Very Successfull 2007 Parade of Homes

Did you make it out? Better yet, did you make it out alive?

Linville was swarming with people this past weekend! I felt somewhat sorry for the actual residents there. I arrived early both days and you could just see the full-time residents filter out of the neighborhood for the day to avoid the mass of people driving through and the tour buses on route. There was one bus with 43 people that showed up in Linville.

From my perspective it was a huge success! I had many people tour 11229 Conley Cove Court and they were in awe of the incredible craftsmanship, lavish pool and attention to detail that Pinnacle Construction Group is known for. Several had also visited Hasentree and said that it, too, was a zoo!

If you were one of my visitors this past weekend - THANKS for stopping by! It was great seeing you. If you missed it you can always give me a call and I can arrange a private tour of any of the homes that were on Parade.

Whew.....very sluggish shucking today.....

OPEN HOUSE! Last weekend of the 2007 Parade of Homes!

Linville, Raleigh - I cordially invite everyone to visit my open house at 11229 Conley Cove Court on October 13 and October 14 from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

I will be holding this exquisite home open both Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th. Come tour one of the most luxurious homes currently on the market! Hope to see you then! Please mention that you saw my OPEN HOUSE mentioned here on The Pink Oyster to be registered to win a free gas card!

Property information

Updates and Information on New Falls of Neuse Projects

I have many clients and friends in Wakefield Plantation that are curious as to the projects surrounding New Falls of Neuse Road. Progress has escalated dramatically over the road extension and that raises a few questions thoughout the neighborhood. I thought I would find as many links as I could to help answer some concerns and curiousity.

Falls of Neuse Corridor Plan

Neuse Detour is Topic of Hearing Today

Residents, Firefighters Worry over Proposed Bridge Detour

Bond Referendums

If you come across any interesting articles or news related to the project please feel free to share!

Just doing a little research shucking......

2007 Parade of Homes right around the corner.....

The 42nd Annual Parade of Homes is about to begin! What an extraordinarily exciting time! Builders will showcase the best of the best! Homes all over Wake County will be on Parade this year and I have been fortunate to preview some of the finest while under construction - simply breathtaking! The builders have pulled out all of the stops this year and the 2007 Parade will prove to be the best so far.

The following link is available to the public for previewing Homes that will be on Parade. Also, be sure to check out the News & Observer for the special Parade of Homes Preview that will be published September 29, 2007.

As always, should you have any questions regarding any of the homes that you see please feel free to contact me. I can help you with directions, builder backgrounds and prior accomplishments, private tours and detailed information!

North Carolina Build.com

Have a GREAT time at the Parade!

Leesa

Awestruck shucking.......

No more water under the bridge.....

For those of you local this certainly isn't news....however, if you are in another part of the country let me just say that we are experiencing a serious drought! If anyone knows a bonafide rain-dance please pass it on. Not only are we lacking rain but the heat has become unbearable. Yesterday set an new all-time high in the Raleigh-Durham area with a temperature of 105 degrees.

The City of Raleigh held a meeting yesterday to discuss the current water restrictions that we are under and the following link will take you to the new restrictions that are to take effect August 28. Please take heed! Fines are hefty and we need to conserve.

Raleigh Water Rules To Get Stricter

Water-conserving shucking...

How Low Should You Go????

I found this great article that I wanted to pass along. You must admit that the shift to a Buyer's Market has certainly occured. As with all things cyclicle we will eventually stablize and start the pendulum move back in the other direction. However, I have many buyer's that are currently looking for "deals" and the question always arises, "How low should I go?" The following link is for a story about just that from The Real Estate Journal. There is some practical advice for making that initial offer without offending the seller. Hope you find it helpful!

How To Bid Low On A Home Without Offending The Seller....

"Do your research" shucking......

Through the eyes of a buyer.....

I really thought that instructing sellers to have a clean house when it was on the market for sale was like beating a dead horse.......the point should have been long understood! Boy, was I wrong!

After showing many houses this weekend I can safely say that I was appalled at the condition of some of the homes. One of the first responsibilities of any real estate agent worth their salt when preparing a home to be listed for sale is to advise the sellers to CLEAN UP! Get rid of the clutter, scrub walls, clean floors, and keep it neat. Spruce up the entrance, set an atmosphere, open the curtains, etc. But, the fundamental remains - clean your house.

To help you with a visual.......one home in particular was trashed from top to bottom. Dirty dishes all over the living room, important documents strewn about the furniture, dirty dishes in the sink, "sticky stuff" on the kitchen floor, writing on the walls (literally), the master bedroom was PILED high with dirty clothes all over the floor, end of bed and in the closet, bed was not made, master bath was a disaster with filthy shower, dried toothpaste all over the sinks, nasty, nasty toilet, a dresser top that was so clutters and stacked with "stuff" that you couldn't see the dresser. You literally had to side step through the house to move about. My buyers didn't however; I chose to see the rest of the house for myself - UNBELIEVABLE!

