We have open positions for:

Listing Partners    

Buyer Agents

Leasing Agent

Licensed Administrative Assistant

For more information visit our website page:  www.lindacraft.com/jobs

We can’t wait to hear from you!

Pie Day planning normally starts in September and our team works together for several months to ensure that everything is in order for our clients to pick up their pies on the day before Thanksgiving every year.   A lot of coordination goes on behind the scenes but it sure is worth it!  The trucks and office always smell SO GOOD after all of the pies are picked up and we all have fun sharing the pies with you each year.

If you would like to see a few pictures about the day please “like” our facebook fan page, http://www.facebook.com/lindacraftteam

Happy Holidays!

Do you have any ideas or tips that you could offer?   We always welcome your feedback.   If you or anyone you know is interested in finding out what the next step would be to sell your home in the Greater Raleigh Area, please feel free to call our office at 919.235.0007.  We would love the opportunity to assist you.

If you have any other questions about moving to the Greater Raleigh Area, be sure to visit our relocation pages on our real estate website, www.LindaCraft.com

Have a great Monday!

Muhle is a well-known investor in speculative properties, which can deliver excellent opportunities especially in a challenging marketplace. He brings more than 23 years of experience as a highly successful builder, developer and land dealer operating in the Raleigh and Wilmington areas.

“Today’s marketplace is a tremendous opportunity for investors,” said Linda Craft. “Doug has one of the broadest spectrums of knowledge in the industry, and is well known in our market for having a knack for delivering profit for his clients and partners. We look forward to his continued success with our group.”

“I’m already getting a lot of attention from this announcement,” noted Doug Muhle. “I’m looking forward to helping more people cash in on great investment opportunities through this partnership.”

Muhle plans on leveraging his extensive network of bank and real estate connections to focus on REO bank deals, recreational land and coastal property acquisitions and deals and can be reached at 919.971.6415.

 7 Deadly Sins of Overpricing

Most experts would advise that the best way to increase your odds of a successful sale is to price your home at fair market value. But, as logical as this advice sounds, for many sellers it is still tempting to tack a few percentage points onto the price to “leave room to negotiate”. To avoid this temptation, let’s take a look at the seven deadly sins of overpricing:

1. Appraisal Problems

Even if you do find a buyer willing to pay an inflated price, the fact is over 90% of buyers use some kind of financing to pay for their home purchase. If your home won’t appraise for the purchase price the sale will likely fail.

2. No Showings

Today’s sophisticated home buyers are well educated about the real estate market. If your home is overpriced they won’t bother looking at it, let alone make you an offer.

3. Branding Problems

When a new listing hits the market, every agent quickly checks the property out to see if it’s a good fit for their clients. If your home is branded as “overpriced”, reigniting interest may take drastic measures.

4. Selling the Competition

Overpricing helps your competition. How? You make their lower prices seem like bargains. Nothing is worse than watching your neighbors put up a sold sign.

5. Stagnation

The longer your home sits on the market, the more likely it is to become stigmatized or stale. Have you ever seen a property that seems to be perpetually for sale? Do you ever wonder – What’s wrong with that house?

6. Tougher Negotiations

Buyers who do view your home may negotiate harder because the home has been on the market for a longer period of time and because it is overpriced compared to the competition.

7. Lost Opportunities

You will lose a percentage of buyers who are outside of your price point. These are buyers who are looking in the price range that the home will eventually sell for but don’t see the home because the price is above their pre-set budget.

Most buyers look at 10-15 homes before making a buying decision. Because of this, setting a competitive price relative to the competition is an essential component to a successful marketing strategy.

If you have questions about pricing  your home correctly in today’s Greater Raleigh Area Real Estate Marketplace feel free to give me a call at 919-235-0007.

Have a great week,

Linda

Looking for Relocation Information?

Our Raleigh Real Estate Relocation Resource Center has information about Raleigh Area employment opportunities, including a map of all of the larger Greater Raleigh Area employers, a transit map showing all of the local Triangle Transit Bus Routes, school information, sports, shopping and much more.

Tired of Your Home Not Selling Or Worried About Writing A Check At Closing?  Thinking of Renting it?

We can help!  Our firm provides two different leasing options here in the Greater Raleigh Area.   Visit our landlords page to get started.

Looking For A Rental Home And Don’t Know Where To Start?

Do You Qualify?  What is available?   What about schools?  What about Jobs?  Why won’t agents call me back?  Check out our new Raleigh Area Rental Resource Center on LindaCraft.com

Your Feedback Is Always Welcome!

We want to make your home buying and selling experience here in the Greater Raleigh Area as stress free and smooth as possible.   If you have feedback from your experience on our  real estate website or know of something that we could add to enhance your marketplace knowledge, please let us know.

On another note, don’t forget our Shredding Event this coming Saturday at our office.

We would love to see you!

Have a great rest of your weekend,

Linda

There is one fundamental principle that will alway ensure the value of residential real estate as an investment:

People Need A Roof Over Their Heads.

