Chapel Hill NC Home Blog

Once again Durham and Raleigh ranked high in Forbes Magazine’s annual ranking of the Best Places for Business and Careers.  Durham ranked No. 3 while Raleigh ranked No. 1 for the third year in a row.  The rankings were based on “strength of job growth, low business costs and a highly educated workforce”.  Durham and Raleigh’s strong economy are always strengthened by Research Triangle Park and its nationally recognized employers such as Cisco and IBM.

Although layoffs are a given in this economy, the Triangle area still remains attractive to businesses.
and let’s not forget those Tar Heels…

Until next time…
Staci

According to federal statistics released last week, Raleigh and Cary make up the fastest growing metropolitan area in the country. The combined population of Raleigh aka North Carolina’s capital city and Cary aka its family friendly suburb increased by 4.3 percent between July 2007 and July 2008. The Durham Chapel Hill area ranked 23rd with a 2.5 percent increase.

Growth in these areas is due to the area’s top hospitals, universities and nearby Research Triangle Park.  The RTP business complex have more than 50,000 employees and more than 170 research and development companies.

Out of the nation’s 100 fastest growing counties, 11 were in North Carolina.  Families are still attracted to the climate, the educational and economic opportunities that the Triangle area has to offer.

Although no area is immune to the current state of the economy, it’s nice to know that the Raleigh/Cary/Durham/Chapel Hill area is still growing.

If you would like more information about the area, feel free to call us toll free at 877-478-4669.

Until next time…

Staci

I wonder how many people are aware of the pollution problem at Jordan Lake.  Scientists first identified pollution problems around 1995 and they have only gotten worse since then.  Jordan Lake is not just for recreational use.  The lake provides clean drinking water to more than 120,000 Wake, Durham and Chatham County residents.  In addition, growth and development are taking their toll.

Environment North Carolina is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization. They are working to win real results for Jordan Lake and to set the stage for how other lakes across the state will be restored.

When cities discharge treated sewage into the lake, it causes excessive algae, increases the cost of drinking water and threatens the lake’s ability to substain fish and swimming for years to come.  It’s also up to the boaters and other recreational users to clean up after themselves when leaving the Lake.

We can all be happy if we work together.  Development can still take place if the proper measures are in place to control runoff and sewage pollution.

I have been kayaking on Jordan Lake for several years.  I would much prefer kayaking in a clean body of water as opposed to a polluted one.  Wouldn’t you?

Looking forward to kayaking on Jordan Lake very soon.  How many more days until spring?

Staci

Many people have  become addicted to social networking sites such as Facebook, My Space, Meet-up and Twitter.  Personally, I have become attached to Facebook.  While these sites have a lot to offer, it’s also important to think about the security and privacy implications that come along with ‘putting yourself out there’ for public viewing.

For the most part, you get to decide how little or how much information you display. Your ‘personal page’ can be made private or public.  From a security standpoint, the more you keep private, the safer you will be from predators, from hackers and from identify theft. You should always want to protect youself as it relates to your job, your children, your family and your finances.  It’s amazing what some people can do with a birth date, a birth year and your name.
I’ve had people try to ‘friend’ me who I don’t even know even though I have all my settings set to private and ‘only friends’.  As careful as we try to be, there are still people out there profile hunting.
What I also do from time to time is Google my name.  Once a year, I also obtain my credit report.  As the quotes go “You never know” and “Better safe than sorry”.
Until next time, I remain privately yours…

Staci                                                                                                                         Masha Halpern & The Smart Move Team

Why is the first time home buyer tax credit being offered and who is eligible?

First time home buyers purchasing any kind of home, new or resale, are eligible for the tax credit.  A first time home buyer is someone who has not owned a primary residence during the three year period prior to purchase.  If you own a vacation home or a rental property but it is not used as a principal residence, you may still qualify as a first time home buyer.

Congress’s intent was to provide a large financial resource for first time home buyers in the year they purchased a home, more specifically between April 9, 2008 and July 1, 2009. This credit in intended to help first time home buyers, to help the housing market, and to increase home sales.

Although it is labeled as a tax credit, it is more like an interest free loan.  A first time buyer who claims the credit will have to repay it in installments over 15 years, without interest, or when they sell their home, if there is sufficient capital gain from the sale.

As with all lending from the government, there are income limits. The credit becomes totally unavailable for individual taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of more than $95,000 and for married taxpayers filing joint returns with an adjusted gross income of more than $170,000.

If you think you may qualify for this tax credit program, please make sure you consult your tax advisor for information relating to your specific circumstances.

If you are interested in purchasing a home, we can help with all your real estate needs. Now is the time to buy!!

Until next time…

Staci                                                                                                                         Masha Halpern & The Smart Move Team

When surfing the web, I came across some information about mistakes home buyers make.  In this market, I thought it would be a good topic to discuss.

1. Waiting to Sell Your Home-It’s more important to sell your existing home before you commit to buying a new one.  It takes a lot longer to find a buyer than it would have a year ago.  With the current state of the economy, you don’t want to be stuck carrying two mortgages.

2. Your Credit Score-Every year you should obtain a copy of your credit report, especially if you plan on buying a home.  Most credit reports contain some type of error and it can take at least several weeks to have an error corrected.  Sometimes an error can disqualify you from a competitive interest rate or a mortgage altogether.

3, Skipping the Mortgage Preapproval Process-In a tight lending market, it’s important to shop around for a mortgage and get preapproved by a lender before you start looking for a home.  It’s not as easy to get a loan as it used to be.  Your mortgage rate will be based on how risky they feel you are.

