Missy Caulk, Ann Arbor real estate specialist, is an e-Pro certified Broker and a graduate of the Real Estate Institute.

What this means to you is that when working with Missy Caulk, you can rest assured that you are working with a REALTOR who takes her business seriously.

"Modern Technology with Old Fashioned Service" is more than just a catchy motto for her team of real estate professionals; it is the way they do business. Utilizing modern technology keeps Missy on the cutting edge of the modern real estate landscape of Ann Arbor and makes it possible for her to provide quality service in the ways today's internet savvy customers have come to expect when searching for homes for sale in Ann Arbor.

The Missy Caulk Team takes their business seriously and it shows.  1/3 of their customer base comes from the Internet - nobody knows more than them that the Internet is the wave of the future.  Keeping this in mind, Missy has four different websites, and 3 MLS providers over five counties to draw upon in order to find what her customers need and expect.  (Counties of service:  Washtenaw, Wayne, Livingston, Jackson, and Lenawee)

Missy's Ann Arbor real estate website is the first step for Michigan home buyers to begin their search for homes for sale. Check out the featured Ann Arbor homes listings, or head straight into the Ann Arbor MLS.

One of the main concerns home buyers often express is the state of the local schools. Missy provides tools to access this important info on Ann Arbor schools on her website as well.

Customer service really is the heart and soul of the Missy Caulk Team. Clients are encouraged to sign up for the free "Client for Life" program which offers several services, including unlimited copies from the office copy machine, free notary services, free fax service, free referrals, and free home valuations.

I have been reading Missy's real estate blogs online and have come to respect her as a professional REALTOR.  Anyone serious about Ann Arbor real estate, residential or luxury or anything in between, should contact the Missy Caulk Team. 

 

To learn more about Ann Arbor:

Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce

City of Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor Convention & Visitors Bureau 

Ann Arbor History

 

This is the second in a series of articles on gated communities in Pike and Wayne counties in the Poconos. Previously, I wrote about The Hideout in Lake Ariel, Wayne County.

Fawn Lake Forest is a Pike County home owner community located about ten miles east of Hawley, near Lackawaxen, featuring two lakes, beach, swimming pools, tennis courts, and more.

 

Fawn Lake is a quiet lake of approximately 150 acres. Gasoline powered boats are not allowed on Fawn Lake, but sailboats, rowboats, and non-gasoline powered crafts are welcome. Fishing opportunities abound and the lake offers pickerel, bass, perch (my favorite), sunfish, and catfish.

Fawn Bay Center overlooks Fawn Lake, and is where you will find the docks and a boat launch, tennis courts, the clubhouse, indoor swimming pool, gym with lockers, a banquet hall, large decks, and a picnic area.

Westcolang Lake (sometimes found as Westcolang Pond on different maps) is much bigger than Fawn Lake. A glacial lake of 250 acres, you can bring your powerboats here! Yep, there's fish in those waters too. Westcolang Lake is shared by homeowners outside of the Fawn Lake Forest development, as well as homeowners in nearby Masthope.

Cove Oaks Park is located on the shore of Lake Westcolang, and is exclusively for Fawn Lake Forest POA members/residents. This beautiful park offers a state-of-the-art playground, another picnic area, a sandy beach, docks and a boat launch, a shuffleboard court, a handball court, and a summer time concession stand.

While it may seem "far out" from everything, in actuality, the town of Hawley is about fifteen minutes away. In the winter, you can ski at Ski Big Bear an Masthope Mountain; it's only a few minutes down the road! Right near the entrance to Fawn Lake Forest is the Central Volunteer Fire Company, ready, willing, and able to protect. 24-hour security patrols help to keep homeowners and their belongings safe.

Though not quite as fancy as other gated communities, Fawn Lake Forest has much to offer and is one of the most affordable communities with similar amenities in the Pike / Wayne County region of the Poconos.

I love the rocky landscape and the mature woods that teems with wildlife - deer, turkeys, squirrels, chipmunks (in our house, they're called chippers; highly original, I know!), and yes, even bear are seen ambling around on occasion. Blue heron and bald eagles also put in their appearances.

