Get A Better Return

Fall Colors At Lake Leelanau

Looking For Income Properties

We have income properties that make great investments. Here are just couple. Call us if you want to invest in real estate. Call if you have a property you want to 1031 exchange.

We Do Vacation Rentals Too

Cygnus Real Estate not only sells residential and commercial property but we manage and lease homes, vacation rentals. Our special this week is a lake front home on Suttons Bay.


Location: Stony Point (On a Quiet Rural Road, 3 miles from Suttons Bay, MI)

Accommodations:  Cottage, 5 Bedrooms + Convertible Bed(s), 2 Baths (Sleeps 11)

Set on the beautiful eastern shore of Suttons Bay, allow Stone Terrace Beach Cottage to be your home 'up north'. Feel the sand and water of Suttons Bay right outside your door or enjoy a crackling fire in the wood burning fireplace. Stone Terrace Beach Cottage is available from Saturday to Saturday during the summer, and on a flexible schedule during the rest of the year. Off season weekend rates are available (see rates below)...please call for details.

Situated on a quiet rural road, two and a half miles from the village of Suttons Bay, Stone Terrace Beach Cottage is the ideal vacation destination with casual elegance in mind. The home which was professionally landscaped in 2002 and remodeled in 2007 has four bedrooms plus a 5th seasonal sleeping room or bonus room, two all tile baths, living room, dining room, and fully-equipped newly remodeled granite kitchen with upgraded Whirlpool Gold Series appliances and AIR CONDITIONING on the main level!!!

The cottage accommodates a total of eleven utilizing the full futon in the bonus room. A main level deck located off of the living room, provides a great place to take your morning coffee, and stone steps lead to the lower deck where one can sun bathe or catch up with a good read.

Out the back door is nature’s opportunity to walk, jog, bike, or weather permitting, cross country ski!! Nature abounds everywhere!! The quaint village of Suttons Bay, which plays host to great restaurants, boutique shopping, and art galleries, is just a short drive way.

Nearby attractions include Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Leelanau Sands Casino, and the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Sprinkled throughout Leelanau County you will discover charming villages, wineries, antique dealers, and outdoor recreational opportunities, including access to Lake Michigan. Traverse City is just 20 minutes away, offering 'city style' entertainment for those so inclined.

Let the Stone Terrace Beach Cottage be your home away from home for a weekend or a week!!

Features include four generously sized bedrooms plus a 5th sleeping room or bonus room with a commanding view of the beach off of the garage; two bedrooms upstairs, two bedrooms (and 5th or bonus room) down. Three of the bedrooms are furnished with queen beds, one has a full bed with twin bunk above comfortably accommodating nine (or eleven with futon in the seasonal sleeping room). There are 2 baths finished with imported Italian tile.

There are two bathrooms , 1850 square feet of nicely appointed living space, and 100 feet of private sandy beach with a sunset view. Shallow swimming on Suttons Bay (for the first 200 feet out). Indoor fireplace and fire pit on the beach. New top of the line Whirlpool appliances; granite kitchen and Swedish Asko washer and dryer.

Beautiful landscaping and furnished outdoor deck areas. Weber gas grill. Air conditioning on the main level. Color cable TV with DVD. Wireless High Speed Internet. Pets accepted. Great walking, jogging, hiking out the back door. Village of Suttons Bay is two and a half miles away. All the amenities of home!

During the winter season the garage is unavailable.

Call or visit us to reserve this home or find other great vacation rentals.

231.994.3225

See What Is Hot This Week

Look for ads in the Leelanau Enterprise for the very best real estate deals on the peninsula.

Looking For BargainHomes To Buy

Look no further, Cygnus Real Estate has the experience, tools and know how when buying foreclosed homes. Below of some advice about foreclosures if you are new to the game. We are here to help you make smart buys.

Foreclosure Buying Opportunities

The foreclosure process offers three bargain-buying opportunities.

• Buying during pre-foreclosure, also called a short sale.
• Buying at public auction.
• Buying bank-owned properties, also called an REO.

Should You Buy A Foreclosure?

