Every election since my kids have been old enough to vote, we knock each others votes out.  My daughter cancels me and my twin sons cancel each other. I guess we could all just stay home, since we basically end up in a stalemate, but we get out there anyway.  My mom and dad and my sister and brother-in-law always did the same thing to each other.  It's a family tradition.

Even though two of them vote the wrong way :) I am proud that they all care enough to make the effort.  I would much rather be canceled out because they want to add their voices to the direction the country will take next, as opposed to them not participating.   Besides, I have 4 more years to work on the other two and maybe by then I'll have them all straightened out. 

Winter is coming, what happens now?
For buyers in Tecumseh and throughout Lenawee County its a time to get out there and get some offers on the table. Knowing that the hottest selling season is over, sellers can become a little anxious. An offer that they may have turned down in June, might be more tempting in Oct.

Sellers, for you this is a time to review your pricing, take advantage of the fact that buyers are still out there looking for value and be the one to offer it. We don't know what the market will be like a year from now, up or down again. You have to price for where it is today.

Ready to make that move?  Visit me at TecumsehProperties.com and let's get started

As if there weren't reasons aplenty already to buy a home in Tecumseh or Greater Lenawee County, low prices, huge selection, low interest rates to name a few, now there is even more icing on the cake for first time home buyers.

When you buy your first home, you can qualify for up to a $7,500 tax credit as long as the purchase was made between April 9, 2008 and before July 1, 2009.  The credit will be for 10% of the homes sale price, up to a maximum of $7,500, ie if you buy a home for $60,000 you would be looking at a $6,000 credit.  Your income needs to be $75,000 or less as a single taxpayer, $150,000 or less if filing jointly, in order to receive the full credit.

This credit will have to be repaid over a period of 15 years with the first payment being due two years after the credit was taken.  It's basically an interest free loan from the government, if you use the money to pay down a second mortgage, pay off credit cards, car payments or student loans, or to make improvements to the home that you would otherwise have had to take loans out for, this will be a great overall savings to you. 

You can research the credit by going to http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/faq.php 

To find the home that you want to buy, please visit TecumsehProperties.com where you can view all the local listings.

Wonderful news for Tecumseh has been announced this week.  The Tecumseh Products plant will be turning into a new location for the Consolidated Biscuit Company, an operation that bakes cookies and such for Nabisco and others.  Many thanks to our City Officials, Tecumseh Products and the State, working together to make this happen. 

According to the Tecumseh Herald in addition to opening 500 jobs for Tecumseh workers, the plant will create an additional 558 related jobs and generate more than $372 million in income for Michigan workers over a ten year period.

Now, instead of being the refrigerator capital, we will be a cookie capital and from what I hear, the aroma of cookies baking will become a familiar scent to those passing through town.  This is also great news for our home sellers, new jobs mean new buyers, and Tecumseh has lots of great homes to pick from!

For more information on Tecumseh or if you are considering a move within the area, please visit my website TecumsehProperties.com

One of the best Christmas presents I ever received was a gift certificate to a delightful shop in Tecumseh, because otherwise I may never have stopped in and discovered this gem.  The Boulevard Market is a small shop that is brimming with delicious treats.  You'll discover Artisanal cheeses, imported beers from around the world, special chocolates, spreads, tampanades, wines, salamis, olive oils, vinegars, fig cakes, pastas, coffees, herbs and on and on...

When I arrived with gift certificate in hand, I was greeted by the very friendly and knowledgeable owners, I had no idea which cheeses I would want from the awesome array in front of me.  I decided to pick up several different kinds for Christmas since I was having the family over for dinner.  Erika helped me put together a selection of varied tastes and styles, from cow to sheep to goat, soft to firm, sweet to pungent.  The best part is the constant tasting, they encourage you to taste before buying and they never rush you.  Offering a sliver of this and a tiny scoop of that, yum, I could stay there all day just making my way through the choices. 

After gathering all my cheeses, off I went to look over the beers.  My brother considers himself a connoisseur of the beverage and I wanted to find some beers that he had never tasted before.  All of my family lives in the suburbs of Detroit, larger more sophisticated areas than my little small town, but I knew with this new find, I could come up with options to rival their fancy shops.  The selection is huge and constantly changing and the best part is you can mix and match to make your own six pack for $10.00.  I selected six different varieties, again mixing up the tastes, some dark, some light, some strong, you get the idea.  That became the first of the family beer tasting parties.  Everyone had a taste of each beer and rated them, it was fun and mixed with the excellent cheeses, delicious. Now, I stop in whenever we are going to have a family get together it has become expected that I will be bringing new beers for another tasting.  John and Erika are always ready to offer their help on which will be interesting to try and since I don't drink myself, that is great for me.  

I need to finish this post soon because I just picked up one of John's homemade goat cheeses plus a wonderful french herbal soft cheese that I am addicted to and they are calling my name.  John makes a number of the cheeses they carry in his Four Corners Creamery, located right in the same building.  You must try his homemade butter, its creamy and just perfect.  Finding local, fresh, quality produce like this is an added treat.

Next time you are invited over to someone's home for dinner and want to bring along something really special, stop into the market, anything you find there will be unique, delicious and appreciated.  The big city has nothing on us now, we can munch with the best of them!

The shop is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays except Thursday when hours are until 7:30 p.m. Hours on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday noon to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.boulevardmarket.com

To learn more about whatTecumseh has to offer visit my website TecumsehProperties.com

 I am having the most fun learning more and more about all the wonderful opportunities there are for fun and playtime right here in my own small town. 

