Why Use a Local Lender?

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One of the things I get questioned about a lot is mortgage lending. Many people tell me, “I used this bank last time I refinanced my house and that went pretty good so I think I’ll use them again.” However, be careful. These large lenders offer what may appear to be a discount, but they make it up in additional junk fees. 
 
Here’s what we are finding. People are being enticed by working with these big online lenders, but these lenders aren’t giving the right information, funds, or materials in order to close on time. With our local lenders, we see the opposite. When you work with a local lender, you are much more likely to close on time.

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Working with a local lender makes a huge, huge difference.

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We recently had a person who thought they had everything taken care of with their online lender, but the loan didn’t close when it was supposed to. They are now going to have to stay in a hotel all weekend with their moving truck because we couldn’t get the loan closed.

If moving in on a specific day is important, don't risk it by saving $4 a month on your payment. Working with a local lender makes a huge, huge difference. We have two great local lenders we'd be happy to connect you with.

If you have any other questions or need anything else, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Why You Should Consider Selling This Winter

Inventory is low and demand is high. It’s the perfect storm for home sellers.

  

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One question that we get asked frequently during this time of year is, “Should we sell in the winter?” This year, the answer is yes. Absolutely. This is a golden year for you to get top dollar for your home.

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The situation is like this across the Triad.

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Inventory levels across the country are down and there are hundreds of buyers on our site looking for homes just like yours. Some are getting frustrated and deciding to build new homes because they can't find anything. There are a ton of people relocating to the area right now who are looking for properties as well. The situation is like this across the Triad.

Buyers are serious right now and are searching with a mission. If you or someone you know has been entertaining the idea of selling a home, get in touch with us. We’d be happy to help you take advantage of this seller’s market.

In the meantime, we hope you had a great Thanksgiving and have an even better Christmas. Happy holidays!

How Can You Handle a Multiple-Offer Situation?

Today I wanted to take some time to talk to you about how to handle multiple-offer situations as both a buyer and a seller.

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We’ve gotten this question a couple of times in the last few months, and today I wanted to take the time to talk about how to handle multiple-offer situations.

From a seller’s standpoint, having multiple offers is typically a good thing. You do have to be careful though. I have seen situations where a home has multiple offers, and then the seller gets a little too aggressive and ends up with no offers because everyone withdraws for whatever reason.

We can coach you on how to handle multiple offers as a seller. The power of a third-party negotiator such as a real estate agent typically always yields a higher price for the home.

From a buyer’s perspective, it can be a little bit scary to find yourself in a multiple-offer situation. Making your offer as clean as possible and allowing some of the terms to appease the seller is going to make it stand out amongst the competition.

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We can coach you on how to handle multiple offers as a seller.

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Now I didn’t say to make your offer have the highest price. There are aspects of an offer outside of the price that the seller will look at. Adjusting your offer to meet the seller’s needs, such as a specific closing time and date, will sometimes put your offer to the top of the list.

If you need some help with multiple-offer situations, both our buyer and our listing teams have been coached through many similar situations and can help you navigate that process easily.

If you have any other questions about this topic or you’re looking to buy or sell a home, please give me a call. I’d be happy to help!

What Can You Do to Prepare Your House for the Spring?

There are a few things you can start doing now to prepare for the spring market.

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It may still be winter but spring is fast approaching. With that in mind, I decided to go over some things you need to do to get your home ready for the spring market.

Start with the exterior. Walk around the outside of your home and take a look at the key things that tend to be issues with home inspections. 

First, check your downspouts and make sure they are pushing water away from the foundation of your home. We see issues with water damage in basements and crawl spaces every day, and those issues can stem from your downspouts.

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Make sure the slope of your home prevents water from rolling into the property.

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Next, look at all of your door jambs. If they are discolored, starting to rot, or need any sort of maintenance, you need to jump on that because those issues will only get worse.

You should also take a good look at your windows and make sure the slope of your home is preventing water from rolling into the property.

Lastly, get into your crawl spaces and make sure you don’t have any water or mold issues. 

If you have any other questions about how to prepare your home for the spring market, or if you have any other real estate-related questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’m more than happy to help!

What Makes Winter a Great Time to Sell in the Triad?