Click here to see all of the homes for sale in Fawn Lake Forest, listed for sale on the Pike/Wayne MLS.  At any given time you may find very affordable starter homes, fixer uppers, turn-key-move-in-ready homes, and even some lake fronts or unique upscale property for sale.

Maybe you would prefer a to see what Fawn Lake land is for sale, so you can design and build your own Pocono Mountain get-away.  I am able to connect you with some of the best custom builders in Pike County.

Fawn Lake Forest - is it calling you home?

Fawn Lake Forest Pike County, ©Copyright 2009 by Karen E. Rice. All rights reserved.

For several years now, the Bethany Children's House Montessouri Preschool has offered a Children's Fest, which puts the "fun" in fundraiser, if I may be so corny.

Located at the Wayne County Fairgrounds, just north of Honesdale on Fair Ave (Route 191 North), this year's event promises to be loads of fun for the kiddies and grown-ups alike.

Taking place on Saturday, June 2, 2007 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the day will be packed full of entertainment, activities, music, clowns and more.  Among the performers are:

• Lisa Facciponti , a storyteller, drummer, dancer, and teaching artist.  Lisa is included on the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts roster of qualified teaching and performing artists. She has worked throughout the Northeastern United States and in Mexico, and her upcoming presentations at the Children's Fest will be sure to engage, please and delight the audience.
• The Brinkerhoff Contra Dance Band with caller.  Contra dance is similar to square dancing, where the caller calls out the dance steps to the participants.  Loads of fun and good exercise; young and old alike will enjoy this festive treat!
• The Sujata Nair Mulloth Dance Troupe will lend some ethnic flair and fun with authentic Indian dance.

Admission to this must-attend event is only $5 per person, and all proceeds benefit the Bethany Children's House Preschool.  Children under 2 are free.  If you can, make time in your schedule to drop by - it's for a great cause and you'll have a great time!  

Map to Wayne County Fairgrounds, Route 191 N/Fair Ave Honesdale PA 

 

On June 24, 2007, The Lake Region IGA Supermarket will again sponsor its 7th annual Kids Fest on the supermarket grounds from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  One of the prizes that will be awarded to a lucky raffle winner is a 42 inch plasma TV! 

Don't miss this party day packed with food, games, activities, and fun!  All proceeds will benefit the IGA Community Dock Program. 

The Lake Region IGA Supermarket is family owned and operated and has been our Hometown Supermarket for over 20 years.  Conveniently located one Route 6, it is only a minute from Lake Wallenpaupack.    

Wayne County Kids Fest, ©Copyright 2007 by Karen E. Rice. All rights reserved.

Were I to relocate to central Oregon, my first contact would be La Pine real estate broker Thesa Chambers.

I have grown to respect her as a fellow REALTOR through reading her blogs and contributions on the ActiveRain real estate network; I appreciate her professionalism and dedication to customer service. I am not a close friend or relative; just a fellow agent making some observations based on what I have seen of Thesa Chambers online.

Thesa grew up in Central Oregon, and raised her family there - so she knows the different areas of Central OR very well and can help you make an informed decision when it comes to finding the perfect home for sale to claim as your own.

Thesa's La Pine real estate website focuses on Sunriver, Caldera Springs, Three Rivers South, and Bend, in addition to La Pine. According the Thesa, La Pine is a great destination for year round recreation and is appealing to home buyers yearning for the "Great Outdoors".

 

Search the La Pine OR MLS or peruse some featured homes for sale on Thesa's website. It's an easy to navigate site and very user-friendly. Definitely one to bookmark if you are in the market for real estate in Central OR.

Contact Thesa here; additionally, she has a page to sign up for automatic emails providing the latest real estate listings as they come on the market.

On the partners page, Thesa has a helpful list of title companies, as well as a mortgage provider in Sunriver to help buyers get started.

Below are some additional links with helpful information on La Pine. If you're considering a move, keep broker Thesa Chambers in mind.

