You are about to make a significant purchase. Spend thousands of dollars of your hard earned money. Commit thousands of man hours of your life repaying the debt or digging deep into your savings to accomplish this goal. Home Buying. Currently the average cost of a home in SW Michigan is $191,000. This is increasing every year and unless another recession hits, lets hope not, will remain in this trajectory. You have made the offer, now what? OK, you have […]
OLDER SW MICHIGAN HOMES: SW Michigan, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek are full of great older homes. Homes full of charm and character. Homes that were built before WW2 or the Great Depression. Sometimes homes that were built at or before our great nation was celebrating its first centennial. What a great market if you like something outside the box at an affordable price. HOWEVER, and this is a big however, you must be aware of what you are buying. Today […]
Basement cracks happen. Period. Sometimes the cracks are merely shrinkage and “settling” and sometimes they are the indication of a hidden flaw in the structure. So, how do you, as a consumer, know the difference? Well the short answer is you don’t. And, why would you? Do you have experience in your work or personal life looking at and analyzing cracks? Do you hold a degree in Engineering and have studied sheer, vertical and lateral forces on a homes foundation? […]
Licensing of Home Inspectors in Michigan Im a licensed home inspector in Michigan. Whats the big deal?? Well licensed home inspectors dont exist in this great state. So…. what am I talking about? Well, Im a licensed Florida home inspector who has moved back to SW Michigan. Licensed for 9 yrs and one of the first groups in Fla to be licensed. HI959 Why is this important? Well in my opinion its very important. Licensing in Florida became mandatory […]
Memorial Day and what it means to me. I am a veteran. I served in various duty stations from 1981 to 1991. I served in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I entered the United States Army as a private E-1 and was Honorably Discharged as a Chief Warrant Officer 2. The Army taught me how to shave out of a steel pot, eat food out of a can or pouch, drive a tank, shoot artillery with pinpoint accuracy, fly […]
So you are looking to purchase a home here in Michigan. Congratulations! What a great choice. Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Three Rivers and more all have great neighborhoods and neighbors. Michigan is a diverse state with many cultural and outdoor opportunities. Every weekend can be full of sites, sounds and smells of what Michigan has to offer. Homes here are equally diverse. Homes built in the 19th century to homes constructed today are all intermixed throughout almost all […]
