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buyer agent: Is There A Conspiracy Against HomeBuyers? - 05/05/08 11:03 AM
If we put any credence to what some buyers think, there might be.
Many folks hear about the great real estate values in the Charlotte NC area. In their minds eye, they are picturing Tara (even though Gone With The Wind was set in Atlanta, some 4 hours south). They see a full front porch, two-story home, on 5 acres, with a basement, a two or three car garage, fully updated, and in the best school district available.
Oh, and they want to pay $150,000 or less for it.
Then, when we cant find it (or anything even closely resembling … (7 comments)
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buyer agent: Welcome Traci England, My Newest Buyer Partner! - 02/08/08 08:22 AM
Traci England has joined my team as a buyer partner. Traci is on the ball and has already joined AR so go say hello. =)
Traci's extensive background in new home sales is going to serve her well in general brokerage, residential real estate, here in the Charlotte NC area. She spent several years with Turnberry Homes and was instrumental in helping me win their listings as they close the North and South Carolina divisions.
Traci has a strong reputation in the marketplace as a true advocate for buyers-which is evidenced by the fact that she is still in contact with folks who … (1 comments)
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buyer agent: Welcome to My Newest Buyer Partner, Kaye Pitzen! - 01/23/08 09:07 PM
Please extend a warm welcome to the newest buyer partner for Leigh Brown and Associates, Kaye Pitzen.
Kaye is a recent transplant to the Charlotte NC area, hailing from Ohio. She and her husband and two lovely sons chose a fabulous new construction home in Christenbury, just inside Cabarrus County in Concord NC.
Kaye was a licensed Realtor in Ohio for the past seven years, and she has just completed her transition testing to become a fully licensed North Carolina real estate broker.
She has a special affinity for first-time buyers and those who need a little extra hand-holding. Her nurturing personality and her amazing ability to … (11 comments)
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buyer agent: When The Little Birds Fly - 12/10/07 01:11 PM
I have a small real estate team-consisting usually of myself, a buyer specialist or two, my right-hand woman/closing coordinator/etc, and my virtual assistants (who ROCK).
The time comes for the buyer specialists to fly the coop periodically-usually after about a year in real estate. They get their chops, figure out enough about the mechanics of the business to make it on their own, and they fly free.
Nothing makes me prouder than seeing someone who worked on my team succeed on their own. It means that I was a decent teacher and that they are able to take what I've learned and apply … (21 comments)
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buyer agent: Foreclosures in Charlotte NC - 12/10/07 08:24 AM
An article in yesterday's Charlotte Observer went into detail about several new subdivisions that are decaying quickly, mainly due to foreclosure rates. (Read it HERE)
It's an interesting tale. You'll read about homeowners who saw houses on the internet that looked oh-so-cute but have declined in value...an investor who purchased blocks of houses and then saw their values and rental rates decline to where he was so far behind he let them go....builders who abandoned neighborhoods mid-stream...renters who can't wait to get out.
Blame is certainly flying around the country right now in light of the foreclosure mess. Investors blame underwriters who blame … (6 comments)
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buyer agent: Hiring Strong Buyer Agents in Charlotte NC! - 11/12/07 04:24 PM
Are you a true team player?
Are you ready to hit the ground running?
Do you value learning and growing?
Do you want to become a profitable real estate professional?
Do you want to show houses and write contracts?
If the answer to these questions is YES, please call or email Leigh Brown today for a confidential interview. I have two openings for buyer agents immediately in the greater Charlotte NC area. I prefer those with two years or less of full time real estate experience, folks who are hungry for knowledge and willing to learn from me.
Compensation packages will vary per individual, all inquiries are … (7 comments)
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buyer agent: Mysterious Vanishing Buyers... - 09/13/07 03:41 PM
Are you seeing this phenomenon in your market as well?
And I'm not talking about the buyers who are walking off from earnest money, every builder in the country is familiar with THAT scenario.
