new home will cost until the welcome mat is out.
Timeline: You can be kicking your feet up in an existing home in as little as 30-45 days. New construction? Stretch that timeline out to at least 3-12 months.
Considering new construction? Use my guide to assist you through the process. There you’ll find questions to ask the builder, pros & cons checklist, lender information, a list of builders and some of the available communities in West Michigan and more! Click here to download!!
We will decide together on how to handle showings. We can set parameters as to the hours and days that showings are allowed, and how to notify you in advance.
We will use a system called Showingtime which will allow you to respond to showing requests via email, text or phone.
Usually we use an electronic lockbox that allows buyers’ agents to access your house key. These boxes also notify me any time they are opened, so no one is accessing your home without my knowledge.
If you have pets in the home that need to be tended to during showings, we will work out the best way to handle them. Furthermore, I will try to get feedback from each showing and pass that information back to you.
I will be there for you every step of the way and will be available for all questions or concerns.
Comments Off on SOLD: 1101 Sunrise Ln, Walker MI 49534
by liz
1101 Sunrise Ln NW, Walker MI 49534
2 bedrooms, 1 bath, 966 square feet, 2 stall garage, built in 2005. Listed at $269,900 and sold for $301,500.
Great opportunity to build equity by finishing the lower level! Beautiful bi-level home on a large lot (.39 acre) in Kenowa Hills school district. Open floor plan, cathedral ceilings, the kitchen offers a center island and brand new stainless steel appliances, dining area with sliders to the deck, living room with large windows bringing in lots of light. Spacious primary bedroom with dual closets, 2nd bedroom on the main level, bathroom with double sinks.
The lower level is unfinished and has the potential for 2 additional bedrooms and a bath, the brand new washer and dryer (approx. 1 year old) will stay, the water heater is newer (+/- 1 year), newer A/C (+/- 3 years), possession at close. The outdoor space offers a deck, large yard and underground sprinkling. Awesome location in a neighborhood with sidewalks, near Zinser Elementary (0.8 miles), Walking/Biking Trail (0.2 miles), and only 2 mi from all of the conveniences of Standale.
Listed by: Liz Opatic, Realtor, @Home Realty, 5789 Balsam Dr
Comments Off on The Most Important Repairs for Selling
by liz
No more twiddling your thumbs. You’re selling and the time has come to whip your well-loved but worn-down home into tip-top shape. So…what’s next? What repairs and improvements are worth it before selling? Here are six to consider: Paint. Paint is one of the cheapest, easiest ways to update your home and get it ready to list. Plus, you don’t need to be a pro. Just queue up YouTube, pick your colors, and get to rolling. Exterior. Help buyers locate your home by refreshing house numbers and boost curb appeal with fresh mulch and planters filled with annuals. Have more time? Pressure wash your driveway and sidewalks. Kitchen. Give cabinets, appliances, and backsplashes a serious scrubbing. Install new hardware and light fixtures and replace countertops if needed. Don’t do a full reno unless your agent advises. Bathrooms. Cleanliness is king but so is functionality. Repair running toilets and leaky faucets, and consider replacing dingy toilet seats. Lighting. The brighter the better. Ditch heavy drapes for breezy curtains (or no curtains at all) to let in as much natural light as you can. Floors. There’s nothing like walking into a home with freshly refinished hardwood floors. If you can, consider refinishing your wood floors — don’t worry, the return on investment is very high. I encourage sellers to prep their homes right out of the gate for the home inspection. If it’s going to show up on the inspection, why not take care of it before it hits the market? Are you thinking about selling and wondering what buyers want in your neighborhood? Reach out to me and let’s chat!
Comments Off on How Can I Increase the Value of My Home?
by liz
It all comes down to T-I-M-E — and whether you’ve got a lot or a little of it! Clock ticking and you need to increase value ASAP? Zero in on these weekend projects:
Clean, clean, and clean some more.
Give walls a fresh soft, neutral coat of paint.
Landscape with some low-maintenance (but green!) plants.
Power wash your driveway, sidewalks, and home exterior.
Remove a wall (or two!) to create open living spaces.
Replace carpeted floors with wood or LVP flooring.
Finish your unfinished basement.
Replace your old windows and front door.
Install new kitchen countertops and appliances.
Selling on the brain? The best thing you can do is have a quick consult with a Realtor. They can have a look around and let you know exactly what to do to have your home sitting pretty at top dollar. Ready to chat? Click here for a no obligation home seller consultation.
Comments Off on 4 Strategies to Buy Your Dream Home and Sell Your Current One
by liz
When you first purchased your home it met your needs and budget, but life (as it always does) has changed. Maybe you have a different job that is located on another side of town, or your family situation has grown from 2 people to 4, or you now have a much higher income and would love a nicer home to reflect your current taste. The point is that the home served its purpose but it is now time to move on.
