With the housing market beginning to rebound, many sellers are starting to ask “where is my offer”? Well, please understand that it is still a buyer’s market. Even though the numbers are starting to point to a rebound, sellers will still need to be diligent in the house selling process.

1. Be careful not to overprice your home. If you are truly motivated to sell in a short length of time, you will need to price it under the market. There are still sellers who think their home is exceptional and should be higher priced. Do not make this mistake. Price your home aggressively.

2.Do not ignore or reject an offer. Any offer is worth negotiating these days, no matter how low. You never know what the buyer is thinking. He may be willing to pay your price.

3.Do not miss the window of opportunity to prepare your home for showing and stage your home. Home sellers need to make your home shine and stand out from the competition. Home buyers have their choice and can be very selective.

4. Sellers need to be knowledgeable of all the competition. Take the time to go look at some of the homes on the market.

5. Sellers should vacate the home during open houses and showings. Buyers are much more willing to take their time and look at everything if the seller is not at home.

6. Be sure to choose an experienced agent with local knowledge and internet presence to market your home.

www.cbbaker.com for all your Wilmington NC real estate needs

What Every Seller Should Know About Owner Financing

Even though interest rates currently make conventional loans more available to more buyers, seller financing is still a very good option for both buyers and sellers. It can really pay off, if you hold the right cards. That’s why home buying transactions involving seller financing of some sort can be attractive – more attractive in some areas than others, depending on local market conditions.

• Here’s how “seller financing” works.

A second mortgage offered by a seller is usually a short-term “balloon” note, with the buyer making fixed-rate monthly payments and paying off the balance within 3, 5, or 7 years. One very common seller financing arrangement is 10% of the purchase price, with the buyer putting down 10% cash and assuming the seller’s existing loan for 80% of the home’s value (figures will vary).

• This is what seller financing can do for a seller.

Speeds up the sale of your home.
Helps you get a better price for your home.
Provides you with a regular income.
Helps reduce capital gains taxes by spreading your profit over several years (especially advantageous in substantial financing).
Can provide a higher interest rate than on some other investments.
Gives you the later option (after your home is sold) of selling all or part of your second mortgage to another lender, mortgage broker or member of the secondary mortgage market – such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA).

• Watch out for these potential problems.

Possible buyer default on the loan, lapsed or slow monthly payments.
In case of foreclosure, you must outwait the first mortgagor for return of your money when the property is sold.

• Watch out for these potential problems.

Precautions seller-financers should take.
Check a buyer’s credit rating carefully.
Refuse to make your loan assumable.
Get at least 10% in down payment.
Structure your loan so that it can (if you wish) be sold to another lender.

We often have buyers on hand who are looking for seller financing, and we have sellers who are willing to finance. We’d be happy to help make a match. Please call or e-mail us with your real estate needs.

The March Wilmington NC real estate statistical report has been released and all the numbers are up, except “Days On Market”.  That is good news.  We are getting into multiple offer situations which has not happened for years.  If you are thinking about selling your home but have some concerns or questions about the market, give us a call.  We would be happy to go over what has been selling in your neighborhood and in Wilmington NC in general.  Thinking about moving up? Perfect time to do this.  Here are the Statistics, just click on photo for full report.

www.cbbaker.com

Please feel free to visit our website for seller and buyer advice, as well as search the local Wilmington NC real estate market.  You can search by map, schools, street, county, price and more.  www.cbbaker.com

 TGIF Scoop

   presented by Baker Wayne & Associates

           Billy Baker   Lisa Wayne    Debi Byrd    Robin Jones

  Hello and Welcome to the TGIF Scoop.

If  spring cleaning is on your to-do list, you’re not alone. A study conducted by International Communications Research for the Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) found that 66% of Americans regularly conduct spring cleaning. According to the survey of 1,000 American men and women, top priority goes to kitchens, living rooms, master bedrooms, and bathrooms.

Read Rest of Story Here…

The Party Has Started

Details Here….

Or Scan and take with you.

Bellydance Showcase

April 12  9:30 PM
Juggling Gypsy Entertainment Parlor

Art Opening: Ivey Hayes Retrospective

Details Here…

Fundraiser – Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Garden Tour

April 12-14
10:00 – 4:pm
Details here….

