Vance's Bookshelf

If you’ve been following my bookshelf reports for any time, you know that I enjoy history and biography. But this week’s reading took a different course – Greek tragedy.

The Oresteia, by Aeschylus, was my first venture into Greek tragedy since reading Homer back in college. Here’s a quick review:

The Oresteia is a trilogy of works by Aeschylus – Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and Euminides. Agamemnon describes his return from the Trojan War and his murder at the hands of his wife, Clytemnestra. The Libation Bearers describes Clytemnestra’s murder by her son, Orestes, in vengeance for her killing of his father (Agamemnon). Finally, in Euminides, we learn of Orestes’ acquittal at Athena’s court. Overall, the trilogy traces the evolution of justice in human society from blood vengeance (the killing of Agamemnon) to the rule of law (the acquittal of Orestes). This particular translation kept my interest fairly well, as it retains the essence of the Greek language, while it’s totally readable in present-day English. Of course, there are some unusual phrases throughout the book, but that’s to be expected.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:

Your words have overcome my disbelief, and I believe them, for a willingness to learn returns youth wisely to the old. (p.64)

A life unenvied is an unenviable life. (p. 76)

Charge answers charge, and who can weigh them, sift right from wrong? The ravager is ravaged, the slayer slain. But it abides, while Zeus on his throne abides, that he who does will suffer. That is law. Who will cast out the seed of curses from the house? (p. 99)

For though men idolize success as if it were a god, no, more than a god, Justice finds a way to right the balance. And some it swoops down on suddenly in the bright day; some it waits for, tensing, in the twilit shadows, and some it grabs only after black night has wrapped them in its useless shroud. (p. 109)

Don’t wipe away the seed of Pelops. So long as we live, you yourself can’t die, though dead. For children keep a man’s fame living on after he dies; like corks that buoy a net up, saving the flaxen meshes from the deep. (p. 125)

I pray that the crazed voice of civil strife that feeds on evil and is never full may never roar through this land. And may the earth not guzzle down the black blood of its people, and then, hot for revenge, welcome the city’s ruin, murder paid back with murder. Instead let citizens give joy for joy, loving the common good, hating a common foe: they’ll cure most ills this way. (p. 185)

Having now read a Greek tragedy, my appetite is set for more – though I’ll mix them in between my usual reading in history and biography. So look for more reports from my bookshelf!

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If you have questions about your specific situation, or if you’re considering buying any Saline real estate, you owe it to yourself to take advantage of my experience in the Saline market. I’d be happy to meet with you! Just give me a call at (734) 476-2063, or send an e-mail, “Vance (at) SalineMichiganRealEstate (dot) com”.

You can search for homes and condos in Saline here.

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Bugs

The weather has been warming up, so you’ve probably noticed that bugs are getting active again. In some of the vacant homes I’ve shown recently, there are various bugs on the inside windowsills, looking for a way to get out into the sunshine. Alas, many of them end up dead on the floor below the window.

As a kid, I was always fascinated by bugs (insects, to be more “formal”). My parents, noticing my interest in bugs, encouraged my interest, and got me involved in 4-H. If you don’t know about 4-H, ask me. If you do, then you know how much fun I had with my bug collection as a kid.

The photo above is from my kid’s bug collection. In fact, my daughter won a “best in show” award at the Washtenaw County 4-H show in 2006 and 2007 with her collection. Is it any surprise where she got her interest from?

Yes, bugs can be creepy, and even damaging to your home – that’s why we have “Pest Inspection” contingencies in our offers to purchase Saline real estate. But bugs can also be beautiful – witness the butterflies in the photo above – so be sure you’re looking above eye level at times so you can see first-hand!

If you like what you’re reading here, please subscribe. Thanks!

If you have questions about your specific situation, or if you’re considering buying any Saline real estate, you owe it to yourself to take advantage of my experience in the Saline market. I’d be happy to meet with you! Just give me a call at (734) 476-2063, or send an e-mail, “Vance (at) SalineMichiganRealEstate (dot) com”.

You can search for homes and condos in Saline here.

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The biggest shopping day of the year

Today, the Friday after Thanksgiving, is known as the biggest shopping day of the year.

For my family, that is most certainly true!

We start with all the ads in the Thanksgiving newspaper – actually, it’s one of the few times during the year when I even bother to look at the ads. Working with the list of family members we selected on Thanksgiving day, we’ll put together our “shopping list”. Then, it’s off to the stores!

