Created by: College At Home
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Support Local
Shopping local requires a little more leg work until you've established relationships with local businesses and entrepreneurs. For instance, we recently needed our chimney and wood burner cleaned. I first tried to get references from local friends and family. When that fell short I decided to look online. Since our community is fairly small the list was short. I made four phone calls. Three resulted in immediate connection and price quotes. The fourth call fell to an answering machine. Something about that fact told me to hold out for a returned call. I am SO GLAD I waited. The gentleman that returned my call was friendly, helpful, informative, and cheaper than everyone else I called. So, not only did I end up with a lifelong business relationship with a local chimney sweep. I got premium service at a cheaper rate. Not to mention the fact that he also believes in supporting his customers businesses, so the next time any of his vehicles need a transmission guess who he'll be calling? Was it worth the extra leg work? You bet!
With the advances in technology, and easy access to information, creating situations like my search for a local chimney sweep is much easier than it would be otherwise. On the other hand you do have to have a little bit of research savvy, and some knowledge when it comes to using the internet to network. It also helps if you are willing to wait and are not in a hurry.
When it comes to supporting our communities, I believe it is well worth learning how to navigate the local networking landscape, make connections, and keep my money close to home. A sense of community seems to be lacking in our society, and what better way to mend that gap than by creating relationships with local business owners?
In my quest for all things local, I discovered this awesome website:
There are SO MANY resources here. Searching is very easy, and there are even contests and sweepstakes that offer opportunities to win Michigan products from Michigan based businesses. How cool is that? The most recent opportunity is from Just Good Chocolate. Enter to win a pouch of their hot cocoa and little nibblers variety pack. YUM!
Another resource that I LOVE is Eat Wild. It is a WONDERFUL resource for searching out local, naturally farmed animals, produce, dairy, and other wild products.
I hope these resources inspire you to seek out, find, and establish relationships with local businesses, entrepreneurs, and farms. After all, small business is the backbone of our society.
Friday, January 20, 2012
On Buying and Selling a Home
As many of you know we recently sold our city home and moved to the country. I learned a few things in the process. There is nothing more rewarding than someone else learning from your experience, so I thought I'd share our experience with you.
1. Find a real estate agent via referral. Speak with friends and family to see if anyone knows a good agent that they would recommend. Find an agent that specializes in your unique circumstances. Make sure they are familiar with the market in which you are shopping, and be sure they are experienced in anything that is unique to you. Having a specialist in your area of need is to your best benefit.
2. Seek the advice of at least three brokers. Purchasing a home in today's market is nothing like it used to be even five years ago. Forget everything you think you know, and speak with at least three different brokers about your unique circumstances. Your real estate agent can, and should, supply you with names and numbers of brokers they are personally experienced with. Be sure to take good notes!
3. Decide on a broker. After you've interviewed the brokers, decide on one to work with personally, and notify your agent. Be prepared to make purchasing a home and working directly with your broker a part-time job. You will be faxing, emailing, and talking on the phone much more than you probably realize, especially if you are doing anything like purchasing a foreclosed home or selling on a short-sale.
4. Keep excellent records. Set up an area in your home, I used the kitchen counter, where you can keep all your paperwork. I ended up with several file folders and envelopes loaded with paperwork relevant to the sale of our old home and the purchase of our new home. You want everything available at your fingertips. With as much work as this entails, you don't want to waste time looking for things when you need them and redoing something because you've misplaced paperwork.
5. Pay attention to details and deadlines. There will be many of them in regard to both the sale of your old home and the purchase of your new one. Missing one deadline, or overlooking one detail, can slow down or even stop the process. Stay on top of things, and the process will run much more smoothly.
6. Mind your manners. Your agent and broker and their staff will be working their tails off for you. Their jobs are demanding and stressful. The process can get frustrating for everyone. Be polite, and thank them often.
