Google v. TateMAP

By Tom Gongaware

February

28

2011

Google has made me stupid. I know there are folks who say my stupidity pre-dates Google, but I’m pretty sure I’m correct. Google tells me how to get from Point A to Point B. It tells me the latest batch of brews at my favorite pub and Cee Lo Green’s real name (Thomas DeCarlo Callaway). Don’t know who Cee Lo is? Google him.

But there are times when Google cannot answer my questions about residential real estate as elegantly as TateMAP can. TateMAP is an exclusive feature of www.allentate.com … and it’s pretty cool! For example, if I want to explore areas of interest on a map and get a sense of the types of properties there and their median price point, TateMAP can tell me. If I want to see specific homes for sale on the map, I look for the red push pins. If I hover my mouse over any of the push pins, another window will lead me to detailed information. And, if I’m dying to know what my neighbor sold his house for, TateMAP can tell me that, too. The grey push pins show me the sold properties. (Sales information is only available in markets where the data display is approved by the local REALTOR® Associations. Data in other areas will be added as it becomes available.)

Most folks find looking at real estate on a map the better way to identify and research properties of interest rather than perusing a lengthy list of homes with no geographic focus. TateMAP also provides Allen Tate Open House information, the location of elementary and secondary schools, and detailed community profiles by zip code. Plus, the ability to see recent sales data on that same map (where available) helps TateMAP users get a snapshot of market activity and pricing pending further illumination and analysis by a trusted Allen Tate agent.

Google may be my source for the latest on Chelsea Handler (Google her), but the easiest way to find homes for sale or sold within the Allen Tate footprint is TateMAP on www.allentate.com. Check it out. Just don’t look for Cee Lo there.

By Tom Gongaware

2011 Triad Real Estate Forecast

By Tony Jarrett

February 17 2011

The Daytona 500, NASCAR’s biggest race of the year, kicks off the NASCAR season this month. As the race-car drivers take "the turn", the driver’s focus is to hit it just right in order to accelerate into the straight-away. That way, the driver can either stay in the lead or take the lead using the advantage of the turn.In many ways, it feels like we are in "the turn" right now in the Triad too. Whether we are talking about consumer confidence, the state of the economy, or the real estate market in general, we are in "the turn" getting ready to accelerate to hit that straight-away.

Here are three things to focus on as we drive thru the turn in the Triad:

Sales in the Triad Region have hit their bottom – in fact, we claimed October, 2010 was the bottom for sales in the Carolinas. Now that all tax credits of 2009 and 2010 have been exhausted, we are seeing sales start to stabilize on their own in the Triad Region. Buyers are in the market!

Housing prices will remain challenged by distressed properties for the first half of 2011. All indications are that we will see the supply of distressed properties start to decrease in the 2^{nd half of 2011 or early 2012. Now is not the time to test the market with higher prices, but those that price correctly and focus on great condition are selling their houses.}

Mortgage rates are inching up slowly as the economy improves; therefore, affordability is still at an all-time high with today’s current real estate pricing. The simple equation today is "Price is the same, it just cost less"; so there is still a window of time to get a fantastic monthly payment!

We are in "the turn." Every week and month show positive results as we continue to drive around the Triad race-track. Employment will carry the checkered flag for our Triad Region. Positive employment news continues to position our Region back to a nice, slow recovery thru 2011 and 2012. Just as exciting as the Daytona 500 race will be this month, so will the Triad’s race back to recovery. Buckle up, we’re getting ready to start another race season and it’s time to get ready to hit "the turn!!"

By Tony Jarrett

Attack of the Termites
By Regina Walter
February
04
2011
 
My father has been in real estate some 30 plus years and has just recently had some serious bouts with termites in one of his homes. Termites are no laughing matter and in speaking with a colleague of mine, he described the following story:
“I was working in my yard a few years ago and noticed that the previous homeowner laid black plastic down on the ground around the foundation.  I knew this was a major no-no when trying to keep insects away from your house.  You are providing insects with insulation and a weather barrier of protection from Mother Nature’s controlling reach.
I have always had these little brown ants come in all over the house over the years and never could figure out how to control them until I ripped up the black plastic and sprayed around the house every couple of months.  When I did rip up that black plastic, I found ants but what I also found are what follows the ants into your house … termites!!  My first reaction was “that’s just great” and my second reaction was driving to Home Depot to buy some termite stakes.  I checked all the baseboards in the house, as this is the first place they generally show up.  You can do this by knocking on the baseboards with your hand like you would a door.  You’ll know if you have termites when your hand punches through the baseboard or cracks it.  I was lucky.”
Fact: Termites cause over 22 billion dollars of property damage worldwide every year.
By following these simple rules, you can avoid spending unnecessary dollars on repairing termite damage:
• While placing plastic around the foundation of your home does help with weed prevention in the short run, the overall cost is not worth the time and effort.
• If you use mulch or wood chips only use cedar and make sure to lay it a foot or more away from the foundation.  Cedar chips have a natural insect repelling property and repel ants, fleas, termites, chinchbugs, pillbugs, etc.
• Do not keep any wood piles or fallen timber or any non-cedar wood anywhere near your house.  Believe me, it’s better to be safe than sorry in this instance. I keep firewood at the back of my lot.
• To combat bugs and the like, I recommend Ortho Home Defense Max 32 oz. Outdoor perimeter Insect Killer Ready-Spray.  You can get this at Home Depot for around $10.00 and it should last a couple applications.  Just hook it up to your garden hose and spray a 3-4 ft perimeter around and up to your foundation.
Think of ants as the beginning of the Macy’s Day parade of insects with the termites acting as every balloon creation that follows.  If you keep the ants at bay, you are increasing your chances of not having termites.
If you see termites, call a professional for an estimate on removal.  If you choose to do it yourself, head to Home Depot and check out the termite stakes.  I can tell you, speaking from personal experience, that termite stakes are pretty effective and the termites never made it into my house after I set them up.  When weighing the cost of prevention versus the cost of repair, you always come out cheaper on prevention.
 By Regina Walter

Why Home Ownership Matters to America

By Tony Jarrett

January

14

2011

When people think of owning a home, often times the focus is on the personal impact. There are many positives, from financial and tax benefits to the ability to simply decorate and manage a home as you like. But the American Dream has more than an individual impact.

