Make Your Home Sellable.....Odors and Smells Do Matter - 03/31/10 06:31 AM
I was out the other day with a buyer client of mine.  We were looking in a particular neighborhood becasue of the schools she wanted to put her children in.  I had sent her about fifteen homes that met her criteria she was looking for.  She said she liked to look at them all.  So,  we broke it up into two days.  The hosue she wanted to start at was the least expensive and from the photos looked like the one she said fit her criteria the best.
  The house from the outside was as nice as the pictures and the location was … (5 comments)

Buying New Construction...Do I Need A Home Inspection? - 03/30/10 07:38 AM
I recently represented a buyer looking to purchase a new construction home. After some haggling back and forth and deciding on some upgrades they agreed on a price on a home to be built.  part of the promotion that the builder was offering was covering closing costs.  the builder representative explained what fees were normally charged and how much the builder would contribute to that figure.
  As I was listening I mentioned to my client that you want to know when the house is framed and plumbing and wiring is in.  But you need to know before the drywall is put … (6 comments)

Considering that Home...What About the Commute? - 03/29/10 07:28 AM
The other day I was out with a client when the conversation took a turn toward a question I had not given much thought to in the past.  Most of my buyers are from the area or have already lived here a little while and know the general area they want to live.  This person had just moved here about a month ago.  We were out looking at homes I had sent her in the area she had requested.  Because it was the weekend; the traffic to and from the area was mild to moderate at best.  But what about her daily commute … (4 comments)

Thinking of Short Sale....Consult an Attorney and Tax Accountant - 03/26/10 07:45 AM
In today's Rreal Estate market many people are considering short sale for a variety of reasons.  Realtors are taking listings and trying to get banks to approve short sale transactions.  But what are the ramifications to doing a short sale?  No Realtor is an expert on what the ramifications can be in regards to a short sale.
By definition a short sale si when the home oneer sells the home for less than they owe on the house. The banks are requiring quite a bit of information in order to process and decide whether they will accept a short sale.
I go … (0 comments)

Charlotte Market Conditions Still Favor Buyers - 03/25/10 06:52 AM
I recently was reading an article on-line about the housing market.  We have all heard about the short sales and foreclosures.  As well as the limited success of the Obama Administration to help home owners out in regards to a mortgage modification.  However; the question still looms;  has home prices hit bottom yet?  Are we going to see home prices drop more?  These are questions that are purely speculative.  For everyone that writes that the economy and housing market is going to get worse there is someone who is saying it is going to be better and is stabilizing.  So who do we … (1 comments)

Crestdale Crossing Matthews, North Carolina--Children Friendly Community - 03/24/10 07:39 AM
I am often asked by first time buyers that they want a neighborhood that is safe for the children to play.  Though I cannot steer anyone to any particular neighborhood or area; if they are considering the matthews area I recommend they look in Crestdale Crossing. 
In addition to the affordable pricing that it offers, Crestdale crossing offers what I felt was a great value for my wife and four kids.  A safe child friendly neighborhood.  With only one road into the complex and every road ending in a dead end traffic is light.  It is not used a cut through and people are very … (0 comments)

Easter Bunny Coming to Matthews North Carolina - 03/23/10 07:24 AM
As Spring has arrived..so comes the Easter Bunny.  This Friday and Saturday in Matthews (March 26 and 27) children will have two opportuniies to see the Easter Bunny and get their picture taken with him.
The Town of Matthews parks and recreation will sponsor a lunch with the Easter Bunny on Friday March 26  at the community center.  It ssi designed for children ages 2 to 5.  The event is from 11:00a.m. to noon.  In addition to lunch and getting the chance to get their picture taken with the Easter Bunny;  the kids will have an opportunity to do a fun craft.  … (1 comments)

Tax Credit Expires Soon....Have You taken Advantage of the Credit? - 03/22/10 08:06 AM
As I write this there is only 40 days left to be under contract for the purchase of a home and qualify for the tax credit.  For first time home buyers that amount is $8000.00 and for previous homeowners it is $6500.00.
  There has been a lot written on what constitutes a first time home buyer and a repeat home buyer on the Internet.  In essence if you have not owned a home in the past three years you are considered a first time home buyer.  To qualify for the repeat home buyer you have had to owned and lived in as … (1 comments)