Selling during the winter is a win-win situation when it comes to the decreased competition and the type of buyers you will work with.

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This time of year, I'm constantly getting asked if now is a good time to sell a home.

The answer is absolutely yes. Now is the time to sell!

Why? The buyers who are out here are phenomenal buyers who are ready to go. They're not tire-kickers or looky-loos; they are excited about looking at your home, and they really need to buy. When we get into the spring and summer markets, there are more people feeling out the market who aren't as serious.

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You'll face less competition and work with more serious buyers.

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The other key thing to remember is that inventory is 60% lower, meaning you have 60% less competition. This gives you even more of an opportunity to make your home truly shine. It's why we love December through March in the Triad market. We keep the hammer down and push forward to get you the results you want down this time of year while most real estate agents work their winter jobs.

If you're thinking of taking advantage of all the benefits of selling this time of year, don't hesitate to give us a call. We love to help get your home sold for the most money possible in this favorable market.

Are You Ready to Sell Your Triad Home?

Two years ago, one of our clients came in and talked to us about selling her home. For whatever reason, she decided not to hire us and went with a friend’s recommendation. 

I can understand why you would hire an agent based off a friend’s recommendation, but consider this: Does your friend know what it takes to sell a house? Do they know the right questions to ask a real estate broker in order to hire the right one? 

In many cases, and in our client’s case, the answer is no. Our client hired this agent and the house failed to sell. Then, she hired two more real estate companies, and the house still didn’t sell.

We always leave the door open, so this client was able to come back to us two years after our first meeting. We put the home on the market and sold it in 54 days. 

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Our door is always open to you.

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We’ve also had a seller come back after nine years! This client listed with another agent and the home didn’t sell. Nine years later, he came back to us and we sold the home in under 60 days. 

Now, does this happen all the time? No. Do we sell nearly all of the homes that we list? Yes. In fact, we sell 99% of our listings. We’ve been doing this for a long time. We sell hundreds of houses each year. Our system works. 

Don’t make the mistake of waiting two years to talk to us about selling your home. Even in this challenging market, we can sell your home in 60 days or less. 

If you’re curious about what we can do to sell your home, give us a call or send us an email. Even if you’re waiting until next year to sell, it’s never too early to talk to us. We would be happy to help you!

Get Your Price Right the First Time in The Triad

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There are plenty of reasons you may need to move quickly. I get a lot of questions about how to sell a home fast in the Triad.

So what do you do to sell quick? It starts with your asking price. Time and time again we see people starting way too high with their price, and they end up chasing the market down and become frustrated. It's not fun.

At my company, we get the price right first, which is the key to selling quickly. I watch the market trend and the MLS, so I see people chasing prices down every single week. The largest bar on the graph is always price reductions, and that's never a good sign. It means there are a lot of listings with prices that are too high which then spend the next few months (or years) chasing the market down. 

We get the price right first

Don't make that mistake. Our system is quite simple: get the price right upfront, get the home checked out, and find out what's right and wrong so there's no chance of an offer blowing up when we receive it. We want to make sure every detail is covered in our due diligence because we'd much rather get it right than get it fast. A week to 10 days of perfectly good planning outweighs throwing a home on the market just to see what will happen.

If you have any more questions about our process and how it works, come on down to our office or give us a call. We'd love to share with you.

Invest in Your Home the Right Way in the Triad

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Everybody’s favorite topic in real estate is, of course, making money. But do you know how? Do you know where to spend and where to invest to ensure that you actually get a return on your home?

A lot of people start by thinking about remodeling the kitchen. There’s potential to make money but be careful, because you can really overdo it quite easily. We’re seeing about a 65% return on your money when investing in a kitchen. If you spend $10,000 and you go to sell, you could be leaving about $4,000 off the table that you’re not going to get back. Swimming pools are even worse - most appraisers will give about $1,500 in value on a pool that cost around $50,000. It’s one of the worst investments you can make in the Triad.

Fencing is a good plan if it’s done professionally.

So how about fencing? Fencing is a good plan if it’s done professionally and correctly. If you put up the fence on your own and don’t know how, you may spend several thousand dollars, but if there are mistakes, it’s just not a good return.

