How Bluetooth 4.0 Will Change Your House

Wireless technologies have been transforming domestic life since the availability of home radios in the 1920s. Since then every new kind of wireless technology and every new application has brought more transformative changes to the home. 

Television, for example, used to receive its signal wirelessly, which enabled its fast adoption in the 1950s. As the use of cable TV spread, transforming a wireless signal into a nonwireless one, wireless remote controls added another convenience. 

Cordless phones changed when and where you could make and receive calls. Wireless garage door openers and other special-purpose wireless devices subtly improved people's lives in small ways. You probably have a Wi-Fi network in your home, which you use to connect computers, laptops, phones and possibly your TV to the Internet. 

You probably also use another wireless technology called Bluetooth. If you have a wireless headset with your cell phone, or a wireless keyboard or mouse with your computer, you're using Bluetooth. 

Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are geeky technologies working invisibly and behind the scenes to subtly and profoundly change homes all over the world. They've eliminated cables, reducing clutter. And they've freed you to place consumer electronics devices anywhere. 

Now a brand-new technology is about to really change things again! The fourth generation of Bluetooth technology is revolutionary. It's not just a little better than the Bluetooth you're currently using. It's massively better. 

Today most chatter about Bluetooth 4.0 is about advanced gadgets. Bluetooth 4.0 is also called Bluetooth Smart Ready, and one of the best things about it is that it uses much less power. 

If you use a wireless mouse or keyboard, you know that the batteries have to be changed or recharged every few weeks or, at most, every few months. Bluetooth 4.0 would enable them to never have to do anything with the batteries. These devices would be charged when you open the box and remain charged for more years than you would want to use them. 

Bluetooth 4.0 isn’t something you buy at the store. At some point, one by one, a gazillion gadgets will add or upgrade to the new technology. The most aggressive company to build Bluetooth 4.0 into its products is Apple. This is surprising, because Apple often lags behind other companies in the introduction of new standards and new technologies. 

The iPhone 4S was the first phone ever to support Bluetooth 4.0. The current iPad is the first tablet to support it. By the end of the year, we can expect every major Bluetooth device, from phones to tablets to peripheral devices, to support the new Bluetooth 4.0 standard. 

And that’s just the beginning.

What happens when everything is connected? The reason Bluetooth 4.0 will completely change everything in the home is that it will accomplish the following feats: 

1. It will replace proprietary technologies. A wide range of household gadgets, from TV remote controls to room temperature thermostats to doorbells, use nonstandard tech to communicate wirelessly. New capabilities in Bluetooth 4.0 will mean all these gadgets can just use the new standard. When that happens, you'll be able to easily connect to, monitor and control things with your phone and tablet. Current tablet products use Wi-Fi or proprietary wireless technologies. Because of those technologies, the use of tablets for controlling things is rare. Bluetooth will make home tablet remote controls and control panels commonplace. 

2. It will enable more things to be wireless. Bluetooth 4.0 will make it cheap and easy for companies to add wireless connectivity to random things: lamps, washing machines, refrigerators, coffee makers, air conditioners, ovens and much more. You'll be able to control and monitor things from your phone or over the Internet that you previously had to control by touching the object. 

3. It will let you automate things. Once an appliance or piece of functional furniture can be controlled through Bluetooth 4.0, it can be easily automated. You just need the software to control it. Your smart phone and tablet are based on an "app" economy, so you can expect literally thousands of home-control apps to come on the market over the next few years. 

4. It will help appliances talk to one another. With all your stuff connected via Bluetooth 4.0, the appliances in your house can talk to other appliances without your involvement. The thermostat can turn on the air conditioner. An incoming phone call can pause your TV show. The alarm clock by your bed can turn on the coffee machine. The cell phone in your pocket can turn on the lights in and around your house as you pull into the driveway. 

Futurists have been making bold predictions about the coming age of the “smart home” for decades. All these visions involve wireless technology for connecting devices to the Internet, to user control devices and to each other. 

Bluetooth 4.0 is that technology. And now it’s here.

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Northouse Realty Group (616) 206-9667 
Jeff Northouse - REALTOR Christine Lassa - Marketing Director 
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6 Tips for Keeping Your Grand Rapids Lawn Healthy

6 Tips for keeping your lawn nice and green this summer!

1. Be careful not to overwater. Overwatering produces shallow roots, making it more vulnerable to heat or pests.

2. The besttime to water is early morning, because less water is lost to evaporation.

3. The worst time to water is in the evening, when too little water is lost to evaporation. Diseases are more likely to develop in a wet lawn.

