Carolinas Real Estate Podcast with Thomas Elrod

Get Ready for High Performance Real Estate in 2017

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 15:36:00 -0800

The Lars Group and Elrod Real Estate Experts have joined forces to become the High Performance Real Estate Advisors powered by Keller Williams.

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Have you heard the most exciting news in the real estate industry here in Charlotte?

We have taken the two highest performing real estate teams in the area and merged them. The Lars Group and the Elrod Real Estate Experts are now one team under Keller Williams Realty!

Lars and his team have sold more than 2,000 homes in the area. You have probably heard him on the radio on 99.3 or 107.9. Lars has been on the radio for many, many years. He is a great marketer and this will be a phenomenal team. We are excited to have him at Keller Williams.

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The two best real estate teams in Charlotte have joined forces!

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So, be on the lookout for some beautiful new signs for High Performance Real Estate Advisors powered by Keller Williams. We look forward to serving you on a higher level in 2017.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

The Top 10 Reasons to Sell Your Home This Fall

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Tue, 8 Nov 2016 13:39:00 -0800

Today, I’ll count down the top 10 reasons why you should list your home during the fall, winter, or holidays.

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Today, I’m counting down the top 10 reasons why you should list your house during the fall, winter, or holidays if you want to get top dollar.

10. By selling now, you’ll have the opportunity to be a non-contingent buyer in the spring, when there are more houses on the market available for less money. This will allow you to sell high and buy low.

9. You can still restrict showings during the holidays.

8. January is traditionally the month for employees to start new jobs. Since transferees cannot wait until spring to buy, you need to be on the market in spring and winter in order to capture those buyers.

7. Some people are looking to buy before the end of the year for tax reasons.

6. Buyers have more time to look for a home near the holidays than they do during the workweek.

5. Buyers are more emotional during the holidays so they are more likely to pay your price.

4. Houses show better when they are decorated for the holidays.

3. Supply will dramatically increase in January, which means less demand for your home. Less demand means less money.

2. Serious buyers have fewer options to choose from during the fall and winter, and less competition means more money for you.

1. People who look for homes during the fall, winter, and holidays are much more serious buyers.

Ultimately, as a seller, the competition drops off significantly once school starts back up again. Charlotte is one of the top five fastest-growing areas in the country, so buyers are still moving here regardless of the season. With low competition and strong buyer demand, now is the perfect time to sell your home.

If you have any questions about the home selling process or about real estate in general, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

The 3 Reasons Why People Continue to Rent

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 09:32:00 -0700

There are three main reasons why people choose to rent a home and make their landlord rich rather than buying a home.

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Today I wanted to show you some of the reasons why people choose to continue renting and making their landlord rich instead of buying a home. There are three main reasons:

You don’t have any money for a down payment. Fortunately, there are programs out there that provide 100% financing, like USDA financing or VA loans. You can also choose a 3% down conventional mortgage or the North Carolina bond program. We can even get you seller-paid closing costs, where the home seller pays a lot of your closing costs.
You have bad credit or no credit. Banks realize that bad things happen to good people. Right now, there is a lot of money on the sidelines and banks are waiting to lend it to you. We have lenders on staff who can closely examine your credit report to find out what your best option for financing is.
You're stuck in a lease. Leases are there to protect the tenant (lessee) not the landlord. If you send us a copy of your lease, I'm sure we can find a way to either get you out of it or find a seller who will pay your security deposit to get you out of the lease.

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There are programs that allow you to finance 100% of a home purchase.

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The 3 Benefits of Offering a Home Warranty

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Wed, 5 Oct 2016 14:03:00 -0700

There are three main reasons why you should offer a home warranty when selling your house.

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Why is offering a home warranty so important when selling your home? In addition to helping you get top dollar for your house, there are three major benefits to offering a home warranty:

Offering a home warranty will separate you from your competition. If there is a house for sale down the street from yours that does not offer a home warranty, the buyer will be uneasy about purchasing that house. When buyers look at your house, the home warranty will give them peace of mind.
Home warranties cover all major mechanical issues. Buyers will be covered if any issues arise during the listing period and one year after closing.
Offering a home warranty allows you to compete with new construction homes. All new home builders offer at least a one-year home warranty at least. If you want to compete with new construction homes, you need to offer a home warranty.

If you are thinking about selling your house, we can go over the warranty and tell you what the coverage is and how much it costs. Most home warranties only cost a few hundred dollars.

