Real Estate Information

Now’s the time to get your home staged for sale if you are putting it on the market this Spring.  Follow these simple tips to de-clutter, de-personalize and decorate your home in a way that will make it sell faster and at a higher price:

1.     Curb appeal and entry: Make sure the exterior and landscaping are in good shape so that potential buyers get a good first impression.

2.     Wallpaper and borders: Since wallpaper is very personal, repaint walls using a warm, rich neutral color so that potential buyers won’t feel they have many cosmetic changes to make.

3.     Vertical blinds and popcorn ceilings: Both of these are signs of a dated home, so be sure to remove.  No window treatments are better than showing ones that are dated.

4.     Baths: Remove all trashcans, cleaning products and personal hygiene items from view.

5.     Kitchens: Clear all countertops except for a few staging items like a green plant or some attractive canisters or cookbooks.  The sides and top of the refrigerator should always be clutter-free.

6.     Bedding:  All bedding should be neutral, tidy and attractive, and bed springs and frames should be covered.

7.     Closets: Closets should appear well-organized, roomy and spacious, so box up seasonal clothes and arrange shoes neatly.  Remove wire hangers from the dry cleaners, and buy uniform wooden or  white plastic hangers.  Keep floor free of items to increase spaciousness.

8.     Pets:  If you have pets, remove all evidence of having them prior to each showing. Spray air freshener to neutralize pet odors.

9.     Maintenance and repairs: Fix any known issues before listing so fewer items appear on the inspection report.

10. Never show a home without furniture: One might think that having an empty house helps the buyer envision their own furniture in the rooms, but instead it just makes the house look unlivable – rent furniture and stage your house if need be.

This video gives some great visuals on what to do to stage your home for sale:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-xn_mUn0Fs

I just saw this piece in Inman News, a well-known Real Estate news source, about two lenders (one of them is local, Wells Fargo, and the other is Quicken Loans), lowering their FICO scores for borrowers.  This is great news for anyone lacking a sizable down payment, and also helps people who have low credit scores.  Let’s see if other lenders follow suit.  Now is the time to buy, and I’m happy to represent you!

Take a look at the story:

http://www.inman.com/buyers-sellers/columnists/kenharney/ficos-and-fha-2-big-lenders-loosen

A few days ago, I had lunch at Campania Italian Café and Trattoria located in the old ice house in South Main Square in Davidson.  What a unique space for a restaurant – I had fun reminiscing with other long-time local residents about grandparents getting blocks of ice from this location back in the old days.

We had a delightful meal.  I ordered the Caesar salad, which was large, fresh, and crisp.  Others at the table ordered the pasta fagioli soup, which was full of beans, pasta, and vegetables, seasoned with delicious fresh herbs. The special soup of the day, Italian wedding soup, was full of perfectly-shaped meatballs in a tasty broth.  The paninis seemed to be a big hit -- friends at our table swooned over the quattro formaggi (four cheese) panini, and the Sorrento panini, full of turkey, spinach, asiago and honey mustard was also enjoyed.

I’d highly recommend Campania for lunch or dinner.  It’s easy to find from exit 30, a close walk from town, and next to Restaurant X and Fuel Pizza.

There are some things you need to hold on to and some things you just need to let go.  Someone told me a funny story about how he was teaching a bunch of kids how to water ski, and after a long day out on the water, he was spent.  He wiped out and decided to just grab onto the rope one last time, to get a ride back to shore. As he was up on his skis, he realized his swim trunks had fallen down.  He decided sometimes you have to hold on and sometimes you have to let go – after the year and day he had had, he decided to hang onto the rope to get in and “let go” of his embarrassment over losing his trunks.

So, let’s put the negative things that happened in 2010 behind us – let go.  And let’s hang on to our hopes for the New Year.  Warren Buffet predicted a real estate rebound in 2011, so let’s make it happen!  Home inventories will be at a high, which makes it a great time to buy -- more homes will go on the market in early spring.  Builders believe buyer-demand is coming and will start putting more holes in the ground so they will have inventory when demand starts to bloom again.  It’s a New Year – let go of 2010 and embrace the rope in 2011, and all the positive it will bring.

The other night, my family and I drove around looking at Christmas lights, and hit the jackpot in the MacAulay neighborhood off Stumptown Road in Huntersville.  We entered on Hugh MacAulay Road and immediately saw a house and yard decked with lights to put all others to shame, plus a sign asking people to tune in their radios to hear the accompanying music.  We decided to leave this for our grand finale, and kept driving to see other houses and their lights.  Some streets were lighted with all white lights, others were decorated with all sorts of inflatables and mechanical displays – we saw a polar bear on a see-saw with some penguins, and Santa on a see-saw with some reindeer, a carrousel with animals, a Grinch coming out of a chimney, and a stable of Santa’s reindeer.  And then we came across a house that must have a whopper of an electric bill in December, but it was all worth it: beautiful colored lights everywhere!  Next door, their neighbors were trying to keep up, and also had an amazing display of multi-colored lights, including a digital display counting down the days till Christmas (which reminded me that I better start baking and get those last few gifts!!).

On our way out, we parked across the street from the pièce de résistance, and tuned our radio to 87.9.  We watched with glee and amazement as the lights flashed in time with the orchestral Christmas music – fantastic!!  Go see for yourself -- it’ll really get you into the Christmas spirit!

Wishing you and yours the merriest of Christmases and a happy and healthy new year.

Wow, has it been cold lately!!  The City of Charlotte recommends a few helpful things to prepare for winter, and Deborah Snoonian, Senior Editor of This Old House Magazine, has more tips on keeping your home and yourself warm, while saving a little money in the process:

Winterize your plumbing to prevent pipe breaks:

- Insulate pipes in unheated parts of your home with materials that are available at your local hardware store.  You can reduce energy costs by insulating your water heater also.

- Safeguard against frozen pipes, and seal openings and air leaks in your crawl space or basement.  Use cardboard, plastic or newspaper to seal air vents, if needed.

- Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses and irrigation systems.  Make sure outdoor spigots are off and insulated.

Take a look at this article from This Old House that offers handy warm-up-your-house advice like, using your curtains effectively, installing a door sweep to keep out drafts, changing your furnace filter and adjusting your water heater:

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,214743,00.html

I hope these hints help you stay warm during this unseasonably cold spell we’ve been having!

The first annual Thanksgiving pie giveaway was a huge success!   To thank all of my clients for their business, I decided to host a pie party in the quaint log cabin at Ramah Church in Huntersville the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. We gave out 31 pies (half were pumpkin and half were pecan) to about 55 people who came with their kids, parents, grandkids.  We asked that people bring along food to donate to the Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson and we got 8 huge boxes worth – the back of my SUV was full!  My children had a wonderful time, and said they would never forget this experience.  I loved reconnecting with so many wonderful people, who said they enjoyed being able to run in and out to pick up their pies, have some cider and cookies, chat for a while, and get on with their day.  Thank you to everyone who stopped by, and thanks for all the follow-up emails, Facebook posts and other acknowledgements of how “yummy” the pies were – Mayes Harris Realty was happy to be part of your Thanksgiving holiday!

Some of my guests and me

We had quite a crowd!

John and Anna with some of the food items collected.

Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all!  I am truly thankful for the opportunity to work with all of you over the years.  Have a wonderful holiday!

As my family and I roasted marshmallows a few weekends ago, wearing hats and mittens, and then enjoyed a beautiful, warm, colorful weekend a few days ago, it made us realize this warmer weather won’t be around for much longer. As we transition from fall into winter, I thought I’d share some home winterizing tips with all of you.  My friend’s sorority sister, Deborah Snoonian, is the Senior Editor of This Old House magazine, and she provided me with some great tips and other articles for you to read.  This has practical tips like getting your heating system serviced (there’s nothing like waking up to a freezing-cold morning shower!), as well as home decorating and cosmetic tips like properly lighting your walkways and adding shades or curtains to your windows to keep away drafts.  Click on the link below:

Easy Prep for a Warm and Cozy Home

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20428035,00.html

And by the way, take care to avoid the flu bug this season!  Take a look at this video clip from the Today Show, by clicking on the link below:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/40070140#40070140

So take the time this fall, during the warm days we have left here in North Carolina, to enjoy afternoon walks, the beautiful changing leaves, the yummy foods that this season brings, but also, take some time to prepare your home for the winter.

It keeps hitting me right between my eyes....HOW TO PEOPLE WANT TO BE COMMUNICATED WITH....so I thought I would let you know what I've been reading and experiencing.

I was fortunate to attend the Annual Star Power Conference for real estate professionals...In my opinion, the most elite professionals in the business. The founder of Re/Max, Dave Liniger spoke about this;  Alex Perriello, president and CEO of the Realogy, spoke about this; Dave Ramsey, creator of The Dave Ramsey Show, spoke about this....How do we communicate in the world when we have four generations working together, socializing together, standing the the grocery line together.

The following thoughts are shared from the folks above and also experienced individuals in the Charlotte Real Estate Market. We can use these ideas to better our communication each and every day.

Generation Yare the people born after 1978...these are the most "techy" folks on the planet. They need immediate feedback...text is the key.

Generation X are my fellow humans born between 1965 and 1977. We like email the best. We are driven and like the personal meetings for real issues.

Baby Boomers are the folks born between 1946 and 1964. As quoted from Charlotte Magazine. 'they often have a love/hate relationship with technology....prefer face to face'.

Veteransare born befor 1946. They like the way they grew up...talking face to face.

I think it is important to know the most effective way to communicate with what ever age group we may be dealing with. (but never doubt the traditionalists because they have given us a great foundation)