7. Be honest! This covers all areas of the process. The bank will know more details about you than you ever thought possible by the time this process is complete, so you might as well just get comfortable laying it all out. Also, when showing your home, be honest with the prospective purchasers when they ask questions. Be especially honest to the person that actually purchases your home. If you know things that will make their life easier in their new home, your old home, share with them. There were many things I shared with the gentleman that purchased our old house. I held nothing back. He fully knew what he was purchasing. I cannot say the same for the people that sold us our new home. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE our new house, I just wish the old owner had been more honest and forthcoming.
8. Hire an inspector, or two! Again, this is something you want a referral on. Even a well referred inspector isn't going to catch everything. Having an inspector can give you peace of mind in that odds are much in your favor that they will catch anything that would be a big red flag in regard to whether or not you should actually purchase the home. However, be prepared to still find unexpected things after you've moved into your new home. No home is perfect. They all have their issues. Remember that place you just moved out of ?
9. Be nice! If you leave behind any appliances make sure they actually work, or be sure to tell the new owners that they do not. The lady that we purchased out new home from left her washer and dryer. We thought it was very sweet of her since we were converting from gas to propane and would not have the ability to have our dryer hooked up right away. With a baby in cloth diapers I thought this was such a blessing until my husband ran the washer to have it fill up with water and not drain. We spent $40 on a pump to drain the washer, had the inconvenience of extra work right in the middle of moving, plus we had the inconvenience of disposing of two large appliances that did not work. Not nice! Also, leave behind things that may be helpful to the new owners like extra tiles, bit of hardware, and manuals relevant to the home. This is a genuinely thoughtful act that will be much appreciated.
10. Be clean! Once you've moved everything out of your old home, go back and clean. If you do not have the time or energy, hire someone. There is nothing more frustrating than moving into a new home that is filthy. Moving is hard work in and of itself without having to deep clean a house from top to bottom. Trust me, the new owners will be very appreciative, and you will feel wonderful not having left a huge mess for someone to clean up.
11. Ask questions, and a lot of them. The more questions you ask, the more you will feel comfortable about every part of the process. Never hesitate to ask anything you would like to know of anyone in the process; real estate agent, broker, seller's agent, old home owner, absolutely everyone! Especially ask the previous owner of the home you are purchasing TONS of questions, especially if there are big differences in the type of home or area compared to where you are moving from. BUT, be aware that not everyone is honest, so if it's something that is a big issue and could be a deal breaker verify the accuracy of the information they provided to you.
In summary, you are the best person to look out for you. Buying and selling a home is likely the largest single transaction you will do in your lifetime. It pays to pay attention to detail. You are your best advocate. Cover your back as much as possible. Do your research, and play nice.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Daddy's New Tractor
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Monday, October 10, 2011
Let Go, Let God
Cliche? Over used? No meaning? Well, let me tell you that this has bigger meaning to me now than it ever has any other time in my life. It's rather impressive how God can use any and all circumstances to teach us a thing or two. It doesn't really have to be a tragedy or something dramatic. God is working in our lives all the time, but do we take the time to notice? I'm not so sure how much I really noticed before we decided to try to sell our family home in order to relocate to the country.
Moving is a big decision. It is even bigger a decision the more dramatic the move. Granted, there are plenty of moves that are more life changing than ours, but it is a major lifestyle change no matter how you slice it. When we first made the decision to list our home for sale we really didn't think it could be accomplished. Sell our home in this market? We were upside down in our mortgage. How would we ever be able to get out of this with our excellent credit rating and no lingering debt? With God ALL things are possible. (Matt. 19:26)
Our first blessing was the referral we received from the law firm that handled our adoption earlier in the year. My husband was on his feet enough to have thought to ask if they knew anyone that would be good to work with in our situation. The lawyer referred us to Ben Lang, and so began our journey. We met with Ben, filled out the paperwork, and waited. Nothing really happened, so we continued to pray and lowered the price. Honestly, we were pretty laid back about the whole thing. Having no real expectations does make waiting much easier. Patience coupled with faith is an excellent remedy to such situations.
