Raleigh, NC Video Blog with rare Properties

How the Mortgage Approval Process Works

2017-03-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

Dan Woodard with Corporate Investors Mortgage Group is here to talk about the mortgage approval process.

Today I’m joined by Dan Woodard with Corporate Investors Mortgage Group to go over the mortgage approval process.

If you're thinking about buying a home, the first thing you need to do is get pre-approved. By doing so, you’ll run into a lot fewer problems when you purchase the house. For example, you as a buyer would have already provided your bank statements, paystubs, etc. for a lender to review and make sure there are no problems in your finances that might come up after the home goes under contract.

Now, there is a difference between getting pre-qualified and pre-approved. A pre-qualification is basically a short conversation between the lender and the borrower in which the borrower provides some information and the lender does some quick calculations. After that, the lender informs the borrower that they are qualified.

The pre-approval is the next step. To get pre-approved, you need to provide the documents that proves the information provided by the borrower was accurate. Completing this step is highly recommended for anyone looking to buy a home.

Once you’ve found a home and made an offer has been accepted, your loan request will go to an underwriter. Once your loan request reaches this point, it will have gone through all the processing necessary to verify it. Whether it’s a clean underwrite or a difficult underwrite will depend on how thorough the processing was done. The underwriter may ask for some follow-up documents if they see something they have a question about, but then they will clear the loan to close.

When going through the loan approval process, make sure you don’t have credit issues, switch jobs, or leave anything out of your file.

There are a few reasons a loan will fall through. Credit issues, changing jobs during the underwriting process, or missing information in a file are the most common. Make sure you have all of those things taken care of before you start the process.

If you have any questions for Dan, you can reach him at (919-676-1111).

As always, if you have any questions for me, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

How to Prepare for Inspections as a Buyer or Seller

2017-02-07T08:15:00.002-08:00

When you're selling a home, you can help yourself out a lot by taking care of these items before a home inspection.

When you're selling your home, there are certain things you can do to avoid issues with the inspection. Today, I'm joined by Greg Watkins with Advance Look Inspections to help me explain this topic.

You obviously want your home to be in tip-top shape when buyers come through. There are some things you can take care of in the home before the inspection even occurs. According to Greg, curb appeal means a lot as a buyer approaches your house, so keep your shrubbery trimmed with 12 inches of clearance from the house. Doing so will also help prevent pests from getting into your home.

Additionally, don't overlook areas of wood rot, which can take place in 95% of the house. Most wood rot, Greg, says, comes from gutters that aren't clean and cause water intrusion. If you have backed up gutters, it will show up on the home inspection. This issue can cause wood rot all the way down the side of your house, including the siding, the soffit, the trim, and the fascia.

Clogged gutters can cause a lot of costly damage in the long run.

When it comes to the HVAC system, you need to change your filters, and Greg recommends that you monitor it for the first few months after you move into a house to get an idea of how much dust is in your house. Some people have a lot of dogs and don't realize how much debris can build up, Greg says.

Any areas that look dingy should be repainted, and it always helps to clean your windows. You might want to do some serious scrubbing to determine whether your windows are dirty or have a defective seal.

As for pre-list inspections, Greg says that he'll do the same inspection that he would do for a home buyer. It will include the foundation, the siding, the roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC system. As Greg says, it may save you time and money and makes everyone's life a little bit easier.

If you're in need of a home inspection either as a home buyer or seller, you can reach Greg at 919-523-9241.

If you're interested in buying or selling a home in the Raleigh market, give me a call or send me an email. I'd be happy to help you!

How Does Your Credit Score Impact Buying a Home?

2017-01-10T09:14:00.003-08:00

Brandon Harris from Perennial Mortgage Group joins us today to answer eight common questions about credit scores and mortgages.

Brandon Harris from Perennial Mortgage Group is here to answer a few common questions about credit scores.

1. Why are credit scores important to the loan process? Credit scores give the lender a history of your past, including how you pay your bills and how you work with other lenders or credit card companies. Your credit score lets the lender know if you are reliable enough to be approved for a mortgage.

