Let the count down begin... 23 days til Christmas...

Where the heck did the year go? None of you probably even noticed that I skipped the November blog. Between closings, holidays, elections and any number of a thousand excuses, I just didn't do one.

I thought on such a cold snowy start to the holiday season, I better do some catching up. First off, Homes have been selling like hot cakes. 5 closings in November is even better than the bunch I was able to close the first of the year. It ain't over yet, but thankfully this has already been the best year in about 4 in my business... no records, but steady for a change.

A couple nuggets from the closings this month should shed some light on the market in general... My first one was a first time home buyer... the search process was quick and we found a home that wasn't bank owned or a short sale. His mortgage broker broke a record in getting the approval and it was a seamless transaction. The second one was a home that was priced well,in good shape, and in a marketable area. I mentioned priced well because that's key today. I listed it Friday, and we had an offer by Sunday. Might be a record for me. Number 3 took a little longer but was a nice family colonial on a great street. It was my listing and we got through the appraisal and inspection process with flying colors, but the mortgage for the buyer took forever it seemed. Underwriters are dragging people over the coals these days before they'll write a mortgage. Number 4 and 5 (o.k. I fudged a little but they should have closed in November) are slated to close tomorrow (fingers still crossed). I mentioned mortgage underwriters, both deals have great borrowers but the mortgage folks have delayed both closings for over 3 weeks now for a myriad of reasons. It's tough out there folks, no matter what you read about how easy it is to get a great rate on a mortgage, you still need bordering on excellent credit to get one.

All said, this is still a great time to be a Realtor and to buy a home. I spend a lot of time these days consulting on all kinds of Real Estate issues. Feel free to call if you have any of your own.

The fam is great. Bikes are put away for the winter, and we're settling in for hermit season. Big plans this month are a visit to Chicago with Bella to the American Girl store (don't ask me... I just go where Kel tells me to go). Anthony and I will have to find some male bonding experience in Chicago to avoid boredom. Jessy & Anthony are planning a trip here near Christmas, so we have that to look forward to. Dave & Lauren are well... Lauren looks like she could have the twins any second now... they need a little more time to make sure all their parts cook as long as they can, but you know how twins can be... Did I mention it's going to be 2 boys? Austin has gotten so big already... he's not walking yet, but he stands pretty good, and he talks... but it's some kind of language I've never heard before.

Gordy has been out hunting with me a few times and so far I haven't left him behind... Dave and Anthony went with me a couple weeks ago. We were able to help Anthony get his first taste of bird hunting... good times that day, and no Dick Cheney incidents.

I'm sure there's tons I haven't talked about but shame on me for skipping a month. See you in January... have a great holiday season

Dave & Kelly

p.s. a sincere thank you for all the referrals you've sent my way... Your family and friends are an important part of what I do.

Another month slipped by... 79 days until Christmas...

We should be hearing Christmas music at the stores any day now.

For now, Fall is definately here to stay, cool crisp evenings, hit or miss warm days, leaves turning colors... love this time of year. I've been reading much about economic improvements in the news. I'm hopeful that you all are feeling a little confidence in your personal economic situations. We may not be on a huge uptick, but I get the sense that we have at least stabilized in Michigan, and a slow methodic recovery is on it's way.

I think I mentioned earlier this year that I had one of the best first quarters in real estate that I have had in the 10 years I've been a Realtor. Most of my profession chalked it up to the free Obama bucks that were enticing first time buyers into homes. There was a marked stall in my personal business in May, but it has been steadily improving over the past several months. The last week in September ended with an accepted offer on one of my listings, and 2 accepted offers for buyers I'm working with. 3 in one week is a rarity these days. Q-4 always proves out to be strong in my business matrix, and with a strong supply of good homes, great low interest rates (teetering between 3.7% and 4.5% in some cases), and a little confidence restoration in our economic climate, I look forward to fall 2010 standing up to years past.

Thanks as always for your referrals... Always treated as my own family, and very much a vital part of my business.

On to the fam...

September was just a busy extension of the rest of our fun filled summer. I figured with the wedding behind us, we'd slow down a bit. Trying to balance an increasingly busy real estate market with family stuff is difficult at best.

We went with Dave & Lauren, Bella and Austin to Yates Cider Mill. Bella rode Snickers, and taught Austin how to climb a tree (pics below). Dave is busier than ever traveling for work, and Lauren is busier than ever working and chasing after two kids, the youngest just figuring out how to manipulte the stairs.

Jessy is full swing into her job in Chicago. We stopped out there last month for a visit, and saw her new office and school... very nice. We got to watch Anthony coach his high school football team and sadly saw a rare defeat. They are a ranked team in Illinois, and we naturally showed up for the game of the century against another ranked team where they fell 34-32... Awesome game though... see pic below for candid photo opp of coach Bels.

My Ligers Fall softball team logged in a 10 - 2 record and went undefeated in playoffs for the third trophy this year. Good times playing ball with Dave jr. This old man sat most of the season nursing my sprained ankle and then followed it with a pulled quad muscle. Better be a long winter so I can rest up for spring ball.

Went to San Diego with kelly last month while she was away on a biz trip. Lots of fun for a pseudo vaca. More so for me than her. I golfed a couple times and sat by the pool. Not a bad gig really. She continues to accel at QEK selling in a tough economic environment.

Haven't quite put the golf clubs or the motorcycles away yet, but I think it's just about time.

See you next month, Maybe a recipe for Thanksgiving coming your way... let me think about that.