4. Your Budget-It’s a buyers market.  Don’t be afraid to make an offer that’s below the asking price.  Also, don’t be foolish to walk away from a property you really like over a few thousand dollars.  I was involved in a situation like this in NY.  I was told as a buyer “You can’t make an offer like that, it’s too low”. I said “Yes I can, worse case scenario they will say no”.  I lived in that home for 7 years!!

5. Signing a Contract with Contingencies-Not only do you need to secure a mortgage, you also need to find a seller that is ready to move at the same pace as you are.  You don’t want to get yourself involved in a situation when the sale is dependent on the seller finding a new home first.

I hope these tips have helped you.  Good luck with finding the home that’s right for you!

Staci Green-Transaction Manager for                                                                      Masha Halpern & The Smart Move Team                                  www.TheSmartMoveTeam.com

While surfing the web, I came across some articles in Aol and Yahoo about mistakes home sellers make.  I agree with what they said so I thought I would discuss them.

1. Asking Too Much-if you price your home too high, you risk turning away potential buyers (especially in a slow market).  Your home is worth only what someone is willing to pay for it.  When real estate times were better, it was easier to get comparable prices going back 6 months.  Because market prices have gone down, now you must compare prices for similar properties currently on the market.

2. Questioning the First Offer-Sometimes the first offer might be the best offer.  You can’t assume you will get a better offer the longer you hold out.  It’s actually the opposite-the longer your home sits on the market, the greater chance a seller will have to reduce his/her price.

3. Failing to Respond to All Offers-If you get an offer that is too low, do not reject it.  See if you can negotiate.  It’s a buyer’s market right now so they have the upper hand.  If you really need to sell your house, it will cost you more money in the long run if it sits on the market for a long time.

4. Paying for a Home Stager-You want your property to stand out but I don’t think it’s necessary to pay someone to stage your home.  Not everyone can picture how a home will look after they have added their own touch to it, so if possible, keep the walls clean and bright, get rid of the the clutter and knick-knacks and make all necessary repairs, even the smallest of problems, before buyers enter your home. A clean, neat, bright home gives off a much better vibe than a dark messy home.

5. Picking the Wrong Buyer-After the recent national mortgage disaster,  it’s especially important to choose the right buyer.  Choose someone with a prequalification letter issued no more than 4 to 6 weeks ago.  Also watch out for a buyer who needs a contingency (stating the deal won’t close until they sell their own home).  The best buyers are first time home buyers who qualify for a mortgage in advance or someone who has already sold their existing home.

I hope these tips have helped you.  Hopefully you will have a smooth transaction when it comes to selling your home.

Staci Green-Transaction Manager for                                                                       Masha Halpern & The Smart Move Team                                  www.TheSmartMoveTeam.com

There is a big debate as to whether we should lower the drinking age.  I’m not sure how I feel about this one.  When I was a teen, the drinking age was 18.  We also drank before we turned 18. As always, there are pros and cons.  I understand the debate if you are old enough to fight in a war, you should be old enough to drink but it goes beyond that.  I dont think the drinking age should be lowered for that reason alone.

High Schoolers and College students will find a way to drink regardless of what the legal drinking age is. A big factor is if the legal age were 18, will that make it easier for 16 and 17 year olds to obtain alcohol?  Unfortunately, yes.

A negative about the drinking age being 21 is that college kids are still drinking but they are more secretive about it; closed parties, binge drinking, etc…  If the drinking age were 18, would that make drinking at college safer? I’m not sure. 

How do we keep the teenage drinkers off the roads?  I know since the drinking age has been 21, traffic fatalilities have been reduced by 13% involving 18-20 year old drivers.  As a mom of 2 teenagers in high school, that is an important factor for me.

Age does not always measure someone’s maturity level.  As with raising the driving age, this will be an ongoing debate and I’m not sure what the outcome will be.

Stay tuned….

Staci

Should we raise the driving age?  As a mom of two 14 year olds about to start driving, I say Yes.  When I was a kid, we got our permit at 16 and our license at 17 or 18.  I recognize that everything starts earlier in this generation. 

There will always be pros and cons for each side.  Car crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers.  Even though teens think they are mature enough, their brain is not fully developed; this reduces their ability to handle a car under various conditions.

Some parents like the idea of not having to chauffeur their teens around town.  I am happy to chauffeur my teens around for those few extra years, especially if it saves lives.  Car time is also a time when teens are willing to talk with their parents more. 

Some want the driving age increased to 17 or 18, others dont. Cant we compromise?  I would feel more comfortable allowing my teens to drive during the day at 16 but not at night until 17.  Teens start taking driver education courses in North Carolina at 14 1/2.  In my opinion, that is too young.

Isn’t the happy medium better than the debate that never ends?

Staci 

There are many opinions about whether to have a Real Estate Open House to sell your home; the agents perspective, the sellers perspective and the buyers perspective. 

Many sellers loves open houses.  They only see the upside. They think it’s the key to selling their home.  Other sellers are skeptical and see it as a security risk.  Do you want strangers that may only be lookers wandering around your home, especially if they are not represented by a Licensed Real Estate Broker?  Many sellers prefer to open their homes to serious buyers only.

Most buyers these days rely on the internet or their buyer’s agent for their home search.  There are large amounts of internet listings and online real estate information that buyers can obtain at their own convenience that will save them time.

The majority of home sales come from contacts with other real estate agents, from the local MLS (multiple listing service) and from the selling agents/listing agents website.

If an open house is held too often, it may send a signal that the house is a tough property to sell.

As you can see, there is no right or wrong, but it my opinion, an open house should be used as a last resort.