2. What is the best credit score you can have? You can have a credit score as high as 900. However, any score over 760 is an excellent credit score. Also, if your credit score is higher than 760, it won’t necessarily impact your interest rate any further; 760 is a great score on its own.

3. What kind of credit score do you need in order to obtain a loan? A lot of people think that you need a credit score of 780 or above to get a home. However, you can actually have score in the low 600s and get a home. Typically, your score should be around 640, but Brandon has worked with clients in the 620 range before.

4. What are some reasons for a low credit score? Late payments will bring your credit score down, as well as not using your credit card enough. Medical collections can also drag down your credit score; on the bright side, medical collections are fairly easy to remove from your credit report.

Medical collections are fairly easy to remove from your credit report.

5. How can you raise your credit score? First of all, catch up on your payments. Once you have a strong history of making those payments on time, your score will improve. You can also speak with a credit repair agency. Sometimes, if you have a friend or family member with a great credit score, you can become an authorized user on their credit card in order to build good credit for the future.

7. How often can you check your credit score? There is no real limit on the number of times you can check your credit. Brandon recommends going to AnnualCreditReport.com once a year to check your score for free. However, if you go to several different banks in a short amount of time to check your credit, you can get a hit on your credit score. Technically, you should still be allowed to shop around if you are looking for a lender. Just don’t look at too many.

8. When does a lender check your credit score, anyway? That is always going to be one of the first things that your lender does. After the lender collects all of your information, they will get your credit score so they can put together a pre-qualification letter for you.

If you have any other questions about your credit score or the loan process, you can reach Brandon at 919.848.4748 or brandon@perennialmortgage.com. As always, if you have any real estate questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would be happy to help you!

Happy Holidays from rare Properties

2016-12-19T13:10:00.000-08:00

We just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your continued support this year, as well as wish you a happy holidays. We owe a lot of our success to you. It has been a pleasure to help make your real estate dreams a reality.

We hope you enjoy this holiday season and make some wonderful memories with friends and family. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

As a bonus, enjoy our many failed attempts at a full team holiday greeting in the video above. We think you’ll like it.

Happy Holidays!

How the Election Has Affected the Real Estate Market

2016-12-08T15:18:00.000-08:00

There's some good news and there's some bad news.

First, the bad: mortgage rates have shot up since the election.

From a low of 3.47% on November 7th, the average fixed 30-year mortgage rate increased to over 4% by the end of November.

Economists are saying this kind of volatility is likely to continue, with day-to-day changes driven by the moves and statements of the incoming administration.

The good news is that there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic down the line.

Promised tax breaks could reinvigorate sales of luxury homes, which have seen a glut lately.

This could have a ripple-down effect throughout the rest of the real-estate market, spurring sales and construction of mid-level and lower-priced housing.

Also, looser regulation could further stimulate construction and make it easier for buyers to obtain mortgages.

And while these are long-term improvements to look forward to, there's one thing to be grateful for right now:

One way or another, the election is finally over.

You might have seen that the stock market has been surging in the past few weeks.

That might be a vote of confidence for our President-elect and his anticipated business-friendly policies...

... and it might also be a sign of relief that the election and the associated uncertainty are done with.

It certainly seems things are getting back to normal as people come to realize the world's not ending.

In fact, many people who were waiting on the sidelines while the election was going on are now entering the real-estate market.

It's a great time to take advantage of this if you are selling.

Home prices are near record highs. If you'd like to get an idea of what your home is currently worth, check out this calculator which takes into account recent Raleigh Area sales:

Enter your home address to find out what your home is currently worth

And if you're looking to buy, there are two things you should know.

First, even though mortgage rates have gone up, they are still historically very low, and worth taking advantage of.

Second, many new homes have entered the market since the election.

It's definitely worth investigating what's available around Raleigh Area right now.

Check here for all available Raleigh Area homes for sale

And if you want to talk about the election and where the real estate might be going in the coming months, give me a call at 919.576.0345. I'm here to help.

Is Listing a Home in the Winter a Good Idea?

2016-12-08T15:08:00.002-08:00

Winter is a great time to list your home.