4. Raise that mower and let grass blades grow to 3" in height. Taller blades have deeper roots. Also, higher blades provide more shade for soil, and shade also has the benefit of stunting the growth of weeds.

5. Maintain the lawn, watching for weeds. Weed growth can increase thanks to the heat. Weeds tend to be more resilient.

6. Give the lawn 1 to 2" of water once a week. As a rule of thumb: Running sprinklers for one hour provides 1 inch of water to the area it covers, two inches in two hours, etc.

RRR Lawn & Landscape: 6 Tips for Keeping Your Grand Rapids Lawn Healthy

Call us with all of your Real Estate Needs!Northouse Realty Group (616) 206-9667Jeff Northouse - REALTORChristine Lassa - Marketing Directorwww.grhomelink.comBrokered by Five Star Real Estate (616) 257-1500

CNN Lists Grand Rapids as One of Most Affordable U.S. Cities to Buy a Home

According to the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo, these 10 cities have the most affordable home prices in the nation, based on home prices, median income and mortgage rates. And guess who's listed at #5?! Our very own Grand Rapids, MI! CNN provides the following information to prove why Grand Rapids is one of the best places to buy a home!

Median home price: $100,000

Median income: $60,300

Affordability score: 91.2%

As in many once-booming Midwestern cities, Grand Rapids was built up during an era of prosperity and high population growth. Now it's left with a large inventory of fine, old houses that are weighing on home prices.

In addition, several local non-profits are working to save area neighborhoods by renovating older homes and renting them out or reselling them, said Kara Wood, the city's director of economic development. 

With population growth slowing over the past few decades -- the metro-area population grew at about half the national rate over the past 10 years -- there's more than enough homes to meet buyer demand. 

Meanwhile, the city's economic base, which once relied heavily on the furniture-making industry, has become more diversified. Health care is now a driving force in the local economy, said Wood. 

And there are plenty of good-paying jobs. Spectrum Health, which runs several hospitals in the area, employs more than 16,000 local residents, plus 1,500 physicians. 

Call us with all of your Real Estate Needs!
Northouse Realty Group (616) 206-9667
Jeff Northouse - REALTOR   Christine Lassa - Marketing Director
www.grhomelink.com
Brokered by Five Star Real Estate (616) 257-1500

Home Prices Show Strongest Year-to-Year Gain in 6 Years!

Existing-home sales rose to 4.62 million (seasonally adjusted annualized rate) in April from a downwardly revised March rate of 4.47 million, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported Tuesday. Economists had forecast the April sales pace would be 4.66 million.

The median price of an existing home climbed 10.1 percent to $177,400 from $161,100 in April 2011, the strongest year-to-year gain since January 2006. The median price in April reached its highest level since July 2010 when it was $182,100.

The inventory of homes for sale in April rose to 2.54 million, the highest level since last November, bringing the months’ supply of homes on the market to 6.6.

The 10.0 percent year-to-year gain in the sales rate was the strongest since October when sales were up 14.0 percent year-over year.

Distressed homes – foreclosures and short sales sold at deep discounts – accounted for 28 percent of April sales (17 percent were foreclosures and 11 percent were short sales), down from 29 percent in March and 37 percent in April 2011, the NAR said. Foreclosures sold for an average discount of 21 percent below market value in April (compared with an average discount of 19 percent in March), while short sales were discounted 14 percent in April compared with 16 percent in March.

The months’ supply of existing homes for sale remains well below the July 2010 cyclical peak of 12.4 which had been the highest level since 1982. Inventories as tracked by theNAR are 20.3 percent below their year ago level however anecdotal evidence though suggests there is still a large “shadow” inventory of homes available for sale, especially bank-owned properties.

Regionally, existing-home sales rose in April in every region of the country led by a 5.1 percent month-to-month increase in the Northeast where sales were up19.2 percent over April 2011. Sales rose 4.4 percent over March in the West (a 7.3 percent year-year gain), 3.5 percent in the South (6.5 percent year-year) and 1.0 percent in the Midwest (14.4 percent year over year).