If you have any other questions about home warranties or about real estate in general, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

Time for Green Photos is Running Out

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 11:33:00 -0700

Whether you’re selling in the summer or winter, buyers want to see green photos of your house. Time is running out to get those photos taken.

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When it comes time to sell your house, you want the best pictures possible. For the exterior of your house, the best photos you can have are green photos. Whether you have an acreage, a swimming pool, lake, or just some nice trees, potential buyers want to see those things when they are looking for homes online.

If you plan on listing sometime this winter or next spring, this is your last opportunity to get some green photos taken before the grass starts dying and the leaves on the trees start falling. You can get a leg up on your competition right now.

If you get exterior pictures taken right now, it will make all the difference against your competition. If you’re thinking about selling sometime this winter or spring, let us know. Our photographers will be out for the next few weeks taking exterior pictures while it’s still nice and pretty outside.

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Buyers want to see green photos.

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Give us a call or send us an email and we’ll get you on their schedule. There’s no obligation for you to sell if you take us up on this offer; it’s just a service we wanted to provide to you.

If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. We look forward to hearing from you.

The Steak Dinner Winner and As-Is Home Sales

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 13:23:00 -0700

I’m excited to be back with you with the results of the Sizzling Summer Steak Dinner winner!

Everybody made it tough - you guys gave us some great questions and some great ideas for future video blog topics that we can give to you.

The winner is Jason Carter of Charlotte, who wins a steak dinner for two at the Palm Restaurant!

Jason wrote: “When a house is being offered as-is, does that mean more than simply the condition of the house? Is there more information to consider in that as-is blanket statement? For example, could there be outstanding liens that could pop up before closing or maybe unpaid taxes which I would be responsible for?"

That’s a great question from Jason.

The answer is yes - when you buy a property as-is, it’s all yours. It’s your due diligence and the buyer’s agent’s due diligence to do home and termite inspections, survey, a radon test, chimney test, structural tests, septic/well test, and many others before closing.

If both halves of the house break, that’s on you!

As far as liens, you can have first liens, second liens, lines of credit, property taxes owed, HOA dues that are due, or title liens. When it comes to titles and title insurance, we like to do a title search at the very beginning so we can make sure there are no clouds on the title.

There’s a lot of work to be done when buying a home, especially if you’re buying as-is.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, give us a call or shoot us an email and let us go to work for you. Let’s talk soon!

The Carolinas Home Sales Are Sizzling This Summer

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 12:28:00 -0700

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Carolina home sales are sizzling this summer. A balanced, healthy market generally means about a six-month supply of inventory. Anything less is considered a seller’s market. At this time last year, we were in a slight seller’s market with 4.4 months of inventory. Right now however, we only have a three month-supply of homes. We have also seen the average sale price rise by 8.2% from last year. This proves that sellers are getting their asking prices in this market.

You can lock in an absurdly low interest rate.

I read an article earlier today that said interest rates were at a historic 41-year low. A 30-year interest rate right now should be somewhere around 3.5%, with a 15-year rate being around 2.5% on average.

These conditions make our market a win-win for buyers and sellers. You can continue to rent and make your landlord rich, or you can lock in an absurdly low interest rate and make the same payment for 15 or 30 years.

If you are thinking about buying or selling, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We are always here to help in any way we can. We look forward to hearing from you.

Join Us for a Free Night at Sports Connection

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 13:53:00 -0700

Click here to register

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We wanted to say thank you for your business and your continued support by personally extending an invitation to our Fall 2016 Client Appreciation Party.

We hope you'll join us August 19th at Sports Connection from 6 -10 p.m. We're renting out space so that you'll have access to laser tag, bowling, rock climbing, the bounce house, video games, skeeball, air hockey, and much, much more.

Come for a totally free night at Sports Connection!

We'll have TONS of door prizes, and we'll have it all catered so you don't need to worry about paying for dinner.

We want to see the whole family so, mark your calendars for August 19th! Space is limited. RSVP by August 1st to reserve your spot! We can't wait to see you there!

Click here to register.

Do You Have Questions? We Have Steak

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Tue, 5 Jul 2016 15:44:00 -0700

Submit your Questions

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Email me at Info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com with your real estate topic to WIN a FREE steak dinner for two to your favorite restaurant!

Do you have any unanswered questions about real estate? I bet you do. Despite our educational blogs over the past few months, I’m sure there are topics we haven’t covered and questions that are left unanswered for you.

We know you have questions about the real estate market in Charlotte and we want to read them.

Earning a steak dinner has never been easier.

