What if the Appraisal Comes in Lower than the Contract Price?

Appraisal of your Charlotte home for sale

What if the Appraisal Comes in Lower than the Contract Price? You have an accepted offer in on a house for $600,000. You have put down 25%. The appraisal comes in at $580,000. What do you do? First, you do not have to pay more than the house is worth, unless your would like to. Meaning you don't want to risk losing it. Of course this means you would have to come up with $20,000 out of pocket. You can walk away from the deal since the Contract DOES make execution contingent upon the house appraising at the value of the offer or above - not below. You can present an addendum to the … Continue reading...

Common Home Remodeling Projects: DIY vs. Pro

Common Home Remodeling Projects: DIY vs. Pro Charlotte homeowners often struggle with listing preparation - what improvements need to be done and which don't. Some home improvements are highly personalized and can actually harm a Charlotte home seller more than it would if left unchanged. Then there's the choice of DIY or hiring the professional. Because of the many choices out there and the unsolicited advice you'll often get from 'salesmen' in the business, it's highly recommended that you seek the advice of a licensed real estate agent before making ANY home improvements, especially if … Continue reading...

Pricing Strategies to Sell your Charlotte Home in Any Market

The key to pricing your Charlotte home for sale

Pricing Strategies to Sell your Charlotte Home in Any Market The single most important factor in selling your Charlotte home is pricing the home correctly. Many sellers feel compelled to ‘try’ at a higher price but, if you have not received an Offer after 5-7 days, chances are, you may have already shot yourself in the foot - so you MUST immediately reduce the price. After 14-21 days, demand and interest in your home will be reduced significantly, costing you thousands of dollars. Many sellers fear that if they price their homes too low, they will be ‘leaving money on the table.’ In a sellers’ … Continue reading...

Clean Up for Your Charlotte Home’s Exterior in Preparation for SELLING

Clean Up for Your Charlotte Home's Exterior in Preparation for SELLING Preparing to Sell Your Charlotte Home?  It's Time to Take Care of the Exterior! Need to spruce up the curb appeal of your Charlotte home for sale?  No matter what style of home you're trying to sell, you'll never get buyers through the door if their first impression makes them drive right past!  Whether it’s those dead pansies still adorning your front porch, the extended family of yard gnomes or simply some bushes gone wild, anything detracting from your property’s curb appeal will automatically make buyers view the rest … Continue reading...

Five Ways to Keep Up with the Joneses Where First Impressions are Concerned

Seller tips - making the front of your home pop for buyers

Five Ways to Keep Up with the Joneses Where First Impressions are Concerned Yes, the old saying about keeping up with the Joneses is not always frowned upon - especially when it comes to curb appeal when selling your Charlotte home! Another old saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” is also applicable when it comes to curb appeal! How your home looks from the street is an essential part of being successful in the sale of your home. It's also where comparison with your neighbors' homes is inescapable – which can pose a problem if you neighbor’s home is for sale and … Continue reading...

Your Charlotte Home Listing Expired without Selling?

Your Charlotte Home Listing Expired without Selling? Phoning an expired listing recently, I received a hasty, “We’ll be renewing with the previous agent.” and then CLICK! But, WAIT! There was SO MUCH that I wanted to ask you and also tell you about your home that you probably did not know! Of course, we can’t ‘bash’ other agents and their marketing but, I would love to have asked you several questions to help you determine if you need to make a change! When you listed your high-end, luxury home, did you EXPECT your agent to hire a professional photographer? (Those iPhone pictures obviously … Continue reading...

3 Must-Do Home Inspections Before Putting Your Home on the Market

Pre-home inspection in Charlotte NC

3 Must-Do Home Inspections Before Putting Your Home on the Market Oh, my house is in perfect condition! I have annual maintenance done on everything ‘mechanical’ in my home and take care of any issues right away. I don’t NEED an inspection - it’s a waste of money!” Agents hear this from homeowners to whom we have suggested a pre-inspection often! Of course, everyone who has taken the leap to homeownership has heard the stories about what a home inspection can reveal but, many are not aware of the primary issues that can kill a deal if the buyer discovers an issue (or several) that you weren’t … Continue reading...

Barclay Downs Real Estate Market Report SEPT 2016

Charlotte Neighborhood Barclay Downs Market Report

Barclay Downs Real Estate Market Report SEPT 2016 One of Charlotte's most popular neighborhoods, Barclay Downs was developed in the late 1950‘s.  One of SouthPark's gems, the Barclay Downs homes are traditional and almost all brick, typical of Charlotte during that period.  Homes for sale in Barclay Downs range from the high $200,000‘s to over $1,000,000.  The style of homes varies with a nice blend of ranches, split levels, and two-story homes.  Homes range between 1,500 and 6,000+ square feet.  Barclay Downs neighborhood remains a strong sellers' market with only a 2.1-month supply of homes … Continue reading...

Charlotte Real Estate Q&A | How Should I Prepare My Charlotte House for Sale?

SOLD in Dilworth

How should I prepare my Charlotte house for sale? Preparing your Charlotte house for sale is not just a simple, “put it on the market and see what happens” process!  It’s a multi-step, organized process that begins with a great real estate coach (your agent)! The first step is to de-personalize and de-clutter your home as much as possible.  This is the step that most sellers just hate having to do!  I always tell my sellers, “You’re going to be packing it up to move anyway, you may as well do it now!”  Pack up the personal items and then ‘grow’ your rooms by removing any non-essential pieces, … Continue reading...

What is Absorption Rate Pricing?

Comparing Apples to Oranges? Doesn't work in real estate!

What is Absorption Rate Pricing? Absorption rate pricing is an old but, often over-looked method used by real estate professionals to calculate the value of your home.  The calculations are based upon the principles of supply and demand.  Because appraisers are now required to use Absorption Rate Pricing to determine your home’s value, it is critical that you understand how the process works. There are only a certain number of Charlotte homes that will sell in any market in any given period of time. For example, if 12 homes sold in the last 12 months in a given market, that means that the … Continue reading...