Foreclosed properties can be a great deal for homebuyers, whether they're planning to live in the house or rent it out. But they should know the potential pitfalls.
Even for those who have some spare cash, it might not be enough to buy troubled properties that are too run-down to qualify for Federal Housing Administration or even conventional mortgages. Peeling lead paint can be enough to thwart an FHA loan, while more serious problems, like a roof that needs to be replaced, can stymie a conventional loan. In such cases, only buyers who can pay cash are considered.
Some properties simply need too much work to make much financial sense. A foreclosure might be $15,000 less than a comparable property, for example, but may need $30,000 in repairs and improvements to make it habitable. In such a case, the more expensive property is a better investment, because the work is already done for you,
Don't expect to automatically get a screaming deal. Some banks slash a property's price for a quick sale, which means you'll get the house for less than comparable homes in the area. Other banks don't offer much of any discount and intense investor interest in a property can lead to a bidding war that drives up the price.

5 Steps to Buying a Foreclosure

Buying a foreclosure can be challenge and requires some patience but offers you great value and reward in the end, if successful.

1. Learn The Process
   Learn how the foreclosure process works. Educate yourself to identify and avoid potential scams.
2. Get Financing
   Obtaining financing not only gives you an estimate of what you can afford, it also enables you to move quickly once you locate a property that interests you. When you approach a borrower/owner or a foreclosing lender about a property, secured financing will demonstrate that you are a serious buyer and are ready to buy quickly.
3. Call Cygnus Real Estate
   If you're a first-time homebuyer and you've never purchased a home, let alone a foreclosure property, it is beneficial to contact a local real estate agency, like Cygnus Real Estate, who can guide you through the process of buying a foreclosure. If you work with an agent, make sure they know your priorities. Ask any potential agents if they have experience with foreclosures. Especially for first-time buyers, a good agent can be a comforting and helpful resource.
4. Find A Property
   Buying a home in foreclosure can begin with you logging into CygnusRealEstate.com and decide where you want to search for property. CygnusRealEstate.com allows you to search by county, city or zip code. A Cygnus real estate agent can setup an automated property search which will email you a list of prospects. You can also foreclosures listed in your local newspaper.
5. Make An Offer
   If you have never purchased a foreclosure property before, we recommend that you have a real estate agent help you prepare and make an offer. To get an estimate of the potential bargain for any property, you need to find out the estimated market value of the property, how much is owed on the property and if the owner has any other loans or liens encumbering the property. Add together any outstanding loans and liens and estimated repair costs and subtract that total from the estimated market value of the property.
   
   Based on your research of the potential bargain, you can make an offer. Usually the offer amount is somewhere below the market value but above the total outstanding liens and estimated repair costs. If the property is a pre-foreclosure or bank owned, you could prepare an offer similar to a typical purchase offer, contingent on a full inspection and title search. Though you do an inspection don't expect the lender to repair or contribute something for damage. The inspection gives you an option to walk away if it is not acceptable.
   
   If the property is selling at auction, you will need to make your offer, or bid, at the auction. In many states, bidders are required to pay in cash in the form of a cashier’s check at the auction. You probably won’t be able to conduct a full inspection and title search when you buy at an auction, so it’s important to do careful research before attending an auction.

Congrats Curiosity

Nice Landing

Contemporary Home on Lake Leelanau

Golden Opportunity to acquire Lake Leelanau lakefront property- under $500k! Unusual contemporary style home perched on sunset-view side of shore line. Huge attached deck, dock, boat hoist, large yard 4 kids, pets & even big kids too. Strong rental history makes this gr8 option 4 family retreat w/ some rental income 2 offset expenses or make it your year round home. Just minutes to the charming villages of Lake Leelanau, Leland, Glen Arbor, Suttons Bay and Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. Large field stone fireplace and pictures window insure cozy days & nights all year long. Go to www.cygnusrealestate.com for more info.

Art Fest Weekend In Suttons Bay

This annual art fair takes place at the beautiful Suttons Bay Marina Park on the first weekend of August (August 4-5, 2012, Sat. 10am - 6pm, Sun. 10am - 6pm). One hundred artists along with community groups, food vendors and a children's area make this the perfect place to spend an art-filled weekend at the beach. Come on Sunday morning for a pancake breakfast in the park (free to exhibiting artists).

