Ride Road Villas – A new concept for north Charlotte

I visited a beautiful, new Epcon community today in North Charlotte called Ridge Road Villas. This community is going to consist of 76 units with four units per building. With a location on popular Ridge Road in the Highland Creek vicinity of the university area of Charlotte, NC, this community couldn’t be more conveniently located! This community boasts a lovely clubhouse complete with a fitness center and full kitchen. It is available 24 hours a day to the residents of Ridge Rd Villas. The clubhouse also connects to the neighborhood pool.

Prices at Ridge Rd Villas start at $175,000 and go up to $250,000. Floor plans have two to three bedrooms and range from 1340 to 1900 square feet each.

Home Owner Dues are $186/month and included water, sewer, lawn maintenance and landscaping, and all exterior maintenance (drywall out).

Inventory homes are currently available or (if you hurry) you can build new. The Villas have sold 33% of the community and expect to be finished out with in the next year.

Remember, in North Carolina, buyers have the right to representation by a licensed REALTOR. This representation is already included in the price of your new home whether it is a resale home or new construction. If you would like more information on Ridge Road Villas, please contact Virginia Halter,with RE/MAX Signature Properties at info@virginiahalter.com or 704-605-4285.

I was reading a post and thought, she’s right!

I was reading Canned soup or houses?  Why bother with packaging? and I was moved!!  She is absolutely right.  We should all print it out and add it to our listing presentations.

If you are a REALTOR and have not hired a stager, DO IT NOW!  This struck me today because I showed a home in a very desirable neighborhood yesterday.  Remarks in MLS said the home was being sold ‘as is’ due to limited budget.  This can be a concern but this home is priced accordingly.  I comped it out and the numbers worked.  As long as an inspector didn’t find any major issues then we’re in business!

Curb appeal is awesome.  A half acre of nicely wooded yard.  Full,rocking chair, front porch, gorgeous!!!

Then I got a whiff.  Someone must have been walking around the house smoking.  Boy, was I wrong!!  I opened the front  door and  got knocked off my feet by the  haze.

I am talking about 17 years of a couple packs a day.  Okay, I know, it is being sold ‘as is’ and it is price well for ‘as is’ so i move on through the house.  Mind you, I had to keep my eyes open and looking around so I could step over and around the STUFF.   And I mean Stuff Collecting as a 400 level class!  The lighting couldn’t even help.  It was too much.

Look past the stuff, look past the stuff…

This brings me to my point.

• the numbers support an ‘as is’ sale.
• the neighborhood is fantastic!!!
• the lot this home is on is GORGEOUS
• this home is custom built by a reputable builder in our area.

OI!!!!   The house won’t sell like this!  It has been on the market and has reduced the price and is offering an allowance. And still, it sits.  Put a POD unit in the driveway and pack it up!  The buyers will forgive you a POD in the driveway.  They won’t forgive you hiding the house.  If you are offering an allowance, please, go ahead and change the carpet.  Then, don’t smoke in the house!  Just don’t!

We are talking about a house that would probably sell in a week or two if buyers could walk in it.

Help us, help you.  We want to sell your homes!!!

Beware the Seller…

who won’t allow you to have representation!  As a buyer in North Carolina, you have the right to real estate representation during the buying and/or building processes.

I have a wonderful set of clients who are looking to buy.  I found a nice home that meets their needs to a “tee.”  I know it is perfect because I interviewed for the listing.  The house is right for them.  I received a call from the sellers telling me that they were not going to list the home.  They had decided to go FSBO.  My first thought was, “Great!!!”  My second thought was how perfect the home still is for my buyers, so I called to schedule a showing and make sure the co-broke was not a problem.  They said they would co-broke but my commission would be added to the price they are asking.  Fine, it is a llittle high when you add the commission above the listed price but I talked to my buyers and they WANT my representation so it was all good.

Then I received another call from the sellers; they do not want agents to show the home.  My buyers are happy to add the co-broke fees to the list price but the sellers do not want to work with any Realtors.

My question would be, what are they trying to hide?  Buyer representation is a right in NC.  As a buyer and as an agent, I would urge caution in proceeding in a transaction where a seller tells you they do not want you to be represented.  I, personally, know that this seller has plenty of “professional” advice from a builder in their family.