The topper came when the buyers had wanted to see the back yard. A dog was in the kitchen with "doors" up so it couldn't run about the house. We stepped over the "doors" and went to the sliding glass doors to exit out onto the deck. What did we step on? A doggie pad that was saturated with dog urine. DISGUSTING!

Seriously, if you are contemplating selling your home you MUST put yourself in a buyers mindset. If you were with me and you saw this house would you remotely be interested in buying? I have to also say that this home was in a neighborhood with gorgeous homes and a higher than average price range. It was not tenant-occupied so clearly the owners had full control over what the property looked like.

Folks, live your life how you wish.....but, when it comes to selling your home - it is BASIC, FUNDAMENTAL, and INESCAPABLE to clean your home. If you can only see through your eyes it is then your real estate agents duty to guide you through the steps necessary to get your home ready to be shown. What a disservice the agent representing the above mentioned house has done to their clients.

Excuse me while I step down from my soap-box!

Shucking on.......

Seriously, another list.....

Folks, I am not doing this intentionally but, Raleigh just keeps showing up on these lists. Here is another to add to the ranks of popularity......

Raleigh Could Crack US Top 50 in Population

Talk about your healthy growth!

Expanded shucking..........

Raleigh Makes Yet Another Elite List....

Raleigh just keeps popping up on lists! These are the lists we WANT to be on! Following is an article regarding the best places in the US to sell a home. Hhmmm.....guess who was number one?

The 5 Best Places To Sell A Home...

If you are hesitant about the Raleigh area and don't quite want to take one person's word for it - check out the articles that I provide - some good reading!

Some list-topping shucking going on......

Downtown Raleigh has seen the light...

Here is another great article regarding downtown Raleigh and the efforts to revamp, revitalize and make us an even bigger contender.....

Building Booms in Downtown Raleigh

Entrepreneurial shucking at it's finest....

McMansions, Estates and Lotsa Money

It seems that home sales are down in most of the country - you would agree with that, right? Well, not all home sales! Even in the Raleigh area the sales of luxury, high-end properties have drastically picked up. Following is a story relating the country as a whole.

Soaring Into The Stratosphere

As for Wake County here are some statistics that might surprise you.

In Wake County ONLY sales jumped from $546,765,433.00 in May to a whopping $601,819,487.00 in June. That is the highest monthly sales in over a year - now I ask you, are we in a slump? Keep in mind, that is WAKE county only. It does not include Durham, Chapel Hill, and smaller areas such as Youngsville and Franklinton. Pretty astounding.

The zip code with the highest amount of sales is 27587. That includes all of Wake Forest and part of Wakefield Plantation. According to statistics there were 198 home sales in the month of June for just that zip code.

If you would like monthly updates on statistics for Wake County and surrounding counties please just send me an email and I will be happy to oblige.

Some serious house-buying shucking going on.....

We Built This City.....

Well, the following article is tandem to the article a few days ago about growth creeping into Creedmoor. When I lived in Charlotte (years ago) the exact same thing had happened. Charlotte became synonomous with Mecklenberg County. I remember when I would get new clients back then they would specifically say, "We only want county taxes!" I had to disclose that I could sell them a house with county taxes but that there was no way I could predict when their home would be annexed by Charlotte. It was inevitable - everyone within the county was scopped up by Charlotte. Not only was Charlotte the same as Mecklenberg County -there was also a fine line between North Carolina and South Carolina. Rock Hill, SC was growing north and Charlotte (at the time) was growing South - the two met at one point.

My friends, the same is happening here. I am constantly getting requests from people that they want a house in Wake Forest (where I live), Cary, Knightdale, Apex, etc......my friends, it is all the same. There is rarely a defining line between the two and as evidenced by the article, soon there will be no difference between the "city" and the "county". It is the price we pay. We have some of the best schools in the country, best universities and colleges in the country, the biggest research area in the country, a fantastic cost of living and, interestingly enough, a slower pace compared to the rest of the country despite our achievements.......as I said, it is the price we pay.

Farmland Threatened By Wake Development

Busting and booming shucking.......

Like your momma said - Gettin' too big for your breeches....

Bound to happen! There is no more room in Wake County! Okay, not exactly true - but, I got your attention! Many smaller bedroom communities have experienced a boom in the influz of residents. Why, duh! First was Cary, Wake Forest, then came Zebulon, Knightdale and along came Holly Springs, Apex and "The Quay". If I left anyone don't scream and throw a fit - it wasn't intentional. Now, slowly creeping in is Creedmoor. Honestly, I am surprised that it took this long.

Wake Growth Spilling Into Creedmoor

from WRAL.com

Would you live in Creedmoor? (I would!) What do you think of the bedroom communities becoming mainstream?

Just a curious shucker....

How about a side of real estate with that? Smotherd and covered.....(thanks Waffle House!)

Oh, come on! You have all seen the red and white badge plastered all over my blog and website....you know you want to go. Don't be shy!

