New Homes 
There are currently 8 blog entries related to this category.
Our Website is Getting a Facelift
Saturday, January 21st, 2012 at 11:59am. 88 Views, 0 Comments.
Starting this spring, Maplewood Homes will no longer need to share a website with Greenridge Realty. This site will then be free to focus exclusively on the areas I serve as a real estate agent, specifically, Silver Lake Michigan, Pentwater, and Oceana County (plus Ludington). In a few weeks' time we will be launching a brand new Maplewood Homes website that will be better than ever! Stay tuned...
Parade of Homes Early Warning
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012 at 5:26pm. 102 Views, 0 Comments.
The Home Builders Association of West Michigan has set it's dates for the 2012 Parade of Homes. It will be June 15-17th. Maplewood Homes plans to have at least two Ludington homes in this year's Parade.
2011 Coming to a Close and Things are Looking Up
Saturday, December 31st, 2011 at 8:39am. 77 Views, 0 Comments.
Everyone I talk to here in West Michigan is seeing an uptick in new construction. The guys down at the lumber yard, my trade partners and vendors, everyone is saying the same thing; that builders have work. This is a change from prior seasons when it seemed many builders were just doing odd jobs to stay busy. We're still a long way down from the peak, but it's good to hear that other builders are finding work, too. Here at Maplewood Homes, we sold 5 new homes in 2011. Our best year, before the economic downturn, we sold 19 new homes, and you can see that we're well below that. Still, this is a 66% increase over the 3 "build jobs" we had in 2010. Slow, steady recovery in the housing market is probably all we could hope for and if it…
Michigan Energy Fair, Ludington MI June 24-26
Friday, June 24th, 2011 at 4:17pm. 202 Views, 0 Comments.
The 2011 Michigan Energy Fair is currently underway in Ludington. There are exhibitors promoting wind, solar, and other renewable energy products. I think it is an interesting event and educational, but renewables still have a way to go as they are still relying on subsidies and governement mandates to make them attractive. Eventually, I expect renewables to make more sense financially for our home owners. Already, though, it is one way to live "off-the-grid," if that is something that appeals to you. Either way, if you're in Ludington this weekend, I think it's worth the $10 to check it out.
Oceana County Census Data
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011 at 6:04pm. 215 Views, 0 Comments.
Michigan was the only state in the union to lose population over the past 10 years. While the total population in the US grew nearly 10%, Michigan lost over 55,000 residents. This obviously affects our real estate market because when someone gives up on Michigan, and decides to leave the state, they can't take their house with them. Michigan is unique in that our housing collapse wasn't caused by over-building, like it was in Florida, California, and Nevada. It is primarily a result less people living here, leading to lower demand for homes. As you can see by the chart below, Oceana County was hit pretty hard. 303 is not a lot of people, but it is actually twice the statewide average on a percentage basis. The silver lining is this: At…
Mason County Census Data
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011 at 5:56pm. 160 Views, 0 Comments.
Michigan was the only state in the union to lose population over the past 10 years. While the total population in the US grew nearly 10%, Michigan lost over 55,000 residents. This obviously affects our real estate market because when someone gives up on Michigan, and decides to leave the state, they can't take their house with them. Michigan is unique in that our housing collapse wasn't caused by over-building, like it was in Florida, California, and Nevada. It is primarily a result less people living here, leading to lower demand for homes. But there is always good news. First of all, I think the mass exodus out of Michigan has slowed, if not halted entirely, and we are working through our excess housing stock. Secondly, all real estate is…
Good News for Housing Starts...
Wednesday, March 16th, 2011 at 1:43pm. 146 Views, 0 Comments.
For February, Housing Starts Fell to a rate of 479,000 annual units, the second lowest on record. Why is this good news? Because the biggest problem in the industry right now is excess inventory and the sooner we get back to normal, the sooner housing will recover. So, for now, a low number of new starts will help everyone in the housing and real estate industry.
Congratulations to Dave and Kathy Sweat!
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011 at 11:53am. 162 Views, 0 Comments.
Dave and Kathy just moved into their brand new Maplewood home on Harriet Lane in Ludington. I want to cogratulate them and wish them many happy years enjoyment!