Here’s why our partnership with Homeward is big news for buyers.The No. 1 problem in real estate right now is that many folks want to move but need the equity out of their current home to buy their next one. Furthermore, they don’t want to put their current home on the market without first knowing where they’re going. This is doubtless a tricky sit…

Here's what I predict for our real estate market in 2021.What can we expect from the Triangle area real estate market in 2021?2020 was an interesting year, to say the least. Lots of industries were decimated, but real estate wasn’t one of them. We saw some extraordinary things happen. Listing inventory, for example, dropped by 50% compared to 2019,…

Here’s why both buyers and sellers have good reason to act now.Inventory is once again at the forefront of our discussion over the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on our market. If we look at the second of June (the latest data set we have at the moment), the number of new homes listed was down 11% over the same week of the prior year. Pending listings,…

The COVID-19 lockdown has turned us into an even stronger seller’s market.In the past couple of weeks, my team and I listed a couple of homes that were, in my estimation, slightly overpriced and had several other inherent issues. I expected these homes to take a while to sell and possibly require a price reduction or two. However, one of them sold …

Check out this virtual tour video for our new listing at 3116 Herdsman Way Raleigh, NC!Stunning finishes & details throughout this custom home make it truly unique. Top notch built-in’s galore, custom paint, shiplap wall in entry,extensive crown molding & trim work, & custom designer lighting throughout. The gourmet kit boasts SS Bosch appliances, …

I’ve got some important information to share today with those of you who have been curious about when an economic recovery might happen. The first thing they’re expecting is a “v” shaped recovery, which means that because we saw a rapid and quick decline, we’ll see a sharp and quick rebound. Compared to other recessions we’ve had in the past, it ha…

If you’re looking for ways to cut your monthly expenses, here are a couple of quick tips that will help:1. Look at your home and auto insurance. About a month ago, my company started a joint venture with HUB International, the largest private insurance company in North America. I had them quote my home and auto insurance, and now they’re saving me …

Should you invest the time and money necessary to make your home move-in ready before you sell? Here’s what I think.If you have a home to sell and it needs updates, is it better to do the updates before you hit the market or should you offer some kind of allowance or discount to buyers instead?Here’s my opinion. When you’re selling a house that nee…

As we head toward a new decade, I wanted to talk to you about a few things that you can expect from the real estate market in 2020.The new year is almost here, but what’s 2020 going to look like for our real estate market? First, we can use history to predict what will happen in the future.From December 2018 to January 2019, we saw a 42% increase i…

Whether or not you have to sell during the holidays, here are a few things to consider when it comes to selling during this season:1. There are more serious buyers in the market. With everything else that they could be doing around this time of the year, people who shop for homes in November and December aren’t just looking for fun. They’re buying …

Matt Valentine from Cornerstone Lending is here today to help me answer a few key questions about lending and mortgages that will help consumers in the real estate market make better, more informed decisions about their transactions in 2019.For your convenience, I have provided timestamps below so you can navigate our conversation in the video abov…

I’m a proud cord cutter, and I’m here to tell you my story today.Let me preface this by saying that I hate DirecTV. We cancelled our subscription last year and haven’t looked back since. In the end, it was too expensive, they were too hard to contact, etc. They make it impossible for you to do anything and it’s just a racket. Aside from the ethical…

Another year has come and gone, so today let’s take a look at what early signs are telling us about the direction our 2019 market will take.For one thing, inventory is about to rise. Sellers often take their homes off the market during the later months of the year, and this tends to result in an influx of supply once January rolls around. The numbe…

Guaranteed offer companies are becoming more and more popular these days. You’ve probably heard them advertised on television. But there’s actually a dark truth behind their claims of a hassle-free deal, and today I’m going to blow the whistle on what these companies don’t tell you. These companies make it seem like the normal selling process is ma…

In the real estate industry, appraisers are like historians, while agents are more like fortune tellers. Why do I say this? Well, appraisers establish value based on what’s happened in the past. Agents, on the other hand, tend to examine market trends and make guesses about what may happen in the future. And today, I’m going to share some of my own…

Over the course of the last month in the Triangle area real estate market, a few important changes have taken place. First, closed sales are down 3.5% and listings are down 4.2%, but the median price is up by about 6%. These statistics reflect the basic principle of supply and demand. Inventory has dipped, so demand (and therefore price) has risen.…

