Wilmington NC Real Estate Guide

The size of homes has increased steadily over the years. In 1950, the average new home consisted of 1,000 square feet or less. By 2000, new homes averaged 2,265 square feet. People just want more space to live in—and space for more stuff!

So, how do you get people interested in buying your smaller home? There are lots of ways you can make your home-or the too-small rooms in it—appear larger. Consider these experts’ tips for adding visual space:

Expand The Walls

• Paint walls in light pastels or neutral tones. (Neutrals—taupe, beige, gray, white, off-white—will make it easier for a home buyers to coordinate their furnishings with your home.) The lighter the color, the larger the room will seem.
• Paint woodwork and trim the same shade as the walls but with a higher-gloss finish. Contrasting woodwork draws attention to itself, making a room look smaller.
• You could also hire a “color consultant” to learn more about creating space with color. Ask a local specialty paint store or home-decorating shop for a referral, or look for a consultant online at the International Association of Color Consultants: www.IACCNA.org.
• When using wallpaper, choose patterns with lots of open space or small, subtle patterns in light shades without contrasting colors. Then cover furnishings in solid-color fabrics.
• If possible, build recessed shelves or display alcoves into walls. Built-ins deepen the space, while freestanding shelves and display tables use it up.
• Maximize light. Use high-watt bulbs in lamps and light fixtures and make sure they’re turned on during home showings. Keep curtains, shades or blinds open to let as much natural light in as possible.
• Paint the ceiling a bright white so it reflects light and seems higher.

Minimize Furnishings

• De-clutter! The more furniture and objects you have in a room, the smaller it will seem. Pare furniture back to a comfortable minimum. (Place your extra pieces in storage if you can’t bear to part with them.)
• Use small furniture, steering clear of large, overstuffed or high-backed pieces. For example, choose a loveseat rather than a 3-seater couch, a drop-leaf table rather than a full-sized one, a small secretary instead of a large desk. Remember, though, numbers count-a room can look larger with just two or three large pieces of furniture in it than with seven or eight small pieces.
• Place only a few knick-knacks for accents on tables or shelves. Cluster coordinating objects in two or three places rather than spreading them evenly about the room.
• Upholster (or slip-cover) chairs and couches in small-print or solid, light-colored fabrics that coordinate (but not contrast) with wall colors.
• Keep area rugs to a minimum—they visually break up floor space. Bare floors or light-colored wall-to-wall carpeting make rooms look larger.
• Keep window treatments simple, avoiding heavy draperies with busy patterns or colors that contrast strongly with the wall color. Consider using a cornice board or valence with blinds, shutters or sheers instead.

Room Arrangements

• Place large furniture so that open floor space is near the room’s entrance. For example, place beds and couches on the wall opposite the entry door.
• Place most of the furniture against walls so it doesn’t protrude into the room’s central space.
• Create uncluttered walkways. You should be able to pass from one room to another in a straight line. Also, you should be able to move from the door to the main element in the room (couch, desk, bed) without having to walk around something else. Ditch the coffee table!
• Leave some floor space or wall space unused.
• Use large mirrors to reflect light and deepen the visual space.
• Keep doors between rooms open.

If you would like, we would be happy to look at your small home and suggest practical ways for making it appear more spacious.

Sign up for my newsletter for more hints kaybaker@ec.rr.com

Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty has come out strong for the start of 2011 in real estate sales.  We have sold 243 homes since January 1, 2011, with the closet competitor having sold 108 homes at 9.38% of the market.  Sea Coast holds 21.09 % of the market out of 57 of the top firms in the area.  Currently we have 168 properties under contract at  23.66% of the market.  The next competitor has 83 properties under contract with 11.69% of the market.  Pretty impressive numbers. Extensive training and courses are offered at Coldwell Banker Sea Coast, thus giving us an edge to sell your home, or purchase a new one.  Knowledge and experience makes the difference.  Call us today. Kay Baker & Associates

