What you may not know when you search Traverse City Real Estate for sale; all MLS (Multiple Listing System) info comes from one source. It makes no difference if you are searching the MLS on Realtor.com, Yahoo, Homes.com etc, they all get their MLS info from Traverse Area Association on Realtors. The major difference is how much info you will receive. Many contain thumbnail info designed to get you to call the seller's agent. When you click on "Search Traverse City MLS" at the top of this site, and pull up a thumbnail listing, you are able to click on the address and receive decent info. When you click on "Daily Auto Updates" MLS search of all Traverse City Homes for sale, Condos for sale, and Waterfront for sale" on this site, not only will you receive Full Professional Listing Sheets automatically in your email, (which contain links to additional info) my MLS search criteria form provides us very detailed real estate search criteria eliminating hundreds of Traverse City homes for sale that are of no interest to you. My multiple listing system updates every fifteen minutes so listings are sent out of the source system before they are on other search engines including TAAR. (Traverse Area Association of Realtors). And unlike other search engines, I can send foreclosures ONLY. TAAR sends the listings to Realtors before they are upload to other sites. It is a professional courtesy that allows Realtors an edge and if you sign up with me I can pass that edge on to you. Also be aware that many sites are just not updated like TAAR and you may be searching Traverse City listings that have long since been sold or expired. Traverse City Real Estate for sale Listings are sometimes left there to get you to call the seller's agent. The best Traverse City MLS service available is provided by filling out my "Daily Auto Updates" form. You will receive Traverse Area updates much faster than you could possibly have time to search the MLS on your own because the Traverse City MLS is updated every fifteen minutes. You will receive full listing sheets and I am available to provide valuable follow up info like SEV, market history such as how long the home has been on the Traverse Area market, what price changes have taken place and more. Go back to the top of this page and sign up to for "Daily Auto Updates" and let me show you how easy searching the Traverse City MLS can be.

Larry Raspbury, Traverse City's Exclusive Buyer Agent

The Federal Housing Administration which is part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development has launched a not so new program called the FHA 203k mortgage.

It is a traditional FHA mortgage combined with a construction loan.

It has been around for a few years but many mortgage brokers either don't know about it or are unwilling to jump through the hoops required by the FHA underwriters.

I have been through one FHA 203k in 2009 and it was not a cake walk by any means. If not for the amazing persistence of my clients Jessica and Branden and Corbin Buttleman (The Traverse City branch manager of Bank of America) it may never have happened.

It is not for the faint of heart.

But after the blood, sweat and literal tears and ten weeks, it was worth it in the end.

Jessica and Branden have completely rehabbed there Traverse City home and in a short amount of time they have acquired equity.

If you are considering a FHA 203k mortgage be ready for two months of enduring a series of forms and more forms and just when you think your done, more forms, multiple construction estimates, inspections and appraisals before and after the closing.

The construction loan is calculated to include all construction costs but the FHA does allow the new owner to do much of the work themselves (oh yah, more forms) so if you have the skills and thick skin lets go for it.

You can get more details by clicking on the link above.

Larry Raspbury Traverse City's Buyer Agent

Today I was reading in Broker Agent Professional • Premium Real Estate Success Information March/April 2009. I know I'm a little behind.

In the section "Ten Tips from Ten Experts", "Industy icon Floyd Wickman"  advising Real Estate Agents wrote, in Tip #1:

"...Next get all buyers and lookers into the office to be qualified, and sell them on the benefits of the office like you never have before.

"Last, sell inhouse listings first." emphasis is mine but this was Mr. Wickmans final advise to seller's agents.

I don't like being sold do you?

This is what I try to explain to folks; that as an Exclusive Buyer Agent I (nor anyone in my company) lists property so there is never the temptation or (as you read above) the deliberate attemp to stear you toward more profitable lisitings.

Larry Raspbury Exclusive Buyer Agent

Someone told me I am supposed to write about myself in my blog.

I would rather write about the market and procedure but humor me. Oh shut up.

I started in a small office in Kingsley which is about twenty minutes south of Traverse City. It was just me and my Broker Debbie Schnieder who is still the owner/broker of Paradise Realty.

I love small town Northern Michigan and enjoyed coming to work especially when my wife Sandy worked in the same small building for a printing design company.

I was told by everyone in the business that if I wanted to make a living I would need to work with sellers and acquire as many listings as possible.

That requires selling and my brain is not wired to sell especially when it comes down to a Dog & Pony show.

After trying my shot at a few listings it became clear to me that my passion was working with buyers.

I took a worthless class and became an ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative)

Whooptie Do.

I don't even place it in my profiles anymore.

As I said I love small town Northern Michigan but I got an offer to join the team at Help U Sell (with my wife Sandy) in the big city (Traverse City that is) as the teams designated buyer agent.

It was a pleasant change and I had a window at my desk with a view of the parking lot. (It was a nice parking lot).