I have also seen several builders lately, who are offering programs and incentives to urge buyers to not have representation.   Buyer representation costs have always been built into the prices of homes in our area.  The builders, generally, do not have dual pricing (one price with commission and one price without).  Why would anyone want to encourage a buyer to “fly blind” through what can be a difficult process.

Buyer representation offers a level playing field in the realm of real estate.  The buying and building processes aren’t always difficult, however, issues can and do crop up on a fairly regular basis.  As with any other field, you work through the issues as quickly and conveniently as possible to move on.  It is in any buyer’s best interest to have a professional working on their behalf, someone who knows what to look for and how to handle to handle the transaction through to close.  My job as a buyer agent just starts when we get to contract.  The days between contract and close are when my job becomes crucial.  That is where I earn my comoensation.

Immaculate Townhome in Harrisburg, NC!!

Beautiful End unit, Townhome in Harrisburg Town Center. Pristine interior! No pets or smoking, ever, in this home. $145,000. New YMCA and shopping right next door! Farmer’s Market down the street!

Three bedrooms, two baths. Has 1485 square feet, master down! Very popular Mulvaney/Mattamy floorplan. Maintenence-free living in Harrisburg at its best!! Convenient to Hwy 49, I-485, twenty minutes to downtown Charlotte, minutes from UNCC! A fantastic investment property for a student!

Eat-in kitchen, open to large family room and dining room.

Did I tell you about the taxes? Cabarrus County and Harrisburg city limits apply. Current tax rates are $.86/$100. Some of the lowest taxes our area has to offer!

Schools are Pitts School Road Elementary, JN Fries Middle, and JM Robinson High School. The high school will change when the new Hickory Ridge High opens next year!

Family room opens to a fenced patio and backyard area with a huge storage closet. Gas logs in the fire place.

Large loft area overlooks the family room. Is currently used as a den. It would also make a fantastic office! Also upstairs are two large bedrooms with plenty of closet space. And a second full bath.

Bring your most discriminating client! This home will be three years old in August and shows like new! Pride of ownership is evident from the moment the front door opens! Two parking spaces are deeded to this townhome, one by the front door and one by the back door.

For more information or a private showing, please contact Virginia Halter with RE/MAX Signature Properties, 704-605-4285.

Where do you find your faith?

Boy, this has been a stressful week, huh?  You would think it was enough with the sadness at VA Tech.

This has nothing to do with real estate, technically, except for the  fact that the past week’s events have had a  profound affect on me an, obviously, I affect my work.  I am a fantastic REALTOR but I am also a good person.  We are not made of stone.  We have heart and that needs nourishing.  If I have learned anything over the past week, it is that we have to nourish each other’s souls.  How?

Last week a boy drove his pick up to a local high school in Mecklenburg County, he waved his gun out of window at some students, yelled out some threats, and drove off.  When the police caught up with him at the Citgo down the street, he took his life.  I can only imagine what was going through his head, “Oh shit, I got caught.  I know, I’ll blow my head off.  What about the party this weekend?  Well, I’ll worry about that later.”  Boom.

Later that night we got an automated call from our school superintendent stating that 7 schools had been put on lock down through the day due to a police chase on foot.  Today, my brother-n-law’s daughter’s high school in Sacramento got put on lock down.  A co-worker heard from an old client that she to discuss moving because of a suicide that happened in their neighborhood at the playground.  And to top it all off, Melissa Greer lost her brave battle with cancer.  How much can we take?  I have always believed that God doesn’t give you more than you can handle.  I think that is written in the Bible somewhere.  I hope so anyways!

I have a 10 year old, Micah, who is a pretty bright boy.  He misses nothing.  He knows all and we don’t even have cable.  What do I say when he asks why someone would kill people?  What do I say to explain suicide???  Thankfully, I believe my son has no comprehension of that concept.