We’ve got an entire list of ways to invest smart money in your home. The smartest way is to do it right; put in a nice, sizable down payment, don’t buy more than you can afford, and pay extra on that mortgage to get out of debt as soon as possible. 

To get our list of smart money home investments, send us an email and we’d be happy to send it to you.

Should You Go Through the Extra Effort of Decluttering?

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It’s always amazing to me how many people do not clean or declutter their homes when they’re trying to sell. It’s absolutely essential if you want to sell quickly and for top dollar. Buyers don't like to walk into messy homes, it's a simple fact.

My rule of thumb is that when you bring one new thing in, you need to get rid of three other objects. This will help to keep your home more organized and less cluttered. It’s amazing what you can accumulate over the years, and this helps to cut down on that.

My rule of thumb is that when you bring one new thing in, you need to get rid of three other objects.

If you’re about to sell your home soon, try to start decluttering your closets and then move from there. Buyers like to see how large closets and other storage spaces are, so it’s important that their size is not obscured by your belongings. Putting things back in your garage is okay because most buyers can tell right away if it will fit 1-2 cars. However, putting your things in storage is the ideal option.

A lot of people move because they want more room in their homes, so you need to show them all the space that you have by removing your belongings from your storage areas.

If you’d like a full list of how to declutter your home to make it appear much larger to buyers, contact us! We have a decluttering list with over 50 different items on it.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Boost Your Chances to Sell Tenfold in the Triad Area

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 Are you ready to put your Triad home on the market? There’s more to do to get ready to sell than you might think.

I've seen some pretty bad properties online. For example, there was a ranch home with an okay yard, leaning fence, overgrown trees, and bad landscaping. On the inside, the home had worn carpet that had been seasoned with Kool-Aid stains, coffee spills, and pet tracks.

This is the story the photos will tell when people are looking online. There’s no one there to talk about the property. You’ve got to step up your game in the photos.

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You’ve got to step up your game in the photos

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Getting the photos right is one of the most critical aspects of our business today. Make sure the real estate company you hire uses professional photographers and invests the money into your property to get the job done right.

This is what we’ve been doing for years. We don’t care if it’s a $40,000 house or a $4 million house - the story that’s told on the internet and what people see is what makes the difference in selling properties.

Don’t believe me? Go online and look at homes. All the really nice ones typically are our listings! I’m only kidding...kind of.

Typically our listings stand out 10 times more because we invest professional photographers. There are lots of tools we take advantage of, including drone videos and 3D videos.

If you or someone you know is struggling to get your home sold, send them our way. Give us a call or email and we’d be happy to help. change to Give us a call or send us an email. We'd be happy to help!

Things All Triad Home Sellers Should Know

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I recently got an email from someone who told a friend they were thinking about selling, and that friend then advised them to make a whole bunch of different changes to the property. She didn't know if this was something she should do or not, and asked us for help. Today, we're going to answer the question, because we get it a lot. So, what do you need to do to get your home ready for sale?

Basically, you need to do what home buyers are looking for. Go to a few new construction open houses and take note of what's being put in new homes. That will give you a pretty good indication of where the market is going. Lowe's and Home Depot also keep a lot of those trendy items handy. They spend a ton on market research, and will also give you another good idea of what home buyers want. You could also find out some of the most popular paint colors out there by meeting with some painters.

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You need to do what home buyers are looking for.

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Another thing you could do is give us a call. We would be happy to come out to your home, and give you some tips and ideas. We deal in buying and selling homes daily, so we feel that we know what buyers are looking for. We can take a look at your home, give you a free evaluation, and some advice as well. It's the simple things like that, as well as being proactive, is what will separate you from others. 

If you have any questions for us, or want us to come out and give you some advice on what you can do to make your property more attractive to buyers, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Prepare Your Triad Home for the Market

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Many clients ask me, "What should I do to get my home ready to sell?" Usually when people ask this question, they want to know how much money they should spend. Before you spend a dime, I'll go over the things you can do on your own.

One thing you can do that is cheap and easy is clean the house. I'm talking a deep spring clean. Get the bleach and rubber gloves out. Get into the corners, the cabinets, and vacuum everything out. Make sure there are no cobwebs and that everything is sparkling.

You should also change the light bulbs so the property shows its brightest potential.

