The Jaycees are Helping Ypsilanti

I am proud to say that I am a contributing member of the Ypsilanti Jaycees an organization dedicated to helping the community it lives and works in and loving every minute of it.

So, you re in your 20's or 30's and you have worked long hours all week at your job and along comes Saturday time to relax right. Sleep in, put your feet up watch the UofM game, take a nap, get ready to head out to the bar right?

Well this is what your Saturday would look like if you were actively involved in the Jaycees. 8:00 AM Saturday morning meet with the other Jaycees to organize 80 baskets of food that you and other Jaycees are bringing door to door to needy families in Ypsi.

2:00 PM all the baskets are distributed to the thankful and wonderful Ypsi residents that needed a little help for Thanksgiving.

3:00 Start setting up for the "Annual Senior Dinner" held at the Senior Center in Recreation Park in Ypsi.

6:00 Start dishing out food to over 80 Ypsilanti area seniors and enjoying their company and appreciation for a free Thanksgiving dinner well served by volunteers with smiling faces.

8:00 Clean up the Senior Center and put away all of the tables and wash all the dishes

9:03 Pass out :D

If you want to know more about the Ypsilanti Area Jaycees check us out, you wont regret it

http://ypsilantijaycees.com/

Rail Transit And Ypsilanti

So, its finally here.....well almost. The Detroit Region is one of the last major metro areas in the United States to not have a intergrated rail and transit system to connect cities and regions.

Recently Michigan has recevied federal grants to step up our rail service and make it possible to step up our Region and our State into transportation relevancy. Govener Snyder is a big fan of rail and sees it as a way to plan for our states future growth and sustainability. http://www.michiganradio.org/post/detroit-chicago-less-4-hours-3-upgrades-michigan-passenger-rail.

So, what would an active rail service look like in our part of the world. Well the way  I see it is like many other metro areas that have rail transit. In these areas many people buy real estate near rail for ease of commute to thier jobs or entertainment.

Now I want you to envision what Depot town would look like if it had a train stop with stops at UofM hospital, Ford, and the Airport. These are three of our regions largest and most consitent employers.

Could you imagine the attractiveness of Ypsilanti to a Ford Executive? I can, what about a Pilot? Or a nurse?

My point is simply this there are homes that you can buy a block away from a possible train stop in Depot town for $30,000.

Now can you imagine how much that same home would be worth the train stop to all of these destinations stopped in Ypsilanti? I can.

Help Save Heritage Festival

I have to say that one of the best things about Ypsilanti is how easy it is to get involved in the community. This is a place where one person really can make a difference, and that good ideas and positive thinking are encouraged and embraced.

Last Tuesday night The Heritage Festival Committee invited the community down to the Spark East building on Michigan Ave to ask for the communities help. The room was literally packed with supporters that want to help.

To give you a little history the Heritage festival is a annual free family fun event held in the city. In recent years it has lost some of its past glory and the opportunity to re-invent the event has been placed at the communities doorstep.

All of the previous council members save one are leaving the group opening the door for innovation. At the meeting on Tuesday the leaving council members talked to the group about the duties of their positions and where the event stood presently.

After the discussion and questions the groups were divided into areas of interest and were asked to form committees. They really allowed the individuals in Ypsi to make a change, and some absolutely great ideas came out of this brainstorming.

I am going to join the Entertainment committee and we have already came up with some absolutely great plans for next year. I will keep you updated, look forward to a rockin Heritage Festival!!!!

Ypsi's Got Talent Review

The 3rd Annual Ypsi's got talent ROCKED!!!! Hosted by the Ypsi Jaycees and Emceed by yours truly Coach T the event was fun, diverse, and original to say the least.

The event started with a awesome local artist Tim Dunn, who happens to moonlight as a Ninja (jk). He rocked out with his awesome shiny gituar and gave the crowd a thrill. There we 9 acts in all on this Friday night at the Tap Room in downtown Ypsi.