Don’t believe us? Consider the following statistics:

Homes listed in the winter are 9% more likely to sell than homes listed during other seasons.

They sell a week faster.

They also sell for 1.2% more relative to list price.

And they are more likely to sell above asking price than homes listed in summer or fall.

Now, if you find these statistics surprising, you're not alone.

Conventional wisdom says to pass on the real-estate market during winter and to wait for spring.

As you can see from the numbers above, that's just not smart.

Yes, it's definitely true there are fewer buyers in the winter.

But that’s not actually a problem when you think about it.

For one thing, many home buyers in the winter might be new to the Raleigh area and need to settle quickly due to first-quarter job relocations.

Others might be looking to take advantage of lower mortgage rates, which have historically gone up in the spring.

Still others have simply been searching for their dream home for months without success.

Whatever their reason, the buyers who are searching in winter are much more serious and eager to buy...

... and this more than offsets their lower numbers.

So, if you've been thinking of listing your home, don't let the winter stop you.

However, do keep in mind that selling your home in the winter is a totally different ballgame than during other seasons.

For one thing, you should price your home closer to market value if you’re listing in winter.

You simply won’t get much of a chance to drop the price if it’s too high, due to the lower number of buyers who will come for a showing.

You can start by getting an idea of what your home is worth based on recent Raleigh areasales:

Enter your home address to find out what your home is currently worth

Also, you’ll have to prepare your home differently to make it attractive to buyers in spite of the darker, colder days.

If you’re considering selling your home, give us a call at (919) 576-0345. We'll share a few winter-prep tips to help you sell your home for a cool 5% to 10% more.

And what if you’re looking to buy? Well, I have some good news for you as well.

Some great homes have recently come on the market around Raleigh area.

(Perhaps their owners have been reading the same research I cited above.)

Click here to see the available Raleigh area homes on sale

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season!

Three Ways to Prepare Your Home for the Market

2016-12-07T07:33:00.000-08:00

Even if you don’t plan on selling until next year, it’s always good to be prepared. Here are three ways to get your home ready now before you list.

We can’t believe it’s December already. The year has really flown by. Real estate has been great in 2016 and all indicators point to 2017 being a good year too. One of the most common questions I’ve been getting lately is, “What can I do right now to prepare my home for sale when I’m ready to list?” I’ve got three tips to share with you today:

1. Hire a professional real estate agent. A professional will know the market and where to find buyers in it. They also know how to market your home so it attracts the highest number of buyers possible.

2. Improve your curb appeal. That’s the outside of your home. We spend so much time on the inside that we sometimes forget about our home's exterior. Focus your attention on the inside of the home as well.

3. Stage your home to sell. There is a difference between staging your home to live in and staging your home to sell. You can hire a professional stager or use your agent and their experience for advice on what you can do with what you already have.

All indications point to another great year in 2017.

If you have any questions for us or would like to list your home, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to help in any way possible and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Tips for Rebuilding After Hurricane Matthew

2016-10-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Matthew left a lot of devastation in its wake. Here’s some tips for those of you trying to rebuild after the storm.

We’ve been asked a lot lately about the effect that Hurricane Matthew is going to have on the real estate market and those thinking about selling their home. There have been tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes all over the last few months, so we wanted to give you some tips to make sure you’re approaching things the right way.

For starters, use a licensed contractor when repairing any damage or making any renovations. Make sure you verify their license and make sure they are in good standing with the state. Contractors are necessary for things like electrical and plumbing work, and your insurance company may not cover future damage if you don’t use a licensed contractor.

If you’re going to expand your square footage at all, you’ll need permits. If you don’t have an addition permitted and inspected, it won’t be added to the square footage on your home when you list it. When seeking out contractors, be sure to check their references and pay them when the work is complete, not upfront.

Use a licensed contractor when making renovations.

Certain jobs, like removing branches and tree limbs from your yard, don’t require contractors. In fact, you may even be able to reach out to the local scouts, YMCAs, and other service organizations that are looking for ways to help clean up.

