There can be little doubt that the kind of weather we're dealing with in West Michigan right now makes most people want to stay inside, under a blanket, warm and dry. With snow predicted through the rest of this week, it's likely that many people who might be interested in buying a home will be staying in, although there are plenty of buyers who don't have the luxury of waiting for a warmer moment to move. Those experiencing changes in family status or shifts in their job may simply need to buy and move before spring. Make the most of the winter weather, and use it to make your home more appealing to potential buyers.

3. Snow can cover up minor landscaping issues, such as patchy grass. In the spring and summer, your ability to grow and care for a lawn and garden beds will have a direct impact on the curb appeal and visual appeal of your home for sale. Buyers, aware that interred plants are considered part of the real property they are looking at, may easily be wooed by your impressive hydrangeas or delightfully scented lilac bush. On the other side of the proverbial coin, a lack of flowering plants, dry or straggly grass, or worse, a completed untended yard space full of weeds may do quite a bit to turn prospective buyers off when considering your property. A yard's impact can be so great that potential buyers may make up their mind against your property before they even set foot inside. The thick blanket of snow on the ground will provide a buffer for sellers with brown thumbs, allowing them to present their house on its structural merits and not just the attractiveness of the landscaping.

2. The chilly outside can make your home seem very cozy. Have a massive fireplace in the main family space and a showing scheduled? Build up a nice, roaring blaze to welcome the people who will be touring the home. Fires have a kind of mystery and magic to them that can make a space feel very homey and romantic. No fireplace? No problem. Toss some pre-made cookie dough in the oven to fill your home with the rich, inviting scent of fresh-basked, gooey cookies, and have some hot chocolate mix and a kettle on standby. Warming the bodies of your potential buyers will make them feel right at home, thus warming their hearts to your home.

1. Snow-scape your home to make it a winter palace. Leave a window or two facing the street slightly cracked, allowing the warmth of the house to melt snow on the room over the window, producing sparkling and beautiful icicles. Send the kids out into the yard to make a snowman, or better yet, do it yourself to produce something truly visually appealing. Snow too cold for packing? Try using a misting spray bottle to artificially produce the kind of snow that molds well in human hands. From the street, your home will look lovely, and the snowman will give an impression of a happy family home, sure to entice parents to consider raising their own children there.

Here at Pyxis Realty, our experienced, educated staff of licensed realtors is ready to help you with buying or selling a home on the Grand Rapids real estate market or the broader West Michigan real estate market, no matter what the weather. Call us today to get the ball rolling on your next real estate transaction!

Whether you're a Grand Rapids realtor or a potential homeowner in the West Michigan real estate market, there are plenty of good reasons to head on down to the Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show at the DeVos Place (303 Monroe Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids) this weekend. The show runs from today, Friday January 8^th through Sunday, January 10^th, and there will be a wide assortment of vendors and informational booths for you to peruse and enjoy!

Today, the first day of the show, the event will run from 12 noon to 9:00 pm. On Saturday the 9^th, The Grand Rapids Remodeling and New Homes Show will run from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm, and on Sunday the 10^th, the show will open its doors at 11:00 am and finish off the weekend at 5:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here or at the front door, space allowing. Purchasing them online ensure easy, immediate access to the show, so it is recommended that prospective attendees buy their tickets online for the most convenient experience. Tickets cost $9.00 per adult, with children from ages 4 to 16 costing $4 and children 3 and under gaining entrance for free.

If you have children, you can bring them along, because there will be plenty of things to keep them engaged in our Kids Construction Zone. There will be an assortment of kid's activities hosted by Cran Hill Ranch, as well as child sized hard hats provided by Montell Construction. The featured arts and crafts activity this year will be making scrap wood and popsicle-stick “pallet” coasters. The other ares will also have interesting items and technology that older children will be sure to find engaging!

For the adults, there will be a plethora of stimulating show features, from the amazing Idea House to concession areas where you can take a brief break to mull over all you've seen. The Idea House features this year's hottest trends in wall color, flooring, layout, and overall design to inspire you in your home building or remodeling process. There will also be presentations featuring some of the more fascinating new technology for home improvements, including counter tops that can charge your phone and windows with built-in security sensors. No matter what room or space in your home or investment property needs updating, you're sure to see something inspiring while at this unique and entertaining show.

Here at Pyxis Realty, we are always keeping up to date on what is happening around Grand Rapids and throughout West Michigan. After all, successful realtors know that the best way to serve their clientele is to have a strong, current knowledge base about the various local communities and neighborhoods that their potential clients will be considering. We know that one of the biggest draws to the West Michigan area and the Grand Rapids real estate market is the staggering amount of community events and diverse cultural activities across the region. If you're looking to buy or sell a home in West Michigan, give the experienced team at Pyxis Realty a call today!  

