Raleigh-Durham Real Estate Blog

10 year anniversary…I’m now officially “Unemployable”!

This summer marks my 10 year anniversary for putting the wheels in motion to leave “Corporate America” (I actually left in 2001). Many of you know of my former life as a software engineer and web developer. Although it was a great career start after college, I soon learned that life behind a desk wasn’t a fit for me. Fortunately, business school and real estate (brokerage, investing and construction) have created new opportunities. I’ll admit, it was scary, to say the least, but I can honestly say that I’ve never looked back. I remember reading Les Brown’s Live your Dreams in 2000, and a line from that book sparked my courage to make a change. I know I’m going to butcher his words but it went something like, “In order to be truly happy in life, consider what you would do with your time if money wasn’t an issue. Whatever that activity is, seek to make it your career.” For me,creating a break from routine, helping people, and mentoring were the items that caught my attention at the time. What are the activities that would fill your days if money wasn’t an issue?

To celebrate, I think I’ll get a shirt made that reads “Unemployable”. The idea of returning to my prior corporate routine isn’t attractive, so that seems to be the best term to describe my current mindset! Entrepreneurship (especially in real estate) definitely has its benefits, but I will admit that you often work twice as long and many times harder than you would for someone else. It is definitely a goal worth working toward for those with the desire to break free from traditional expectations and create their own life path. The current real estate market has created an unprecedented opportunity for individuals seeking change in their lives. If you have a similar goal of creating change in your life and want to see if real estate can assist with getting you there, feel free to give me a call. I’d be happy to share more of my lessons with you and assist in your investing endeavors in whatever way that I can.

NC Legislative Update (Thanks Liz Wiederhold for the update!)

For those of you who have been following SB 1015 (Homebuyer and Homeowner Pretection Act), the bill passed the Senate this week with concurrence. While several porposed amendments were presented, it did not dissuade Senator Stein from presenting the bill on the floor for vote. It passed with very little dissent.

The articles of this bill will go into effect in October. For the full text of the bill, visit the NC General Assembly website

Thanks you to all of the investors who called, emailed, faxed or otherwise communicated with our NC legislators. Lest you feel discouraged that we did not win this final battle, remember that we had several major wins as we had many items removed from this legislation prior to passing. Most importantly, we rescued the lease/option from almost total elimination by removing the entire section on title requirements. We also had the definition of foreclosure rescue changed from 82% to 50% - a huge accomplishment. Several other significant changes were made due to everyone's hard, hard work.

Local Market update reports

The Raleigh-Durham area is holding up well in the real estate markets, despitea still-troubled economy.  Year-over-year prices and sales volume are up in some areas, and there are still great buys out there in others. Interest rates have dropped as well, so initiating or expanding your rental portfolio is a great option.

• Entire Triangle Region
• Durham County
• Orange County
• Wake County (includes Raleigh)

Happy Investing!