The median price of an existing home rose month-month and year-year in all four regions. At $256,600, the median price of an existing home reached its highest level since August 2010. The median price of an existing home in the South rose to $153,400, the highest level since July 2010 and the median price of an existing home in the West rose to $221,700, also the highest since July 2010.

The year-to-year price gain in the West, 15.9 percent, was the strongest since November 2005. The year-to-year price increase in the Northeast was the first since last June.

Call us with all of your Real Estate Needs! Northouse Realty Group (616) 206-9667
Jeff Northouse - REALTOR
Christine Lassa - Marketing Director
www.grhomelink.com
Brokered by Five Star Real Estate (616) 257-1500

Signs That You're Ready To Buy

Figuring out whether you're ready to buy a house -- whether you're a renter or are aiming to move up or size down -- can be a daunting task. But there are signs that will indicate whether you're ready to take the buying plunge. If you are thinking about buying, you're not alone. So are you ready to make the move? You might be if you:

1. Are familiar with the market. If you've been paying attention to how much houses are listed for in the neighborhoods you're eyeing and have a realistic view of how much a house will cost you, you're in good shape. But if you're dreaming about that big corner house with no clue about it's asking price, you may want to spend some more time becoming familiar with the market and how much houses are going for.

2. Have the money for a down payment and closing costs. The down payment is a percentage of the value of the property. Freddie Mac says the percentage will be determined by the type of mortgage you select. Down payments usually range from 3 to 20 percent of the property value. Also, you may be required to have Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI or MI) if your down payment is less than 20 percent. Closing costs include points, taxes, title insurance, financing costs and items that must be prepaid or escrowed and other settlement costs. You can expect to pay between from 2 to 7 percent of the property value. Generally, buyers will receive an estimate of these costs from your lender after you apply for a mortgage.

3. Know how much you can afford. Freddie Mac says that as a general guide, your monthly mortgage payment should be less than or equal to a percentage of your income, usually about a quarter of your gross monthly income. Also, your income, debt and credit history go into determining how much you can borrow. As a general rule, your debt -credit card bills, car loans, housing expenses, alimony and child support -- should not be more than about 30 to 40 percent of your gross income.

4. Know what additional expenses will come with owning a home. This includes homeowners insurance, utility bills, maintenance costs -- roofing, plumbing, heating and cooling.

5. Have your credit in good shape and make sure your credit report is accurate. Potential lenders will view your credit history -- how much debt you've accrued, how many accounts you have open, whether your payments are made on time, etc. -- to determine whether they'll give you a loan. You should get a report from each of the three credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union.

6. You haven't made any recent major purchases, particularly a vehicle. If you do, you may have a harder time getting a loan -- or it could potentially lower the amount you'll be approved for.

If you think you're ready to buy, contact us today! We'd love to help find you a perfect home!

Call us with all of your Real Estate Needs! 616.366.5240
The Northouse Team - Jeff Northouse and Christine Lassa
Brokered by Five Star Realty # 257-1500
www.grhomelink.com

OwnAmerica CEO, "Grand Rapids- Best Place to Invest in Real Estate"

Check out this video! The CEO of OwnAmerica explains why Grand Rapids, Michigan and Charleston, South Carolina are the best places to invest in real estate. Whether you're looking for your first place or looking for investment opportunities, now is the time to buy in GR! We'd love to help you find a place that fits your needs. Please contact Northouse Realty Group if you or someone you know is looking to buy or sell a home!


http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/1642573382001/rand-invest-in-charleston-sc-and-grand-rapids-mich/?playlist_id=87185

Call us with all of your Real Estate Needs! 616.366.5240 Have a Wonderful Day!
The Northouse Team ~ Five Star Real Estate
Jeff Northouse- Realtor
Christine Lassa- Marketing Director
www.grhomelink.com

Grand Rapids Ties for First in the Beer City USA Poll!

Voting for the annual BeerCity USA poll is over. From the start it was clear that communities from several areas of the United States intended to make a run for winning the honor of becoming 2012 BeerCity USA. Facebook, Twitter, other community networks and local media were active throughout the 13-day polling period.  With 55,926  votes cast for 31 different American cities the results clearly indicated that both Asheville, North Carolina and Grand Rapids topped the poll with a statistical tie. 