If you're well off and looking to purchase your dream home on Lake Michigan with plenty of acreage, it looks like you're in luck! The stunning, massive home at 13213 Lakeshore Drive in Grand Haven has been listed for a cool $17,100,000. The property was once home to the $7.5 million dollar home known as Stonegate, which was built by Robert Van Kampen. The massive structure was demolished in 2004 due to his estate's inability to sell the home and property. Where the home once stood there is now a lovely tennis court, one of many unique features of this property.

What does a home that runs for over $17 million offer the potential owner? Just about everything! The house itself is a sprawling 8,481 square feet with seven bedrooms and six and a half bathrooms. Built in 1994, this home has the charm of an established structure with all the modern amenities that are hard to find in older construction. Of course, the main home is not the only edifice on the property. There is also a three stall garage, a stand alone pool house and spa (that has an indoor golf simulator for those who can't wait until spring to hit the links), a caretaker's home, a maintenance building, and a stand alone guest house.

The house is nestled beautifully in a 129 acre estate that includes 2,400 feet of Lake Michigan lakefront property. That's nearly half a mile of private beach frontage! The massive windows in the main house overlooking that lovely private frontage and miles of water are made from insulated industrial glass. The house offers everything a person could desire in a home. There's a large, gourmet kitchen, recently remodeled with travertine flooring and Pyrolave countertops. You won't even miss out on the view of Lake Michigan while cooking; the range was specially installed to allow the home cook a gracious view of the massive body of water outside.

The main living room is large enough to host up to eighty people at a time, complete with a stone fireplace and 24 foot vaulted ceilings. There's even an elevator inside, for those unable to climb stairs to this main living space. Additionally, the home boasts a home theatre room with two massive screens, a carpeted indoor sports room referred to as “the stadium,”and several other bedrooms, all with access to private or Jack and Jill bathrooms. Outside the main house, there's an indoor saltwater pool and hot tub, along with changing stations and entertainment areas.

If, for some reason, you're interested in the main house but not the acreage, the house and pool house have been listed separately for $6.9 million. The property parcel, which includes 120 acres of prime land and both the four bedroom caretaker's house and five bedroom guest house, has been listed as well for a separate price of $10.2 million.

If you're interested in this home, get in touch with a member of the Pyxis Realty team today! We are happy to offer full buyer's services on this and many other wonderful properties across the West Michigan real estate market!  

Happy 2016 to everyone! Now that the first full week of the new year is up on us, it's a good time for some reflection and thoughtful planning for your future. How will 2016 be different from 2015 for you? If you're a realtor (or considering obtaining your license to become one), then you should think about making Pyxis Realty your home away from home and your brokerage. We're always looking for ethical, motivated individuals to join our amazing team and help grow our brokerage!

There are a lot of reasons why Pyxis Realty is a great place to work, but certainly one of the most important of them is the fact that Pyxis Realty is owned and operated by a realtor and broker who lives, works, and raises his family in West Michigan. The West Michigan real estate market isn't just a source of income for the Pyxis Realty staff, but rather, our home and passion. This dedication can be seen in how Pyxis Realty treats its clients (with white glove care, regardless of the price of the home being bought or sold) and in how it treats its staff realtors.

Many people end up working for massive, national, corporate brokerages after earning their licenses. In addition to taking a percentage of each sale made by their realtors, these brokerages also charge massive annual fees to be a part of their team. At the same time, competition among the staff members at these major brokerages can lead to realtor burn out and lost sales. Those hoping to make a name for themselves in the local markets will have to fight tooth and nail with minimal support from within the brokerage. It is simply expected that staff members will sell or leave. After spending so much money obtaining a license and a position at the brokerage, it can be frustrating and even humiliating to fight for every lead and client as one of an anonymous, regularly rotating staff of realtors.

At Pyxis Realty, there's more of a small-business feel. The owner is highly invested in ensuring the success and continuing improvement of the realtors at Pyxis Realty. Those who come to work for the brokerage will find their skills are appreciated. They will also have plenty of practical, useful help and suggestions along the way to establishing themselves and guidance with any tricky or confusing issues that may pop up. Pyxis Realty wants to help those who work for the brokerage harness their personal skills and maximize their potential.

Right now is an excellent time to make a change. Whether you're switching careers or just switching brokerages, consider making Pyxis Realty your destination. Pyxis Realty can offer all of the perks of a big conglomerate without leaving you out in the cold. If you need help and guidance to establish your new career or just need a locally-owned brokerage to call your new “home,” you should give serious consideration to joining the Pyxis Realty team. Call or email us today for more information about joining our team!