Picture Perfect

Can you believe a 4 bedroom beach front home with a view like this is only $499,000 in Leelanau county? Want to know more. Call Carole at Cygnus Real Estate 231.994.3225. You can go to www.cygnusrealestate.com for more info.

Unable To Refinance? Try Recasting Instead

You can reduce your monthly mortgage payment, but you need to have some cash upfront. Homeowners who receive a large bonus or an inheritance are prime candidates for a recast. If your goal is to pay off your home loan faster, you may be better off making extra payments either on a bimonthly basis or making one extra payment per year, since a recast doesn't shorten your loan term. However if you want to lower your monthly payment recasting can be as effective as refinancing.

"Recasting," also called reamortization, is a little-known way to shrink your monthly house payment. Recasting involves paying a lump sum toward your mortgage and then readjusting your payment to reflect your new balance.

While not every lender offers recasting as an option for their mortgage borrowers, some offer this service for as little as $150, a substantial savings compared with the closing costs of a refinance. The only catch is that you may need to post a fairly large sum to the mortgage principal to get started —  possibly $5,000 or more.

Not all loans are eligible for recasting. Conventional loans and conforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans are the most common loans to be eligible for recasting, but loans through the Federal Housing Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs cannot be recast. In general, fixed-rate home loans are the most common to be recast, but some lenders may allow recasting on adjustable-rate mortgages or on jumbo loans.

Always be sure to review your overall financial plan when considering a loan recast. If you have extra cash, you may find it wiser to apply it to your retirement fund or to pay off other debt. But if a lower monthly mortgage payment is high on your priority list, a recast could be the right option for you.

Prime Lake Leelanau Water Front Home

3574 S Stanley St - Lake Leelanau MI

Golden opportunity to acquire Lake Leelanau lakefront property- under $500k! Unusual contemporary style home perched on sunset-view side of shore line. Huge attached deck, dock, boat hoist, large yard 4 kids, pets & even big kids too. Strong rental history makes this gr8 option 4 family retreat w/ some rental income 2 offset expenses or make it your year round home. Just minutes to Lake Michigan, Leland, Glen Arbor, Suttons Bay and Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. Large field stone fireplace and picture windows insure cozy days & nights all year long.

 WATER FRONTAGE
Yes, Private, 100 ft
All Sports Lake
Sandy Beach
Sandy Shoreline / Bottom

INTERIOR
Natural Fireplace
Cathedral Ceilings
Built-In Bookcase
Foyer Entrance
Pantry
Island Kitchen
Mud Room
Laminate Flooring
Open Floor Plan

EXTERIOR
Water View (not Bay)

Private Dock
Deck
Patio

APPLIANCES/EQUIPMENT
Refrigerator
Oven/Range
Disposal
Dishwasher
Microwave

Washer
Dryer

WATER
Private Well

WASTE
Septic System

Lennar orders up 40 percent

Lennar Corp reported a rise in new orders for the fifth straight quarter and said a slow and steady recovery was underway in the housing market.

Lennar, the largest U.S. homebuilder behind D.R. Horton and PulteGroup Inc , also reported second-quarter earnings and revenue ahead of market estimates.

Miami-based Lennar said new orders jumped 40 percent to 4,481 homes. Orders are a key indicator for builders, which do not book revenue until they close on a house.

"We are experiencing net positive price and volume trends in most of our markets," Chief Executive Stuart Miller said.

Margins for the quarter rose to 22.5 percent, up 310 basis points from a year earlier, on a stronger pricing environment. The average sale price of a Lennar home rose to $$250,000 from $245,000 in the same quarter last year.

Home Sales and Selling Prices for May Continue to Rise Across Mi

According to the MLS reports compiled by the Michigan Association of REALTORS®, 11,516 single-family homes were sold in May, 2012, an increase of 18.56% over May, 2011 while the May 2012 average sales price was $111,535, an increase of 9.08% for the same time last year. Close to 30% of the MLSs reported an increase of 40%+ in number of home sales in May, while 22% reported an increase in sales price of 20%+.

