By Jason Gelios     7/28/16      3 minute read

Deciding whether or not to live in a community that has a home owners association can be a tricky discussion. While it seems that most new residential developments are assigning an association to them, there are many people who are against living in a managed community.
 
While there are certainly some cons to a home owners association, in this article we explore four benefits of having one in place.
 
1. Community Appearance

This is probably one of the biggest Pro’s of having an association. If you have ever driven thru a residential area that has an association in place, you may notice that it is well kept with little to no blight. This is due to the collective management out in place to maintain the guidelines set to protect values and appearance.

2. Recreational Facilities (If offered)
                                                   
Many communities are now offering community areas as part of the residential development. These can include community pools, gyms, Kids park, nature trails and even mini golf courses! For those looking to mingle with the neighbors on a regular basis, this is an added benefit.
           
3. Dispute resolution

Have a neighbor that is frustrating you? Loud music, parties, junk on front lawn? With a managed community you have the right to anonymously report neighbors and/or violators to the association. Often times, associations will send the violator a warning letter with severe fines if they do not cease the violation. This contributes to the well kept appearance of an area thru dispute resolution.
 
4. Protected Property Values

While property values can even decrease in an association managed community, property values typically are protected greater with a home owners association. Well kept homes typically mean well kept home values. And the next time your neighbor wants to store a gigantic boat in his driveway, you have recourse to stop him from doing that.
 
You have just read four of the benefits of living in a home owner association driven community. I can not stress enough how important it is to get all the facts BEFORE making the decision to move into this type of community. I always recommend that the potential home owner ask for a copy of the By-laws from the association management to see what you can or can not do or have in the community. I.e. Some associations do not allow sheds or pools.
 
Get the By-laws. Know the rules. Get your perfect home!  

7/25/2016   3 min. watch

7/21/16         2.5 Min. Watch

7/19/16    3 min. read

Housing is back in Macomb County and most surrounding areas. New homes are being built just about everywhere land is available. Macomb and Oakland county communities are experiencing new home construction that is exceeding consumer levels set just a few years ago.

While the overall demand for new home construction has decreasing slightly in recent months, there is still a demand that is greater than last year for these homes.

In the used home market there continues to be a shortage of homes versus home buyers which has even caused some higher offers being presented to compete. This is good news for the home seller though.

If you are looking at new home construction, you could potentially get more for a little less money because many builders are competing with other builders to gain your offer.

Posted By Jason Gelios      3 min. read

1. ‘Normal’ is coming.
Expect a healthy growth in home sales and prices – at a slower pace than in 2015. “This slowdown is not an indication of a problem—it’s just a return to normalcy,” writes Jonathan Smoke, realtor.com®’s chief economist. “We’ve lived through 15 years of truly abnormal trends, and after working off the devastating effects of the housing bust, we’re finally seeing signs of more normal conditions.” New construction and distressed sales are expected to return to more historical levels, and home prices are expected to follow at “more normal rates consistent with a more balanced market.”

2. Technology Aids The Home Buyer.
Young adults are utilizing technology in a big way to help get them started in the real estate transaction. From pulling up neighborhood information to browsing thru home listings, young adults are grasping technology to better understand the market. While technology is not replacing the real life agent, it does save time by educating the home buyer more thoroughly before meeting with the real estate agent for the first time.
 
3. New Home Builders Will Make More Affordable Homes.
We are seeing a decrease in new home sales and home builders slowly shifting to offering more affordable homes. In Macomb County, the mini-mansion trend is slowing as well. As more younger home buyers hit the market, they are looking for affordable homes that do not break the bank. You can expect to see more of these starter homes pop up.

4. Mortgage Rates Will Increase; Slowly.
We will see an increase in mortgage rates in 2016. Rates have been at historical lows but that will not continue as rates increase with the Fed’s actions. While the rate increases may be manageable for most borrowers, they will have to take into account that when rates rise so does debt vs. income and monthly payments. This will more than likely effect higher priced markets.

5. Expect Rents To Increase.
What we are seeing in Macomb County and surrounding areas is an increase in rent amounts. Some areas have even increased more than 30%. While the housing market is improving, there are a lot of people still recovering from the recession while their credit heals.

By Jason Gelios      1 minute read

I have had the pleasure of Guest-Hosting the Macomb County Scanner podcast with the creator Steve Trombley. Steve runs this podcast as well as the highly popular Facebook site with over 15,000 followers and growing. On this podcast, we talk about everything Macomb County as well as some real estate tips too.

To hear our past episodes, please visit or click the link below:
http://www.podcastdetroit.com/artist/macomb-county-scanner-live/