Home Buyers Who Can Buy…Will Get A Great Buy

August 31st, 2010

I was just reading where one of our real estate analysts stated that real estate is a retail business, and that is a great way to look at what is currently happening in the Durham and Raleigh real estate markets. It’s also where listing agents like me become part-time psychologists with our client sellers, trying to come to emotional grips with all the Durham, Triangle and Raleigh listings that sit on the market, many of which have had few, if any, showings over the last month.

For Triangle, North Carolina and Raleigh Realtors, the last few years have not been pretty and while we did see good glimpses of real estate recovery, the good beg at the bad and it has often been down right ugly. We all knew that the expiration of the home buyer incentives in April would bring a drop, but predetermining activity on North Carolina homes for sale and Raleigh homes activity is much like playing the stock market; there are economic principles involved but human behavior and reaction is not predictable.

For the full story, visit my GuideMeHome2Raleigh-Durham Blog!

How to REALLY Get Your Coupon Money’s Worth! From a Frugal Facebook Friend

August 31st, 2010

I just read the coolest idea, posted by a friend on my Facebook page. By the way, Facebook is a great way to stay connected with friends and acquaintances; many of my Raleigh real estate clients are online and we’re able to communicate all about the things going on in our lives and with our families. Alicia, who along with her husband Eric, found my Raleigh homes website www.HomeSearchRALEIGH.com when they were moving here from Florida a few years ago and bought a new home in Holly Springs, is having a birthday today and I saw where she had posted a Citipass coupons trade idea.

For the full story, visit my GuideMeHome2Raleigh-Durham Blog!

If Your House Isn’t Talking, Then No One Is Listening!

August 31st, 2010

This is the story about how one Raleigh real estate team let’s their listings simply speak for themselves!

Most real estate agents split their time between working with buyers and working with sellers. Yet today, many of us find ourselves, due to the economic swing of the real estate market, spending more time marketing our listings. With more homes on the market and fewer buyers in our cars, The Freeman/Davis Home Team with the Wolborsky Group at Allen Tate Realtors is looking at new ways to set our listings apart from the competition. One of those ways is with The “Talking House” system.

For the full story, visit my GuideMeHome2Raleigh-Durham Blog!

Raleigh Real Estate, For Some it’s “Hot None In The Summertime”

August 7th, 2010

Today, we’re updating Triangle real estate sales figures and answering the “how hot will summer sales be in Raleigh-Durham” question. In an earlier blog post, I reported that there were 2,083 home closings in May for Durham, Johnston, Orange and Wake counties, up 26 percent over the same period last year, according to the Triangle Multiple Listing Service. Well the numbers are in for July and sales, unlike the outdoor temperatures, have cooled with only 1,354 closings for the month, which is a 35% dive over a two-month period. That’s also down 35% from the same period last year as closings in July 2009 in the same four counties numbered 2,052.

Get my full story, Hot NONE In the Summertime…Real Estate Sales on Vacation, online.  Find more timely statistics on Raleigh Durham and search the great Raleigh homes for sale and buyer’s market incentives on Raleigh real estate at www.HomeSearchRALEIGH.com.

It’s more value-added information from your Raleigh realtor, Rick Freeman and the Freeman/Davis Home Team.

 

 

Rick Freeman’s DayTripping Series – Mayberry, NC in Living Color

August 7th, 2010

 

Check out my blog post at Rick Freeman’s DayTripping Series – Mayberry, NC – It’s For Real and In Living Color. See more things to do in Raleigh Durham and search the great Raleigh homes for sale and buyer’s market incentives on Raleigh real estate at www.HomeSearchRALEIGH.com.

It’s more value-added information from your Raleigh realtor, Rick Freeman and the Freeman/Davis Home Team.

 

Rick Freeman’s DayTripping Series – NASCAR Hall Of Fame

August 7th, 2010

Check out my blog post at Rick Freeman’s DayTripping Series – Nascar Hall Of Fame in Charlotte. See more things to do in Raleigh Durham and search the great Raleigh homes for sale and buyer’s market incentives on Raleigh real estate at www.HomeSearchRALEIGH.com.

It’s more value-added information from your Raleigh realtor, Rick Freeman and the Freeman/Davis Home Team.

 

Rick Freeman’s DayTripping Series – Tax Free in Smithfield NC

August 7th, 2010

 

Check out my blog post at Rick Freeman’s DayTripping Series – Tax Free Weekend. See more things to do in Raleigh Durham and search the great Raleigh homes for sale and buyer’s market incentives on Raleigh real estate at www.HomeSearchRALEIGH.com.

It’s more value-added information from your Raleigh realtor, Rick Freeman and the Freeman/Davis Home Team.

 

The Do’s & Don’ts of Homeowner’s Insurance

August 5th, 2010

As your "Trusted Advisors," The Freeman/Davis Home Team at Allen Tate Realtors is always on the lookout for news you can use, regardless of whether you are in the process of buying or selling a home.  You can always get up-to-date information on Raleigh homes for sale and statistics on Raleigh real estate on our website at www.HomeSearchRALEIGH.com and today, I have some additional information about homeowner’s insurance.  It’s a list of "do’s and don’ts that you’ll want to review, print and keep handy. 

DO: Find an independent agent that will allow you to get quotes from several insurance providers.