The Friday after Thanksgiving has been given the name “Black Friday” – not because it’s bad, but because it’s good. It is likely the first day of the year when a store moves into the “black” on their profitability statement. Think about that! You own a store, and all year, until Thanksgiving, you’re losing money. But beginning the day after Thanksgiving, you begin making a profit for the first time all year. Talk about risk! Those store-owners are counting on us to make their year profitable, starting today. So, it’s time to hit the stores now.

Go. Shop. Now.

If you like what you’re reading here, please subscribe to my blog. Thanks!

If you’re considering a Saline home or condo, you owe it to yourself to take advantage of my experience in the Saline market. I’d be happy to meet with you! Just give me a call at (734) 476-2063, or send an e-mail, “Vance (at) SalineMichiganRealEstate (dot) com”.

You can search for homes and condos in Saline here.

Golf Course Economics

Regular readers may know already that I enjoy playing golf. Even on a bad day, it’s still a great walk in the park. And while we see Tiger on TV hitting the ball 300+ yards on his drive, I’ve found that the greatest distance in golf is 6 inches – the brain space between the ears. If nothing else, golf is the supreme battle with yourself over control – control of your emotions and your physical body. If you can control the 6 inches between your ears, you can excel at golf.

While playing golf recently, I commented to my playing partner about the changing economics of a golf course.

Think about it.

A golf course is nothing more than an area of finely-maintained lawn. In order to maintain that lawn, it requires regular (daily) mowing – which uses lots of gas or diesel in the mower engines. In order to keep the grass green, and the bugs away, a golf course requires regular application of chemicals – fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides – which are mostly made up from petrochemicals.

We’ve all seen the changes in the price of gas (and a barrel of oil) lately.

So if you’re a golfer, consider how the changes in the price of gas have hit your local golf course operation. It’s likely that we’ll be paying more for the privilege of playing golf in the future.

Lunch with a Friend

About a month ago (May 19), I wrote about my experience at the BloodhoundBlog Unchained conference in Phoenix. The inspiration from the conference is still with me – I’m still working on my list of 30+ “things to do” which came out of my experience there.

One of the presenters at the conference is a fabulous Realtor® from Dayton, Ohio – Teri Lussier. She describes herself as “Real estate professional, social networking participant, Web 2.0 enthusiast. “ Being that we’re both in practice in the general “Midwest”, we struck a chord together at the conference. Her market in Dayton is not dissimilar from my market in the Ann Arbor and Saline area.

Yesterday (June 26), Teri and I met for lunch in Findlay, Ohio – about halfway between Dayton and Ann Arbor.

Our conversation ranged all over the map – follow-up from the conference, what we’ve implemented in our businesses as a result of the conference, family updates, and blogging in general.

The bulk of our conversation, though, was about Teri’s latest efforts at BloodhoundBlog. Project Bloodhound has been launched. The goal of the project is to collect some of the best and brightest comments and answers to questions. Those who will be asking the questions are six new participants at BloodhoundBlog. Their experience as Realtors® and as Bloggers ranges from newbie to experienced pro. Being a regular reader and commenter at BloodhoundBlog, I look forward to watching Project Bloodhound unfold. And with Teri’s guiding hand (keyboard? Mouse?), the project will be fabulous.

Hat’s off to you, Teri!

Michigan Get-aways

There's nothing like a beautiful sunset to re-awaken your sense of the beauty in nature. Here’s what I saw over the Memorial Day weekend at my favorite “home away from home” in Frankfort, Michigan.

Frankfort is a small community on the Lake Michigan shoreline in the northwestern Lower Peninsula, at the mouth of the Betsie river. Betsie Bay is the home of many marinas, home for the serious fishing enthusiast and the serious recreational boater.

So, how does this relate to Saline real estate?

Simple! Saline is home to one of the top charter boat captains fishing out of the Betsie Bay.

Gold Coast Charters is operated by Eric Walline, a Saline resident. Captain Eric has hosted my family for fishing charters out of the Betsie Bay for several years now. Here’s a photo of our catch last summer:

Captain Eric also fishes out of Lake Erie during June and early July. Then he takes his boat north to Frankfort for the King Salmon season in Lake Michigan. He takes out charters both in the morning and in the evening. For some reason, the Salmon bite best at twilight, so we usually hit the water at 5am, and have our first fish in the boat by 6am. By 10am, the bites have stopped, and we head into port to have our catch cleaned and filleted. Occasionally, we take a nice fillet over to the Port City Smokehouse to get the freshest smoked salmon you will ever find! From lake to smokehouse within four hours!

