This feed offers advice on moving, transferring utilities, and closing homes. http://www.lukebouman.com/news.cfm CNN Money named Holland Michigan in the top 5 of places to retire http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=175 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=175 Fri, 03 Aug 2007 03:20:12 GMT 1. First Impression -Have a freshly painted or freshly scrubbed front door. Clean windows, doors, decks and porches. Install new door knobs, paint or stain trim and siding. Don?t forget to paint the mailbox! - Make sure all light bulbs are working, and light fixtures are clean. Lighting is very important for selling your home! --Entrance area needs to be clean, uncluttered, and inviting, with the floors spotless. Clean bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen. -Well manicured lawn and... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=176 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=176 Mon, 06 Aug 2007 02:04:11 GMT From January 1, 2007-April 30,2007 Coldwell Banker Woodland Schmidt outperformed the other real estate companies in the area. Here is a breakdown of the percentage of total sales in Holland and Zeeland Michigan during this time. Coldwell Banker Woodland Schmidt-39.66% Five Star Lakeshore-18.62% Greenridge Realty-5.04% RE/Max Lakeshore-4.65% Summit Properties-4.53% Doesn't it make sense to list with a Coldwell Banker Woodland Schmidt agent? Get started today! http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=177 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=177 Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:57:52 GMT I focused on my clients and future clients needs when I designed my website. To begin with I wanted it to be easy for you to begin your home or property search, so I created the Quick Home Search. This allows you to do a generic real estate search without knowing exactly what you are looking for. I then designed the advanced search giving you the opportunity to find exactly what you are looking for. There are many other features on my website and I encourage you to dig through it all. Y... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=179 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=179 Fri, 17 Aug 2007 08:36:05 GMT The internet plays a major role in marketing your home or property. In fact, 80% of all buyers begin their real estate search on the internet before they contact a Realtor. For many months now I have been optimizing my website to make it show up higher on search engines. My hard work is paying off. I am now on the first page of Google, Yahoo, and MSN for search terms like ?Holland Michigan Real Estate? ?Zeeland Michigan Real Estate? ?Holland Michigan Homes for Sale? ?Coldwell Banker Woodla... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=180 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=180 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 02:45:17 GMT When I give my listing presentation and talk about open houses I often have different reactions from my sellers. Most of the time the seller is very excited about having an open house and sees it as a great service to market and sell their home. Other times the seller is not too excited about open houses because they heard from other real estate agents that open houses are no longer beneficial, and it is only a way for the realtor to generate leads. From my experiences of doing a number of ... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=181 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=181 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 02:47:49 GMT Information on transfering utilities in Holland, Zeeland, and neighboring West Michigan Ask Postman for ?Change of address? card Holland Post Office: (616) 396-5201 Zeeland Post Office: (616) 772-2971 Douglas Post Office: (269) 857-4290 Saugatuck Post Office: (269) 857-2708 Fennville Post Office: (269) 561-6031 Glenn Post Office: (269) 227-3722 Grand Haven Post Office: (616) 842-0510 Spring Lake Post Office: (616) 842-0321 Ferrysburg Post Office: (616) 842-9650 M... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=182 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=182 Mon, 20 Aug 2007 03:47:45 GMT 1. Begin By getting your "utilities transfered". 2. Notify insurance Companies, newspaper delivery, laundry pick-up, trash pick-up, all open accounts, department stores, banks, service stations, doctors, dentists, allergists. 3. Change address on publications, magazines, and newspapers. 4. Order moving boxes so there is less packing. 5. Rent a U-Haul or trailer when there are large items to be moved. http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=183 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=183 Mon, 20 Aug 2007 04:31:37 GMT Luke Bouman traveled to Lansing, Michigan to further his real estate expertise. He came away from Lansing with his CNS Designation! This stands for Certified Negotiation Specialist. This will allow Luke to bring more value to his clients, and make the real estate experience more enjoyable. http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=187 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=187 Tue, 28 Aug 2007 06:11:01 GMT Key 1: Build a negotiating strategy before you start-We will work together so that I understand what you can afford when you are purchasing a home, and if your selling I will know what you need to sell your home for. Having this information up front will help us price the home better, or find a better home. Key 2: Don't take any of the negotiations personally-I am working for you, but that doesn't mean that I am going to be easy on you. You need to know what the market is doing and unders... