Have We Hit Bottom Yet?…A Brief Summary of the Grand Rapids, Mi Real Estate Market

To say this has been an interesting 24 months in the real estate industry in Grand Rapids, Michigan would be an understatement.  The Grand Rapids Association of Realtors began tracking the significant increase in foreclosures in the Grand Rapids area at the start of 2007. 

Concern that the numbers were in the low double digits increased as the foreclosure and short sale rates climbed upwards towards just shy of 49% by December of 2007.  But something shifted in 2008.  In January, the number of homes Sold jumped 18.9%…the first jump of that magnitude since 2005.  This was followed by a decrease in homes listed in February of 2008 which was the first signal that there may a decline in high inventory levels.

Over the past 3 months, the Foreclosure and Short Sales statistics have continued to decline.  While it is somewhat alarming that almost 1 in 2 homes Sold in Grand Rapids today are in this category, the dollar volume of these Sales as a percentage of the Sales for the entire Board has dropped from a high of 32% at the latter part of 2007 to just under 28% for the last 3 months.  If this trend continues…we are likely to look back to this time as the End of Bargain Hunting for aspiring home buyers.

Grand Rapids Mi….Dynamic Real Estate Blogging & Code of Ethics Continuing Education COMBO!

There’s a simple proverb that says…”When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. 

For thousands of students in Michigan, including myself, that teacher has been Gwyn Besner. My initial interraction with Gwyn was during a Continuing Education Class. I found her teaching style interesting and she definitely kept us awake!

Through the years, I have recommended Gwyn Besner to many students who through her instruction and encouragement successfully passed their real estate licensing exams.  More importantly, these new real estate agents finished her classes with a clear sense of what the real estate profession aspires to be and were well prepared to launch their new profession. 

Today, Gwyn is the President and Instructor for the Acme Institute and continues to teach students across the State of Michigan.

So, I am delighted to be able to have the opportunity to have Gwyn Besner participate in the Continuing Education Courses that are being offered in Grand Rapids, Michigan on May 28th, 2008. 

Gwyn will be joining us in the afternoon of May 28th, 2008 to teach the Code of Ethics!  This class will function for double duty!  In addition to qualifying for 3 hours of Continuing Education Core Curriculum, this class will also allow members of the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors to have an interesting, live interactive Code of Ethics class…one of the requirements for ALL members of GRAR.

Don’t Miss this Opportunity!

Here’s a Description of the Course that Gwyn will be teaching on May 28, 2008… 

Honesty, Integrity and Commitment are not just buzz words.  As a REALTOR® those are the promises you make.  The public knows that because you can use the term REALTOR® after your name, they can expect nothing less from you.  Do you really understand the promises you are making?  Join us for a fresh perspective of the Code as we celebrate its 100^th birthday. 

This class contains the NAR required curriculum for the Second Cycle of Quadrennial training and has been approved by the Department of Labor and Economic Growth of the State of Michigan for three hours of continuing education, including the mandatory two hour core curriculum (legal update) #K299, K5047.  Presented by Gwyn Besner of The Acme Institute Approval code K348

Class Starts at 1:00 p.m.

Registration begins at Noon* Participants in the Blogging Courses can register for all 3 courses and obtain 7 hours of Continuing Education in one day and have all your requirements for Continuing Education, Core Curriculum/Legal Update AND Code of Ethics in one day! If you register for all 3 Courses…We’ll Feed You Lunch!

Place:  660 Kenmoor SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546

Click this LINK to REGISTER for the Code of Ethics class!  (the registration button is at the bottom of the page)

Click this LINKG to REGISTER for Blogging Continuing Education Classes!

 

Related Links:

Information about the Blogging & Technology Continuing Education Courses on May 21 & 28th, 2008

State ID K1062 & 1063  Instructor Approval Code ~ Audu Real Estate K355

Download Registration Form for  Blogging & Technology Continuing Education Courses

View Video of Class held in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2007

Click to read more from Gwyn Besner’s blog...

Visit Gwyn Besner’s Website…

Opera Grand Rapids…A Memorable 40 Years

Tonight, I look forward to attending the last performance of the 2008 Season for the Opera Grand Rapids. The performance of ‘The Flying Dutchman’ written by Robert Wagner will be the conclusion of the 40 Year Anniversary Season of the Opera Grand Rapids.  Other performances this year have included Carmen and The Marriage of Figaro.  In a way, it’s fitting that this years final celebration reflects a prominent part of the city’s heritage of Dutch culture. 

We were introduced to the opera by a friend and business associate.  Opera was not something that I would have predicted developing a liking or passion for.  But, improbably through CD’s which introduced the storyline and many characters as well as the high quality of the performances, we have grown to love this type of entertainment.  The Opera of Grand Rapids features performers from around the nation as well as local talent which includes the excellent Grand Rapids Symphony. 