Google Maps is getting out of the real estate business starting Feb 10, 2011.  In July 2009 Google added “search for real estate” on their Google Maps.  Due to the increase in excellent real estate search features on real estate websites, like Coldwell Banker, and an change to API on how listings are submitted Google decided that the real estate search on maps were not being utilized.  Coldwell Banker embraces Google products such as YouTube and Google Maps on their website.  Google is already working on new features that will enhance websites and searching for consumers.  Search all real estate on www.cbbaker.com

One of the treasures of Wilmington NC is the Screen Gems Movie Studio.  It is not a rare site to see a movie star or two while you are going about your daily business in Wilmington NC.  A new movie has started filming in the area, 3D Journey 2 Mysterious Island starring Michael Caine, Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), Josh Hucherson, and Vanessa Hudgens.  Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D was the first film ever shot in HD 3D, so the sequel should be equally filled with amazing digital shots.  It is the largest film being filmed at Screen Gems.  Another new special water tank was built just for the production.  This week they were filming on Colonial Drive in Forest Hills.  Wilmington NC welcomes the production and all the people who have come to our great city.  Enjoy….

If you would like to look at real estate, we invite you visit www.cbbaker.com to learn about our town and what we have to offer.  From your phone you can text 14059 to 44133 and search there.

Click here for Screen Gems Brochure

Home Ownership Matters

Would you like to lose your Mortgage Interest Deduction when you do your taxes next year? Then act now and call your Congressman or Congresswoman and your Senators. In North Carolina, call Congressman Mike McIntyre- 202-225-2731 | Senator Richard Burr – 202-224-3154 | Senator Kay Hagen – 202-224-6342 as this is on the table now…

Homeownership matters and this is an important ideal that will become less affordable than it currently is.  Get involved and give your opinion to your representatives.  To look for affordable homes, please visit here….

Wilmington NC Worlds Largest Christmas Tree | Star News Photo

The Worlds Largest Christmas tree lighting ceremony which has  been held every year since 1928 (except the one year during World War II), unfortunately will not be held this year.  The tree will be lit, but there will not be a ceremony and access to the tree  will be limited.  The age and health of the tree has been a concern in prior years.  The City of  Wilmington is doing renovations at the Sweeney plant next to the tree, and these are safety concerns as well.  To upgrade and accommodate changes to make the area around the tree safe is not in the City budget.

So, we will have to view the tree from afar, and visit the new tree and Santa’s house on the downtown Wilmington NC riverfront.  This new tree will be lit at 5:45  – Friday November 26, 2010 at 5:45 Riverfront Park.  Maybe next year tree will make another grand appearance.  Until then, we can still say Wilmington NC has the “Worlds Largest Christmas tree” but with a quiet ceremony.

If you are in town and want to search Wilmington NC real estate – visit www.cbbaker.com/

What if every home for sale had a bar code capable of being scanned by any smartphone? How about bar codes on your business cards, listing flyers, postcards etc? Bar codes or QR Codes are starting to appear more frequently in the real estate business and are being hailed as the “next big thing.” Do you see this technology taking hold in real estate? If so, what other uses can you imagine?  Instead of handing out your business card you could just hold out your card with a QR code on it and someone with a smartphone could scan it with an application and all your contact information will be correctly added to their contacts.  WOW…

Kay Baker Google Map QR code

My Google coupon is a QR code and will take you directly to my Google Places and you will be able to access my profile on Google maps.

Maybe soon, we could put codes on For Sale signs and buyers can access information with one scan.  Technology is changing the way we do business.

The Wilmington NC foreclosure rate has nearly doubled in the Cape Fear area in the past year according to a research firm. Coldwell Banker Sea Coast listings comprise of 25% foreclosures, which is up 20% over last year. And, short sales up 10%, perhaps a sign of homeowners in despair. But, there is a bright side to the story, the Wilmington area has fared better than the rest of the nation through this financial crisis.

In Brunswick County, residential lots account for 70% of the foreclosures, due to high speculation of investors in the good times.