I work with some of the teens at my church (great kids!!) and I called them yesterday to make sure they know they have someone to talk to when they need to.  I didn’t say if, I said when.  Because they all need to talk.  They need a crazy Aunt Lucy or an old woman with cats across the street or a horse.  That is what I had.  My horse, Lord Donald, knows as much about me as God.  If my mother had been smart she would have bugged my horse. He took me through a lot of the growing pains of being a teenager.    And let me tell you, I was a teenager when we had nothing to worry about.  We got teased too much by girls and pushed too far by boys but we stood our ground and we didn’t fear getting jacked or popped.  I’m rambling, sorry.  Anyway, this is supposed to be about where you find your faith.

Prayer is a great place to start.  It feels good.  Everyday!  Prayer is a lot like holding someone’s hand while asking them to listen to what you really mean.  Lately I have held God’s hand and asked him to listen because I need to know what to say to the teens at church and what to say to my kids at home.  Somehow I know that shaking the kids and yelling, “Don’t do that!” probably won’t work.  Maybe I can get God to hold their hands and listen to them, even when they don’t know they are praying.  Even when they don’t know where to go for help.  God never leaves us.  Sometimes he takes a different form, like a horse, but he never leaves.

My Plans this Saturday are…

Wow!!!  Today I helped give back a little and I would like to show you some pictures (I’m not good at the pictures part!). The women of RE/MAX Signature Properties started a home for Habitat Cabarrus.  Let’s start by putting a stop to some of the myths of Habitat builds.

1) Those people don’t have to pay for their homes.  NOT TRUE!  The folks who purchase Habitat homes are bettering themselves and have worked for the opportunity to own a home.  The new owners pay an interest-free mortgage.  They put in sweat-equity hours for one to two years before their home even starts.  In my book, if someone is taking responsibility for trying to better their circumstances then we should ALL step up .  And we are talking about home ownership.  Something that every REALTOR here believes in (I hope!).

2)  All of the materials are donated.  NOT TRUE, though we wish it were.  Everyone here knows Leigh Brown.  She is the Chairman of the Women’s Build 2007.  She wrote a post a couple of weeks ago regarding this very matter.  You need money to build a home.  Everyone went out looking for “in-kind” donations of materials and we all made a lot of head way.  But the long and the short of it is that you need money to build a home!  It takes roughly $60,000 to build a home with Habitat.

Anyway, Here some pictures I think.  This first one is what we started with.  A slab foundation.

Here I am looking lovely on a hot sunny day.

Look at how much we got done in one day.  Please note that I had to leave about a hour before the end of the day’s work!

Give back!!!  We owe it to our communities!

 

New Construction in Harrisburg – Litchfield Village

If you are considering moving to the Harrisburg, North Carolina area, I need to tell you about one of our newest neighborhoods, Litchfield Village.

Built by Lennar, Litchfield Village will have 150 homesites.  Lennar will be building their Gold series and their Platinum series homes.  The homes will be built on both slabs or basements.  This is a ‘Lennar, Everything’s Included’ neighborhood.  This means that the upgrades are already built into the price of the home.  Items such as stainless steel appliances, Corian countertops, 42″ maple or cherry cabinets, ceramic tile floors, etc. are already there.  You get to choose the color.

There will be approximately 40 Platinum homesites.  These homesites will be on Savannah Road on the right side of the neighborhood.  These homes will be all brick and feature more upgrades than the Gold series.  Platinum homes will be on third of an acre lots.  Pricing for the Platinum series starts at $442,990 and goes up to the mid $480s.  Square footage ranges from 3438 to 4316 sq ft. two story homes with master down available.  The Platinum series homes will feature three car, side load garages.

The remaining 110ish homesites will be the Gold series with vinyl exterior, with brick and/or stone accents.  These homes are on quarter acre lots, with pricing starting at $304.990 and going up to the mid $355s.  Square footage from 3040 to 3562 sq ft. two story homes with master down available.

Litchfield Village will be a swim community with a cabana (according to plan).  LV is conveniently located in Harrisburg, NC.  Close to I-485, Hwy 49, and Rocky River Road.  Harrisburg enjoys some of the highest rated schools (Harrisburg Elementary, Pitts School Road Elementary, CC Griffin Middle, JN Fries Middle, Central Cabarrus High, and opening fall 2007, Hickory Ridge High) in our region as well as one of the lowest tax rates, currently at $.86/$100.

