FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHY DO I NEED A REALTOR?
If you're a buyer, you need a professional agent who knows the area market, and has access to the MLS. You need a skilled negotiator who will help you buy the property you want at a fair price. You need someone to answer all of your questions about contracts, financing, home inspections, surveys, deed restrictions, condo documents, taxes, zoning, closing and every other aspect of purchasing real estate. We can set up an automated search for you in the MLS, based on your stated criteria, which will email you every available listing. You can look at them when you have time, and delete the ones that do not interest you. You keep the ones that look promising and call or email us with questions about them. When you're ready, call and tell us which ones you want to see and we will set up the appointments and take you to see them.
If you want to sell your home, you need an agent who will agressively market your property. More than 90% of homeowners who attempt to sell by owner eventually list with a Realtor. Your home needs to be on the MLS, it needs to have a broker tour (when all of the agents in the area are invited to preview the property). We have found that serving lunch really works to get them to come. The more agents that see your home, the better. Also, you need to list with a company that markets on the internet. 85% of buyers begin their search for homes on the internet. The internet is an important tool for buyers, sellers and agents.
We have our own website which showcases our listings, and Shoreline Realtors also has a website which displays our listings and all of the other agent's listings. Shoreline's website appears on page 1 of Google if you search for Saugatuck real estate. We have 15 agents in our office who all work together to keep each other informed about our listings - for two main reasons:
1. If we have a buyer looking for a certain type of property, we know immediately if someone in our office may have what they are looking for.
2. We inform the other agents about our listings, and they tour them. When they have buyers, they know whether we have what their buyer is looking for.
Shoreline Realtors also advertises listings in the local papers, Lake Magazine and the Real Estate Guide. We host public open houses on weekends and holidays, when our area is the busiest.
WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT SAUGATUCK AND DOUGLAS?
The Saugatuck/Douglas area has been a popular vacation destination for more than a century. The charming, historic towns are situated on opposite sides of Kalamazoo Lake, which is a wide spot in the Kalamazoo River, which transports you to Lake Michigan in about 30 minutes by boat. Both towns have wonderful shopping districts, great restaurants, night spots, parks, beaches, fishing, entertainment, a museum and that special, small town friendliness. The area is famous for its artists and galleries, and is home to the Oxbow School of Art. The new performing arts center, the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, has enhanced the area with a broad spectrum of live performances. The Mason Street Warehouse presents live, Broadway-style shows at the SCA. Many of our residents are people originally from big cities who came to Saugatuck/Douglas on vacation, fell in love with the area, and eventually bought a vacation home or retired here.
HOW MUCH WILL MY TAXES BE?
Taxes are calculated by multiplying the Taxable Value by the millage rate. Taxable Value is reassessed upon a sale. When you buy a home, the new Taxable Value and SEV are based upon 1/2 of the fair market value. For example: If you pay $300,00 for a property in Saugatuck, which you use as your primary residence, your taxes will be $150,000 X 35.9955 (mills) = $5399. The non-homestead millage for Saugatuck is 53.9955. (Please note that millage rates change. This example is based upon 2006-2007 millages.) If you have questions about taxes, please call or email us.