Finally, make sure to keep copies of any receipts to prove that any repairs or renovations you made were legitimate. If you have any questions for us or need any assistance or recommendations, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

How to Avoid The 5 Major Home Buying Mistakes

2016-10-07T14:42:00.000-07:00

The home buying process can be complicated, especially when unexpected issues arise. There are five common mistakes that many home buyers make that can be detrimental to their purchase in the end:

Not getting pre-approved. Getting pre-approved for financing before making an offer is crucial. In today’s competitive market, it’s better to get pre-approved before you even begin looking at homes so that you know how much home you can afford. First, speak with a local lender. We can put you in touch with some great lenders.
Not determining their wants vs. their needs. It’s important for buyers to distinguish what they want in a home versus what they actually need. For example, the buyer may want a four-car garage when in reality they only need a two-car garage.
Not utilizing the due diligence period. The due diligence period can last anywhere from two weeks to a month, and it’s important to use this time period to check on your home before the closing. Test all of your major systems, go through everything with a fine-tooth comb, and schedule all of your inspections during this time.
Becoming emotionally attached to one specific home. Buyers should be careful not to become too set on one particular home before looking at others. A good agent will ensure that the home that the buyer loves is in good condition and is worth the asking price. A home is often the biggest investment that a person will make in their entire life, so making a decision based on information rather than on personal feelings is critical.
Not hiring a good agent to assist them. A good agent will keep buyers informed and share all of the information about the home and the neighborhood with them. Because good agents will coordinate almost every piece of the transaction, they can also help buyers get a better price on the home and represent their best interests during the negotiation process.

Don’t make these mistakes during your next home search. If you have any questions about how to avoid these mistakes or anything else related to real estate in our area, give us a call or send us an email. We’d be happy to help you!

We’re Having a Clothing Drive for Note in the Pocket

2016-05-16T13:04:00.004-07:00

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Our guest Shelly works with Note in the Pocket, a small, local organization that provides two weeks of school clothes to children in our county who are living below the poverty line.

Unfortunately, there are over 53,000 children who are living below the poverty line in our area. Last year, Note in the Pocket was able to serve nearly 2,600 of those children. They are hoping to do more this year, and they need lots of school-appropriate clothing for both boys and girls.

If you don’t have any clothes to donate, you can visit NoteInThePocket.org to make a monetary donation, or send Shelly an email at shelly@noteinthepocket.org.

"Donate SUMMER CLOTHING from May 28th to June 4th at Executive Office Suites, Lafayette Village."

rare Properties will also be having a clothing drive from May 28th to June 4th. We will have bins set up at our office and we will gather clothes from friends, family, and clients. We can even pick up your donation if you don’t have time to deliver it. Again, if you don’t have any clothes, checks are always welcome.

We want to help these children, and we appreciate anything you can do.

If you have any questions, check out NoteInThePocket.org or give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

How Sellers Can Benefit in Raleigh

2016-02-18T09:47:00.000-08:00

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We ended strongly last year with the most showings in December since we started documenting them in 2004. Unfortunately, buyers didn’t have many options to choose from on the market. We experienced a 12% drop in inventory since December 2014.

However, we now have a 3.8 month supply of inventory. As for pending sales, they were down 10% in 2014. Although buyers are out looking for their dream homes, they’re not writing contracts. Closed sales were a strong 10% year-to-date, and our average days on the market rests at 52 days. As you’d expect, with low inventory and high demand, average sales price has increased by 5%.

We predict our biggest challenge of 2016 will be inventory. There are buyers out there. If you or anyone you know is thinking about selling their home, give us a call or send us an email today! We’d be happy to serve your Raleigh real estate needs.

Activities for Everyone in the Triangle Area

2016-02-15T11:23:00.001-08:00

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Today I am excited to share with you some must-attend events in the Triangle area that are coming up. If you’re new to the area and don’t already know, there is something in the Triangle for everybody.

Museums like the North Carolina Museum of Art, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and the Marbles Kid's Museum are great places to spend an afternoon.

Durham is home to The Durham Performing Arts Center, where the Lion King plays until March 20th, followed by Cabaret in April and 42nd Street in May.