Harrisburg offers you the convenience of Charlotte twenty minutes away, with the hometown feel of a small town!

If Harrisburg is where you are looking to build your new home, I am more than happy to show you around.  We have some lovely options.  Litchfield Village is just one of several new neighborhoods being developed in Harrisburg.  Call Virginia Halter with RE/MAX Signature Properties for all of your new construction needs, 704-605-4285.

She’s Got Bats in her Belfry…and her REALTOR Will Pay!

So I was poking around the local news this morning because, unlike all of my friends,  I watch the news relentlessly.  Apparently, I can’t get tear myself away from the suffering that goes on around the world.

But, just when you think bad things only happen in other countries you read something interesting.  A woman in a neighboring town recently bought a home, a fixer-upper.  Her REALTOR told her it was sold as is and she SHOULD NOT have an inspection.  WHAT????  WHAT????

Anywho, the woman had the home looked at and, sure enough, there are 3000ish bats live in her home.  Tests were run on the feces and it is positive for e-coli.  Bats are also well known to carry rabies so chances are real good for this woman and her three children to have to undergo a rabies series.

Poor, poor REALTOR.  If what this woman says is true then the agent is in for a long road.

Here is what I would have done.  “Ma’am, this is a fixer-upper being sold in “as-is” condition.  What we will do is right the offer with a Cost of Repair Contingency.  Once we have the inspection done…”  “Oh yes, we still need an inspection because you want to know what you are up against.  Once we have the inspection done, if there are more than $15,000 in repairs that have to be done then you can walk away.”

Or maybe, I would have her exercise “Alternative Two” on the NC contract. No earnest money needed.  Write a check for $500 ‘option money’ to the seller and buy the time to have inspections done and look further into the home.  Alternative Two gives you the option to walk away for ANY REASON, on or before the option date.

As REALTORS, we have to advise and protect our clients.  Also, we have to protect ourselves.  We already live in an over litigious society.  We don’t need to add to that problem by being poor performers.  If you EVER have a client who refuses to have an inspection then they need to sign a form saying they are waiving their right to inspect the property against your professional judgement.

NC has a wonderful form called a Professional Services Disclosure and Addendum.  Every state should get one if they don’t already.  Your buyer client goes through and initials the inspector chosen, the atty, the mold guy, the well inspector, septic inspector, radon inspector, environmental inspector, the lender, the title insurance, the hazard insurance, etc.  If they choose not to have a service provided, they initial that  they are waiving their right to have something done.  CYA!!!  It is the world we live in.

Headline on Charlotte Observer…Foreclosure!!

“Sold a nightmare”

This is the headline on this morning’s newspaper. It is a series of six articles on how and why the foreclosure rates are sooooo high in some neighborhoods. It is also a comment on how it affects us all, not just the individual home owners.

Let’s start with the embarrassing information. Charlotte has the highest foreclosure rates in the state. Yikes!! These are our clients. Why aren’t we protecting them?

Oh wait, maybe they aren’t…there isn’t mention of one single REALTOR anywhere in any of the articles. In fact, there is only mention of people driving by a big sign “$1 down gets you in.” The article tracked four families. The overwhelming trend in thought seemed to be, “A dollar? Dang, let’s do this!”

The builder, which, in this case, was Beazer Homes, (I want to interject something here. These articles happen to be on a Beazer neighborhood but we all know this isn’t a problem that is centralized on one particular builder. This is a problem with the system which is currently in place) would take care of your down payment, take care of your closing costs, and assist you in the first two years of payments, by which time, you should be able to go it alone. You should have moved on up into a higher income in order to be able to afford your own financing.

Long story, short: 406 homes sold, 84% arranged financing through Beazer Mortgage, and, so far, 77 foreclosures. 29 of those foreclosures happened during the year the majority of folks in the neighborhood were assuming full responsibility for the loan payment.

Of the four families who were interviewed, all four families provided correct income information on the W-2s provided and discussed their debts with the loan officers. There ended up being discrepancies with each of the loan applications. Several had inflated income on the application, which was correct on the W-2s. Several say they were instructed to leave off various payments, such as a car payment, in order to qualify for the FHA loans.