If you send us a really good question and we choose to answer it in a video, you will receive a free steak dinner for two at the restaurant of your choice!

Once again, thank you for watching, and we look forward to hearing from you!

How to Avoid Disaster When Buying New Homes in Charlotte

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 10:18:00 -0700

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Newly-constructed homes are wonderful investments to make. You can pick and choose what you want, and you can control most of the building process. However, we see people make the same mistakes when they buy new construction. We will be discussing these three mistakes today.

Hiring a real estate agent is crucial when you buy new construction. Home sellers for builders are notorious for tricking buyers into thinking that they're working on their behalf, when they're actually just trying to sell the home for the construction company. Find an agent who will work with your best interests in mind. What's even better is that the builder will pay their commission, so hiring a Realtor will not cost you a dime!

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We’ve managed to negotiate $40k of complimentary upgrades for our clients.

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We can negotiate with builders and get you the finest amenities for the best prices. We have clients with neighbors that go through the same builder, yet we manage to get our clients nearly $40k in upgrades at no cost to them. We have established relationships with builders in Charlotte, and this makes a huge difference when it comes time to negotiate.

One other thing we recommend is to have your own home inspection done, instead of relying on the builder’s inspection. You’ll want radon and pest inspections, too. We recently went and toured a new home that wasn’t even finished, yet it already had mold in it. Sometimes you simply cannot trust the builder’s assessment of the property.

If you are considering building a new home, please come and talk to us. Comparatively speaking, building new is a lot less expensive than it was ten years ago when the market was peaking. Please contact us soon if you’d like to build new this spring or summer!

What’s the Best Resource for Charlotte Real Estate?

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Wed, 18 May 2016 10:15:00 -0700

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Did you know that North Carolina’s Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is the most accurate real estate website you’re going to find? Third-party sites such as Trulia, Zillow, and Realtor.com often have data that is inaccurate.

We often get calls from people who found a home on Zillow and want to see it. When we look up the home on the MLS, it’s not uncommon to find out that it’s under contract or that it closed months ago. This can be heartbreaking as a buyer, and it can be stressful to find out that you wasted your time looking at homes that aren’t even available!

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Using home evaluation tools on third-party sites will often result in disappointment.

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Some of the information these sites use to estimate home values is also suspect. They have to rely on tax data in order to give home estimates, which is a notoriously unreliable pricing method. Using home evaluation tools on third-party sites will often result in disappointment, as they have no way of giving you anything other than a ballpark figure.

In order to help you avoid some of these problems, I want to offer you a backstage pass to our MLS. The backend of this website is much more detailed than anything you’ll find on Trulia or Zillow. You can get information about lot size, the architecture of the property, the schools, and so much more. This is valuable information for people who want to get results when buying or selling in our area!

If you have any questions about accessing this data, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

What Is the Difference Between Teams and Individual Agents?

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Mon, 2 May 2016 09:59:00 -0700

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It's important to know the differences between working with an individual versus a team when buying or selling real estate in Charlotte.

Previously, many of you may have worked with an individual Realtor. We take a different approach as a team. It’s similar to visiting the doctor’s office with several employees, including the receptionist that takes your information and nurse that checks your blood pressure. Although this isn’t physical surgery, this is surgery on your home.

An individual agent can only be in so many places at one time, including working with buyers and sellers, mediating negotiations, tending to administrative work, and organizing open houses. It’s a lot more work when there isn’t a team.

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Why pay for one agent when you can get a dozen for the same price?

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However, we’ve found that with the team approach, everyone contributes at the highest level. This leads to quality communication and customer service. We have listing agents that specialize in listing homes for sale. We have buyer’s agents that specialize in working exclusively with buyers. One of our showing specialists, last year, showed over 1,300 homes independently.

I urge you to check out the teamwork approach. Remember: teamwork makes the dream work! Why pay for one agent when you can get a dozen for the same price?

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home in Charlotte, give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have and meet with you!

Spring Has Sprung in Charlotte

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 09:39:00 -0700

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Spring has sprung in the surrounding Charlotte area! Today, we’re covering how to prepare for the springtime market. If you’re thinking of listing your property anytime soon, we need to meet right away!

Over the next 30 to 45 days, our marketplace will experience increased competition. Sellers are anxious to list their homes, too. That’s why we need to be one step ahead of them! Since we’ve been listing with sellers before the springtime market kicks off, we’ve been able to sell for a much higher price. These sellers then can take advantage of low inventory, when there are fewer homes listed.

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Sell now at the high point!