Key Statistics:

$100,948 - 2012 average sales price, YTD
47,638 - 2012 single family units sold, YTD
$4.8 billion - 2012 total sales volume, YTD*

Best Places to Buy in 2012

The top city in Zillow's Best Places to Buy in 2012 was Grand Rapids, Mich., where home values have risen 4.8% since last spring and unemployment has fallen. The median home value in Grand Rapids is $108,000, making homes affordable on the city's median income.

Best Beach Front Home In Suttons Bay

Virtual Tour at http://youtu.be/Pafw7J-z8fQ

Rare opportunity to acquire a premium beach front home with established income generating business. One main house and three guest cottages on premises can be used as seasonal or annual rentals, two cottages with 1-bed room & 1 cottage with 2-bed rooms, each with bathroom and kitchen. Live in main house & take advantage of a  owner occupied interest rate loan. Main house has 4 bedrooms, and the absolute best view of the bay as well as private beach front with sugar sand beach and bottom. Located right next to public beach front expands possibilites for summer fun in coveted Suttons Bay.

 Go to http://www.cygnusrealestate.com for more details and pictures. Call Carole at Cygnus Real Estate 231.994.3225

The Big Get Bigger

The average size of a new home completed in 2011 was 2,480 square feet, up from 2,392 square feet in 2010, a new census report shows. In 1973, the earliest year represented in the report, the average new home just had 1,660 square feet. That number increased steadily, to 2,521 in 2007, then had fallen each year until 2011.

Home For Sale Overlooks Lake Michigan

Property For Sale

1197 S Manitou Trail • Lake Leelanau, MI 49653

Custom Built Home With Lake Michigan View

Map View Larger Map Photo

Details Lot Size: 3.14 AC Property Type: Residential Sub Type: Single Family Home Interior Sq Ft: 3260 SF Parking: 2 Attached Garage Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 3.5 Water View: West - Good Harbor Bay Desc Don't miss the opp. 2 acquire this custom built home perched on a hill high above Good Harbor Bay. The home showcases stunning views of the bay, Pyramid Point & Manitou islands. Truly amazing attention 2 detail is exhibited thruout,from the hand laid red & white herringbone pattern oak floor 2 the National Monument stairs. Turrets on 3 floors make this home truly unique, the oak panelled turret off the main flr bdrm is the perfect private retreat 4 the master. Don't w8-when it's gone there won't B another Features Awesome West Facing Water View Turret Spanning Three Floors Herringbone Hard Wood Floors Custom Trim and Molding National Monument Style Stairs Grand Foyer Wood Buring Field Stone Fireplace Main Floor Master Suite Geo-Thermal Heating Central AC French Doors Cherry Cabinets Energy Efficient Windows Energy Star Appliances Heated Garage Mud Room Unfinished Walk Out Basement Swim, Golf, Boat & Hunt Secluded Location Between Leland & Glen Arbor On Western Shore Of Leelanau Peninsula   Contact Agent: Carole Higgins Office: (231) 994-3225 x103 Mobile: (231) 633-2577 Listing Website: www.cygnusrealestate.com

Virtual Tour

Home Ownership Matters

Home ownership has a significant impact on net worth, educational achievement, civic participation, health, and overall quality of life. And, home ownership helps create jobs—lots of them—right here at home.

Home Ownership matters…to people, to communities, and to America. Why? For every two homes sold, one job is created in the U.S. Each purchase generates as much as $60,000 in economic activity over time. Read More...

Staying Cool with a Metal Roof

Are you intrigued with the idea of replacing your existing roof with a standing-seam metal roof? It should last a lot  longer than the shingle alternatives, and it would be compatible with photovoltaic panels should you decide to add them in the future.

You may also like metal roofing — for its durability, recyclability, and ease of removal if the need arises. But can a metal roof save energy? Will that light-colored asphalt roofing material perform similarly, with or without ventilation?

Indeed there is. A products directory maintained by the Cool Roof Rating Council lists solar reflectivity and thermal emissivity values for hundreds of brands of roofing. The difference in energy performance is due to more than just the color of the roofing. The paint that the metal companies apply to the metal has added chemicals that are designed to reflect infrared wavelengths. Most metal companies will list these ratings under each color. There exists a "cool roof" tax credit and a website for approved metal roofs. Read more...

