Wilmington NC Builder Matches Tax Credit

A Wilmington NC real estate builder is willing to match the $8000 tax credit to homebuyers that purchase any remaining townhomes at Carleton Place.

These elegant one level brick  townhomes are located within minutes to Wrightsville Beach, Mayfaire and UNCW. These homes are very affordable with prices starting at just $179,900 and custom upgrades such as granite countertops, stainless appliances, hardwood floors and ceramic tile are are INCLUDED! Three different spacious and open  floor plans are offered with optional one and two car garages and a finished room over the garage for bonus space.

Reserve your Wilmington NC townhome close to the beach, shopping and all that Wilmington has to offer right here at The Townes at Carleton Place.

If you are searching for Wilmington NC real estate, you can find it all on my website at www.cbbaker.com. There you can search by maps, prices, neighborhoods, schools and more.

Income Tax Deadline

You’re probably up to your neck by now in forms and paperwork as the April 15th income tax deadline approaches. Maybe you’ve already completed your taxes, paid your bill, or are awaiting your refund check. Either way, now is the perfect time to revisit the extended and expanded Home Buyer’s Tax Credit.

$8000 Tax Credit

Why? Because now, as you calculate your tax bill or your refund, you can finally see in real terms just how beneficial a tax credit of up to $8,000 can be to your bottom line.

Here’s the basics:

Qualified 2009 and 2010 first-time home buyers can get up to 10% of the home’s purchase price or a maximum of $8,000. In November 2009, legislation extended a tax credit of up to $6,500 (or up 10% of the home’s purchase price) to long-time residents of the same primary residence if they purchase a new main home. To qualify, eligible taxpayers must show that they lived in their previous homes for a five-consecutive-year period during the eight-year period ending on the closing date of the new home.

Important details to remember:

1) You don’t have to pay it back (as long as you stay in your qualified home for at least 36 months).

2) If you qualify for the credit, you can still apply it to this year’s taxes, even if you’ve already filed your returns, or save it for your 2010 returns.

3) This is a true tax credit, not a deduction. If you qualify for the full credit, there will be an actual dollar-for-dollar reduction of up to $8,000 (or up to $6,500 for qualified repeat buyers) on your tax bill now or in 2010.

4) New income qualification limits have been put in place that expanded the pool of qualified buyers.

5) If you purchased a qualified home or plan to after reading this article, you must have a contract in place by April 30, 2010 (with closing to take place by June 30, 2010), so don’t wait!

There are, of course, other details and qualification requirements and restrictions that you’ll need to consider. But don’t hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions. Also, if you happen to have your completed 2009 tax return handy, we’ll help you calculate how much money you can get if you purchase a home and qualify for the full credit.

Wilmington NC Real Estate

Start your Wilmington NC real estate search right here. You can search homes by schools, price range, neighborhoods, maps, zip codes and more. And, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at kaybaker@ec.rr.com.
If you know anyone who is looking to buy or sell a home, please forward their name and telephone number to us. We will happily provide the same high level of service that we have provided to you. The greatest compliment you could possibly give us is the referral of your friends and family.

Wilmington NC Real Estate

The real estate market in Wilmington is definitely showing signs of improvement in the number of homes sold and the list price for Dec 09 over Dec 08. And, our average sales price has decreased 9.6% over 4th quarter 08, and increased 5.3% over 3rd qtr 09. There was a 12% decrease in median sales price over 4th quarter 08 and.03% decrease over 3rd quarter.

Sales price to list ratio was at 94.3% in the 4th qtr 2009 and the 4th qtr had an increase in number of homes sold by 34.5% from 4th quarter 08. As we know a lot of these sales were primarily driven by the tax credit that was set to expire Nov 30, 2009.

Hopefully last year will be the year that the market has bottomed out and started to stabilize. And, 2010 should be the very best year in a long time, for home buying opportunities. Remember, first time home buyers tax credit has been extended and expanded to include repeat, move up buyers, prices are down 10% from 2008, foreclosures and short sales are excellent buying opportunities,  mortgage rates are at historic lows, and  there is a large inventory of homes for sale to choose from.