Some Exciting News was recently announced.  The Opera will finally have its’ headquarters in the Grand Rapids area.  For the past 40 years, this incredible troupe of artisans has rehearsed in locations as improbable as vacant storefronts and office buildings.  They have now entered into an agreement to purchase a property on East Fulton which will house offices, a rehearsal hall, costume shop and storage for props.  The facility is scheduled for completion in the Spring of 2009. 

The New Facility will be known as the Betty Van Andel Opera Center in honor of Betty Van Andel who was a member of the Opera Grand Rapids Board of Trustees from 1981 to 1990. In 2001, the Jay and Betty Van Andel Foundation awarded Opera Grand Rapids a 1 Million dollar gift to jumpstart the building project.  The Opera Grand Rapids is still involved in a major campaign to collect the remainder needed for the 2+ Million dollar project.  As of mid-April, according the the Opera Grand Rapids website…they have raised approximately 70% of their target goal.

What is remarkable about the Opera of Grand Rapids from a fiscal standpoint is the manner in which they have managed and engaged fiscal costs and grown their audience at a time when many businesses in Grand Rapids experienced severe financial losses.  I think one key has been the quality of the performances and the excellence with which they have marketed the Opera to a whole new audience. 

When I look over the audience during an Opera performance, I’m always struck by the diversity of those who have come to know and love this special event offering in Grand Rapids.  This bodes well for the future of the Opera…and the future of Grand Rapids!

Picture courtesy of PetitPoulillaires’ photostream on flickr.com

Copyright 2008 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

Spring in the Evening…

 I took this picture recently.  It was one of those gorgeous picture perfect days in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Then I decided to play around with Picasa to imagine what Spring in the evening would look like.  Here’s an interesting approximation…

Two NEW Blogging Real Estate Continuing Education Courses Approved in Michigan!

EXCITING NEWS!

The State of Michigan has recently approved TWO NEW COURSES ON BLOGGING & WEB 2.0 TECHNOLOGY for Continuing Education Credit for Real Estate Professionals!  These ground-breaking courses are designed to give real estate professionals the vital information they will need to participate responsibly in a Web 2.0 Connected environment.

Technology has transformed many essential elements of the real estate process.  Today, new and experienced agents find that they need to understand the dyanmics of the online community or risk being marginalized.  This coursework will not only provide a comprehensive overview of Web 2.0 in today’s marketplace but will also touch on important topics that have significant legal implications for professionals who engage in online transactions.

DATES:  MAY 21 & MAY 28, 2008

TIME:   8:00 A.M. ~ 12:30 A.M.  Registration begins at 7:30 A.M. & Class will commence promptly at 8:00 A.M.

PLACE:  Grand Rapids Association of Realtors (GRAR)  660 Kenmoore SE, Grand Rapids, MI  49546

Course Codes:  K355-1061 Blogging Basics For Real Estate Professionals

Course Codes:  K355-1062  Blogging Ethics For Real Estate Professionals

Sponsor ID#:  K355

*PLEASE NOTE: to obtain State Continuing Education credit, participants must attend the entire session. Students arriving more than 15 minutes after the start of the class will not receive credit. A 15 minute make-up session will be available at the end of the second class.  Please be sure to bring your Driver’s license and State ID/Pocket Card for Identification.  Registration is not confirmed until payment is received.  Please e-mail laudu@grar.com or call 616-791-0511 with any questions.

Topics that will be covered include:

*Blogging & Marketing Your Skills in A Web 2.0 Connected World

*Connecting with the Online Consumer

*Keeping Your Blog out of Legal Trouble

*Protecting your Content

*Ethical Issues including Fair Housing & Discrimination

Light Refreshments will be Served

Both Courses are approved for 2 hours each of Continuing Education Credit for a total of 4 hours!

Registration is required.  Walk-Ins will be seated as space permits.  Don’t miss this Great Opportunity to learn more about how to move your business Forward with technology through this Practical Continuing Education Course Offerings!

Click the link To Download a Printer Friendly Version of the Registration form.  Make sure you check the HTML printer friendly option.

Musings on Mastery…

“Mastery requires the Need to be Present.  The Need to Win Drains You of All Power.” by Eckhart Tolle

I hear these words while listening to a conversation between Oprah Winfrey & Eckhart Tolle on the web about his new book “A New Earth.” I think that the tension between those two statements is an ongoing life challenge.  To Master anything takes hard work… a lot of hard work.  Yet, the drive to do so must come from a place which is beyond the lower level machination of competitive energy if it is to accomplish true Mastery.  A difficult balancing act indeed.  

One of the most profound aspects of work for me has been the ongoing cultivation of my craft to share insights with others through various dimensions of teaching which include my blogging. When this activity comes from the ‘zone,” it is truly a gift.  It is effort without extra weight.  No longer is communication about finding the right words, but rather inolves receiving the right words… and being a vessel that can conveys them with integrity. 

Mastery is not a destination per se…it’s the experience of heightened engagement.  It’s not about arriving…it’s about being fully present.  Mastery also absorbs replenishment without the distortion of ego centered behavior.  It sheds the short term unsustainable distraction of event based euphoria and replaces it with the lasting joy of inner satisfaction and contentment…It realises just how poor we have become in misunderstanding the difference.

