Inspired Real Estate For Today

Transformational Building- Continuation of "Transforming the Nature of the Transaction!

Locating a builder was easy, selecting the right one to take on a custom home project was infinitely more complicated.  The Grand Rapids Home Builders Association  on-line at  http://www.hbaggr.com/ was a great starting point.  The site is full of great information about the homebuilding process as well as the names of several builders and other subcontractors who specialize in custom home design and construction.  Through our real estate network of contacts, we had met several builders and compared notes to decide on whom to approach.  Ed & Penny were also hard at work, following up on numerous leads that they had received.  It's important to understand that the process needs to collaborative and can generate amazing results if an agent team and homeowner function synergistically.

 Continued....

We sat down to begin the interviewing process fortified with coffee and snacks.  Our cozy conference room was the setting for the preliminary meetings which spanned several days and hours of conversation.  If I was to name a seminar for this stage it would be titled "How do you Compare Apples & Oranges?"  The initial presentations were approximately an hour for each company/owner.  Each builder had been given a set of questions to review.  You can request a copy of the Builder Interview Questions by e-mailing us at info@auduhomes.com.  It became rapidly apparent that there were vast differences in style and organizational structure and we became intrigued by the ways in which this could impact the process.  These preliminary interviews ran the gamut which ranged from a well prepared notepad demo, which included a sample of architechtural renderings, to very limited support material and and even more limited presentation skills.

Custom home design requires a lot of cooperation and collaboration between a variety of disciplines including the banking industry, architects, surveyors, builder & numerous subcontractors, designers and Realtors.  The ability of a builder to effectively coordinate all these disciplines is not necessarily related to the size of his/her organization.  We found that the relationships that the builder has cultivated with his subcontractors were critical to the continuity of the process.  In our experience it is not unusual to find homes sitting without any work being done for a significant amount of time while the next contractor for a key stage is finishing off another assignment; the result of poor planning and coordination. This can be very costly for the homeowner who is paying the interest on a construction loan.

The Golden Rule was evidenced by its variant "He who has the Gold Rules" which when it comes to homes close to the Big Lake (Lake Michigan) translates to lots with lake access.  Builders who had options to purchase these lots or who owned them outright could and did insist that buying the lot was equivalent to hiring the builder.  The problem was that these builders were not always the most competitive in their pricing and service strategy.  A little weary after 2 days of interviews and home pre-viewing, we met at Joel's home.  Joel is a builder  and owner of J&E Enterprises.  He has worked in the commercial sector and built homes of distinction with the precision and attention to detail and production management not normally associated with residential design-builds.

Settling down in their comfortable new home, the hearth ablaze with a warm fire, Joel & his wife Bonnie shared their story and vision about what building a home was all about.  Here we explored the stuff of life, the why of motivation and the excitement of dreams.  The dining room table became the sketch board and the backdrop in which animated discussions and questions provoked more thoughts and further questions.  We toured and retoured their home, examining the detailing and craftsmanship.  At this stage, we were framing the big picture, painting in broad strokes accross a canvas with few limitations.

Joel is a man who is deeply connected and grounded to the earth and has an innate understanding of how a home will settle and conform to a lot.  This kind of earthy, common sense wisdom is profoundly valuable in preserving the unique scenic elements of a home setting.  He offered to assist us in locating a suitable lot which was becoming a very challenging proposition.  Ed & Penny began to "breathe", the tension of the past couple of days dissipating as they became tangibly engaged in working with a visionary who could deliver their dream into reality.

to be continued...

*photographs of Lake Michigan are courtesy of Lola Audu.  We are hoping that Ed might be persuaded to share some of his beautiful print in future posts.

©2006 Audu Real Estate All rights reserved

I relish the opportunity to stop by the upscale eatery in Macys when I am in the southwest side of the city.  Through my frequent visits, I have developed a relationship with the Manager, Margaret who runs one of the best deli/cafes in Grand Rapids.

Anyway, my appreciation for good food and tasteful presentation led from general acknowledgement and pleasantries to a conversation about Margaret's dream.  She wanted a house on the lake.  Now in Michigan, the term "on the water" can be debatable.  I've seen homes advertised on ponds that were breeding grounds for mosquitoes referred to as your own "private lake".  Well, Margaret was talking about what we term "real water", the big lake, Lake Michigan. 

She had a price in mind which she knew would be a challenge to find, but she courageously placed her home on the market, and decided to follow her bliss.  Within several months, her home was sold and the search for the house on the lake went into high gear.  We seemed to be rapidly exhausting all options and Margaret's home had not manifested.  Undaunted, we continued the search, my assistant logging many miles traveling in search of the seemingly elusive lake access home in the Lake Shore area.

Finally, the break came through a home that was sold or so everyone thought.  As we approached the Listing agent for this home that was literally a couple hundred yards from a breathtaking view and with the added value of deeded lake access, he indicated that the option to purchase the property was expiring and we should submit a back-up offer which we did.  After the home closed that we realized that several prospective buyers had their eyes on the home and were hoping for the opportunity to bid but never made their intentions clear.