Another of our favorite activities as a family is to hike the trails found all around Frankfort. Just north of Frankfort are the Sleeping Bear Dunes national lakeshore. There are dozens of great hiking trails throughout the dunes – just be careful to stay on the trail, so as not to harm the fragile dune grasses. Contrary to what you might expect from “dunes”, the wooded trails are extensive. Here’s a “grab shot” I took on Sunday morning – we had just seen several deer in this clearing, and I just missed them!

All in all, Frankfort is a great place for a Michigan Get-away!

Unchained

“If you’re not growing, you’re dying”. That’s a pretty powerful statement, but, if you really think about it, it’s true. We can’t just stay the same – even our body temperature changes throughout the day!

So, in an effort to grow, and more importantly, to learn new ways to serve my clients better and better, I’m here at the Bloodhound Blog Unchained conference in Phoenix, AZ.

Far be it from me to even begin to tell you all about Unchained. The instigator of the conference is Greg Swann, of Bloodhound Realty in Phoenix. I had the great fortune to actually meet the man with whom I’ve been e-mailing and blog-commenting for the past six months. I’ve also met many of the other regular contributors at Bloodhound Blog. It’s always fun to put a face and voice to an e-mail and blog-comment presence!

Sunday was a “Bonus” day before the “official” start of the conference. We heard from Mary McKnight, of RSSPieces, about the power of this medium – blogging. I’ll be posting more on what RSSPieces will be doing for me in the near future.

We also had the opportunity to hear from a couple of giants in the blogosphere – Laurie Manny (Long Beach, CA) and Russell Shaw (Phoenix, AZ). Here’s a quick photo I took with both “on stage” at the same time. Awesome!

But before all the work of Unchained, I had the great fun of attending the baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Saturday evening with my Father-in-law and his significant other. Here’s a few photos from the game.

In comparison with the cool weather back in Michigan, it was 105 degrees today in Phoenix. The humidity was about 15%, so you barely even break a sweat when you’re outside – it just dries up before it can even put a shine on your skin! Even with the low humidity, it’s darn hot here! I’d take a nice balance between the mid-50’s in Michigan and the heat out here – say, a nice 75 degree day. THAT would be super!

Been Away for So Long

There sure is nothing like an unplanned absence from the office to bring new perspective to the work we do as Realtors®!

In a blurred history of the past two weeks, here’s the “Cliff Notes” version.

I’ve written about my mother in the recent past, and her recent medical challenges. When she called me one morning about two weeks ago, complaining of general soreness and slurring her words, I jumped into action. Too many of my friends have had parents suffer strokes for me not to have recognized the symptoms immediately. I left everything at my office and raced over to take my mom to emergency medicine. In less than an hour of her phone call to me, she was hooked up to every medical contraption I’ve seen in an ER. Then the waiting began. Meanwhile, I had to arrange for home-health assistance for my dad, who’s nearly chair-bound. And so went about a week of my life, in a blur of hospital rooms, doctor consultations, home-health-care aides, and so on.

The new perspective I have for the work we do as Realtors is that you can still serve your clients in an awesome way, even in the midst of turmoil! I’m so grateful for the unselfish assistance of so many of my office peers, who stepped in to handle various deals in process. They have earned my undying gratitude.

So now begins the task of picking up my business – pulling the various fragments back together, and getting a general sense of the pulse of the market.

Never have I appreciated the joy of the work we do as Realtors® more so than today.

It’s good to be back!

Read to Write

Every once in a while, I like to veer off the course of all Real Estate, all the time. Today’s topic is just such a diversion for me.

It’s always been my impression that those who write well – and those who write for a living – are also likely to be those who read widely and extensively. There are some who are so gifted with the ability to write well that they may never read more than they write themselves, but those folks are likely to be few and far between.

While I’ve always enjoyed reading, it never was a priority for me. Other than the local newspaper (mostly my favorite writer in the Sports section), several Real Estate periodicals, and an occasional book (maybe 5 books each year), reading tended to end up in my “C” priority list.

So, in order to improve my ability to write, I set an ambitious goal for this year (2008). My goal this year is to read at least 50 pages in books each day.

