Are Bank of America's No Fee Loans For Real....Part 2! - 07/27/07 04:27 PM
Well, what a difference a day makes; or more precisely 36 days.  Do you all remember the good old days when buyers could get 100% financing...it seems like only yesterday.  Now wait, it WAS yesterday!
36 Days ago I wrote about a flawless transaction in which my buyer successfully got an 100% loan and paid absolutely no closing fees or PMI.  I was so smug.
I decide to test fate again with a buyer to whom I had recounted my previous client's wonderful exerience with Bank of America's No Fee Loan.  They applied in late June,  had a  purchase offer accepted on July 9th with a … (9 comments)

How Cloudy is the Lake Norman Real Estate Market? - 07/26/07 05:37 PM
   
      EVERYONE today seems to be talking about the weak real estate market, the widespread mortgage problems and the volatile stock market, especially economists and national news analysts.  There is no doubt that the housing down turn has been significantly more dramatic and that the projections for a recovery further out than originally forecast.  But it does seem like overkill to me.  
Here in the Lake Norman and greater Charlotte area the same news sources have now officially declared that we are, in fact, also experiencing a downturn. The reason they are just now declaring this is because they get their real estate sales numbers so slowly.  If you … (3 comments)

Why Are Condos Defying All the Rules? - 07/25/07 09:48 AM
   I remember  when you couldn't give a condo away in the early 1990's.  As a matter of fact, we had a saying that went something like this:  "Condos are the first to drop and the last to pick up."  And sure enough, when the market picked up in the mid to late 1990's condos were the last to enjoy the appreciation.
So why, according to a front page article of  today's Charlotte Observer, have condo and townhouse sales more than doubled since 1996...making up 27% in Mecklenburg County today VS 11% in 1996?
Higher land pricesLifestyle changesNew Demographics:  The  Baby Boomers have arrivedCondo designs … (3 comments)

You #%!#?, why didn't you put multiple photos on Realtor.com? - 07/24/07 09:49 AM
Hi, I'm Betty Buyer.  My boss just told me that I am going to have to relocate to Mooresville, NC. from my current home in Pasadena CA.  Holy cow, I don't think I even know where North Carolina is let alone Mooresville.  I guess I better go on the Internet and do some research!  I read somewhere that Realtor.com has 8.12% of the market share...nearly three times as many users as any other real estate website.
I found Realtor.com.  That was easy.  Now, I'll put in some general search parameters because I have no idea what is available in this place called … (7 comments)

37 Reasons to attend the Cotton Ketchie Arts Festival: August 17-18th - 07/23/07 05:42 PM

You could come because there are going to be over 40 of North Carolina's top artists selling everything from oil paintings to gorgeous turned-wood pieces that would light up anyones home.
You could come to MEET these artists and even commission someone like William Sundberg to paint a special remembrance of a favorite classic car, boat or motorcycle.  You could come to the Friday Evening Charity Gala and bid on over 40 donated pieces of art in our silent or live auction and enjoy a delicious catered buffet dinner by Nancy Brody, Shelton Vineyards Wine and music by Night Shift.  Only 350 … (1 comments)

Booming Lake Norman: The Growing Dilemma - 07/23/07 12:19 PM
     Yesterday was a perfect day to be out on Lake Norman.  My husband and I decided to go north as far as we could, touring the coastline clear up the Catawba River where civilization is hardly evident.  I imagine this is what all of Lake Norman used to look like.  Along the way we saw lot after lot of exposed, red dirt construction sites. 
Since its completion in 1963, Lake Norman has been a magnet for abundant development, from million-dollar mansions and sprawling apartment complexes to shopping malls and public parks.  Along the way, it has suffered its share of growing pains.  Today, all four … (1 comments)

From Franciscan Monk to Real Estate Guru; Remembering Tim Corliss - 07/18/07 10:14 AM
When I first became a Director of the California Assoc. of Realtors years ago, I remember listening to our then president; a robust, burly man that seemed to captivate the audience whenever he spoke.  It wasn't until some 5 years later that I had the good fortune to sit in a committee with him.  By then, Tim Corliss was truly a shadow of his formally burly self due to his couragess battle with cancer.  But, that didn't change his desire to give and work to better our industry.
 Perhaps Tim Corliss's greatest legacy in the real estate industry is what is now the SRES: Senior … (0 comments)

Mooresville NC on Money Magazine's List of Best Places to Live! - 07/18/07 09:22 AM