Both cities are being awarded BeerCity USA 2012.  This is Grand Rapids first year of winning top honors.  This is Asheville’s fourth year in a row receiving top honors (they shared 2009 honors in a tie with Portland, Oregon).

Based on the number of votes Grand Rapids and Asheville received and determining that a 3% or less difference between the number of votes the top vote getters received would be a statistical (estimated margin of anomalies) tie, Asheville and Grand Rapids will share BeerCity USA 2012 honors.

2012 BeerCity USA Vote Counts

                                    2012 votes  

1.         Asheville, NC            17,849 statistical tie

1.         Grand Rapids, MI      17,849 statistical tie

3.         St. Louis, MO            3,451 

4.         Bend, OR                  2,270 

5.         Portland, OR              2,014

6.         San Diego, CA            1,304           

7.         Milwaukee, WI             955

8.         Fort Collins, CO           840

9.         Denver, CO                  809

10.       Cleveland, OH               671

11.       Durango, CO                670

12.       Raleigh, NC                  669

13.       Madison, WI                 668

14.       Philadelphia, PA             599

15.       Phoenix-Tempe-

           Scottsdale, AZ               596

16.       Tampa, FL                    581

17.       Chicago, IL                   563

18.       Missoula, MT                402

The following cities each had less than 400 votes: Boulder, CO; Jacksonville, FL; Minneapolis-St.Paul, MN; Cincinnati, OH; San Francisco/Oakland - Bay Area, CA; Austin, TX; Seattle, WA; Charlotte, NC; Boston, MA; Portland, ME; Dallas-Ft.Worth, TX; Washington, DC; Albuquerque, NM

Votes were cast from 90 countries.  It’s not surprising that the top two states from which votes were cast were Michigan with 10,560 and North Carolina with 8,164.  New Jersey, Missouri, Oregon, California, South Carolina and Pennsylvania voters all cast more than 2,000 votes each.

The 2012 BeerCity USA poll is over, but the fun is always happening with over 2,000 small and independent craft brewers brewing up a storm of brew for craft beer enthusiasts everywhere.  Today is the second day of American Craft Beer Week (May 14-20). There are events celebrating American Craft Beer Week and craft brewing in every state this year. Take your thirst for celebrating to a Grand Rapids brewery and drink to our victory!!

Call us with all of your Real Estate Needs! 616.366.5240 Have a Wonderful Day! 
The Northouse Team ~ Five Star Real Estate
Jeff Northouse- REALTOR
Christine Lassa- Marketing Director
www.grhomelink.com

More Renters Are Finding It's Cheaper to Buy!

With rising rents, more renters are being swayed into home ownership, even in pricey housing markets like New York. 

For example, one New York renter said he started looking into owning a home when his landlord tried to increase his rent by 13 percent when his lease was up for renewal. He found that he could buy a home and get the same amount of space for cheaper than continuing to rent, plus he’d be building equity. 

Other renters are starting to see that buying may be a better option for them, too. 

Rents are increasing at about the same pace that home values are dropping, says Stan Humphries, Zillow’s chief economist, who says, according to their surveys, home prices have dropped 3.1 percent year-over-year whereas rents have increased 2.5 percent. 

"Herein lie the seeds to eventually more interest in buying on the part of consumers, which will help put a floor under home prices," Humphries told Investors Business Daily. Recent housing surveys, including Zillow’s, are showing home prices are starting to rise in recent months. 

Affordability in housing has been at record highs from the combination of falling home values and record-low mortgages. Humphries says that housing prices have rolled back to 2003 levels. 

"That increased affordability in the face of rising rental prices will begin to get buyers off the fence this year,” Humphries says. "What's been keeping buyers on the fence is a crisis of confidence. People who don't have a job, or who are worried about losing their job, don't buy homes. They also don't want to buy an asset they think is rapidly depreciating.”

National Association of REALTORS®’ Chief Economist Lawrence Yun says the tighter restrictions from lenders are also preventing many potential buyers from securing financing in order to buy. But for those who are able to qualify, Yun says “it’s better to get in now” than wait. 

Call us with all of your Real Estate Needs! 616.366.5240 Have a Wonderful Day!
The Northouse Team ~ Five Star Real Estate
Jeff Northouse ~ Christine Lassa
www.grhomelink.com

You May Have Nomophobia!

Do you have a fear of being apart from your cellphone? If so, you may suffer from "nomophobia" or "no mobile phone phobia," MSNBC.com reports.