Copyright 2008  Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

Read more entries in the “What is Means Series.”

Spring out to the Restaurant Bloom…A delightful Experience!

* My visit to Restaurant Bloom was at their initial location on Cherry St.  They have sinced moved)

We literally stumbled upon this little restaurant.  We were strolling outside while waiting for our pager to go off for a seat at the Green Well.  As we passed the entrance, we looked up and spotted the moniker…Restaurant Bloom. On the spur of the moment, we decided to try our luck…only to informed that they were Sorry…reservations were needed.

As we contemplated our feelings about that, the door opened and a couple stepped out.  They came directly over to us and said…”You must come back!  We discovered this restaurant just over a week ago and we’ve been back 3 times.”  They literally waxed rhapsodical over the service and the food.

A couple of weeks later, we were back and it was not a disappointment.  Now, this place is small…the loving creation of 3 culinary arts students who do everything themselves…or so it seemed.  Our waiter was the wife of one of the chefs.  The service was attentive and personal.

The Restaurant Bloom caters to the best of what the local Grand Rapids area has to offer.  The food was delicious.  I had a pork dish which I have never had before or since.  It was cooked to succulent perfection and accompanied by a delightful blend of root veggies. 

The food offerings are unique blend of items.  Be forewarned that although you may not remember the name of all the items on your plate, your tummy will thank you for the delicous taste!

This is a restaurant that I would definitely recommend.  It’s not going to be your cheapest meal but you will find the food creatively inventive and well worth making a reservation for!  This quote from their website says it all:

Restaurant bloom is a casual restaurant serving lunch and dinner. we love food, and we love making it interesting… our goal is to create an experience of sights, aromas, tastes, and textures for you, our guest.
 

New Location:  40 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids, MI  49503  Phone:  616-632-2233

Check out these pictures of their menu offerings which change seasonally.  Restaurant Bloom is a Local First restaurant…which means that as much as feasible, your food comes from nearby.

On the Grand…

One of my favorite shots of the Grand River in Grand Rapids, Michigan taken from Johnson Park.  On weekends, the park comes alive with soccer games & families enjoying the picnic grounds. 

Meijer Gardens hosts the Secchia Garden Lecture

With Spring just itching to bust loose in Grand Rapids, serious and amateur gardeners in Grand Rapids, Michigan will appreciate the opportunity to learn the secrets of gardening for a well known author and garden designer, Rob Proctor when he is the Featured Speaker at the Secchia Garden Lecture.

The event will be held at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park on April 15, 2008 at 7:00.  Admission is FREE to members and non-members or FREE to non-members with paid admission the the Meijer Gardens.  Proctor has written 15 books on gardening, including his latest entitled: “Gardening on a Shoestring.”

He will be sharing ways to save money by starting plants from seeds or seedlings and giving tips on how to store less hardy plants in harsh winter conditions.  Rob Proctor is known for his ability to create masterpiece gardens which delight you with their artistry and inspired arrangements. You may also enjoy this recent article by Rob Proctor about selecting the right containers for your potted plants.

April Showers bring May Flowers…or so the saying goes.  Don’t miss this opportunity to lean how to make your yard “come alive” in a delightful way this spring and summer.

To RSVP call 616-975-3144 or e-mail skilroy@meijergardens.org

A Monday in the Life of a Grand Rapids Real Estate Lady…

Mondays are always busy.  Even if I don’t have scheduled appointment, Mondays always fill up with activity.  It’s as though the weekend holds it’s breath and then lets it out with a rush on Mondays…as if to say, golly you’re back…now, get to work!

Today was no exception.  Our office meeting is always a great time of learning, inspiration and challenge.  So what was on the docket today.  Well, for starters we welcomed a new agent to our team.  Lorrae Danzing joins the Audu Real Estate team and brings a great business background to our practise.

Discussion topic for inspiration was “As iron sharpens iron…so one man sharpens another.”  A lively conversation about what really makes us better….hard stuff takes on new meaning in that context.  Then we read portions of the War of Art by Stephen Pressfield, a fascinating book we are studying. 

Next, we finally completed an indepth study of the Realtors Code of Ethics.  We’ve been having an engaging discussion on the Code of Ethics for several months.  It has changed our appreciation of our profession in a good way.

Lastly, we did training for mini-seminars for the Straight Talk Neighborhood Series that will be available for Grand Rapids residents shortly.  A wonderful program to allow questions about real estate to be answered in an informal setting without pressure.

Then, the next couple of hours were spent running errands and lunch and then back to the office to catch up with phone calls and e-mails.  And…the day is not yet done.  Then there’s blogging for real estate blog posts and a guest writer contribution for the Mothers Fighting For Others Blog.

Lastly, at 9:00…I’m listening to a fascinating class online by Oprah & Elkhart Tolle.

There it is…A Monday in the Life of a Grand Rapids Real Estate Lady…