Declutter Your Gift Giving This Holiday Season - 11/30/11 08:38 AM
In an effort to help encourage the declutter of your home, your families' homes and your co-workers' homes, I came across two meaningful holiday gift ideas that won't take up space in anyone's home:
DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that benefits public school classes around the country. Here's how it works: Public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on DonorsChoose.org. You can choose a project based on school location, subject or urgency.
Then, you can browse project requests and give any amount to the one that inspires you. Once a project reaches its funding goal, we … (1 comments)

Apex NC Home with Bonus Room and Garage - 11/22/11 08:35 AM
3 Bed in Homestead Park with Bonus / Garage … (0 comments)

If You Get Pre-Qualified, Does That Mean You Filled Out a Mortgage Application Also? - 11/17/11 07:01 AM

 
It has been my experience that once clients are pre-qualified for a loan, they are often surprised by the amount of additional information required of them for the lender.
There are 6 pieces of information that are required to constitute a loan application for a mortgage lender, bank or mortgage broker.
They can be provided in person, via phone, fax or email:
 
1) Applicant name(s)
2) Applicant(s) monthly income
3) Applicant(s) social security number(s)
4) Property address for purchase
5) Estimated purchase price of the property
6) Approximate loan amount applicant is requesting
Once all this information is … (3 comments)

What's a WINK? Are You a WINK? - 11/15/11 06:41 AM
(As originally seen on Amy Shair Durham Real Estate's blog). I read an interesting article about real estate trends. They mentioned WINKs - Women with Income and No Kids.

Do you know any WINKs? The article predicts that by 2015 40% of Gen Y households will be WINKs.
Gen Y are people born between 1981-1999. The article goes on to say that this group is responsible for trends such as walk-in closets and easy access to the laundry area of a home. I think that is a stretch - I mean who doesn't want a walk-in closet and a convenient … (7 comments)

In Appreciation: Veteran's Day Free Meals and Discounts - 11/10/11 07:24 PM
We all know someone who has served our military and we are very grateful for their sacrifice.  Thank You is the greatest thing we can say to a Veteran.
Some business' are showing their Veterans appreciation by offering free or discount meals.  (This information is from www.themilitarywallet.com)
2011 Veteran’s Day Free Meals and Discounts
Two notes before jumping in:
Proof of Military Service. First, most companies require some form of military ID – including a U.S. Uniform Services ID Card (active/reserve/retired), Current Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), Photograph in uniform, be wearing uniform (if your service permits), Veterans Organization Card (e.g., … (0 comments)

Are Raleigh-Cary and Durham-Chapel Hill in Competition with Each Other? - 11/10/11 07:06 AM

(Blog originally shared on Amy Shair Durham Real Estate's blog) No doubt about it - the Triangle area in central North Carolina is one of the best places to live in the US. Numerous surveys and studies have proven it for many years. I was reading a local Durham blog called Bull City Rising which prompted me to write this post. The blog raises an interesting point - do we feel we need to compete with other towns and cities within the Triangle in order to say our city is best? Some people are quick to say that Cary and … (1 comments)

Docusign: 3 Hours is Actually 6 Days of Valuable Time - 11/08/11 09:03 AM
3 hours a week does not seem like much considering there are 168 hours in each week. But 3 hours over a year is over 6 days - now you're talking!
I was asked what I would do with 3 hours of extra time each week based on using a service called Docusign which allows myself and my clients to sign documents electronically.  Instead of faxing, scanning or driving to meet clients during their personal time, I forward the docs via Docusign. Easy. Effortless. Trackable Results.
I have been using this service for about a year and I can say it … (3 comments)

Are the Benefits vs. Risks of Buying a Foreclosure Worth It? - 11/07/11 08:39 AM
Risks of Buying a Foreclosure
If you ask homebuyers why they are looking at foreclosures, the answer often is, “Because they’re such a good deal.”

The word “deal” for me is on par with other four letter words which I won’t mention (but you can guess). Deal is a selfish word. Deal is one of those temptation words.
What kind of deal comes with no risk? You get a deal on that car – do you really expect that ugly orange color to be good at trade-in? You get a deal on clothes – are you sure they’re going to … (1 comments)

Walmart Layaway Program For Homebuyers? - 11/04/11 08:51 AM
I noticed that Walmart has a tv commercial on that shows the return of layaway for the holidays.

Then I started thinking about way back when people made their holiday wish list after dog-earring the Sears catalogue. (I know some readers will think that was back in the Flintstone days)!
Layaway meant that you had to pay for the item in full before you could take it home and that you had to figure out how you would make money to make the payments on it.
The truth is that layaway was much better for the consumer; back in the days before … (3 comments)

433 Swans Mill Crossing - 11/03/11 08:08 AM
Competetive Priced 5300 Sq Ft Raleigh Home! … (2 comments)

How Not to Set Your House On Fire - 11/01/11 01:42 PM

 
(Originally seen on Amy Shair, Durham Real Estate's Blog) Growing up my mom hated when we would burn candles. She would have flashbacks to a kitchen fire that occurred when she was a child. There were candles burning in the kitchen and it caused their kitchen cabinets to catch on fire. No one was injured but it did a lot of damage to their kitchen. Needless to say there were never trick candles on my birthday cakes... and I wasn't allowed to have a Lite Brite either. Winter means extra fire hazards inside your home. Space heaters, candles, wood … (3 comments)

 
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Amy Shair

Amy Shair, Award Winning Agent 20+ Years

Durham, NC

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