What does this all mean to you? Well, if you have a Wilmington NC  home  for sale now, you are competing with all these foreclosures and short sales on the market. The prices are being driven down by this impact. The buyers today are primarily looking at foreclosures and short sales. So, you as a seller have to be very competitive with your price.

If you are in a short sale situation and need assistance, please feel free to contact me at kaybaker@ec.rr.com. We are specialists in the short sale process and know how to get your home sold before foreclosure.

And, if you are looking to take advantage of these great prices, please log onto my website at www.cbbaker.com or contact me and we will send you a detailed list of short sales and foreclosures on the market NOW.

Coldwell Banker real estate continues to receive awards for their innovative marketing especially in the Wilmington NC real estate market.  The Latest award was for “On Location” YouTube Channel, for the Real estate Category.  Below is the letter from Corporate headquarters for Coldwell Banker Realty.

Coldwell Banker Sea Coast realty and Kay Baker and Associates continue to strive for new ideas and creative outlets for marketing of Wilmington NC real estate.  Visit http://www.cbbaker.com/

COLDWELL BANKER REAL ESTATE WINS COMMUNICATOR CREATIVE EXCELLENCE AWARD FROM INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF VISUAL ARTS

Brand’s ‘On Location’ YouTube Channel Honored in Real Estate Website Category

PARSIPPANY, N.J., (July 7, 2010) – The International Academy of the Visual Arts has named Coldwell Banker On Location, the brand’s YouTube channel, a recipient of this year’s Communicator Awards for Creative Excellence in the real estate website category. The category honors the best site for the sale or rental of residential or commercial property.

“We were the first national real estate brand to add streaming video to our website. Today, our agents across the globe have posted more than 15,000 videos to our On Location channel,” said Mike Fischer, chief marketing officer for Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “The most exciting part of On Location is that we have only just begun – there’s a lot more to come.”

On Location has been rated among the top 10 most-viewed brand channels on YouTube. In April, just 11 months after launching On Location, Coldwell Banker announced it had received over 1 million views. The site was launched in May 2009 and was produced in collaboration with FD Kinesis.

“Home buyers would much rather see a home than only read about it,” Fischer said. “Our On Location videos empower them to get a feel for a home, a community or a real estate professional that they could not get from photos or a text description alone. Equally important are the home sellers who are now expecting video to be a part of marketing their property.”

With thousands of entries received from across the United States and around the world, the Communicator Awards is one of the largest and most competitive awards program honoring the creative excellence for communications professionals. The Communicator Awards are judged and overseen by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from acclaimed media, advertising and marketing firms.

About Coldwell Banker®

Since 1906, the Coldwell Banker® organization has been a premier provider of full-service residential and commercial real estate. Coldwell Banker is the oldest national real estate brand in the United States and today has a network of more than 98,000 agents working in more than 3,600 offices in 50 countries and territories. The Coldwell Banker brand is known for creating innovative consumer services as recently seen by being the first national real estate brand to augment its web site www.coldwellbanker.com for smart phones, the first to create a iPhone application and the first to fully harness the power of video in real estate listings, news and information through its Coldwell Banker On LocationSM YouTube channel. The Coldwell Banker system is a leader in specialty markets such as resort, new homes and luxury properties through its Coldwell Banker Previews International® marketing program.

© 2010 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated.

Good news for Wilmington NC real estate home buyers today. The Senate has extended the closing deadline for home buyers that signed contracts by the April 30th deadline. The closing date deadline is now Sept 30, 2010 instead of June 30th. That is good news for many home buyers that are having difficulty with loan completion by June 30th. Many lenders are backlogged with the volume of loan applications right now.

Wilmington NC Real Estate

And, if you did not take advantage of the tax credit, there are still great deals to be had in the marketplace right now. Many sellers with Coldwell Banker Sea Coast are offering the $8000 buyer bonus. So, get out and take advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy a home. You can begin your search right on my website at www.cbbaker.com or email kaybaker@ec.rr.com for a complete list of Wilmington NC foreclosures and short sales.