Searching the MLS
General real estate questions
Trivia and other stuff
Are all these houses on the search listed by the Rion Team?
Nope. There are thousands of real estate listings in the MLS at any given time. When you're searching for listings on our website you're searching the entire MLS, much like a Realtor would. We represent some of the sellers, but by far most of the listings in the MLS search are listed by other agents. We can, however, help you with any of them. In fact, most of the time it is in your best interest to talk to someone besides the listing agent. Why is that? The listing agent is working on behalf of the seller, not you. Another agent (like us) can represent you as a Buyer's Agent which means that your interests are represented in a real estate transaction. Designated Buyer's Agency is a really cool and it's free. Click here to read more about real estate agency in the State of Michigan.
What does "CTS" mean on the MLS search?
When you're searching for listings on our MLS search you may run across properties with a status of "Active/CTS". The "CTS" part stands for "Continue to Show". That means that the seller of that particular listing has accepted an offer on their property, but that the sale is still contingent on one or more things. For example, a buyer may have come along and agreed to pay a certain price for the home based on a satisfactory contractor's inspection and successful completion of financing. The CTS part means that the sellers are still allowing showings to happen until they know that all those contingencies have been removed. That begs the question, is it worth going to look at a property that is showing up as CTS? The answer is that it depends. If you see a property that interests you that is marked CTS, send us an email or give us a call. We'll contact the listing agent to get the details.
Why doesn't it show tax information on the listings?
That is a darned fine question. We wish it did. The listing information format that appears in our MLS search is defined by the Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors IDX link that is available to us. In other words, we don't have any control over it. However, it's pretty easy to figure out. You can visit the Michigan Tax Estimator Website, or click here to learn how to do the math yourself.
Why aren't there any photos?
We hate it when there aren't any photos! There are a few reasons why this may happen. Sometimes a listing is so brand new on the market that the photos have not yet uploaded to the site. Sometimes the listing agent doesn't take any photos to post to the MLS. As frustrating as it is, we typically don't have access to any photos that are not in the MLS. We can, however, set up a time to tour a property in person. If you're, for example, in another state and looking to relocate in, we can sometimes go take photos for you. If you run into that situation please give us a call or send us an email. We'll get something worked out!
How do the areas work in the MLS search?
Good question! The Ann Arbor Area MLS separates areas based on school district. Click here to see a map. If you are hoping to search in a smaller geographical area - like walking distance to downtown Ann Arbor, within an elementary school district, or in a particular township - please let us know we'd be happy to set up a custom search for you.
Why don't I have to register?
When we built our website, we thought carefully about how we liked to be treated as consumers. When we were researching online, we didn't like when a site asked us to submit personal information when were just wanted to browse. As consumers we didn't like it when an ad in the newspaper left out important information so we had to call. We decided that if we didn't like it, there are likely lots of people who feel the same way as we do. We designed our site to be user friendly and provide as much information as possible. We hope you like it!
Why aren't many listings coming up when I enter my search criteria?
The most common reason for no or very few search results is entering search criteria that is very restrictive. The more requirements you add, the fewer listings will result. If you're having difficulty, try removing some of the information you entered in the search page and click search again. If you're still not having any luck, please let us know what you're searching for and we'd be happy to run a custom search for you.
I want to search with criteria that isn't part of the search. How do I do that?
Sometimes you just want to search by something that is not part of the standard search. We can help! Please just send us an email with your search criteria and we'll run a custom search for you.
How are taxes calculated in Michigan?
Real estate taxes in Michigan can seem confusing and arbitrary...until you know how they work. The first thing you need to know is that taxes are based on a figure called the "SEV" which stands for State Equalized Value. The SEV is approximately half of the market value of a house. A "millage rate", or amount per thousand dollars of value, is applied to that number which gives you the annual tax amount. For example, if you purchased a $200,000 property in the city of Ann Arbor, the SEV should be approximately $100,000. The millage rate in the city of Ann Arbor is about 47 mils for an owner occupied property. That would mean that annual taxes on the property would be about $4700 a year, or about $390 a month. There are a few other wrinkles to keep in mind. The first is that there are two different rates of taxation called homestead and non-homestead. The homestead rate is for owner-occupied residences. The non-homestead rate is higher and it is for properties that are not the primary residence of the owner. Secondly, every time a property is sold the taxes are re-assessed. Also properties are evaluated annually by the taxing authority. That means that tax information you see an a listing can change dramatically once the property transfers. Finally, once you purchase a property and your SEV is established, there is a law that caps the rate your taxes can increase by the rate of inflation. So eventually there will be a figure called "Taxable Value" in addition to the SEV on your tax records. That is why there are two figures shown on listings - the SEV and the taxable value - and why they can be so different. If a homeowner has owned the property for a number of years, the difference between the SEV and taxable value can be significant. Millage rates can vary widely depending on the location of a property. For example, the rate for a property in Pittsfield Township with Ann Arbor schools for 2006 is about 35 mils, or about 12 less mils than the city of Ann Arbor. Here is a complete listing of millage rates for Washtenaw County. The State of Michigan also has a tax estimator online. Click here to go to the tax estimator.
What is agency and why do I care?
Real estate agency is the law that talks about who is working for whom in a real estate transaction. A real estate agent can be a Seller's Agent, Buyer's Agent, a Dual Agent, or a Transaction Coordinator. It's important to know about who a real estate agent is working for to make sure you get representation in a deal. Click here to read a more detailed explanation of how agency works.
What is a Michigan basement?
This is a common question, but there are not many places to learn the answer. Michigan basements are found in older homes - think early 1900s, late 1800s. A
What do condo associations cover?
Condo association fees vary from complex to complex. A typical association will cover lawn care, snow removal, exterior maintenance, and upkeep of common areas. Some associations include water, or some other utility costs. There are even a few that cover basic cable! The best thing to do is look at them on a case by case basis. If you ever have a question about what a condo association covers, please feel free to contact us.
How long does it take to close?
There is not one answer to this question. Closings can happen in as quickly as a week, or extend over many months. In general, however, plan on closing in about 30-45 days from the time your offer is accepted. It all boils down to what is agreeable to both the buyer and seller. Keep in mind that it can take a while to find a property that meets your needs, so you'll probably need to start looking a few months sooner than you'd like to move.
What is a co-op?
A co-op is different from a traditional condominium complex. The large ones in the Ann Arbor area are The Village and Geddes Lake. You'll notice that the association fees in those complexes there relatively high, that is because in a co-op you have your own mortgage plus a "blanket mortgage" that is owed on the whole complex that owners pay out of their association fee. Co-op financing is different than regular mortgage financing, and there are far fewer companies that do it. If you'd like to check them out, we can get the contact information together for you. Since it is more of a challenge to get financed, many buyers tend to shy away from co-op complexes which explains the lower prices. Looking forward to the time you would want to sell anything you purchase, you generally will not realize as much appreciation/inflation in value in a co-op as you will a typical condominium. Co-ops can be a good fit for some prospective buyers, please let us know if you have any questions.
Are Alex and Kathryn married? Do they really work together all the time?
Yes indeed we are married, work together all the time, and haven't choked each other yet! We met in a real estate office, found we worked well together, and the rest is history!
Why should I work with the Rion Team?
The short answer is that we're easy to work with and we know what we're doing. Click here to check out our Top Ten Reasons to Work with the Rion Team.
When are we available to show houses?
We're used to working when other people are not. Our schedule is very flexible and we can accommodate weekdays, evening, weekends...whenever works best for you!
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