Ah, The Holidays...A Good Time To Sell Your Home?

I received my first phone call today from a seller that is contemplating taking their home off the market over the Holidays and re-listing after the New Year. She asked me what I thought......In addition to what I told her I also have some thought from other agents and thought I would share all of them with you.

• Homes are at their cleanest at this time of year. With all of the families visiting and festivities around us the homes are decorated beautifully! Every sense a buyer has is touched in some way from the sights of homes lit up with lights, to the sounds of Holiday music, to the smells of baking cookies and fresh cut pine trees, to the tastes of warm cider and the feel of crisp, clean air.
• Buyers that are intending to relocate to the area are most likely to use this time of year to visit the area and research schools, homes for sale, the city, the amenities and the overall atmosphere. Why miss that opportunity?
• If other sellers are taking their homes off the market because "it's the thing to do" than that certainly gives you LESS competition! Take advantage of the situation.
• The holidays are the biggest spending time of the year. Why miss out on buyers ready to make that purchase? If you home is previewed during December (early) there is a good chance that you can close by the end of the year. If closer to Christmas you can look forward to a sale shortly after the New Year.

I don't know about you but I think the Holidays are a great time of the year to try and sell your home. Sure, there might be slightly less buyers out there but the chances of the ones that ARE out there are serious and have the money is higher.

For those of you sellers out there that are thinking of taking your home off of the market - Talk with your agent first. If they don't mention the above I hope that you at least think about them.

Festive shucking.....

Welcome back! Where ya been?????

Hi everyone! It has been quite a while since I have "pinged" you all in an old-fashioned way letting you know that The Pink Oyster has been updated. There are several reasons for that!

• I felt that you all might be getting a little tired of the emails so I was givin' you a break! Dontcha just love me?
• I have been very busy myself! I am, of course, still bloggin' away at The Pink Oyster but I have also been bloggin' away at several other blogs.

Here are some of my other blogs, each with their own distinct flavors and seasonings, that you might want to check out!

• Carolina Dreamin'...Hip City - No Hassles - This blog is geared a little more towards the downtown Raleigh life, things to do in the area and large events happening.
• Luxury Raleigh Homes - Blog with news articles regarding the luxury market, high-end listings, and occassional Open Houses.
• Leesa's Blog / Active Rain - My blog that is geared to basically all things Raleigh. A little heavier on the listings, still fun, and there might be a little double posting between there and here. It's all good.

So, although I may wear many different hats lately and walk in many different shoes I still come home to The Pink Oyster and always will! Hey, isn't there medication or something for the whole different hats and different shoes thing?

I have also been cautiously revamping my website and I have added a website: Luxury Raleigh Homes.

I truely hope that you will take the time to look over the other blogs - hopefully you will find one that feels just right for you! And, as always, please pass me along!

Anyhow, glad your back and don't be a stranger - here for you any time! (As you have always been for me!)

Gratefully shucking.....

World Beer Festival Coming To Raleigh.......

Well, I would know! :)

The World Beer Festival was just recently in Durham, NC and is now scheduled for April, 2008 in RALEIGH! If you missed Durham (I did) DON'T miss Raleigh! Brewmeisters from all over the country and world will be showcasing some of the finest and unique brews available. Check out the link for ticket information (sold out VERY quickly for Durham), list of suds purveyors, and tentative schedule of events! Hope to see you there!

World Beer Festival

Hops and Barley shucking.....

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

PODCASTS! PODCASTS! GET YOUR PODCASTS HERE!!!!!

Just a reminder! Please visit my podcast page

Raleigh Homes For Sale

for all of the latest podcasts on some of the greatest homes available in the Raleigh area! I will be continuosly adding homes as they are listed and updated as they go under contract. I hope you like the podcasts and if you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to pass them on.

Honestly, who thunk up the whole "podcast" name?

Just some old-fashioned shout-out shucking going on.................

Out with the old, in with the new....

Hhmmm, just a few short weeks ago I had a fantastic couple out with me looking at properties. They were from the Chicago area. At one point, the wife spoke up and asked if Raleigh was following the current trend of tearing down old homes to build new which was the case in her father's neighborhood in Illinois area. I answered no and that I was very proud of how Raleigh is big into protecting and preserving older neighborhoods and that it wasn't very common here. Shortly after that there was an article in the News and Observer to quite the contrary. I was quick to email that link to them and let them know that I mis-spoke. Well, several weeks later there is yet another article regarding "infill". Apparently it wasn't enough for me to say I was srong - now I have to admit that I was REALLY wrong.....hey, I can do that!

588 New Homes Replace Teardowns...

Humble shucking.........




Workers intentionally drop three trees on top of a house being demolished to make way for a larger house.
Staff photo by Chris Seward

History Prevails.....

For those of you not familiar with Wake Forest let me give you my view point. It is a wonderful "small" town that is quickly being consumed from the ever-expanding Raleigh. There is a wonderful historic downtown area and the birthplace of Wake Forest University is here. I can't tell you the number of times that I have run into people (out-of-towners) looking for directions to get to the University. The reply is always an abridged version of how Wake Forest University was originally Wake Forest college and was founded in 1834. In 1956 the college was relocated to Winston-Salem and thus became Wake Forest University. Anyhow, Wake Forest retains much of it's charm and has many historic residences and buildings. Sadly, as with any small town progression, little by little the historic charm is fading away. Committees, such as the DRC (Downtown Revitalization Corporation) are moving swiftly to put into place a plan that will preserve, maintain and foster many of the historic attractions in the area and I must say, they are doing a great job! Following is an article that came from WRAL.com regarding one of the historic homes that is being saved.........HOW WONDERFUL!

Preservationists Save Historic Wake Forest House

If you are interested in preserving historic homes and sites please let me know. I served on the Capital Area Preservation Committee and am also a member of National Trust for Historic Preservation. I would be happy to supply you with any information that you would like.

Old time 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....

Raleigh Bound....

Well, I have to say that CBS Early Show did a FANTASTIC job showcasing Raleigh and the Triangle area. They touched on everything from the southern charm, local wineries, local restaurants, research and BBQ. Applause! The ONLY thing that they touched on which really tripped my trigger was the year round schools. They had the two least equipped people to interview - it was awful! I don't know how they picked them. The gentleman on there was a School Board member and he was an opponent of mandatory year-round. Hey, everyone has an opinion. But if you are going to speak on a subject at least know what you are talking about. At one point he mentioned that with "tracks" you get two-week breaks throughout the year. Huh? Two-week breaks? Sorry, dude, it's 9 weeks on and THREE (3) weeks off. The other interviewee offered no information, insight or reasoning. She kept repeating something to the effect of "Education and growing". I am not sure what that meant. You could tell that Hannah was frustrated with her answers and kept deferring to the other guy. Oh well, maybe a more in-depth interview next time with educated guests both for and against!

Regardless, if I lived somewhere else and had seen the show - I would definately consider moving to Raleigh! Wish I had been there!

A few links:

Getting To Know Raleigh

Pigging Out on NC BBQ

Southern Spin on Summer Steak Salad

Dave Enjoys Raleigh NC

Raleigh's Southern Charm

North Carolina BBQ Capital

Happy shucking.....

"I'm gonna be a star........"

Here's your chance! The Early Show is coming to Raleigh LIVE and you can be on TV. Unfortunately, I can't make it down there but if someone wants to make a sign for me and get it on the air there might be something in it for you!!! :)

If you GOOGLE it there are several articles and links. Here are a few with some additional information:

WRAL.com

Raleigh NC - The Early Show

CBS News

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......

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............