Raleigh Real Estate Blog» Greater Raleigh Area Neighborhoods

Wake Forest Offers a Way to Help Pets In Your Community This Saturday

Linda Craft — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:04:57 +0000

Our Raleigh real estate team has a firm belief that we should always give back to the community as much as we can. One of the charities that we support is SAFE Haven for Cats which provides care for over 100 homeless kittens and cats in our area.

Safe Haven is having a fundraiser this weekend at the Wake Forest Walmart and are asking shoppers to pick up a little something extra for the 100+ cats and kittens in their care. The event will be this Saturday, August 28, 2010 from 8 am to 5 pm – Come help us Fill A Truck for homeless cats and kittens! Will you help them?

Safe Haven’s Wish List

Raleigh Real Estate: What is Happening? [Quick Report]

Linda Craft — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 13:00:47 +0000

Where has the summer gone? It is hard to believe we are halfway through July. I wish I could report record sales this summer but, we are experiencing a “hangover” from the tax credit boom that ended April 30^th.

Where is Everyone?

Since the deadline passed there has been an unusually huge lull in the market for May, June and now July. So many buyers that would have purchased in May, June and July bought in April to receive a tax credit. So if you feel it is quiet you are correct.

What Is Happening With Homes That Are For Sale In The Raleigh Area?

Sales reported on MLS are way down from earlier in the year as well as from the same time period last year. Each day the inventory of homes for sale rises as sales decrease. We do not know how long it is going to last as the market tries to find normal. So, I am starting a new advertising campaign to try and educate buyers to be happy that they missed the tax credit. It is a much better time for them to buy now. If they had purchased a $200,000 house in April to receive an $8,000 tax credit they would have paid $54,612 more for that house over 30 years. Interest rates were at 5.5% with the tax credit. Now they are at 4.25%. The reality is now is a better time to buy a house they can save $54,612 dollars!!!

Have a wonderful week and please call or email if you want to strategize about what would be a wise decision for your real estate investments.

Linda

Raleigh, North Carolina-Help Us Support a Good Cause

Linda Craft — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:52:20 +0000

Phillips, Maine is about nine hundred miles from Raleigh, but a personal connection to the Congregational Church there is uniting the small New England Community with Linda Craft & Team, REALTORS^® in the heart of North Carolina.

David Toothaker is the Client Care specialist at Linda Craft & Team, REALTORS®. He grew up in Western Maine, and his family still lives there. When he heard about his family’s 175 year old Congregational Church in Phillips being one of the last remaining churches in town, and that it needed to finish significant repairs to the building and re-paint the entire church, he wanted to get involved.

“I thought we could host a yard sale here at Linda Craft and Team, Realtors® and have 100% of the proceeds benefit the church,” Toothaker said. “They need about $15,000 to finish the repairs and I hope we can help them finish strong.”

“Community service is central to our mission,” said Linda Craft. “We believe in supporting our community, and that includes members of our Team and their charitable interests, wherever they might be!”

The yard sale is scheduled for Saturday, July 17^th from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Linda Craft and Team, Realtors®Raleigh Real Estate office, 7300 Six Forks Rd in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Raleigh Real Estate Market Update

Linda Craft — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:57:37 +0000

Many people have asked me recently “What is going on with the Raleigh real estate market?” Last month I created a Raleigh real estate market update video and I thought I would share it with you today.

If you have any real estate questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

I hope that you have a great weekend,

Linda

Raleigh’s Time Warner Cable Announces New Channel Line Up

Linda Craft — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:45:42 +0000

Raleigh’s Time Warner Cable announced this month that they will be changing their channel line up. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like changes in my life and thought that it may be helpful to post all of the information for you in one spot.

Greater Raleigh Area Time Warner New Channel Guide Effective June 2010

Channel	Block
100’s	Local Programming
200’s	Kids and Family, Learning and Discovery, Faith and Inspiration
300’s	Entertainment, Home and Leisure, Shopping
400’s	News and Information, Music (MTV, VH1, etc)
500’s	Sports and Sports Packages
600’s	Movies
700’s	Premiums, Pay-Per-View and Events
800’s	International
900’s	Music Choice
1000’s	On Demand
1100 and up	High Definition (Local Programming, Entertainment, Premiums and more..)