Prom
April 11- 13  &  18-20   8:00 PM
April 14 & 21 2:00 PM
UNCW Cultural Arts Building

UNCW Deparment of  Theatre

$5- $12

Joe DeRosa

Comdey
April 13   7:00 PM
Nutt Street Bar & Comedy Room

Azalea Festival Cole Bros. Circus
April 11- 14
Wilmington International Airport
Thursday and Friday: 4:30 and 7:30pm
Saturday: 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30pm
Sunday: 1:30 and 4:30pm

$20 – $28

17th Annual Pleasure Island Chowder Cook-Off

April 13  11:30 – 5 PM  $5.00
Carolina Beach Lake Park

Fireworks Extravaganza
April 13, 2013
7:00 PM  Full Buffet and Complimentary Drink
Fireworks 9:15 pm
Wilmington Water Tours – Downtown Waterfront

 $50.00

 Hobby Greenhouse Plant Sale
Forest Hills Hobby Greenhouse
April 12 – 14
Friday and Saturday: 9am to 6pm
Sunday: Noon to 5pm
2318 Metts Ave

Riverfront Farmers’ Market
Saturdays   8:00 – 1:00 PM

Popular Grove Farmers’ Market

Wednesday’s 8:00 -1:00  PM

GET MOVING!

 Wrightsville Beach Loop – 2.45 miles

Gary Shell Cross-City Trail Autumn Hall trail finished!

Awesome – You need to Check it out

www.crosscitytrail.com

~!

 Halyburton Park

1.3 mile handicap accessible walking/bike  trail

~

Run around the Smith Creek Park Lake

1.5 miles

or go kayaking and fishing

Gordon Rd. to Harris Rd. . Park on left.

   Baker Wayne & Associates Blog

Wilmington NC Real Estate – cbbaker.com

  MARKET SNAPSHOT

     Wilmington NC  Night Spots

 Friday April 12

Tom Noonan, Jane Houseal- Costello’s Piano Bar

Liz Ulman – Goat and Compass

L Shaped Lot – Soapbox Up

Saturday April 13

Bibis Ellison- Palm Room

Michael Wolfe – Ted’s on the River

Irish Music – The Dubliner

Sunday April 14

Overtyme – Blue Water Grill

Queen Martha’s Garden Party Cookies
(recipe from CFGC’s newsletter)
1 box lemon cake mix (Duncan Hines)
2 cups cool whip
1 med. egg
2 tbs. lemon juice (bottled fine)

Mix all ingredients together. Put confectioners sugar on fingertips and make balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

 mobile.cbbaker.com

Real estate on the go…

 Open Saturday 12-3 PM

www.marshlandingplace.com

The Townes at Carleton

 Thinking of Selling?

To find out what your home is really worth…..

  Tired of your Computer Not Working Right?

then fix it….

For all your Party Needs….

 4013 Oleander Dr. 910-791-0024

www.partysuppliers.net

Shelton Metal

Colby S. Byrd, Metal Designer

www.sheltonmetal.weebly.com

Live Life Well

Bodies in Balance Physical Therapy

www.binbpt.com

910-398-6301

Call for Mortgage Quotes

Awesome Food and People

Keith and Angela Rhodes

http://catchwilmington.com/ 

Get out and dance!  Great fun lessons by Verna

Ballroom – Latin – Swing – Waltz – Cha Cha

Rumba – Salsa – Tango – Shag/Swing

www.BallroomDanceSpotNC.com

910-799-2001

Need Automobile Work?

Trust Labriola’s Automotive

UTI Trained, Foreign, Domestic, A/C Testing & Repair

Diagnostics, Electronic Troubleshooting, Engine De-Carbon Service, Major or Minor Repair.

Owner: Brent Labriola  910-297-2590  brent@capefearauto.com

6506 Market St. Wilmington NC 28405

Great Family Skate Center

http://www.skatejellybeans.net/

910-508-6100 or podsenc@gmail.com

Call Blaine Daniel for quotes and possible discounts

Ever wish you had a PERSONAL ASSISTANT
— someone you could call on to accomplish
the day-to-day tasks and time consuming errands
that leave time for little else?

Well, now you have help..

Call Mary Cook Task Manager

801-455- 1721

  SEA SALT BAKERY

Longtime Wilmington Chef David Herring has opened a new bakery in Hampstead called “Sea Salt”  Wonderful muffins and baked goods and  ‘SOUPS’ !

(910) 270-1407
17011 US Highway 17 N
Hampstead, NC 28443

Stress Free Dog Grooming

http://www.dogslifesalon.com/

Do you own a Historic House? In need of renovation?

Call David Thomas – Historic Specialist

910-520-0581

http://www.dptconstruction.com/

Brave battle fought Kimberly.  We will miss you.

Bad credit can make life difficult. It can prevent you from buying a car, a house or even obtaining the proper amount of life insurance you need to protect your family.

Perhaps the most discouraging way to find out you have bad credit is being rejected for a loan. Your credit may be in such disarray that it could take several years to repair it. Fortunately, credit repair is not an impossible task.

