Dearborn Michigan Area Real Estate Blog

(ARA) - As each year comes to a close, people begin to make resolutions – typically, vowing to start something new in the year ahead, such as lose weight, get a new job, start volunteering and so on. Making resolutions is easy; the hard part is keeping them. However, there are a few things you can do at home that might actually help you achieve some of your New Year’s goals. Start 2012 on the right foot with this list of easy home updates and tips to help conquer your New Year’s resolutions.

Develop better eating habits
* Research shows that people tend to eat less when surrounded by the color blue. Repaint your kitchen or dining room in a blue hue to help naturally suppress your appetite. And, painting is a

Family time in Dearborn, MI

greatway to tone your arms if you also resolve to get in shape. Once the paint dries, clean out your pantry and replace any high-calorie or fatty foods with healthier options.

Help the environment
* Growing concern for the environment prompts many people to resolve to be more green. Your refrigerator runs all day, every day, which accounts for a large percentage of your home’s energy usage. Keeping your refrigerator’s thermostat set between 38 and 42 degrees will help save energy and keep your food from spoiling.

Give to others or volunteer
* Clean out your closets and collect any gently used items you and your family no longer use or need. Read more…

(ARA) Creating the most festive home for the holidays is every host or hostess’s goal – with red bows and twinkling lights, the aroma of cinnamon or evergreen and the classic sounds of Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby playing in the background.

“A warm, welcoming environment can stimulate our senses and evoke memories as we gather with our family and friends,” says Heidi Thompson, co-owner of Scentsy, a home fragrance company. “Some simple, advanced planning can help ease the stress of this hectic time. Every hostess should enjoy the season rather than fret over mismatched centerpieces or placement of home decor.”

A festive and safe holiday atmosphere is just moments away with these helpful hints:

• Picking the perfect evergreen: When selecting a live Christmas tree or evergreens, inspection is key to ensure it is truly fresh cut. Touch the branches to test for moistness of the needles and inspect the tree trunk. Many trees are painted to look fresher, and this can be discovered by inspecting the tree trunk.  Once at home, position the evergreens away from heat sources and keep the tree stand filled with water to prevent it from drying out. Read more…

If you presented with a slab of salmon fillet as a gift this holiday season, would you have a clue how to use it?

Well, there are probably dozens of alternatives.  From simple – served with sliced rye bread, lemon wedges, capers and chopped red onions, to the supper of tiny boiled potatoes and the previous sides.  Last but not least you could serve it scrambled with eggs, and served with muffins for the holiday breakfast.

If you’re not handed salmon as a gift, your local gourmet shop may offer a wide selection.  Look for trimmed, boned, pre-sliced fillets.  It’s more expensive, but goes farther and is easier to use.

There are many varieties of salmon.  Here are five types from which to choose from:  Sockeye – red/gold in color, weighs about 4-8 lbs.  Silver (coho) – pink; less fat than sockeye.  Drier when smoked.  Farmed – Atlantic – paler in color than King, mild flavor, as large as 15 lbs.  King (chinook) – most prized for smoking. Weighs up to 100 lbs.  Rich gold color.

Smoking styles vary as well. Here are a few to choose from:  Nova Scotia – cold smoked, moist and creamy texture.  Not the same as lox which are cured but not smoked.  Kippered (hot smoked) – bakes as it smokes at a higher temperature.  Cold smoked – lightly cooked at under 100 degrees.

The cold smoked is soft and moist in texture.  Last would be Hard Smoked – cold smoked until dry and firm.  Distinct smoky flavor.

As far as pricing goes, expect to pay $20-$40 per pound, plus shipping.  My advice would be to try a pound or two over the weekend, see if it lasts more than a day or so.  Then you’ll know how to order it for your next holiday get togather/celebration.

When considering how much to purchase, an eighth of a pound (2 oz.) is considered an appetizer portion. As a dinner entree, a minimum of 6 oz. is required.  Want to order your Salmon online, one online sea food vendor that I’ve found to be very good is Port Chatham Smoked Seafood, www.PortChatham.com or if you would like to place an order by phone the number is:  1-800-872-5666. Enjoy!

If you are planing to sell your Dearborn Michigan area home or if you are in the market to Buy a home or real estate in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, Westland, Redford, Livonia, Plymouth, Canton, Northville, Novi, Farmington, Allen Park, Taylor or any one of the other Detroit Michigan west side suburb, Contact Steve Hatfield today.

For complete and in-depth information about Buying or Selling a home or real estate in the Dearborn Michigan area or any one of the other Detroit Michigan west side suburbs, visit my web site at: www.DearbornHomes.com

(ARA) - Welcoming friends and family into your home is one of the best ways to celebrate the season. One of the keys to making visitors feel right at home is to be a happy host. So, do yourself – and your guests – a favor and put a little effort into getting your home holiday house guest perfect.

