Month: December 2012

Michigan Right to Work – I smell appreciation

December 20, 2012

For us left in MI, here’s some sobering stats and realities. Per the Wall Street Journal:

“Between 1980 and 2011, total employment in right-to-work states grew by 71%, .. in non-right-to-work states … 32%. .. in Michigan … 14% during that time…. inflation-adjusted compensation grew 12% in right-to-work states, but just 3% in the others….

…the bill he signed into law on Tuesday is “pro-worker,” …does not change any aspect of collective bargaining other than preventing employees from getting fired for choosing not to join or remain in a union and pay union dues or agency fees, which may go toward political causes they don’t support.

The good news ? MI just became a RTW state – as such, we are now in competition for importing businesses & workers to fill new jobs. This should bring buyers where we’ve had sellers for so long. Those that are against this new law I can’t really agree with, to wit:Collective bargaining still exists … workers are of course free to organize….”

[MI is the only state to loose population in the last 10 yrs…. the statistics go on and are overwhelming in their conclusion ….so what is this guy thinking >]    “…Democratic Rep. Doug Geiss threatened: “There will be blood. . . . There will be repercussions.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323981504578175263199214992.html

DIY Buyers….Due diligence

December 12, 2012

Due diligence is the name of the game when buying a home online. Craigslist & eBay … all chances to be scammed.

Advice boils down to research.

  • Research the house,
  • find out who has the title,
  • confirm the square footage and lot measurements,
  • find out if that lot can be built on or subdivided.
  • The estimated value of the property could be out of date. Find out if there are any development plans for the neighborhood.
  • Are there code violations, back taxes, demolition orders?
  • Does the seller really own the house?  <<< This is a good one for renters, yes, many folks are now renting from someone repping a vacant house they don’t own !

Secrets of House Flippers

December 5, 2012

To help pay for my way thru college, I had to learn to invest in property in my junior year. Here’s an article with some merits based on my years of rehab/reuse/renting out.

…. According to RealtyTrac.com, an online marketplace of foreclosed properties, investors flipped close to 100,000 homes in the first half of the year, making almost $30,000 per flip, on average.

  1. Assemble a team of experts.
  2. Look for potential.
  3. Do the math.
  4. Design for buyers, not yourself.

Related link: How We Made A Million Dollars Recycling Great Old Houses [Sam Weir, Mary Weir]