La Pine Chamber of Commerce


Welcome to La Pine Oregon

Bend/La Pine Schools

La Pine Industrial Park

Geordie Romer is a REALTOR in the Leavenworth, WA real estate market.

His real estate training includes meeting all of the requirements for becoming a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) - an earned designation indicating that he has invested much time and effort in understanding the issues at play in residential real estate, and the challenges that buyers and sellers face. This is the highest achievement available for a residential real estate agent and is not easy to obtain.

 

Geordie is also a certified e-Pro - one of only a few in the Wenatchee Valley to earn this designation. For clients and customers, this is important; it means that when choosing to work with Geordie Romer, clients can be assured that their REALTOR is qualified and well-trained to use the internet, e-mail, and other cutting edge technology for their advantage as well as understanding how to protect client privacy.

Geordie's Leavenworth, WA real estate website is very user friendly and pleasing to the eye. Visitors are able to find the Leavenworth property search immediately, without having to enter any information first, so they can being finding their new home right away.

In addition to the property search, Geordie offers virtual tours on select homes. Geordie also has a history of community service in Leavenworth and surrounding areas (a love for the land is obvious in the Washington native; prior to his career in real estate, Geordie served almost ten years in law enforcement, as a National Park ranger after receiving his B. A. in Environmental Studies and Political Science).

Visitors are encouraged to sign up for free real estate reports - handy tips for buyers or sellers delivered via email. Also helpful to newcomers to the area is a "Real Estate FAQ" page, with several of the most frequently asked questions regarding the region.

A link to info on Leavenworth schools is also provided for families considering relocating to the Wenatchee Valley.

Last but not least, potential clients will want to read testimonials from Geordie's past real estate clients...nothing speaks better than a satisfied customer.

Washington State is probably one of the prettiest places in the USA - my visits to the Cascades are among my favorite memories. I visited Leavenworth with my brother and his family (probably when Geordie was a park ranger!) and was spellbound by the Bavarian charm of the adorable town! Lots of GOOD FOOD! I hated to leave and head back to Tacoma (though the drive through the beautiful countryside was enjoyable).

If you have dreams of relocating to Leavenworth, WA, perhaps you should give Geordie Romer a call. At the very least, bookmark his real estate blog, and keep it handy for future reference.

For more information on Leavenworth, WA:

Leavenworth WA Website: Bavarian Village

City of Leavenworth

Leavenworth Echo Newspaper

Leavenworth Webs

I live in a 1977 Remodeling Nightmare. Back when the previous owner lived in this Pike County house, he spent a few bucks on "updating" and "redecorating." Frankly, I wish he would have left it the way it was. Built in 1950, I'm sure my cute Cape Cod home had some really cool elements that were obliterated with the "groovy" 1970s. (well, the purple and black tile in the bathroom remains, and it's not that cool...but I digress)

I honestly do not understand how anyone - anyone - could think that orange shag carpet in a bedroom looked nice. Couple that with the avacado (mixed with gold and orange) shag carpet in the dining room, and the living room, and the steps...ech!! I took great pleasure in ripping down the wallpaper that had green, gold, and brown stagecoaches all over it. Who made up this stuff? Are they sitting in jail somewhere? They should be!

To me though, the worst decor faux pas of the 70s was (and still is) cheap paneling. I am not talking about rich tongue and groove paneling, or nice wide plank knotty pine paneling...come on, you know what I mean. That junk that you pick up in 4 x 8 sheets at the lumber yard.

The previous owner of my house fell in love with this stuff; so much that he paneled not only the walls upstairs, but the ceiling too! YES! It's a marvel to behold. This past winter, my husband tore down all the paneling in our living room. Now, our living room wall covering is the brown paper that covers the insulation. And I like it better.

Such was the previous owner's passion for paneling, that he had custom birch cabinets made for the kitchen...and he had the doors made to look like paneling!!! These are solid birch cabinets...expensive...well built...made to look like the cheap crap hanging on my walls and upstairs ceiling. WHY?