Did you think you would need to drive somewhere to enjoy a peaceful canoe trip or the adventure of kayaking?  Well I did, until I read a recent article about the canoe and kayaks available for rent right here in Tecumseh. 

 Just run over to the Community Center located on Chicago Blvd just as you come into town from the east (you can't miss it, the big building with the waterwheel)  pull into the west side drive and go on back to park by Globe Mill Pond.  There you will find a dock (perhaps with a couple of gentleman fishing as I came across when I stopped by) and several canoes and kayaks ready to take you on your next Summer adventure.

Called the Globe Mill Pond Kayak and Canoe Livery, they are now open for business.

Don't let the Geese be the only ones out enjoying the beautiful scenery and the fun of gliding across the water.  Take some time to fish, float or just daydream, leave the cell phone behind and relax.  It can also be a great way to exercise, just pump those paddles fast and you'll be burning calories and firming those arms.

When the Community Center is open go inside and fill out a rental form at the parks and recreation office, if you stop by on the weekend when they are closed, call the number they have posted and someone will come right out to assist you.

Rentals are $5.00 for a half day (up to 4 hours) or $10.00 for a full day, so bring a picnic hamper, the geese will be happy to share!

I was reading a post about the problems that can occur when sellers are home during showings.  Kathy Torline-Nordstrom shared her experience taking a buyer through a home with an anxious seller.  It brought to mind a funny incident that happened to an agent at our office.

She was showing one of her listings to a young couple buying their first home.  They brought along their two small children as they didn't have a babysitter.  The couple liked the country home and the homeowner was very talkative and sharing lots of information.  As they went outside he told the buyers that he wondered if there might be coyotes in the area as he heard something howling one night.  Looking over at the children he gave his opinion that they should probably be kept near the home at all times because if there were coyotes and they were hungry enough, they might try to eat them.  They made a quick getaway after that tidbit.

The agent called her client up later that day and told him he was to stay far away from any future buyers and under no circumstances was he ever to suggest that anyone's children could be eaten as a result of buying his home.  We are not in coyote country and there have never been reports of problems.  If I still had little ones and someone suggested they might end up as coyote chow, I'd be gone.  Luckily no one scared me with such a story when we bought our first home and I happily raised my country kids just a few miles down the road from where that seller lived, and never did we see a coyote.

2 years ago it ran like a dream, sure it's been up on blocks ever since, but I'm gonna give you a deal.   That odd smell is normal for something that has been empty so long, just open the windows.   You can have your mechanic take a look under the hood, we'll even put some gas in to get it started, we drained the tank for safety.  Not to worry, I don't think you can be held legally responsible for anything the prior owner may have done to the vehicle that doesn't pass acceptable standards, or anything they left under the seats or stuffed into the cushions.  Some animals did get in through a broken window and may have done damage, but as you can see its duct taped up now and good to go.  Yes, possibly they might have replaced certain engine parts without any knowledge of car repair, but that stuff happens, did we mention this sale is "AS IS"?  No, we have no records to offer you of upkeep, care, or major past problems, but take a look at that price!   Just sign each of these 30 pages saying I am not responsible for anything and the keys are yours.  

Would you be thrilled to be the buyer?  Yet that is what we see happening with foreclosures, they cost less, so they are snatched up, leaving so many "seller" owned homes behind. Sitting on the market are homes that are being cared for, maintained, with owners that have records of what had been done to the home, any problems and their solutions.   "Real" Sellers are often happy to have the new homeowners call them if any questions come up after closing on how to take care of odds and ends, they are excited to be passing on a home they loved to new owners.  With foreclosures there is no one to call, no joyful passing of the keys, usually not even an agent from the listing office appears.

Think about whether a few thousand dollars is worth the difference between a currently maintained, cared for home with a complete history compared to an empty, unkempt home that has often set vacant for long periods of time during the foreclosure period, some that are purposely damaged by the former owners in ways that may or may not be easily apparent. We all know that when anything falls into disuse, there is deterioration and decay.  Some of it will show up during inspections, some of it will show up down the road.  I know of homeowners that have let homes go into foreclosure after finding too many costly repairs are needed.  With little invested to begin with, its just easier to give it back to the bank, but no disclosure will be available to the new buyer about the problems. 

Buyers need to look at the whole picture, what are you saving and what are you risking when you take a chance on that abandoned home?  Think about that car on blocks, you would know enough to wonder about its potential for problems compared to the car that is on the road and in smooth running condition.   A home is a much larger investment than a car, don't tell your agent you only want to see the repos without giving the others a chance, you will be surprised by the difference when you actually visit a home that is currently loved.

When I was a young mother I used to love to get the kids out of the house on a nice Summer Day and head out to the local park.  When it got too hot though, the kids would get cranky, I would get sweaty (glistening sound better).  Driving by one of the parks that we used to visit back in those days I noticed a fun new improvement.  They have added a Splash Pad.  It's a wonderful, colorful assortment of waterfun for the kids to run through, play on and most of all cool down in.  I had to pull over and take a picture to share with all you parents who may be looking to beat the heat and have some fun with the kids.

Located on the corner of Raisin and Russell the Splash Pad is in operation from noon to 8:00pm during the warm months.  Along with the Splash Pad is the original park area my kids used to play on, swings, bouncy animals etc., plus there is a nice covered picnic area and a huge field if the kids want to run around or throw a ball.  So, pack up some juice boxes and snacks and on the next hot day when you are wondering what to do, head out to get wet and cool down and you won't have to use a lot of gas to get there.  And I almost forgot to mention, the fun is FREE!

For more information on the area, visit my website TecumsehProperites.com