In our third installment of our series on why homeownership matters, research from the National Association of Realtors clearly shows the positive impact reaches not just the individual, but the entire nation.

Some reasons why homeownership matters to America:

• 67% of American households are owner-occupied.  America is a nation of home owners.
• Homeowners pay 80 to 90% of federal individual income taxes, contributing to federal programs that benefit all Americans.
• Every home purchased pumps $60,000 into the economy for furniture, home improvements and related items.
• Housing accounts for more than 15% of the national Gross Domestic Product, a key driver of our national economy.
• For these reasons and more, home ownership is the American Dream!

Owning a home is a personal choice, but a very public positive impact.

By Tony Jarrett

 

Winterize Your Home Now

By Robin Price

November

09, 2010

As the weather gets colder and colder and we move into winter here in the Carolinas, it’s important to take the proper measures to winterize your home to prevent losses and future claims.

Here are some main points on winterizing your home:

• Prepare your fireplace by inspecting the damper, storing chopped firewood away from your home, and removing soot and creosote.
• Call an HVAC professional to inspect and clean your furnace. The best piece of advice I can give you is to turn the furnace on and have it inspected before the coldest winter months. The last thing you want is to have a faulty furnace when the temperature starts to plummet.
• Inspect your doors and windows for cracks and exposures. According to EarthWorks Group, the average American home has leaks that amount to a nine-square-foot hole in the wall…that’s a lot of cold air coming into your home during those winter months!
• Clean out gutters and prevent the formation of potential ice dams by removing any debris. Ice dams result in water backing up and freezing in your gutters which can then cause water to seep into your house.
• Drain air conditioner pipes and shut off the AC water valve. If you’ve never experienced a burst pipe during a winter freeze now would not be the time to start. Shutting off the AC water valve and making sure the pipes are drained will save you from many unnecessary headaches this winter.
• If you leave on vacation, leave the heat on at least 55 degrees.
• Prepare an emergency kit of candles, batteries, non-perishable food items, first aid, matches/lighters, and water.

Taking these few steps before the winter weather moves in will help your protect your home and prevent future damage.

Robo-Signing and the Foreclosure Scandal

By Chris Cope

October

19

2010

Robo-signing is a new word coming from the Foreclosure Scandal that has found its way into our everyday lives. So, what does robo-signing mean exactly?

Upon initial review of the information robo-signing looked to be a result of the huge number of foreclosure documents that needed to be approved and signed off on.  What I believe is that many people thought these were qualified individuals who were overwhelmed with the amount of paperwork they needed to complete to have a foreclosure proceeding move forward. 

Now, in some recent developments, it seems as though another component of robo-signing took place.  As the servicers of the lenders tried to keep up with the paperwork they started to hire employees who did not have the correct mortgage background.  How can someone who does not have an understanding of basic mortgage terms and practices be expected to appropriately review foreclosure documents? 

If you are affected by a foreclosure or know of anyone who is experiencing these issues the first place to start is with the servicer themselves.  However many States have joined in on this to help consumers.  Most recently the North Carolina Housing Finance agency gave this website and phone number to help those in North Carolina with foreclosure .

Picking the Right Paint For Your Home

By Amanda Serra

October

21

2010

I am a decision maker. My theory is that if something is wrong it can be fixed. Oddly though, the bigger the decision, the easier it is for me. Picking out paint colors is seemingly easy right? Not for me and my decision-making self! I can honestly say I have an easier time picking out a car than I do a color of paint. This fact was made clear to me the last time I had to pick out paint colors, I was so frazzled that no one in my family was talking to me by the time it was all said and done…

Lucky for everyone, this will not happen next time around. With the help of the internet, I solved all of my decorating dilemmas.  With great tools, like virtual paint tools, you can upload a picture of the room and change the color simply with a click of your mouse!

Not sure how much paint you need?  Make painting even easier by buying the right amount by using a paint estimator. For those that choose wallpaper over painting, there is also a calculator for that as well.

There are many free online resources out there when it comes to home decorating, here are some of my other favorites:

• For those that need help with furniture placement, there are also a lot of great online tools for that as well.  BHG offers one that is free and easy to use, you can print it and even save it in case you want to rearrange later on down the road
• For outdoor designs check out Bob Villa’s Deck Design tool.  It will provide you with 3-D model, materials list and installation guide lines! This same site also has a number of other helpful design tools as well as estimators and calculators!
• There are tons and tons of calculators out there that can help you make sure you buy the right amount of supplies. Should you decide to create a patio using pavers, use this great calculator. Who wants stop mid project because you have run out of supplies? Worse than that, you certainly do not want lots of leftovers.

These great tools helped me transform my new home, which was painted builders beige throughout. Beige is nice, but 2000 square of it was more than I wanted. It is amazing to me how a coat of paint can transform a room, and even more amazing that with the use of the right tools and resources, decorating becomes easy!

 

Competitive vs. Compelling Pricing

Make sure your home is the “shiniest apple”

You’ve taken my advice about what to do when trying to sell your home: spruce up the landscaping, repaint the bathroom, remove extra furniture and make it available for showings.  And you’ve agreed to price it competitively with others in the area.