When a company — whether a bank or department store — determines your creditworthiness, it calls upon one of several credit bureaus to look at your credit report. These bureaus collect and sell financial information about anyone who has applied for a credit card, a personal loan or insurance. The information on these reports includes:

Payment history:

Any account you hold or have held in the past will be listed here, as well as the amount of credit you currently have and your payment history.

Inquiries:

Credit bureaus also keep a record of all inquiries into your credit during the previous year from other creditors. Frequent applications for credit do not look good to lenders.

Public record information:

Tax liens, bankruptcies and foreclosures, which are matters of public record, will also appear in your report.

Once your credit is damaged, it can follow you around for quite some time. Bankruptcy information may be reported for 10 years, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Information about a lawsuit or unpaid judgment can be reported for seven years. The same is true for default information on U.S. Government-insured loans (FHA, FMHA, etc.) or guaranteed student loans.

Nevertheless, time is truly the healer of financial wounds. Even if you have accurate negative information on your report, a recent record of good fiscal habits can lessen the damage of your past.

If you’re having a tough time with debt, here are some tips to get you started on the road to financial health.

Develop A Budget

This is as simple as sitting down with all your monthly credit statements and pay stubs, then writing down how much income you have versus how much you’re spending. Prioritize your list with required payments at the top, such as housing costs, insurance, car payments, etc. Then write down the extras — entertainment, recreation, clothing, etc. Once you know what’s coming in and how much is going out, you can start trimming down the budget and reducing debt.

Contact Your Creditors

After you’ve set up a budget, if you find you’re still running in the red, call your creditors and let them know you’re having difficulty making ends meet. Explain your circumstances and try to work out a budget plan that works for them and you. Make this move now. Don’t wait until you receive a call from a collection agency to work out a payment arrangement with your creditor. By then, it’s often too late.

Credit Counseling

If you need help sticking to a budget, you may want to consider credit counseling. Credit counseling service providers can work as a liaison between you and your creditors to work out a payment plan to get you out of debt. In some cases, the counseling agency can even lobby for you to have some interest and penalties waived. Usually, you must discontinue use of any credit cards and agree not to seek out any more credit until your debts are paid. Not all creditors will agree to the plan, so you need to be ready to continue paying them apart from your counseling agency’s repayment plan.

Although a repayment plan may relieve some of the stress that comes with financial difficulties, it doesn’t erase your negative credit history. The fact that you’re using a credit counselor may be noted in your credit report. Throughout all this rearranging, keep in mind your goal is debt reduction and credit repair.

Debt Consolidation

Through debt consolidation, you may at least be able to reduce your cost of credit. Your debt balance will remain the same, but you may pay less in interest charges each month. Debt consolidation can be achieved by applying for lower-interest-rate credit cards, or by taking a second mortgage or obtaining a home equity loan.

Be careful here, however, as two things can happen. If you fall behind on your payments for the home equity loan, you could lose your house. In addition, with all your credit cards paid off, you now could encounter the same problem as before if you apply for more credit cards. Debt consolidation works if the process rearranges your old debt while helping you create new credit habits.

Thinking about selling your home fast? With home-sale inventory down 20% nationally versus last year at this time, the holidays are a great time to list your home for sale — even as the busy season approaches.

Hot trends that favor home sellers today include increased buyer traffic, fewer foreclosures to compete with and underwater homeowners staying off the market until their home’s value increases. It’s clear that now is a great time to be a home seller! Add to that the traditional drop in inventory during the holidays and selling during this time of the year looks even smarter this year.

 Motivated buyers are out there, especially must-move-now buyers that need a home with the New Year. What are you waiting for? Here are some tips for adding a happy home sale to your holiday season.

 Clean Benefits
Having your home on the market during the holidays means it needs to be in ready-to-show condition on short notice. This showcase cleanliness may add to your holiday to-do list but knowing your home is always spic and span means you won’t have to worry about hosting last-minute or planned get-togethers.

 Sensible Decor
Winter holidays can mean gatherings at your home with family and friends. Although you’ll want your home to look festive, also ensure that it’s welcoming to all potential home buyers. The key is to not overly decorate (and thereby hide) attractive features of your home such as fireplaces, stairways, doorways, bay windows, etc. Keep your decorating to a minimum and seasonally themed, as opposed to holiday-specific, to make the style neutral.

 Be Perfect Online
Remember, during the holidays your home is competing for buyer attention not just with other homes, but with all the holiday chores and events on buyers’ schedules. The easiest way for them to check out a home is by looking at photos online. Make sure your home’s photos are plentiful and attractive. Consider including a video tour, floor plans, maps to give buyers a compelling reason to view your home in person — quickly.