More Good News About Our Real Estate Market

According to the Traverse City Record Eagle in today's edition, "Existing home sales continued to surge in the 5-county area, and sale prices also are starting to rebound.

April home sales totaled 206 across Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Benzie, Antrim and Kalkaska counties, according to data from the Traverse Area Association of Realtors. That's a 14 percent increase from March totals and up 31 percent from April 2011.

The value of those transactions totaled more than $38.3 million, with nearly $21 million of that from Grand Traverse County. Leelanau totaled just over $5.2 million, while Benzie and Antrim were near $4.5 million in total sales."

Home Sales Heat Up

Temperatures, Average Selling Price, and Home Sales Heat Up Across Michigan

April housing sales continued a positive trend across the state with 72% of the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) reporting increased sales and increased selling prices. Both home sales units and average selling prices for April, 2012 increased over April, 2011. According to the MLS reports compiled by the Michigan Association of REALTORS®, 10,136 single-family homes were sold in April, 2012, an increase of 3.46% over April, 2011 while the April 2012 average sales price was $104,058, an increase of 9.72% for the same time last year.

April was an exceptional month for 13 of Michigan’s MLSs who reported an increase in average sales price of 20%+.

Critical Dunes Act

Lawmakers Introduce Major Improvements to Critical Dunes Act

Senate Majority Floor Leader Arlan Meekhof (R-Olive Township) and Representative Jon Bumstead (R-Newaygo) have introduced legislation, Senate Bill 1130 and House Bill 5647 respectively, aimed at applying a less subjective approach to critical dune regulation. REALTORS®, builders, and property owners living and working within the critical dunes can attest to the fact that the application of the Critical Dunes Act has been inconsistent and frustrating for many years.

The changes proposed by Senator Meekhof and Representative Bumstead, supported by both the MAR and the Michigan Association of Home Builders, are the product of lengthy negotiation and agreement with the Department of Environmental Quality.  Heretofore, the private property within the critical dunes area has been subject to significant red tape, inconsistent treatment, and often outright prohibition in terms of development and the exercise of private property rights. Efforts as simple as permitting driveway access to an owner’s property have been stifled due to a lack of clarity on how the law should be applied. Read More...

Traverse Area Market Monitor

Home Prices Rise

According to the National Association of Realtors, prices for single-family homes climbed in half of U.S. cities in the first quarter as the real estate market stabilizes.

The median sales price increased from a year earlier in 74 of 146 metropolitan areas measured, the National Association of Realtors said in a report today.

The U.S. housing market is showing signs of bottoming as improving employment and record-low mortgage rates boost demand while inventories of available properties tighten. At the end of March, 2.37 million previously owned homes were available for sale, 22 percent fewer than a year earlier.

Among the bigger leaders, prices rose 19 percent in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Property For Sale

412 N Saint Joseph St • Suttons Bay, MI 49682

Beach Pad or Retail

Map View Larger Map Photo

Details Lot Size: 0.17 AC Property Type: Commercial Sub Type: Office/Retail Interior Sq Ft: 1572 SF Parking: 7 (Public) Use Type: Residential / Commercial Traffic: High (M-22) Visibility: High (M-22) Desc Prime location in Suttons Bay Village to live or work. Property and/or business for sale. Use property as a loft style beach pad where all the action is, expand your own business or take over this turnkey retail space. You can buy the Anchor Cottage buiness too. It is an adorable shop with all the wares needed to deck out a summer cottage or up north home. Its been in business five years and well known throughout the Leelanau and Grand Traverse area. Features Water View Central AC French Doors Free Standing Grass & Landscaping Curb Cut Across From Marina Park & BATA Bus Stop Contact Agent: Carole Higgins Office: (231) 994-3225 x103 Mobile: (231) 633-2577

Vintage Views Along the West Michigan Pike: From Sand Trails to US-31

Join authors Christine Byron and Tom Wilson at the Suttons Bay-Bingham District Library for a nostalgic road trip down the old West Michigan Pike, now US-31. This historic road was the first continuous, improved route between Michigan City and Mackinaw City. The road along the Lake Michigan coast opened West Michigan to automobile travel and tourism. The authors depict the adventure and romance of motoring showing vintage postcards, photographs, maps, and ephemera to illustrate this journey. Time-travel with them through the beautiful West Michigan landscape and quaint towns to hotels and cabins, tourist camps and state parks, and other stops along the road.