If you’re looking for great sporting events, the Triangle is home to the Carolina Hurricanes NHL team, who celebrate the 10th anniversary of their Stanley Cup win in 2006.

For NCAA basketball fans, the Triangle is a mecca for March Madness. The 1st and 2nd rounds will be held at the PNC arena on March 17th and 19th.
If you or anyone you know is thinking of buying or selling a home in the Triangle area, give us a call or send us an email. We would be glad to help out!

We Took Care of Carolyn When a Stressful Situation Came Up

2016-02-15T06:21:00.000-08:00

"First off working with Patty was one of the best experiences especially as a first time home buyer. I had interviewed with another realtor and immediately i knew it wasn't going to be a good fit. Patty became an instant friend and to this day is still a friend. Honestly everything she did went above and beyond and it was the little things you wouldn't pay attention to. She was just so helpful and put me at ease. We hit a very stressful point in the home buying situation when it came to my loan. I called her in complete panic and she was able to calm me down and she actually rectified the situation without me even knowing it. So when it got to the point I give up this is not going to happen she's like oh no this is happening. She made it work and I'll forever be grateful to her for that." -Carolyn

How We Look Out for Our Customers in Difficult Situations

2016-01-22T13:41:00.002-08:00

"I worked with Patty Topakian and she was awesome she walked with me through everything to help me out, she was able to answer every question that I had. I had no problems when I was selling my home working with Patti no problems what so ever. She was totally awesome. As far as the houses I was looking at she knew the price range and had an idea of what I wanted and made sure I had all the information up front. One thing she did to go above and beyond was I had some issues with closing. It nothing that was on our closing side it was on the seller's side. Long story short I had to stay in a hotel because we weren't able to close that day. Patti came, she bought my kids toys she bought us food and it was something she didn't have to do at all and it wasn't even her fault what happened. I thought that was just amazing." - Delita Thompson

Listen to How We Exceeded Mary's Expectations

2016-01-22T13:36:00.004-08:00

"Our experience was amazing working with them. We lived in a different state at the time so we couldn't be here a lot of the time and she could follow up on the process of the house being built for us and in my opinion she went over and above what I could have ever expected from real estate agent." - Mary Stakem

How We Helped Our Customers When They Were out of the Country

2016-01-22T13:30:00.002-08:00

"Well we worked with Ruth Payne. My husband had met her on sight in Barton's Grove and liked her very much and when we decided to build in Barton's Grove we decided to use her as a representative for us in Barton's Grove buying and in selling our home encroachments.

She did a lot to go above and beyond we were actually out of the country during due diligence and some of the final closing encroachments and she kept in contact with us daily by phone and by email." - Dawn Henderson

Big Changes Are Coming to the Raleigh Real Estate Market

2015-12-29T10:24:00.000-08:00

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Today I have Patti Galloway with me, and she works with Sierra Pacific Mortgage. She's going to explain some important changes that the real estate market experienced this year.

On October 3rd, changes made to the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) will affect everyone involved in the real estate industry, from consumers to Realtors to lenders. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a final rule amending regulations the Truth in Lending Act as well as the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act.

So, what does this mean for you? The TILA-RESPA rule consolidates four disclosures for closed and credit transactions secured by real property into two different forms.

One of these forms is a loan estimate that must be delivered or placed in the mail no later than the 3rd business day after receiving the consumer's application. A closing disclosure must be provided to the consumer at least three business days prior to consummation.

These new disclosures must be provided by a creditor or mortgage banker that receives an application from a consumer for a closed-end credit transaction. However, creditors are still required to use the current Good Faith Estimate, HUD 1 and Truth in Lending forms for applications received prior to August 1, 2015. After that date, these forms will no longer be used.

Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions about this issue. We understand that it may seem a little confusing or overwhelming. We would be happy to clear up any misconceptions that you may have!

New Local Businesses in Raleigh!

2015-12-15T14:48:00.000-08:00

There’s some exciting news happening in Raleigh! Today, we join Holly Van Apeldoorn to discuss the new local businesses opening in Lafayette Village. We’re excited to have two new restaurants, a clothing shop, pharmacy, salon, and a gym!