There are so many cute homes on the market around Lake Wallenpaupack that were built in the 70's. Chalets, capes, contemporaries, ranches...many are priced right...but I've run into more than one person who cringes when they discover the interior is mostly, you guessed it, that cheap paneling. It is hard enough seeing it in real life; often it looks much worse in photographs.

Some people advocate painting the paneling. My feelings are mixed on that; you still see the lines. I guess some folks won't mind, but it would bug the heck out of me. I like smooth walls!

Anyway, my opinion: if the house is priced right, particularly if it's thousands of dollars below your "top price", and the only thing holding you back is the paneling...why not consider hiring a contractor to replace the paneling with drywall? It's not horribly expensive, and really transforms a place from a dark cave into a warm and cozy Pocono Mountains retreat.

Furthermore, if you are selling, it might behoove you to consider replacing the paneling in at least the living room, kitchen, and master bedroom to increase your home's appeal. Most people are looking for light and bright spaces...cheap paneling darkens a room and makes it look smaller. Maximize your home's appeal - even a paint job may do the trick.

Cheap Paneling ©Copyright 2007 by Karen E. Rice. All rights reserved.

I was reading this blog by Thesa Chambers, and found a small collection of Pennsylvania Penny Postcards.  There is only one from my area - The Boulevard in Greeley, Pike County.  

Here are some local history links that you may find interesting, if history is your thing!

Johnny's Hawley Site - hasn't been updated in a long time, but has old photos and memories of Hawley, PA, from way back when.

Wallenpaupack Historical Society

Wayne County Historical Society

Pike County Historical Society

If any readers have some historical postcards or photos they'd like to share, I'd love to feature them in a future blog!  Just send me an email and we'll get started! 

PA Postcards, ©Copyright 2007 by Karen E. Rice. All rights reserved.

It seems that the media is really coming down hard on the real estate industry. As if the one-sided "report" from 60 Minutes on CBS the other night wasn't enough, Fox 5 in Atlanta has exposed real estate "reality show" Flip This House as a fraud.

I admit to being a little embarrassed about that. I thought I had a handle on these "reality" shows. One of my favorites is HGTV's Designed To Sell. Love that Clive & Lisa. Especially Clive. But anyway...I thought "Yeah, they only showcase the homes they design successfully...we never see the 'Designed to Expire' homes."

But now, in light of the Sam Leccima scandal, where the entire show seems to have been fiction-labeled-reality, I wonder...how many of them on Designed to Sell ever sold at all? Is the Flip This House scandal limited to just A&E? (Which brings me to another point: Sam is clearly going to be the fall guy here, but the real bad guys in this mess are the ones managing the production of this show, that not only let this crap happen, but that helped it happen!)

Sam's response when questioned about this scam? "Hey, it's a TV show." Yeah, it is, but it's a TV show that's marketed as truth.

Time and time again, the media has duped the public. The latest target seems to real estate agents, maybe because the media is a little tired of whacking President Bush for the moment. Doesn't anyone see the patterns? They just ride on one thing after another, over and over, till the public gets tired of it, then they move on to the next "big thing."

A few years ago, the media had us believing that the movie JAWS was prophetic. Or that there are child molesters behind every shrub. Or that...[insert next hot topic here]. And we all gobble it all up like candy. Has the nation forgotten that CBS has a reputation for falsifying and twisting "reality" to get ratings? And is it just CBS?

The reality is: real reality is boring! Yes it is! The mundane, everyday life of a typical real estate agent, while exciting to me and to other agents, would never make a good TV show.

Nobody would rush to turn on the channel just to see an agent searching tax maps, calling zoning officers, and getting quotes on new septic pumps. They would not find trolling the MLS hotsheets riveting (though we agents tend to find the MLS more entertaining than TV, and the sad part is, this IS reality!). The stuff I find enteratining bores my husband, children, and friends to tears.

"What??!! Another addendum? Are you kidding? We are not signing another extension! You had your chance! Get it signed by Friday or the deal is off! I faxed it to you three times! How many more copies do you need? You said all they needed was the appraisal! Now they need records of all their wages for the past year? We're supposed to close on Friday!"