What you need is a plan to get from point A (your current home) to point B (the new home that meets your current wants/needs). Hiring an awesome Realtor to guide you down this path is highly recommended since it can be complicated and overwhelming!! Below are the most common strategies to accomplish your moving goal.
1.List your current home then look for a new one once your home is under contract and write an offer contingent upon you closing on your home.
One of the benefits of this strategy are that you know how much you will be getting in proceeds (since you’ve already accepted an offer at a certain purchase price). This is extremely helpful when budgeting and planning for the next home. The other positive is that when you do find the home that meets your needs and get an offer accepted, you will not have the stress of putting your home on the market. That step will be behind you. The risks that come from this strategy are that you may not find the right home in the timeframe that you have negotiated before closing. This may cause a double move and the need for temporary housing. Another con is that it is harder to get an offer accepted that has a contingency in it, even if it’s just to close on your home. Sellers like clean offers and the less risk the better. Another factor to consider is the chance something falls through on the sale of your current home. You risk losing out on the new home and having to start all over from square one.
2. Sell your current home then find a new home after the current one closes to eliminate the need for a sale contingency.
This one can sound super scary. Nobody wants to risk being homeless. There are many ways to make this a smooth transition with extended possession after closing or finding a temporary place to land (mom & dads, short term rental, temporary RV living…). The major benefit is that this strategy will give you the best buying power in the market. When you have your proceeds from your sale and do not have the risk of having to sell your home sellers will favor your offer over those that submit contingent offers.
3. Buy your new home (cash, bridge loan, new mortgage), then list and sell your current home.
When you decide to buy the new home before selling, the stress about finding the “right one” is minimized since that step is first and you do not have the pressure of a short timeframe. This strategy will also give you the opportunity to declutter the current house by moving items to new house which can help with the staging process, and you will not have to worry about finding temporary housing or moving twice. Of course there are risks involved. These include: being unsure of the exact proceeds from the sale of your home (the market will determine the ultimate sale price despite what you see in the sale data), you won’t have the cash from home sale for down payment, and perhaps this biggest concern is that you may have carrying costs and run the risk of having 2 mortgages.
4. Look for a new home. Once you find the right home, write an offer contingent upon you selling your home. If your offer is accepted, list and sell your home.
This strategy is the most challenging to execute smoothly, but it absolutely can be done! The reason that buyers choose to use this strategy is that they are not comfortable with the risk of selling their home without having another home lined up, yet they cannot afford and/or are not comfortable with buying a home before selling their current home.
The stars all have to align to pull this off. First you have to find a home that you like and write an offer attractive enough that the sellers are willing to accept your offer with this contingency. After that you will have to get your home on the market in a very short period of time and position it in the market for a quick offer, and finally we work hard to get everything done and close on the sales on both homes.
Which strategy is best for you?
The current market conditions and your personal situation will help you determine this. Hopefully you will be able to find a way to balance both at the same time (or a short window). If this is not possible, you need to decide which risk you are more comfortable with – owning zero houses (selling your home first) or owning two houses (purchasing next home first). Again, I cannot stress enough… finding an experienced and professional Realtor to guide you through this process is SO important!!
Comments Off on How to Manage Your Emotions When Selling Your Home
by liz
Hire a Realtor
You’ll gain an advocate, expert, and cheerleader whose single goal is looking out for your best interest as you complete one of the largest transactions of your life. Plus they have the skills to help guide you through the emotional roller coaster that the home selling process brings.
Trust the data
It’s only natural to feel like your home is better than the one that sold across the street. Your Realtor will help you sort through the facts and the feelings. While you are reviewing comparable sales in the market analysis, look at them through the eyes of a buyer. If you were to buy your home, how much would you pay? The data will give you the answer.
Depersonalize your home
Taking down your family pictures, putting away your family heirlooms and packing away your kids art are all examples of how you can depersonalize. The staging step of the process can help you detach your personal attachment to your home. When it looks like a show place instead of your cozy abode it will shift your mindset during the sale process.
Focus on your Why
There is a reason you are choosing to sell. Whether it’s downsizing to simplify your life, buying a larger home for your growing needs or relocating to another state. Keeping your eye on the prize will help minimize feelings of connection to your home during the sale process.
When it comes time to sell, one of the hardest things to determine is the listing price. So how do you come up with a number that isn’t so low it leaves money on the table, but also not so high that your home never sells? That’s where a comparative market analysis (CMA) comes into play.
Real estate agents are experts in creating CMA’s based on your home’s value and recently sold, similar properties in the surrounding area. These reports help set a fair listing price for sellers and generate competitive offers from buyers.
Here’s a rundown of the basic steps:
1. Evaluate the neighborhood.
2. Gather details about the subject property.
3. Select comps.
4. Adjust for differences.
5. Determine the sold price per square foot after adjustments.
Ready to figure out the “best” price for your home? I’d love to create a comparative market analysis for you!