Maybe you've been thinking about being a homeowner for some time, but you have convinced yourself that you can't afford it. There's a prevalent misconception about housing that leaves many wrongly believing that renting, especially in a market with increasing property values, is cheaper than buying a home.

In the West Michigan real estate market and Grand Rapids real estate market, little could be farther from the truth. According to an article published today by the Grand Rapids Business Journal, many renters in the area are beginning to feel the squeeze of increasing prices and decreasing availability of units. Currently, 98% of all available rental dwelling units that are not income restricted are under lease. That means that those renting have a hard time finding a place in general, and an even harder time finding a rental with a monthly rent that can be paid on the stagnant average wages paid in the region.

Wage or income restricted housing generally puts a cap of $20,000 on their units, while mainstream rentals require that renters make at least 3-4 times the rent each month. This leaves a massive portion of the renting population, whose income falls between $20,000 and $48,000, out in the cold when it comes to finding affordable, quality housing.

The national average rent for a recently built apartment unit is $1,290, which is close to the estimated rents being projected for numerous new downtown developments. Downtown housing in a renovated or newly built apartment building is going to run the average renter at least $1,000 per month. Much of this price increase has to do with the need for profit; the companies building and renovating these facilities want to make a substantial return on their investment. Instead of curbing costs or looking for long-term financial gain over five or ten years, these businesses are pushing for short term gains, leading to rapidly increasing rental prices which may go up by as much as another 6% this year.

While state and federal subsidies can help builders and developers offer lower-priced rental units, these usually only accept people whose income is less than $20,000 a year. The amount of the average one bedroom rental in the area is $900 per month, which could be the equivalent of a mortgage payment on a very nice home. If you've been thinking of buying and stashing a little bit of money aside for a down payment, 2016 may be the year to finally upgrade to home ownership.

Call the team at Pyxis Realty today to discover how affordable and simple home ownership can be. Regardless of the price range of the home you're searching for, our professional, dedicated team will always offer white glove service and attention to detail! We'll take care of the most stressful parts of the home search and purchase process, allowing you to focus on your work and family during the transition. After a few more years of ongoing rental price inflation, you may find that that $900 has bought a home you could no longer afford to rent!  

\

It's that time of year; the slowly passing days between Christmas and New Year's. If you're looking for something fun to do to celebrate the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016, look no farther! There are a plethora of fun options for ringing in the New Year the right way, no matter what kind of fun you're looking for!

If you're single or don't have any obligations during the day on New Year's Eve, you might want to consider buying a ticket for a New Year's Eve Beer Tour organized by GRBeerTours.com. For $50, you get to ride around with like minded individuals from the West Michigan area with someone sober safely driving you to three local breweries. The breweries on this tour will be the Harmony Brewing Company, Elk Brewing, and B.O.B.’s Brewery. Each ticket purchase will include 12 large beer samples along with a private brewery tour lead by knowledgeable experts. Additionally, there's a chance to buy lunch at Harmony Brewing Company, whose pizzas are well-regarded in local circles. Tours will be running from 11 am to 7 pm, with several time slots available.

If you're not interested in a tour of some of the breweries here in Beer City, USA, perhaps you would instead prefer to hit up any of the huge number of local bars and taverns who are offering specials, entertainment, or simply a festive environment. Local restaurants are also offering specials and special events, including the four-course dinner at Terra's, located in Eastown. Not only are they offering a prix fixe menu with four courses for $65 per plate, they will also be offering a la carte options for some of their more popular standard fare.

If you're looking for family-oriented fun on New Year's Eve that will allow you to have fun with the family before going out for more adult events, consider checking out the Byron Fun Spot's New Year's Eve family event. For only $6 per person, your family can enjoy a festive environment from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm in a safe location (3651 84th St SW in Byron Center). There will be costumed character appearances to engage the little ones, as well as a bounce house, plenty of games, and a balloon drop to make the evening truly magical for everyone involved.

There will also be the ball drop at the HOT New Year's Eve Party downtown near where Grandville Avenue intersects Cherry and Oakes. There will be a beer tent for those wishing to imbibe some local brews during the countdown, which will culminate in the now-annual ball drop. Organizers are expecting a very large turnout this year. The event begins at 8:00 pm and will go well past midnight, with local bands and national acts taking the stage to perform music throughout the evening.

Everyone at Pyxis Realty wishes our readers and clients a Happy, Prosperous New Year! If you're thinking about buying or selling a home in 2016, call our team to receive the best help in the area! Be safe, and call a cab (or an Uber or Lyft ride) if you're drinking without a designated driver!  

