Recently I started working with Altos Research to assist me in Market Reports for the Ann Arbor and Saline area's of Michigan. I met Scott several months ago when I was trying to do some online research for Ann Arbor and discovered they were not doing Ann Arbor. Well, we all know Ann Arbor is 25 miles surrounded by reality, and the reports they had for S.E. Michigan just did not apply to Ann Arbor or any of Washtenaw County. Then we made friends and started following each other on Twitter @AltosResearch and @ScottSambucci.Scott also blogs on Activerain so visit his profile. Here are some static's for Saline, Michigan where I live.  This is the medium price for Oct 1st-the first week in December 2008.                 Search Homes for Sale in Saline, MI.                                 ... 12/14/2008

  Friday, Dec. 5 Saline Moonlight Madness Craft Show will be held from 5 to 11 p.m. at Saline Middle School, 7190 N. Maple Road. More than 135 creative crafters will be showcasing their work. Admission is $2. Saturday, Dec. 6 Parade Day in Saline will be held as part of the 33rd annual Holiday Parade and Holiday Week in Saline. Santa's Village at Beanstalks Play CafÈ will be available after the parade. There will be photos with Santa and a visit with Mrs. Claus and elves. Saline Fiddlers will perform at Union School from 7 to 8 p.m. Washtenaw County 4-H Advisory Council will hold its annual Christmas tree and wreath sale from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds near Saline. This will be held December 6-9. St. James United Church of Christ will hold a bake sale from 9 ... 12/04/2008

The Saline Chamber of Commerce presents the 33rd annual Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 6th. The parade begins at 5:30 and it is always a huge hit. The Saline Twirlettes will be performing, Boy Scout and Girl Scout Troops, Saline High Marching Band, Paws with a Cause, Roller Derby Girls, local dance troupes,floats and Santa Claus will be arriving in town.  Tom Mac of Tom Mac Photography is the Grand Marshal and I do believe he has taken the majority of all our graduating seniors senior pictures as well as all the Dance Alliance performances Allyssa was involved in. The theme for this Christmas will be a "A Nostalgic Saline Christmas".  Each of the floats will design their floats around that theme, and it is always fun to see the creativity of the churches, day-care centers, and s... 11/30/2008

I don’t usually shop at Sears, I admit it. (Although I did walk through the other day and found a really cute, hot, lime green peacoat by Lands End.) But, I am going to shop there this Christmas season. Why? As a mother of two sons in the Navy, I read and loved Sears support of our military. Not only do they support our sons and daughters in Active Duty but also those who are in the Reserves. Please take the time to read everything they do for those serving in the military. I had no idea, but they have been doing this for years. Military Pay Differential and Benefits Continuation In September 2004, the company extended its military pay differential (fills the gap between military pay and employer pay) and benefits continuation to 60 months for eligible employees called to duty in the R... 11/28/2008

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 ... 11/27/2008

Here's the latest Saline market report for November, 2008.  This is an update to my regular sales report which I reported earlier this month.  If you are interested in a Saline home or condo, here's how our market looks in November, 2008. Each month, I review all of the homes for sale (column 2) in Saline within defined price ranges (column 1), and those homes where the sellers have accepted a sales offer from a buyer (columns 3 & 4 - Percent Pending).  I also review all of the sales in past 30 days in each price range (column 6).  The results for November 2008 are shown in the table below: Using the data shown above, this month, let's look at a chart of the number of months of inventory of homes for sale in Saline.  The number of months of inventory is calculated by taking the total nu... 11/17/2008

Listed below are the 3rd quarter marketing reports for Washtenaw County. Included are all of the different areas of Ann Arbor, and the surrounding area's of Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti (and all it's areas) Ypsilanti Township, Whitmore Lake and Manchester. Amazingly enough as the entire country was embellished in terrible market and economic conditions we still managed to sell houses. In fact, sales were up in October of 2008 by 16.5% from October of 2007. The bad news is that the sales price is down 10.5%, and that hurts sellers. One positive sign is that the number of listings coming on the market are down. I believe that sellers are no longer "testing the market" but waiting if they do not have to sell. Here are the charts, you can find your area, look at the price range... 11/15/2008

