elementary: Charlotte, NC - Team Freeman Real Estate - Home Improvement Update - 01/13/09 03:01 AM

(ARA) - Increasing costs have become evident in every aspect of our lives. In addition to daily expenses like gas and groceries, home improvement costs are escalating across the nation as well. The cost of construction materials has risen more than 10 percent during the past year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. In addition, the American General Contractors (AGC) of America find that construction costs have increased more than twice the overall consumer price. As the summer months rolled by, construction prices kept increasing. By the end of July, the cost of steel, a material widely used in home … (0 comments)

elementary: Charlotte, NC - Team Freeman Real Estate - Time Warner Cable to raise rates! - 01/13/09 02:46 AM
Time Warner Cable Inc. will raise its local cable rates next month.
Under the new plan basic rates will increase to $12 from $11 per month, while standard service will rise to $54.95 from $51.95.
The monthly cost of DigiPic 1000 will grow to $71.95 from $67.75. The company will raise the price of DigiPic 2000 to $89.95 from $85.75, with DigiPic 4000 going to $99.95 from $95.75.
Company spokeswoman Melissa Buscher says more than 60 percent of local subscribers won't face an immediate increase as they have discounted bundle packages or other promotions.
She says the price increases will offset … (0 comments)

elementary: Charlotte, NC - Team Freeman Real Estate - Mortgage Update - 01/13/09 02:29 AM
Weak economic data and strong demand for mortgage-backed securities (MBS) helped mortgage rates remain at historically low levels during the week. Refinancing activity has increased dramatically as borrowers have rushed to take advantage of low rates. As a result, backlogs have developed at almost every step in the origination process, extending the time necessary to close many loans.On November 25, the Fed announced a plan to purchase as much as $500 billion in MBS. On Monday, the Fed revealed that it had begun to actually purchase securities. The Fed reported that it bought $10.2 billion of a wide range of MBS. … (0 comments)

elementary: Charlotte NC - Team Freeman Real Estate - U.S. loses 524,000 jobs in December - 01/11/09 05:43 AM
The United States lost more than half a million jobs last month and the unemployment rate soared to 7.2 percent.
Unemployment stood at 4.9 percent in December 2007.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a loss of 524,000 jobs between November and December. That continued a four-month streak, which saw 1.93 million jobs vanish between August and December.
The national unemployment rate crossed the 7 percent mark in December, rising from 6.8 percent in November to 7.2 percent.
The biggest decline occurred in the manufacturing sector, which lost 149,000 jobs in December. A total of 791,000 manufacturing jobs disappeared in … (0 comments)

elementary: Charlotte NC - Team Freeman Real Estate - Charlotte Sales Pummet 47.2% - 01/11/09 05:32 AM
The number of houses sold in the Charlotte market fell 47.2 percent last month, and the average closing price declined 8.3 percent, according to the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association.
The number of closings dropped to 1,350 last month from 2,559 in December 2007.
The average sales price declined to $200,226 from $218,399 a year earlier.
The average number of days a home spent on the market before a sale was 147.5.
The figures are for homes sold in Mecklenburg, Union, Iredell, Lincoln, Cabarrus, Gaston and Stanly counties.
The Charlotte Regional Realtor Association operates the Carolina Multiple Listing Services Inc., which has … (0 comments)

elementary: Charlotte NC - Team Freeman Real Estate - Home Improvement - 01/09/09 03:48 AM

(ARA) - A few years ago you finished your basement. You put in all the hard work to make it a perfect retreat and lounge. But you haven't done a thing with it since. So often, people finish their basements and then forget about any upkeep. Though the basement is often viewed as a rugged recreational room, it still deserves the same decorative and functional attention as the rest of the home; and the winter months provide the perfect opportunity to tackle some of those projects. These simple tips will help renew and rejuvenate your basement by making it more … (0 comments)

elementary: Charlotte NC - Team Freeman Real Estate - Market Statistics - 01/09/09 03:10 AM
Hello Everyone!
I just received my new statistics from the MLS board this afternoon so I wanted to send them over. These will be for October and November 2008 to show you how much of a decline we have had, and we are expecting December to be even worse.
 
October:
Total homes sold = 1,848
Total homes on the market = 28,555
 
A total of 6.5% of homes listed actually sold. 
 
Closed sales are down 31% from last year at this time.
 
Under $120k = 11.0% sold 
$120k-150k  = 8.9% sold 
$150k-190k  = 6.7% sold 
$190k-250k  = 5.7% sold 
$250k-350k  = 5.0% sold 
$350k-500k  = 3.9% … (0 comments)

elementary: Charlotte NC - Team Freeman Real Estate - HUD, FORECLOSURES, REO, AS IS - 01/09/09 02:20 AM
Someone asked two questions that I felt ALL buyers should be aware of when working with a Real Estate Agent. "Are foreclosures a good deal when presented by a real estate agent from the MLS and is it a hard process to buy???"  Here is your answer to those questions:
First of all, I would caution you against thinking something is a good deal simply because it is in foreclosure. There are a lot of people making that mistake. A deal is a deal is a deal regardless if it is in foreclosure or a straight up seller sale or something in between. What makes … (0 comments)