It's on the rise. Do you never turn off your phone? Obsessively check it? Constantly worry about losing it?

If so, you may be among the 66 percent who recently admitted to having "nomophobia," according to a national study by SecurEnvoy, a mobile phone technology firm. Four years ago, a study showed 53 percent admitted to having it. 

According to the survery, respondents, on average, reported checking their cellphones 34 times a day. Seventy-five percent reported taking their cellphone with them to the bathroom. And some of those surveyed also reported sleeping with it and even taking it in the shower with them (protecting it so it stays dry, of course). 

So what about you? Can you call yourself a nomophob?! 

Call us with all of your Real Estate Needs! 616.366.5240 Have a Wonderful Day!
The Northouse Team ~ Five Star Real Estate Jeff Northouse ~ Christine Lassa
www.grhomelink.com

Now is the Time to Buy!

Buying a home may never get any cheaper than this. Several housing experts are predicting that this year will be the last chance for bargain hunters to cash in on the best deals of the weak housing market.

With home prices down 34% nationally since 2006 and mortgage rates at historic lows, homes have never been more affordable -- but it won't stay this way for much longer.

Stuart Hoffman, chief economist for PNC Financial Services (PNC,Fortune 500), said he expects home prices to flatten out by the third quarter and start climbing by next year.

A number of factors will help bolster the housing market, he said, including a decline in the number of foreclosures and continued job growth. In addition, homebuyers will have better access to mortgages as they get their finances in order and improve their credit scores.

Some economists, like Trulia's Jed Kolko, expect home prices to pick up even more quickly. Trulia's data shows that the national average for asking prices already increased 1.4% in the first quarter of 2012, compared with the last three months of 2011.

Mortgage payments at lowest level in decades

"This is a strong indicator that we will start seeing home price indexes, like the S&P/Case-Shiller, start to report home price increases this summer," he said.

Prospective homebuyers who've been sitting on the fence shouldn't worry if they aren't quite ready to make the leap. Analysts are predicting that the initial price gains will be modest, at least, in most markets.

Hoffman, for example, is forecasting a 2% increase in 2013 compared with 2012. Meanwhile David Stiff, chief economist for Fiserv, predicts that prices will turn in the last quarter of 2012 and will rise 4.2% for the 12 months through September 2013.

Foreclosures start to fade

One major factor that will drive the trend is the cooling of the foreclosure crisis. Stan Humphries, chief economist for Zillow, said that the percentage of mortgage loans 90 days or more late, a good predictor of future foreclosures, is "falling fast."

That percentage dropped 15% year-over-year to 3.1% through the end of 2011, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. And the decline is accelerating: More than 70% of the decline came in the last three months of the year.

Before things slow down, however, buyers should brace themselves for a temporary spike in the number of foreclosures as banks start expediting the processing of hundreds of thousands foreclosures that were stuck in the system following the robo-signing scandal. That backlog should move more quickly now that new guidelines for processing foreclosures have been outlined in the $26 billion foreclosure statement.

Many of the bank-owned properties currently coming out of the foreclosure pipeline are being snapped up by investors who are fixing them up and renting them out -- often to those who were displaced by the foreclosure of their own home. That has helped to lift prices on foreclosed properties, according to Alex Villacorte, the director of analytics for Clear Capital, which specializes in housing market valuations.

"That could have a significant impact on the market overall in terms of providing a rising floor to home values," he said.

Goodbye 3.9% Mortgage

In addition to home prices, mortgages could also move higher.

Mortgage rates have been at or near historic lows for much of the past six months. The average interest rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage has not topped 4.5% since July 2011. And recently, it has been at 3.88% just a tick above the record low of 3.88% set in February.

But rates aren't expected to remain at these record-low levels much longer. As the economy continues to recover, rates will move higher, said Doug Lebda, CEO of LendingTree, the online lending site. Although, he said, they will "stay very reasonable."

The Mortgage Bankers Association is forecasting that the 30-year fixed will hit 4.5% by the end of the year. Greater demand for loans will help fuel the increase, according to Lebda.

Call us with all of your Real Estate Needs! 616.366.5240 Have a Wonderful Day!
The Northouse Team ~ Five Star Real Estate
Jeff Northouse & Christine Lassa
www.grhomelink.com