Since your house will be full with visitors over the holidays, go beyond cleaning and organizing.  Adding touches of festive decor will create a cozy, welcoming atmosphere, and if there are do-it-yourself projects still on the to-do list, now is the best time to finish them. Not only will your home look fresh and revived to you, but your guests will certainly notice your home’s updated appearance.

To get your home ready for hosting holiday guests, follow this room-by-room checklist.

Whether you want to tackle one room at a time or do it all at once, breaking down your tasks can make the process much easier.

The kitchen

Sitting at the kitchen table

As the central hub of the home, guests will naturally congregate in the kitchen, so spend time making small, budget-friendly updates to make the space more comfortable, for both chef and audience.

* A fresh palette:  Make an update that will in

stantly refresh your space with a new paint color. Be empowered to experiment with a bold, food-inspired hue such as  coffee date by allen + roth at Lowe’s. With its limited wall space, the kitchen makes an ideal place to use a bolder hue for just the right pop of color.

* Details matter: Clear the clutter and make room for all the chef’s necessities in your kitchen, making the chef’s job easier. Add updated cabinet and drawer pulls as well as a touch-faucet that offers style and ease of use. Read more…

Hot New Home Listing

26633 Midway, Dearborn Heights

Price: $139,900

“Take a Virtual Tour”

Features and Amenities:

Great inside curve Cul-De-Sac Location!

Extra 48 X 65 foot easement at rear of property – part of yard

Over 1,700 square feet of living space on the main floor! – Fabulous open layout!

Large family room with fireplace and doorwall to covered rear deck!

3 Spacious bedrooms – each with generously sized closets

Master bedrooms features private 1/2 bath.

Extra room adjacent to main floor bath is perfect for a separate powder room or use for a future bath expansion or you could even close it in to make a large walk-in closet!

The flow of the open kitchen, dining and family room areas are perfect for entertaining!

Good sized kitchen with island features new flooring and formica counters. All appliances included!

You love the 23 x 15 family room!! Features include a lovely brick front fireplace, beamed ceiling and a doorwall to the rear yard deck.

The finished basement offers many possibilities! Features include a 24 x 22 recreation area, half bath and a wet bar with new flooring (a great start to adding a 2nd kitchen to the basement)

12 X 11 Bonus room in basement could be used as a home office, exercise room, workshop or even an additional storage room…many possibilities!

17 x 11 Laundry room with built-in cabinets/countertop and 2 storage closets

Tons of storage space in basement

Glass block basement windows

Gas forced air furnace

Central air conditioning

Newer roof shingles on house (approx. 5-6 yrs old – stripped to boards)

Appliances Included:

- Stove

- Refrigerator
- Microwave (free standing
- Washer
- Dryer
- Freezer

If you are planing to sell your Dearborn or Dearborn Heights Michigan area home or if you are in the market to Buy a home or real estate in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, Westland, Redford, Livonia, Plymouth, Canton, Northville, Novi, Farmington, Allen Park, Taylor or any one of the other Detroit Michigan west side suburb, Contact Steve Hatfield today.

Visit my web site at: www.DearbornHomes.com for complete and in-depth information about Buying or Selling your home or real estate in the Dearborn Michigan area or any one of the other Detroit Michigan west side suburbs.

Today’s Dearborn area real estate market is still very competitive. That said, you’ll need every advantage possible if you are going to get your home sold for the highest price and in the least amount of time.

By focusing on each of the 5 specific areas below, you will have an advantage over competing homes for sale in your Dearborn / Dearborn Heights area neighborhood…

1.  Pick the BEST real estate agent to list your home
2.  Make sure your home gets GREAT Internet exposure
3.  Make your home attractive, inside and out
4.  Make your home easily accessible for showings
5.  Be realistic / flexible regarding price

Pick the BEST agent
The level of service you receive, the quality of the marketing services used to give your home exposure and quite possibly your eventual outcome, meaning if you successfully sell your home or not, it all hinges on the real estate agent you select!

In fact, if you select the wrong real estate agent you might be stuck with bad service or even horrid photos of your home posted online that actually scare buyers away…big mistake!

Selecting the “Best” real estate agent means hiring a Realtor ® that has a minimum of 10 years experience as a full-time Realtor, can give your home GREAT Internet exposure, takes the time to post many high quality photos of your home online, has a comprehensive marketing plan (always ask for a printed copy), is very knowledgeable, is CRS certified and returns emails/phone calls promptly. If you settle for anything less, you may be jeopardizing the sale of your home. Read more…