If you can't clean, hire a professional. Have them clean the interior and exterior of the house. You might have mildew on the roof or need to clean some windows. If you have no business being on a ladder, have a professional come in and perform the job correctly. Make sure they have the proper insurance, too, so you're not liable for any injuries that may occur.

Look around your property. Pay attention to the front door, shrubs, and landscaping. Hiring a professional gives you an objective view. They will be honest with you about what needs to be improved to make the best first impression on buyers. 

If you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Is Now a Good Time to Sell in the Triad Real Estate Market?

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Now that we're heading into the winter, a few people are asking me whether they should take their homes off the market. The answer really depends on how badly you need to sell your home.

Inventory is going to drop soon, so right now is actually a great time to keep your home on the market or put your home on the market. Before you make a decision, I recommend that you come here and consult with us so that we can understand your goals for selling your home.

We can sell your home in 2-3 weeks, so if you don't want to sell your home for another 6 months, we need to formulate a different plan for you. Our marketing plan is very specific to your goals and your needs, and we can pinpoint a plan to get your home sold quickly and for top dollar if that's what you need.

That's about it for today. The main point is that you shouldn't feel the need to take your home off the market. We're always going to have people that are looking to buy homes.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!

What Is Online Curb Appeal?

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"How do I make my home stand out?" That's a question we get all the time. Curb appeal is huge because it is the first impression someone gets of your home. Before the Internet, people would drive by your home. That still happens, but now curb appeal mostly happens online.

You want to make sure that your online curb appeal is great. If you look at pictures of homes online, you'll realize that the bar is not very high for curb appeal on the Internet. People are just running around posting pictures they took on their camera phones, which is not the best way to impress potential buyers.

We have a team of professional photographers. We also film every home, and we have a drone so we can get footage of homes on acreages. Our pictures and videos give prospects a great view of your property.

If you compare our properties to others online, you can see that we have some of the best web presence out there. We invest in marketing your property and creating the best curb appeal. If you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

How to Avoid Wasting Time and Money Preparing Your Home for Sale

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Many clients ask us what they should do before we come over to look at a home. This is a great question because the answer to it could save you a lot of time and stress.

In short, you should do NOTHING before an agent comes over to take a look at your home! We recommend waiting because you could end up doing all the wrong things. I've often seen people getting to work fixing the things they believe the market is ready for, yet the changes they make are things the market doesn't value or care for. This often results in you spending money in all the wrong places.

There are typically big issues that need to be addressed first. When was the last time you've been in your crawlspace, your attic? Before you spend a bunch of money on cosmetic issues, you need to ensure you don't have any costly structural problems! Doing the right things first will protect your investment and your family.

This is all part of a two-step process. First, you're going to come to the office and we're going to work together to come up with a game plan; we'll assess your situation and why you want to sell. Next, we'll come out to the property, inspect the property, and create a plan based on our initial inspection where we determine what needs to happen before the home is listed!

There are lots of steps to getting a home sold, but we recommend waiting to do anything until we have seen the home. In other words, let us coach you through the process - that's what we're here for! We've done this for years, so we know exactly what buyers are looking for and how to help you have the most success when selling.

If you would like more information about the selling process, don't hesitate to reach out to us by phone or email. We would love to hear from you!

Is Now the Perfect Time to Sell?

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As we approach the tail end of the summer, I have a lot of buyers coming to me and asking whether they should sell now or wait until the spring selling season.

If you really want to move, I think now is the time to push forward. Now is the time when thousands of people will begin to take their homes off of the market, and you will have less competition as a result of this.

This is a great time to capitalize on relocation, and we have a huge network of Realtors across the country that are all willing to help you. Anywhere you're looking to move we can set you up with a good agent.

Another benefit to relocating right now is that a lot of people relocate in the third and fourth quarter of the year, so you shouldn't think that you won't be able to find a good home.


If you need any assistance when you're buying, selling, or relocating in the Triad area, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Why Won't Your Triad Area Home Sell?

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As the weather improves here in the Triad area, there's no better time for a quick Spring/Summer real estate market update!

Certain areas and markets in our area are looking really good right now. Overall, however, the market is pretty flat because we're in a transitional period. Properties that are 10 years old or newer are selling very quickly, while homes that are older, dated, and don't have as many cosmetic improvements are sitting on the market longer.

