Happy Holidays From MacIntyre & Cowen Realty Group

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Today we wanted to take the time to wish you a merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year. You should also know that we’re grateful for all your support. Thank you for all the referrals you’ve sent us this year—it’s been another great one for us. We wish you the best start to 2020, and may your holiday season be filled with joy as you gather with friends and family. If you ever have any questions about real estate, please don't hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We would love to help you.

Homeowners: Don’t Fall for These 4 Radon Myths

Radon is a silent killer, and it could be lurking in your home. Today we’ll debunk four myths about this common gas.

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All homes today, no matter their age or location, should be tested for radon. Doing so could be a matter of life and death. In fact, this invisible, odorless gas causes upwards of 21,000 deaths each year and is actually the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.  

Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there about this silent killer, which is why today we’ll be sharing and debunking four of the most common radon myths:

Myth No. 1: Radon is only found in certain parts of the country. This is not at all true. Radon is found in every state. In fact, one in 15 homes in the United States has a high level of radon. 

Myth No. 2: If you’ve lived in your home for a long time, there’s no point in testing. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve lived in your home. Radon, which seeps up through the ground, can appear in your home at any time as a result of changes to soil conditions or any number of other factors. Therefore, every homeowner should test their home at least once every five to 10 years.

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One in 15 homes in the United States has a high level of radon.

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Myth No. 3: Brand-new homes aren’t at risk for radon. Since radon is naturally occurring, the age of the home has nothing to do with whether radon can get into it. And, in fact, newer homes are more likely to retain high levels of radon since they tend to be more “airtight” than older properties. 

Myth No. 4: High levels of radon make homes harder to sell. This might be true if the problem is never mitigated, but if your home has high levels of radon, your first concern should be your health. In truth, there’s no reason to fear for your home’s ability to sell in the future so long as you lower your radon levels in the meantime. 

There is really no excuse not to test for radon. At-home tests can be bought at any major hardware store for as little as $15. Ideally, you should also invest in a radon mitigation system, which will keep your home’s radon levels low for years to come. 

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Buying a New Home in Today’s Market

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I just recently went on a listing appointment and I was heartbroken because the seller was in trouble and really needed to move, but they just bought a brand-new home and that kind of situation is very difficult to handle. If you’re buying a new home, it’s important that you plan on living in the home for at least five to eight years before selling it. Once you’re in, you’re in and it will take years for you to be able to realize the appreciation you want on the property.

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Once you’re in, you’re in.

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If you really think about it, there are so many nice, new homes out there, but in a year or two down the road, there could be different builders in there selling properties for less and ruining your property value.

If you’re thinking about buying a new property, we’d be happy to answer any questions you might have about the process. Just give us a call or send us an email today. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

We’re Offering Free Copies of Our Book on Home Selling Tips

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I’ve sent out copies of “How to Get More Money for Your Home,” and so far, the responses have been really great. Many have told me that they wished they’d gotten the book before they sold their home.

The good news is that we have copies of the book available for FREE here in our office. If you’d like a copy to learn tips and tricks for selling your home for top dollar, feel free to reach out to me or visit www.PMacHomes.com. I’d be happy to send you a copy.

Interested in a Career in Real Estate?

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The team at MacIntyre & Cowen is hiring. If you’ve ever thought about a career in real estate, this is a great opportunity for you. We’re currently looking for two new buyer’s agents who can assist our team with helping buyers find the perfect home.

I started this team back in 2005 and even in the worst times, I doubled my business every year. I’ve got a great team already and I’m looking to grow it. This is a fantastic place to get your career started, but you don’t have to take it from me. Here’s what a few members of my team have to say about working here:

“I like working for MacIntyre & Cowen because of the flexible schedule and for all the help they give me.” - Joel Sodeman

“I like working for MacIntyre & Cowen because of the support staff. Not only do you get Peter and Eleanor, but you also get three full-time assistants working for you to make sure you’re successful.” - Michele Hrusovsky

“I like working at MacIntyre & Cowen because everyone here gives you all the help, the education, and the leads you need to be successful. We’re really like a family. “ - Erin Munich

“Why do I love working for MacIntyre & Cowen? Well, let me count the ways. First of all, I’d say Peter and Eleanor are two of the most supportive people I’ve ever worked with. They’ve been mentors to me as I’ve learned more and more about this business. The agents that work here all support each other, all learn from each other, and they’re like family to me. The staff that works for the office is really the heartbeat of the company and they support all of the agents in so many different ways. Together we create a team at MacIntyre & Cowen that I’m just happy to be a part of.” - Jeff Kelley

If you have any questions for me or want to learn more about the open positions on this fantastic team, don’t hesitate to reach out and give me a call or send me an email today. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Tips For Preparing Your Landscaping for the Fall

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It’s that time of year when there seems to be a 30-degree difference between the night and day. It’s not quite fall—the leaves haven’t changed yet—but the season is coming upon us. With that, I wanted to take some time to talk about the fall season, at least with respect to real estate. Are you ready for it?

