Living Up North in Michigan

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Lake Charlevoix View Home-Amazing!





5bd5ba5,410sqft
Once you enter this stunning home and experience the breathtaking views of Lake Charlevoix, you won't want to leave! Gaze at the stars for hours with no obstructions or distractions. Located high above it all, you can watch the festival fireworks of Boyne City, Charlevoix, and East Jordan. This 5 bedroom, 5 bath home, on 16 acres, has the square footage for large gatherings and plenty of room to roam. Practice your short game over the pond and past the sand trap, with magnificent fall color views leading to the open water. Store your boats, recreational vehicles, trailers, etc. in the 48' x 32' pole barn with 14' doors. Inside, the in-floor heating will keep your toes warm all winter and the central air conditioning will provide cool relief on a hot summer day… plenty of bedrooms and baths, gas fireplace, three car-heated garage, and all kinds of storage. Between the expansive deck and wet bar in the walkout family room, this home is perfect for entertaining all year-round. Pop down to the Ironton Ferry and across the South Arm for waterfront dining. Northern Michigan is a special place. It's been said that the stress melts away when the Zilwaukee Bridge appears in the rear view mirror. When you find a special property IN a special place, well... Let's discuss the possibilities!

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Is Your Agent a Full Time agent?

Having a full time agent (an agent that sells real estate for the main source of their income) working for you is critical in any market.

If you're in the market as a buyer, an agent can learn about a new listing while in the office from another agent and be proactive in getting you information before it hits the general public.  

Selling? Don't you want your agent being accessible to take phone calls about your property? Available to negotiate?  Answer other agents or general public's questions?  Agents have a responsibility for selling your home quickly and for the most amount of money.  Is a part-time agent working as hard as possible for you?

We recently had a part time agent from another agency submit an offer on a hot property of ours that was on an expired purchase agreement.  It was a multiple offer situation and we couldn't even accept the offer!

The experience alone is enough to make sure your agent is full time.  Every day we learn something new--don't let any agent say they've heard it all.  The real estate business is a dynamic, competitive, and tough!  A strong agent needs the experience to confidently fight for you!

You can find these two full-time agents at NorthPrimeRealEstate.com. Brett and Karlee specialize in making your real estate transaction stress free.  Good planning and knowing what to expect when, frees you up to focus on your move.  We have lots of advice to make your place in demand and get the most for your property.  Check out our 5 star reviews and testimonials.  Free market analysis with no obligation--you just need to contact one of us for friendly advice.

Brett    231.590.8230  brett@northprimerealestate.com
Karlee 231.675.5710  realestatebykarlee@gmail.com

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Why Didn't My House Sell?

With the real estate market supposedly so strong, sellers may be surprised when their home doesn't sell in a day for asking price or better. First, the only thing that determines what a home sells for is the market. Agents and homeowners work together to come up with a starting price for the home by using "comparables"--homes of similar size, location, and condition and what the sold price was, not what the current price of a home that hasn't sold yet. How many days the home has been on the market is a good indicator as to how the home has been received by the market. The starting price is generally the main reason a home sells in a reasonable amount of time and the highest price. Other reasons homes don't sell include: not showing to it's potential or not convenient to show; lack of communication between the seller and the agent; contract length was too short; wrong marketing. Let us show you how we can make selling and buying property a smooth process!

231.590.8230
goliveupnorth@gmail.com
NorthPrimeRealEstate.com 

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

What to Expect with 2020 Real Estate Market



All indicators point to a similar real estate market that we saw in 2019. Multiple sources predict that with low unemployment and historically low mortgage rates, there remains a scarcity in housing, especially in the lower priced category. Homeowners are staying put longer and new housing isn't being built because of high cost of materials and shortage of skilled building trades labor. But with prices up so much over the past few years and lack of homes, 2020 is lining up to be another great time to list your home for sale. Realtor.com reports that it is expected that nationally, home prices will flatten out.

What does this mean to your personal situation?  While moving up means paying a higher price--potentially--for a comparable home replacement, mortgage rates remain remarkably low and your home SHOULD garner a good sales price and maybe good equity to put on the new home!  The problem as indicated earlier in this blog is that there aren't many homes for sale to look at to buy.

Contact me if you want to discuss your personal situation.  I can do a free market analysis on your home to see if you have the equity to make a move!

Brett Binkley
Associate Broker
O'Brien & Associates
128 Water St. Boyne City, MI
231.590.8230
goliveupnorth@gmail.com
NorthPrimeRealEstate.com 


Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Rare Piece of Property Available on Lake Charlevoix!


Private Parcel
 This is a wonderful 4.5 acre private parcel located in a protected bay on the south side of the main body of Lake Charlevoix with 345' of frontage.  One of many nice features of this property is the hard sand bottom frontage that everyone craves.  The sandy lake bottom very gradually drops off allowing for a large area for swimming but deep enough for a boat to be close to shore.
Hard Sandy Bottom!

If privacy is what you desire, this parcel is lined with trees on either side and you'll never know there's anyone close by!
The classic cabin has a natural rock fireplace, 3 bedrooms and 1 bath.  It also has a separate sleeping quarter near a babbling artesian well (see video below) and a covered gazebo for hanging out at the lake.

Boyne City is a convenient 11 minute drive away with restaurants, shopping, and regular fun!  A popular golf course is across the street and the Ironton Ferry is also close so you can jump over to drive up to Charlevoix.


Click here for an aerial video of the property and the surrounding area.  For more information you can email me here and I'll be more than happy to provide you
with surveys, disclosures, etc.  mls #459222

Check out the NEW North Prime Real Estate website!

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

How Does All of This Harsh Winter Weather Affect Real Estate?

As with most things, the harsh winter weather tends to slow things in the real estate business.

Normally, during this time of year, we begin to see inventory build.  Savvy sellers are getting their homes on the market to beat the "competition" of other homes that are in the same price range.  By bringing their home to market sooner that other homes while inventory is low they are hoping to catch the eye
of a buyer who has yet to find the home they've been searching for since last year.

Is it more challenging to list your home for sale in the winter in northern Michigan?  Yes, it is. The exterior/landscape doesn't look great, you have to keep the snow and ice under control, you'll have people looking at your home and potentially tracking in snow.  And when your home sells you may have to move in it! 

On the other hand...since inventory is low, you may garner a higher price for your home since there are fewer homes to compete with yours.  Also, you may NOT have to move if the buyer is willing to take occupancy at a later date, allowing more time for you to move out and/or find a place to go.  Most of us have seasonal pictures of the exterior and can show potential buyers what your home looks like in the spring, summer, and fall.

With this onslaught of winter, 2019 is shaping up to having an even slower start with property listings.  There's plenty of time to make an appointment with me and I can consult you as to what the best timing is for your home to be listed.  It may depend on price range, property type, or location, for example.

Listing now could make a big difference in how much you put in your pocket at close so contact me now to discuss.  231.590.8230  brett@patobrien.com