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Kathy Toth and Team are Washtenaw County, Michigan real estate experts who will guide home buyers and sellers through the entire real estate process. Our extensive knowledge of Washtenaw County areas, combined with decades of expertise in the local real estate market is extremely valuable to helping you achieve your goals. For quality service and personal attention during your real estate transaction, contact Kathy Toth and Team for all your home buying and selling needs.

We want to be your real estate agents!

How Crime Impacts Ann Arbor Area Real Estate

Posted by Toth Team Worldwide on April 1, 2016

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Buyers are concerned about crime when viewing properties. They want to move into a neighborhood that is safe and a property with a good resale value down the line. Today, Derrick Jackson, the Director of Community Engagement at the sheriff’s department, joins me to go over a few ways to research crime rates in certain areas.

Derrick has been working with the sheriff’s department for seven years. His main goal is to educate the community about how safe or unsafe a particular area in our county is. He provides information to help you make the best decisions possible.

One way to find out about crime in a neighborhood is to stop by a neighborhood watch meeting. You’ll get a sense of the issues that impact that particular neighborhood. There may be significant crime in the area, or there may be some infrastructure issues. Either way, this is a great way to get a feel for the neighborhood.

These meetings are either monthly or bimonthly. If you don’t have time to attend a neighborhood watch meeting before purchasing a home, visit CrimeMapping.com. You can enter the address of the home you’re interested and see if any crimes have occurred in the past week, in the past 30 days, or in the past 90 days.

CrimeMapping.com is a great national resource. You can see what type of crime occurred, what time it happened, and more. The site will also tell you if the crime i 3.22 s non-violent, which includes things like larceny or automobile theft, or violent, which includes things like assault or homicide.

You can also look back at the history of an area and see if there are any trends. Overall, Washington County is a very safe area, but certain neighborhoods do experience more crime than others.

Nixle alerts allows you to sign up for email and text message alerts in your area. Sign up here.

Derrick also encourages people to drive through the neighborhood at different times. You can get a sense of the neighborhood by driving through. If you have a gut feeling that something isn’t right, follow that instinct. If you’re comfortable, though, it’s a good idea to meet some neighbors and talk to them about the area.

Another tool you can use the Sex Offender Registry. Simply enter the address of the home you are looking for and see if there are any registered sex offenders in the area. Derrick would like you to keep in mind that sometimes a registered sex offender may have moved out of the area and the site needs to be updated.

Higher crime rates directly impact property value. Derrick says that law enforcement spends a lot of time figuring out how to prevent crime and deal with the root cause. He believes that “an educated and engaged community is our best partner.” Pay attention to the news, your neighborhood watch group, and get others involved.

Finally, if you’re buying a home, you can call the local precinct and ask questions. They would be happy to help you.

As always if you have any real estate questions, give us a call or send us an email. You can also tune into 102.9 FM and 107.1 with Martin Bandyke in the mornings. We would love to help you.

How to Provide Exceptional Real Estate Services

Posted by Toth Team Worldwide on March 18, 2016

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Looking to buy an Ann Arbor Area Home? Search all homes for sale

Real estate is a relationship-based industry. It takes time and effort to earn repeat clients and referrals. In fact, 45% of our business is from past clients through referrals!

We’re committed to provide five-star, world-class service with each customer always. Nobody is perfect and that’s why we always seek to improve our experience delivery, based on constructive feedback. Let’s look at five steps we find most important.

Let empathy be our guide. Having empathy implies the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and understand their feelings. A real estate transaction is a big deal and it’s always personal. Asking questions allows us to communicate, problem-solve, resolve, and at the very least make the client feel understood.
Be engaged and responsive. Clients expect and need follow up in a timely manner. We prioritize following up.
Always communicate how the client prefers to. Efficient communication is highly underrated in a high speed world of “lol” and “omg.” We come from a servant’s heart, and our communication leaves a strong impression on our clients.
Go the extra mile. Clients deserve a “wow” moment whenever possible. We like to anticipate the needs of our clients. This can be as simple as providing additional information that was not requested.
Show appreciation. We’re nothing without clients, so express gratitude to our clients for choosing to work with us. For example, we host client parties to build personal connections with our clients and become a lifelong resource.