So, start your real estate search today at www.cbbaker.com. You can search by price range, map, schools, neighborhoods and more.

Wilmington NC real estate market

The Wilmington NC real estate market is really making a bounce back with the number of showings at Coldwell Banker Sea Coast up a whopping 72% over December! There were 2757 showings of our very own listings in January! That is amazing.

If you are in the market to sell your home this year, now is the time to be getting your home on the market. You don’t want to be left behind when we get into our Spring selling season this year. The Northeast market is rebounding, as well. When that happens, those buyers will be here in the Spring to purchase .

And Wilmington NC home buyers, don’t forget the clock is ticking for the tax credit. If you would like to search for homes in Wilmington, NC by price range, schools, map, zip codes and even neighborhoods, my website does it all at www.cbbaker.com. Please feel free to contact me at kaybaker@ec.rr.com.

Wilmington NC Jobs Increase

There are signs of a recovering economy as a recent jobs report listing cities with jobs growth over 1% for period July-October 2009, listed Wilmington NC in the top ten cities for jobs growth during that period. The list was compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were 77 cities that saw jobs increase during that period and 19 cities saw growth of over 1%. Wilmington NC jobs increased by 2.1% while Merced, Calif saw a 2.7% increase and Raleigh-Cary 1.3%. That is really good news for the Cape Fear Region.

The housing market seems to be experiencing a comeback, as the market has had 4 consecutive months of sales increases over 2008.

Wilmington NC Real Estate

If you are thinking about purchasing Wilmington, NC real estate, please take advantage of the $8000 tax credit. What an opportunity for homebuyers! And, you can search for Wilmington NC homes by neighborhood, schools, maps, zip codes, price and more at www.cbbaker.com. Please feel free to contact me at kaybaker@ec.rr.com or 910232-0363. We are here to assist you with your real estate needs every step of the way.

Homebuyers Good Faith Estimate

Recent guidelines from Washington have forced a change to the way that loan originators will disclose closing costs for all homebuyers. The purpose of the new Good Faith Estimate is to level the playing field for borrowers comparing loans to be able to make apples to apples comparisons for loan scenarios.

In essence, HUD is working to bring all lenders up to the same standard of excellence in reporting closing costs that I have always adhered to, estimating realistic fees that a buyer should expect to pay at closing with no last minute surprises.

Closing costs for the homebuyer

What are the important facts you should be award of as a homebuyer? Below are some important points to know:

All fees paid to the lender/broker are to be consolidated in one line, including processing fees, origination fees, etc. These charges cannot change from the original estimate without a material change to the loan requested.
In the event fees are being charged to obtain a lower rate, these are to be broken out and itemized for the borrower’s ease of comparison to other loan programs.
Estimates for fees from government recording charges and third party settlement providers we suggest are to be itemized and the lender is held to a tolerance of 10% for their accuracy. In the event the estimated charges exceed the amount listed by the allowable tolerance, the lender will be responsible for making up the difference.
Estimates for services that the buyer can shop for and do choose can change at settlement without the lender being held accountable. This can include title charges, homeowner’s insurance, and initial deposits for an escrow account.

Wilmington NC Homebuyers

As always, we strive to assist our Wilmington, NC homebuyers in selecting a reputable home lender that will give you an accurate estimate of closing costs and funds for closing.

Wilmington NC Real Estate

Why not contact a professional Realtor with many years of local knowledge and experience, Kay Baker. I am here to assist you in your purchase of Wilmington NC real estate every step of the way. Whether you are looking for foreclosures and short sales, second home, golf course home or a first time buyer, we are here to guide you in one of your most important decisions. Take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity to buy a home. Interest rates are at historic lows and homes are all on SALE! Contact me today kaybaker@ec.rr.com.

Wilmington NC Real Estate

Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Associates now have the ability to leverage the power and success of Homes.com! One of real estate’s fastest-growing property portals, Homes.com features nearly 100 percent organic traffic for better listing performance and higher quality leads. Now all of our Wilmington NC real estate listings will be near the top of the search results.

Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty and Homes.com have
partnered together to increase your listing exposure
to more than 4 million monthly viewers.

