Wilmington NC Real Estate Guide

If the low prices and the low interest rates have you wishing you could buy a new home but cannot because of your debt load, there is still time to reorganize your finances to make your wish come true.  Take a realistic look at where you spend your money.  Write everything down and where you spent it.  Is there a $4.00 Latte everyday? Make a budget and try to do away with some of the extras that you buy on a whim.  There are budget tools online, like Suze Ormans expense tracker that will help get you started.   We also have a credit repair company that can help you earn additional points for your credit score, so that you can qualify for lower interest rates.  Before you know it, that new home can be yours.  Be patient and work towards what you really want.  We can help you achieve this.  For all your Wilmington NC real estate needs please visit www.cbbaker.com or www.kaybakerwilmington.com

To view the home pictured please visit www.AskMeAboutWilmington.com

Did you miss the $8,000 Stimulus deadline to purchase a new home?  If you did Coldwell Banker Corporate has announced a Buyer Bonus plan that could help you get a credit on a new home.  

Purchase a participating home between May 1, 2010 and July 31, 2010 and the seller will refund 3% of the accepted offer price up to $8,000 to you as a credit at closing.  Look for the “Buyer Bonus Program” homes online or call us and we can help you with your search for a new home.  You don’t have to be a first time home buyer to enjoy the credit.  Read more here.

Search online at www.cbbaker.com or TEXT 14059 to 44133 to search on your mobile phone.

Wilmington NC Real Estate Homeowners

Starting April 5, 2010 the Government will be paying homeowners in default, to relocate. The new program will demand lenders to honor short sales whereby the homeowner can sell the property for less than the mortgage payoff. The Obama administration is trying a different approach to assist more than 5 Million households who are behind on their mortgages. In turn, the homeowner will receive $1500 for relocation assistance and the lender $1000 for expediting the short sale process.  

This arrangement could prove very beneficial to the homeowner, as they will not suffer further credit damage and they will get reassurance from the lender that they will not be sued for the balance. And, under this arrangement, the number of potential  foreclosed homes on the market should drastically decrease which in turn, should improve the  overall housing market.

Finally, short sales will have their day! If you are facing a foreclosure, and need assistance, we are specialists in the Wilmington NC real estate short sale and foreclosure market. We are there for you every step of the way. Just give us a call or email kaybaker@ec.rr.com.

And, if you are looking to purchase a short sale or foreclosure, we have you covered there, as well.  We have a Certified Distressed Property broker on our team and will help you with your short sale or  purchase a short sale or foreclosure with complete knowledge of the process.  Read more here

Spring is right around the corner in Wilmington NC. What a great time to get a jump start on your spring cleaning.  If you are considering putting your home on the market, this might be the time to hire a cleaning professional.

Some of the things you need to keep in mind are:

1. Make a list of things that you would like to have done to the interior and the exterior of the home. 

2.  Do your homework and ask friends for referrals of cleaning companies.  Check out references before you hand over the keys to you home.

3.  Make sure that the cleaning company handles taxes for their employees, has insurance and is bonded.

4. Get an estimate for services and make sure it is detailed.  Your idea of a cleaning might be different than theirs.

5.  Make sure that the company can schedule days to fit your schedule and whether or not they supply the cleaning equipment and supplies.

6.  A professional cleaning job can make your home shine and show well. 

7.  Call us to help you sell your home!

So, start your real estate search today at www.cbbaker.com.  You can find a new home as well as get seller advice.  You can search by price range, map, schools, neighborhoods and more.

Announcing another Coldwell Banker Sea Coast innovative marketing tool that will show sellers in “real time” for every 7 days worth of exposure how many views their home has received on the Sea Coast Web Site.  Reports can be sent out daily or weekly automatically.   The SC Seller Web Advantage is a unique and great tool that will breakdown the viewing traffic in a variety of ad spots.

1. Listing agents profile page with their properties

2. Viewed as a “Featured Property” (Home page for Sea Coast )
3. How many times the home is clicked on for “more” details.
4.  How many times your home was in a “search” result ( eg neighborhood, price)

The report is visually easy to read with graphs, and text details.    

The other report is a Market Comparative analysis report on your home.  This is just to see what is selling around you, in different price ranges, either by zip code or by map.

A complete breakdown of traffic on your listing from SeaCoastRealty.com for every 7,30, and 240 days.

·         Agent Listings – How many times it shows up under an agents, “My Properties”.

·         Featured Property – How many times it is featured on SeaCoastRealty.com.

·         Property Detail – How many times the property detail page is viewed for that listing.

·         Property Results – How many times your listing was returned in a search result.

The report includes not only a text layout but also a very nice Pie Graph to visually compare traffic information.

If you are thinking about selling your home in Wilmington, NC, why not let the most innovative and aggressive marketing team go to work for you? Call or email Kay Baker at Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty now. She knows more about the Wilmington NC real estate market!

Four Mistakes That Can Cost You Thousands

Like all homeowners, you hope your home will sell quickly. Some homes do. In fact, the majority of homes sell during the initial listing period. But–as you know— some do not. In tough markets, as many as a third to a half the listings expire unsold. If this has happened to you and you still want to sell, make a renewed commitment to do what it takes to market your home effectively.

There are four major components of a successful sale.

1. Communication-Teamwork between seller and agent is key to know how to alter the marketing process. Did you receive feedback from the showings that you had? Most important, we want to hear from you.

2. Price-This is the most common culprit for the lack of a sale. An incorrectly priced home attracts the wrong buyers or none at all. One secret is to price your home below other expired listings and overpriced listings languishing 60 to 90 to 120 days on the market. Activity without offers often indicates overpricing. Remember, any home will sell for the right price.

3. Condition-When buyers enter your home, we want them to say ” I love this home!”. A home in like-new condition sells fastest and gets the best price because it outshines the competition. For instance, don’t offer a carpet allowance in the place of installing new carpet. While prospective purchasers are trying to imagine new carpeting,they likely will discount it further for the worn carpet underfoot or buy one down the street with new carpet.

4.Marketing-Your secret to success is a carefully crafted marketing plan that exposes your home to the widest pool of possible prospective buyers. In today’s market the most successful marketing campaigns integrate online and offline marketing. Most homebuyers search for homes online, so offline advertising should direct homebuyers to an array of color photos and virtual tours online.

Buyers are out there! Don’t show off your home until marketing plans, terms, price and condition are set. Put your home in buyer ready condition and it won’t go unsold. If you are ready to talk about selling your home in Wilmington, NC, we welcome your call or email. We can assist you every step of the way. For more selling tips log on to my website at www.cbbaker.com.

First impression is everything in today’s real estate world. With the inventory available for buyers to pick and choose, sellers need to be diligent about first impression. Buyers may pass your house for a more updated one. Read the rest of this entry