You have probably heard the rumors that Amazon’s HQ-2 could potentially come to Raleigh. But, if this is true, what impact could this have on our market?Well, it is important to first realize that no final decision has been made just yet. However, Raleigh is a strong contender.As for how it will impact our market, we can expect a dramatic influence…

Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis report Buying a Triad area home? Search all homes for sale Buyers who may not be seeing what they’re hoping to find in the resale market have been asking whether now is a good time to build a new home. Actually, it is. Now is likely one of the best times to build new construction, as this type …

Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis report Buying a Triad area home? Search all homes for sale A question I get on occasion is, “How do I know I am getting the best person to sell my home?” Well, I think that our company is a great solution to your real estate needs. It has been around for 20 years and we have developed systems a…

Selling a home? Get a free home value report Buying a home? Search all homes for sale Over the past several years, I’ve been seeing a trend where buyers look for homes that will accommodate multiple generations—grandparents, parents, kids, and grandkids. My gut tells me that there is a demographic shift occurring here, where: Grandparents or empty-…

Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis report Buying a Triad area home? Search all homes for sale Homeowners in the Triad are frustrated. Inventory is low, demand for their homes is high, and they’re receiving multiple offers from prospective buyers, but home prices are still dropping. How can that be? Supply and demand economics wo…

Fraud scams are common in real estate. Today I want to discuss three of the most popular scams that you might encounter in the business.1. Wiring instructions. In a real estate transaction, purchases usually involve the wiring of money from one account to another. At some point, you’re going to receive wiring instructions, most likely from the clos…

Selling a home? Get a free home value report Buying a home? Search all homes for sale Today I’m joined by Randy Paquette of First Choice Radon to discuss what you can do to prevent radon from seeping into your home. As a gas, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. among non-smokers. It also kills more people annually than breast canc…

Selling a home? Get a free home value report Buying a home? Search all homes for sale The month of March has been cold and dreary here in the Raleigh area. So, when I say that it’s time to get ready for the spring market, many people think, “Spring market? It’s still winter!” However, despite the cold, spring has definitely arrived. The spring real…

There are a lot of things you can do to your home that won’t bring a high return. These include things like backyard patios, upgraded hardwood floors, pools, and more. By all means, spend money on these features for your own personal enjoyment, but just don’t expect to see a big return.Today I want to tell you the three areas of home improvement th…

Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis report Buying a Triad area home? Search all homes for sale It’s officially spring, so what can we expect from the spring real estate market? It’s exciting to see that prices are actually increasing and that homes are starting to appreciate in the marketplace, which we haven't seen in 10 years, …

With the spring market approaching, many people are looking to sell their homes. Today, I’ll go over four things you can do now to prepare your house for a quick sale when you do put it on the market.1. Focus on making your house picture-perfect. These days, 95% of homebuyers start their search online. They are clicking through pictures and trying …

Selling a home? Get a free home value report Buying a home? Search all homes for sale Let’s talk about home inspections. Beyond a general home inspection, there are several specific inspections buyers may choose to conduct while under contract. Radon inspections, termite inspections, and others are all options, depending on the features of the prop…

Today, I’m going to be giving you the two best questions that you can ask a real estate agent while interviewing them to help you sell your home.Real estate agents in the business often make promises to their clients that aren’t always met. These questions will give you an indication of how well they’re going to be able to help you sell. Ask them a…

Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis report Buying a Triad area home? Search all homes for sale One of the things I get questioned about a lot is mortgage lending. Many people tell me, “I used this bank last time I refinanced my house and that went pretty good so I think I’ll use them again.” However, be careful. These large lende…

Selling a home? Get a free home value report Buying a home? Search all homes for sale Sales figures are in for the Triangle MLS, and there are some really good numbers to report, both for the month of December and the entirety of 2017. Additionally, we’re going to take a look at some predictions for the 2018 market. In December of 2017, inventory l…

Today I want to give you a few of my predictions about the Triangle real estate market, in addition to some striking stats from 2017.Looking ahead at 2018, I can say for sure that inventory will be super tight. We’ve already seen that the demand for homes vastly outweighs the supply.When you compare December of 2017 to the same month in 2016, inven…

Inventory is low and demand is high. It’s the perfect storm for home sellers. Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis report Buying a Triad area home? Search all homes for sale One question that we get asked frequently during this time of year is, “Should we sell in the winter?” This year, the answer is yes. Absolutely. This is a gol…