If you have an older house, you need to prioritize your budget into getting your home ready to sell! We would love to help with this process. We do in-office appointments to help you every step of the way and we have interior designers who can come out and make your home look irresistible to potential buyers. We will assist you in making the right choices to update your home, so you don't waste money doing things that won't help you get your home sold! 

We sell hundreds of homes a year, so we know the best way to get more bang for your buck. If you would like our assistance, or if you have real estate questions of any kind, give us a call or shoot us a quick email. We would love to hear from you! 

Will Your Triad Area Home Sell for More Money if It's Vacant?

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Many homeowners are unsure which is better: selling their house while it's vacant or selling it while it's occupied. As always in real estate, the answer isn't simple. It depends on your family's lifestyle and your current living situation.

When you have an in-office appointment with our team, we will take a look at the best possible option for you. We haven't seen data that suggests vacant houses sell for more money, or vice versa. The value of the home shouldn't change whether your stuff is there or not! There are some exceptions, though. 

You can have a phenomenal, beautiful home, but if there is ratty furniture in it, it's going to affect the way buyers view it. The opposite is true as well; I have sold homes that need a lot of work, but because the owners decorated nicely and had quality furniture, buyers ended up really liking the home! 

Every home and every situation is going to be different. If your home is vacant, we highly recommend having it staged; we have great furniture and decor that will make your home show like new! If you're living in your home while selling, we can also come by and help you do a few things to get it looking its best before potential buyers come through the door.

Bottom line: you don't have to spend thousands of dollars to get your home to show well! We're here to make the process a whole lot easier! 

If you have any questions about the selling process, or if you would like to discuss your options, give us a call or shoot us a quick email! We would love to hear from you! 

Why Your Home's not Selling and What You Can Do About It!

There are many great Triad area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling you home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (336) 553-0796 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Do you know someone who has struggled to sell their home, someone who is frustrated with their agent? Time and time again, homeowners who have had their homes on the market for a long time come to us for help. Most people are simply fed up with their agent, who doesn't have a marketing plan and refuses to think outside the box to get the home sold.

We want to sit down with you in our office and go through our marketing plan. We want to show you specifically how we're different and the steps we take to ensure you get top dollar for your property.  We're going to give it to you straight - too often, all agents want to do is put signs in the yard. They don't tell you what needs to be done to get your home sold and how you can do it. We look at the numbers and give you an honest valuation of your property.

We help people determine their best financial situation every single week - whether it be renting a property, short sale, or not buying at all. Everyone has a different story and needs help in a different way. If you come into the office, you'll find a relaxing and straightforward environment to discuss your specific situation. Remember: it's in our interest to help you! 

If you have any questions about what you will learn when meeting with us, or need real estate assistance of any kind, don't hesitate to give us a call. We would love to help you achieve your real estate goals.

Also, don't forget to check out our radio show every week on 94.5 FM. We cover many different real estate topics every Saturday morning at 9 am, and take calls from people in the Triad area looking for help with real estate. We hope to hear from you then!

Are You Missing Out on the Deal of a Lifetime?

There are many great Triad area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling you home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (336) 553-0796 for a FREE, in office, home buying or selling consulation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today, we're going to discuss market conditions as they relate to real estate in the Triad area.

As is usual for this time of year, inventory is dropping fast. Because demand hasn't dropped to the same extent, now is a great time to get top dollar for your home. 

It's also not a bad time to buy. If you're looking to get a good deal, check out investor properties that owners feel they need to let go, even at a loss. December is a great month for short sales. Many banks want to get them off their books, and need to get rid of them by December 31. On the other hand, you're not going to get the best deal on a foreclosed property right now, but there are still many great options out there in the foreclosure market.

In addition to the many great deals out there right now, 15-year mortgages are as cheap as they've been in ages. Now might be the time to consider refinancing your home. Not only will you save thousands of dollars in interest, you'll put yourself in a great selling position when you decide to down the road. Rates are between three and four percent, which is spectacularly low. By locking in a low rate you can build equity in your home quicker and force yourself to get into the habit of paying down your mortgage fast.  

If you're interested in taking advantage of the many opportunities available to you, or if you have any questions about the Triad area market, please give us a call. We would love to give you a hand!