After some time a few offers came in that were so low there was no way we could accept them in the traditional manner, so we decided to pursue a short sale. It was after all Ben's specialty. The paperwork involved is very detailed and time consuming. I was certain there was no way we could qualify not being able to show any sort of financial hardship. However, we were able to use our quality of life as the basis and move forward with the request. We explored a couple of other options, but nothing panned out. The only thing we could remotely attempt would be a short sale.
This process began in April. I was in no hurry to make anything happen as I wanted to be sure we were being led in our decisions as opposed to forcing something to happen. It was very important to me that any decisions we made were in accordance with God's will for our family. That being said, I dragged my feet on every part of the process pushing deadlines and doing everything last minute, sometimes literally. By some miracle the process just kept moving forward; at a snails pace but forward nonetheless.
God used this time to great advantage. My husband and I learned some valuable lessons through the experience due mostly to the timing of events. Had things happened quickly like we usually desire there is no way God could have taught us patience, faith, reliance, guidance, and how to look to Him and His Word for all things. Even with all the traumatic things I have experienced in my life there is no other time where I felt closer to God. I literally felt led by the hand.
Our qualifying for the short sale is only the beginning of our list of blessings. The bank accepted the offer made by a local business man and investor. We continued to jump through hoops as required by the bank and the government. By December of 2010 we had sold our family home with no remaining mortgage debt, no promissory note, no real damage to our credit, and the ability to rent our home for as long as we needed until we found a new one at the tune of $500 less per month than we were paying for our mortgage. The weirdest part of it all was giving a security deposit to a landlord for the home we had remodeled and continuously improved for the past 15+ years.
On the advice of several financial experts we waited three months, ran our credit, and started the procedure of pre-qualifying for a mortgage. Ben referred us to a great broker, and we got the ball rolling. Certain aspects of the process leave on feeling a little uncertain as to the outcome. See, our sole purpose in selling our home was to purchase a new one out of the city and in the country. Should any part of this process worked out any differently that would have been impossible. Beginning the mortgage aspect was a little nerve wracking. Were they going to turn us down due to the short sale? We had excellent credit, but we needed to prove ourselves to them in a big way. Could we muster up? The process of gaining the mortgage and being able to purchase the house was just as involved, intrusive and time consuming as the short sale process, if not more so. The deadlines are more real in the mortgage process to be sure.
We began actively looking for a home in April. Our original intention and desire was to stay within Macomb County. I am a big fan of the library system as well as Macomb County Community College; not to mention we own a business there, and our next to youngest son is finishing his senior year in Fraser at Arts Academy in the Woods. In my mind these are all great reasons to stay in the county, but God had other plans. It wasn't too long into the process that we realized finding a home with the amenities we desired and in the price range we wanted was going to be challenging. There just didn't seem to be much out there, which seemed so contrary to the current statistics supporting a buyer's market. One thing led to another, and we began to start looking in St. Clair County. Poor Ben! That guy was driving all over creation with us. We ended up being referred to Tanya Nettnay through our brother-in-law. She specializes in St. Clair County properties, and grew up a country girl. What more could we ask for? Due to our love for Ben, and his dedication to us as his clients, we arranged a formal referral. It was time to move on to uncharted territory.
I grew up in St. Clair County, but I lived in the city. My husband grew up in Macomb County and had no clue about anything out that way. Who knew God's direction would lead us to a location better than we could imagine? Honestly, I really didn't even think the house anything too special after we looked at it. One thing that did strike me, though, was the happiness of the previous owner. She and her husband raised six children in this home, and their story is so similar to ours that it was uncanny. The similarities did get my attention. We looked at the home a second and third time and could find no other homes on the market that even came close to meeting our needs. In prayerful consideration we made an offer. There was a counter, and we accepted. One would think the story ends here, but bureaucracy is never simple. It was time to jump through more hoops and appease more red tape.
