Archive for August, 2010

Home Buyers Who Can Buy…Will Get A Great Buy

Tuesday, 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

Tuesday, 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!

Tuesday, 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”

Saturday, 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

Saturday, 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

Saturday, 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

Saturday, 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

Thursday, 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.