[robertbisard]

if you are a first time home buyer and are scared or just plan lazy then by all means seek out a Realtor. I just want to say, that my wife and I are now signing on our first home and other than using the Realtor to show us homes we did not sign with them. their is plenty of information on the web to inform you the needed information. the asses value of the house, the last price purchased on the house. you divide that from the sale price gives you your equity. you can find all that information if you contact your city commissions office. you can search for your home. at www.grar.com here in grand rapids and either put in the street name or the mls number if you have it. my point is you don't need a Realtor to buy a home. we found out that the hard way, but we finally found the house we wanted and I called the selling Realtor and negotiated the price I wanted. Now my wife and I are buying our first home and we did it by our selves.

[Milabs]

dh and I bought this home without a realtor without any problems and would do it again in a heartbeat.We bought this home for cash and our bank manager helped us with all the paperwork..in fact..he gave us the buyers agreement and handled the closing and everything...all for free. It was a wonderful expierance..I got meet the sellers..chat with them and have become friends with them.

Not only did we save 7% but when we sold our home in Florida we saw firsthand what our agent wasnt doing for us...and we vowed never again to use a real estate agent.

I'm glad to see someone else out there had a good expierance like us.

[Virginia1]

I am strongly thinking of moving to Grand Rapids from Virginia. My fiance lives in Flint ( Burton) and I told her I really, really do not want to live there. I have checked out GR for a short weekend and really liked what I saw. My view was very limited because I was just in the downtown area. I realize that Michigan is having it's share of economic and crime issues mainly in the Detroit/Flint corridor, but I still feel that I could make a life up there. I am considering buying a home in GR ( the prices are great compared to where I live) and would like some feedback on what part of town is decent to live in. I prefer the older homes for many reasons the price range I prefer would be anywhere from 100,000 - 125,000. Any feedback would be great, even if you think I am nuts for moving up . Thanks