Raleigh-Durham Real Estate Blog

Following are 4 tools to benefit your property pursuits.  Some put money directly in your pocket and others provide other information and benefits that will make your homebuying and investing easier.  In either case, I hope you put these to good use right away!

Only 50 days left to lock in on $8000

First-time buyers…the clock is ticking. Only 50 days remain for you to qualify for the $8000 first time homebuyer’s tax credit. The deadline for going under contract on your home is April 30^th.and your closing must take place by June 30^th. If you are considering a purchase, now is the time to get your mortgage loan lined up and start the home search. Current homeowners: If you have owned your home for 5 years or more, you may qualify for a $6500 tax credit if you are considering a move into another home. Call today for details, and for assistance with your purchase and/or sale.

Live For Free

Over the past year, my team has been working on a program that we’ve dubbed the “Live for Free” program. The program encourages smart property ownership with the goal of eliminating the homeowner’s mortgage expense (i.e. “Living for Free”) from day 1 of ownership. Yes, you heard it right, eliminating the homeowner’s mortgage expense from day one. By removing this expense, which is often the family’s largest monthly expense, new homeowners are launched on the fast-track to financial success.

It’s not my brainchild; I actually “borrowed” the idea from my parents, who got their start in real estate decades ago by using this method. Our team is currently looking for 2 future homeowners to walk step-by-step through the program. (We wish it could be more, but we don’t want to bite off more than we can chew just yet). No smoke and mirrors. And no costs are involved other than those involved in buying your first home. So, if you are already working toward a home purchase, why not take a few minutes to learn how to “Live For Free”.

If you are currently considering a first home purchase in the Raleigh-Durham area, call or email our office today to find out more. We’re working on a version for current homeowners as well, but we’re not quite there yet. Thanks in advance. We look forward to sharing your success story and encouraging others to “Live for Free” in the very near future.

Even if you don't fit the parameters above, I'm sure this has sparked your curiosity.  Don't worry, we will be sending this out to everyone on the mailing list soon.  For now, we ask that you hold your curiosity so that we can focus on our first 2 Live for Free-ers.  More to come soon.

For the New Year... A Look Back at the Housing Market Over the Last Decade
In an effort to track the U.S. housing market's rise, fall and rebound over the last 10 years, Moody's Economy.com supplied data for five charts showing the housing industry's boom and bust this decade and the possible course of its recovery over the next three years, as reflected in home sales,prices, housing starts, the supply of homes available for sale and mortgage defaults.  It's a clever tool with a sliding bar at the bottomto track trends over time.   Click here for more information and to view the article/tool.

Investor’s Toolkit: Google Maps (maps.google.com)

Knowing the area in which you plan to invest is key to ensuring your peace of mind as well as your success as an investor. Some of you invest in areas that are not your home cities and rely on the advice of your colleagues to understand the areas in which you are investing. Google Maps makes this process much easier. Visit maps.google.com and enter a full mailing address at the top of the page. You might want to start with your own address to get a feel for the system. When the map of the area appears, click on the address you just typed in (it will appear on the left side of the page). This will bring up a pop-up on the map with a picture o f the home. Click “streetview” to view the home as seen from the street. This is where the fun begins. If you put your pointer on the map, the program will show arrows on the street. Click on these to “drive” up and down the street to view neighboring properties. Use the up, down, left and right arrows in the circle to turn around and view properties across the street. Although the photos may not be as recent as yesterday, they will paint a pretty accurate picture of the area. Be sure to check Google Maps before your next purchase!