Dani Hallsell | Next Chapter Living | LIVgreat Real Estate

  Every year I keep an eye on the big national surveys that track what buyers actually want, because the headlines are useful — but the local numbers are what matter when you're standing in a lot in Chelsea or Dexter deciding whether to build. Homes.com just released its 2026 "What New Home Buyers Want" survey, and paired with the latest Michigan construction data, it paints a pretty clear picture for anyone weighing a new build here in Washtenaw County. 📊 The national picture: function over flash Homes.com partnered with Good Run Research and CMI Research this spring to poll more than 3,000 people aged 25+, all with budgets of at least $250,000, who either bought a new single-family home in the past two years or plan to in the next two. A few findings stood out to me: 🎨 Personalization is king. Roughly 70% of buyers want full structural and aesthetic customization — they're treating a new build as a canvas, not a template. 📐 The sweet spot is a 4-bedroom, 2.5-bat...

  If you've been paying attention to the news lately, you've probably noticed a troubling pattern: scams targeting older adults aren't just continuing, they're accelerating. Adults 60 and older remain the group most frequently targeted — and hit hardest financially — according to the FBI and the National Cybersecurity Alliance. Here in Michigan, the numbers are sobering: older adults lost close to $170 million to fraud last year, a jump of roughly 84% from the year before, with the number of victims up more than 80% as well. As someone who spends my days walking families through some of the biggest financial decisions of their lives — selling a longtime home, moving into a new community, settling an estate — I see firsthand how much older adults have riding on their savings, their home equity, and their independence. That's exactly why fraud prevention matters so much to me, and why I wanted to share this. 🚨 The Scams Making the Rounds Michigan's Attorney Gener...

  It's been nearly two years since Buyer Broker Agreements became a standard part of the home-buying process — and I'm still getting asked this question almost every week: "Why do I have to sign an agreement before you can show me a house?" It's a fair question, especially if you haven't purchased a home recently or you're a first-time buyer navigating all of this for the first time. So let's make it simple. 👇 📄 What a Buyer Broker Agreement Actually Is A Buyer Broker Agreement establishes the relationship between you and your agent. It puts in writing who represents you, what your agent will do for you, and how your agent will be compensated. Here's what that really covers: 🤝 Representation — It establishes that your agent is working for you and representing your interests, not the seller's. 📋 Expectations — It clearly spells out what you can expect from your agent throughout the buying process, so nothing feels vague or undefined. 💰 ...

  If you've ever thought about selling your home, you've probably also thought about everything standing between you and a "sold" sign — the peeling paint, the dated light fixtures, the carpet that's seen better decades. The improvements that would help your home sell faster and for more money often cost real money you don't have sitting around, especially if a chunk of your net worth is tied up in the very house you're trying to sell. That's the exact problem a company called Notable was built to solve, and it's worth understanding if you're weighing whether to fix up your home before listing it. 🔨 The Case for Prepping Before You List The data on this is pretty consistent, and it lines up with what I see walking through homes with sellers every week: buyers reward homes that feel finished, and they punish homes that feel like a project. A few numbers worth sitting with: 🔑 94% of home buyers say they want a move-in ready home. Not "wil...

  If you're planning to sell a home that still has a lifetime of belongings inside it, here's a timeline mistake I see too often: waiting until after the house sells to think about the estate sale. It feels logical — sell the house first, then figure out what to do with everything inside it. But by the time a home goes under contract, the clock is already running. ⏳ Buyers typically close within 30 days, and during the busiest months of the year, most estate sale companies are booked weeks in advance. Wait for that "sold" sign, and you may find there's no one available to help you clear the home before closing. Here's what you need to know so you don't get caught in that squeeze. 👇 📅 How far in advance should I book an estate sale company? During peak season — May through September — reputable estate sale companies are often booked 6 to 8 weeks out. If you wait until you're under contract to make that call, you may not find anyone with an open date ...