elementary: Charlotte NC - Team Freeman Real Estate - RE/MAX - Finding the Right Agent - 01/08/09 03:53 AM
WHY MOST PEOPLE FAIL TO FIND THE RIGHT AGENT
Selecting an agent is just as important as selecting the right home to buy or price to sell for. An agent will bring to the table the tools you need to get the job done efficiently. The lack of a sufficient agent will only lead to losses and issues. With the growth in the housing market being steady, the industry has taken on a lot of lack luster agents, so be sure to read this article and find out how to avoid inefficient agents and instead learn how to find a top … (0 comments)

elementary: Charlotte, NC - Team Freeman Real Estate - Mortgage Today - 01/08/09 02:09 AM
MMG Update - Thursday, January 8, 2008 10:14am ET Current Trend Direction: Higher Risks favor: Floating Current Price of FNMA 4.5% Bond: $102.69, +22bp Mortgage Bonds are trading higher and at historic levels. The Fed was likely active in the markets continuing their purchase program this morning. The results from the Fed's purchases are expected to be released sometime today. Initial Jobless Claims were 467,000, much better than the 550,000 expected and the lowest reading in 3 months. The news is being taken with a grain of salt as this report took place over a holiday week were people may have … (0 comments)

elementary: Charlotte NC - Team Freeman Real Estate - Taxes - 01/08/09 01:32 AM
Despite these difficult times in the economy how would you like to take home more money this year by paying less money in taxes?  Of course you would.  This is for everyone from the High-paid executive to the stay at home mom.
There are two tax laws in this country.  Most people automatically chime in at this point and chant "one for the rich and one for the poor!"  But in reality there is a tax law for business owners and a tax law for employees!  Please read the following article to learn how joining iLearningGlobal could pay for itself over … (1 comments)

elementary: Charlotte NC - Team Freeman Real Estate - Property Info - Planters Walk - 01/07/09 10:22 AM
Team Freeman is one of the fastest growing real estate teams in the Charlotte area.  With their top notch negotiation skills and their long list of raving fans, their professional team of licensed agents plan to take their business to new heights in 2009. 
If you want to be represented by the best, you need to hire the best. 
If you are in the market of buying or selling real estate, contact a Team Freeman agent to help you reach your goals. Call 888-278-4935 or go to www.TeamFreemanRealEstate.com
 

                                                                  Welcome to Planters Walk!Located on the southwest end of Charlotte, in Mecklenburg County, … (0 comments)

elementary: Charlotte NC - Team Freeman Real Estate - Community Info - The Palasades - 01/07/09 10:16 AM
Team Freeman is one of the hottest/fastest growing real estate teams in the Charlotte area.  With their top notch negotiation skills and their long list of raving fans, their professional team of licensed agents plan to take their business to new heights in 2009. 
If you want to be represented by the best, you need to hire the best. 
If you are in the market of buying or selling real estate, contact a Team Freeman agent to help you reach your goals. Call 888-278-4935 or go to www.TeamFreemanRealEstate.com
The Palisades
Envision a serene 1,500-acre master planned community within a high woodland peninsula above … (0 comments)

elementary: Charlotte NC - Team Freeman Real Estate - Community Information - Berewick - 01/07/09 09:56 AM
Team Freeman is one of the hottest/fastest growing real estate teams in the Charlotte area.  With their top notch negotiation skills and their long list of raving fans, their professional team of licensed agents plan to take their business to new heights in 2009. 
If you want to be represented by the best, you need to hire the best. 
If you are in the market of buying or selling real estate, contact a Team Freeman agent to help you reach your goals. Call 888-2784925 or go to www.TeamFreemanRealEstate.com

 
Nature, Trails, & Park Life  
Mix nature and fun and you have … (0 comments)

elementary: Charlotte, NC - Team Freeman Real Estate - Construction Loans - 01/07/09 09:38 AM
Let me start by saying that your accountant, lender, banker or mortgage broker is going to be the best resource for what type of loan program best fits your financial goals. All builders are not created equal in regards to what type of financing you can choose for building a new home.
Some builders may want to carry the loan during the building process. This type of scenario is considered an end loan. An end loan is just that, the home owner does not start paying until the end of the building process once the closing takes place. With this product … (0 comments)

elementary: Charlotte NC - Team Freeman Real Estate - Hiring an Inspector for New Construction Homes - 01/07/09 09:33 AM
Most builders will leave this decision up to the customer. The builder will more than likely discuss the fact that they have their own onsite inspections along with local municipality inspectors and building codes that they must adhere to. Some builders will require customers 3rd party home inspector carries minimum amounts of insurance. For instance, the builder may require the 3rd party home inspector to carry workman's compensation, liability insurance and to be bonded and fully insured through reputable insurance companies and governing parties at a specified dollar amount. This will protect the customer and the builder if the inspector becomes … (0 comments)

elementary: How do I choose a builder??? - 01/07/09 09:22 AM
Simply research the builders back ground. Check with the BBB (Better Business Bureau), local Home Builders Association or the National Association of Home Builders and hire a qualified Realtor® like Team Freeman, who is an expert in the home building industry and how to research the builders back ground.
Also, ask the builder to provide a list of past customers that had good experiences and bad experiences. For the customers that did not have the best experience find out if builder came back and took care of their problems after the fact. Find out what type of warranty program they carry. … (0 comments)

 
Aimee Freeman, www.SellingWilmingtonHomes.com (Keller Williams Realty)

Aimee Freeman

www.SellingWilmingtonHomes.com

Wrightsville Beach, NC

More about me…

Keller Williams Realty

Address: 432 Eastwood Road Suite 200, Wilmington, NC, 28403

Office: (910) 409-9926



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