Demand is especially strong for Michigan homes right now, so you don’t want to miss out. If you’d like to take advantage of our wonderful services, give us a call or shoot us an email. We would love to hear from you!

Buying Luxury Real Estate in Michigan? Look No Further Than The TOTH TEAM Worldwide Network!

Posted by Toth Team Worldwide on March 18, 2016

When we take the time to become educated on “luxury real estate” in Ann Arbor, Michigan and what defines the market, we find it is much more than extravagant homes built on large properties. Ann Arbor has a variety of eclectic, lovely, contemporary, mid-century modern, custom built homes in and around the entire city. Beauty is exemplified in the architecture of the homes, the floor plans, the engineering, and, of course, the location. For example; estate size homes designed and situated on the banks of the Huron River are special with exceptional views of the peaceful, winding river. Other outstanding luxury homes in Ann Arbor to consider are located in Ann Arbor Hills where mid-century architecture is coveted and just minutes to The University of Michigan main campus and hospitals. These homes were designed by many famous architects adding tremendous value to the price of the homes. Read about the influence of Mid Modern Architecture in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Buyers interested in luxury properties tend to invest their money in several different locations around the world. They realize that Ann Arbor is a perfect investment. Ann Arbor is not only a trend setting city but is a melting pot of ethnicity bringing in luxury home buyers from all over the world. They are discovering new locations to grow their businesses and bring their wealth. Ann Arbor is a hot market for individuals interested in exemplary living surrounded by state-of-the-art hospitals, outstanding universities all located in a high-tech region. Luxury buyers are happy to know they are just 30 minutes to Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW).

Luxury real estate clients love their privacy. They want to feel safe and secure and of course, they want breathtaking views from every window in their home. With luxury properties, home owners evaluate their position while looking for homes with in-ground pools, hot tubs, proximity to parks, playgrounds, tennis courts, or even large gardens to attract those with a creative eye. High-end amenities are a must.

When looking for your new luxury home contact the TOTH TEAM Worldwide Network. Kathy Toth is a certified luxury real estate agent with over twenty-seven years of experience in the field and knows a quality, luxury home when she sees one. The TOTH TEAM Worldwide Network will not let you settle for less than what you desire in your new luxury home. Click here to see luxury homes for sale in Ann Arbor, Michigan (homesearchannarbor.com)

Kathy Toth has a creative, unique eye that home buyers are looking for in a real estate agent. Kathy knows what luxury home buyers are looking for and has greater responsibilities than other agents when handling these large transactions. She utilizes her strategic marketing and advertising skills to attract local and international buyers to each luxury real estate property she lists and sells through the TOTH TEAM Worldwide Network.

Toth Team, Worldwide Network

Your Ann Arbor Real Estate Experts

Keller Williams Realty

We Want to be your Real Estate Agents!

Kathy is an Associate Broker, Accredited Seller Representative, Certified Distressed Property Expert, and Certified Commercial Investment Member Candidate. To experience their website and to learn more about the team, please visit www.KathyToth.com and www.HomeSearchAnnArbor.com, email [email protected], or stop into their office at 3134 Baker Road, Dexter, MI 48130.

The Secret to Selling Your Southeastern Michigan Home

Posted by Toth Team Worldwide on February 19, 2016

Looking to sell your Ann Arbor Area Home? Get a FREE home value report

Looking to buy an Ann Arbor Area Home? Search all homes for sale

How you price your home will have a direct impact on how many buyers, showings, and offers you attract. It will also impact how easily it sells.

The location of your home is obviously fixed, and can work for or against you in pricing. The market doesn’t care what your home originally cost nor how much money you need for it. With these restrictions, what can you do to get the price you want?

The condition of your home can be improved by a staging consultation or a full-on staging service, which will help you present your home in its best light in order to create a positive first impression for buyers. Talk to your agent for more details about staging.

Price is evaluated like fishing. When you drop the line down and you don’t get any bites, it’s probably because you need to change the lure or move your line. If you drop your line down deeper, or move to where the school of fish is, you’re probably going to get some bites. Home selling is quite similar; pricing is ongoing, based on market feedback of your condition, your current competition, and the time of year. Pay attention to the competition that is ongoing, pay attention to what is recently sold, and be aware of shifting markets.

