Congratulations, Raleigh! You have beat Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, Washington and many other cities in the Most Wired Cities list published by Forbes’ Magazine.   Moving to the number 1 position was quite a jump from last year’s 15th spot.   Special thanks to our city planners, private business owners and developers who have installed wireless connections in downtown Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Area. 

Raleigh Rankings Include:

Raleigh Housing Ranks First

Raleigh Ranks in Best Colleges List

Raleigh’s Charter Schools

Raleigh Ranks Tops Jobs Growth

If you are interested in hearing more about relocating to the Greater Raleigh Area, including Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Wake Forest, Garner and Clayton, please feel free to call me at (919) 235.007.  My Raleigh Real Estate Team is here to help you.

Linda

Every week my team provides a weekly report to all of our current sellers.  The report covers where we market their home, how many showings they have received, what the feedback is from their real estate home showings, etc.   We also include a report on what their local competition is from a buyer’s perspective here in the Greater Raleigh Area Real Estate Market.  I thought you might have a question on this too so I thought I would share.

Linda,

The location of the houses you sent and used in my weekly home competition report concerns me. I am actually familiar with this subdivision off of Rock Quarry Road. Yes, the houses are similar, but the area is not.

Bob

Hi Bob,

I understand your analysis of different locations as well as your concern. However, please note that my search comes direct from MLS and it pulls only your MLS area which is about a 5 mile radius. It also pulls your price bracket. The way this search was created for you is Read the rest of this entry

I received this bathroom remodeling question from a client and thought you might be wondering the same thing.

Dear Linda,

I’m not ready to move anytime soon but when I do, you will be the listing agent so I figure I better ask your opinion now. We are remodeling our master bath. We’ve put down tile floors, a marble shower, new vanities, new mirrors, new light fixtures…..but we took out the garden tub we never use and don’t want to replace it. We were thinking a window bench that lifted up for storage or something like that. Is that going to kill our resale? Read the rest of this entry

Over the past two years I have met with many Raleigh area home sellers who wanted to sell and buy a new home. However, the declining Raleigh real estate market wasn’t going to allow them to net enough money from the sale to be able to purchase a new home. The Government  has now stepped up and is helping Raleigh area move up buyers by giving them a $6,500 tax credit if they buy before April 30, 2010.  

How Will A Raleigh Homeowner Benefit?

The $6,500 tax credit will really help many sellers offset any depreciation they may have experienced in the Raleigh Real Estate market and will give them the extra funds they need to buy a new home. When selling a home you have to deduct the mortgage pay off, property taxes, real estate commissions, revenue stamps and other miscellaneous charges for selling a home. The remainder after everything is paid is the net proceeds. Or better described the check the seller gets at closing to spend on their new house. The Government is giving them an additional $6,500 tax credit to help home sellers in Raleigh buy new homes. This is pretty exciting especially when you consider mortgage interest rates are still around 5% for a 30 years fixed rate mortgage. The low interest rates and the tax credit will help many homeowners get into better houses than they ever dreamed.

Raleigh Mortgage Lending Guidelines Have Changed

Today in order to buy a home most lenders require a minimum of 5% down. We can usually negotiated to get the mortgage closing cost paid by the seller but, when the Raleigh housing market hasn’t appreciated over the past several years it makes it really hard to sell and be able to net enough money from the sale for the down payment on a new home. The $6,500 tax credit will put many home buyers in the market now that could only sit and wait before. Here are some details:

Who is Eligible   Read the rest of this entry

Linda Craft’s Raleigh Real Estate office is a bustle of activity today as she and her team pass out a truckload of Apple and Pumpkin Thanksgiving Pies to their past clients.   Linda and the team wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and a safe holiday weekend.

First time homebuyers are busy looking for great houses under $300,000 in our Raleigh Real Estate Market.  Here are a few homes that have just come on the market or have had recent price changes:

For more properties in the Greater Raleigh Area feel free to check out my raleigh real estate website where you can create your own search.