I’ve been into landscaping since birth, and I’ve been spending a lot of time getting the exterior of my home ready for the springtime. By that, I mean things like clearing out the gutters, which ought to be checked every four or five years, regardless of whether you have a service that comes out to take care of it. It’s also a good time to take care of your trees; make sure you don’t have any overhanging branches that are liable to fall if they’re laden with ice and snow.

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If you start taking care of your lawn now, it will be much easier to maintain in the spring.

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If you start taking care of your lawn now, it will be much easier to maintain in the spring. Many people take it for granted, but from personal experience, I know how frustrating it can be to clear up snow and leaves when it comes time.

It’s a good idea to create and follow through with a checklist of the items you need to take care of in your yard before fall hits. If you need any advice about what should be on that checklist, fall yard maintenance in general, or anything real estate-related, please feel free to reach out to us. We have a knowledgeable staff who can provide great tips and tricks to getting your home in shape.

This Year, Give to a Great Cause

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Today I wanted to touch base with you to discuss some of the charitable events that we at Re/MAX Grand River do throughout the course of the year.

For a couple years now, we’ve worked with the Sell A Home, Save A Child organization. For every home that we sell, we donate $100 to the fund to help vulnerable children around the world. It’s a very humbling experience to work with such a great organization.

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It’s a very humbling experience to work with such a great organization.

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We also work with Toys For Tots every year to donate toys to children who need them. If you have a donation you’d like to contribute, we have a donation box in our office at 2824 E. Grand River, Suite C, Lansing MI 48912. It’s a great cause, and it would mean a lot to the children if you could help support our Toys For Tots drive.

If you have real estate-related questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Knowing Properties with Horses and Cattle

If you own a farm or an acreage that keeps horses or cattle, you need a real estate professional who understands this type of property in order to get it sold.

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If you’re selling a farm or acreage that keeps horses or cattle, you need a real estate professional that’s familiar with this type of property. As a Realtor myself, I’m proud to say that my best friend is a 21-year-old horse named King.

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We are very familiar with horses and cattle.

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But it’s not just me. Our entire team is very familiar with properties that have horses and cattle. Whether it’s these or any other animals you might find on the range, we know what to do to get it sold.

If this applies to you and you need any help, please don’t hesitate to call us or send us an email. We’d be more than happy to help you.

Why Should You Be Excited for 2017?

As we look ahead to 2017, I wanted to give you a few reasons why I'm so excited for the upcoming year. Our whole team is very excited.

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Today I wanted to stop by and wish you a happy and prosperous New Year as we head into 2017. We greatly appreciate you giving us the privilege of working with you this year. It was a great year, and we think 2017 is going to be even better.

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I'm really excited for 2017 and so are my agents.

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We're really excited for next year because of the economy and the way things have grown in Michigan over the last two years. I think that will continue on a good path next year. I'm really excited and so are my agents.

As always, if you need any help buying or selling a home in the Lansing market, don't hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We'd be honored to help you out.

What Does the Lansing Market Look Like?

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Today, we’ll cover a quick market update for the surrounding Lansing real estate marketplace.

The market favors sellers currently. Inventory is low. As a seller’s agent, we’ve seen incredible inventory levels. We’ve listed a lot of homes, and many of them have had multiple offers in a short amount of time. For instance, I listed a home two or three days ago and my client already has several competent offers to choose from. It doesn’t get any better than this!

If you’ve been considering listing your home, now is the time to embrace the opportunity. Don’t wait until the springtime! Get a head start today and prepare your home, because it’s already hot out there.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, reach out to me by phone or email. I’d be happy to answer any questions about this topic or more, in addition to serving your local real estate needs!

Why Has Our Team Structure Been so Successful in Lansing?

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We hope your new year has gotten off to a great start! Today we just want to talk a little bit about our office here in Lansing.

Our team is staffed full of individuals who are committed to your success as much as they are committed to their own. We have 8 full-time buyer agents that strictly work with buyers, as well as 2 full-time listing agents who only work with sellers. Everybody has a specific job on our team and by all working together, we have been able to see some great success.

We've been growing every year since we started this team in 2006, as the team method in real estate has become very popular. In order for us to do a great job for you, we need to be as specific as possible when handling your transaction. We have the best people in the business at doing this, and they are very committed to their responsibilities to our buyers.