Here's an update on my featured homes for sale, and for lease. 1469 Middlewood, Saline ($245,000) 161 Commons Circle, Saline ($145,000) 1513 White St., Ann Arbor ($200,000) 1218 City Dr., Ann Arbor ($150,000) 1766 Fulmer, Ann Arbor (Lease - $1295/mo) 4125 Weber Road, Saline (Lease - $1375/mo) 211 Old Creek, Saline (Lease - $1400/mo) 212 Commons Court, Saline (Lease - $1000/mo) You can take a virtual tour of any of these homes through the respective post. If you're ready to start your search for a Saline home or condo, talk to someone with local knowledge!  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.       11/11/2008

Short Sales are getting alot of attention in the Ann Arbor Area. A short sale is when a home owner owes more on their home than the current market conditions will allow them to sell for. You may have heard the it said this way, "the seller is upside down on their mortgage. Buyers are able to purchase these homes for less than the what is owed to the banks. To purchase a short sale in the Ann Arbor Area, it is important to have lots of patience. Typically a short sale takes a minimum of 12 weeks to work through the process in Ann Arbor, Saline and Ypsilanti Township. Today I am going to have you look at the Short Sales available in 3 communities in Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor, Saline and Ypsilanti Township. Click on each link below and it will take you to the available homes in each comm... 11/05/2008

People are spending more time, effort and money on their kitchens today than any other remodeling projects.  One of the first things to decide on when you design your new kitchen is the type of countertop to choose.  There are many types to choose from, including varieties of granite, marble and synthetic materials.  There are many reasons why the growing trend today is granite.   Looks-Beauty and Elegance:   Granite is beautiful and elegant.  It is available in a variety of striking colors and finishes, making it easy to match to the rest of your kitchen décor.  The hardware you choose for your cabinets can be matched to the natural grandeur of the granite to enhance its polished shine.  The natural designs in the granite forms a good backdrop for the overall design of your kitchen so ... 10/27/2008

Marble comes in many varieties which are often named after the location of their quarries.  Paros and Penteli from Greece, Carrara from Italy, Proconnesus from Turkey, Macael from Spain, Makrana from India, Danby from Vermont and Yule from Colorado   Marble is a crystallized limestone, essentially composed of quartz and orthoclase or microcline.  It used for many applications, including sculpture, buildings and monuments.  In ancient history, marbles were used in cathedrals and palaces for a rich look.  Marbles are still very popular and are used in modern homes to create a luxurious look.  Advanced technology and different finishes make marble an appropriate material for sinks, vanities, window sills, floors and more.  A polished finish will bring out depth and color for a sink or vani... 10/27/2008

Saline Community Education will celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Ellen A. Ewing Performing Arts Center with a FREE community concert on Sunday, October 26 at 2:00 PM. "Fifth Year Fling!" will feature local school and community groups in instrumental, choral, musical theater, and dance performances. Just a few of the groups slated to perform in this celebration event include:Dance Alliance, Fiddlers Restrung, Saline Area Players, Saline Fiddlers, SHS Choirs, and Saline Twirlettes.                                                   The 2008-2009 school year will mark the fifth year of opening of the Ellen A Ewing Performing Arts Center. Many diverse school and community organizations have utilized this space since its opening in 2004," says Cultural Arts Specialist and Theater Manage... 10/16/2008

One of the little "extras" I try to provide my newcomers is help in networking, both socially and professionally.  Here are some of the happy stories I have accumulated over the years.  I visited a woman who had been staying home with her three kids but was now ready to go back to work as an occupational therapist.  Previously, I visited another occupational therapist mom who has already investigated the job market and was now employed.  So, thinking the 1st mom might have pointers for the 2nd mom I connected the two of them.  Later, I found out they were job sharing, since each wanted to work part-time.  On the social networking side, I visited several women from England within the span of a year.  I introduced the first two because they expressed being a little homesick.  From then on... 10/01/2008

Saline Area Schools is doing a need assessment for each of our schools and wants the parents input. As parents and members of Saline Area Schools District, it is important we take the opportunity to provide our input. There are two different pilots to choose from, one if you have a child attending a school and one if you are like me and they have graduated, but still like to participate in the schools. The survey they have selected has been developed by the National Education Association (NEA) and schools/districts all over the country are currently using this tool to assist them in creating comprehensive school improvement plans for their schools to improve teaching and learning for all children.  The KEYS 2.0 Survey tool is a comprehensive survey that collects data from teachers, supp... 09/21/2008