I wanted to be an Exclusive Buyer Agent but there was no broker in town that didn't own a company that listed property or didn't work for a company that listed property.

FYI: A Real Estate Agent must work for a Real Estate Broker until they earn there own Real Estate Brokers License.

Soon the owners of Help U Sell decided to split and the whole team moved to Remax.

So with the clout of the Remax name and the company's outstanding reputation in Traverse City I decided to give listing Traverse City Homes another try.

Fifteen months and $25,000 in advertising later I decided "WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING

I had the required time and sales to get my brokers license so I did my best to stay awake through the 120 hours of Real Estate Broker classes, passed the obnoxious (pick the MOST correct answer) test.

I started my own Real Estate Company in 2004 called Paradigm Realty and have never looked back.

Well I soon discovered that many people couldn't pronounce it or spell, or new the definition of Paradigm so I recently changed my company name to Traverse City Buyer Agent.

I would not have known these things either if I hadn't barrowed the name from my father-in-laws company "The Paradigm Group". I just thought is sounded cool.

From the start it was my dream to start my own company and work from home with Sandy.

I love it when a plan comes together.

Larry Raspbury, Traverse City's exclusive Buyer Agent

Its a great day in Traverse City Michigan. For home buyers that is.

Some folks don't understand how taxes are calculated in Grand Traverse County so I thought I'd take a moment and explain what it will cost to rent your home from the State of Michigan.

A few lines above this blog is the link to "Real Estate Tool Box" and click on "Grand Traverse County Millage Report".

On this report you will find both primary and non primary rates.

A primary residence is the Traverse area home in which you live most of the year, and a non primary is a vacation home, rental etc.

Simple multiply the SEV (State Equalized Value) and the millage rate of the township in which the house is located and you will know what your real estate taxes will be in the next tax cycle.

I routinely provide the SEV to my buyer clients but you can look it up on line by clicking my "Real Estate Tool Bos" button and clicking on my "Grand Traverse County GIS Map" button on the left side of my website, or simply click on my "What will my taxes be" button and let me do the work. After all that's my job. It doesn't matter if I'm old enought to be your dad, I still work for you.

Happy Tax Season

Larry Raspbury Traverse City's Exclusive Buyer Agent.

Most people know of the $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers, but many have missed the expanded version of the bill includes a $6,500 tax credit for people that have lived in a home for five consecutive years of the last eight.   

Example: Jane purchased her Traverse City Home in 2002, lived there for 5 years, moved out in 2007, and turned it into a rental. If Jane decides to purchase a new primary residence, she would qualify for the $6,500 tax credit based on the fact that she lived in 2002 Traverse City Home for at least five consecutive years out of the past eight,

A single person can earn up to $125,000 and a couple con earn up to $225,000.

If two unmarred individuals buy a home only one needs to qualify for the credit but if two purchasers and married both must qualify to receive the credit. Once again our politicians penalize marriage.

The tax credit applies for Traverse City real estate purchased for less than $800,000 before May 1st 2010. If you sign a binding purchase agreement by May 1st, you would need to close before July 1st.

You can go to the above link on this page "All About Home Buyer Tax Credit..." in my Real Estate Too Box for more details.

ALSO NEW. HUD has released "Searching Your Home Loan" and on page six, in bold print, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development recommends you use an Exclusive Buyer Agent.

Quote: "If you want someone to represent only your interests, consider hiring an "Exclusive Buyer Agnet" who will be working for your"

For the full report "Search your Home Loan" go to the link a few lines above the logo photo on this page that reads HUD, Homeowner Association...." and read what HUD and other independent organizations have to say about using Traverse City's Exclusive buyer agent.

Larry Raspbury Traverse City Home Buyer Agent

Hello Traverse City!

Another year has gone by and the numbers are in.

In 2008 there where 1001 homes and condos sold in Grand Traverse County.

This year there was a whopping 1049 homes and condos sold.

Hallelujah the recession is over in Traverse City. lol

Not much worth calculating but that's a 4.6% increase.

Well, that's more than my IRA increased. lol NOT

The record year for homes sold in Grand Traverse County was 2005 with 1360 homes and condos sold so that's still a 22.9% decreas in sales since our banner year.

In 2008 the average sold price for Traverse City homes and condos was $175,164.00

In 2009 the average sold price for homes sold in Grand Traverse County was $169,469.00

So although there was a 4.6% increase of real estate sold in Grand Traverse County, there was a decrease of 3.2% of the average sold price.

These numbers are a result of a search that I (Larry Raspbury Broker/Owner of Traverse City Buyer Agent) gather from the data provided by the Traverse Area Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service and does not include (For Sale By Owner) sales.

If you would like a market analysis of Leelanau, Benzie, or Antrim counties, or any subdivision, just email me or give me a call.

Goodbye for now and have a great 2010

Larry Raspbury

Traverse City's Exclusive Buyer Agent