Tag Archive for: Life Outside of Loans

Image showing a home checklist.

Home Maintenance Checklist: Leave Buyers with a Great Impression

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First impressions matter!

According to the National Association of Realtors, the average home buyer will look at 10 homes before making an offer. When a potential homebuyer walks in to your home, how will your home make a positive and lasting impression?

Most buyers are looking for a move-in ready home that appears to be well maintained, with ample storage, and it’s the little things they notice when assessing the over-all condition.

Make sure you inspect your home through the eyes of these potential buyers, then fix the most obvious items. Take inventory of all repairs and get to work.

  • Make sure all door hardware is in working order and replace if necessary.
  • Do all windows open easily and have a secure window lock?
  • Reglaze bathtubs if needed. This is a very easy, inexpensive but important fix.
  • Make sure caulking is clean and applied well in bathrooms and kitchen.
  • Repair any cracks in ceilings and walls.
  • Fill in any holes left by picture hangers and wall art.
  • Touch up painting in all rooms.
  • Replace shower head with a new, clean one.
  • Repair any leaking faucets or supply valves.
  • Make sure all outlets and light switches are working.
  • Replace old, dirty and paint covered electrical covers with new ones.
  • Put the correct bulbs in light fixtures and make sure there are no bulbs burned out.
  • Buyers are looking for neutral colors, so if there are boldly colored rooms, repainting in neutral tones will be helpful.

Cleaning and Decluttering

  • Remove clutter. Picture frames, accessories, files, books, small appliances should be removed from counters.
  • Scrub all surfaces.
  • Make sure your home is free of all smells including animals, food, cigarette smoke, etc.
  • Clean all baseboards.
  • Clean all light fixtures and ceiling fans.
  • Clean windows and sills inside and out.
  • Clean all closets and keep them tidy and clean.
  • Have carpets professionally cleaned and/or replaced if necessary.
  • Hardwood floors should be mopped and oiled.
  • Dust blinds.
  • Replace old, moldy shower curtains.
  • Remove grease and grime from kitchen cabinets and appliances.
  • Make sure cupboards and drawers are wiped out and clutter free.
  • Make sure garage can house cars not boxes and junk.

Enlisting a reputable Realtor will insure that your home is in tip top shape to sell. Your local Realtor knows what homebuyers in your area are looking for!

Realtors Who Care logo

#MMGivesBack: Realtors Who Care

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Realtors Who Care is the charitable arm of the West Michigan Lakeshore Association of Realtors. Their goal is to make our local community a better place to work and live.

Mission Statement: Realtors Who Care shall strive to support Realtors first, people focused local charities, individuals in need and the National Association of Realtors recommended disaster relief.

They often give $300 to support individuals and charities in need and $600 to Realtors in need and disaster relief efforts designated by the National Association of Realtors.

Loan Officer Hayley Woodworth is Co-Chair of the Realtors Who Care Committee and selected the non-profit organization as this month’s #MMGivesBack charity.

Why?

“Realtors give back so much to their clients and communities,” she said. “I think it is important that we support them when they are in need. We meet so many people through this industry, and when you meet someone going through a hardship, it’s such a great feeling to be able to help them.”

The group experienced a very successful 2018 full of giving but has even bigger dreams for the year ahead.

“The goal for 2019 is to raise as much money as possible so we can give more than we ever have back to the local community,” Woodworth said. “We are also striving to gain as much exposure as possible so Realtors, affiliates and the community become aware of our organization.”

“We want to get more people involved and encourage more requests and submissions for donations for people and places in need,” she said.

How can you get involved?

“In May, Realtors Who Care collects toiletries and personal items for local shelters and food baskets,” Woodworth said. The group takes the donated items and assembles baskets for those in need.

Items include: shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, paper towel, feminine products, deodorant, tissues, and other household items used on a daily basis.

More information about Realtors Who Care, their mission and the May Basket charity initiative is available on their Facebook page.

Image showing a happy homeowner at closing!

Success Story: Laura McCarthy

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As part of our “Success Story” series, we’d like to introduce you to Laura McCarthy, a woman that doubted her ability to achieve the American Dream of homeownership but trusted Michigan Mortgage to guide her home. This is her story.