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If you’re considering selling your Charlotte home, sell now at the high point! As we go into spring and summer, you can buy at a lower point with more competition. You can still take advantage of historically low interest rates right now as well. Don’t miss out and act today.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home in the local region, reach out to me by phone or email. I’d be happy to answer your questions and serve your real estate needs! Additionally, I can conduct a cost-free, obligation-free Comparative Market Analysis at your earliest convenience.

The Benefits of Owning a Charlotte Home

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 09:35:00 -0700

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Let’s discuss homeownership versus renting. Don’t let rising rents trap you! Instead, own a piece of the American dream.

I have a friend who rented a property for the last ten years. He rented a house for $1,000 a month, $12,000 a year, and $120,000 over the ten year period. That’s net income. I asked him, “What did you gross before taxes to bring home $120,000 in net income?” We estimated that he flushed $180,000 to $200,000 down the drain. He did make his landlord very wealthy.

There are many benefits to locking in your mortgage payment. You don’t have to worry about rents going up, and you get to write off the interest on your mortgage. There are tax benefits as well. The best part is at the end of your 20 or 30 year loan, you get a title, and you never have to make any payments again.

A lot of you know our showing specialist, Teddy Scwhab. For the last three years, I have been telling him to get a home. Last July, he closed on his house. He was able to write off interest, closing costs, origination fees, and property taxes. The other night he found out he’s getting $5,700 back from the federal government and the state. He never would have gotten that money if he were still renting.

If you’re interested in owning a home, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

Can You Help Us Give Back to Others in Need?

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 09:25:00 -0700

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There are over 950 Keller Williams offices in the world, and in 2015 our team was #1! We sold 3,400 homes and closed $842 million in volume this past year. We could not have done this without our raving fans. It’s because of you and your referrals that we were able to reach out and help so many people with their home sales this year.

When we realized we were going to be named #1, we sat down with our team and asked the question, “Can we have a for-profit business with a non-profit purpose?” What we came up with as an answer is the Elrod H.O.P.E compassion program.

H.O.P.E. stands for “Helping Other People Effectively” and we have decided that a portion of every single closing commission check we receive is going to go into this program. What we want to do with this program is help those in need around the area, anonymously. Maybe they have fallen on hard times and can’t pay their electric or heating bill, maybe they just need a meal. Whatever the case, I wanted to ask all of you raving fans one simple question:

Do you know anyone in the community with a need that we could serve anonymously?

If you do, please give us a call or send us an email so we can get more details. We want this to be anonymous, and be able to help somebody out there who needs it. Our goal in 2016 is to serve 50 families. We want to pay it forward and thank the community for supporting us all the way to being number one in the world.

If you have any questions for us, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Pre-Approval and Pre-Qualification in Charlotte

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 09:19:00 -0700

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Often, clients ask the difference between loan pre-qualification and pre-approval. Pre-qualification involves running your credit score. However, pre-approval goes beyond the credit score and obtains specific documents to determine if a loan is fit for you. These documents include pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements, and similar paperwork.

What’s the worst that could happen? Let's say a buyer starts looking at properties, writes checks, pursues an inspection, and obtains an appraisal. This costs, at least, a thousand dollars already. Then, when the lender or banker reviews all the financial information, the buyer learns they don’t qualify for a loan. Maybe a buyer’s debt-to-income ratio isn’t right. Maybe they didn’t factor in certain expenses to the overall cost.

That’s why pre-approval is so much more important than pre-qualification. It’s more legitimate to be pre-approved when home shopping because it proves to the seller that the buyer is committed. If you’re considering buying or selling a home, please get pre-approved. If you or anyone you know is thinking about buying or selling a home this year, give us a call or send us an email! We look forward to hearing from you.

Check out our last blog post to learn about the Charlotte real estate market for 2016

The Market Today in Charlotte

info@SweetHomeCarolinas.com (Thomas Elrod) — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 09:13:00 -0700

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The Charlotte region is one of the top ten fastest growing areas in the country! Likewise, inventory is extremely low. There are more buyers with fewer homes to choose from. As a result, the average for days on the market currently rests at 74 days.

It’s a great time to sell! In fact, we advise any sellers interested in listing during the spring to get started now. January is the time to get a head-start. Take advantage of time! You ultimately want your home to stand out, despite a competitive market.

Rates are extremely low. It’s also an opportune time to buy. 4% for a thirty-year fixed mortgage is a steal! If you’re thinking about buying or selling this year, give us a call or email us today for a free consultation!