I'm talking about that buyer. The gung-ho one, who is all about finding a house to buy in Charlotte NC. Finds one. Writes an offer (and this guy found a really good buyer agent who got him pre-approved and everything!). We counter (I've got the seller). They counter. We respond. Nothing.
24 hours go by. Nothing.
18 more hours go by. Still nothing.
I've talked to the buyer agent several times in … (18 comments)
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buyer agent: Another Reason To LOOOOVE This Sideways Market - 09/06/07 07:51 PM
I'm nosy. I admit it openly and honestly. I have ALWAYS been nosy. It was a liability until I entered real estate, where I found the best career ever for a nosy person (parents with nosy children, take note and take heart).
One of my most important jobs when working with buyers is to ferret out the scoop when it's a house of interest. Why are they selling? What's the motivation? How low can they go? (to borrow from the classic Limbo song)
Admittedly, I'm most proud when I have to do some digging and I discover something that aids in the negotiation (now … (17 comments)
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buyer agent: Want To Really Do A Great Job For Your Clients? - 08/13/07 11:55 PM
Now tell the truth, every single person reading this was told by a mama at some point that:
"You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar."
Yes?
It's true. And it seems that in the rush of hard work to do the very best job possible for our buyer or seller clients, we sometimes forget this fact.
And forgetting this basic fact can HARM your clients far more than you realize. (hey-buyers and sellers-listen up, I'm talking to you as much as your agent out there)
I would be remiss in my writing if I did not share the fax cover that accompanied an … (43 comments)
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buyer agent: Thinking of Becoming a Buyer Agent? - 05/13/07 07:53 PM
I've talked to a lot of new licensees in my time, and they often want to know the best way to get started and get established-and get some cash flow going. I highly recommend the route that I myself took in real estate: getting started as a buyer agent with an established agent.
In my case, it was my dad, Darrell Thomas, who took me under his wing to learn the business. Since he's been an active broker since 1978-and is the type of agent who spends a good portion of each year learning new techniques and skills-it was a great … (35 comments)
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buyer agent: Mama Was Right - 04/11/07 02:51 PM
I suppose that every Southern girl has been told many times in her life:
"Why buy the cow if you can get the milk for free?"
Being a goody two-shoes for the lion's share of my years on this earth, this advice was absorbed and on I've moved with life.
Last night, I realized how much this old saying has to do with real estate in today's marketplace of educated buyers and sellers. Who have often been incorrectly educated. Or incompletely educated.
I can get a little cocky at times, since I'm good at what I do. I've learned from the best, dialogues … (12 comments)
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buyer agent: Happiness Money - 03/23/07 07:57 PM
No, all money is NOT happiness money....since I reckon that most folks who have ever had any of it will tell you it doesn't deliver happiness all by itself!
BUT-money can deliver added satisfaction. Especially to a disgruntled buyer. Who was, unfortunately, the last transaction to close from the buyer agent who I just 'released back into the marketplace.' Said buyer agent made a LOT of promises and essentially negotiated out a lot of protection for this buyer at the end of the deal, to hold it together. Unbeknownst to me.
I've spent money in my time to make buyers and sellers … (13 comments)
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buyer agent: Creative Problem Solving - 01/30/07 07:37 PM
At least, that's what I'll call it to give another agent the benefit of the doubt!
Get this. I have a listing that is scheduled to close tomorrow (it's a 20-some-odd year old house), and the buyers had their final walk-through tonight.
I get a call from the buyers' agent that there are holes in the bathtub in the master (which is downstairs), and the buyers are off to Home Depot to find out how much it's going to cost to replace it. And they expect the sellers to cough up the money tomorrow at closing.
I call him back (this was all left … (10 comments)
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buyer agent: Do you REALLY want an 'exclusive' Buyer Agent? - 01/17/07 03:01 PM
Please hear me out before you slam me.
There are several agents in our marketplace who purport to be Exclusive Buyer Agents. They refuse to take listings at all, period, end of discussion. Their reasoning for this is that it's better for buyers if you're completely, totally focused on one end of the business.