As of mid-March, I’m averaging nearly 60 pages per day. Not bad.

I’ve even gone so far as to post on my Facebook profile both my goal and the books I’ve read (and am reading even now). Bold, but it sure keeps me motivated!

As I write this, I’ve just begun Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman. I’ll say right off the bat that I’ve never been one for poetry, so this book is a challenge for me. But, we grow stronger by meeting and beating our challenges. Some of verse can really hit me (“I project the history of the future” – think about this awhile), while others become just a jumble of words in my head. Still, I plow onward.

Mostly this year, I’ve read biographies. Andrew Carnegie (U.S. Steel), John D. Rockefeller (Standard Oil), J.P. Morgan (Investments),Edmund Burke (British statesman), Mark Twain, and Frederick Douglass so far. Yet to read – Einstein, Lincoln, Washington, Horace Greeley, Edison, Tesla, Henry Ford, and many others.

Some of the biographers have done an outstanding job of writing, as the text is riveting. Some of these works were a challenge, too. It has struck me that one of the more difficult challenges is to write a biography. It certainly helps that the subject is a fascinating historical figure. Above that, though, a crafty biographer weaves a narrative story of the life and times of the subject. Many of these books have carried me back in time, such that I was made to feel like I was walking alongside the subject during their lifetime.

The fascinating part of a biography, for me, is that you can “see” across the horizon of the subject’s lifetime over the course of a week of reading. You learn how the subject’s early life affected them throughout the rest of their life. You learn how they made lemonade out of lemons. You learn how they conducted themselves with family, friends, and associates – sometimes for the good, sometimes not! You also learn how they aged – sometimes surrounded by family and friends, sometimes terribly alone. Each of these events in the subject’s life is a teaching moment for my own life – again, sometimes for the good, and sometimes how NOT to live one’s life.

It’s been said that you learn from your mistakes, but that you can become brilliant by learning from the mistakes of others. Perhaps the flip side of this idea holds true, as well. You can also become a better person by learning how great people have conducted themselves and modeling that same behavior yourself.

Has all of this reading helped me to write well?

That’s really for you, the reader, to judge.

All this reading has certainly made it easier for me to write. When you read and absorb how others have assembled their thoughts into words, sentences, paragraphs, chapters, and entire books, it helps you to begin to do the same. You have to learn to crawl before you can walk. With the books I’ve read so far this year, it has felt like I had to begin as a world-class sprinter!

All this reading has also taught me to savor each day, whether filled with success or with challenges. It’s uncanny how you can read of an event in a biography, and then witness a nearly identical event in today’s world. Scary, too. Those who fail to learn by their mistakes are doomed to repeat them.

With each book I’ve read, I’ve kept a journal of notes. Sometimes it’s the way the author has developed an idea, or the way the words just seem to flow together. Other times, it’s a summation of an idea the author was trying to convey in their work. I captured that thought while doing my research for this post:

What if you could learn the success secrets of the greatest people who ever lived? You can.

The lives of the famous and the infamous have been recorded in biographies and are ready for you to read and research.

The lives of great government leaders, businesspeople and humanitarians are there. You will read about successes and triumphs. You will also learn how many times champions lose on their way to winning.

In reading biographies, you may come to the startling conclusion of how much greatness you possess. You may conclude, "Hey, I can do that." You can make your life significant. Biographies help show the way. You only have to take the action to go to the library, bookstores or surf the Internet.

So, friendly reader, will you be the judge of how my reading has impacted my writing this year?

What it means to be an Associate Broker

When you see the term “Associate Broker” after my signature, what does that mean?

In each Real Estate sales company, there can be one, and only one, Broker. In my case, the Broker is “Real Estate One”, a Michigan corporation. Yes, an inanimate corporation can be a Broker – Michigan allows such a designation. For anyone else at Real Estate One who wishes to earn their Broker’s license, they must submit to being an “Associate Broker” of the primary Broker.

An Associate Broker is the term for the type of real estate license which I hold in Michigan. A real estate license, of some type, is required in the State of Michigan if you are to be involved in the business of real estate sales. Anyone can sell their own house without a real estate license, but to be involved as an agent of others in the sale of their real estate, a license is required.

So what does it take to become a real estate Broker?

