homes for sale

We’re still in somewhat of a seller’s market, and people are asking us if there’s any way to find success as a homebuyer. More specifically, they want to know how to make an unbeatable offer that cuts through the competition. Here’s how we get an offer accepted. First, we call ahead to the seller’s agent. We find out what’s in their seller’s best interest by asking where they’re moving, when they want to close, and so on. We want to package the offer in a way that appeals to the seller so it’s important to find out through the agent what works best. “Good communication is always important throughout the process.” We’ll have a pre-qualification letter, a good earnest deposit, and shorter inspection days. A typical inspection period is 10 days, but you can cut it down to three to five by finding out your inspector’s schedule.  Though good communication is always important throughout the process, you still need to make a strong offer on the home; a lowball offer won’t get you anywhere in today’s market. The rest of the terms and conditions are tailored to the seller. No matter what’s going on out there in the market, we’re always here to help you accomplish your real estate goals. If you have any questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to us. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Zestimates are a tricky business. Yes, they can provide interesting insight into what a home is supposedly worth, but the figure they list is often a far cry from what a real agent will tell you. So who’s right? Do agents know best, or should you trust your Zestimate, instead? Here’s the truth: Zestimates often miss the mark. It’s more of a “best guess” on your home’s value than an accurate calculation.  A Zestimate is simply an algorithm. Unlike an agent, there’s no way it can walk through your property and see what upgrades you’ve made, what your finishes are like, or any of the other fine details that make the home unique.  “Zillow’s Zestimate is more like a ‘guess-timate.’” Trying to determine a home’s true value with a Zestimate is sort of like trying to count blades of grass from 30,000 feet in the air.  You’ll get a much more accurate idea of what your home is worth when you enlist the help of a real estate professional. Local agents are able to take an up-close look at your property, accounting for every little detail as they develop an estimate of your home’s value.  Especially when you consider that Zestimates can be more than 20% off from your home’s true market value, the choice between this web-based algorithm and the opinion of a real, local agent is clear. Zillow’s Zestimate is more like a “guess-timate.” If you want to find out what your home is really worth, please reach out to us. We’d be happy to help. And, as always, if you have any other questions or would like more information, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Interest rates are going up, but what does that mean for buyers? Well, it’s not a good thing. Most interest rate movement is negligible, but for every point that it goes up, you lose 10% of your buying power. If you have a $250,000 mortgage, each point costs you around $150 more each month. If the rate goes up, you’re paying for it. “If you want to buy a house, you should now.” Affordability has been at a 40-year low, but it’s creeping back up. The government has stopped conducting quantitative easing, which means they’re no longer spending money to artificially keep bonds low. Now that it’s ended, rates will begin to go up. If you want to buy a house, you should now. If you’re approved for a $200,000 mortgage but rates go up 0.5%, you’re losing 5% of your buying power. You can now only afford a $190,000 home. A 1% increase in rates will drop your buying power on that same property down to $180,000. You can see how a small change has a big effect.  With interest rates going up, now is the time to think about buying. Feel free to reach out to us—we can get you on the right road toward homeownership, answer any questions you may have, and give you more information. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Our team is so thankful for you this holiday season. We hope your season is as merry and bright as ours. Happy Holidays! In the spirit of the season, our team would like to extend our warmest thanks to all of you for the amazing year we’ve had. Your continued support means so much to us. The success we achieved in 2018 wouldn’t have been possible without you. We look forward to continuing to serve our community, and are excited to work with you all in the new year to come. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Years!

Today I want to talk about six home safety tips to employ if you want to keep your home safe from burglars. There are six things that house burglars don’t want you to know: 1. Nighttime burglaries aren’t common. Burglars prefer to do it during the day when they will usually find the home’s occupants out of the house. Many of these crimes take place between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. 2. They know you’re not home. When it comes to social media, don’t post where you are at all times; a lot of burglars watch social media and track your movements so they can strike when they know you’re not home. Wait until you get home to update all of your friends and family about your vacations, trips, etc. 3. They don’t like your security practices. A home with an alarm or some type of dog is less likely to get burglarized than homes without. In fact, an alarm makes a burglary 300 times less likely; burglars want an easy target. 4. It’s not helpful to advertise that you have guns. Besides the fact that the burglar will then know to expect such a thing, it might also further incentivize them to rob your home, since guns sell well on the secondary market. “Many burglaries take place between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.” 5. Your shrubs and architectural items make it easier for burglars to hide. Make sure you trim your shrubs and that you don’t have large objects obscuring your windows, or else burglars will exploit this to hide and get closer to your home. 6. They look for valuables left in open spaces.  Don’t leave your valuables out in the open, especially in places where they can be seen from windows, including technology like computers and laptops. This makes for easy targets. If you have any other questions about home safety tips or real estate in general, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be glad to be of service to you.

