flat fee: College Football is Back!
- 09/05/09 02:22 PM
I'm a happy man these days! Charlotte Region real estate sales are going strong, the air is beginning to get a little more crisp, Labor Day is upon us, and one of the things I look forward to all year is finally here... College Football Season! It wasn't always like this. I grew up in Houston, Texas as a Houston Oiler fan, back in the days of Dan Pastorini, Billie "White Shoes" Johnson, and Earl Campbell. I once went to a football camp with Earl Campbell soon after he won the Heisman Trophy. Sitting next to him, I think his thighs … (2 comments)
flat fee: Don't wait any longer! List your home for sale now!
- 08/26/09 02:15 PM
One of the things I do pretty much every day is talk with people who are considering putting their home for sale somewhere in the Charlotte Region. Sometimes they already have their home available for sale as a For Sale By Owner, and sometimes they are people who are in the middle of their home buying search and haven't yet put their own home for sale. When I ask why they haven't yet listed their home for sale with a real estate agent, the answers are all over the map. However, sometimes I hear, "I still have some things to do to my home before my house is ready … (0 comments)
flat fee: Charlotte Real Estate - Home Sale Summary for May, June, & July 2009
- 08/13/09 12:42 PM
Charlotte Region real estate inventory continued its downward trend over the last few months giving home sellers more confidence to put their home for sale and actually get their home sold. With doom and gloom about the economy, foreclosures, and underwater mortgages dominating the local and national news, it was good to see that inventory levels are beginning to show signs of more reasonable levels. After peaking in February at a 90-day rolling average high of nearly 20 months of inventory, levels continued to drop as they approach last year's levels.
Part of the reason for the declining inventory is that home sellers who, … (0 comments)
flat fee: Charlotte Real Estate Home Sale Summary for March 2009
- 04/08/09 03:21 PM
Shortly after each month is over, I anxiously await the official statistics of the Charlotte Region MLS to find out how the month went in comparison to the previous month and in comparison to the previous year to try to get a feel for the direction things are headed. This month was no different. However, as March came to a close, I had the sense that things were beginning to get better after what has been a very difficult last few months for Charlotte Region real estate. Everyone involved in real estate right now, whether a Realtor®, a client selling a … (2 comments)
flat fee: Top 20 Tips for Taking Pictures to Get a Home SOLD!!! (Part 2)
- 03/26/09 06:46 PM
In Part 1 of this blog, I discussed the value of using a wide angle lens when taking pictures of a home. For interior photos, it really helps get the majority of the room in the picture to show off all the features of a room. In this part, I'll give the first 10 of 20 total tips to remember when taking pictures of a home, regardless of the type of camera you are using... 1) Know how your pictures will show up on various websites. I recommend you take the main pictures for the home horizontally vs vertically or in panoramic mode. Our … (6 comments)
flat fee: A (Good) Picture is Worth A Thousand Words (and Helps It Sell!)... Part 1
- 03/10/09 05:34 AM
I am not surprised anymore when I look at the pictures on the MLS of homes that didn't sell with another agent before I list the home. I am sure that everyone knows these days that good pictures are a big part of marketing a home effectively. When a home doesn't sell, of course there are many factors; however one of the factors that should be removed if at all possible is having good pictures. Why is it that some agents don't invest in their own business and in their clients' homes by purchasing a good camera and learning how to use it? Now, … (3 comments)
flat fee: Seller Murdered - Could This Have Been You?
- 02/27/09 06:13 PM
Another murder in a big city last week. So many in the US each day that they come on the news and you hardly pay attention. However, this is one that all real estate agents and anyone selling a home should take note of. The victim was showing their home to someone posing as a buyer. (Read story at http://www.ajc.com/gwinnett/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2009/02/19/calle_0220.html) The victim was showing her own condo to a buyer whom she saw earlier that day with a real estate agent in her building. Perhaps she felt safe showing her condo to someone that she presumed had been screened in some part by an … (0 comments)
flat fee: Just one example of why you should hire a full-service real estate agent...
- 02/23/09 04:10 AM
When I finished a listing appointment on Friday I checked my voicemail, and one of my clients had left me a message asking me to "look over a contract" that he had faxed me... "Very interesting", I thought. What exactly did he mean, and why was someone giving him a contract to sign without involving me? It immediately raised my "suspicious" antenna. When I got back to the office, I saw a 2 page document titled "Contract to Buy and Sell Real Property" sitting on the fax machine. The words on the contract were actually in normal type size and could even be understood by … (0 comments)
flat fee: House and Senate compromise removes $15,000 tax credit!
- 02/11/09 01:51 PM
Booooooo! I'm so disappointed! Unfortunately, it seems that the new compromise bill between the House and the Senate wipes out the Senate version's $15,000 tax credit that would have been extended to all homebuyers. In my opinion, this amount was substantial enough and covered all primary residence homebuyers (not just first-time home buyers) that it would have really made a significant impact on our current housing situation. There are many homebuyers sitting on the sidelines now that probably would have gotten off the fence and purchased a home taking advantage of the $15,000 credit. Given all the media attention to the … (1 comments)
flat fee: Senate Passes $15000 Tax Credit For Homebuyers!
- 02/05/09 10:51 AM
Great news! The U.S. Senate approved an amendment to the economic stimulus bill that gives a $15,000 tax credit to ANYONE who buys a home within one year from the enactment of the bill! The amendment would provide a direct tax credit to ANY HOME BUYER purchasing a home as their principal residence (not just first-time buyers) in the amount of $15,000 or 10% of the purchase price, whichever is less. It is my understanding that the amount WOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPAID like the current credit of $7500 for only first-time homebuyers! This is HUGE NEWS for a prospective homebuyer and for a jolt … (0 comments)
I'm a happy man these days! Charlotte Region real estate sales are going strong, the air is beginning to get a little more crisp, Labor Day is upon us, and one of the things I look forward to all year is finally here... College Football Season! 
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