As far as I know any shows that you normally record would transition without any problems, however, I would doublecheck to make sure.

Hope you have a great rest of your week!

Linda

Hedingham Neighborhood in Raleigh to Host Annual Open House Event [List of Open Properties]

Linda Craft — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:38:57 +0000

Raleigh’s Hedingham Subdivision will be hosting their annual open house event this Sunday, May 16, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Approximately 40 homes will be open to the public and it is a great opportunity to see many of the Hedingham homes for sale in one quick trip.

Hedingham Single Family Homes Open Sunday May 16th 1-3 pm

$148,000	1929 Shadow Glen Drive	1320 sq. ft.	2 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Detached
$149,990	1953 Shadow Glen Drive	1450 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Detached
$150,000	4316 Bartholomew Circle	1608 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.0 baths	Detached
$150,000	1623 Crag Burn Lane	1405 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Detached
$153,000	1933 Shadow Glen Drive	1497 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Detached
$153,500	1708 Crag Burn Lane	1592 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Detached
$154,000	4936 Liverpool Lane	1572 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Detached
$159,000	4704 Dillingham Court	1466 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Detached
$159,900	2348 Sapphire Valley Drive	1565 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Detached
$163,500	4512 Latrobe Court	1685 sq. ft.	4 bedroom	2.5 baths	Detached
$164,900	1913 Jupiter Hills Court	1942 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Detached
$164,900	4901 Liverpool Lane	1580 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Detached
$164,900	1723 Crag Burn Lane	1701 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.0 baths	Detached
$165,000	2396 Sapphire Valley Drive	1530 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Detached
$165,000	1949 Castle Pines Drive	1550 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.0 baths	Detached
$168,000	1948 Jupiter Hills Court	1748 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.0 baths	Detached
$174,900	1921 Spanish Bay Court	1719 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Detached
$179,900	4604 Thurmount Place	1635 sq. ft.	4 bedroom	3.0 baths	Detached
$189,900	2017 Shadow Creek Drive	1701 sq. ft.	4 bedroom	2.0 baths	Detached
$199,900	2004 Laural Valley Way	2023 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Detached
$204,000	2224 Laurel Valley Way	2013 sq. ft.	4 bedroom	2.5 baths	Detached
$209,000	4804 Royal Troon Drive	2574 sq. ft.	4 bedroom	2.5 baths	Detached
$213,900	4832 Forest Highland Drive	1940 sq. ft.	4 bedroom	2.5 baths	Detached
$249,900	5113 Harbour Towne Drive	2471 sq. ft.	4 bedroom	3.0 baths	Detached
$288,500	1855 Wild Dunes Drive	2248 sq. ft.	4 bedroom	2.5 baths	Detached
$384,900	4900 Long Point Court	3435 sq. ft.	4 bedrooms	3.5 baths	Detached

Hedingham Townhomes Open Sunday May 16th 1-3 pm

$106,000	2111 Turtle Point Drive	1058 sq. ft.	2 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Townhome
$108,900	2425 Bay Harbor Drive	1020 sq. ft.	2 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Townhome
$109,900	2542 Blackwolf Run	1031 sq. ft.	2 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Townhome
$114,894	5723 Osprey Cove Drive	1080 sq ft.	2 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Townhome
$115,000	2332 Bay Harbor Drive	1208 sq ft.	2 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Townhome
$117,900	2221 Thornblade Drive	1050 sq ft.	2 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Townhome
$119,000	5726 Osprey Cove Drive	1080 sq ft.	2 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Townhome
$121,900	5610 Osprey Cove Drive	1050 sq. ft.	2 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Townhome
$124,900	2117 Ventana Lane	1400 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Townhome
$127,500	2121 Metacomet Way	1185 sq. ft.	2 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Townhome
$128,000	2145 Metacomet Way	1183 sq. ft.	2 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Townhome
$133,900	5802 Osprey Cove Drive	1404 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Townhome
$125,500	5750 Osprey Cove Drive	1377 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Townhome
$135,000	5247 Eagle Trace Drive	1435 sq. ft.	3 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Townhome
$137,900	2168 Persimmon Ridge Drive	1400 sq ft.	2 bedrooms	2.5 baths	Townhome

For more information about Hedingham or any homes for sale in Raleigh, please visit our Greater Raleigh Area Real Estate Website or call us at 919.235.0007.