Free cup 'o joe, free pastries, free home tour, free advice - did you get the FREE! I am so excited for the first tour. I have quite a few that have signed up! Should be interesting how it all turns out. I have high hopes....For those of you that have signed up but not registered on the website will you please do so? It is so much easier to keep track of all of you that way!

Countdown begins -

T-minus 12 days and counting - Communications a go! We're rollin' her out to the pad....

Atomic Ranch? New dressing or funky diggs?

So, I meet this great couple from Massachusetts and they start inquiring about "atomic ranches". They also used terms such as borax - huh? It was a new one to me but like all things placed before me I had to run out and learn what this craze was all about! Barnes & Nobles was a great place to start. There are a few magazines specifically dedicated to this trend. FYI, here is one: Atomic Ranch

Pretty darn cool! The term references homes built in the atomic age. You know the ones.....many times the brick ranches, split-level homes and the like all built in from the 1940's - late 1960's. There seems to be quite a sub-culture, which is now going mainstream, of collectors that purchase the homes, remodel and period decorate. While I was skeptical at first it was amazing to see all of the homes that are being scooped up specifically for that. Don't get me wrong, I am used to the historic homes being updated but this was new. See, you can teach an old oyster new things!!!!

I'll keep you updated on my clients progress and hopefully will be able to get some pictures along the way. It will be interesting to see the before, during and after.......

Shuck on......

Don't Bite Off More Than You Can Chew....

Realtors Spread the Word on Avoiding Foreclosures

Posted: Today at 5:31 p.m.
Updated: Today at 6:01 p.m.

Raleigh — A group of local realtors wanting to put a stop to the growing number of foreclosures in Wake County took to the streets Wednesday to help educate people about their options when buying a home.

"We don't want to see people losing their homes. So, we're trying to get out and educate people and work with people so they don't have to," realtor Darlette McCormick said.

Click here for the rest of the great article.

I am so happy to see this happening. Time and time again I have seen the same thing with my own buyers. They "qualify" for an astronimical mortgage payment, don't do the homework, get a glazed look in their eyes and less than a year later are not able to keep their heads above water. As the article says, they can't refinance because they are late on payments and it just snowballs from there. Please, keep a level head when searching for a home......stay within a level that you are comfortable.

Educated shucking.......what it's all about!

Wow - Happy 40th to me!

No words will ever describe skydiving! There is that moment when the parachute opens and you literally “stand still” in the air! No noise, complete silence and the most awe inspiring moment of your life – EVER! Will I go again – om my god, I can’t wait!!!!!

See more progress on: Skydive

And I'm Free, I'm Free Fallin'

"I wanna glide down over Mulholland
I wanna write her name in the sky

I wanna free fall out into nothin'

Gonna leave this world for awhile"

Oh faithful readers.........nothing prepared The Pink Oyster for her 40th birthday!!! May not be real estate related but I just had to share. My wonderful husband bought me the present of a life time - a SKYDIVE!!! Let me just say, no words could ever describe the experience. I want to extend a huge thanks to Carolina Sky Sports for helping to make this the most memorable birthday EVER, a big hug and kiss to John Terry, my instructor and a shout out to Peter my photographer and videographer! I can only describe my experience as the most peaceful, quiet, reflective and awe inspring moment of my life.

When that parachute opens and the deafening stillness and quiet seeps in, there is nothing but you and big open sky. Folks, if you ever, ever think you might want to do it, JUST DO IT!!

As soon as I get my head out of the clouds, we'll be back up and blogging!!!

Make a Free Flash Slideshow

Just a teeny disclaimer - this is my own amateur video - the real one will be up later in the week!

Held hostage............

This post goes out to all of the frustrated buyers and sellers! This one is for you!

I currently have a potential client that is in a listing agreement with another company. Before any of the Realtor® police come after me - they contacted me! Let's make that very clear!

They have had their home listed with the other company for about 4 months and are very, very unhappy with the service that they have received. No communication, no advertising, no open houses, no feed-back, no return phone calls and the list goes on. The sellers contacted them last week and stated that they wanted to terminate their listing agreement. At first thought, the company said they would email the release papers. Four days later, the company emailed again and said that they would NOT release the seller unless the seller paid them $600.00. FOR WHAT? They didn't advertise the home, their level of service was way less than stellar and they never even returned a communication until the seller wanted to terminate the contract.

Now, I ask you.......why would you want to make an already unpleasant relationship volatile? Had they simply released the sellers it would have been said and done. Now, however, the seller is contacting the Real Estate Commission and lodging a complaint among other actions.

For you fellow Realtors® I pose this question........if the marriage isn't working between you and a client, whether it be a buyer or a seller, why continue? Why turn this into a circus? Wow, just gives us all a bad image. Remember, word of mouth travels fast. Negative word of mouth travels at the speed of light..................

Curious shucking...............

Active Rain (Isn't that a little redundant?)

I have a great community that I would like to share with you. Remember, knowledge is POWER!! Take a minute and visit Active Rain. It is a great site with a Q&A section for anyone to pose a question. Some great reading and research available on the site and I highly recommend it!

Just passing on a pearl............