When we list a home, we don’t want to just put it on the MLS, upload some photos and hope buyers find it.

A huge part of selling a home now happens before a buyer ever schedules a showing. They’re looking through photos, watching video, checking the layout and …

Kalamazoo, Portage and Oshtemo are close enough that a buyer can tour houses in all three during the same afternoon. That can make them feel like one market.

They are not.

Cross a city or township line and the housing stock can change. Lot sizes can change. The …

f you have been hearing that buyers finally have more homes to choose from, you might expect house hunting in Grand Rapids to feel relaxed. Then a good listing hits the market on Thursday, the open house is busy on Saturday, and the seller is reviewing several offers by Sunday …

Wyoming, Kentwood, and Grandville are three common starting points for buyers who want to stay close to Grand Rapids while comparing different price ranges and housing styles. The cities share access to the regional job market, shopping, parks, and major roads, but their development histories created different patterns of homes …

Jenison, Hudsonville, and Byron Center frequently appear in the same West Michigan home search. All three are southwest of Grand Rapids, offer established residential areas, and provide access to major employment and shopping corridors. The similarities are real, but so are the differences in housing age, development patterns, municipal structure, …

East Grand Rapids, Ada, and Cascade are frequently grouped together because they sit east and southeast of Grand Rapids and appear in many of the same home searches. On the ground, however, they offer different combinations of housing, municipal structure, walkability, land, and access to daily destinations.

There …

Older homes are a major part of the character of Grand Rapids and West Michigan. They can offer hardwood floors, detailed trim, mature neighborhoods, practical locations, and construction that has already survived decades of Michigan weather. They can also contain systems from several eras, renovations completed by different owners, and …

Private wells and septic systems are common outside the more densely developed parts of West Michigan. They should not automatically scare buyers away. A properly designed, maintained, and functioning system can serve a home for many years. The difference from city utilities is that the property owner is responsible for …

Family help can make the difference between continuing to save and being able to purchase a home now. Parents, grandparents, and other approved donors may be able to contribute toward a down payment, closing costs, or financial reserves, depending on the mortgage program. The important word is “approved.” A large …

Buying a home is stressful enough when it is the only transaction. Buying the next home while selling the current one adds financing, timing, moving, and negotiation decisions that have to work together. The good news is that West Michigan homeowners usually have more than one way to structure the …