Something occurred to me recently: Sometimes, our success is driven by the size of our “why.”We all have our reasons for getting out of bed in the morning. Some of us wake up feeling full of energy and ready to start the day, while others may hit the snooze button a few times before dragging themselves to work.So, where does this difference come fr…

Selling a home? Get a free home value report Buying a home? Search all homes for sale If you are preparing your home for the market, you need to check on your crawl space. You may say, “Why would I even want to think about the crawl space? I don’t want to go look at it. There are spiders down there!” I completely understand where you are coming fro…

Selling a home? Get a free home value report Buying a home? Search all homes for sale Although spring is traditionally considered the best time to sell a home, today I’m excited to share the top 10 reasons you should consider listing in the next few months before the spring market hits. 10. You will have the opportunity to be a non-contingent buyer…

There are three things you should avoid when buying a home. These three things can also make a home harder to sell. Today, the things I’m going to share with you all have to do with features of a home you cannot change. In any real estate transaction, it’s critical to consider any unsavory features that can’t be changed. Steep driveway. A big slope…

Today I want to tell you about the three top benefits of selling in the fall.I’m sure you’ve heard the conventional wisdom that spring is the best time to sell a home. The reason people believe this is because that time of year is when we see the highest number of listings and buyers.But as long as the levels of buyers and sellers in the market rem…

Selling a home? Get a free home value report Buying a home? Search all homes for sale When buying a home, there are four out-of-pocket expenses that you should be prepared to pay: 1. Your due diligence deposit. Our purchase contract was revised a few years ago and now stipulates that the buyer make a non-refundable due diligence deposit to the sell…

In real estate, we have negotiations throughout the course of the transaction. Whether you are buying or selling, there are four things I recommend you keep in mind to move us through negotiations:1. Know your expected and desired outcomes.You should also determine what your acceptable outcomes will be. Usually, there is an ideal outcome and an acc…

Selling a home? Get a free home value report Buying a home? Search all homes for sale I was just talking recently with a past client, Lori, who had a great idea. As you may know, we do have a newsletter available. “ Now we have archives of our past and current newsletters on the blog. ” This newsletter contains information on the market, vendors, l…

Why is being a represented buyer so important to the purchase of a new construction home? There are more reasons than you may think. Selling a home? Get a free home value report Buying a home? Search all homes for sale If you have been considering purchasing a new home, it’s absolutely vital that you hire an agent to represent you. Even if you are …

Today I’m excited to be joined by Janae Papazian, our lead buyer specialist, to talk about how to find and purchase off-market properties.Off-market properties are a great and often untapped opportunity. Janae has personally helped people find their home in this way. When a home isn’t on the MLS, she says, the only real challenge is to go out and s…

When you list your property as For Sale By Owner (FSBO), you actually end up losing more money than you would pay an agent in commission. The National Association of Realtors says that FSBO properties sell for 8% less than homes listed with a professional agent.There are four main reasons why FSBO properties lose money:1. Marketing. Marketing and p…

Today I wanted to take some time to talk to you about how to handle multiple-offer situations as both a buyer and a seller. Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis report Buying a Triad area home? Search all homes for sale We’ve gotten this question a couple of times in the last few months, and today I wanted to take the time to talk…

Are you looking for something fun and different to do here in Raleigh? I have a list of great venues and activities for you today. Selling a home? Get a free home value report Buying a home? Search all homes for sale There are a lot of great things to do in our area, so if you get an itch to go out, here are a few different places for you to check …

We hear a lot about the market, especially in my line of work, but today I wanted to explain to you how the market actually works.To tell the truth, the real estate market is a free market like any other market.Take the stock market, for example. Let’s say you bought stock with Apple for $100 and now, today, that stock has gone up to $500. That $50…

It’s no secret that millennials have been waiting longer and longer to buy their first homes. It’s a function of many things like the job market. If you’re a millennial paying rent, it’s time to consider buying a home.Whether you realize it or not, you’re already paying someone’s mortgage. You can call it rent or a housing payment, but either way, …

Thinking of buying an older home? You need to think about whether the charm and character of the home outweigh the potential maintenance risks. Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis report Buying a Triad area home? Search all homes for sale Are you thinking about buying an older house? If so, how do you know if it's a wise investme…

Today we’re offering you a sneak peek of a beautiful ranch-style property coming on the market this Saturday. Selling a home? Get a free home value report Buying a home? Search all homes for sale Follow along with me in the video above for a guided tour of the exterior of a gorgeous property we’re putting on the market this Saturday. This is a cust…