Are you making any of these 10 common but costly homeownership mistakes? If so, we’ll explain how you can mitigate them. In real estate, people often talk about how much it costs to buy a home, but what about the cost associated with simply living in a home? As most homeowners already realize, owning a property can be an expensive ordeal.  Today, we’ll cover 10 expensive homeownership mistakes. For each point, we’ll also discuss a money-saving alternative. Let’s dive right in: 1. Using incandescent light bulbs. These bulbs can cost about $180 per year. Using LED bulbs instead will cost you 87% less, making these bulbs the far more cost-effective option.  2. Ignoring leaky faucets. A leaky faucet can waste up to 3,000 gallons of water in a year, racking up a hefty water bill all the while. Fixing leaks as soon as you notice them is essential.  3. Using dirty or incorrectly sized filters. To keep your heating and air conditioning units working smoothly, you will need to regularly replace filters—making sure that, when you do, you use the correct size.  4. Excessively adjusting your thermostat. Programmable thermostats can save you a lot of money.  5. Not adjusting your vents. There’s no sense in leaving vents open to empty rooms. You should only heat and cool the areas you actually plan to be in.  6. Overwatering your lawn. If you have a sprinkler or irrigation system, you need to make sure it’s working properly.  7. Setting a water heater’s temperature too high. Adjusting the temperature of your hot water heater according to the season can save you a lot of money on your utility bill.  8. Ignoring leaky windows. If you feel any air coming into your home on windy days, it may be time to recaulk around your windows to ensure that they’re properly sealed and are not leaking air. “In the age of the internet, almost anyone can tackle most minor repairs without the help of a professional.” 9. Paying a handyman to take care of small projects. In the age of the internet, almost anyone can tackle most minor repairs without the help of a professional.  10. Neglecting your roof. If you have any curling or cracked shingles, your roof may leak and cause costly damage. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Instead of talking about real estate, today I want to talk about some of my favorite restaurants here in the Triangle Area. If you haven’t been to any of these places before, I highly encourage you to check them out. Here’s my list: 1. Cafe Tiramisu. I’ve been going here for nearly two decades and it’s my favorite place to eat. The mom-and-pop family feel is something that can’t be replicated. Even though the original owners have passed away, their personality and history continue to live on. It’s quaint, quiet, and the service and the food are excellent. It’s a great business and a great place to grab a bite. 2. El Tapatio. This Mexican restaurant is a bit off the beaten path. For the last several years, this restaurant in Wakefield Crossing has been serving some delicious, casual Mexican fare for diners of all ages and backgrounds. You’ll see people from all over the area here for the delicious, reasonably priced food and the amazing service. “I highly encourage you to check out all the restaurants on this list.” 3. Vinson’s Pub.  I stumbled into this place recently when showing a couple from Texas homes in Clayton and couldn’t have been happier I did. This restaurant, right on Main Street, is in a 100-year old building. The decor is funky and hip and the menu is quite inventive. If you’re really hungry, they have a “Man BLT” that I can’t recommend enough. 4. Ole Time Barbecue. This is my “hole in the wall” pick. Down on the border of Raleigh and Cary, you can find this good, old-fashioned barbecue joint that has been servicing Carolina-style barbecue for years. It was recently named one of the best barbecue restaurants in all of North Carolina. If you’re in the mood for some meat, this is a great place to go. It can get busy and you might have to wait, but the wait is well worth it in my opinion. If you have any questions for me about any restaurant on this list or you’d like to share your recommendations with me, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