In fact, 30% of Wake County is dependent upon rental properties being available to meet their housing needs. This number is expected to rise due to the credit crunch and restricted mortgage guidelines. Even in the worst economic climates, the financial stability that monthly real estate investment cash flow provides cannot be challenged and it is difficult to find in other investment vehicles.

Real estate here in the Raleigh area is on sale and if Andrew Carnegie was alive today I am sure he would be buying houses and lots of them.

Here is why…

In 2009 1 out of 5 home closings in the US were by investors. 1 out of 3 people today depend on rental housing being available. As home prices have fallen over the recent years, rental rates have risen. An investors dream! Low prices, low interest rates and rising rental rates. Yes, millionaires are buying real estate today and you can too.

When purchased correctly, owning an investment property provides a more stable cash flow with higher possible rates of return in the future.

Traditionally Americans have chosen to deal in the stock market for investment income and retirement savings. However, real estate provides comparable rates of return, more cash flow, and better tax incentives than stocks. In the past 40 years, the yearly amount of home purchases more than doubled, and the median price for existing homes rose from $23,000 to $172,500, appreciating annually at an average rate of 5.32%. In adddition to possible appreciation, investors in real estate benefit from regular cash flow through leasing, greater ability to leverage their investments for increased returns, and tax benefits unique to real estate such as depreciation, expense deductions and 1031 exhanges. By being an investor in a struggling market you also have the opportunity to help comminities challenged by high rates of distresed properties and contribute to economic recovery.

Many Real Estate Agents Assume They Know Investors and Investor Needs.

The reality is most agents are merely directed by investors to perform real estate home searches or conduct transactions without really understanding the investors goals. As a Certified Investor Agent Specialist (CIAS) my team and I can help find opportunities in the greater Raleigh area real estate market to maximize your cash flow. Over the weeks to come I will share tips and best practices of savvy real estate investors so you too will know what the wealthiest people in America know. Real estate is a great investment!

If you have any questions or would like more information about great investment properties here in the Greater Raleigh Area please feel free to email me or call 919.235.0007.

Hope you have a great week,

Linda

The TARR report (Triangle Area Residential Realty report) is one of the area’s leading sources for real estate numbers.  My team subscribes to it every year and we look for the big changes along with the small changes that are happening here in the Greater Raleigh Area.  This month’s report was for a General Brokerage Update for Raleigh, Cary, Research Triangle Park and surrounding areas of North Carolina.

This report compared first quarter 2011 to 2010 when the home buyer tax credit was offered. Here’s some interesting local real estate numbers was offered:

• *CSS – Centralized Showing Service reports home showings: Down 24%
• *2,317 homes for sale changed status to pending: Down 29%
• *Active residential listing inventory down 8%, up 2% from 2010. 
•  *Foreclosure filings:  Down 12%.  Sounds like good news but, it really isn’t.  This is because successfully negotiated shor sales are up.  The “robot signing” foreclosure freeze is over and banks do not need anymore loss on their books to deal with at this point.
• National housing reports showed a 3.7% increase in March over February in 2011 but, 40% of those sales were distressed properties. 
• Greater Raleigh area house selling odds based on the first quarter of 2011 pending sales is 28% compared to 81% in 2006.
• Active residential listing inventory: Down 8% (this is good news for home sellers)
• *New home active listing inventory: Down 21% (this is good news for resale home sellers)
• *Average days on market for closed properties: 122 days, up from 105 days
• *National housing reports showed a 3.7% increase in March over February 2011 but, 40% of those sales were distressed properties.
• *Greater Raleigh area house selling odds based on first quarter 2011 pending sales is 28%. Compared to 81% in 2006.

With the challenging market conditions all Raleigh area home sellers are facing, we at Linda Craft & Team, REALTORS are very grateful and proud to report 65 closings completed first quarter 2011 and 71 pending contracts headed towards closing. That’s a lot of negotiation experience with the new due diligence contract. However, I still like to old contract better just as I liked the 2006 real estate market better. Thank you so very much for your business and referrals.

What is This Program?

HUD has thousands of real estate owned (REO) properties for sale.  They have a need to find buyers for these properties, thus stimulating the economy and minimizing impacts on a neighborhood.  Wells Fargo has teamed up withFHA to offer special financing for these HUD REO  properties.

What is A HUD PD Mortgage?

The  HUD PD Mortgage  provides buyers more options for financing HUD owned REOs.  Our team is experienced in providing REO financing.  Our Fulfillment sites have been specifically trained on this new REO product and are ready to help process our buyer’s loans.  

HUD PD Mortgage Key Benefits:    

• No appraisal
• Low down payment
• Flexible mortgage terms (fixed rate or adjustable rate)
• Financing option for buyers with less than perfect credit
• Available for primary residences

All HUD REO’s  are eligible.  Properties available for the HUD PD Mortgage can be viewed at www.hudhomestore.com.  If you would like to strategize with Eric about what may be best for you feel free to call him at 919.201.1745.  

Have a great week,

Linda