Greater Lansing Real Estate Podcast MacIntyre and Cowen Realty Group

Looking to buy in Mid-Michigan?  Perform a full home search Looking to sell in Mid-Michigan? Get a Home Price Evaluation First, I want to wish everyone a wonderful 2020. If you’re considering selling your home, now is the time to do it. Many people have been holding off because of the holidays, but 2020 is an excellent year to make a move. The mortgage rates are still low and there are a ton of buyers out looking.  When springtime hits, everyone else will be coming into the market. This is a terrific time of year to sell because tire kickers aren’t around, the weather isn’t as nice so not as many buyers are out, and the buyers that are out are extremely serious about purchasing a home. Then, if you are looking to buy a home, you’ll benefit from all the new homes coming onto the market in early spring.  We’re here to help with your real estate needs. Give us a call or send an email with any questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you. 

Radon is a silent killer, and it could be lurking in your home. Today we’ll debunk four myths about this common gas. Looking to buy in Mid-Michigan?  Perform a full home search Looking to sell in Mid-Michigan? Get a Home Price Evaluation 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. “ One in 15 homes in the United States has a high level of radon. ”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.

Looking to buy in Greater Lansing?  Perform a full home search Looking to sell in Greater Lansing? Get a Home Price Evaluation 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.

Looking to buy in Greater Lansing?  Perform a full home search Looking to sell in Greater Lansing? Get a Home Price Evaluation Our market is definitely a seller’s market—it’s been unbelievable. On the selling side, I normally keep 80 to 100 listings at any given time. This past year, if I got 50, that was a lot. I was scared to death that I was losing my inventory. Looking at the statistics, the average days on market went from 36 days in 2016 to 24 days in 2017, and from there, it’s gone down to 18 days this year. The homes we list often receive offers the very afternoon they’re listed—they’re flying off the market. Some clients are frustrated because they can’t get to the homes fast enough. Additionally, the average sales price has gone up by almost $20,000 from 2017 to 2018, which is a considerable increase. “ Though many think that this time of year is slow for real estate, that’s not the case in our office. ” Because of all this, if you’ve ever thought about selling your home, now is the time to do so. Though many think that this time of year is slow for real estate, that’s not the case in our office; some of my best months have been November and December. If you have any questions or are looking to sell your home, reach out to us. Our team offers great customer service and communication, which is critical in a transaction. We’re going at it 24/7, with four full-time assistants to help on the listing side. We’d be happy to speak with you and form a plan of how you can take advantage of this opportune seller’s market.

Looking to buy in Greater Lansing?  Perform a full home search Looking to sell in Greater Lansing? Get a Home Price Evaluation If you haven’t sold a home in the last five to 10 years, a lot of things have changed about our real estate market. In fact, our market is changing constantly, so if you’re thinking of selling your home soon, I recommend that you read my book “How to Get More Money for Your Home.” “ If you’d like a free copy, just call us at (517) 999-2675 and we’d be glad to send you one. ” It’s a simple read, but it contains a lot of great, helpful points that explain how to sell your home for the highest possible price. If you’d like a free copy, just call us at (517) 999-2675 and we’d be glad to send you one. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me as well. I’d be happy to help you.

Looking to buy in Greater Lansing?  Perform a full home search Looking to sell in Greater Lansing? Get a Home Price Evaluation 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. “ If you start taking care of your lawn now, it will be much easier to maintain in the spring. ” 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.