GET TO KNOW PROPER PROPERTY SERVICES

2006, at the tender age of 24, Jennifer Wojtowicz received her real estate license and opened her business—Proper Property Services eight years later. Wojtowicz was one of those rare individuals who knew exactly what she wanted to do from a young age. Having grown up working with her father in the construction industry, Wojtowicz knew from childhood that she wanted to do something with construction—investing and selling real estate seemed to be where her skills and talents took hold.

Wojtowicz laughingly refers to herself as a “serial real estate investor.” She has flipped properties, owned rental properties, commercial properties, and vacant land. She loves to breathe life into tired things; whether it’s homes, properties, or thrift store finds. Wojtowicz said that real estate is always a great investment, but a lot of people are scared, and she’s empathetic to their feelings. “There are so many unknowns during a real estate transaction that it can be scary.” For Wojtowicz, educating her clients, and walking through the process hand-in-hand, is a key part of the service she provides.

Buying a house is one of the biggest investments most people will make in their lifetime. That’s why Wojtowicz prides herself on not just managing the transaction but educating her clients along the way. She wants you to understand all the ins and outs of the process, what to expect next, what pitfalls to look out for, and the rewards of ownership. Wojtowicz’s understanding of these things seems to come naturally and she keeps the lines of communication open with her clients—past and present—often fielding real estate questions from previous clients.

Twenty years ago, when Wojtowicz first opened her business, she wanted to follow the track that other real estate offices had laid before her—she thought having a big, fancy office and a large group of licensed agents under her was the way to be successful. She learned pretty quick that track was not for her. She didn’t want to operate like a traditional brokerage, where one client is just like another. Yes, Wojtowicz and her team help their clients buy and sell residential and commercial properties, but Wojtowicz has been very intentional about who she works with, keeping her staff small in order to serve their clients better. There are only two other agents who work with her, and both are client focused.

Angie Buono of Proper Property Services has been in the real estate industry for five years. She has built a solid foundation of clients through her professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment to putting her clients first. She studied at Jackson College and worked in the insurance repair industry. Passionate about helping people with their home repairs, Buono has continued to leverage her knowledge and experience to exceed her client’s expectations. In her free time, Buono is an avid golfer and enjoys spending time outdoors. Spending time with family and friends is something she never takes for granted.

Shana Smith has been a realtor since 2017. She’s also a bartender at Shady’s Tap Room in Brooklyn. She has always loved working with people and in customer service, bringing abundant energy, creativity, dedication, experience, and personal knowledge in all aspects of her work and life. Smith is a huge coffee drinker, loves food, cooking, traveling, and painting.

Wojtowicz was asked how she sees the real estate industry playing out this year since there has been so much volatility. She responded that she didn’t think we were going to have a repeat of 2008 because lending practices have been tightened. She also cites the Covid Relief Bill of 2020 which bailed out the banks again—she sees this as the government being proactive in trying to prevent another real estate bubble pop.

However, she is interested in seeing how people will fare now that the eviction and mortgage moratorium programs have ended. There aren’t a lot of options for homeowners who are in forbearance. Wojtowicz has seen a rise in short sales and foreclosures coming onto the market and feels like this year is really going to tell us a lot about the future of the real estate market.

Wojtowicz also wanted to point out that the very low interest rates we’d been seeing these past several years were not normal or sustainable. “People kind of freaked out when interest rates doubled,” she said, but “6% interest rates are not bad.” Rates have stabilized lately, and even come down just a bit, so it looks like the real estate market will have a good spring. She believes that buyers will be more comfortable with interest rates.

Wojtowicz’s best advice for someone looking to buy property this spring is to team up with a realtor and to get pre-approved. Getting pre-approved by a lender helps with some of the unknown factors—a pre-approval will tell you how much you can afford and what type of monthly payment you’d be looking at. Don’t assume that your realtor is qualified to answer financing questions. Wojtowicz also encourages buyers and sellers to interview agents for the position to find the right person to work with you.

Proper Property Services serves the counties of Washtenaw, Lenawee, Jackson, Monroe, Livingston, Grand Traverse, and Kalkaska counties. They are associated with both the Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Ann Arbor (BRAG), and with the Brooklyn-Irish Hills Chamber of Commerce.

You can meet Wojtowicz and her team at the Home, Garden and Lifestyle Show hosted by BRAG, on March 18th and 19th at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds. They will also be participating in the Irish Hills Lake and Home Tour this year. n

CalebVerlinde,KerryBrosnan&AlexandraBaldwin,