We gathered more information, submitted more paperwork and documentation, hired inspectors, and met the demands of FHA. Not a simple process. From acceptance of offer to signing of papers we passed through nearly three months. We even cancelled our vacation to make ourselves available for the process. See, the thing about this process being so lengthy and never really knowing if it would all work out until we actually signed the papers was a huge opportunity for us to learn and grow. This transition is not about us at all. Rather, it is about God and how we can work to glorify Him. It has been my constant prayer that He place us exactly where it is he needs us, and I believe with my whole heart that we are where He wants us to be. I do not claim to know His plans, but I have faith and confidence that I did not put myself here. God led, opened the doors and the windows, and bid us to come through. We did just that all the while checking to be certain that each step was guided and not self-directed.
It is truly amazing the things that can happen if we only stay out of the way. Is my new home perfect in every way? No. Does my new home have all the attributes listed to meet my desires? No. Would I have it any other way? Absolutely not! I am happy that we "Let Go, and Let God". I cannot imagine the blessings we would miss, known and unknown, had we not allowed ourselves to be led.
As faith would have it we are now close to family members that we've always lived far from, close to some that moved away, and in a much better position to share our blessings with whomever God sees fit. Our hearts are open, and it is difficult to imagine things any other way. Also, the investor that purchased our old home was able to sell it immediately after we moved out. We prayed in earnest for the new owners that the home would be a blessing to them. Working with the investor was a privilege and another opportunity to shine for Christ. He does indeed use all circumstances to His glory. (Romans 8:28)
Moving is a big decision. It is even bigger a decision the more dramatic the move. Granted, there are plenty of moves that are more life changing than ours, but it is a major lifestyle change no matter how you slice it. When we first made the decision to list our home for sale we really didn't think it could be accomplished. Sell our home in this market? We were upside down in our mortgage. How would we ever be able to get out of this with our excellent credit rating and no lingering debt? With God ALL things are possible. (Matt. 19:26)
Our first blessing was the referral we received from the law firm that handled our adoption earlier in the year. My husband was on his feet enough to have thought to ask if they knew anyone that would be good to work with in our situation. The lawyer referred us to Ben Lang, and so began our journey. We met with Ben, filled out the paperwork, and waited. Nothing really happened, so we continued to pray and lowered the price. Honestly, we were pretty laid back about the whole thing. Having no real expectations does make waiting much easier. Patience coupled with faith is an excellent remedy to such situations.
After some time a few offers came in that were so low there was no way we could accept them in the traditional manner, so we decided to pursue a short sale. It was after all Ben's specialty. The paperwork involved is very detailed and time consuming. I was certain there was no way we could qualify not being able to show any sort of financial hardship. However, we were able to use our quality of life as the basis and move forward with the request. We explored a couple of other options, but nothing panned out. The only thing we could remotely attempt would be a short sale.
This process began in April. I was in no hurry to make anything happen as I wanted to be sure we were being led in our decisions as opposed to forcing something to happen. It was very important to me that any decisions we made were in accordance with God's will for our family. That being said, I dragged my feet on every part of the process pushing deadlines and doing everything last minute, sometimes literally. By some miracle the process just kept moving forward; at a snails pace but forward nonetheless.
God used this time to great advantage. My husband and I learned some valuable lessons through the experience due mostly to the timing of events. Had things happened quickly like we usually desire there is no way God could have taught us patience, faith, reliance, guidance, and how to look to Him and His Word for all things. Even with all the traumatic things I have experienced in my life there is no other time where I felt closer to God. I literally felt led by the hand.
Our qualifying for the short sale is only the beginning of our list of blessings. The bank accepted the offer made by a local business man and investor. We continued to jump through hoops as required by the bank and the government. By December of 2010 we had sold our family home with no remaining mortgage debt, no promissory note, no real damage to our credit, and the ability to rent our home for as long as we needed until we found a new one at the tune of $500 less per month than we were paying for our mortgage. The weirdest part of it all was giving a security deposit to a landlord for the home we had remodeled and continuously improved for the past 15+ years.