DON’T: Buy the first policy you are offered with when shopping.

DO: Contact an insurance agent in person to tailor your policy and make sure you’re getting the best and most adequate coverage for the money you pay.

DON’T: Drop home insurance or necessary types of coverage altogether just to lower the costs.

DO: Review your deductibles and adjust them if needed to relate adequately to your financial abilities if an insurance situation takes place. Remember that higher deductibles will lower you rates.

DON’T: Raise your deductibles to the amount you will find hard to pay in case it comes to filing a claim.

DO: Speak to your insurance agent to learn if there are any homeowner’s insurance discounts provided by your insurer you are eligible for.

DON’T: Forget about updating your insurance coverage after adding square footage to your house, performing important modifications (installing ventilation or security systems), or buying expensive things that are to be kept on your property.

DO: Find a provider that will carry more types of insurance rather than only homeowners insurance.  You can receive substantial discounts by having your auto, life and home insurance policies with the same carrier.

DON’T: Drop substantial amounts of liability coverage in order to save money because some day it can be really helpful and your savings can lead to serious losses if you do not have enough liability coverage.

DO: Renew your policy and avoid cancellations because it will get more expensive to renew it or get a new one if your policy was simply void without any reason.

DON’T: Drop your homeowners insurance policy in case your mortgage lender doesn’t require it anymore or you have paid off your loan.

Try to employ as many of these tips as possible and you will see that having good homeowners insurance with low rates and adequate coverage is really possible. Keep in mind that having cheap coverage can turn around to be very costly when facing an insurance situation. So try to get adequate coverage while still having your family budget in mind. Shop around and find the best policy out there to keep your house protected no matter what.

Things Your Burglar Won’t Tell You:

July 28th, 2010

The City of Raleigh Police has send us an advisement on some things you may think about that burglar’s are looking at or thinking.  Check this out, read and heed!  It is stuff you may never think about before it is to late.

Things Your Burglar Won’t Tell You:
 
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste … And taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.

5. If it snows while you’re out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.

6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don’t let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it’s set. That makes it too easy.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom-and your jewelry. It’s not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

8. It’s raining, you’re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-understandable. But understand this: I don’t take a day off because of bad weather.

9. I always knock first. If you answer, I’ll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don’t take me up on it.)

10. Do you really think I won’t look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

11. Helpful hint: I almost never go into kids’ rooms.

12. You’re right: I won’t have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it’s not bolted down, I’ll take it with me.

13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you’re reluctant to leave your TV on while you’re out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)

14. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never ever look like a crook.

15. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

16. I’ll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he’ll stop what he’s doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn’t hear it again, he’ll just go back to what he was doing. It’s human nature.

17. I’m not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

18. I love looking in your windows. I’m looking for signs that you’re home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I’d like. I’ll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets..

19. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It’s easier than you think to look up your address.

20. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it’s an invitation.

21. If you don’t answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina Oregon California and Kentucky, security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs crimedoctor.com; and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book “Burglars on the job”

Do You Know Who Your Friends Are?

July 7th, 2010

For the last couple of years, I’ve been reconnecting with old friends and making new ones on both my personal Facebook page and the Fan Page for HomeSearchRALEIGH.com, my Raleigh real estate website.  Seeing what’s going on with my pals has pretty much replaced the morning paper, which used to accompany my first couple cups of coffee.  This morning as I was browsing the bountiful bits of idle chatter, I immediately noticed that another friend’s curiosity had lured them into one of the numerous viruses that spread via social networks.  

After notifying the unsuspecting friend, I attempted to foil future infections by letting the 100+ people listed in my buddy’s misguided message that a menacing mess was ahead if they followed the listed links.  After that, I figured it would be a good time to blog and remind everyone of the electronic evil that lurks within cyberspace.  

My first bit of advice is to never click on a link from someone that you don’t know.  This also includes adding unfamiliar faces as “friends.”  If you limit your Facebook family to people who are really “friends,” you’ll be more likely to notice messages that are “out of character” or simply not like something that a particular person may say.  For instance, the message I received this morning was from an old college buddy; the misspelled words and poor grammar was an immediate red flag and certainly not characteristic of the “scholarly” sender.  Another wise word is to think carefully before adding any of those “applications.”  Facebook allows anyone to write an app and most are not screened before they are made available to us.    

This week alone, two more viruses have hit the social networks and both are designed to access your personal information.  Both gain access by simply asking for it.  Because the user is unsuspecting, it’s no surprise when they answer “yes” to the question, “can we share this message or video with your friends?” When you say “yes,” it spreads to your friends, requesting that they too share with their friends; and that is how the virus spreads, my friend.  

The latest mischievous app says “I will NEVER text again” and offers a video claiming to show someone who died after sending a text message from their cell phone.  If you’ve received such a message, or something like it, and have curiously clicked the link, here are a few steps to disinfect.  First, visit your applications settings page and remove the app from your profile. Second, clean up your wall by hovering your mouse over any of the related posts on your wall and clicking the “remove” button.  Third, get smart and start to question the content of anything you receive online.  

A final note, if you’ve been virally victimized, don’t get sick over it; at last count, over 293,000 people have clicked the latest menacing link. Just take a dose of my advice and be careful who your friends are.