You’ve probably been hearing a lot about the future of our market in the news lately, and today, we’re going to get to the bottom of what may lie ahead by reviewing some projections, as well as some recent market trends. On a national level, average home prices have appreciated 5.5% since this time last year. Locally, however, appreciation levels haven’t been quite so high, with average Pennsylvania home prices seeing an increase of just 3.6% year over year. Of course, these numbers only reflect the statistical average on a broad scale. Real estate trends vary between different counties, and even between different neighborhoods. Also, according to findings by CoreLogic, August 2018 had the slowest appreciation rate in nearly two years. This may be part of why we’ve seen affordability issues lately. Buyers and sellers alike have been hesitant to enter our market as a result of recent trends, with buyers holding out for greater affordability and sellers waiting for greater appreciation. “Real estate trends vary between different countries, and even between different neighborhoods.” Everything in our market is connected. As such, everything we’ve mentioned so far has also had an impact on supply. We’re still currently experiencing low inventory, and with mortgage rates beginning to climb, this trend is likely to continue. Now at approximately 5%, the current average interest rate for 30-year fixed mortgages is higher than we’ve seen in the past eight years. With all this in mind, you may be wondering what we can expect from the coming year. In terms of appreciation, forecasts predict that we’ll see an average national growth of 4.7% and an average growth in Pennsylvania of 5.5% between August of this year and August 2019. As we’ve already mentioned, interest rates will continue to rise as we move into next year. The bottom line is this: Buyers and sellers alike should make their move as soon as possible. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

What’s going on with mortgage rates in our market? Right now, the average 30-year fixed rate is about 4.77%, which is the highest it’s been in the past seven years. Experts predict that it will continue to creep closer toward 5%, but it’s still at a historically low level. Is this really affecting our market? Not right now. I think what’s actually affecting the market is the dramatic price increases we’ve seen the past two years. Home prices are significantly higher now than they were when the market crashed in 2008. Additionally, inventory levels are still really low. “It’s still a good time to buy and take advantage of these historically low rates.” Low inventory, price increases, and rising mortgage rates have produced a little bit of a slowdown, but our market’s still extremely good right now. We’re heading into a time of year where more homes are expected to come onto the market, so it’s still a good time to buy and take advantage of these historically low rates. If you have any more questions about our current market or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. My team and I would love to help you.

We’re taking a bit of a diversion from real estate today to talk about a few of my favorite fall weekend getaways here in the Triangle Area: 1. Asheville. This is a fantastic place to see the leaves change colors this fall. Many believe that the weekend of October 27 and 28 is going to be the best dates to do that. I highly recommend staying at Asheville Cottages, a family-owned operation that has a number of private cottages with wonderful amenities and great views of the foliage. There are plenty of galleries and boutiques to see up in Asheville, as well as delicious restaurants. My favorite one is Market Place, a wonderful farm-to-table restaurant, but you might want to make a reservation. 2. Beaufort, NC. For those of you who love boating, you know this is the boating capital of the Carolinas. This quaint little town is perfect to walk around in and the Beaufort Inn has some really nice waterfront rooms. The Cedars Inn is a historic bed-and-breakfast that’s also a great place to stay. There’s plenty of seafood dining options, including La Perla, a delicious Spanish restaurant right at The Cedars Inn. There is also Front Street Grill right on the water. 3. Kinston. If you’re a foodie, you’re probably aware of the fantastic restaurant Chef & the Farmer. You may recognize Vivian Howard from her cooking show on PBS or from her very successful farm-to-table restaurant right here in Kinston. On October 21, the Howards are hosting a celebration and a viewing of the last episode of their successful show. If you need a place to stay in Kinston, try The Mother Earth Motor Lodge for an affordable option. “Kinston is home to a world-class restaurant: Chef & the Farmer.” There you have it—our three best recommendations for fall getaways in North Carolina. If you know of a place that you enjoy going to here in North Carolina, don’t hesitate to reach out and give me a call or send me an email with your recommendations. I hope to hear from you soon.