Hope you have a great weekend,

Linda

HAFA Explained by Raleigh Real Estate Agent, Linda Craft [Video]

Linda Craft — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:06:46 +0000

It is now reported that 1 out 8 home mortgages in the United States are in default. Default occurs anytime a house payment is 30 days past the due date. This means many Raleigh area home owners are struggling financially and with rising interest rates we know there is another wave of foreclosures on the horizon for North Carolina. As a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) I have negotiated many successful short sales for my clients over the past two years and the process is long and tedious. The lending institutions and Government are trying to find solutions to reduce the damage a home foreclosure causes to the economy and to shorten the short sale process. On April 5, 2010, HAFA was launched which is streamlined short sale program to help homeowner’s avoid foreclosure. There is a lot of confusion about HAFA so here is a short video to explain it in more detail.

If you have any further questions or would like schedule a private consultation about what is best for you and your property feel free to contact us at 919-235-0007.

Have a great Thursday!

Linda

Congratulations to Our Bark Around The Park Drawing Winners!

Linda Craft — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 20:21:50 +0000

Congratulations to Erika Silver, winner of the Bonefish Grill Certificates, Audrey Williams, winner of the bracelet from Luna Cat Designs and the Grand Prize Winner, Carlos Hanilton, winner of the 5 Day Cruise for Two!

It was great to see everyone today and don’t forget to check out our Bark Around the Park Event Photos at www.LindaCraftPhotos.com

Have a great weekend!

Linda and the Team

5 Mistakes Raleigh Area Home Sellers Make

Linda Craft — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:49:58 +0000

It is April in Raleigh where everything is in full bloom including sellers who want to take advantage of the spring market when their yards look the best and the school season is drawing to an end. I have sold over 5,000 homes in my 25 year career and in the past 3 months have met with approximately 100 sellers who either “want or need” to sell their home. I believe those numbers qualify me as an expert to share mistakes I see sellers make as they plan for a move.

Mistakes Home Sellers Make

1. Delusional Thinking

“My home is special, I WANT to sell, I need to net, It’s sold as is! “ When these words come out of a sellers mouth I know they have delusional thinking are headed towards bitter disappointment. My job is to first save them from themselves by educating them to the differences of a home sale instead of a home listing. Many REALTORS will list homes for sale following the requests of the seller instead of educating them to how to be in the market and sold instead of just listed. There is a huge difference between being “in” the market or “on” the market. Delusional sellers look for magic pills and hope time will be their cure all. 6 months later their house isn’t sold and the search begins for another REALTOR to work magic. Sellers with delusional thinking place houses on the market instead of in the market.

For Success Change Your Thinking.

Your house will only sell if buyers think it’s special. Wanting to sell instead of needing to sell usually means Disney Land pricing- be careful with that thinking. Pricing you home with what you want to net instead of market value is like buying your house back every day it’s on the market. It will never sell if your net doesn’t match market value. Sold “as is” happens all the time with distressed properties at very discounted prices. “As is’ guarantees one of two things either a low price or no sale at all. Is that what you want?

2. Pricing With The End In Mind

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard “I need to net X to have enough money to buy the type of house I want”. The market is, what the market is. I do not know any REALTOR who can make a buyer give a seller what they need in order to buy their next house. Frankly, the buyer doesn’t care what you need and is not going to help you buy your new house. They are trying to buy their own house. Hopefully yours. If you need to net X and it is higher than market value forget selling. Stay put and enjoy the home you have or alter your desires on what you purchase with your net dollars.