If you're looking to sell your home, now is the best time to do so. You don't want to wait for the spring market, because that's when everyone else is going to list. The market will be flooded and it will be much harder for your home to stand out among the crowd. 

If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you!

Thank You for the Business, Lansing

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Thank you again to everyone who worked with us in 2015. We hit another level in the office, so kudos to the team. We had a great year and we look forward to working with you in 2016.

This year, it's all about doing the right thing for the clients. We have some great people in this office who are truly committed to you.  We want to make sure you're happy from the start of the process to the very end.

We know that buying and selling a home is not the easiest thing in the world. The process can be incredibly frustrating. We work to make the process as smooth as possible all the way to the title office.

If you or anyone you know is thinking of buying or selling a home, please give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

Where Are Interest Rates Going?

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Interest rates are so low right now that they really can't get any better. They are only going to rise from this point forward.

The main questions are how much the rates will rise, and when they will rise. My closest guess is that interest rates will rise by December 16th or by the beginning of the New Year. Rates aren't going to raise drastically, they're going to inch up gradually.

  
By this time next year, you can probably expect that rates will rise by at least one percentage point. This means if you buy a home right now that you have an opportunity to save thousands of dollars over the lifetime of your loan.

The longer you wait, the weaker your buying power will become. If you've been on the fence, I urge you to jump off and purchase a home soon.

If you have any questions about this issue, please don't hesitate to contact me!

You Need to Hire a Buyer’s Agent in Lansing

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Today I want to talk to all the buyers out there. No matter if you’re a first, second or third-time buyer, I have an important message for you today.

My office has a fully dedicated staff of buyer’s agents that no one else in this area has. I have nine full-time buyer’s agents that are handpicked by myself and some of the best in the business. If you’re a first-time buyer and aren’t sure how the process works or what you should be doing in order to have a successful purchase, this is a great place to start.

 
Our buyer’s agents are dedicated to helping all of our clients from the initial conversation all the way to the closing table. If you’re on the fence about hiring a buyer’s agent, you shouldn’t be. You need a buyer’s agent if you want to purchase a home in Lansing. Going through a listing agent just isn’t smart, as they have the interests of the seller in mind first and foremost. You need this kind of help too, and that’s where a buyer’s agent comes in.

If you have any questions for us, or are thinking about buying a home, give us a call or send us an email. We’d love to have a conversation. Talk to you soon!

What's the Secret to a Successful Lansing Home Sale?

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Today, I want to talk about the seven "C's" of real estate when it comes to selling your Lansing home for the most money!

Curb appeal: You have about nine seconds to get a buyer to react positively to your home. Make sure the front of the house pops!

Clutter: If your home is cluttered, it's going to feel much smaller. Declutter surfaces and ensure the space feels open.

Cleanliness: Homeowners are going to react negatively to a dirty home. You want it to be sparkling and like-new.

Countertops: This goes hand-in-hand with decluttering. The cleaner the countertops, the larger your kitchen will look!

Closets: Make sure your closets look spacious, as potential buyers will be looking in them to get a feel for how much space they will have.

Color: If you have wild colors in your home, be sure to paint over them with neutral colors before listing. You want your home to appeal to as many people as possible.

Critters: We all love our pets, but guests can often smell them when we can't. Try to neutralize those odors when you're preparing to sell.

If you would like a detailed copy of this list to help you get your home ready for the market, don't hesitate to give us a call or shoot us an email. I would love to hear from you!

The Best Places for Waterfront Property

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Summer is in full swing here in Lansing! Today, we want to talk briefly about lakefront property in the area.

There is a lot of fantastic property available on Lake Lansing and Lake Victoria that offer scenic water views. Market conditions are ideal if you're looking to buy a waterfront property!

I also want to take this time here today to remind you to be safe on the water. Whether it's a large body or small, you need to be careful when having fun on the water this summer!

As always, if you have any real estate questions for us, don't hesitate to give us a call or shoot us a quick email. We would love to hear from you!

What Sets Our Team Apart?

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Every sales meeting our agents are reminded that customer experience is our number one priority. It's all about you!

The buying and selling of a home is one of the biggest financial transactions you are going to make in your lifetime, so we take our relationship with you very, very seriously. 

I'm proud of my team for continuing to improve their customer service. They go above and beyond to treat our clients with dignity and respect, and do everything in their power to be the most knowledgeable agents in the area. We've had very little turnover on this team, and there's a reason for that. Everyone on our team is proud of what they do and work each day to get better.

If this sounds like the kind of team you would like to work with, or if you have real estate questions of any kind, give me a call or shoot me a quick email. We're always here to help!