Category: Uncategorized

One thing that catches a lot of families off guard after inheriting a house is the property tax bill. In Michigan, property taxes are based on a taxable value that’s capped from year to year while you own the home. But when a house changes hands, including through inheritance, that taxable value typically resets to…

*What Are Some of the Best Areas to Live Near Ann Arbor?* Ann Arbor itself gets most of the attention, but a lot of people who work there or love the area end up happier, and get more house, just outside it. Here’s an honest look at six of the strongest options within a short…

*Top Neighborhoods to Live in Ann Arbor* Ann Arbor has more range than people expect, historic and modern, walkable and spacious, budget-friendly and not even close. Rather than rank these against each other, here’s a straightforward look at the neighborhoods that come up again and again, starting with the two that seem to win over…

What Is the Richest Neighborhood in Ann Arbor? People ask this question more than you’d think, usually out of plain curiosity rather than a shopping list. It’s a fair thing to wonder about, and the honest answer has a small twist in it, so let’s walk through it properly. If you’re asking about the wealthiest…

Here’s a tool a lot of sellers don’t know about until they need it: the rent-back agreement. A rent-back, sometimes called a seller rent-back or post-closing occupancy agreement, lets you sell your home and then stay in it for an agreed period afterward, paying rent to the new owner. It’s a simple way to close…

Buying your next home before your current one sells can be the right move. It can also go sideways if you go into it without a clear plan. Here’s the honest version of what can actually go wrong, and how to manage it. The biggest risk is carrying two mortgages longer than expected. If your…

I want to tell you about two families I worked with, both moving for pretty similar reasons, who made opposite decisions. The first family sold their home first. They didn’t love the idea of moving twice, but they wanted certainty on their budget more than anything. They sold, moved into a short-term rental for about…

Most people don’t wake up one day and decide to upsize out of nowhere. It’s usually a slow build of small frustrations that eventually add up to one clear answer. If you’re finding yourself storing things in the garage because there’s no room inside, that’s usually an early sign. Same goes for working from your…

Wanting more space and being able to afford more space are two different questions, and it’s worth separating them clearly before you start touring homes. The starting point is your current home’s equity. That’s the money you’ve built up that can go toward your next down payment, and it often matters more to your affordability…

If you bought your current home a few years ago, there’s a good chance it’s worth more now than what you paid for it. That difference is equity, and it’s often the biggest tool you have for upsizing into your next place. Here’s the simple version of how it works. When you sell your current…