Fresh Levant, a Mediterranean gluten-free restaurant, recently opened. They serve delicious non-GMO, organic food.

Next, we have Joca’s Gourmet Dawgs N’ Shakes. Although this sounds self-explanatory, Joca’s offers vegetarian hot dogs, in addition to chicken and Italian sausage. Plus, their gourmet shakes go beyond just chocolate and vanilla.

Lisana Activewear sells all kinds of clothes, not only activewear. They sell leggings, jackets, and anything you could wear on a night out.

We’re pleased to have a new local, independently-owned pharmacy called OneRx. They’re on the corner, across from the Eiffel Tower. If you have any prescriptions, it’s an easy thing to set up. They stress the importance of getting to know your pharmacist and helping you receive the right prescriptions you need.

Soon, we welcome Parlor Blow Dry Bar to our community. In addition to hair styling, they offer make-up, eyelash extensions, and spray tan.

Additionally, there’s Carolina Barre & Core opening in the early winter. They’re an exercise and fitness business (but not exactly your traditional gym) based around the concept of a barre.

There’s a lot happening, and we’re excited to welcome new businesses to the Raleigh community. For additional information, you can check out lafayettevillageraleigh.com.

If you have any questions, give us a call or email today. We’re happy to serve your real estate needs.

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Celebrate the Holidays at Lafayette Village in Raleigh

2015-12-02T11:37:00.000-08:00

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Today, we join Holly Van Apeldoorn from Lafayette Village to discuss their community events in Raleigh this December.

On December 5th, we’re holding our annual open house. It’s an all-day event. You can complete your holiday shopping here! We’ll have demonstrations happening and samples available at the shops, in addition to holiday specials. From 3 to 5 p.m., we’ll host kid’s events, such as letters to Santa and photos with your favorite Frozen characters. From 5 to 7 p.m., Bay Leaf Baptist Church will host a concert called Christmas in the Village.

Parker’s Tree Farm opens Black Friday. They’re based in the mountains, and set up in Raleigh every year. The owner cuts down the trees himself and brings them down. The farm will be open until Christmas. You can buy a fresh-cut tree to decorate your home with there. We buy our tree there every winter.

On December 19th, we’re hosting a showing of The Polar Express. It’s our tradition to show this film on our big screen outdoors with cookies and hot chocolate. Take note of the weather, because it could be chilly or warm.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, as always, give us a call or email today! We look forward to hearing from you. Happy holidays!

One Living Room, Five Ways!

2015-11-03T10:53:00.002-08:00

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Today I wanted to give you some valuable home design advice. Whether you are trying to stage your home for sale, or just want a different feel than the same old room you’ve always had, we’ve got you covered.

In the video above, from HGTV’s YouTube channel, Brian Patrick Flynn, a very talented interior designer, goes through five different ways to style a room. The furniture never changes, just the accessories around them, and that’s the beauty of interior design. Today we will go through the 5 different ways Brian styles this room, and detail how each of them offers a different feel from the next.

1. Traditional
For a traditional look, add fresh flowers and soft coral accents. Accessorize the room with understated accents, like a stone bust, and keep the color palette soft.

2. Masculine
To create a more masculine look, utilize bold prints, and different shades of blue. Use only a few large accessories to make a bold statement.

3. Feminine
Adding bright pink, cozy, soft fabrics and curvy accents is the best way to add that feminine touch to your room.

4. Neutral
For a neutral look, adding colors like ivory, beige, and taupe and accessorizing them with patterns in varying sizes and textures will keep this neutral look interesting.

5. Coastal
Creating a coastal look in your room requires using organic accessories, as well as hints of blue. Instead of the wicker furniture that beach homes are known for, substitute with a wicker lamp to keep the feel of a beach house within the comfort of your living room.

There you have it, five great, unique ways to style any room in your home. If you have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you!

Executive Office Suites Helps Raleigh Small Businesses

2015-09-08T13:56:00.001-07:00

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Today, I have the honor of introducing you to Holly Van Apeldoorn, the operation manager at Executive Office Suites.