Today's headline in the Mooresville Tribune reads:  "Mooresville joins list of top places to live".    Officially, we were #65 out of 100 on Money Magazine's annual Best Places to Live list.  As James Justice, our Town Manager said in the Tribune article: "This particular accolade supports what many of us already know, and that is Mooresville is a great place to live."
According to Money  Magazine, "For this year's list we focused on smaller places that offered the best combination of economic opportunity, good schools, safe streets, things to do and a real sense of community".   Well, this is simply validation of what … (2 comments)

Realtors are human afterall...the real secret behind ActiveRain - 07/16/07 04:14 PM
I was picking up my email this morning when I stopped cold after reading one...  It was a compliment; and not just any compliment, but very high praise from an agent across the country who had referred to me one of his favorite clients.  He said "They have been really impressed with your work.  I'm happy to have found a top notch agent for them."  I was immediately struck by how good it felt to get complimented by an experienced, "top notch" agent.  Can there be higher praise than that coming from someone who is an expert in what I do? 
Then it … (7 comments)

Trader Joe's is coming to Charlotte NC! - 07/16/07 12:08 PM
Some might ask why the fact that a small grocery store opening in the Charlotte area would make the front page of The Charlotte Observer.  Well,  I can only guess that those who are asking have never shopped at a Trader Joe's!  Because once you have been to a Trader Joe's you will find yourself going back again and again and again. 
 In fact, they have such a cult following that there are even groups formed to lobby the privately owned company to open a store in their neighborhood/city.
I feel that I was indeed quite fortunate to live in Pasadena where Trader Joe's was born.  I even … (6 comments)

Charlotte N.C. Did someone let the cat out of the bag? - 07/14/07 03:22 PM

I first discovered Charlotte about 3 years ago while surfing the internet testing real estate websites.   Until then I knew nothing about Charlotte, or for that matter, North Carolina.  When we moved to Mooresville we thought we had found the country's best kept secret; apparently I was wrong:
US Population Shift continues to favor West and South....North Carolina was ranked 5th in the US for net domestic migration North Carolina passed New Jersey to become the nation's 10th most populated state Charlotte area:  Between the years 2000-2006 added 300,000+ population Charlotte was the 7th fastest growing metro areas from 2005-2006 in the … (3 comments)

Look up the word Fiduciary and you will NOT find Dual Agency! - 07/14/07 01:56 PM
   
It happened again, and still, I simply can't do it!  I was showing some really wonderful buyers property several weeks ago and we happened to run in to a builder.  He invited us to look at his newest home currently under construction across the street.  My buyers fell in love.  Awesome.  It turns out the builder's listing just expired.  My clients want to make an offer and the builder suggests I represent both sides.  I told the builder no.  He was astonished, exclaiming that every agent he knew would jump at the chance.  I told him I would gladly(?) do all of … (21 comments)

And the Winner is.........ActiveRain! - 07/13/07 11:58 AM
  About  a month ago I got an email from a fellow ActiveRain Realtor asking if I wanted a referral as one of his clients was moving to Mooresville.  He read my bio on ActiveRain and felt I would be a good fit with his clients.  I finalized their sale this week.  AWESOME!.  In fact, I sold three homes in the past week to clients referred to me through the Internet and blogging.  I received three leads while just sitting at my computer and I am a relative newbie to the blog world!  If this were the Academy Awards my speech would … (4 comments)

Lake Norman Real Estate Sales Trends: 2nd Quarter 2007 - 07/10/07 05:01 PM
Looking back at the past 6 months there is no doubt in my mind that the Lake Norman real estate market began to weaken early in March.  Like Charlotte, our Lake Norman market is not volatile like other areas in the country which experience more dramatic ups and downs. However, because Lake Norman is a destination for so many relocating from places like Florida, California and the North East we have finally been impacted by their market declines.  Buyers are taking losses on the sales of their homes in other areas so are not able to buy as high or even as quickly as they … (2 comments)

WARNING! May Cause Excessive Tension, Headaches and Inability to Show Properties. - 07/09/07 04:49 PM
I know, my plan was aggressive but my clients were only here for one weekend to buy a home in Lake Norman.  I was ready:  17 listings mapped. Check.  17 appointments confirmed.  Check.  17  MLS printouts for each client in glossy folders. Check  Drinks in cooler. Check.  Car washed. Check. Yep, I was ready. The first two properties were on combo lock-boxes (a topic for a separate blog) and go like clockwork.  The third of 17 is on a Supra.  I whip out my Treo phone, press in my code and point....searching....searching....searching.....nothing.  I tell my clients I may need a moment and to feel … (17 comments)