If and when the showing activity on your home goes down, and the neighbor’s price has declined, be aware — this is a vital situation. We track all of our showings, and after selling almost 3,000 homes, we know how to guide you in getting to the sweet spot to generate an offer!

If you want home selling assistance, or if you have real estate questions of any kind, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

The Toth Team’s Top 3 Most Recommended Books For Increasing Productivity, Growth, & Profit

Posted by Toth Team Worldwide on February 4, 2016

When we are searching for an agent to sell or find the perfect home, we expect them to be knowledgeable of the market and to help us make the best decision possible. With the advancement of technology in today’s society we have the news right at our fingertips, but are we truly reading, or skimming over the facts? In the Wall Street Journal, “Skimming has become my brain’s default setting,” stated Cynthia Crossen, as she explained the difference between reading and skimming. Skimming is skipping over the main point to get to specific terms or concepts. This is a standard procedure that many of us do without noticing and one of the main reasons hard cover book sales have decreased.

Here at The Toth Team, we treasure the books that have taught us our values today and we would like to share our top three most recommended books for increasing productivity and growth. The Toth Team served 230 families in 2015 and we are on track to serve over 400 families THIS YEAR! Reading has several positive effects on our development and growth both inside and out of work. As we evolve and grow as a team, we must spend time discussing what has helped us grow and what has become an obstacle. We will focus on The Toth Team’s 3 favorite books: The One Thing, The 4 Disciplines of Execution, and the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team.

1. The One Thing

“What’s the ONE Thing you can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”

– Gary Keller

This quote is the one single question the entire book is written around. Gary Keller is the founder of Keller-Williams Real Estate and has taken the company to the top of their industry. He not only is a remarkable leader and innovator, but also an elite author who moves individuals with his facts and results. Gary Keller and Jay Papasan insist the key to success is not to make a list or analyze your possibilities, but rather to think of that ONE Thing that is the most important thing in your life. This ONE Thing is similar to a goal or objective that you are working so hard every day for. Now once you have identified your ONE Thing and focused your vision primary on it, you must distinguish the obstacles in your way and then determine how you will overcome each and every single one of them.

2. The 4 Disciplines of Execution

“Execution starts with focus”

– Jim Huling

Strategy is vital for every business to develop and perform effectively. Often times, individuals run into a conflict of interest and they lose focus on their strategy. Written by authors Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling, these experts define and explain how learning four distinct disciplines can produce desired results. The four disciplines analyzed are the discipline of focus, the discipline of leverage, the discipline of engagement, and the discipline of accountability. The concept whirlwind is discussed and there are several solutions given on how to control and handle our massive amounts of energy. It’s important to remain calm and focus our energy on what is high priority and vital to accomplish for that day.

3. 5 Dysfunctions of a Team

“Successful teamwork is not about mastering subtle, sophisticated theories, but rather about combining common sense with uncommon levels of discipline and persistence. Ironically, teams succeed because they are exceedingly human. By acknowledging the imperfections of their humanity, members of functional teams overcome the natural tendencies that make teamwork so elusive.”

-Patrick Lencioni

It is a challenge to meet a group a strangers and the next moment call them your teammates. How do we learn to adjust to working in a team and managing it effectively? We must first recognize our five main problems with working in a group and then we must develop solutions to these. Patrick Lencioni is an American writer and lover of business management. He is famous for this book and the founder/president of the Table Group, a management consulting firm primarily focused on organizational/team health. He believes that the first step in a group is to reduce the misunderstanding and confusions by addressing the five most common dysfunctions individuals have: Absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results.

Would you like to join a team that truly CARES about your individual development and your success? Call The Toth Team today!

Toth Team, Worldwide Network

Your Ann Arbor Real Estate Experts

Keller Williams Realty

We Want to be your Real Estate Agents!

Sources:

Crossen, C. (2011, October 17). Skimming vs. Reading. Retrieved February 02, 2016, from http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203914304576627182901819782

Keller, G. (2013). The One Thing. London, UK: Hachette Book Group.

McChesney, C., Covey, S., & Huling, J. (n.d.). The 4 disciplines of execution: Achieving your wildly important goals.

Lencioni, P., & Okabayashi, K. (2008). The five dysfunctions of a team: An illustrated leadership fable. Singapore: John Wiley & Sons (Asia).