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=188 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=188 Wed, 29 Aug 2007 10:27:45 GMT A new feature has been added to my West Michigan Real Estate Website. The new feature is the Comparable Market Analysis Form. When you fill out this form the information about your home will be sent to me, and I then run a comparable market analysis(CMA) for you. The CMA will give you an idea on the value of your home in this market. Thinking about selling your home? Visit Comparable Market Analysis today! http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=189 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=189 Sat, 15 Sep 2007 08:18:53 GMT The statistics for total sales in the Holland and Zeeland area recently came out. From January 1-August 31 of 2007, Coldwell Banker Woodland Schmidt dominated the local real estate market in total sales based on volume. Coldwell Banker Woodland Schmidt has sold 37.95% of the market in volume, while our nearest competitor company has sold 19.49%. Isn't it obvious what company you should list your home with? Visit my Sellers Section to view reasons to list with me.... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=190 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=190 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:35:46 GMT Living in West Michigan is great because of the number of inland lakes, but mostly because of Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan is surrounded by four states; Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Having the freshwater lake in the area makes West Michigan Real Estate very popular. Having the Lake near by is great because it can keep you from being bored. There are a number of beaches along the West Michigan Coastline, so it does not matter which city you live in. Being at the beach allows... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=191 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=191 Sat, 06 Oct 2007 06:09:32 GMT One of the major benefits of having a career in real estate is being able to make a difference in home buyers and home sellers lives. Working in Holland, Zeeland, and neighboring West Michigan has been a challenge because of the slow real estate market. There are many sellers in the market place who owe more on their home than what the home is actually worth. This had caused many of the West Michigan foreclosures and short-sales. Working with these clients is a big challenge, but als... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=193 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=193 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 01:46:56 GMT When putting an offer on a home it is very important that you get a home inspection done. In the offer that you write up with your Realtor, let the sellers know that you will be doing a home inspection and it needs to be satisfactory to them. Then when the inspection takes place and you are not satisfied you can either ask for things to be fixed, or you can get out of the deal completely without loosing your earnest money. During a complete home inspection the certified home inspector will ... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=194 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=194 Fri, 19 Oct 2007 08:29:06 GMT I recently read an article about the 20 best cities to sell your home For Sale By Owner. Of the 20 cities 12 diferent states were represented. The State of Utah and Florida had the most cities represented in the findings. Although there are 12 different states represented, Michigan is not one of those states. The real estate market in Michigan is slow because of the economy and lack of jobs making real estate agents even more important. http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=195 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=195 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 06:18:40 GMT The market for the last couple of years has been a buyers market. Sellers have been doing a number of things to make their home stand out. This includes staging, cleaning, updating and having price reductions. Buyers are now resorting to other means to sell their home, and some of these you may have never heard about. I had a seller a few months ago who was having trouble selling his home. He was in a difficult price point and wanted to get out of his high mortgage payments. We decided t... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=196 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=196 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 07:00:39 GMT The Holland Sentinel ran an article on the front page of their news paper about New Construction and its sharp decline. Here are the statistics from the last 4 years for Ottawa and Allegan County. In Ottawa County there were 1,057 new homes permitted in the year 2004. In the year 2005, 907 new homes were permitted. 2006 saw the greatest drop of new homes permitted at only 511, and this year we have had 432 new homes permitted. Allegan County has seen similar results. In the year 2004, 44... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=197 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=197 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 02:02:33 GMT Ourstreet in Holland Michigan is a "Home Purchase Rehabilitation program" for the area located from 13th to 19th street, and from Lincoln to Harrison. The Home Purchase Rehabilitation Program is to help low to moderate income families become home owners, to improve housing stock in central Holland, and to target foreclosed homes, so that area homes are occupied. The rehabilitation program could offer up to $20,000 for renovations and up to $10,000 for addressing lead based paint hazards. ... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=198 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=198 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 03:22:50 GMT There was an article in the paper yesterday stating that Holland City council has approved spending $8,000 for a marketing strategy to get more people to live in Holland. When I read the article it made me excited about the possibility of more people moving into the area. As most of you know, the West Michigan economy has been slowed by job loss. This campaign would focus on Holland's neighborhoods and its amenities, which include the parks, beaches and recreational offerings among other th... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=199 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=199 Fri, 16 Nov 2007 09:28:54 GMT As many of you know the day before Thanksgiving is one of the biggest days for drunken driving. For that reason the Holland Police department is going to be patrolling the roads more heavily looking for drunken drivers and safety belt violations. Last Call Ministries will be operating out of Good Earth Cafe from 11:00pm to 2:00am. Last Call Ministries is offering free-ride service to anyone at the bar that lives within 10 miles of it. Their goal is to make sure that people get home safely.... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=200 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=200 Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:56:10 GMT I recieved a newsletter today from a local mortgage broker. In the newsletter there was an article entitled,"Single and Looking - For A Home." The article talked about single women purchashing homes. "According to the National Association of Realtors, single women now comprise one-fifth of all American hombuyers, and one-fourth of first-time home buyers. In another two years it's estimated that 28 percent of U.S. housholds will be headed by a woman." When I first saw these statistics it ... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=201 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=201 Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:46:15 GMT The 246 year old DeZwaan windmill is expected to get new canvas sails because a freedom village committe has raised $7,000 for the cause. This news came last week when the Grand Rapids Press reported the story. The saidls will be shipped from the Netherlands and installed on the windmill. "The Sails could be on the windmill in time for the Tulip Time Festival. The story reports that having these sails will allow the windmill to be presented more authentically as a true Dutch Devise. The... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=202 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=202 Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:58:43 GMT In the Lakeshore Press I read an interesting article about HUD homes being sold for $1 to local cities. The city of Holland Michigan recently purchased the home at 946 Lincoln Ave for $1 plus closing costs. The City of Zeeland Michigan did the same thing. They purchased a home earlier this month for $1 plus closing costs at 40 N. Jefferson Ave in Zeeland. Unfortunately, these homes are not available to the public. When a HUD-foreclosed property has been on the market for 6 months without ... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=203 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=203 Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:31:42 GMT Giving your house a new coat of paint is a great way to make a real change, inside and out. Done right, a new paint job can turn your faded house into a beautiful, calming place you can really call home. It can also have a positive effect on your mood when you come from a long day?s work. Your home should be a haven, a place you can relax from the hustle of the outside world. Here are some tips to successfully choose the right colors for your home. ? Choose your colors after everything el... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=204 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=204 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:23:07 GMT Everyone?s heard about a friend or a friend?s friend who?s been taken for a ride with a timeshare purchase. That poor soul either bought a timeshare property that was advertised as ?ocean front? property when in actuality it was five or ten miles inland, or a ?real steal? when neighboring units were sold for thousands less. How can you protect yourself from buying a timeshare without being taken advantage of? Read our ?timeshare buying tips? below before you make that huge purchase. Do you... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=205 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=205 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:10:04 GMT The escrow process is perhaps one of the least understood processes when buying a house. You?ve probably heard your friends talking about the daunting ?escrow process? and the different responsibilities that needed to be addressed during that period, but were really not concerned ? until you put a bid on a property. Here?s a review of the escrow responsibilities - for the lender, buyer and seller ? so that you?ll know what?s expected of each party during that daunting escrow period. Lende... http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=206 http://www.lukebouman.com/viewNews.cfm?newsID=206 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:15:32 GMT