Archive for tag Mickey koch
July 20, 2010 at 07:00 PM · Posted under Area Attractions & Events
The Big Pig Gig, September 17 and 18, 2010.
The venue for this event has been moved back to its original location on Garfield Dr. in front of North Middle School.
Actual details for the event are forthcoming. I can tell you there will be more true “BBQ” for the event goers then past years. This year all of the food vendors are required to have available some kind of BBQ item. We will know more about band as the the dates get closer.
I have attached a few forms for anyone wanting to volunteer, either individual or group. You can earn money for a non-profit organization by volunteering during this fun event. Some jobs include, beer tents, token booths, parking, setup and take down, etc.
If you would like to participate, please fill out the appropriate form below and follow the directions at the bottom of each. We will then contact you with more information.
If you have any questions, please let me know!
Posted by: 
Mickey Koch
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March 09, 2010 at 03:38 PM
The BIG PIG GIG IS COMING BACK!!!!!
Mark your calendars & start gathering your volunteers!
The Menomonee Falls Community Chamber is thrilled to announce September 17 & 18, 2010 as the dates for the 2010 Big Pig Gig.
The Big Pig Gig Volunteer Committee is requesting updated information from your non-profit organization if you would like to be considered for volunteer hours for the 2010 Big Pig Gig. Volunteers provided by non-profit organizations are essential to the success of this event. 2008 we had 575 volunteers who worked a combined 2,290 hours! The Chamber gave away $10,000 to local organizations and groups that volunteered to help us in 2008.
This year, with our focus on providing GREAT customer service for all areas of the Big Pig Gig and to give away even more than $10,000 to our volunteer providers. In appreciation for the services provided by the non-profit volunteers,
the Menomonee Falls Community Chamber is planning to
share 10% of net profit of this event with all participating non-profit organizations.
More information will follow, but here is what we need by April 2, 2010…
- Updated Contact Information for your Organization – Organization name, Non-Profit #, mailing address
- Contact Person - Current Email and phone number
You can send this information by contacting me at mkoch@shorewest.com or fax it to 262.395.5032
If you provide this information by the April 2 deadline, we will Guarantee that your group will have FIRST CHOICE of doing the same jobs/tasks as they performed the last BPG
Thank you for considering involvement in the Big Pig Gig 2010! This event cannot take place without community stewards like you.
Posted by:Mickey Koch
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March 08, 2010 at 03:57 PM
When it comes to choosing a lender for your mortgage most people spend more time researching which shoes go with which belt than who is best fit to finance your largest single investment!
Choosing the correct company to help with the mortgage is just as important as choosing the correct home. If you’re shopping closing costs and interest rates you’re on the right track. Finding the perfect lender is a bit harder today. Here are some steps I think are without a doubt essential.
- Talk to family, friends and your Realtor. Get a few names of people that they have used and trust.
- Ask a lot of questions. A good lender will answer all your questions. A GREAT lender will give you extra info you never thought of.
- Tell the lender what you want to spend every month on your mortgage, taxes, and insurance. Don’t forget about private mortgage insurance if you don’t have 20% down. A great lender will coach you on what price range to be looking in so you don’t leave your “comfort zone” for how much you want to pay each month.
- Ask them up front what their costs are and have them put them in writing. READ THAT DOCUMENT! And understand it.
- Set up a face to face meeting with your lender and bring all of the required documentation ASAP. Don’t put this off.
- Ask about your different options, Conventional, FHA, WHEDA. Make sure you know what they mean to you.
A really good Realtor should be able to help you through this process. It’s really heartbreaking to find the perfect home and then find out that you cannot buy it because of something that was missed in the pre-qualifying process.
If your Realtor doesn’t offer to or is unwilling to be a huge part of the lending process that should be a red flag to start looking for a different Realtor. Your Realtor and your lender should be a team working together for you.
Please as always feel free to give me a call at (414) 416-0704. If you’re just starting the home buying process or are unsure if you’re getting the best service I can help.
