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…

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…

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…

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 …

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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, …

With today’s market conditions, both in real estate and in stocks, there are a lot of people deciding to invest in real estate. I personally think investing in real estate is a wise strategy. However, just like any other investment, you need to make sure the numbers line up with your goals before you decide to pull the trigger. Here are a few thing…

When you sell your house, you want to avoid these four big mistakes during the process: Listing as a ‘For Sale By Owner’ seller: People looking to score a deal are the only type of buyers looking at ‘For Sale By Owner’ listings. These people will try to directly contact the seller since they’re not working with a real estate agent which means they’…

As a real estate agent, one of the primary reasons I usually hear when somebody explains why they’re moving to a certain area is they want to make sure they’re in a good school district. If you’re a homebuyer and you’re basing your home’s new location primarily on schools, there are three things you need to consider.First, there are more than just …

When you’re selling your home, you obviously want to get the most money possible out of the sale while minimizing the expenses to get you there. Here are a few simple inexpensive updates you can make to your home to increase its value before selling.First, set the price right at market value, not above or below it. By doing this, you will achieve u…

What happens if you sell your home and you haven’t found another home to buy?With the market moving as fast as it is today, this is one of the questions I get asked quite often. I understand wanting the security of knowing where you’re moving to next before selling your current home. The problem is, most people can’t qualify for a new mortgage on t…

In our market, multiple offer situations are very common. If you just listed your home and you receive three offers at once, how do you know which one is best?There are a few different things to do in this situation. First, we go back to all of the agents and their buyers to confirm that they’ve submitted their highest and best offers. If any of th…

Multiple offer situations are very common in our market right now due to low inventory and high demand. Today I’ll go over a few ways you can win a multiple offer situation as a homebuyer.Once you submit an offer, if there are multiple offers on the home, the seller’s agent will come back to ask you for your highest and best offer. This is typicall…

What can we expect from the Triangle market in the first quarter of 2017?Whether or not it’s a buyer’s or seller’s market depends on a couple of things—price range and location. From a global standpoint, most people would consider the Triangle market to be a seller’s market due to significantly low inventory. It’s about 10% lower than this time las…