Who wants to watch this stuff on TV? Nobody...probably not even me! So the TV mogul creates "false reality." But since the public doesn't really want to watch house flipping or other stuff like this unless it's "true", they call it "truth", when there's very little truth to it.

The reality is: beautiful homes may sit on the market for a year, even though they're beautifully decorated, aggressively marketed, and properly priced. The false reality of these shows, which imply that slapping $2000 down for some cosmetic work will get you a ton of offers over asking price harms everyone who believes it! The sellers expect the same results, the agents are under pressure to perform like the adorable, affable Clive...(maybe we should all adopt a British accent...that might work!)

The reality is: no agent really collects 6% on a listing, unless he/she happens to be the listing agent, selling agent, and broker rolled into one (or if he happens to be on a 100% commission split...and then there's the desk fees that have to be paid...)

The reality is: your typical agent will get significantly less than $20,000 net after selling $1,000,000 worth of real estate. The agent usually has to share this commission with at least three other parties: the other agent, the other broker, and his own broker. Let's not forget all of the expenses involved in being a competent real estate agent; the hundreds of dollars in quarterly fees, dues, and charges; advertisement costs, wear and tear on the vehicle, gas expenses, required continuing education classes, lock box fees, replacing stolen/damaged signs..it goes on and on! What about the countless hours spent studying, researching, carting buyers around, going on wild goose chases for people who just want to use your free CMA to get an idea of what they should charge Uncle Billy for the property they never intended on listing with you in the first place...

Yet, people watch these TV shows and "news specials" and think agents are just rolling in the dough, laughing all the way to the bank. People don't know about all the wasted miles driven, taking buyers out to show them 50 houses over a four week period, just to have the buyer say "We've decided to wait a year" or "We put an offer in on another house in New York last night, sorry!"

The public doesn't know about the seller you just could not keep happy, who rejected offers that were "too low", who then relisted with someone else...and accepted the first offer that came in...that happened to be less than the offer they rejected when you had it listed...

Nor do they know about the seller that refused to drop the price even though the agent knew it was $30,000 above what the market would bear...who then said the agent obviously couldn't sell the property, so the seller went somewhere else...and then, the next thing you know, the home is relisted on the MLS with a new low price, which they wouldn't consider when their original agent suggested it...

This is the reality of my career. I am not complaining about the challenges I face. I just wish that the reality of it all was truly known by all.

 

Real Estate Reality, ©Copyright 2008 by Karen E. Rice. All rights reserved.

There have been a few blogs lately about ridiculous MLS listings.  I really am embarrassed sometimes by what I send to my potential buyers - because these listings have MY name and contact info on them, and some buyers really have no idea that I am not the listing agent; they may very well think that I wrote up that completely worthless description - spelling errors and typos and all.

It seems that REALTORS are bored with vacant lot listings; so bored, that they can not be bothered to write a helpful description of the location, at least.  Such as "Two miles to clubhouse, only .7 mile to boat launch" etc...oh, that would require a little effort.  Doesn't your seller deserve that effort?  Some agents don't put ANY description at all.  

I'm sorry, but I do not have every road in every community memorized; so when I have buyers who want something a "mile or less" to the fitness center, or close to the water - I depend on accurate MLS descriptions.  At least put it in the private remarks!  Would it be so difficult to say what amenities are nearby, or at least, how far it is to the lake and the pool?  Oh, you're only getting $750 for this lot?  It's not worth your time?  Then what did you take the listing for?

Here's another peeve!  When the private remarks are an exact copy of the public remarks.  What the heck is that all about?  Why put it in there?  

Or, let's talk about pictures.  Our MLS does not currently require pictures for vacant land listings.  But it behooves agents to include a picture or two, especially when there are at least a hundred different lots for sale.  I love the ones that use the same exact picture for each lot:  a shot of the community clubhouse or the lake that is two miles away (but they don't disclose that in the description, so according to the picture you have a lakefront lot or are buying the clubhouse!) 