According to the requirements of the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth
Bureau of Commercial Services - Licensing Division, Board of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons, the following are the requirements to become a Broker / Associate Broker:
1. Submit proof of 90 clock hours of approved classroom hours in real estate. Nine of the 90 clock hours must be instruction in civil rights law and equal opportunity in housing. The 90 hours are in addition to the hours required to obtain a real estate salesperson's license.
2. Submit proof of three years of real estate experience. Experience gained while licensed as a real estate salesperson is verified by past/present employing brokers.
3. Successful completion of the Broker’s Examination.
4. Candidates receive a Broker’s license application with their passing exam scores.
5. Once licensed, the licensee needs to complete at least 6 hours of continuing education each year. Thus, during the regular three-year renewal period the licensee will need 18 hours of courses.
6. There is no reciprocity between Michigan and any other states. All applicants must meet the full Michigan requirements.
7. Both real estate broker licenses and salesperson licenses expire on October 31st. They are valid for a three-year period. An agent may renew an agent license between November 1 and December 30 by paying a late penalty in addition to the regular renewal fee. They may not legally practice until the fees are paid and continuing education courses are completed.

What does this mean to you?

A Broker’s license demonstrates a long-term commitment to the business of real estate sales. With the additional experience (3 years) and education (90 hours) beyond just a salesperson’s license, you are assured of gaining the most advantage in your real estate experience. As I often say, “Let my experience make yours better”.

Be sure that your agent is an Associate Broker.

What does it mean to be a GRI?

When you see the letters GRI as one of my professional designations, what does that mean?

Developed for members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and offered through State REALTOR® Associations, the GRI designation is obtained by attending a specific, intensive series of a minimum of 90 hours of classroom instruction, covering subjects in contract law, professional standards, sales and marketing, finance and risk reduction. The subject matter has been chosen to educate Realtors® about local, state and national real estate practices that affect them and their clients. GRI courses are taught by leading real estate professionals from around the country.

In today’s competitive business environment, Realtors® (and their clients) need more than just motivation and initiative to succeed, they need the advantage of the education received in the GRI program.

The Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) designation indicates to buyers, sellers and other real estate industry professionals that I have made the commitment to provide a high level of professional service to my clients by securing a strong educational foundation.

The REALTOR® Institute is more than twenty-five years old and has graduated thousands of REALTORS®. According to data in the 2003 National Association of REALTORS® Profile, only nineteen percent (19%) of all REALTORS® have earned the GRI designation.

Why Choose a REALTOR® With a GRI designation?

Buying property is a complex and stressful task. In fact, it's often the biggest single investment you will make in your lifetime. At the same time, real estate transactions have become increasingly complicated.

New technology, laws, procedures and the increasing sophistication of buyers and sellers require real estate practitioners to perform at an ever-increasing level of professionalism.

So it's more important than ever that you work with an agent who has a keen understanding of the real estate business. The GRI program has helped the best and the brightest in the industry achieve that level of understanding.

GRIs are:
· Nationally recognized as top performers in the real estate industry
· Professionally trained
· Knowledgeable
· Dedicated to bringing you quality service

A GRI can make a difference

When you see the letters "GRI" after an agent's name, you can count on receiving the knowledge and guidance you need to make your transaction go smoothly. In short, you can count on getting the best service available from a real estate professional.

Don't you deserve the best?

I earned my GRI designation in 1997. Since then, I have taken courses to earn additional professional designations. Each year, all Realtors® in Michigan take a minimum of 6 hours of continuing education. All this training and education is always approached with the basic theme – how will this benefit my customer?

So when you’re looking for a Realtor®, be sure to ask if they are a graduate of the Realtor institute (GRI).

OK, I've been Meme'd

OK, I’ve been meme’d by Missy Caulk, my nearby neighbor in Ann Arbor, MI. This happened a couple of days ago, but being the “by the rules” kind of guy that I am, I’ve stayed with my existing blogging schedule for the week. So, now I have the time to respond.

If you don’t know what a meme is, think of “tag, you’re it”. Meme rhymes with dream.

The rules are that I am to share 7 things you might not know about me. If you want to know the subject matter for these 7 things, you’ll have to visit my blog on ActiveRain.

So, here goes:

1. I’m an avid golfer. Being in this line of work (Realtor), it doesn’t allow for me to get out to play as much as I’d like. Still, any time on the golf course is a good time for me. My handicap index is around 11, and Radrick Farms is my home course.

2. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated by insects. Back then, I put my insect collection in the 4-H fair each summer. There is a moth in the Michigan State collection which I caught in my parent’s back yard in Ann Arbor.

3. Outside of real estate, my primary goal for 2008 is to read at least one book per week – so, 52 books for the year. So far, I’m on track, having just finished my 5th book of the year. My favorites are biographies. You know, you learn from your mistakes, but you can become brilliant by learning from the mistakes of others.

4. Back in college (Michigan, ’81), I had a friend who owned his own airplane. He called me one sunny Saturday morning in the spring and invited me to go flying with him. Taking the controls mid-flight, it was a thrill that I’ve never forgotten. When my kids ask about what it’s like to fly, I just tell them that it’s like driving in 3-D.

5. Between my junior and senior years in college, I visited a friend in Colorado for the summer – he was overseeing the construction of a home for his parents. While there, we climbed Mt. Sopris, at 12,951 feet. If you’ve ever been to Aspen, then you’ve seen Mt. Sopris, as it dominates the skyline just south of Glenwood Springs, on the way to Aspen.

6. For my 30th birthday, my wife and I celebrated in Freeport, the Bahamas. We went snorkeling – beautiful turquoise water, and the fish! Amazing!

7. When my son, Trevor, was very young, we went to a book signing given by Bo Schembechler. Trevor sheepishly approached Bo and told him that they shared the same birthday – April 1. Bo ruffled Trevor’s hair and asked “Do you know what that means, young man?” Trevor nervously shook his head. “It means that you’re going to be GREAT!” Trevor was beaming for days afterward. When Bo passed, Trevor understood the loss at a very deep level.

What It Means to be an e-Pro

When you see “e-Pro” as one of my professional designations, what does that mean?

e-PRO Certification is an online training program offered by the National Association of Realtors® to certify real estate professionals as Internet Professionals.

Now, as an “internet professional”, having the e-Pro designation does not mean that I spend all of my time working on the internet. The internet is a tool which the e-Pro uses in their business to serve their customer’s needs. You can do many things to buy or sell a home using the internet, but nothing can replace the ability to actually visit the home you want to buy or sell.

The Connected Consumer has very different expectations than offline consumers and dealing with them effectively requires a different approach. The e-PRO Certification course guides students through completing a Technology Plan of Action for their business and introduces them to many techniques for evaluating and using Internet tools.

e-PRO Certification is not only about technology. The e-PRO Certification Program establishes a baseline of online competence, and it also introduces its students and graduates to the best aspects of Online Community...the Internet is about the power of people connecting with people.

I earned my e-Pro designation in 2004.

Since then, my curiosity about the internet has only grown, and is always centered around the basic theme – how will this benefit my customer?

There are so many ways that I’ve grown my arsenal of marketing tools since earning my e-Pro designation, including my own website (so buyers and sellers can learn about my service), floor plans and virtual tours of my listings (so buyers can preview a home before driving over to see it), mobile e-mail and text messaging (for instant access), and blogging (so buyers and sellers can learn a little bit about who I am and how I work).

So when you’re looking for a Realtor®, be sure to ask if they are e-Pro certified.

What's The Point?

There are so many blogs on the web today, so you might ask “What’s The Point?” in creating a new one? The point of this blog is to present my observations and opinions on the state of the residential real estate market in the Ann Arbor area in Michigan.

I began my career as a full-time Realtor in 1994, following experience as a Plant manager, Materials manager, and Quality Assurance manager for local Automotive suppliers. I presently hold the title of Associate Broker with Real Estate One – Ann Arbor. I am also a graduate of the Realtor Institute (GRI).

In my career, I have closed over 230 transactions, for over $42 million in total sales. I grew up in Ann Arbor (Newport, Forsythe, Huron HS) and presently live in Saline with my family. I have sold properties from South Lyon to Dundee, from Clinton to Canton, and specialize in my “hometowns” of Ann Arbor and Saline.

My clients have recognized my professionalism and attention to detail. I have earned the designation of QSC, or Quality Service Certification, which less than 20,000 of the nation’s 1 million+ Realtors have earned. I have served the Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors (AAABOR) as a Director from 1997-2004, as Treasurer, and as the 2004 President of the AAABOR. I have also served as a member of the Public Policy committee at the Michigan Association of Realtors (MAR).

I have earned both an MBA (Finance and Marketing) and a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and I look forward to serving your Real Estate needs.