Homes.com

Homes.com Premier Listings include:
Up to 30 photos of your current listing will
automatically be displayed
Virtual tours will automatically display
Agent photo and name will appear
Your phone number, email and link to your agent
website will appear
Listings included on the Homes.com search application for the iPhone include a link from to drive traffic directly to your website
Live mapping of each property
Control panel access for tracking and lead distribution
A Control Panel is available for those agents who wish to make additional changes to their listings on
homes.com.

If you are looking to sell Wilmington NC real estate, please give us a call today. We will show you our very aggressive marketing approach for 2010! Don’t hesititate, give us a call today or email kaybaker@ec.rr.com.

Great news for Wilmington, NC real estate market

Congress is extending the $8,000 stimulus package to first time home buyers and buyers who have not purchased a personal residence within the last 3  years.  Also an extra bonus to home buyers is a $6,500 stimulus to homeowners who have owned their home for 5 years and would like to purchase a personal residence.  Both stimulus plans require that the buyer be under contract by April 30. 2010 and close by June 30, 2010.  If you have been thinking about purchasing your first home or a move up home, NOW is the time to do it.

The housing market continues to show signs of improvement day after day. Looking at the very latest local data and trends is key to making a sound buying or selling decision in any particular market. That’s one of the most important services we offer our clients.  We are the local experts, use our knowledge to your advantage.

Wilmington, NC Foreclosures, Short Sales

We can send you detailed information on the latest listings, Wilmington, NC foreclosures, short sales and more. There prices won’t last for long. Many homes sell within 48-72 hours of listing. Be the first to know about them. Call or email kaybaker@seacoastrealty.com today!

Foreclosures Wilmington NC

The number of foreclosures listed in the Wilmington MLS are at an all time high of 75. These foreclosed home range in price from $28,000 to $2,163,055 in Porters Neck Plantation and everything in between including homes at Landfall, Northchase, Pine Valley, MacCumber Terrace and even waterfront communities such as Tangle Oaks.

Short Sales Wilmington NC

Short sales are even higher in numbers with a record 152 short sales listed for sale in the Wilmington, NC area. You will find short sales at prestigious Figure Eight Island, Landfall, Wrightsville Beach, NC, Carolina Beach, NC, Historic District, Waterfront communities such as Turtle Hall and Sandfiddler Point, Whitney Pines and Somerset Place. As you know a short sale is when the home is listed for less than the payoff due the lender. They are always subject to lender approval and the process is usually a very lengthy one.

For a complete list of foreclosures and short sales, please call 800-497-7325 Ex. 3607 or email me at kaybaker@ec.rr.com.  You can also search Wilmington NC real estate at www.cbbaker.com by map, neighborhood, price, zip code, schools and more.

First Time Home Buyers

According to the National Association of Realtors, First time home buyers are driving the market to a rebound as home sales in September bounced back strongly. Home sales are at the highest level in 2 years! And, here in my home town, Wilmington NC real estate is on the move, as well.

$8000 Tax Credit

NAR chief economist, said favorable conditions matched with a tax credit are boosting home sales. “Much of the momentum is from people responding to the first-time buyer tax credit, which is freeing many sellers to make a trade and buy another home,” he said. “We are hopeful the tax credit will be extended and possibly expanded to more buyers, at least through the middle of next year, because the rising sales momentum needs to continue for a few additional quarters until we reach a point of a self-sustaining recovery.”

Adding to the real estate market recovery is that home affordability is the best it has been since 1970. And, with the added $8000 tax credit. Buyers are jumping in to take advantage of this once in a life time opportunity.

The market housing supply is the lowest it has been in over  two years nationwide and that in itself is a strong signal that the market is on the rebound.

Wilmington NC Real Estate

Don’t wait to take advantage of this great time to buy real estate, start your search today online at www.cbbaker.com. You can search homes in Wilmington, NC by price range, neighborhoods, zip code, schools, map and more. And, please contact us for a detailed list of foreclosures and short sales at kaybaker@ec.rr.com or 910 232-0363. You will receive a list right in your inbox or on your mobile phone.