At the very least, post a sensible map of where the lot is located.  Even better would be to show a zoomed out map, with the lot location highlighted, and then a closer zoom.  Oh, but that takes effort, and after all, it's only a vacant lot.  Shhh! Don't tell the seller how little effort you are putting into selling this vacant lot for him/her!

This one just floored me yesterday.  This is truly what the realtor put up on the MLS.  I recreated it with different numbers to protect the guilty, but this is basically it.  This was REALLY helpful!  NOT!

Doesn't that just make you yell out and say "Whoa, we better call Karen Rice right away before that beauty of a lot is GONE!! "

Really!  This is what your sellers are paying you for? 

If it's not worth your time to write a helpful description, take a few pictures, and post a useable map, then why take the listing at all?  Maybe I'm naive, but I think sellers deserve better than this.

It's Only A Vacant Lot, ©Copyright 2007 by Karen E. Rice. All rights reserved.

Rachel's Garden in Pike County PA

Today, my youngest daughter and I spent the day together, just us.  She didn't feel up to going to school today; the official reason was a headache.  The real, undisclosed-but-detected-by-mommy-radar reason:  needing serious Mommy & Me time.

After the other two went to school, she came up into my bed and snuggled for a while as we flipped through the channels on TV and mutually agreed that Dora The Explorer is extremely irritating. She actually wanted to watch some court program.  She said the smart aleck judge was funny when telling someone they were lying. Shoot.  I wanted to watch Dragon Tales.  I was doing some "stuff" here on from my laptop at the same time, but it was just nice to have my little girl snuggling by me.

Then I remembered, I needed to go to Home Depot to get a new bathroom light, so off we went.  It was a glorious glorious day here in the Poconos - nearly 80 degrees, and sunny.  We stopped for lunch but Rachel didn't have much appetite.  At Home Depot she perked up a bit and wanted to go in the Home Garden center to see the birds that are usually roosting in the rafters.

We saw the birds but saw some potting soil and some flowers.  I am not a gardener.  Plants wither when I walk by, but I said "Hey, Rachey, wanna plant some flowers?"  She brightened up and said "YEAH!"

So, armed with some potting soil, some terra cotta pots, some pretty azaleas, a can of hornet spray, and a box of seeds, we headed home.   Since Home Depot didn't have any watering cans that Rachel could handle, I stopped at a little garden center to get one. 

"Isn't it funny," said the cashier, "that we don't have any watering cans at all?" 

I looked at her, stupefied.  "No, actually, it's not funny.  I think it's kind of bizarre. We need a watering can, and what better place to find one than a garden center?"  Oh well.  I bought two pots of irresistibly beautiful pansies and we headed home.

The porch has some long neglected built-in flower boxes, empty and ignored since my bulb planting experiment of 1998 failed.  All these flower boxes have yielded for years were weeds and grass.  So we got to work cleaning them out.  I put the pretty azaleas in the terra cotta pots and put them on the porch steps along with the pansies for instant gratification.  Later we added an old, but pretty liquor decanter we found in the woods to the arrangement on the steps.  It looks kinda cool.

We dug (well, I did most of the work but Rachel did try, a little) and loosened the dirt in the flower boxes, got rid of the clumps of grass and weeds, and planted the seeds, and then (I) swept up the porch.  We spread some black plastic and redwood chips (which Rachel for some reason calls Dragon Poop) in one of the other flower boxes that  I was unwilling to cultivate today.  Now it's set for the season...no flowers, but no unsightly weeds either.

I told Rachel that we just planted "Rachel's Garden."  She smiled.  It was a special day, and I hope she always remembers it.  I hope she remembers how we snuggled, how we enjoyed the birds, how we tried to get a watering can, and how we made the porch prettier.

I know I always will.  It wasn't a productive day for real estate, but it was a "soulful" day with my daughter. 

 

 

Rachel's Garden in Pike County PA, ©Copyright 2007 by Karen E. Rice. All rights reserved.