Homeownership is a dream for many, especially for those looking to provide a safe and stable environment for their children.

Some know the dream is in reach while others question their ability to make the large purchase at every turn. Laura McCarthy was one of those people. She thought homeownership was something she may never achieve.

“As a single mom, to be honest, I did not think I would be able to purchase a home given my past credit history,” Laura said. “I was renting and my money was going nowhere with nothing to show for it. I was hesitant and extremely nervous and thought the people at Michigan Mortgage would laugh me out of their office.”

Much to her surprise, that wasn’t the case at all. It was far from it, actually.

“Dave Lehner and I are old high school chums,” she said. “I knew he would be willing to help me and be able to tell me if my dream was a possibility. He instantly put my fears aside explaining my options and being honest in what I should do with what I could afford.”

Laura knew she was in the right place. Not only did she trust the guidance offered by Dave and his team, she worked with a Realtor that was also a friend.

“I chose to work with Amy Rudholm because of her expertise in the field, her patience, her knowledge and willingness to help me find exactly what I needed and to be sure I was making the right decision,” Laura said.

“Amy told me many times ‘it’s my job to get you exactly what you want’ and she went above and beyond in making that happen,” she continued. “We looked at many homes and she gave me her honest opinion and we kept moving forward. The home I chose was for sale by owner and Amy did not hesitate to work with the sellers and was diligent in making sure I got exactly what I wanted!”

“The inspection process was a bit overwhelming, but once again, Amy was there every step of the way and put my mind at ease.”

Dave and his team made sure to be available anytime Laura needed a little help.

“I had lots of questions every day and no one from the Michigan Mortgage office ever made me feel like I was crazy or bothering them at any time,” she said. “They answered all of my questions and kept me updated daily with emails that were encouraging.”

“Jill, Ronda and Team Lehner were amazing to work with and treated me like family.”

When we received the final clear-to-close, it was a celebration for all!

“It was smooth and quick and before I knew it, we were closing and celebrating,” Laura said. “I happened to be out of town the day I could get the keys and move in, so thanks to my family and Amy’s connections, they made it happen so that I came home to my new house ready to move in!”

Laura, Taylor and Lindsay (her two beautiful children!) have had nothing but fun in their new home. It’s the only place they want to be.

“I cannot thank Michigan Mortgage enough,” Laura said. “Top notch, stellar organization and would (already have) recommend them to anyone looking to purchase a home that needs a little extra help and guidance along the way like I did.”

Laura can’t thank Amy and Dave enough for helping make her dream home a reality.

Image showing a family tree for the Fredricks Family.

Success Story: The Fredricks Family

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As part of our “Success Story” series, we’d like to introduce you to the Fredricks Family, a group of parents, siblings, cousins and friends, that have trusted Michigan Mortgage to guide them home. This is their story.

At Michigan Mortgage, it’s a family affair. We employ husband and wife teams, cousins and life-long friends.

Often times, the families we work with are related too. It’s an honor and a privilege when multiple generations – like members of the Fredricks Family – put their trust in Michigan Mortgage.

It all started many, many years ago. In third grade, in fact. Long before Rob Garrison was a licensed Loan Officer, he spent his days on the playground with Brian Fredricks. A friendship was born and it has lasted for nearly half a century.

“My dad, Brian, originally recommended Rob to me,” said Zach Fredricks. Because Brian had closed a loan with Michigan Mortgage years ago, and the two have been friends for so long, Zach was convinced that Rob and his team were the right fit.

He made the right choice.

“Early in the process, Rob advised us on ways in which to improve our credit score and drop off hundreds of dollars a month in interest making our dream home affordable,” Zach said.

“There were several times Team Garrison saved the deal,” he continued. “During the appraisal, when calculating cash to close. It’s unlikely that we would have been able to make the home sale happen without their expertise.”

After Zach moved into his dream home, his cousin Conor met with Rob to begin the home-buying process for the first time.

“Being a first-time home buyer, I wanted to work with someone I could have an open discussion with about my goals and how to best achieve them,” Conor said. “I trusted Rob to guide me through the process and was always comfortable asking him even the simplest questions.”