When preparing to make a home renovation project, one of the first important decisions you’ll be faced with is selecting the right bid. To ensure you make the best possible choice, there are five tips you should follow as you proceed: 1. Become comfortable with the overall cost. Homeowners may receive bids that are thousands of dollars apart and will often choose the one which will cost them the least. However, this is not always the best way to proceed. When it comes to remodeling projects, you usually get what you pay for. At very least, you should always look at what the other bids offer beyond just considering how they’ll impact your wallet.   2. Vet the contractor. There are several ways of doing this. Whatever you do, it’s essential that you determine whether the contractor’s skillset extends into what your project will require. The project you’re getting bids on should be something the contractor has experience with. 3. Compare apples to apples. If you receive three bids, the minimum advisable number, and one contains very little detail, don’t feel bad about asking the contractor to expound. Comparing similar details between each bid will be the key to choosing the one that best fits your needs. 4. Set up financial motivation for the contractor. Unfortunately, renovation projects don’t happen for free. Your contractor will want some compensation up front, but will also expect additional payment as their work continues. Writing performance clauses into the agreement you and the contractor come up with will be a simple way to protect you from the pain of a random payment schedule. 5. Make sure you understand what’s going on. Keeping a close eye on your project is important. Don’t be afraid to speak up, or terminate your working relationship, if the contractor isn’t performing as they should. “When it comes to remodeling projects, you usually get what you pay for.” If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Are you being scammed? These days, it’s more common than you might think. Protecting yourself against fraud when buying, renting, or selling real estate is crucial. So today I’d like to highlight some scams to watch out for as well as some information on how to protect yourself. 1. Wire fraud. The media has done a lot of reporting recently about this scam, but allow me to quickly explain it in case you’ve missed this coverage. Here’s how it works: Hackers gain access to the email account of someone legitimately involved in a real estate transaction, and then use that account to send false wiring instructions to the buyer. This results in buyers unwittingly sending their funds over to someone who has nothing to do with their home purchase.There are two key things you can do to avoid falling victim to this scam. First, make sure wiring instructions are being sent from an encrypted email. Second, make sure you call your settlement agent (which, in North Carolina, will be your attorney) and double check that you have the correct instructions. If you do these two things, you will be safe. “In this day and age, you’ve got to be careful who you trust.” 2. Inauthentic rental listings on Craigslist. Scammers are posting and promoting these false advertisements with the goal of tricking those who respond to sending them money. They do this by posting a rental listing that appears to be a very attractive offer, and then telling those who respond that it has already been rented by someone else. They then convince that person that they have another property coming available soon, and tell them that they can secure it by sending over a deposit. Of course, there is no listing. The scammer is simply trying to earn money under false pretenses.To protect yourself, you can find a legitimate listing for the property being advertised and ask the rental agent representing it whether the deal can be trusted. You can also use public records to corroborate the legitimacy of a listing. I would be happy to further explain how to do this, so please get in touch if you have questions. 3. Moving company fraud. Imagine this: You’ve made an offer on a home and gone under contract. Next, you start doing some comparison shopping to find the best deal on a mover, when you notice a Craigslist ad with a very attractive deal. Of course you decide to contact the poster and get an estimate. Then comes the day of the move. The movers load up your belongings (and perhaps ask for more money than what you’ve already given them), and drive off—never to be seen again.The lesson to take away from this scenario is to always make sure companies you work with are reputable. In this day and age, you’ve got to be careful who you trust. Check out reviews, look up credentials, and be extremely careful who you hire. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Should you buy or sell first? This is a common question asked by sellers when they have to sell their home and also purchase a new one. The first thing you will want to do is look at your finances and get pre-qualified. You need to talk to a lender who can tell you whether you qualify for one of the following three options: You can buy first and then sell, sell first and then buy, or simultaneously buy and sell. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages. If you qualify to buy a new home before you sell your current home, you should know that after you purchase your new home, you will have to carry two mortgages. You need to make sure that you feel comfortable doing this. Also, you will now know exactly how much equity you are going to get out of your current home. Meanwhile, an advantage of selling first is that you do not have to worry about a home sale contingency. This puts you in a much stronger negotiating position as a buyer because it gives the seller one less contingency to worry about. “The most common option is to buy and sell simultaneously by putting your home on the market at the same time you are looking.” If you decide to sell first and then buy, this obviously puts you in a great position because you know exactly how much equity you are getting from your home. This can give you stronger negotiating power when buying because you are already going to have the cash in your pocket. However, you will have to make arrangements for short-term living. This may mean that you will have to stay with friends or relatives, or even get a short-term rental in the meantime. The most common route that sellers take is to buy and sell simultaneously. Once you find a home and it goes under contract, you then have what is called a home settlement contingency. This means that the home you are buying is contingent upon the settlement of your current home. In this case, you will know exactly how much equity you will get out of your current home as well as the closing costs and what money they are carrying forward. However, it can be a very stressful day when you are trying to settle your current home in the morning and then settle on your new property in the afternoon. A recommendation I make for that is that you wait a day in between selling and buying and stay in a hotel or a friend’s house overnight and keep everything in a moving truck overnight. If you have any additional questions about this or are interested in buying or selling, please feel free to reach out to me by phone or email. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