 Entertain Offers
Don’t forget that home buyers touring homes in December and right after New Year’s are serious. The offers they make mean business, and you’re more likely to quickly reach common ground with these buyers on price and terms. Treat each offer seriously and respond quickly. They are as eager to buy fast as you are to sell.

 Prioritize Selling
The holidays can wreak havoc on your usual schedule. Holidays, school breaks, family visits and gatherings combined may leave little time for allowing buyers to tour your home and for you to address their interest. It’s important to prioritize selling your home during this busy season. Keep your calendar up-to-date and handy so you know exactly how to position your home’s availability for maximum showings.

 Competition Bonus
Selling during the holidays isn’t for everyone, but those who choose to put their home on the market face less competition from other home sellers. This means your home can shine in comparison to the small selection on the market and has an overall better chance of catching the eye of a serious buyer.

 Warm Welcome
With shorter days and less natural light, focus on making your home look light, bright and welcoming to buyers touring in the late afternoon and evening. Reassess your lighting situation in each room and be sure to turn on every fixture to highlight the features of your home. You are in control of how your home appears to potential buyers, so take time to showcase it well.

 Real Pros
Real estate professionals who make their clients “job one” — like us — are available during the holidays to get your home listed and sold quickly. Feel free to contact us with your questions and let us show you how listing your home now can be a great time to get it sold!

 For more helpful hints please visit www.cbbaker.com

The weekend gets better and better every year. Make plans to enjoy part of it or all of the festivities.  The Christmas tree lighting ceremony and Santa will be at Town Hall on Friday November 23 at 5:45 pm.  The Anchors Away Party sponsored by  Atlantic Marina will be at  7:00 pm on Friday at the Blockade Runner Hotel.  $25 per ticket and open to the public. Pay at the door or purchase tickets online.

This year Santa has asked for help collecting gifts for Port Human Services, a non-profit organization that provides shelter, clothing, and other necessities in addition to counseling and employment assistance for men and women participating in their substance abuse recovery program.

Saturday there is a festival in the park from 10 – 4 pm.  Something for everyone.  The Flotilla starts at 6:00 pm followed by an awesome fireworks display. 

 This year the People Choice Award will have texting voting.  Each boat will have a number.  Just text  to 24587 and enter boat and number.  eg. boat25

Enjoy and have fun… If you see any Wrightsville Beach Real estate you like, go to mobile.cbbaker.com and search by street for the listing.  Or online at www.cbbaker.com   For a full list of activities, please visit http://www.ncholidayflotilla.org/

1. Beautiful Beaches and Waterways

Wilmington NC is situated on the southeast coast of NC and is bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and the west by the Cape Fear River. The beauty and charm of Wilmington and the surrounding beaches equal or surpass any on the east coast. The many pristine beaches that we have to enjoy such as Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Topsail Beach, Oak Island and Ocean Isle Beach are sure to captivate your heart.

2. Boating

The area’s many miles of coastline, rivers and sounds offer a variety of  watersports, boating activities, and quite a few harbors, marinas, and yacht clubs.

3. Fishing

Being located within minutes of one of the most protected inlets on the east coast, Wilmington offers bountiful fishing opportunities within minutes. Masonboro Inlet is located between the Southern tip of Wrightsville Beach and Masonboro Island. Also, the many creeks and bays located off banks channel and the waterways are a fisherman’s dream. You will see them fishing for drum, trout, and  flounder in the fall of the year.

3. Masonboro Island

Masonboro Island is an 8 mile long uninhabited island on the southern North Carolina coast between Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach and is part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve. Masonboro Island, only accessible by boat, is enjoyed by campers, surfers, anglers, and bird-watchers alike. The reserve consists of about 5000 acres, which about 4400 acres are tidal marsh and mud flats. The most northern end at Masonboro Inlet is the most popular area with its sandy beaches and protected waters. Any summer weekend you will see many boaters and campers prepared for a few days on the beach with tents, grills and water toys in tow.

4. Historic Downtown Wilmington NC

Wilmington is blessed with a beautiful and extensive historic district with magnificent and stately oaks, azaleas and oleanders. 230 blocks of downtown are on the The National Register of Historic Districts. The city embraces a lot of history and is fortunate that so much has been preserved.

5. Wilmington NC Real Estate

I cannot speak highly enough about the real estate offered in and around Wilmington NC, from the River to the Sea! Wilmington offers many affordable neighborhoods such as Whitney Pines to move up neighborhoods like Covil Estates with amenities, to luxury gated communities such as Landfall, or golf course neighborhoods like Porters Neck, and waterfront neighborhoods with marinas and boatslips such as Turtle Hall or Shinn Point . The choices are all right here in our great port city of Wilmington NC. Read the rest of this entry