The Bluffs of Kildaire – Cary, NC
Posted by Cary_Agent
Nature lovers beware – you may have found the home for you! Whether you enjoy bush walking, the call of wild animals, or just marveling at the wonder of nature The Bluffs of Kildaire offers a tranquil and serene lifestyle for everyone.
Nestled next to the HemlockBluffsPark and Nature Reserve, this area is a haven for nature lovers. With just 33 homes you will also have the pleasure of peacefulness while sitting on your own porch. Most of these homes are only 10 years old and range in price from the $200s to about $380,000. If you feel like leaving natures paradise you will also enjoy the convenience of having easy access to the city of Cary, the CrescentCommonsShopping Center, and the many superb restaurants of downtown with the hassle of parking Residents of the Bluffs of Kildaire can’t wait to end a hard working week by heading to the beautiful Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve where they can wander the 3 miles of trails, look in awe n the scenic observation platforms, or admire the unique Eastern Hemlock Trees.
Directions to The Bluffs: Take Kildaire Farm Road South past Lochmere. Take a right on Steep Bank into the Bluffs of Kildaire. It is the first lot on the left.
Cary Neighborhoods UncategorizedReal Estate Search tools
Posted by Cary_Agent
If you haven’t ever visited Zillow.com or haven’t been buy recently, you should take another look. This site has evolved into a very usefull home search tool.
This is a must have in your arsenal of house hunting tools. On first perusal of the site, you’ll appreciated the satellite images of the neighborhood you direct it to. The home value estimates on top of each roof top are quick handy as well.
But this is just half of the impressive features of this site, so don’t surf away before getting the detail on a particular home. In the screen shot below, you will see the close up satellite image of the home you are interested in.
You can rotate the image, thus seeing all four sides of a partucular property.
Tips for Buying Homes in a Tight Market
Posted by Cary_Agent
Cary , NC has some markets that are fairly tight, especially in the 180k to 300k price range. Following a few easy tips will help to ensure that you will get your dream home, even in the tight market of today. These tips include:
• Before you starting looking for homes, get pre-qualified for a mortgage. This way you will be able to make a firm commitment to buy the home making your offer more desirable. 
• Find out first about new listings that come on the market by staying in close contact with your Cary real estate agent. Be ready to go see the house on the first day that it is being shown.
• Look on the Internet, in newspapers, and drive by the neighborhood of your choice to keep on top of new listings yourself.
• Spend time in advance deciding what you do and do not want so that when you find the home of your dreams you will be ready to make an offer.
• Make your bid realistic and competitive. Just as you wouldn’t want to bid at the top of your budget, you don’t want to go too low either and lose out on a prospective home.
• Keep your bid as desirable as possible by keeping contingencies to a minimum. Restrictions such as selling your home before the closing or delaying closing until a certain date will make your offer unappealing to the seller. If your house does not sell on time then talk to your lender about getting a bridge loan to cover both mortgages until it sells.
• Don’t get caught up in the competition of buying your new home. You shouldn’t buy just anything just because it is a good deal. Don’t neglect important aspects of home buying such as inspections to make your offer more attractive.
Buyer tipsTownhomes in Cary, NC
Posted by Cary_Agent
Considering a Townhouse in Cary, North Carolina? Good choice! Cary enjoys slow but steady property appreciation. While the east and west coasts have been on a roller coaster ride, Cary’s home values have steadily increased around 3 to 8 percent per year for the 5 years.
Cary is located in Wake County, which is currently on of the 10th fastest growing counting in the United States. Many Cary residents work at the ever growing Research Triangle Park and enjoy Wake County’s superb school system.
As of this writing, there are 129 Townhouses currently on the market. Average price is 262,000 and averaging 1985 sqft. Townhouses are currently averaging 98 days on the market.
Cary Real EstateTriangle Real Estate - Forecast for 2008
Posted by Cary_Agent
Before we look at our the local Triangle Real Estate Market (Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill & Durham) for 2008, lets take a quick look at what’s going on nationally.In 2007 Home prices across the nation (5-10%) The consensus of expert opinion believes 2008 will mark a bottoming out of declines nationally.
Nationally, mortgage rates will embark on a volatile roller coaster ride. Rates are predicted to move sharply up and down for 2008 with the bottom around 5.25% and the top around 7.00% for 30 year fixed home financing. Locally, the triangle real estate market has slowed down some, though homes priced 175k to 450k are selling briskly. Here we have only a 3 month supply of homes in this range and the average “time on the market is 76 days.
The luxury home market (450k & up) in the triangle is a completely different story. There is currently an 11 month supply of luxury homes on the market. This luxury home market is soft right now and is decidedly a buyer’s market. Luxury homes are selling for an average of 89% of list price (compared to medium income homes at 97%).
THE BIG NEWS: right now in the triangle, new home construction is remarkable affordable. Typically new construction is 15 to 30% more than comparable re-sale homes. Currently New construction is on par with re-sale prices.Locally, job growth has slowed from 5% to 2% and this has stalled demand for homes and builders are really hurting. They are offering steep discounts to just keep afloat, in some cases. This is an unique situation and I don’t expect it to last much longer.
To summarize, if you’re in the market to upgrade to a new home in the triangle, this is fantastic time to do it. Rates are very low (5.5% 30Yr. Fixed) and new home construction is truly a bargain.
Cary Real Estate10 Questions to Ask a Home Inspector
Posted by Cary_Agent
When looking for a home inspector it is best to be prepared with questions that you want to ask them. You want to make sure that they are qualified to do the job right. Home inspections are necessary for the purchase of the house, as well as deciding the price so you want to make sure you have a reputable professional that you are dealing with.