I disagree.
Now, I'm not saying that buyers don't need representation. You do, absolutely, need specific, dedicated representation on your behalf.
However, one of the main goals we try to accomplish when locating a home is making sure that we have located an investment where you'll make a profit when the … (9 comments)
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buyer agent: Leave My Buyer ALONE! - 01/15/07 02:13 PM
So can someone tell me when, precisely, it became okay for a listing agent to try and cut me out of a deal? I know, it happens all the time, but it ROYALLY ticks me off.
My buyer, by the way, is a repeat client of mine and is very loyal because I provide a high level of service to him-in the way that he deems to be most beneficial to him. See, he travels a LOT on business. And on the side, he develops land. He'll purchase a parcel, oh, once or twice a year. I don't push or pressure … (49 comments)
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buyer agent: Memo to Buyers - 01/07/07 07:36 PM
So you've selected an agent. Picked out your area of town. And are ready to get out there and see some houses! So your agent recommends that you talk with a lender first to get pre-approved.
No big deal, a few glitches here and there on your credit, but you're definitely able to get a loan! Congratulations!However....you knew there had to be something, right? You didn't tell the lender what payment you needed before you headed out to look. And you PROMPTLY fell in love with the PERFECT house-at the top of your range. And then you called the lender back, … (6 comments)
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buyer agent: One Man's Castle - 01/05/07 02:50 PM
This is a mobile home my buyers closed on today. Located in Crouse NC (that's west of Lincolnton, in fast-growing Lincoln County north and west of Charlotte NC). $84,900 for 2000 sqft, 4 years old, one acre of land.
Hopefully, you've never passed judgement on buyers who express an interest in trailers/mobile homes/whatever you prefer to call them. These particular buyers had a tight budget. Wanted excellent schools and lower taxes and a home that didn't require much work. We found it after a lot of driving around and seeing some really sketchy places.
This is a waterfront home on Lake Norman, north … (8 comments)
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buyer agent: Your Co-Worker May Not Be the Best Resource for Real Estate... - 01/05/07 02:31 PM
Now I know she's a lovely person and has been a great friend to you at work! But when you mentioned to her that you were considering purchasing a newly-built home instead of a resale home, she piped up that you wouldn't need me as your agent anymore-in fact, you wouldn't WANT to have an agent.
Let's talk about this, shall we?
First of all, no slam on your co-worker. We don't really know what has happened in her past to make her distrustful of Realtors-heaven knows that bad experiences abound-which is one reason that I myself am bound and determined to raise … (5 comments)
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buyer agent: Charlotte NC Real Estate Firm Targeted by State Investigators - 12/20/06 09:36 AM
Alas, another shady real estate agent making us look bad...at least he's getting busted!
This guy has been making a mint off of rent-to-own deals, but the payments he's been receiving from the buyers? Been going into his pocket instead of to the banks-so these houses are now very deep in debt and the buyers are reporting ruined credit and money down the drain.
This individual has now started a new venture to help 'student athletes get into college' by hooking them up with scouts. Isn't returning phone calls or emails to anyone. And when a colleague asked about the bounced checks, ruined … (4 comments)
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buyer agent: What you get for the money, in Charlotte NC - 12/20/06 09:15 AM
I love that show, on Fine Living, it's pretty fascinating to see how different the inventory is from area to area in the same price break.
But even though this show seems to help somewhat in adjusting expectations for some people (at least I hope it does), there are a lot of misconceptions about the Charlotte NC market (including Concord, Harrisburg, Ballantyne, Lake Norman, etc).
In just about every major news story about hot markets in real estate, Charlotte shows up as being a great value. Which it is, and I'm glad to talk with folks about what your money buys here-we … (3 comments)
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Leigh Brown Charlotte NC Broker/Owner
Charlotte,
NC
More about me…
RE/MAX Executive Realty
Address: 7752 Gateway Lane, Suite 204, Concord, NC, 28027
Cell Phone: (704) 507-5500
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