There’s a lot of conflicting information out there about open houses. Specifically, people often debate whether or not they’re effective. Well, statistically speaking, open houses do not generally work. But this may be partially due to the fact that most agents don’t know how to properly host one. If you do want to hold an open house, there are a few things you must do to make them as effective as possible. Open houses are an easy, non-formal way of bringing buyers in to look at your home. But this arrangement also presents the concern of security issues. To reduce the risk of security problems, it’s a good idea to have all potential buyers coming through the door fill out a sign-in sheet. This will let you know who was in your home and at what time they were there. “The more signs you have up, the more traffic your open house is likely to see.” Another way to host an open house more effectively is to prepare. Make sure you’ve advertised the event properly. This can be done by putting up signs throughout the week and putting up even more signs the day of the open house. The more signs you have up, the more traffic your open house is likely to see. And more traffic means more potential buyers. Also, don’t hesitate to let the neighbors know you’re selling. Even if they aren’t looking themselves, they may know someone who is. Whether you’re planning on hosting an open house on your own or with the help of an agent, these tips will be crucial to making the most of the event. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

What are the differences between individual agents and teams? Today I am going to tell you about the advantages and disadvantages of both. Most agents work individually. They work for a brokerage and run their business by themselves. The brokerage provides support for paperwork, answering phones, making appointments, and more. Teams, however, normally have an admin or two who focuses on those kinds of tasks. When you hire an agent from a team, you are hiring that entire group or professionals. Also, you will pay the same commission regardless of whether you are hiring a team or an individual agent. “The advantage of a team is that they have people hired specifically to make appointments and do paperwork, allowing agents time to do their specific roles.” With only so many hours in the day, an individual agent may have trouble providing enough attention where needed. They may also lack the necessary expertise on all various subjects within the transaction for it to go smoothly. Working with an individual agent will most likely afford you more one-on-one time, but it will also cause you to lose out on the level of service a team could provide. You wouldn’t expect to see a doctor or a lawyer answering their own phones and scheduling appointments. You would expect that to fall under the responsibilities of other professionals on their team. This is also true in real estate, where everyone has a specific role to play. While you can see that there are a lot of advantages to hiring a real estate team as opposed to an individual, the decision is still yours. If you think that a team setting is what you are looking for and would like to speak with me about my team buying or selling your home, please feel free to call or email. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Today’s market is a far cry from the mortgage crisis of 2007. In fact, it’s almost too good. But while we’re sitting pretty at the moment, our current high demand and low inventory are actually somewhat reminiscent of a time just before that low point in our market. So with that in mind, it’s time to reflect on an important question: What did we learn from the 2007 bubble burst? Let’s take a look at five crucial lessons we learned from that unfortunate period in our market: 1. Don’t buy too much house. Purchasing more than you can afford will be far more trouble than it’s worth. This was one mistake many homebuyers were guilty of just before the market crashed. It’s far better to make your home purchase according to your needs today, rather than your predictions for the future. 2. Don’t depend on your home increasing in value. With the market on its way up, some buyers are tempted to ride the trend. But what happens when this isn’t the case? There’s no guarantee a home’s value will continue to rise. Your home purchase should be based on your lifestyle and not on the hope that your home will keep appreciating. 3. Make sure you have ample cash reserves. Most experts recommend saving back six months’ worth of total expenses, so that you can still sustain your lifestyle if disaster strikes. 4. Submit a healthy down payment when you buy. People today tend to put down as little as they can, but this isn’t always a good idea. Doing this leaves you with less equity from the start, which will cause problems if the market goes south. The higher your down payment is, the more secure you’ll be in your home. 5. Buy low and sell high. This probably sounds pretty obvious, but it’s important nonetheless. “Your home purchase should be based on your lifestyle and not on the hope that your home will keep appreciating.” If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Home prices are rising and we’re in a strong seller’s market all across the country. There are signs that we’re in for a bit of a slowdown, though. Over the last six years, home prices have risen. In the last two years, they’ve risen significantly. With that, mortgage rates are starting to rise right alongside them. Right now, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage is up almost a full percentage point compared to where it was in September 2017. This has put a lot of pressure on the market, and we’re starting to see a lot of first-time homebuyers back out of the market due to both low inventory and low affordability levels. “If you’re thinking of putting your home on the market, now’s the time to do it.” What’s driving prices right now isn’t the same cause that was driving them during our last real estate boom. During our last boom, the rise in prices was caused by easy money. What’s driving prices now is basic supply and demand—there are too many buyers and not enough houses. Compared to the last boom, this is a good thing. We’re seeing lower default rates on mortgages, which is indicative of a stronger, more sustainable market. The reason many economists are starting to take issue with this market and predict a coming slowdown, though, is wages aren’t keeping up with rising home prices. There’s a large gap between these two things, and that’s usually a warning sign of things to come. When this expected slowdown is going to happen is hard to say, but these experts are in agreement that it will occur in the near future. This means if you’re thinking of putting your home on the market, now’s the time to do it—before things start to take a turn. If you want to get started on selling your home, you’re thinking of buying a home, or you have any other real estate questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. My team and I would be happy to help you.