 We all knew this was a God thing.  Margaret had walked through many challenges and could have chosen to retreat from life, but on the contrary she embraced it fully with determination and faith and got what she desired against tremendous odds.  Today, she lives in a lovely home is located on an acre, surrounded by lovely trees and we have nicknamed the view from her bluff, her little slice of heaven "Margaret's Lake".

This is how Margaret decided to share the blessings of her experience with her sister and brother-in-law, Ed & Penny who were living in the southeast part of Michigan...suburban Detroit.  Whenever, they would visit Margie as they call her, they were drawn by the beauty and peace of her setting.  Penny & Ed found themselves engaged in a journey of their own as they began to contemplate a move to a very different place to a very different type of life. 

Ed, an amateur photographer has a passion for capturing the exquisite in the ordinary, loves taking pictures but has not had a lot of time.  Penny has a talent for redeeming a home's interior to create beautiful living spaces.

The search for a house on the lake like Margies had many twists and turns.  Along the way, we met numerous individuals and builders.  There were sellers who wanted to sell and then decided they couldn't move just yet.  We soon discovered that just about every piece of land that had proximity of any kind to the lake was already sold or optioned. There's something about the Lake!  The search was long, and exhaustive.  Finally, with most options rapidly diminishing, we decided to explore building a home.  This started another chapter of the adventure.

To be continued.....

© 2006 Audu Real Estate.  All rights reserved

  Is My Home Ready to Sell ?   Quiz/Questionnaire

The Grand Rapids Real Estate Association currently has over 10,000 listings for sale.  On average 1000+ homes have sold every month which means there is ample supply of homes for sale for every buyer.  The good news is that homes are still selling and motivated Homeowners are exploring New Options to ensure that their home is one of them.  This Quiz is designed to assist you in determining how competitive your home is the current Grand Rapids Market and can easily be utilized in any real estate market in which there is more than 6 months worth of inventory in the Current Listings for Sale.  Use the Key below to help you determine your Competitive Index Quotient. 

*(This tool has been designed by Lola Audu, CRS of Audu Real Estate to assist homeowners in evaluating how best to enhance their marketing options and chances for success in a competitive real estate market.  It is not intended to be a substitute for professional counsel.  Please contact a real estate Broker or Realtor for in-depth analysis and interpretation about your current situation)

How to Use this Questionaire:  Each category has several options.  Please Check all that apply.  Then use the scoring index below to evaluate your score. 

 1.  Initial Home Listing Price  (Sale price refers to homes sold within past 90 days)

• A.   Home currently priced above the average home for sale in neighborhood      
• B.  Home priced at the average neighborhood home sale price
• C. Home priced 5-10% Below average neighborhood home sale price
• D. Home Listing includes Selling Bonus to Selling Agent

2. Pricing Adjustments (Based on updated Certified Market Analysis after 30-60 days)

• A.  Stay the course, Keep price the Same regardless of current indicators
• B.  Revise Listing on-line to match current Average home sale price
• C.  Decrease list price by 5% if necessary below revised market analysis price

3.  Financing Options Provided

• A.  Seller offers to pay closing costs- typically between 3-5% of sales price
• B.  Seller offers to pay 1st 3 months of Buyers Mortgage Payment
• C.  Seller offers buyer incentive such as Vacation/Car Rental/Cruise/Plane Tickets
• D. Seller willing to Consider Government Financing (EX: FHA, VA, MSHDA) in addition to Conventional Loans
• E.  Seller willing to offer Lease with Option to Purchase or Land Contract in addition to traditional financing vehicles

4.  Home Condition

• A.  Home has been professionally Staged & recommendations completed
• B.  Home has been cleared of excess belongings and clutter
• C.  All minor & major home repairs have been made
• D.  Home looks and smells clean and fresh

 5.  Marketing of My Home

• A.  Media/Web tours available on my homes' interior
• B.  Home available on Local MLS and additonal websites including BLOGS
• C.  Open Houses accessible on-line
• D.  Brochure box attached to Sign rider with fliers detailing home
• E.  Comprehensive marketing plan includes print media and on-line options and is in writing

6.  Risk Reduction

• A.  Seller willing to offer and/or pay for Home Warranty Protection
• B.  Seller provides appraisal by Independent appraiser to document value of listing price
• C.  Seller's Agent provides detailed Neighborhood analysis of Homeowners community
• D.  Seller able to provide receipts and contractors names & licenses for repairs and/or improvements

7.  Flexible Possession

• A.  Home seller able to move quickly once home is sold...including the day of Closing
• B.  Home seller willing to rent back home as a tenant to New Buyer if homeowner cannot move immediately

8.  Real Estate Agent Hired

• A.  My agent  has access to the MLS and advertises through this medium
• B.  My Real Estate agent has earned Advanced Designations and has superior training.  (EX: E-Pro, CRS, Broker)
• C.  My Real Estate Agent has an agent website and is tech saavy (EX: e-mail, Palm-pilot, Notebook computer, BLOG)
• D.  My Real Estate Agent works with an Agent or Assistant Team- virtually or on-site

Scoring Template: Q1. a-0, b-5, c-15, d-10; Q2. a-5, b-10, c-10; Q3. a-10, b-10, c-5, d-5, e-5; Q4. a-10, b-5, c-10, d-5,

Q5. a-5, b-10, c-5, d-5, e-10; Q6. a-5, b-10, c-5, d-5;  Q7. a-5, b-5;  Q8. a-10, b-5, c-5, d-5

50 or Below:  In a challenging Market you will have difficulty being competitive with other homes. 