Please,please, if you are a consumer looking to buy a home and you are unsure of what you can and can’t afford, please take the following advice:

1. Talk to your own lender FIRST. In fact, talk to several lenders. Get information in writing. This is called a GFE or Good Faith Estimate. It is an estimate but they are required by law to be honest and very close to correct. Work with a lender you trust. Work with a person. Have a name, not just an 800 number and a file number. Talk to them on a personal level to get to know how they operate in life and run their business.
2. BE honest!!! Don’t let your lender discount anything you feel is important. I had a lender tell me, during the purchase of my first home, “You monthly payment for daycare doesn’t count.” Shoot, have you priced daycare for a month. We were putting out $760 a month 10 years ago for daycare. IT COUNTS!! If you have a question whether something counts or not, ask yourself, “Will this affect my ability to pay a monthly payment?” If it will then count it!
3. Don’t get in over what you are comfortable with!! Chances are real good that you will qualify for much more money than you care to spend. Don’t spend it. Decide what is a comfortable monthly payment for you and stick with it. You can tell a lender what the home costs, how much money you have in hand for closing, and what you want your monthly payment to be (including tax and insurance), and your lender can tell you what price range will keep you there.
4. Remember the neighbors. How do I put this delicately? If it costs $1 to get in the neighborhood then all of your neighbors have, likely, done the same. This doesn’t bode well for the outcome of your neighborhood. Take the time and have the discipline to save up for your down payment. You have to have this discipline to own a home. It doesn’t stop with the monthly payment. If the water heater goes out then you must call a plumber , not the front office of the complex. Even if you can’t afford a more expensive neighborhood, you can afford to buy the best neighborhood for your money. This is an investment, not a trap.
5. Have a REALTOR!! Ask your REALTOR for a CMA of the neighborhood before you buy. Ask for a foreclosure history of the neighborhood before you buy. 35 starter neighborhoods were identified in the Charlotte Observer study as having a foreclosure rate of at least 20%. Protect your money. Protect your investment by making yourself aware fo these statistics before you buy.
6. EVEN NEW CONSTRUCTION…HAVE A REALTOR – Builders are typically good people. Their on-site agents are good people generally. The on-site rep (we do not call them agents unless they really are a real estate agent. MANY ARE NOT REAL ESTATE AGENTS) has a job to sell the homes in the neighborhood. They are to be honest with you and sell, sell, sell! The on-site rep works for the builder. Get your own representation. The builder pays the commission and is 99% of the time already included in the price of the home whether you bring an agent or not. have someone being more than honest with you. Taking your best interest to heart.
7. Read the paperwork. Understand what you are signing before you sign it. Ask questions.

Many of the home owners identified in the articles written are now “upside down in their homes.” What that means is they took out 100% or more financing on the home. they can’t afford the monthly payments because the builder incentives have stopped. They can’t afford to move because the home has decreased in value instead of increasing in value so they owe more on the home than they can sell it for. Be smart. Look after your money and your investment. Don’t let this happen to you.

Technorati Tags: real estate, charlotte, relocation, foreclosure, new construction, realtor, buyer advice, cabarrus county

RE/MAX International Convention

What fun I have had for the last five days!! I attended the RE/MAX International Convention which was held in Atlanta, Georgia. Wow!!! I had a great time and I met a TON of people from around the world. I attended this event without the hubby and kids because they couldn’t miss that much school and they certainly couldn’t stay home alone!! So this amounted to a mini-vacation that was utterly exhausting.

I listened to speakers such as Allison Levine. This woman is amazing. If she can’t motivate you to great heights then you are probably already dead. I also heard Howard Brinton and Brian Buffini speak. They are two of the top real estate coaches in the world. I attended a number of classes to improve the service I provide to my clients, thus improving my business. As much as real estate changes, I can never learn too much!!

I spent the balance of my time speaking with some of the biggest powerhouses in the real estate industry. I didn’t do this to hobb nobb (because I am not very good at that), however, i did this to meet new people and learn about their markets around the world. I also did this to update others on the Charlotte real estate market. We have a strong real estate market here in Charlotte. I want everyone to know that!