This week my real estate office has been very busy with several out of state families who are relocating to our Greater Raleigh area.  One of the neat things about having a large real estate team is that  we all work together sharing our knowledge and experience to best meet the needs of our clients.  When families relocate to the Triangle sometimes their needs are more complexed than just which Raleigh area home or neighborhood they want to live in. They need to know where to find the best doctors, playgrounds and daycare options just to name a few.    Many of our Team members have children and have relocated themselves so they are a great resource for families. We know that Moms and Dads have so many things to take care of in a move and my Team loves to all pitch in to help relocating families in their transition .  Here are some tips you may want to know or share with someone relocating with children.

A Few Quick Moving Tips For Raleigh Area Families:  Read the rest of this entry

One thing I get asked alot by home sellers in my listing appointments is what they need to do to get their home sold.  Many people know to go ahead and pack away unneeded items, repaint the walls into neutral colors and others hire a professional home stager.  Staging has been the huge buzzword with Raleigh Home Sellers ever since HGTV hit the air waves. Triangle Real Estate Agents  know that to get a home sold in a Buyers Market that a well-staged home has to be the rule rather than the exception. When you hear the word staging our minds image decluttering and furniture placement. However, with 10 houses for every one Raleigh home buyer that is not enough. “Refreshing” is the new trend for home selling success. Read the rest of this entry

I usually write about Raleigh real estate but, today some personal things going on in my life is leading me to draw your attention to a very important and sometimes forgotten things about Raleigh. Those of you who are friends of mine on facebook , twitter or follow our facebook fan page have seen that my husband, Jay, and my dog, Katie, both recently had  knee replacement surgeries.   Yes, you read that right.  Talk about turning my world upside down.  Jay and I have two grown children who live out of state so I am out of practice in taking care of family members on a regular basis.   Normally,  I am used to setting my own schedule, working in my real estate office 7 days a week and am busy all day long helping people buy and sell real estate here in the Great Raleigh Area.   It has been a tough few weeks.   Both of my “patients” are doing well and are on the way to recovery and we have been very blessed with a team who supports us along with our friends and extended families.  

Raleigh, NC  and The Triangle Areas Boasts The Nations Top Healthcare

However, throughout this process it has hit me time and time again how fortunate Jay and I are to live in an area like Raleigh and the Triangle that includes such great health care.   I do not know about you, but  when I drive down the road sometimes buildings fade into the distance if a certain industry does not apply to me.   However, within 30 minutes of most homes in Raleigh we have three of the greatest medical facilities in the world.   Duke  and UNC Medical Centers are known for their advancement and trend setting in medicine.  UNC is opening a Cancer Center  just this year.   Wake Med has a heart wing and a trauma center and Rex Hospital is highly respected, privately owned and is a choice of many locals for health care. 

If you are looking for a great place to live with wonderful healthcare options for you or your family, then Raleigh should be your place to call home.   If you are interested in receiving more information about what it is like to live in the Triangle and Greater Raleigh area, or if you would like to see what neighborhoods are like in Raleigh,  please call, email or connect with us through social media.   Our team would love to share our wealth of knowledge about all of the great things you will have when living in Raleigh and how great  investing in  real estate in the Greater Raleigh Area really is.

Don’t forget to pack your umbrella today!

Linda

Every day in the Raleigh  area I meet with perspective home sellers.  However, in the current real estate market I find myself practicing “tough love” and being more of a counselor and consultant. I try to educate my home sellers to make sure they have realistic expectations so they do not end up with regrets in the end. Many times during the initial consultation I talk sellers out of putting their homes on the market and encourage them to wait until a better time. I show Raleigh area sellers the absorption rates for their location, age, square feet, architectural style, features and price range. I explain experimenting just to see what happens in a buyers market is another real estate listing about to fail.

Read the rest of this entry