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Chart On Housing Starts Over The Decades - It Ain't Good Right Now - 12/17/09 06:41 AM
Whoohoo! If I listen to the NAR we we are in a recovery! Green shoots everywhere!
Hmmm, maybe not.
Saw this chart while surfing today:
Let us see. Real unemployment over 20%, foreclosures galore, jobs heading overseas, unsustainable government debt, massive entitlement spending increasing with NO way to pay for it, taxes going up everywhere.
Hey, what could go wrong?
The "Powers That Be" in the real estate industry need to stop the Pollyanna crud and start dealing with reality. Start fighting for a return to free markets, lower taxes and LESS government regulation. Let the free market work like … (3 comments)
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Furnished Or Empty - Selling A Vacant Home - 12/15/09 06:26 AM
If you have to sell a home that is unoccupied, due to death of owners, divorce, a move, whatever, one of the big questions is should you sell it with the furniture still in the house or move the furniture out? Long ago, before I got into real estate, I had agents tell me to get everything out so potential buyers could see themselves and their furniture in the house. Bad idea. After I got in the business I realized what a big mistake that was! You want the house to be furnished. If it is empty, people see an empty house. … (2 comments)
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Clean, Clean, Clean - 12/14/09 06:41 AM
When it comes time to put your house on the market you have to learn a new level of clean! And I’m not talking just making sure everything is picked up and tidy. I mean it has to be cleaner than you thought possible. When serious buyers comes into your house they are not just browsing. They are inspecting. Floors, walls, closets, inside cabinets - everything is fair game. Anything that is unpleasant or detracts from their experience lessens the chance they will pick your house.
If they are taking the time to actually visit your house, it means they are favorably … (8 comments)
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Why There Will Not Be A Housing Recovery - 12/12/09 07:37 AM
This is my opinion based on nothing more than what I read every day. No fancy graphs. No surveys or studies. Just common sense.
I believe there will not be a sustained housing recovery in the USA for a long time. If we are extremely lucky, there may be some temporary bumps in economic activity. But that will be all.
Why?
The answer is simple - debt. Federal, state, local and personal debt. The personal debt bomb exploded when housing crashed. The others are now set to go off, as well. Dozens of states are on the edge of bankruptcy. Local … (3 comments)
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The Cheapest Way To Improve Your Home For Sale - 12/11/09 06:43 AM
In a word - paint. At $20 a gallon it is an incredibly cheap way to spruce up your house and prepare it for market. By all means, let your kids paint their room whatever color they want while you live there. BUT, when it comes time to sell, buyers may not like the flat black or bright pink walls. This is one project that is easy to do yourself. Some very simple tools, prep work, and a few hours can add thousands of dollars to your selling price and reduce time on the market.
Even if you hire someone to … (1 comments)
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What Is It With These Real Estate Columnists, the NAR, And “Green Shoots”? - 12/10/09 01:28 PM
Lately, whenever I read articles by most real estate columnists, or read stuff put out by the National Association of Realtors I sometimes wonder what planet they are living on. The slightest bit of “this month is not as bad as last month” news and they are trumpeting the market bottom. Or “now is a great time to buy”! I can understand a little bit of cheerleading, but, come on! How about a little bit of objectivity?The fundamentals stink right now. People are still losing their jobs. Companies are not expanding. Food stamp usage is at an all time high. The … (3 comments)
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Gutter Time Again!!! - 12/08/09 04:54 PM
Once again the leaves have done their job and are now all over everything, including your roof! Having been to my share of Chapel Hill home inspections, there is a common item that I have heard from just about every inspector. The best way to protect your house is to clean your gutters! No rocket science here.
A clogged gutter leads to water seeping up under your roof and causing a whole lot of trouble, possibly VERY expensive trouble. The same for a clogged downspout.
Go on out and check your own gutters. Would you pass inspection? Now that all … (2 comments)
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How Can I Do A Neighborhood Update When Nothing Is Happening? - 12/01/09 08:37 AM
I was going to do an update on the Stoneridge/Sedgefield neighborhood in Chapel Hill. (Conveniently located in the Chapel Hill School District, but NOT in the city limits. Thus no city taxes, but great schools.) It also happens to be MY neighborhood, so I keep an extra close eye on it. However, there is currently only one house on the maket and in the past year exactly ONE house has closed. (There have been a few that came on, sat for a while, and were withdrawn.)The current house on the market has been on for a while and has had two … (0 comments)
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Jerry O'Donnell
Chapel Hill,
NC
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JOD Realty, LLC
Cell Phone: (919) 417-9753
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