Here are 10 questions to help you get started:
1. What kind of qualifications do you have? Are you a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors or the National Association of Home Inspectors?
2. Are you currently licensed in the state of North Carolina? Are you required to be licensed in this state?
3. How many inspections do you do each year, and are they similar to this house?
4. Can you provide references?
5. Do you have professional errors and omission insurance that I can have a copy of?
6. Do you provide a guarantee of any kind?
7. What will the inspection cover?
8. What type of report is produced after the inspection and how long will it take?
9. How long will the inspection take?
10. What are the costs involved in the inspection?
Buyer tips Home Inspection Real Estate5 Reasons You Need a REALTOR®
Posted by Cary_Agent
1. Real estate transactions can be very complicated. There is a lot of paperwork involved that you may not have knowledge of such as disclosure forms, inspection reports, insurance policies, deeds, mortgage documents, and multi-page government mandated settlement statements. A realtor can be a very knowledgeable guide to avoid the complexity of all these transactions. 
2. Even in this strong market, selling or buying a home can be very time consuming. Many homes stay on the market for many days or even months. It also takes an additional 60 days or so for the transaction to close after an offer is accepted.
3. The language of real estate is complex and difficult to understand if you have no experience. If you don’t know what a CMA or a PUD is then you can understand why it is important to work with someone who does.
4. REALTORS® have done it all before whereas you may have just bought and sold a house just a few times in your life. Also, because there are a few years in between each you may not be aware of new laws and regulations. Having an expert on your side to update you on these laws is crucial when you are making the biggest purchase of your life.
5. REALTORS® provide objectivity when you might not have any. A home purchase is often more than just four walls and the roof to you. It symbolizes family and security. It is more emotional for you whereas a third party such as a realtor can look at everything objectively and keep you focused on the business side of the deal.
Buyer tipsUnderstanding Capital Gains in Real Estate
Posted by Cary_Agent
When you sell a stock, you owe taxes on your gain—this is the difference between what you paid for the stock and what you sold it for. The same is true with selling a home (or a second home), but there are some special considerations.
How to Calculate Gain
In real estate, capital gains are based not on what you paid for the home, but on its adjusted cost basis and you can calculate this by doing the following:
1. Take the purchase price of the home defined by the sale price, not the amount of money you actually contributed at closing.
2. Add any adjustments such as: 
Cost of the purchase which includes transfer fees, attorney fees, inspections, but not points you paid on your mortgage.
Cost of sale which includes inspections, attorney’s fee, real estate commission, and money you spent to fix up your home just prior to sale.
Cost of improvements which includes room additions, deck, etc. and not here that improvements do not include repairing or replacing something already there, such as putting on a new roof or buying a new furnace.
3. The total of this is the adjusted cost basis of your home.
4. Subtract this adjusted cost basis from the amount you sell your home for. This is your capital gain.
A Special Real Estate Exemption for Capital Gains
Since 1997, up to $250,000 in capital gains ($500,000 for a married couple) on the sale of a home is exempt from taxation if you meet the following criteria:
A) you have lived in the home as your principal residence for two out of the last five years.
B) You have not sold or exchanged another home during the two years preceding the sale.
Also note that as of 2003, you may also qualify for this exemption if you meet what the IRS calls “unforeseen circumstances” such as job loss, divorce, or family medical emergency.
Real Estate Investing10 Ways to Make Your Home Irresistible at an Open House
Posted by Cary_Agent
1. Add a touch of color by putting out fresh or silk flowers in the main rooms.
2. Replace the shower curtain, put out fresh towels and new guest soaps to every bath.
3. Make fresh baked goods or set out potpourri for a homey smell.
4. Have the table set with pretty dishes and candles.
5. Put out a fresh doormat with a clever saying.
6. To create a sense of spaciousness, take out one or two pieces of furniture in the main rooms.
7. Put away kitchen and personal bathroom appliances to give the illusion of more counter space.
8. Make a fire in the fireplace or put a basket of flowers there if it’s not in use.
9. Depersonalize your space by putting away family photos, mementos, and distinctive artwork.
10. Make your lawn sparkle by turning on the sprinklers for 30 minutes.
Seller Tips10 Tips for First-Time Homebuyers
Posted by Cary_Agent
1. Do not be unrealistic. No home is perfect but that doesn’t mean you can’t get most of what you want.
2. Decide what features you are looking for in a home before you start looking. Convey this to the agent that is helping you to avoid seeing homes you are not interested in.
3. Get your finances such as your credit report, closing costs, and down payment in order before you start house hunting. 
4. Talk to a lender and get pre-qualified for a mortgage loan before you start looking to avoid having to do it after you have already found your new home. If you need a good recommendation for a good lender in Cary, NC, just let me know!
5. If you need second or third opinions just as 1 or 2 people versus everyone who knows you. It will just drive you crazy because they all might have different ones.
6. Deciding when you can move is important before you start the process. Find out when your lease is up, if you can sublet, and how tight the rental market is.
7. You need to consider long term options such as if you are buying a starter house with the intention of moving again soon, or do you want something long term. This will help decide the mortgage options as well.
8. Don’t let yourself be house poor by maxing yourself out on buying the biggest house you can afford. You need money to afford decorating and maintenance once you move in.
9. Don’t be naïve by avoiding the home inspection. Insist on one and if possible get a warranty from the seller to cover defects within one year.
10. Consider hiring a REALTOR® as a buyer’s representative to get the help you need. A buyer’s representative is working only for you whereas a listing agent is more concerned with the seller. Often, buyer’s reps are paid out of the seller’s commission payment