“I was purchasing a house from a family friend without a Realtor, so I needed someone to fill in any areas that typically would be handled by an agent and knew Rob would be willing to work with me.”

“I mention Rob anytime I talk with friends or family looking to get into a new place,” Conor said. “At the very least he is a great person to talk to with open questions and he can educate you on parts of the process you may not be familiar with. He knows how to layout your options clearly and help you hit your financial goals.”

The family tree doesn’t stop there. Before Zach and Conor worked with Team Garrison in 2018, they worked with Maury and Karen Fredricks and their daughter, Sandi.

“We initially went to Rob because he is a friend of ours,” said Karen Fredricks. “We had a complex issue and wanted to deal with someone we trusted with our personal information.”

“Rob and his team have a turn key system that is fast and efficient,” Karen said. “He proved to get the job done when others couldn’t.”

“I really couldn’t believe how fast Rob and his team got our deal done, it was within weeks,” she said. “It seemed like everyone had a task to complete the process from start to finish and their response to questions and requests was second to none.”

Team Garrison always found a way for the Fredricks Family, and because of that, they would recommend Michigan Mortgage “a thousand time more” because “they are truly the best.”

Kids' Food Basket logo

#MMGivesBack: Kids’ Food Basket Muskegon

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“Kids’ Food Basket is a grassroots, community solution to childhood hunger. We engage all who care about children reaching their full potential – in school and in life. We began over a decade ago by serving 125 kids each school day through our Sack Supper program and now serve nearly 8,000 kids each weekday in West Michigan.”

Our January Employee of the Month, Danielle Woodring, recognized the work Kid’s Food Basket Muskegon is doing in our local community and asked that we get involved.

“I volunteered with Kids’ Food Basket in the past and fell in love with their mission to ensure children in our community do not go hungry,” she said. “They support numerous local schools and prepare thousands of sack suppers on a weekly basis.”

“Without them, children go hungry and our community suffers.”

According to the Kids’ Food Basket website, “1 in 5 Michigan children are affected by hunger and thousands of West Michigan children are food insecure — they can’t count on having access to good, nourishing food every day.”

That’s why they do what they do: nourish thousands of children to help them reach their full potential.

“Consistent, nutritious meals support cognitive development and help children focus by meeting critical health needs.  With healthy calories we can lessen the risk of conditions such as diabetes and obesity. Healthy calories also help children avoid behavioral issues such as irritability, aggression and anxiety,” according to the Kids’ Food Basket.

“I feel like no child should ever go hungry,” Woodring said. “Finding where their next meal is coming from is not something a child should ever have to worry about.”

“The Kids’ Food Basket has so many different opportunities to volunteer,” she said. “Anyone can get involved and raise awareness about childhood hunger.”

This month, Michigan Mortgage employees were excited to donate supplies and assemble Supper Packs to donate to the organization. Employee’s children got to pitch in by decorating the paper bags that the pack suppers are distributed in. 

If you’d like to get involved, visit their website.

Image showing what Valeo looks like on the inside

Hometown Highlight: Valeo

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With all of the fitness options out there, Valeo strives to be just a little different in their approach. Located in downtown Holland, Valeo has a hip, industrial vibe and the space offers every client an awesome environment on their journey to better health and wellness.

What does “Valeo” mean? “Vuh-lay-oh” is Latin for “Have strength, have power, be effective” and that is exactly what they desire for their members.

In 2006, Jessica Luepke took her Exercise Science degree from Hope College and time spent in corporate wellness and established Valeo in her apartment. The business has grown to what it is today with her passion for functional training and her passion for creating a space for people to feel welcomed and proud of themselves.

Along with her husband Mike, who studies Exercise Science at Purdue, Valeo strives to help people look, move and feel awesome!

As part of their mission, they are dedicated to the joy and success of their members. Their goal is to help their members become healthy, active people by providing a welcoming environment and exceptional results-based fitness activities for all ages and abilities.

