Don's Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Real Estate and Texas Hold 'em -- Are you "All-In?"A career in real estate is a lot like playing Texas Hold 'em.  One of the basic rules of the popular card game is "raise or fold."  That is, if you believe you hold a winning hand, raise the bet.  If you believe you have a losing hand, fold.  Thr...

Wow!  What an understatement, right?  Market time is longer than ever right now and as hard as we might try to get price reductions, sometimes it's just not possible.  So we sit with an unsaleable listing and try to forget about it.  No advertising.  No open houses.  Pretty soon, we don't even wa...

"When Logic Fails, Go to Emotion."We've all heard this advice ... (haven't we?): When logic fails, go to emotion.  The premise is good; if what you're doing isn't working, try something else.  Simple enough.But why begin with logic in the first place?  To quote a good friend, "Real estate is a dr...

If you want to get more listings, build your marketing plan and listing presentation to answer these questions.  If you don't, know this:  Your competition is. 21 Questions to Ask an Agent Before You Hire One.©Don PhelanCopyright 2003Finding a real estate professional that´s right for you require...

I wrote this several years back, but it applies today as well as it did then.Do you want to make more money in less time?  Better living through chemistry, that's the answer.  More to the point, that chemistry class you slept through  in high school or college could help you manage your time more...

In case you missed it last evening, CBS News 60 Minutes broadcast an excellent review of the economic impact sub-prime mortgages have had on today's U.S and worldwide economy. If you'd like to watch the video, click on: http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/60minutes/main3415.shtmland click on "House o...

Faced with the possibility of losing your home, panic is an understandable -- and common -- reaction.  Denial is another.  Unfortunately, neither of those reactions will save your home nor will they mitigate the damage to your credit rating and future ability to purchase a home.If you are facing ...

Classic Marywood Two-Story $139,900231 Plymouth NEG609461Between Michigan and Fulton  Welcome to the shaded sidewalks of the Marywood Area of "Near-Northeast" Grand Rapids (Between Fulton & Michigan on Plymouth). 7 minutes to Medical Mile. This classic 2-story is dressed to the nines and ready fo...

Forward this post your buyers and sellers who are sitting on the sidelines waiting for home values to go up! Tuesday, the Federal Reserve unexpectedly slashed a key interest rate -- the Fed Funds Rate -- by a bold three-fourths of a percentage point on Tuesday, responding to a global plunge in st...

Eight Steps to Powerful Negotiating in a Buyer´s Market Here in Grand Rapids, Michigan and elsewhere, the real estate market dynamics have shifted from a seller´s market to a buyer´s market.  Buyers have plenty of inventory to choose from and sellers have lots of competition up and down their str...