50-100 :  Your home may be being shown, but is being used to sell other houses in your neighborhood who are a better value.

100-150:  You are  fairely well positioned in a Challenging Market, but may want to enhance incentives & or pricing.

150-200:  As they say "Get Packing", Everybody loves a good deal.  Be prepared for Multiple offers!

 © 2006 Audu Real Estate. All rights reserved

 The Art of Giving

The frenzy of activity that marks the month of December is unmatched.  End of year parties and activities, gift buying, and holiday shopping can rapidly merge into an experience which is taxing and depleting emotionally, physically and financially.

In our desire to give materially, we are unaware of the toll that we unconsciously exact on our spirits and our bodies.  The truth is that wholesome giving cannot be primarily defined as a material activity although it may manifiest in a physical material form such as money or gifts.  In its highest context, giving is a spiritual activity which can manifest in any number of forms for the intended recepient.

To explore this concept further, let's take a more intimate look at different levels of giving.  The most basic form of giving is simply giving something material.  Although this is valuable, if thought and intention particularly loving intention is not added to the material, such giving can be incidental and lack warmth or in some situations be detrimental or dsyfunctional.

Some examples of purely materialistic giving include parents who don't want to invest time in relationship with their children and opt to give them things instead.  Another example is giving aid to corrupt and broken systems, organizations or governments without oversight or concern that the intended recipients are afforded the opportunities promised.  In both of these situations, the outcome is depleting. 

Incidentally, the results of this type of materialistic giving may deplete at a number of different levels.  The least obvious but most devastating being the depletion of the soul and spirit.  Recipients of this type of giving are not uplifted by the spirit of intentional generosity, but rather are objectified.  The results of giving at this level are limited in the power to effect lasting change.  For a child this  lack of intention and attention can be profoundly harmful emotionally and psychologically, for giving of this nature slams a huge wrecking ball into the basis of self-esteem, one of the major pillars of what it means to accepted as fully human and appreciated for who you are.  Donors of this type of gift are usually unaware of this type of impact or may simply be lazy or so deflated by guilt t and exhaustion themselves that they are incapable of giving in any other way.  For both the donor and the recipient, wholeness is needed.

A higher level of giving is demonstrated by being intentional and paradoxially grateful.  Gratitude is a characteristic which we often associate soley with the recipient of a gift and not with the donor.  But, I would suggest that intentional giving starts not simply with being thankful, but being humbly grateful.  Focusing on the privilege of being able to give changes the platform.  To give is to be truly blessed.  To truly give to anothers need or bliss requires that I focus my attention and intention on being grateful for the opportunity to bless another, to essentially empower another.  It also requires a humble gratitude for the gift of their presence in my life.  Thereby changing the equation for the "potential giver" from an elevated position to a recipient of grace.

Giving of this quality transforms the nature of what is given.  All material forms have a predecessor in the unseen realm.  The Celebration of the Birth of Jesus at this time of year was a gift that was prophesised centuries before he arrived as a minute embryonic cell in Mary's womb and eventually manifested as a baby born to rule, but lying in the extremely modest environment of the manger.  The intention of this gift was clearly the love of God for humankind.  The transformation afforded through the gift of Jesus Christ literally redeems life and provides reconnection to God through acceptance of His gift of life.  Now that is radical, the Giver of life being so full of humility and love that He would humble himself to take on a physical body with all its weakness to ensure that through His death, we could live.  This is the spiritual nature and meaning of Christmas.

How can understanding this transform our giving?  Firstly, the focus is not on what you give.  The "what" objectifies giving.  Some of life's most profound gifts come through the giving of in service to another, sympathy, friendship, love, and a listening ear. I am reminded of the fact that at this time American soldiers throughout the world, but particularly in the Middle East are giving the most precious gift of all, their lives in service to our country.  This is truly a gift for which all Americans should be deeply grateful and support with their prayers for safety and protection for these brave individuals.

Giving of ones self is the highest form of giving particularly when it is done to enable the highest good of another.  The grace of this type of giving transforms a simple cup of cold water to the least amongst us to a gift which resounds in the heavens and impacts life far beyond the limited dimension of what we can readily see, measure or understand.  It is this type of giving which Mother Teresa employed through her work in the slums of Calcutta, India where the most forgotten, destitute and dying in society were blessed with dignity and comfort. 

This Christmas, I encourage you to transform your giving by exploring the art of intentional loving awareness and gratitude as you buy and give presents.  But in addition, be mindful of the wealth of opportunities for giving which explode the boundaries of the material and provide truly rich opportunities to litterally create goodwill and peace here on earth.

©2006 Audu Real Estate All rights reserved