Posted by:Mickey Koch
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February 19, 2010 at 02:42 PM · Posted under Area Attractions & Events
The Big Pig Gig, scheduled for September 17 and 18, 2010 is back after a year off.
The Menomonee Falls Community Chamber is bringing back the barbecue, music and entertainment festival after evaluating the past events and their popularity with the community. The 2010 Big Pig Gig promises to be bigger and better with a new location to be announced soon!
I think that local area businesses will see a larger impact from the new ideas being thrown around by this year’s committee members and staff. The event has always been well attended and this year is shaping up to be nothing less.
If you or your company is interested in volunteering or sponsoring this year’s Big Pig Gig, please feel free to give me a call at (414) 416-0704, or email me at mkoch@shorewest.com.
Posted by:Mickey Koch
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February 17, 2010 at 08:50 AM · Posted under Menomonee Falls
Yes Yes and Yes!
Just a quick story I remember from a past transaction. Sarah and I listed a home in Menomonee Falls a few years back. It was very small- right around 900 square feet. You walked into this home and it was furnished perfectly. It was straight out of Pottery Barn! The furnishings fit the space and the walls had mirrors to make the rooms seems larger. They were decorated with accents that match the furnishings and carpet. And they had very few family photos that allowed the buyer to see themselves in the space and not the seller.
That home was purchased in less than a month by a woman that was coming from out of state. She viewed the home and loved it and wrote an offer right away. She closed a month later and had all of her furniture shipped to the new home… None of it fit. Everything she owned was too big for the spaces in the home. She ended up having to buy new furniture for almost every room. Why did this happen? Because the buyer fell in love with the “feeling” the home had. She totally forgot to keep in mind what would happen when the sellers’ belongings were removed and hers put in there place.
Is this a good story? It depends on how you look at it! It was truly a bummer for the buyer but she dealt with it. But for the seller who had a home that they knew was small and would have a hard time selling it couldn’t have worked out better! They loved the home and had it decorated the way they liked and in the end it was that sense of space and style that sold there home quickly and for more money then if it was vacant.
The moral of the story is this: people may tell you that you have to stage your home and even more people may tell you that people can see past your belongings. But at the end of the day you’re selling more then just a home when you put your house on the market- you’re selling someone’s dream! And the more you can do to make that dream as visible as possible upon entry, the more buyers you’re going to have interested in your home.
Remember! Clean, de-clutter and de-personalize, and if your real estate professional says your home would benefit from staging by a professional please hear them out. They may just know what they are talking about…
Posted by:Mickey Koch
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February 15, 2010 at 11:29 AM
If you haven’t already heard the $8,000 first time buyer tax credit was extended and a current homeowner tax credit of $6,500 was added. To take advantage of either credit you must have an accepted offer by April 30, 2010 and close no later than June 30, 2010. Ask me for more details to see if you qualify (414.416.0704 or mkoch@shorewest.com).
In addition to the credits, many buyers, first time or thereafter, are realizing that this real estate market is a great opportunity to take advantage of low sale prices and historically low interest rates. Many economic experts are telling us that after the tax credit deadline, we could see interest rates take a sizeable jump higher. Most are predicting at least 6%.
So, what exactly are we getting at here? Well, for starters, the Wisconsin housing market is predicted to return to 2006 pricing levels between 2014 and 2017. That is a long way away. If you have thought about a move between now and then, consider this example:
You are comfortable paying $1300 per month (principle & interest only) on a 30 year mortgage for a new home. Monthly Payment: $1300 @ today’s interest rate of 5.25% = the loan amount of $235,420 or a $244,000 purchase price with 3.5% down.
VS.
Monthly Payment: $1300 @ 6.25% = the loan amount of $211,135 or a $219,000 purchase price with 3.5% down.
Here’s the conclusion: If rates jump up even by 1%, it just lowered the price of the home you can purchase by $25,000!
What if you have a house to sell?
The news is really the same - if you can sell now and you want to move before 2016, now is the time!
Could you make more money on your house if you wait? Possibly, but consider this example:
Sell a $200,000 home in today’s market and buy a home with a loan amount of $250,000 vs. the projected scenario for the same properties in the 2016 market.
