Archive for January, 2008
Real Estate Takes A Beating?
January 29th, 2008 categories: Home Selling Advice, Real Estate Market, Real Estate News
You likely have seen it all over the news over the past few weeks. How new home sales have fallen by a record amount, or existing homes are not appreciating in value, etc. It is enough to depress anyone. However, things are never as bad as they first seem. Sure the housing market is taking a hit right now, but that doesn’t mean you give up. Houses ARE still selling! People move for tons of reasons, so there is always a supply of buyers, particularly in the Chapel Hill area.
We are lucky in that part of the local population is very “fluid”. That is, they are only here for a few years and then move on. Examples are grad students, interns, professors, that come and go. Many of them want to buy a house for the years they are here, so we get a supply of ready and willing buyers. Plus, there is a net influx of people to our area. They realize what a great place Chapel Hill/Orange County is and move here. This also helps keep our area from suffering the huge peaks and valleys of other areas of the country.
If you’re looking to buy, now is the time! Give me a call.
If your looking to sell, get your house in order and let me show you how to maximize your return in this market.
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Home Sales in East Chapel Hill HS district
January 25th, 2008 categories: Chapel Hill Schools, Real Estate Market, Real Estate News
This chart is a summary of the market conditions in the East Chapel Hill High School district. It represents the detached single family houses which closed from 12/25/2007 to 1/25/2008, as well as those active on the market. As you can see there are 109 detached homes shown as active on the Triangle Multiple Listing Service. There were only 8 homes which closed in that same period. Not exactly a hot market for sellers at this time!
For a seller this means you absolutely HAVE TO be fully committed to getting your house in show condition. You have LOTS of competition! For a buyer, it means you can be in a great negotiating position, if you have done your homework. I can help you whether you are buying or selling.
You can also see we have a very wide range of homes in our market. This sample does not include condos/townhouses. If you want to know more about the living opportunities in the East Chapel Hill High School district, or any other local area, give me a call. I’ll be happy to help.
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Stoneridge/Sedgefield Neighborhood
January 24th, 2008 categories: Neighborhoods
If you are looking for a home that will give you the privacy you want, yet still be close to everything in Chapel Hill, as well as being in one of the best school districts in the state, look no further! The neighborhood known as Stoneridge/Sedgefield is for you. Located off of Whitfield Road about 1 mile east of 86 this community is in the Chapel Hill School district, but not in the tax district of the City of Chapel Hill.
Most homes were built in the late 70’s early 80’s with lots of yard space. Homes, when available, range in price from the mid $300K to over $1,000,000. The community also has an outstanding clubhouse with pool and tennis courts. And as I mentioned, the location is perfect! Close to everything but with the feel, and privacy, of the countryside. I know all this because it is also my neighborhood. We moved here from northern Durham County a little over a year ago. It was the best move we ever made.
Give me a call if your interested, (919) 417-9753, and I’ll let you know what is on the market.
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Winter Delights & Home Care
January 21st, 2008 categories: Home Buying Advice, Home Selling Advice
One of the joys of living in North Carolina is the occasional light snowfall. Just enough to get your camera out and prove to your relatives in northern cimes that, yes, it does snow here! It is a great time to get some wood and put that fireplace to work. And even though those gas fireplaces look wonderful, there is nothing like a real wood fire to make those lazy Sunday afternoons drift by.
However, those dancing flames in the fireplace should remind you about fireplace maintenance. When was the last time you had the chimney sweep out to clean out your chimney. Personally, I have no idea on my own house. We only moved in to it last year, so I don’t know the last time it was cleaned. Maybe never! Shame on me. I plan on having it done soon. This is also something I have no intention of “Doing-it-myself”. Let the pro do it!
If you are planning on marketing your house soon, that is all the more reason to have a thorough cleaning of the chimney flue done. The inspector WILL check it out. It is quick, doesn’t cost a lot and will help your house look, and smell, cleaner.
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Clean Up Your Act
January 18th, 2008 categories: Home Selling Advice
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 inclined to it. You DON’T want anything to turn them off from your house now that they are in it. By the way, this also includes the outside of your house, and your yard. From the moment they approach your house in their car you are “on stage”. All sights, sounds and SMELLS are important.
Whether you hire a cleaning service, or do it yourself, you must clean areas you probably have never cleaned before, to a level you might think is ridiculous. Is it worth it? Absolutely! You get tremendous bang for your buck when cleaning.
When you are ready to sell, give me a call. I’ll help you get ready.
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Screwed Or Glued
January 14th, 2008 categories: Home Buying Advice, Home Selling Advice
The title shows two words that should be in your mind when buying OR selling a house. They refer to “fixtures“. When you are the buyer, you want to keep in mind that not everything you see stays with the house. On the other side of the sale, the seller needs to make CLEAR what is NOT staying. I guarantee that if a buyer sees your favorite chandelier in the dining room they think it is staying, even if you put a yellow stickie on it that says “Does not convey”. You want to make sure the contract shows what does not stay.
Basically, if something is glued or screwed onto the wall, ceiling, etc., it is probably required to stay. So, if you plan on talking that chandelier with you, get it down before you put the house on the market. Go to the store and get a decent replacement for it and put it up. Another example is a mirror on the wall. If the mirror is attached with screwed in brackets, it stays. If you can lift it off the wall like a picture, it can go with the seller.
The safest way for both buyer and seller to avoid potential problems is to make sure the contract is specific in the area of fixtures. Do not just speed over that paragraph. It can come back to haunt you if you don’t take the time to go over it carefully.
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Duke Forest Beauty
January 7th, 2008 categories: Around Town
OK. This has nothing to do with real estate. However, I just had to publish this picture I was able to take of the first albino deer I’ve ever seen in real life. It was just off Erwin Rd. around Duke Forest. I was much closer when I first saw it. By the time I could race home and get my camera it had wandered deeper into the woods. It was absolutely beautiful. Pure white with pink eyes and nose. I emailed the Duke Forest people and they said they have been getting reports on this deer for about two years. Wow! Amazing it has been around for that long. Let’s hope it has many more years ahead of it.
I’ll tell you, having a treasure like Duke Forest so close to Chapel Hill is a gift, and when you get to see a beauty like this deer, it is just icing on the cake. Duke Forest is a great place to run, hike or just walk your dog for a few hours. One of the perks of living in such a great place like Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
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The Cheapest Way To Improve Your Chapel Hill Home For Sale
January 3rd, 2008 categories: Home Buying Advice, Home Selling Advice
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 paint, it is still worthwhile! Just think back to when you were house hunting. Dirty walls, chipped trim paint. I’m sure that did not make you feel good about the house.
So, invest some time and money in paint when it comes time to sell. You will not regret it!
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The Number One Way To Protect Your Chapel Hill House
January 3rd, 2008 categories: Home Buying Advice, Home Selling Advice
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 the leaves are down, it is a great time to clean those gutters. Then you’ll be set for months! If you live in a single level house, like I do, consider yourself lucky. About 30 minutes on the ladder and you’re done. It’s messy, but rewarding. If you have a two or three level house, it might be worth the cost to have someone else do it. The important thing is to not ignore it! It won’t go away.
For the taller houses, you may want to investigate the gutter covers. Never had one, so I can’t recommend any. I know they can be expensive, but you may not need them everywhere. Just where it isn’t safe or convenient to clean your gutters yourself.
So, when you’re planning on home improvement projects, put the gutter at the top of the list.
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