Our Kalamazoo area Berkshire Hathaway agents are making donations of needed supplies for teachers and students.  Enthusiasm is high, and it's fun to shop the fall school supply bargains and fill our bins for the weekly pickup.  The project has had incredible support from the community, and over 500 deliveries to families have been made already!  Go to Friends of KPS Supply Closet for latest updates on what is needed, and drop off your contributions at our Oakland Drive, Downtown, or Stadium Drive office!  It's a feel good sort of thing!

Do homebuyers want the same things in their next home as they did before the COVID pandemic? In some ways, yes, and in others, no. According to the latest summer Realtor.com survey, post-COVID homebuyers are willing to spend more money on a home, have saved more money toward a down payment, and plan to buy a home sooner than they did in the spring of 2020.

A greater majority of homebuyers surveyed also said they want a three bedroom/two bath home, an updated kitchen, and a garage. In a comparison of surveys conducted in both the spring and summer, a notable share of homebuyers wanting move-in ready homes has gone up 10% and 6% more buyers are willing to take on longer commutes to get the home they want. In addition, low mortgage interest rates, combined with additional personal savings, are making conditions attractive for them to buy a larger home in a nicer neighborhood.

Competing with other buyers who are waiting for the right house to hit the market, 6% more buyers plan to put more earnest money down, plan to offer above listing price, or offer all cash; 3% plan to put down more than a 20 percent down-payment.    

The trend in these numbers appears to point toward less willingness on the part of homebuyers to compromise on what they want. They may spend more for a home, but may plan to stay in their next home longer. 

One pleasure in buying an older home is the beauty of mature trees on your property and their dazzling display of fall colors when the weather turns cool. But, what happens to the leaves when they fall?

What you don’t want is leaves clogging your gutters, preventing them doing their most important job, - routing roof water away from vulnerable areas of the home’s exterior and garden. If your new home doesn’t have gutters or needs new ones, consider investing in them as an important and elegant part of your home’s curb appeal.  

Today’s gutters are far from the boring half-pipe gullies of the past. You can choose gutters in an array of sizes, materials and designs that add style and value to your home.  A general rule is the more durable and valuable the material, the higher the cost, but the longer it will last.

Vinyl is the most economical, but least durable.  If your home is surrounded by trees, or your area experiences strong winds, choose steel, zinc or copper which can carry much more weight and last a lifetime.

A popular choice for gutters is the K-style which has a staircase design that resembles crown molding, so your home appears finished in finer detail from the street. Choose gutters with leaf and debris guards to minimize home maintenance chores.