Even though temperatures aren’t quite cooperating, our spring market is in full swing. We’ve all been hearing on the news lately how great the market has been so far this year. You’ve probably also heard about the extreme shortage in inventory we’re seeing. Well, this is still definitely the case. There are too few houses right now to match the number of available buyers, and prices are being driven up as a result. At the same time, the level of activity in our market is being driven down. Of course, different locations will see different trends reflected within their own markets. So if you want to learn more about what’s going on in your area, specifically, I’d be happy to meet with you for a no-cost consultation. “There are too few houses right now to match the number of available buyers, and prices are being driven up as a result.” But let’s look at the big picture for now. There’s currently 30% less inventory than there was at this time last year in our market. And while rising prices are having a big impact, so are rising mortgage rates. Experts predict we’ll actually see rates go as high as 5% by the end of 2018. With all these conditions at play, many of today’s buyers are making their moves as soon as possible. But first-time homebuyers are facing some difficulties, as lower price ranges are seeing significant appreciation. Homes in the range between $200,000 and $350,000 have appreciated by an average of 9% in the last 12 months. Thankfully, inventory levels are likely to rise a bit over the course of our spring market. They may not go up as much as we’d like, but hopefully this upward trend can make it easier for the buyers out there. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Today I’m joined by Randy Paquette of First Choice Radon to discuss what you can do to prevent radon from seeping into your home. Selling a home? Get a free home value report Buying a home? Search all homes for sale As a gas, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. among non-smokers. It also kills more people annually than breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer combined. The good news is, radon is easy to test for, and you can do it with several different monitors. Randy suggests that you test for radon annually, even if you have a radon system already installed in your house. If you don’t have access to professional radon testing, you can use a home kit. Home kits take about 48 hours. After the test is done, you send the kit to a lab, which then sends you back your results. If your numbers come back a little high, you should have a professional then test your home so you know exactly what the levels are. Once you know what the levels are, the next step is to mitigate them. If you have a basement or a slab home, they create a vacuum under your home using a sub-slab system (or “fan system” as some call it), which sucks the radon out before it can get inside. “IN THE LONG RUN, THE COST OF PROTECTING YOUR FAMILY FROM RADON IS WORTH THE INVESTMENT.” If you have a crawl space home, this process takes a little more work, so the cost is a little different. Basement and slab-home mitigations cost about $1,300, but the system itself should last anywhere between 10 to 30 years, so the annual cost is negligible. It only costs about $2 per month to operate the system, which is also a negligible amount. A single test costs roughly $150. North Carolina is what’s referred to as a “red state,” meaning homes here typically have higher levels of radon in them, so $150 is a sensible investment to protect your family from something as potentially dangerous as radon is. If you have any more questions about radon or radon testing or you have any other real estate needs I can assist you with, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.

The month of March has been cold and dreary here in the Raleigh area. So, when I say that it’s time to get ready for the spring market, many people think, “Spring market? It’s still winter!” Selling a home? Get a free home value report Buying a home? Search all homes for sale However, despite the cold, spring has definitely arrived. The spring real estate market has sprung. I recently looked at all homes listed on our MLS in the last 30 days, and I found that 62% of those properties are already under contract. This tells us that the market is at a blistering pace. So, today I’d like to bring you some tips on how to prepare if you plan to buy or sell in our spring or summer market. Let’s start by talking about buyers. If you’re thinking of making a home purchase this year, I recommend that you do so sooner rather than later. Interest rates are sliding up a little bit and many predict this trend will continue into the future. So, make your move as soon as you can. The first step to take as a buyer is to get with a good lender and get pre-approved. This will give you a good starting place for your home search. Once you’ve met with a trusted local lender, you’ll need to find a good agent. The right agent will not only be able to help you strategize your home search, but they will also be able to help you find properties that haven’t come to the market yet. Additionally, a good agent will help you make faster decisions, which will be beneficial in our fast-paced market. “LISTINGS ARE MOVING QUICKLY, BUT MORE INVENTORY WILL BE COMING TO OUR MARKET SOON.” As for sellers, you may want to wait until the summer to make your move. This is especially the case if you have children since they will be out of school during this time and more family-style homes tend to be listed at this time of year. That said, now is the best time to focus on getting your home ready for the market. That way when it comes time to list, you will be well-prepared. Listings are moving quickly, but more inventory will be coming to our market soon. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.