Selling My Home...Rent A Storage Unit - 03/19/10 07:33 AM
Okay.  you are ready to get your home on the market for the spring selling season.  Kids will be out of school shortly and you like to move during the summer so as to have as little disruption as possible with school.  What do I do with all my things?
First,  you need to take down all your personal items from the house and begin to box them up.  After you have boxed up your items and are getting your home ready to sell staging it is vital today.  But where do you put all the things you have boxed up?  … (3 comments)

Home Staging....Crucial In Selling Your Home In Today's Market - 03/18/10 08:17 AM
If you are considering selling your house now as the spring market comes upon us there are some things you can do to help get an offer.  In today's market it is not uncommon to see homes on the market for six months or longer.  Not to long ago you would have to make a snap decision for fear of losing that home to someone else.  Well the market conditions have changed dramatically.  So what can you do to help ensure your home sells?  Stage your home properly.  That probably can be the number one reason to help a home sell.  … (5 comments)

Home Inspection Options in North Carolina...Which One do I Choose? - 03/17/10 07:40 AM
In North Carolina on the offer to purchase contract the buyer has two options in regards to home inspections.  But which one is the best alternative for me?  That question was posed to me last evening on an offer I was writing.  I have given a lot of thought to this in the past and weighed in on both the pros and cons of each one. 
Currently,  a buyer can choose between option one or option two for a home inspection clause.  Option one says that they will have the home inspection done in X amount of days and that they can request … (1 comments)

Selling Your Home..How is the Curb Appeal? - 03/16/10 07:02 AM
One of the first things I do when I am about to go to a home to list it is take pictures of the exterior of the home.  Curb Appeal is probably one of the top things you can do to help get people to look inside of your home.  When prospective home buyers are doing a search online (which studies show 87% do now), the first thing they see is the exterior of the home. 
  No matter how nice your home is inside, if you cannot get a prospective buyer to get beyond that initial picture of your property … (2 comments)

Buying New Construction...Do I Need My Own Realtor? - 03/15/10 07:29 AM
Yesterday I was talking about the advantages of having a buyer's agent representing you in the home purchase.  I was out yesterday with a buyer client of mine (also a good friend).  They were thinking of looking at new construction and had stopped by a builder's model on their way home from church to pick up some information.  They asked me what was the proper procedure since it was new construction.
  I went through this a few years ago before I got into the Real Estate business myself.  I wanted to buy new construction and thought I just had to deal with the agent … (3 comments)

Do I Need A Buyer's Agent to Represent Me? - 03/14/10 11:18 AM
I was meeting someone for the first time yesterday.  When we met at my office I went over agency and the Real Estate brochure working with a Real Estate Agent.  After I got done I asked them if they wanted me to represent them as an exclusive Buyer's agent.... They said yes...why would anyone not?  I thought that was a good question.
  If properly explained in North Carolina most people will sign an exclusive agency with a Realtor.  Otherwise the person driving you around to show you homes is working for the seller....Do you really want to divulge information about your … (1 comments)

St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival Takes over Charlotte - 03/13/10 06:14 AM
If you are in Charlotte today you may want to consider spending the day in uptown.  Today marks the 14th annual ST. Patrick's Day parade and go green festival in uptown.  I have had the chance in years past to attend this FREE event.  it seems that each and every year the event gets larger and better with new vendors added.
  AS I sit here to write this I am looking out of my window at the sun rising thinking what a beautiful spring day to have a parade and spend a free afternoon enjoying irish music, dancers and bagpipes.  … (0 comments)

Buying a Home...Where Do I Start? - 03/12/10 05:40 AM
Okay you have decided to begin your search for a new home...But where do I start? Today, I tell a lot of people I meet here are some basic steps to get you started on your home purchase.
First,  get your credit report from all three major bureaus.  If you are not checking your credit at least every once a year you can request a FREE copy of your report form all the major bureaus.  You are going to want to make sure the information that is on all three of them is correct.  If not begin the process to get it fixed.  With … (1 comments)

Buying a Home in Charlotte...Should I Wait? - 03/11/10 05:38 AM
Are you on the fence as to whether to buy now or wait it out?  Thinking home prices may have not dropped completely? Not sure if he federal government will extend the tax credit again?  Confident rates will stay low?  Well some predictors are speculative.  No one has the magic crystal ball that says the prices are going to go down or are on the rise. We try to make an educated guess and hope we are right on it.  Congress was pretty clear that they were not going to extend the tax credit again for home buyers.  They feel the program … (1 comments)