If you've been thinking off and on about upsizing or downsizing your current home or have been dreaming about making the switch from renter to home owner, this winter is a great chance to make the change you've been considering. The team at Pyxis Realty is here and ready to help you make your home owning dreams come true. All you have to do is pick up the phone or shoot us an email to get the ball rolling. Not only do we offer our professional services in the Grand Rapids real estate market, we also have extensive knowledge of other communities in the West Michigan real estate market. If you need a West Michigan realtor or a Grand Rapids realtor, there's no better place to start!

There's also no better time to start. While many people are recovering from the holidays and plan to put off moving or finding a new home until spring, by getting into the market now, you can beat the spring rush and start the year off right: in the new home of your dreams. Here are three great reasons that show why there's no real reason to wait.

3. Despite the icy conditions today, winter will likely remain mild this year. That means no fighting your way through massive drifts of snow with your sofa or waiting, frantic, for the movers while the roads become increasingly impassible. That means that the biggest reason people will be waiting to buy or sell will be significantly less of an issue than normal in the early months of 2016.

2. The early bird gets the worm. Or in this case, the best offer on their home, or the exact home they were hoping to purchase. As winter melts into spring, the already hot West Michigan real estate market will really warm up, leading to plenty of buyers vying for the same house and certain neighborhoods flush with hopeful would-be sellers. Don't wait until the peak of the season to list your home or start looking for one. If you do, it's the equivalent of going holiday shopping on Black Friday. The possibility for bidding wars and fierce competition increase as the temperature does, so get into the market now before things get really hectic.

1. Bypass Spring Cleaning this year by living in a new home! If you move in the first few months of the year, you'll of course be thoroughly cleaning your new home before you move in (or hiring professionals to do so for you). That means that when the first, beautiful days of spring hit, you won't have to worry about cleaning the heating ducts, shampooing the carpets, or dusting and washing the window treatments. All of these things will have been done recently, allowing you to simply get out and enjoy the beauty of spring in your new home's yard and your neighborhood.

Don't wait until it's really warm out; get in touch with Pyxis Realty and get the home search or home sale process started today! Beat the rush and start 2016 off on a positive note.

Now that Christmas is officially over, this holiday weekend may find some people in a post-Christmas funk. There's no reason to sit around at home all weekend, taking down your decorations early and fretting over how everyone liked their gifts. There's also no need to feed the great gift return nightmare this weekend. Instead, steer clear of the mall and massive big box stores in favor of some local events and activities, sure to perk up even the gloomiest spirit this weekend.

If you aren't quite ready to give up the holiday ghost yet, consider heading down to the Frederick Meijer Gardens this weekend, where the Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World exhibit will still be open for viewing until January 3^rd. With an assortment of 40 world-themed Christmas trees and over 300,000 lights in their extensive holiday displays, there's plenty of spirit still available at the Gardens this weekend (and next). If the weather holds out over the weekend, visitors will have a chance to stroll outside as well, enjoying the massive, manicured grounds where there is a possibility of encountering strolling carolers performing holiday songs.

If you're done and ready to get the holidays behind you, try getting out and doing something unusual. Saturday night, December 26^th, a large number of popular local watering holes will be featuring live music. Getting out and dancing in the tepid mid-winter evening is a great way to put thoughts of wrapping paper out of mind. Leave the kids at home with the babysitter before heading down to any number of popular local bars, including Mulligan's, Mojo's, Founders Brewing Company, Billy's Lounge, The Landing Lounge, Whiskey River Saloon, The Back Forty Saloon, Rocky's, The Twisted Bull, or the B.O.B. for some amazing musical acts. With acts varying from dueling pianos and country music to local jam bands and pop music, there's certainly something for everyone going on in the Grand Rapids music scene this Saturday.

This Sunday evening the Grand Rapids Public Museum will host its increasingly popular annual “Night at Your Museum” event from 6 pm to 9 pm. Inspired by the popular Night at the Museum movies, this event allows children (and credulous adults) to enter the role of night security guard in a dimly lit museum, complete with living exhibits all over the building. There will be medieval knights, Civil War soldiers, and ceremonial Native American dancers, along with access to the carousel and planetarium. Tickets to this event are $20 per person. For those who want to really experience the event, there are a limited number of early entry tickets available for a pre-event dinner with the Queen. Dinner tickets cost $40 per plate, and the dinner begins at 4:45 pm.