3. Hiring The Wrong REALTOR

A REALTOR’S job is to educate sellers, market their home and negotiate contracts. Therefore it would make sense for sellers to focus on how much experience and exposure the REALTOR they hire can bring to them. Instead many sellers hire family friends or REALTORS who have no market reach other than a sign and MLS listing and lack experience in negotiations. Ask how many homes they closed last year, this month and how many they have under contract now. Then ask how many of them were listings and how many were buyers. Do you want to be the very first house they have ever listed for sale? Or the second, third or fourth? NO you need experience if you want success. Working with sellers is very different than working with buyers. Seller’s agents need marketing dollars, contract negotiation skills and problem solving abilites. Does your agent qualify for the job?

4. Keeping up with the Joneses

One of the biggest mistakes I see most sellers make is pricing their home by comparing it to other houses for sale now. They say “My neighbors house is priced at X and I have better landscaping and a fence so I think my property is worth XX”. Hello…..what if your neighbor is wrong?! Didn’t your mother tell you two wrongs do not make a right? The fact is, most of your neighbors are wrong because they have all followed this delusional thinking trap. In every market there is data to prove what percentage of neighbors are wrong. It’s called number of price reductions and expired listings. I am certain many of your neighbors are wrong. Please, Mr. and Ms. Seller, I beg you to look at sold and under contract properties. Not what’s for sale now.

5. Eliminating The Appraiser From The Equation

This may be the most overlooked, under estimated, dangerous mistake a seller makes. It doesn’t matter what you want for your home, or what a REALTOR thinks it is worth, or even what a buyer is willing to pay….if there are no recent comps to support the agreed price it is not going to appraise and you will lose your sale 99.9% of the time. Appraisal guidelines have really changed. They look for comps that have sold and closed in the past 90 days. If there are good comps they use them. If there are no comps they may go back 6 months. However, the times of them going back a year or two and justifying a sales price is over. Appraisers are chosen by lottery, comps have to be the most recent, they also have to include under contract, short sales and foreclosures sales in their report. All appraisals go under a second review by the mortgage companies underwriter before acceptance. No appraiser is sticking their neck out. If the comps say X and your contract is at XX your appraisal comes in low which reduces the amount your buyer can finance and the deal goes south. When you list you home for sale begin by looking at closed properties within the past 90 days just the way an appraiser will. If concessions were paid you must reduce that amount from the sales price too. Adjustments are made for differences such as no garage verses 2 car garage. Your REALTOR can help you understand the adjustments in the comparable properties. Age, square feet and location are the big 3 factors. Upgrades help a house to sell when competing in the beauty contest against other home choices but, do not necessarily help appraised value when it comes to mortgage companies lending money.

If you are considering selling your home in the Greater Raleigh Area please know that the days of inviting a REALTOR to sit at your kitchen table telling you what you want to hear so they get you to list with them is over. A successful sale today begins with a listing consultation in the REALTORS office where you can see the most recent sales in detail the way an appraiser does, study other sellers who failed to sell and why. Do not make the same mistake as others, look at your competition through buyers eyes, see first hand the marketing you are paying for and make a good business decision about selling your home in the current market. If this consultation shows sales in a range that will give you the net you want your odds of selling are very high and you should jump into the market. If the numbers do not make sense for you to sell now, wait. Real Estate always goes up in value over time.

For a free seller consultation contact me through my Raleigh homes website or call 919.235.0007.

Hope you have a great Monday!

Linda

Raleigh’s Bark Around the Park Is Just A Few Weeks Away! Mark Your Calendars!

Linda Craft — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:48:52 +0000

Join Linda Craft & Team, REALTORS and other sponsors for the 21st annual Bark Around the Park – Event for the Whole Family!

You and your dog will enjoy:
*    Dog Bone Hunts
*    Doggie Olympics
*    Dog Show
*    Agility and Obedience Demonstrations
*    Numerous booths showcasing the latest in pet care and products

Saturday, April 17, 2010
12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Millbrook Exchange Park
1905 Spring Forest Road
Raleigh, 27615

Overflow parking is available next door at Millbrook High School.

Be sure to stop by the Linda Craft & Team, REALTORS booth – our favorite part of the day is catching up with friends like you!