Ann Arbor Restaurant Week January 15-20, 2012

Calling all foodies and those who like a good value – Ann Arbor Restaurant Week begins this Sunday! If you didn’t get your fill of fantastic food over the holidays, you have one last chance without feeling the guilt. Local chefs are putting together special menus to highlight their best culinary skills during this week long celebration. Prices have remained the same as last year, with $12 lunches and $25 dinners. These fixed priced menus generally offer 3 course meals, with a choice of items, and a select few will be offering 2 for 1 deals. Here is a list of participants:

Downtown Ann Arbor Restaurants:

Welcome Linda Ansara, Ann Arbor Leasing Specialist!

The Bouma Group welcomes Linda Ansara as the team’s new Leasing Specialist.  Linda past experience as a buyer with the Kmart Corporation, along with a corporate operations background in retail that ranges from high-end products to mass-merchandise to helping those who help others through her not for profit work, make her a strong asset to The Bouma Group real estate team. She brings a finely honed ability to match client needs to find them the perfect leasing opportunity.

Martin Bouma, Team Leader is excited to have Linda as part of his dynamic team of Ann Arbor real estate professionals. With the growing need for home and condo leasing in Washtenaw County, a strong leasing specialist is a true asset.

Martin Bouma and The Bouma Group have been servicing the real estate needs of Washtenaw County for more than 25 years and they bring a unique, personal touch to each transaction. Thorough market knowledge, exceptional follow-through, and cutting edge marketing are the hallmarks of The Bouma Group’s continued success and have made them Ann Arbor’s #1 Realtor for home sales for the past 10 years. For more information on listing your home or condo for rent and leasing opportunities in the Ann Arbor area, contact Linda and The Bouma Group today at 734-761-3060 or linda@bouma.com.

Ann Arbor Holiday Activities and Things to Do

The holiday season is here and promises to be bigger and better than ever in Ann Arbor. There are plenty of holiday activities and unique, local shopping experiences in and around town. Here are a few of the things going on in the month of December.

Saturday, December 3

• 40^th Annual Christmas Bazaar and Bake Sale. Dexter Area Historical Museum, 3443 Inverness St, Dexter. 9am-3pm. Hand-made gift items for sale, baked goods, raffle, and a visit from Santa between 10:30-Noon.
• Christmas at the Mansion. Gordon Hall, 8347 Island Lake Rd, Dexter. Noon-6pm. Donation of $1/child and $5/adult. Stroll through the mansion, beautifully decorated by Dexter local businesses along with 6^th grade classes, while enjoying cookies, cider, a live holiday ensemble, and a visit by Santa.
• Saline Holiday Parade. Downtown Saline at 5:30. Annual parade featuring marching bands, floats, horses and more, followed by the arrival of Santa.
• All the Trimmings Holiday Show. Chelsea Fairgrounds, 20501 Old US-12. Free entry and refreshments. A wide array of offerings from jewelry to fiber arts to wood carvings, holiday greens and more.
• 24^th Annual Chelsea Hometown Holiday. Downtown Chelsea, various locations. A fun-filled weekend holiday celebration that begins Friday evening with Santa’s arrival to light the Christmas Tree at Pierce Park at 6pm, followed by many activities and entertainment until Sunday evening. Visit chelseafestivals.com for a complete schedule.
• Santa Visits Kerrytown. 407 N. Fifth Ave. 10am-1pm. Visit with Santa and enjoy live musical performances from local musicians, schools, and groups.

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Ann Arbor mortgage rates have been down for 8 weeks now.  They moved up about .25% 2 weeks ago and just came back down the last few days.  We should have rates in this range through most of the 4^th quarter.  What a great time to make an Ann Arbor home purchase and take advantage of these low rates!  We are matching the lows of the year right now. Your buying power is worth $10,000 to $50,000 more in your purchase price with these rates.  You can also buy FHA with as little as 3.5% down and we have several conforming programs with 10% down.

*Rates are based on a mortgage of $200,000, 80% LTV, no points and a credit score of 740 or higher.

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Mortgage Rates Continue to Fall

Ann Arbor mortgage rates have hit another low! The mortgage rates have been down for 6 weeks now and at this level for the past 2 weeks.  We should continue to have rates in this range throughout most of the 4^th quarter.  What a great time to make an Ann Arbor home purchase with these lower mortgage payments!  With these rates your buying power has increased by $10,000 – $40,000, depending on your purchase price.

Please keep in mind that interest rates are subject to change without notice. The rates listed above are average rates and are presented to provide an illustrative perspective. To find out more about the current interest rates and which loan program is best for you, contact Charlie Chapell with United Bank & Trust today at 734-214-2728 or cchapell@ubat.com. If you haven’t already taken advantage of the low interest rates combined with low home prices, now is the best time! To search for that perfect Ann Arbor real estate, visit our Ann Arbor MLS site here!