On the advice of several financial experts we waited three months, ran our credit, and started the procedure of pre-qualifying for a mortgage. Ben referred us to a great broker, and we got the ball rolling. Certain aspects of the process leave on feeling a little uncertain as to the outcome. See, our sole purpose in selling our home was to purchase a new one out of the city and in the country. Should any part of this process worked out any differently that would have been impossible. Beginning the mortgage aspect was a little nerve wracking. Were they going to turn us down due to the short sale? We had excellent credit, but we needed to prove ourselves to them in a big way. Could we muster up? The process of gaining the mortgage and being able to purchase the house was just as involved, intrusive and time consuming as the short sale process, if not more so. The deadlines are more real in the mortgage process to be sure.
We began actively looking for a home in April. Our original intention and desire was to stay within Macomb County. I am a big fan of the library system as well as Macomb County Community College; not to mention we own a business there, and our next to youngest son is finishing his senior year in Fraser at Arts Academy in the Woods. In my mind these are all great reasons to stay in the county, but God had other plans. It wasn't too long into the process that we realized finding a home with the amenities we desired and in the price range we wanted was going to be challenging. There just didn't seem to be much out there, which seemed so contrary to the current statistics supporting a buyer's market. One thing led to another, and we began to start looking in St. Clair County. Poor Ben! That guy was driving all over creation with us. We ended up being referred to Tanya Nettnay through our brother-in-law. She specializes in St. Clair County properties, and grew up a country girl. What more could we ask for? Due to our love for Ben, and his dedication to us as his clients, we arranged a formal referral. It was time to move on to uncharted territory.
I grew up in St. Clair County, but I lived in the city. My husband grew up in Macomb County and had no clue about anything out that way. Who knew God's direction would lead us to a location better than we could imagine? Honestly, I really didn't even think the house anything too special after we looked at it. One thing that did strike me, though, was the happiness of the previous owner. She and her husband raised six children in this home, and their story is so similar to ours that it was uncanny. The similarities did get my attention. We looked at the home a second and third time and could find no other homes on the market that even came close to meeting our needs. In prayerful consideration we made an offer. There was a counter, and we accepted. One would think the story ends here, but bureaucracy is never simple. It was time to jump through more hoops and appease more red tape.
We gathered more information, submitted more paperwork and documentation, hired inspectors, and met the demands of FHA. Not a simple process. From acceptance of offer to signing of papers we passed through nearly three months. We even cancelled our vacation to make ourselves available for the process. See, the thing about this process being so lengthy and never really knowing if it would all work out until we actually signed the papers was a huge opportunity for us to learn and grow. This transition is not about us at all. Rather, it is about God and how we can work to glorify Him. It has been my constant prayer that He place us exactly where it is he needs us, and I believe with my whole heart that we are where He wants us to be. I do not claim to know His plans, but I have faith and confidence that I did not put myself here. God led, opened the doors and the windows, and bid us to come through. We did just that all the while checking to be certain that each step was guided and not self-directed.
It is truly amazing the things that can happen if we only stay out of the way. Is my new home perfect in every way? No. Does my new home have all the attributes listed to meet my desires? No. Would I have it any other way? Absolutely not! I am happy that we "Let Go, and Let God". I cannot imagine the blessings we would miss, known and unknown, had we not allowed ourselves to be led.
As faith would have it we are now close to family members that we've always lived far from, close to some that moved away, and in a much better position to share our blessings with whomever God sees fit. Our hearts are open, and it is difficult to imagine things any other way. Also, the investor that purchased our old home was able to sell it immediately after we moved out. We prayed in earnest for the new owners that the home would be a blessing to them. Working with the investor was a privilege and another opportunity to shine for Christ. He does indeed use all circumstances to His glory. (Romans 8:28)
Lord willing, we'll never have to do it again!
Our new home before we started moving in.
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