Executive Office Suites offers 56 fully furnished offices to small businesses. They provide everything from a front desk receptionist to a cleaning service so that you can just come in and run your business.

As a real estate company, we love having our offices here. We can use their great training facility, and we have access to their conference rooms.

Executive Office Suites also helps virtual clients by offering professional image packages for certain companies. These would include start-up companies, part time businesses, or people who work from home but need a professional address. These packages are offered at a lower cost than the full time offices.

Executive Office Suites offers opportunities for the business owners to meet each other and network as well. There are open houses twice a year, and client appreciation events on the first Thursday of each month. They also offer their clients free classes on things like Facebook, healthcare, and taxes.

One of the new clients at Executive Office Suites is the Business Alliance of North Carolina. They cater to small businesses, and anyone in the complex can become a member and attend their workshops.

Executive Office Suites is located in Lafayette Village in North Raleigh. If you have any questions about today's video, please give me a call or send me an email. I'd be happy to help you!

Have You Been to Lafayette Village?

2015-08-13T07:47:00.001-07:00

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Today, I'm joined by Holly Van Apeldoorn, the property manager of Lafayette Village. Lafayette Village is a great, European-inspired shopping center in North Raleigh.

The shops in Lafayette Village are locally owned specialty boutiques, and there are spas and great restaurants available as well. You can try French, Japanese, or Southern cuisine. A Mediterranean gluten-free restaurant will soon be joining the ranks, or you can check out Farina, our newest Italian restaurant. Other new restaurants will be joining the area as well.

Lafayette Village also offers many events. We offer our So Long Summer music event each Wednesday night in August. On August 14 at 9:00 pm, we will have a sing-along showing of Grease.

We also offer a monthly Wine Walk. This event is on the third Thursday of every month from April to September. It costs $10 to participate, you get to keep the wine glass, and 80% of the proceeds go to a different charity each month.

Lafayette Village is a great place for meeting friends and family, and something is always going on here. If you have any questions, you can call Holly at 919-714-7447, or visit lafayettevillageraleigh.com. As always, you can always contact me with any questions about Raleigh real estate. We'd be happy to help you!

Why Should You Consider Selling Right Now?

2015-06-02T12:11:00.002-07:00

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Hey everyone, today we are talking to all the sellers in our market that are on the fence about actually selling their home. Typically we see buyers have this problem, but the fact that we are in a seller's market right now has put the pressure on sellers. Today we are going to give you 4 reasons that you may want to consider selling now, if you're on the fence.

1. Low housing supply
Tight inventory is the main reason the ball is in the seller's court. If you can believe it, we only have a 3-month supply of inventory right now in the Triangle. That means if no other homes come on the market, we will sell every home listed for sale in 3 months.

2. Fewer cash buyers
Cash and investment buyers made up 1/3 of all home sales in 2014, according to Realty Track. Fewer cash buyers means better offers, and smoother transactions.

3. Higher interest rates
They are still currently at historic lows, but experts expect them to rise soon. No one knows when that's going to be, but when they do, your buying power will diminish greatly.

4. Rising rents
Rental prices could be motivating you to make a leap, and for good reason. They have risen about 15% in the past 5 years alone and every time there is an increase, more and more people realize it's a better investment to buy a home than to rent one.

If you have any questions about this topic or are thinking of selling in the Triangle this summer, please give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to speaking with you soon!

How we helped Wendy find a home using our quick response time

2015-06-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

Our agent, Ruth, was wonderful. I would call her up last minute, and she always showed us properties as soon as possible – sometimes even later that day! She worked a lot of extras into the deal. It was a really good experience!

Wendy Huber, Homeowner

How we helped Zeddie find the perfect home by going above and beyond

2015-06-01T08:37:00.003-07:00

I felt that the whole entire process was above and beyond. I was about to give up because I couldn’t find a home like I wanted, and my agent Patty fought for me to the end. She reassured me that everything was going to be all right. Everything was on point. She combed through every detail to find the perfect home. I never had anybody do that for me before.

Zeddie Cromartie, Homeowner