Most Expensive Homes Sold in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2015

Posted by Toth Team Worldwide on January 25, 2016

Last year we saw appreciation in many market segments. We would like to look back at what happened last year regarding Luxury Ann Arbor Real Estate. The whole market appreciated 3.3 percent – For complete detail on absorption rates click here! We must take the time to see what the agents have been up to in 2015. Let’s take a look at the top 5 most expensive homes sold in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2015. For those homes $1.300,000 to $1400,000, there was only one sold at full price. For those homes above $1400,000, there is a 16 month supply. The three Ann Arbor luxury homes that sold were on the market for an average of 183 days.

215 N 5th Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1407 – $2,250,000

This luxurious home is the first of our top 5 most expensive homes sold in Ann Arbor, MI. Ann Arbor is know for great, authentic homes filled with warmth and joy. This beautiful 2 bedroom, 3 bath home was built only four years ago in 2012 so it maintains a modern presents and is in perfect condition. The inside is brand new and completely updated with great features such as high ceilings and gorgeous tiles. Convenient location – Downtown Ann Arbor is great for shopping, outdoor activities, and great music in the summer at Top of the Park! Close to a bus route for students on campus as well as locals looking for close transportation to anywhere around the city!

3939 Holden Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48103 – $1,999,000

This timeless home has 5 beds and 6 baths and is custom designed down to every single detail – I promise you will fall in love at first sight! The design is dramatic yet unique and beautiful with the high cathedral ceilings and the stunning outside terrace. This home features stunning maple cabinets, only the finest granite counter-tops, and features a serving/wet bar area for you and your guests at future parties and family gatherings. This home sits on about 4 Acres so you have room to play with your children and animals in the privacy of your personal yard. There is a built-in-entertainment system, gorgeous in-ground pool with a pool house, and a sauna for you and your family to relax and vacation whenever you come home.

540 Rock Creek Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1864 – $1,500,000

You will fall in love with this Cape Cod styled home completely remodeled to appeal to all with high-quality taste!! Perfect locations – Close walk to the Ann Arbor Arb and located close to Geddes. The outside of this home blew me away but when I approached the inside – I was very impressed. Two gorgeous fireplaces were before me in both living rooms, a fabulous kitchen, a blue stone patio, a salt-water pool, and breathtaking gardens. Their garden was actually featured on the 2015 Garden Walk where folks from all over the country where amazed with this property! Marble counter-tops and amazing heated stone floors make it hard to put down the apron and stop cooking! You will feel like you’re on vacation every day when you walk into your bathroom and are welcomed by a steam shower and jetted tub – Perfect for relaxing before and after a long work day! The lower level even features a wine cellar. The yard is fenced which is perfect for pets and children to play while adults relax under the sun – stress free! This home will make you reconsider ever leaving the state again!

2126 Devonshire Ann Arbor, MI 48104-4060 – $1,315,000

Gorgeous, thoughtful home built close to U of M campus and Hospital. All hardwood floors with original trim from when the home was built. The living room has a graceful fireplace for beautiful, snowy Michigan evenings. Large home with five spacious bedrooms and three baths located upstairs. The master bath is recently done and is complete in custom ceramic, timeless additions like this to the home make it so much more meaningful and unique to the owners. This home also includes a guest house with vaulted living room, kitchen, bedroom, and bath (Includes in-floor radiant heat!). The home includes a finished rec room great for maintaining your health and fitness. The garage is large and fully finished so you can use it for storage or parking! The garage also includes a Sub-Zero fridge great for making extra space in the kitchen fridge! You will not be let down when you see the interior of this home!

1035 Heather Way Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2835 – $1,310,000

This impeccable Johnson Brothers Custom Built home (2006) is complete with 4 bedrooms and 5 baths, a huge car garage, and divine landscape. The property looks beautiful from a distance and up close – The grass is really that groomed and green! I am so impressed by how well and thought out this house was built – One of a kind! Spacious, big bedrooms for families to have their privacy but a gorgeous living area for everyone to gather and enjoy each other. The kitchen is upgraded and gourmet, complete with top of the line appliances and quality material. This is a must see home to truly appreciates the hard work that was put into making this house unique and top of the line!

We are excited to move into a new year with new team goals and visions. Kathytoth.com/about_us

Toth Team, Worldwide Network

Your Ann Arbor Real Estate Experts

Keller Williams Realty