There’s a Lot to Do in Ann Arbor

Fall is one of the most beautiful times in Michigan and always reminds us of why this is a great place to live. The Ann Arbor area has so many fun activities planned to keep you entertained until the holidays arrive. So get out and enjoy the crisp air, sunny days, and gorgeous fall colors. Here are some of the local events planned through Halloween.

Ongoing:

• Wiards Orchards & Country Fair and Night Terrors. 5565 Merritt Rd. Ypsilanti. Hours & prices vary. http://www.wiards.com
• Wasem Fruit Farm. 6580 Judd Rd., Milan. 9am-6pm daily. http://www.wasemfruitfarm.com
• Dexter Cider Mill. 3685 Central, Dexter. Hours vary. http://www.dextercidermill.com
• Jenny’s Farm Market. 8366 Island Lake Rd., Dexter. http://www.jennysdextermarket.com
• The Blast Corn Maze. 6175 Daly Rd., Dexter. Hours & prices vary. http://www.blastcornmaze.com
• Corn Maze at Talladay Farms. 6270 Judd Rd., 6-10pm. $6/maze or $10 for both. http://www.talladayfarms.com
• Chelsea Fear Grounds. 20501 W. Old US-12, Chelsea. State of the Art Haunted Attraction. Hours & prices vary. http://www.chelseafeargrounds.com

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When: July 20-23^rd
Time: Wednesday-Friday 10am-9pm
Saturday 10am-6pm
Where: Downtown Ann Arbor

Next week is the start of one of Ann Arbor’s favorite annual events: The Ann Arbor Art Fairs. This is a fantastic time of year when artists from all over the country come together to showcase their best work and put on the area’s best art show. The Ann Arbor Art Fairs is actually a combination of 4 juried fairs, including the original Ann Arbor Street Fair, the State Street Area Art Fair, the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, and Ann Arbor’s South University Art Fair. These fairs have made the Top 10 Fairs list every year since 2004, and have received countless accolades. In its 52^nd year, this year’s fairs promise to be at the top for 2011!

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Ann Arbor Restaurant Week is Back!

It only happens twice a year and the second week of the annual Ann Arbor Restaurant Week will be here June 12-17. This is the time for local chefs to show off their skills as participating restaurants offer fixed price lunch and dinner specials throughout the whole week. Lunches are $12 and 3 course dinners are $25. Many restaurants will also be offering 2 for 1 deals as well.

Ann Arbor Restaurants Included:

• Arbor Brewing Company
• The Arena Sports Bar & Grill
• Argiero’s
• Bandito’s California Style
• *Bar Louie
• The Black Pearl

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Filmed in Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor has quickly become one of Hollywood’s favorite movie locations. This past weekend, the star studded Scream 4 opened across the country. Much of the film was shot right here in Ann Arbor and there were star sightings all over town. In 2008, a 40-42% tax credit was created and began drawing filmmakers to Michigan, specifically Ann Arbor, and continues to bring in revenue and give many local businesses an economic boost. There are currently 43 applications for films to be shot in Michigan, with many choosing Ann Arbor as a backdrop.

Just approved and set in Ann Arbor are 2 feature films, Awol and Five Year Engagement. Awol is the story of a real life soldier during the Vietnam era, the cast has not yet been revealed. Five Year Engagement stars Emily Blunt and Jason Segal and had a few scenes shot in February, with more scheduled for June.

Movies filmed in Ann Arbor and opening soon:

• Meet Monica Velour – Starring Kim Cattrell and Dustin Ingram.
• Ides of March – Directed by and starring George Clooney.

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Is Economic Recovery Beginning in Ann Arbor?

In an article published in the Annarbor.com Business Review, according to University of Michigan economists George Fulton and Don Grimes, the Ann Arbor area will be adding more than 8000 new jobs in multiple sectors over the next 3 years. They estimated that Washtenaw County added over 4000 jobs in 2010 after 4 consecutive years of job losses, supporting a slow, but steady economic recovery. The unemployment rate in Washtenaw County is expected to decline to 6.7% by 2013 from an average of 8.6% in 2010.

A few of the major sectors slated to add jobs include:

• Local Manufacturing, including Automotive
• Health Care Service Providers
• Private Ambulatory Care Services
• Regional Government
• Professional & Business Services
• Restaurant Services

Many small businesses are beginning to hire, but still remain very cautious. While we are far from a full recovery, these are steps in the right direction for the Ann Arbor area. You can view the full report here: The Economic Outlook for Washtenaw County in 2011-13.

We are beginning to see recovery in the Ann Arbor real estate market as prices begin to stabilize and even increase a bit under $400k. Spring is right around the corner, housing inventory remains low, and mortgage interest rates are at historic levels making this a great time to sell your home. To learn more about what’s happening with prices and inventory in your specific Washtenaw County neighborhood, visit our Subdivision Hotline or contact us today at 734-761-3060 or info@bouma.com.