Dryer Vent Wizard urges landlords and apartment building managers to have dryer vent systems professionally inspected and cleaned periodically     Auburn Hills, MI--Recent news reported a clothes dryer fire in an apartment building causing 30 units to be evacuated.  Thankfully, there were no injuries, but it is estimated that it will cost over $50,000 to repair the damages.  Most of the residents were local college students.   Larry Butterfield, owner of Dryer Vent Wizard was at a recent meeting, talking to landlords and apartment building managers.  He explained to them how failure to properly maintain dryer vent systems is the leading cause of clothes dryer fires.  Lint is highly flammable; clothes dryer vents carry the hot dryer exhaust outdoors.  Most lint from dryers is caught by t... 08/27/2008

It is that time of the year again, and as the commercial says, "It's the most wonderful time of the year." This time next week, all the kids will be ready for opening day on Tuesday, September 2nd. The calendar for Saline School Year 2008 and 2009. Several years ago the Michigan State Legislature mandated that ALL schools would start the day after Labor Day, in order to gain one more weekend for tourism. Tourism is huge in Michigan with all the lakes.  My family and I live in Saline, Mi. Saline is located just 2 miles south of Ann Arbor, close to all the major cultural, educational and recreational centers but still maintaining its "small town atmosphere". It has been the driving force of this small rural community for 100's of years. The quality of education in Saline Schools has drive... 08/25/2008

I love high school and college sports, that's not a shocker. Saline High School football is one of my favorite sports. Still trying to figure what player I will adopt this year as my own kids will be nowhere on the field. Of course it goes without saying how much I love the Michigan Wolverines, just look at my page. I can't wait, opening day is next Saturday, 7 days and counting. Of course everyone is anxiously awaiting kick-off with the new coach, Rich Rodriques.  August 29th is the Big Prep Day Opening at EMU, where Saline plays Ann Arbor Pioneer. Click the link for more information. The rest of the local schedule for the Saline Hornets is: September 5th  Bedford High School   Away September 12   Chelsea High School  Home September 19   Dexter High School    Away September 26   Tecums... 08/23/2008

This Sunday, August 17th the Saline Area Schools Preservation Foundation will hold an old fashion ice cream social at the Weber Blaess School. The Weber Blaess School is a one room school house that was restored in 2004. It was the former school house of students from Saline and Lodi Township. Each year different classes of elementary children at Saline Area Schools get to visit the school and see what it was like to attend school in a one room school house. This Sunday, students can also experience the re-enactment of a typical day in one room school house, even using the McGuffey Readers and slateboards. The games kids played at recess, like hopscotch, graces will also be played. Along with the fun events will be a Silent Auction fundraiser that will start at 1:00. Things to auction o... 08/16/2008

The Saline Varsity Football team is gearing up for the Big Day Prep Showdown IV on Friday, August 29th. This day of football extravaganza will take place at EMU's Rynerson Stadium beginning at 11:00 a.m. The SALINE Hornets will play the premier game at 8 p.m. against Ann Arbor Pioneer. The Saline vs. Pioneer has turned into a great rivalry. In the past 8 years Saline has played Pioneer 10 times, going 5-5. The Hornets are currently on a 3 game winning streak. For more information on the Big Day Prep Showdown, visit Big Day Prep Show Down web site.  Tickets can be purchased the following ways:1. Visit the athletic office at Saline High School. The athletic office is open weekdays from 8 a.m. until noon, and then 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. 2. Tickets can be bought at the Blue/Gold Intra-Squad Sc... 08/14/2008

I live in Saline, Mi and love it. It is a wonderful community to live and raise a family. Saline is located on a few miles South of Ann Arbor and we live only 6 minutes to Briarwood Mall. One of the main attractions to Saline is the schools. We have the largest school buildings in Michigan. Saline High School opened in September of 2007 and is a gorgeous building. Looks more like a small Division 3 college campus with all the athletic fields and a new elementary school Harvest on campus. Why did we chose to live in Saline ? At the time we moved here we had been living in Ann Arbor, my husband did a wedding in Saline and I fell in love with the small town atmosphere. We transfered our children to a Christian School in Saline, Washtenaw Christian Academy. The rest is history... The market... 08/05/2008