Word on the street:

“There is a feeling of my ‘fitness family’ when I walk into Valeo. I love the encouragement, the challenges, the laughs and the conversation. It is a welcoming environment. I need you, my body needs you and my well-being needs you.” – Deb

“I can’t enough positive things about my time at Valeo. The atmosphere of encouragement, positivity and community is unique and I find myself leaving each time strong, happy and proud of the achievements they foster in me. I would recommend Valeo without reservation.” – Ryan

Valeo offers personal workout plans, semi-private training, larger group classes and a nutritional lifestyle program that gets at the root of the habit change. There is something for everyone!

Valeo has been honored with the Official People’s Choice Award in both the “Fitness Center/Gym (2016)” and “Personal Training (2016, 2017)” Categories in the Holland’s Best of the Best Awards.

For more information, check out Valeo’s website.

 

Images of Waters Edge Fitness

Hometown Highlight: Waters Edge Fitness

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You could say that Waters Edge Fitness is nothing like any other gym, fitness facility or studio.

They welcome you with a calm, zen, light filled gathering space and a positive vibe that owner Marissa Evans embodies and exudes when you pass through the front door.

Waters Edge was founded to be a community resource that promotes positivity, growth, and both physical and spiritual wellbeing.

Believing that health and fitness are an integral part of living a happy, productive life, Waters Edge strives to offer the most diverse and accessible schedule of classes in Muskegon. From Yoga and Tai-Chi to Zumba and weight-training, the goal is to provide a fitness (and time) option for anyone looking to move and sweat in an atmosphere that is affirming and encouraging.

“We tried to make this place exactly what we want fitness to be,” said Blake Evans, co-owner of Waters Edge Fitness in Muskegon. Contracts are not required.

“Waters Edge’s intimate classes not only burn calories but also make you part of something bigger; a healthier community,” said one happy client.

“I love the fact that Marissa is dedicated to the community and makes fitness affordable in Muskegon,” said another client. “Marissa has the best energy and I love the variety of classes they offer, such as Barre, which is hard to find.”

Classes and activities are not limited to the 4 walls. The fitness center offers classes in Tai Chi, Yoga on the beach, Zumba at Beechwood Park and kayak fit classes on Muskegon Lake as well.

“We want to offer something for everyone and to give people the opportunity to try new things,” Evans said.

For more information, visit Waters Edge Fitness’ website or check them out on Facebook!

Waters Edge Fitness
Address: 2465 Lakeshore Drive Muskegon, MI 49441
Hours of Operation: Monday-Thursday: 5:30am – 12:00pm (CLOSED 12pm-4pm) 4pm- 8pm; Friday: 5:30am – 12:00 pm (CLOSED 12pm-4pm) 4pm – 5pm; Saturday: 7:00 am- 11:00 am; Sunday: CLOSED

Image of a winding staircase

Life Outside of Loans: Baby Steps

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I had a salad for dinner last night…and I’ll tell you why that matters in just a bit.

I was recently introduced to the idea of compound effect, and although it’s a simple idea, it really blew my mind. You’ve probably heard of compound interest when it comes to your money — the more money you save, the more interest you earn.

Until recently I had always thought my goals had to be monumentally planned out. I envisioned setting aside 90 days for each goal, spending days planning out each step, laying it out on the calendar, and executing every day for three months. And while that’s a completely valid, brilliant way to see progress in your life, I was getting hung up on how many 90-day goals I had. If I have 10 major areas of my work and life I want to improve on, it’d take me nearly three years to get through it all!

Enter the compound effect. It’s a little like Baby Steps by Dr. Leo Marvin from What About Bob.

The concept of the compound effect is this — that taking even small steps toward a goal adds up to something greater.

A diet, for example. If I’d have chosen to have a couple slices of pizza last night instead of that salad, would it have really mattered? Probably not. One individual meal doesn’t tend to move the scale. How about if I chose pizza again tonight? And tomorrow, and every day for the next six months? Ah, now we’re seeing how the compound effect moves the scale!

On the flip side, if I choose a salad every night for dinner for six months, imagine how much the scale would move in the other direction.

So, while I was getting hung up on spending significant amounts of time to focus on each of my life goals, I started applying the compound effect instead. If I do even five minutes each day on each of my 10 goals, I’ll be taking baby steps toward my goals.