Crestdale Crossing Matthews, NC. ---Offering Schools of Distinction - 03/10/10 07:27 AM
Crestdale Crossing located in Matthews North Carolina has become a very popular place to live among young families with children.  One of the main reasons is the affordability it offers to send their children to the schools.  A suburb of Charlotte, Matthews offers some of the best schools in the Charlotte Mecklenburg school district.
  MMatthews Elementary School has performed year in and year out as a school of distinction.  That grading policy means that at least 80% of the students are at or above the their expected grade level in English and Math for all grade levels. For the past … (0 comments)

Selling My Home...Should I Paint? - 03/09/10 06:21 AM
In the Charlotte market we have seen an increase in the amount of homes that are for sale due to short sale and foreclosure.  Thus,  someone trying to sell their home faces a tough challenge ahead of them right now.  One question I get on a regular basis when I am talking with a homeowner about selling a home is what can I do to help sell my home?
  One inexpensive idea I recommend to homeowners is put a fresh coat of paint on the walls of your home.  Nothing brightens a home up more than fresh paint.  Make sure you … (1 comments)

First Time Home Buying Charlotte---What about Schools? - 03/08/10 06:47 AM
I met a family this past weekend who have lived int he Charlotte area for all of about 3 months.  They are currently renting an apartment for another 3 months and want to own. A young couple who have two children not yet ready for school. One of their first questions to me was "What are the schools like in Charlotte"?.  Ethics preclude Realtors from steering anyone to a particular neighborhood or school.  
  When you are out lookign at a home or beginning the search for a home and schools are important to you. You need to get some independent information on a school.   I send everyone of my … (0 comments)

Is Your Charlotte Neighborhood Walker Friendly? - 03/06/10 08:48 AM
The other day I was out with a buyer looking at homes.  They mentioned to me that they liked the proximity of the home to various types of stores and hospitals.  I asked them if they had driven around the area and looked at the local shopping and schools.  They said no.  They went to a website called www.walkscore.com.  I admit I never heard of the site before that day.  Boy,  when I got home and visited the site I was astonished at all the great information that the site provided.
  In today's society we are more conscious than ever about gas … (1 comments)

Buying a Home in Need of Repairs....Think 203K - 03/05/10 05:57 AM
i was inclined to write about a 203k loan today after showing a home yesterday.  My buyers were in need of a new home.  They were interested in something that they could put a little "sweat equity" into.  As long as the repairs to the home were not going to be to extensive.  In our search they found a home that they liked.  We went out to look at the home and found the work to be more than we both anticipated.  (it was a bank foreclosure).  Thus the disclosure did not state the extent of the work needed on the home.
… (2 comments)

Home Staging in Charlotte....Is it Necessary? - 03/04/10 05:52 AM
If you are looking to sell your home and get the most amount of money out of it...having your home presented in it's best "light" is crucial for that.  In a market where the buyer has a lot of choices today you want to make sure your home s presented in the most positive manner possible.
  It does not mean you have to spend a lot of money; or in some cases any at all.  In Charlotte  a buyer usually has a choice of a few homes to pick from in a neighborhood.  You need to make sure that your home stands … (1 comments)

Ways to Make Your Home Greener - 03/03/10 07:58 AM
As spring approaches here in Charlotte North Carolina,  I am reminded of ways to keep my home more green.  I found an old article I read a while ago that talked about ways to save energy and make your home more green.  Though the list is not comprehensive here are some basic things we all can do to help make our home more green and save green in the process.
First,  reduce your water heater temperature by 10 degrees.  Just that little change can add up to 3 to 5 percent savings on your electric or gas bill.
Second,  when everyone is … (1 comments)

Home Inspection---Why You Should Have a HVAC Techincian Also - 03/02/10 10:16 AM
I came from an office meeting today and a light bulb went off in my head. I admit I am just as guilty as probably most agents out there are of this oversight. You have found the home you want and have negotiated and agreed upon acceptable terms with the seller. So,now your agent gives you a list of three or four home inspectors they trust. You do your diligence and talk with them all and select one to do your home inspection.A good home inspector will spend an average of about four hours going through the home. Maybe more or … (0 comments)

In Multiple Offer Situation---What do I do? - 03/01/10 07:11 AM
With the tax credit ending soon, more buyers seem to be out lately in the Charlotte, NC. area looking at homes.  The goal to get a house before the tax credit ends.  But,  what do you do when you find a home you want and you are in a multiple offer situation?
  Most importantly do not panic.  Just because there is another offer on the home you want to purchase does not mean you are going to be put in a position that you are paying more for the home than you anticipated.  I ran into this situation the other … (2 comments)