This event is scheduled for May 31st at 7 pm. 

Saving Our Birds

Please support Saving Birds Thru Habitat established to help stem the decline of our migratory songbird populations. Saving Birds Thru Habitat teaches people of all ages how to protect, enhance and restore habitat for North American birds. Their Habitat Discovery Center grounds offer lessons on how to do just that. The SBTH center is adjacent to a 44-acre private conservation effort, Charter Sanctuary, which has hosted more than sixty nesting species. A hundred additional species use the property for foraging during migration. Saving Birds Thru Habitat has the exclusive use of this sanctuary for field trips.

Property For Sale

S. Donnybrook Rd • Suttons Bay, MI 49682

1.05 Acres

Map View Larger Map Photo

Details # Units: 1 # Lots: 1 Lot Size: 43,5600 SF Property Type: Vacant Land Sub Type: Residential Min Divisible: 43,5600 SF Max Contiguous: 43,560 SF Use Type: Single Family Home Terrain: Rolling Desc Secluded partially wooded lot. Overlooks W Traverse Bay. Located on Stoney Point in Suttons Bay - midway up on the majestic Leelanau Penninsula in Northern Michigan. Features High Bluff Water View Electricity Telephone High Speed Internet Natural Gas Shared Water Access   Contact Agent: Carole Higgins Office: (231) 994-3225 x103 Mobile: (231) 633-2577

Property For Sale

N. Swede Rd • Northport, MI 49670

30 Acres

Map View Larger Map Photo

Details # Units: 1 # Lots: 3 Lot Size: 43,5600 SF Property Type: Vacant Land Sub Type: Agricultural Min Divisible: 43,5600 SF Max Contiguous: 130,680 SF Use Type: Residential / Agricultural Terrain: Rolling Desc Secluded heavily wooded lot. Shared access road if lot is divided. Located northeast of Omena Village - midway up on the majestic Leelanau Penninsula in Northern Michigan. Features Seasonal Water View Electricity Telephone   Contact Agent: Carole Higgins Office: (231) 994-3225 x103 Mobile: (231) 633-2577

Green Landscapes With Native Plants

Green building begins in the ground

A landscape is more than a bunch of plants arranged to look good. A well-designed landscape can lower heating and cooling costs, reduce stormwater runoff and recharge local aquifers. And it can be good for birds, bees, and neighboring trees. Read on ...

Principal Residence Exemption Filing Dates

Earlier this week, the Michigan House of Representatives voted 109-1 in support of legislation providing a fair process when it comes to their property taxes. The bill now heads to the Governor, where we expect his signature before May 1st.

 

Senate Bill 349, sponsored by Senator Dave Hildenbrand (R-Lowell) creates two Principal Residence Exemption (PRE) filing dates; one on June 1st, and the other on November 1st. Additionally, this legislation allows bank-owned properties to retain their PRE so that buyers can qualify at the lower rate of taxation. This is particularly important since foreclosures have flooded the market in recent years.

Join the Michigan Artist Gallery

For Their 15 Year Anniversary

www.michiganartistsgallery.com

Michigan Artists Gallery's

15th Anniversary Party

May 26th, 6-10PM

"The Mighty Miniature Show"

Featuring over 60 artists with works no larger than 7" x 7"

Live music wine and hors d'oeuvres 

Located in Suttons Bay Village

Office Space Available

Details

# Units:	1
# Offices:	4
Bldg Size:	2,370 SF
Bldg Class:	A
Lot Size:	24,570 SF
Property Type:	Office Building
Sub Type:	Business Offices
Min Divisible:	1.185 SF
Max Contiguous:	2,370 SF
Use Type:	Commercial Office Space
# Stories:	2
Floor(s):	Ground Level
Year Built:	2007

Desc

New office condo built in 2007- only one previous tenant. Reception area, 4 offices with windows-tons of natural light, high ceilings, kitchenette and bathroom. The unit has central air conditioning and would be well suited for a dentist, or medical professional Lots of off street client parking and an unfinished basement for storage or?
Located on M22 at the north edge of Suttons Bay Village- midway up on the majestic Leelanau Penninsula in Northern Michigan.

