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

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

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.

The Orange County Sheriff’s office has implemented SAFE-Net, an Autistic Family Emergency Network. The information in this article comes directly from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.  I have a friend with an autistic son so I thought posting this information would be useful to everyone that may read it.

SAFE-Net is a program designed to allow Orange County residents with Autistic family members to provide vital information about those family members to aid in locating them should they go missing.  Residents can access the application form via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Homepage.  The form can be completed online and electronically sent to their office or the applicant can print it and deliver it to the Sheriff’s Office either in person, by fax to 919-732-6403 or by mailing it to: The Sheriff of Orange County, 144 East Margaret Lane, Hillsborough, NC 27278, ATTENTION: SAFE-Net.

Once this information is filed, the Sheriff’s Office will not release the information to anyone unless it has been verified that the person has been reported missing or endangered and a law enforcement agency is requesting the information.

Believe it or not, now is a good time to buy a home in North Carolina.  It’s true, the economy is not doing well, but prices of homes have dropped well below their value.  Lower prices means better affordability for those interested in buying.  If houses have been sitting on the market for a long period of time, sellers may be more eager to sell at a lower price.

If you are interested in selling and would like a free comparative market analysis of your home or you are interested in purchasing a home, contact our team and we will provide you will all the real estate information you need.  We serve the Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham, & Raleigh, North Carolina area.

Masha Halpern & The Smart Move Team                                                       “Make your move The Smart Move”                           www.TheSmartMoveTeam.com                                         www.chapelhillhomefind.com                                              www.mashahalpern.com                                                                                       toll-free (877) 478-4669

We tend to have the same New Year’s Resolutions year after year. So many of us struggle with weight gain over the holidays.  My weight gain struggle starts at Halloween, continues into Thanksgiving and ends with New Year’s Eve. Every year, including this one, I say I will eat healthier, eat less and get into better shape. 

The key to losing weight is simple; eat less and exercise more.  Yet why is this plan so difficult to follow?  Habit.  Self Control.  Emotions.  Life.  Boredom.  Stress.  Cravings.  PMS.  Too tired.  Too busy.  Sound familiar!!!

The key is not to deprive yourself of any one thing.  It’s more about self control.  If i am craving chocolate, I will satisfy my craving, otherwise I will end up eating too many other foods and therefore more calories, yet still not feel satisfied.  Self control is hard.  It’s mind over matter.  Keeping busy helps. 

There are alot of ways to get exercise in the Durham/Chapel Hill area.  One obvious way is to join a health club.  I get plenty of exercise without belonging to a gym.  Try walking outdoors.  I bring my cell phone with me while walking and catch up with friends.  The time goes faster and you take care of 2 things at once.  I also like to bike outdoors.  There are many hiking, walking and biking trails in the Triangle area.   It’s also important to incorporate some weight training into your exercise routine.  All you need are some free weights.  I have 3lb, 5lb, 8lb and 10lb weights at home. 

It’s never too late to become healthier. You will feel better.  If at first you dont succeed, don’t give up!  Try, Try again.  There’s always tomorrow.  Good luck!!

Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Durham have many benefits and opportunities for retirees.  Carrboro was ranked one of the top 5 places to retire by U.S. News and World Reports.  There are a variety of retirement options from single family homes, assisted living, in home health care and nursing homes that make the Triangle area a sought after location for retirement.

Durham offers a vibrant arts and cultural community! The Durham Symphony is a fabulous treat to hear when they perform- which they do alot! You can’s say enough about The American Dance Festival ( Dancers in residence and performing during the summer at Duke University ). Pilobolus, Hubbard St Dance Co, and of course, Chuck Davis !. There is even our newest museum, The Nasher Museum of Art, which has the most interesting exhibits and programs available for youngsters of ALL ages!

One of the great things about Durham ( which you may already know about ) is it’s nickname  the “City of Medicine” We are fortunate to have such a fine medical institution with top rated Duke Medical Center.

There are local Senior Centers in all of these great cities ( Raleigh, Durham, CHapel Hill-Carrboro ) and most offer top notch facilities and programs.  Many retirees also spend their time volunteering and find the  Chapel Hill Transit offers safe, clean buses, with frequent and convenient stops at many apartment buildings, shopping malls, the UNC campus and even areas in Durham.  

UNC Hospital is Chapel Hill’s top rated medical center.It is known for being  one of the country’s top teaching institutions and is very senior friendly offering bus and van transportation routes to the hospital and a very convenient scheduling system for appointments.

For those more active seniors, there are public golf courses,  private country clubs and several lakes.  For outdoor lovers, there are also groomed trails and paved walkways.  There are great places for running and biking as well.   

North Carolina beaches are a two hour drive to the east.  The Smokey Mountains are a four hour drive to the west.  With so many things to see and do all year round, you can see why more seniors are moving here every day.