I live in North Carolina. 

North Carolina is made of red clay.  I mean really red clay.  Especially in my part of the state, it's everywhere.

Lately we've had lots of rain.  Too much rain.  So much rain that it's been muddy for the last month.  Red muddy.  I mean really red muddy.  Did I mention it was everywhere.

Now to make the situation worse, I have dogs.  I have three dogs.  I have two very large dogs and one medium dog.  They all have one thing in common.  They like to run.  They like to run laps around my yard.  Around my very muddy, very red muddy yard.  Two of them are retired racing Greyhounds.  The third thinks he is a retired racing Greyhound.

So, as you might guess, my three running dogs are covered with very red mud whenever they come back in the house.  I'm trying to sell my house.  My house that frequently has red mud on the floors, the sofa, the beds, the carpet, my pants....you get the idea.  What makes this more puzzling to me is that we wipe their feet when they come back into the house.  I believe they gather the very red mud and hide it in order to make me crazy.  They are quite fond of doing that.

My next house, which I hope to have in the near future, will have red carpeting, red sofas and chairs, red bedding and the lower part of the walls painted red. 

For on-site agents, how not to sell homes.

This past weekend, I took my wife and daughter out looking at town-homes for my mother.  We had a specific subdivision in mind and arrived there shortly after it opened. 

We walked in to the model home, where the on site real estate agent (not an employee of the builder) was sitting at her desk.  I introduced myself and handed her a business card.  She told us her name and pointed to the door from the garage/office, into the house.   Her only other words were "take a look around".

We proceeded to look through the home, quickly determining it was not large enough.  I wanted to know what other plans were available and at what prices.  As we walked back into her office, she smiled and said, "thanks for coming"  I then asked for a packet of information, which she gave me and then said that the other homes in the neighborhood were open if we'd like to see them.  I thanked her and we walked out. 

She never once got up from her chair.  She never offered us any information about the community, the plans, the pricing, the builder, or any incentives offered.  I happened to know they were offering a number of incentives.  She never asked us a single question.  She never asked what we were looking for, our price range, our time frame for purchasing, whether we were looking for ourselves, or even if we'd sign the guest registration.

Let me say that I worked in new home sales for seven years and sat in many a model.  I would have lost my job quickly if that's how I worked with a potential buyer.

So, in my opinion, she was the perfect example of how not to sell a home.

311 Lucas Park Drive Greensboro, NC    $281,500.00

Desirable Lake Jeanette area, home located on culdesac, 4BR 2.5 BA, over 2400 SF, nice deck, fenced backyard, updated kitchen with granite & tile. All light fixtures updated. A MUST see master bath totally remodeld with granite, tile, garden tub, dual sinks and tiled shower. Catwalk overlooking foyer and livingroom. 11 x 10 Nursery/office off masterbedroom. Tons of hardwood and tile floor. Great storage throughout the house. Unrepresented buyers to call 209-0096 for appointment.

Directions: I-40 to West Wendover, L on Church St, L on Old Lake Jeanette Rd, R on Sweetbriar, L on Lucas Park Dr

It's The Perfect Storm, but a good storm, no, a great storm.  Now is probably the best time to purchase a new home in many years.

Interest rates are at historic lows.  This week, thirty year conventional mortgages are hovering around 4.71%  That is phenomenal!  How many of you remember rates at 18%?

The government's tax credit has been extended to almost all buyers.  First time buyers still get the 8% tax credit and buyers that have been in their current home for at least five years get a 6.5% tax credit.  It's a gift from Uncle Sam, no potential home buyer should pass up!

Inventory of existing home and new construction is still high.  Whatever you are looking for, it's out there!

Prices of homes are down.  There are some amazing bargains to be found. 

So get on out. Call a Realtor.  Get into that dream home now while the perfect storm for home buyers is here!

The Greensboro Jaycees Christmas parade has been taking place in downtown Greensboro for more than 30 years. The parade has attracted a lot of attention in the area, and many more sponsors have jumped on board. This means a bigger and better parade each year. The parade includes large balloons, professional floats, marching bands from local high schools, and drill teams. This year the parade will start at noon on December 5^th on N. Greene and W. Lindsay St

Bring your family.  It's an old fashioned, fun time for young and old.

A very Happy Thanksgivingto all Activerain members and their families. 

I am very thankful for all that I have.  especially my family, my wife and two daughters.  I am thankful that I will be able to spend this thanksgiving with them. 

I am thankful for all the help I have received from activerain members thia year and look forward to helping others in the future.

I would also like to thank all the service men and women stationed around the world, who won't be able to spend this holiday with their families.  We are all grateful for your service and wish you the best Thanksgiving possible.

A little Thanksgiving humor.

I'm ready for action!  I am now officially set up and working in my new office at Coldwell Banker Triad Realtors in Greensboro, NC.  As some of you may know, I've been in new construction for the last seven years, with the last three as a sales manager for a custom builder.

I will be selling residential, with an emphasis on new construction, custom homes and Energy Star homes.

My new web site should be live by the end of the week (Black Friday).  The web address is: www.greensborohomebroker.com.  It will be tied in with many of the social networking sites, including activerain.  Please give it a look and let me know what you think.

I would greatly appreciate any referrals if any of you have clients moving to the Greensboro, Kernersville and Guilford County area of North Carolina.

Here's to a phenomenal 2010 for all of us!

From today's Greensboro news & Record

Now that the extended and expanded tax credit bill for homebuyers has been passed by Congress and signed by President Obama, more people are seriously considering buying a home or selling their residence.

A quick review of the new tax credit law:

Instead of terminating on Nov. 30, the $8,000 credit for first-time homebuyers was extended to April 30, 2010. It is effective for home sale contracts entered by April 30 and closed by June 30.

Also, the new law expands the tax credit incentive to include a credit of up to $6,500 for owners of existing homes who are purchasing another principal residence. To qualify, they must have lived in their previous home for five consecutive years out of the last eight years.

The annual income eligibility limits to claim the full credit amount for both groups of homebuyers has been raised to $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for married couples.

"The tax credit has proven to be a powerful economic incentive," said Joe Robson, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders. "The action by Congress to extend and expand the credit will further stabilize housing and the economy by creating new jobs, stimulating home sales, reducing foreclosures, cutting excess inventories and stabilizing home prices."

NAHB estimates that the extended and expanded tax credit will create 211,000 jobs and generate 180,000 additional home sales in the coming year. It is also expected to generate $9.6 billion in wage income and $6.9 billion in federal, state and local taxes.

Carolyn Warren, author of the new book, "Homebuyers Beware" (published by FT Press), also takes a very positive view of the new tax credit law.

"I believe giving the housing industry this shot in the arm will help counteract the economic damage from new foreclosures that are on the horizon for 2010. When more people buy homes, it's not just the banks and Realtors who benefit, but also home appraisers, home inspectors, decorators, painters, landscapers, furniture and appliance stores, even down to the pizza delivery guys - all benefit. And when all these folks have money to spend, that helps the economy as a whole," she said.

Carolina 'Shine Fest, Madison NC, Nov. 21 & 22

Tour the only legal distillery in North Carolina: Piedmont Distillers. See and learn how and authentic Moonshine Still works. Meet NASCAR Legend Junior Johnson. Music by Matt Stillwell, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Local Blues Legends & More.Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon and Catdaddy Moonshine Cocktails.Largest Collection of Authentic Bootlegging Cars; 7 Generations of Stock Cars.NC BBQ & other tasty Treats.Visit www.Carolinashinefst.com for more informationFree Admission & Parking