Features

• Like New Carpet
• Energy Efficient Windows
• Central Air Conditioning
• Nice kitchenette adn break room
• Water View
• High Traffic & Visibility
• Water View
• 1165 square feet in unfinished basement included in rental- GR8 4 storage!
• Basement Build Out Is Possible

Are Deep Energy Retrofits Worth The Cost

 How much does it cost to perform a deep-energy retrofit at a 100-year-old single-family home? Thanks to a recent study in Utica, New York, we now know the answer: about $100,000. Read more ...

Tantalizing Triplex For Sale - $275000

Description

Triplex

• 3 Units - 2 up / 1 main

• 3 Zone Boiler Heat

• Ceiling Fans

• Water View

• Off Street Parking

• Easy walk to school, church, shopping, restaurants and the beach

Main Floor Unit

• 3 bed/2 bath

• 1360 SqFt

• Full Kitchen

• Laundry Room

• Occupied: No

Each Upper Unit 

• 1 bed/1 bath

• 1 unit @ 675 SqFt / 1 unit @ 540 SqFt

• Full Kitchen

• Occupied: One unit

• Rental Income: $800/Month/Unit

Great opportunity 2 invest or retreat in Suttons Bay Village. Buy this property & owner occupy 1 unit. The other 2 units' rent will cover most of PITI payment. Best of all owner occupants may be able to buy with a 3.75% down FHA loan and use 2/3 of the rental income to qualify for the loan. Property can also be

used as straight rental & will return appx 9% cash-on-cash with an appx 7% rate of capitalization based on 80% LTV, 30 year fully amortizing loan @ current quoted fixed rate 4.75% with 2 points. Ask Me How!

MLS: 1733070

What Is LEED?

The move towards LEED and green building practices has been driven greatly by the tremendous benefits which are a direct result of implementing a green approach. Green buildings use key resources more efficiently when compared to conventional buildings which are simply built to code. LEED creates healthier work and living environments, contributes to higher productivity and improved employee health and comfort. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction. Since its inception in 1998, LEED has grown to encompass over 14,000 projects in 50 US States and 30 countries.
LEED has grown into a comprehensive system of six interrelated standards covering all aspects of the development and construction process. LEED was created to accomplish the following:

• Define "green building" by establishing a common standard of measurement
• Recognize environmental leadership in the building industry
• Raise consumer awareness of green building benefits
• Promote integrated, whole-building design practices
• Stimulate green competition
• Transform the building market

The LEED rating system addresses six major areas:

• Sustainable sites
• Indoor environmental quality
• Water efficiency
• Materials and resources
• Energy and atmosphere
• Innovation and design process

There are different LEED versions having varied scoring systems based on a set of required "prerequisites" and a variety of "credits" in the six major categories listed above. In LEED v2.2 for new construction and major renovations for commercial buildings there are 69 possible points and buildings can qualify for four levels of certification:

• Certified - 26-32 points
• Silver - 33-38 points
• Gold - 39-51 points
• Platinum - 52-69 points

LEED certification is obtained after submitting an application documenting compliance with the requirements of the rating system as well as paying registration and certification fees. Certification is granted solely by the Green Building Council responsible for issuing the LEED system used on the project.

Here are some interesting links to explore


http://www.worldchanging.com/local/denver/archives/007100.html

http://www.greenprintdenver.org/green/LEED.php

http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/channelView.do?pageTypeId=8169&channelId=-16863

http://www.learn.colostate.edu/certificates/noncredit/green-building.dot

http://www.data360.org/dsg.aspx?Data_Set_Group_Id=1302

Contact us to find or list LEED certified properties for you.