Five minutes a day toward decluttering my home.
Five minutes a day spending more one-on-one time with my kids.
Five minutes a day building my website.

After six months, those little steps will have compounded into something significant and concrete. Much more so than spending my time and mental energy on being overwhelmed or spinning my wheels in planning mode. And I’ll have the changes I’ve made to build momentum to fuel further change.

Use the compound effect to achieve anything in your life or work. Baby steps are better than no steps at all!

Image inside a coffee shop

Life Outside of Loans: Take Time to Make Time

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I grew up with three brothers, all of us within five years of one another. You can imagine, especially when we were all teenagers, how much the grocery bill must have been.

It was a near constant race to get the “good” food before it was gone – like when our parents would splurge on special cereal, or name brand Mac & Cheese. Even to this day, I still have impulses to guard or hoard my food because of this.

Many people have a scarcity mindset – around food, money, etc. They grasp onto what they have for fear of not getting more.

But have you ever thought that way about your time?

Intellectually, we all understand our lifelines are limited. But even though time is such a precious resource, the majority of people don’t plan for it, like they might make a budget for their money. We live very reactively when it comes to our time, as if we’re waiting to see what life brings to us, when we should be out there creating what we want with our lives.

Here’s a few tips for how to better allot and maximize your time:

Spend time planning. Seems counterintuitive when we’re trying to achieve more to slow down and plan, but it’s necessary to have a road map. Choose a goal and break down the individual steps that need to be completed.

Commit to keeping the plan. The plan itself is great, but it’s completely useless if you don’t execute it! It’s key to write down or type in each of the components into your schedule, and treat those like firm appointments.

Restrict yourself to just one or two goals at any given time. Self-explanatory—the more time you have to commit to a goal the better, so it’s best not to spread yourself too thin with too many targets.

Banish buffering. Buffering is activities like watching TV, scrolling through social media, snacking, etc. These can be some of the biggest time-wasters that we face, and mostly don’t provide us with any real, tangible benefits.

Try these techniques for even a few weeks, and you’ll likely be amazed at your increased productivity levels!

“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four-hour days.” – Zig Ziglar

Image of a person reading a book at night

Life Outside of Loans: Telling Stories

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This morning when I got to the office, a co-worker asked me how my morning was going. Most of us respond to this with a knee-jerk “good, you?” or “Ugh, terrible!” Have you ever stopped to think about how subjective those responses are?

For instance, let me show you two possible stories about my morning:

“I woke up late and had to rush to get ready. I dropped everything I touched, couldn’t find anything to wear and my hair looks terrible. Then I go to leave the driveway and the Shipt shopper pulls in behind me, blocking my car so I can’t get out. On the drive to work some jerk cut me off and of course I hit every red light too. What a terrible start to the day!”

(My blood pressure was totally spiking as I typed that!)

Or I could tell the story like this:

“I got a little extra and much-needed sleep this morning. I connected with my husband for a few minutes — it’s always nice when I get to talk to him for even just a short time. I even got groceries delivered already. How productive! On the drive in to work I tuned into my favorite podcast; I’m always so excited when I get to hear new episodes!”

(This story puts me in so much better of a mental state!)

Both of these stories are 100 percent accurate. The events of the morning didn’t change at all. All of these things happened. But the story takes such a different shape depending on which events I focus on, and how I choose to interpret them.

Our brains are hardwired to revert to the familiar; which for most of us is negative. It’s so much easier and automatic to focus on the stresses in our life versus the blessings, or the long list of obligations for each day instead of the accomplishments achieved.

I know sometimes this talk of “positive thinking” invites skeptics to complain that thinking positively is just delusional. But guess what? All thinking is delusional! Look at my stories above — both are true.

So, if life is going to be delusional either way, it might as well be a good one!

Guest blogger Sarah Beahan has been a loan processor and executive team member of Michigan Mortgage since 2002. In addition to her work at Michigan Mortgage, she is a certified Life and Weight Loss Coach, and owns her own coaching practice called Weighed Down Coaching.

Michigan Mortgage is a division of Mortgage One, Inc. NMLS#129386