Posts Tagged ‘real estate’

Looking for a Home in Charlotte NC?

Charlotte North Carolina was recently noted as the only real estate market in the entire nation for property values that did not decline! With the steady job base and strong local economy, many people are moving to the Charlotte area.

So where do you find a home in Charlotte? What resources do your use in your home search? When looking to buy a home in Charlotte, what do you do first? Let me see if I can help.

First off, you may be best to get pre-approved for a mortgage. If you get pre-approved for a mortgage before you shop for a home, you will be in a much better position when it’s time to make an offer to purchase a home in Charlotte. Not only will you know that you can buy that home, but you will also know how much home you can buy and get a good idea of what that house payment will run.

Secondly, you may want to search online for Charlotte real estate. There are many options available, but one of my favorites is Trulia. Trulia happens to pull all Charlotte real estate for sale from the Charlotte MLS, but also gathers information on Charlotte homes for sale by Owner and Charlotte foreclosure homes for sale. Use the following link to access a local search for Charlotte Homes for Sale on Trulia: Search Trulia

Third, seek assistance from a local Charlotte real estate agent or Charlotte area Realtor. Real estate agents in the Charlotte area can not only help you find a home for sale, but will also become a very valuable asset when it’s time to make an offer to buy a home. Charlotte area Realtors are real estate agents in Charlotte that are part of the National Association of Realtors. Realtors are pledged to a higher standard that real estate agents that have not joined the NAR.

Finally, you can drive the Charlotte neighborhoods. This is a great way to find homes for sale by owner in Charlotte. Many of the FSBO homes in Charlotte may not be found online as it is up to the owner selling the home to market the home. Charlotte Realtors know how to market homes and do so as a profession. Many FSBO sellers do not have the expertise in marketing needed to sell a home in Charlotte, but will try it before listing with an agent. By finding them prior to listing, you may be able to negotiate a better deal, especially if you have already been pre-approved.

There are many ways to find a home for sale in Charlotte. With all the tools available today, there is no reason not to buy a home in Charlotte if you are in the market!

You Can’t Time the Bottom. You Can Pick a Great House

Thats a subtitle of a recent article in Money Magazine (June 2008). For quite some time I have been yelling from the virtual rooftops that now is THE time to buy a home in Charlotte NC! Yet there are several people out there that still want to wait for the “bottom to hit” so that they can get the “best deal” they can get.

Along comes this article from Money and guess what… they are saying the exact same thing!

The article says that you can not accurately predict when the “bottom” will hit and prices will be at the lowest possible point. As a matter of fact, this article says to resist the urge even as it is possible that the home you buy today could actually be worth a little less next year. This part doesn’t necessarily apply in Charlotte as we still remain the only major market in the US to increase in values!

The real estate market offers the best choice in homes we have seen in decades and with mortgage rates still low, now is the time to make your move. Do your research, work with a Realtor and make your offers accordingly. But don’t sit around and wait. If you are thinking of buying a home in Charlotte, now is the time. Make your move and you could be enjoying the summer in your new Charlotte home!

Does the Real Estate Advice Apply for Charlotte?

Have you noticed the new section of the Charlotte Observer on Sundays? They call it Real Estate Today. It’s a special advertising section for Charlotte real estate and homes for sale. Besides the listings and ads of Charlotte properties for sale, you will find a few articles about home ownership, buying a home or investing in real estate. This week they highlighted how working with a Realtor can help make the home buying process smoother.

I applaude the efforts to provide informative articles along with the homes for sale listings. But if you look closely, you will notice that the articles were mostly written from newspapers located in other real estate markets, like Milwalkee and Detroit. This should make you pay closer attention to what is being written.

Why is that a big deal? Ever heard the saying: “All Real Estate is Local”? This means that the real estate market in Charlotte North Carolina is different than the real estate market anywhere else. And today, this statement rings very true! With majority of the country in a declining real estate market, Charlotte’s real estate market is one of the few markets still growing! So getting articles from out of state does not reflect the market we are currently in!

So why doesn’t the Observer get local experts to write the articles? I don’t know. I have not aked them yet. Maybe they don’t want to offend one Charlotte real estate office by having another one write an article. That could hurt the ad space they are looking to sell. Or maybe it is so new they just haven’t found someone to help.

Either way, as a reader you must pay attention to these small details. Otherwise, if you believe everything the media is pushing right now, you would think that every 3rd home is a foreclosure that you could buy for 1/3 the price you should pay. Sure, foreclosures in Charlotte are up; however Charlotte is in North Carolina, not California and we are not seeing the kind of loss of value that California and other markets are.

Thank you Jamison Realty

In a time when you hear nothing but negative news and grumblings, there is a very bright spot… Jamison Realty. Jamison Realty is a real estate agency in the Charlotte area (located in Matthews, NC) offering both seller and buyer agency representation.

I watched as Jamison Realty renovated an older home in Matthews and loved what they have done with the place. It appears that everything was done with a great touch of class. And now I hear a new radio spot that just affirms my belief that this is a top quality agency.

Their radio ad is entitled “I’m Positive”. It speaks about the good that is going on in Charlotte real estate and does not use scare tactics or fear to get your attention. The message is upbeat and positive and from my seat it is right on the money! Click the following link to hear the ad: I’m Positive Ad from Jamison Realty

If you are looking for a positive Realtor to work with, you may want to consider Jamison Realty. If this ad is any indication as to the experience they offer, I can only imagine the positive feeling you will get. Better yet, get pre-approved for your Charlotte mortgage first, and then let’s contact Jamison Realty and get things going strong for you!

Could a “Failing Economy” be Political Hype?

Sure, I know its tough out there. Energy costs, especially at the gas pump, are eating up more and more of our money. And it seems that everywhere we turn the feeling is that we are in a recession.

However, the numbers say something different. For the past 2 economic quarters we have still seen growth in our economy. Sure it was just a small gain, but it was positive. This morning, despite economists expectations of bad news about unemployment rates, the numbers actually showed that umemployment rates fell in April! And all reports earlier late last year said we would not see the real estate housing market return until 2009, but now they are saying 3rd quarter 2008. Personally, I think the real estate market turns the tide this summer nationwide, with Charlotte real estate beginning any time.

So what does this all mean? Is it all just politics? Are we in a recession? Is the sky falling?

I have been saying for months that the sky is NOT falling. Yes, we have seen a down turn in the economy and we are all feeling the crunch. But listening to the talking heads, the politicians, and the news media (which can’t say anything good) you would think we are in another great depression!

So it makes me wonder… how much of this is spin and hype from a big year in politics? How much of this is “Bold Headlines” material, and just how much of it is reality?

For those that do not subscribe to the theory that America is falling away and that our economy is dead, now is the best time to take action. While others are sitting around moping about how bad things are, you are able to take advantage of the market and make big strides. From investments to real estate, the world lays at your feet waiting to be seized!

If you live in the Charlotte NC area for example, you are part of the best real estate market in the country. Charlotte even features the best economy in the nation. So take advantage of your opportunity and stake your claim today.

What do you think? Express you opinion now…

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Q&A: LLCs and Buying Investment Homes

Recently a reader asked the following question:

Q: This is a question regarding the ability to lend to an LLC for the purpose of investment properties: