The sing-song voice of the Carolina Wren and the gentle movement of the wind moving through the tree tops wakes me from a deep sleep. 

Another beautiful day begins in this place I have grown to call home-Durham, NC.

As I work through my emails, paperwork and phone calls I pray there will be time to stop at a garden store in between appointments.  It is spring after all, and everything is colorful, beautiful, and screaming “take me home to your lovely garden.” 

While my muscles still ache from last week’s work in the garden I am eager to dig again in the dirt!!!!!

OMG it is spring!!!  Enjoy.

Do homes really get sold as a result of an open house?  The answer is yes.  In this challenging market, anything that brings exposure to the features and benefits of a home will help get the sold sign in the yard. 

Homeowners have long struggled with the idea of opening up their homes for viewing by neighbors and complete strangers who may be just curious and not yet ready to purchase.  However, many savvy buyers enjoy researching neighborhoods on their own after doing their initial internet search for suitable homes.  The beauty of an open house is that the listing agent or representative from the listing firm can answer many questions about the home and neighborhood that might not be readily apparent when working with a showing agent.

Yes, some people are just shopping and don’t yet know exactly what type of home they would like to purchase.  There are also those who are researching to see what their money will buy should they decide to make a move from their current home.  Many “shoppers” want to see how others have staged their homes in preparation for listing their own home.  And then there are the neighbors.  Why the heck would you want to open up your home for the neighbors to view?  The answer is, your neighbors are looking at your home so they can tell all their friends in hopes of having them move to the neighborhood! 

The bottom line is open houses are a much needed tool for your real estate broker in the marketing and sale of your home.  Super Bowl weekend, ACC basketball finals, the first day of warm weather or local area graduation dates are never good days for attracting buyers to your open house.   Rainy days are always hard to forecast but are not typically good for open house sellers and visitors alike. 

It was a delightful end of February weekend for the Elizabeth Allardice Team.  Three wonderful homes were showcased and I met some very delightful people.  Time well spent.  Follow my tweets to see which homes will be showcased for open houses next weekend.

Consistently ranked as one of the best regions in the country to live, the Research Triangle of North Carolina is made up of the communities of Durham, Chapel Hill and Raleigh, which mark the points of the triangle.  These communities serve as an anchor for the surrounding communities and neighborhoods make up the region.

The Triangle is very blessed with two important things that very few other places in the country can beat.  One is we have many institutions of higher learning both public and private that include Duke University (Durham), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill), North Carolina State University (Raleigh) and scores more.  Our population and industry is educated and diverse.

Additionally, we are one of the best regions, if not the best in the country for health care with Duke, UNC and WakeMed medical facilities.  Both Duke and UNC are not only hospitals and medical facilities but teaching hospitals that offer education, research, opportunities and hope for families across the globe with rare and complicated illnesses. 

This region is also very well known in the country for our technology base, much of which is  located in Research Triangle Park which extends into Durham, Wake and Orange Counties.  Durham is often rated in the top 5 in the country for Biotechnology. 

With year-round mild climate, cutting-edge healthcare, world-class cuisine, arts, music, abundant recreational opportunities, and favorable cost of living, you just can’t go wrong by choosing to live in The Triangle!

Like many, I had absolutely no idea what to expect when my family moved to the south in 1997 as it had been the only area of the country that I had never lived.   My mother was raised in Savannah, Georgia and spent the better part of my childhood trying to convince me that black eyed peas and lima beans were better than ice cream… so I came to the area with the expectation that I would not like the food or the water where she said snakes often lurked.  

What a pleasant surprise!  I absolutely have fallen in love with North Carolina.  The people are extremely kind and pleasant to be around and are always willing to say hello and smile to complete strangers.  When you sit in traffic most people don’t blast their horns and make ugly gestures at one another, and neighbors actually know one another and say hello. 

There is a quality of life in the area that is hard to explain.  As I travel hundreds of miles a week helping people with their real estate needs I find great joy in discovering a new back road that takes me off the main freeways and down a country road with some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.  From old tobacco barns and beautiful meadows to white fenced horse farms and manicured yards-this is my community and a place the I call home. 

People often ask me, where is the best place in the Triangle to live.  It is my belief each of us brings to the conversation a different understanding of what would make one neighborhood or community better than another.  Selecting a home is not just about the house but about the quality of life.  Be it a neighborhood with tree lined streets, a newly renovated downtown loft located five minutes to work, or a community planned around a lake, golf course or other activities, I can bet when we drive through the special place-you will know this to be your new home. 

There is a wealth of information we will discuss as we tour the area looking for your new home.  While it is difficult to post every neighborhood found in the triangle on my website if you describe it-we will find it!

Elizabeth Allardice has earned the nationally recognized Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource (SFR) certification offered by the National Association of Realtors.

Realtors who have earned the SFR certification know how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities. 

In North Carolina homeowners who are struggling to make their mortgage payments due to a job loss or other temporary financial hardship should CALL Elizabeth TODAY!  The Mortgage Payment Program is in place to help.  Funded through the U.S. Treasury’s Hardest Hit Fund, these loans are offered by the NC Housing Finance Agency in partnership with HUD Certified counseling agencies statewide.  Call for details or go immediately to www.ncforeclosureprevention.gov for assistance. 

If you are a homeowner in jeopardy of losing your home, Call Elizabeth (919) 624-3434 for an appointment to discuss short sale and other options.

Foreclosure sales/auctions pose unique considerations for real estate buyers.  If you are interested in purchasing a foreclosed property you want to understand how the process works: sheriff’s sale, redemption period, auction, REO properties and negotiating for the best deal Call Elizabeth Allardice for an appointment today.

Daily newspapers across the country from the Wall Street Journal to your local newspaper have articles about the housing industry, mortgage crisis, valuation/devaluation of home prices, and economic and market conditions, which often leave consumers with mixed messages about the housing market.  When thinking about a home purchase-remember Every Market is Different!

An important member of the group of service providers that we consider part of our team is the lender.  Statistics reveal that many people preparing to make the most important financial decision in their lifetime, the purchase of a home, never have a relationship with the lender used to purchase their home.   Don’t let this be you!

Rich Paravella, Senior Loan Officer with Prime Lending is our preferred lender.  We encourage you to contact Rich at rparavella@primelending.com, or (919) 334-4562 to get pre-qualified for your loan as quickly as possible. 

February 15, 2011 Lender CODE 1217 news:

I have very exciting news!  I am currently able to offer a 30 year fixed rate of 4.25% (4.57%APR) on FHA, VA and USDA loans.  This is available to 1^st time homebuyers only.  There are income and sale price limitations, however they are high limits and certainly fit most 1^st time homebuyers that I have worked with. 

Sales Price Limits for all of NC

New Home- $220,000

Existing Home- $210,000

Income Limits Raleigh-Cary Area: Franklin, Johnston, and Wake Counties

1-2 Person Family- $76,000

3+ Person Family- $88,000

If you would like to hear more about these or other mortgage products that Rich has to offer for first time home buyers please  mention CODE 1217 programs.

Selling a home in the Triangle area, even in today’s economy, doesn’t have to be stressful.   Although the daily newspapers deliver a constant barrage of very confusing messages about the housing market across the country our North Carolina real estate market is now, and continues to be, stable with no dramatic fluctuations in valuation.   As long as you properly prepare your home for the market and are realistic in your expectations-you can be on your way in a very short period of time.      

Once you have decided to sell your home you will need to shift your mindset from, this is my home, to the business of wanting it to be someone else’s home.  Put on a buyer hat and take a fresh look at the property you are trying to sell.   

Your first call should be to The Elizabeth Allardice Team for a home market analysis.  This market analysis will provide valuable information as you prepare your home to be competitive in today’s market economy.  Our discussion will include a close look at the recent sales in your immediate area and provide a snap shot view of homes that will compete with yours for a buyer when you put your home on the market.

After our discussion you will have some work to do.  What was it that sold you on the home when you purchased? Think about what would make a buyer fall in love with your home.  We know from our experience that buyers search for homes on the internet long before getting into their car.  Did you know that from the comfort of their own home consumers can now look at the curb appeal of your home by clicking on Google maps?  With this in mind take a good look at the windows, trim, exterior paint, gutters, roof and landscaping.  A fresh coat of paint, new mulch and perhaps some perky plants from the garden store are inexpensive ways to dress up the curb appeal. 

Once you have finished the exterior, it is time to take a good look at the interior spaces.  Again you should think of the buyer as being one whose first introduction to your home will be via a photograph on their computer screen.  What story will a camera lens tell of each room?  If the room appears crowded, start packing up all that is not essential.  Do you have museum quality art?  If not, the buyer might just look through whatever you have hanging on the wall and equate it to nail holes, repair and paint.  Keep that from happening by cleaning your memorability off the walls, fill in all those nail holes and give the walls a fresh coat of paint. 

Next focus your attention on the flooring, countertops, cabinetry, and windows.  Unless you have never worn shoes in your home the carpets are going to need cleaning.  Dark colors always make the room appear smaller so if you have small rooms, perhaps you need to consider replacing with a neutral colored carpet to make the best impression. 

How does the woodwork and cabinetry look?  Open each cabinet and closet door and if the space looks cluttered, start packing up everything you don’t plan to use in the next 60 days.  Be sure to wipe the surfaces clean and consider adding new door hardware to update the look.

I’ll bet at this time you have already put together a wish list of features you want in your next home.  The buyer will have done the same.  Kitchens are always high on every buyers list. If your kitchen has a wow factor, it will sell the house.  With this in mind you may need to replace countertops and appliances which are dated to freshen up this very important space. 

I know, about this time you are getting stressed out about spending extra money on your current home versus the new one.  Again, put on your business hat and compare the costs of renovating for a quick sale versus the costs of caring for a vacant home, being separated from a loved one who has had to move without you to start a new job, or continuing to clean all those bedrooms and baths, once occupied by children who have grown up and moved out.   My advice is this, do your homework in advance, search for the best possible deals on needed repairs and updates, and spend the money upfront to get the home sold quickly.  My favorite saying is “If you don’t win the beauty contest, you will lose the price war.”

Once you have your list together I suggest you hire a professional home inspector to ensure that all needed repairs are uncovered before you hire the first contractor.  The home inspector will point out any maintenance issues that could, if not repaired, be a deal breaker for a prospective buyer. 

Now you know what needs to be done to get the best price and the quickest sale for your home.  If you need help with contractors to get the work done just give us a call.

Welcome to Inside Real Estate. This is my brand new Real Estate blog. Check back soon for market updates, new houses on the market, etc.