TODAY
| Sale Proceeds |
New Loan Amount |
Monthly Payment |
| $0 |
$250,000 |
$1380.51 at 5.25% |
VS.
Waiting until 2016
| Sale Proceeds |
New Loan Amount |
Monthly Payment |
| $15,000 |
$265,000* |
$1631.65 at 6.25% |
*$265,000 using the proceeds of $15,000 from sale of current home to purchase a $280,000 home.
Remember, if your home price increases, so do the prices of the homes you want to buy.
Here’s the conclusion: Even if you wait for your home to increase so you can get more money when you sell to put down on a new one, you will still pay a higher mortgage payment each month because the interest rate will be higher.
We realize that this can be very confusing, but felt that it was really important for all of you to know. We would be happy to talk with you further about your particular situation to see what makes sense for you. Just give us a call at 414.416.0704!
Posted by:Mickey Koch
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February 15, 2010 at 07:10 AM
Starting March 1, 2010 WHEDA loans are back in Wisconsin! The WHEDA Fannie Mae Advantage allows buyers to bring less cash to the closing table and will allow them to have lower monthly payments than most conventional loan options.
With as little $1000 minimum contribution the borrower may finance up to 100% of the purchase price with a low 30 year fixed rate. Buyers also still may qualify for the $8000 Federal First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit if they enter into a contract by April 30, 2010 and close by June 30, 2010.
Buyers must be first time home buyers, must complete the pre-purchase home buyer education course, must owner occupy the property but single family homes and duplexes are allowed. Purchase price and income limits apply.
What does this mean? It means that affordable loan products with low or no down payment options are back. Buyers with good credit can once again get into that home of their dreams with less cash up front.
Get all of the latest information here.
Posted by:Mickey Koch
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February 12, 2010 at 03:15 PM
Here is a quick illustration on why it is not a good idea to wait to sell and buy if you are at all able to do so now…
Current Numbers for a $300,000 loan amount….
- Loan Amount: $300,000.00
- Interest Rate: 5%
- Loan Term: 30.00 years (360 months)
- Mortgage Payment: $1,610.46
- Total Interest: $279,769.69
- Total Payments: $579,769.69
Numbers if you wait until 2016 when the market is projected to be anywhere near 2006 prices.
- Loan Amount: $340,000.00 (This is likely what a $300,000 home today will cost when the prices go back up)
*Interest Rate: 6.5% (This is a estimate of the rate, it could be much higher)
- Loan Term: 30.00 years (360 months)
- Mortgage Payment: $2,149.03
- Total Interest: $433,652.21
- Total Payments: $773,652.21
So you would pay roughly $540 more a month. $40,000 more for the same house and $154,000 more over the life of the loan!
Even if you don’t make a dime on the home you’re selling if you have the ability to buy now, you will way better off in the long run.
Posted by:Mickey Koch
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February 12, 2010 at 01:07 PM
The Koch Team
Shorewest - Menomonee Falls
N94 W17900 Appleton Avenue
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
Contact me
Direct Line: 414.416.0704
Fax: 262.782.6637
Email:
mkoch@shorewest.com
Website:
thekochs.shorewest.com
View Mickey’s Posted Articles
- Almost $10 Million sold in 2009 - that’s 46 families moved!
- #1 Team in the Menomonee Falls office in 2008 with over $10,000,000 in sales!
- Educating our clients about the market is a top priority and helps them make good decisions that work.
- Our combined degrees in marketing and graphic design allow us to use out of the box ideas to sell your home.
- Two full service agents working hard so you don’t have to.
- Strong Negotiation Skills to get you the best price in the least amount of time.
- In-Depth Pricing Analysis
- Named Best in Client Satisfaction by Milwaukee Magazine 2008, 2009 & 2010
- Shorewest Roundtable Forum Presenters 2007
- Free Market Analysis/Buyer Consultation
- Seller Agents/Buyer Agents
- Serving Metro Milwaukee in 5 Counties
- Members-Greater Milwaukee Realtors® Association
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