Other highlights were a spirited performance by Beemcee and Nino of the group FOW. The lyrical skills were matched with thier dynamic sound and coordinated performance. Definately a crowd favorite, to say the least.

The grand prize went to the dance troupe Patchwerk. I literally felt like I was on ABDC I was waiting for Mario Lopez to walk in. The group of ten dancers lit up the small space on the Tap Room floor. The dance styles ranged from ballet to hip hop.

The final artist Danielle put on a awesome Killing me Softly. The crowd was so into it they actually out sang her at moments.

Other highlights were when I played the Ghostbusters theme, and literally everybody in the crowd was yelling out GHOSTBUSTERS, good times.

What is Ypsilanti Open House

What is Ypsilanti Open House?!?!?!?

To quote one of my favorite shows the A Team "I love it when a plan comes together". For the last few months agencies from around the beautiful city of Ypsilanti have been working together to show the public what a great city we have.

This event is in its 3rd year and takes place in the city of Ypsilanti this Saturday October 15th from 12-4. There are many facets to this event and many parties that champion the city are involved. In summation this event was created to show new people to the area all the great things that the city has to offer.

Want to check out some houses? We will have almost 30 open houses in the city from 12-4 pick up your maps and the downtown Key bank on Michigan Ave. or simply visit the website http://openhouse.ypsi.com/.

Want to learn about the nuances of home buying? Please visit the Key bank center we will have lenders and Realtors on site to answer your questions about home ownership.

Ready to buy and need some assistance? We are holding a Washtenaw Housing Education Partners class at the Key Bank, and when passing they will offer down payment assistance http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government/departments/extension/CommDevelopment/WHEP%20Pre-purchase.

Just interested in seeing what the city has to offer and getting some eats? Take a tour guided bus tour around the city and get a EMU discount card to use at local eateries and shops.

Come give Ypsilanti a look we know you will like what you see :D

Ypsi's Got Talent......And My Story

This year Coach T will be hosting the annual Ypsi's Got Talent at the Tap Room on Friday October 14th sponsored by the Ypsilanti Area Jaycees. I happened to have won first place last year but I won something more important than any award.....my girlfriend Stephanie.

I remember walking into the the back room of the bar, and seeing her for the first time. She was so radiant I cant remember seeing another sole that night in the bar besides her. A bit later I got up and performed my song, and she was my biggest fan clapping and smiling, again all I saw was her.

After the performances we were running a "Dating Game", and my friend Mike was the bachelor. And wouldn't you know it Stephanie was one of the contestants. I sat in the front row and admired her and her cute and poignant answers.

And then the moment Mike had to make his choice between the three contestants. I could barely contain myself literally yelling at him to pick number two (Stephanie) "she is beautiful" I said, and "seriously".

Alas Mike did not pick her, I was in one moment sad, and in the next giddy with hope. Moments later I went over to congratulate her friend on the win, and started talking to her. Things have never been the same.

Who are you serving

When I became a Realtor I decided to do it because it gave me a chance to really serve "others". What does that mean? Well to me it means doing right by other people regardless of weather it is best for "me" or not.

Sure sometimes its tough but I knew it wasn't going to be easy. And there have been so many times I have been frustrated with my clients. Weather it was writing an offer that was too low, or needing to see a property at a time that was not perfect for my schedule.

But I decided to be in the business to serve "others" not "me". It does not matter what time is best for "me". It does not matter how much my client wants to spend, or even if they ever buy a house at all. The only thing that matters is that I serve them.

Many times we as Realtors, and really as people are too busy putting ourselves first. We tend to look at clients as dollar signs and adjust the value of people with how much they affect our bank account.

I am only saying this because I have done this myself and am guilty on all counts of putting price tags on the people I serve.

Thankfully, I have been able to cut this price tag off those I serve through constant self evaluation. And it has enabled me to remember the reason I decided to start this career to serve "others" not "me".