Regardless of whether you're looking for a single person's dream Saturday outing or a truly unique, family-oriented outing, there's always something interest going on in West Michigan. The same is true of the West Michigan real estate market (and the Grand Rapids real estate market). There's a neighborhood and community for everyone, no matter their tastes, preferences, or budget. Talk to one of the experienced, professional realtors at Pyxis Realty today if you're considering buying a home or an investment property in the greater Grand Rapids area!  

2015 has been a great year for the West Michigan real estate market and the Grand Rapids real estate market. Overall, home values in the area are up, as is the average selling price. Time on the market is down, and home inventory has been low enough to make houses pop on and off the market within days of being listed. This year has been a great time to sell a home and also a great time to buy one. But it isn't just homeowners and real estate investors who are benefiting from the rebounding local real estate markets. According to an article today in the Grand Rapids Business Journal, homebuilders are highly optimistic about the impact of high housing demand on their potential growth this upcoming year.

The Home Builders Association of Michigan released a statement this week indicating they project a 25 percent increase in new housing units constructed in 2016. That is very substantial growth in any area, but in the slow-moving housing market, that's truly substantial. The Home Builders Association of Michigan is estimating that there will be 16,831 building permits issued in 2016, up from 13,467 in 2015. They are hoping to see the most growth and the most profit in a decade.

The article intimates that members of the HBA are optimistic that the 25 percent increase they're hoping for might actually be on the low end of things. Given the strong employment market and the increasing values of the limited inventory on the market, they may just be on to something. As demand for housing increases in certain areas, the existing inventory will be able to command much higher prices, making newly built homes much more competitive in a region with low home prices, when compared with other major urban/suburban markets nationwide.

For potential home buyers, this is nothing but good news. More new houses being built means that some of the pressure on buyers created by a fast moving local market with low inventory can be avoided. In areas where new construction is competitive with existing homes, buyers can have their cake and eat it too, choosing the features and colors of their home, which will be made-to-order for them. This can have an impact on the existing real estate in an area as well, helping to stabilize prices and demand.

If you are seriously considering purchasing a home, either an existing home or a newly built structure, you should give the professional, educated team at Pyxis Realty a call today! With our extensive, hands-on knowledge of local markets and communities, our team members will be able to help you find the right home in the right neighborhood for the right price. Whether you're a first time buyer or someone who is simply new to the area, our team will make sure finding you the perfect home is their number one priority! Don't wait until the spring rush kicks in, get in touch with our team today and discover how simple home buying can be with the aid of the Pyxis Realty team! 

West Michigan has had a great year as far as the local real estate market goes. Unlike many major metropolitan areas, the greater Grand Rapids real estate market has grown increasingly strong throughout 2015, with low inventory and high demand, coupled with rebounding home values. The West Michigan real estate market has grown over the last few months, but that trend appears to be at odds with the overall market in the state of Michigan according to reports from professional analysts.

According to a recent article published by The Grand Rapids Business Journal, the latest Michigan Real Estate Trends Report from the Urban Land Institute and the UM/ULI Forum indicates that Michigan real estate will be likely looking less rosy in 2016 than it has in previous years. Specifically, the report indicates that statewide real estate growth has been slow and very uneven. Certain cities have benefited from stronger markets, while others have not.

Those listed as having strong markets with above-average outlook were Traverse City, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids. In many markets and counties, the report indicates that while real estate professionals are optimistic, they are less so than they reported being at this time last year. However, that lack of fresh optimism is not an issue in the Grand Rapids market, where growth and increased home values are what is currently trending. Kent County was one of the three highest performing counties in 2015 as far as reported real estate transactions are concerned.

The report analyzes the overall economic health of the state, which it reports hit the bottom of its downward trend in 2010/2011. While there has been substantial recovery, there is still some way to go before major economic markers reach their pre-recession levels. The median income in the state, for exmaple, is up over 1% when compared with the median income in 2013. Sadly, though, that new median is still over $12,000 less than the median income in Michigan in 2000. Employment, while also up, is still a full ten percent below the 2000 levels reported.

Interestingly, a substantial portion of the population in the state are considered “empty nesters,” while there appears to be a deficit of young professionals, especially those new to the state. However, given the kinds of economic growth seen in Michigan, the empty-nesters have a much better chance of making a strong impact on the real estate market than the underemployed and unemployed Generation Xers and Millennials could. Likewise, the commercial and industrial markets are stronger than residential markets in some areas, with industrial properties nearly tripling their average cost since 2010.

Overall, it's important to note that West Michigan and Grand Rapids were out-performing almost all other regions in the state, and that home values are on the rise. Area professionals are optimistic about profitability as well, meaning that right now is a great time to buy and a great time to sell. If you're planning of wading into the real estate market, make sure to get in touch with the experienced professionals at Pyxis Realty before you do, to ensure you have the best help available!