TOP 5 Things FSBOs in NC Don't Know!

Working with many homeowners in the Jacksonville, NC area, I've come across dozens who are deciding to either list their home with me or sale via For Sale By Owner, aka, FSBO.  This is a list of the TOP 5 things that most FSBO homeowners don't know about selling their home!

1.  Residential Property and Home Owners Association Disclosure Statement.
This form is required by NC law to be completed by any homeowner selling a home or land in NC and provided to any potential buyer.  The instructions to complete the form, are pretty simple.  You simply choose the answer that best fits the situation, either yes, no, or no representation.  The details are listed on the form.  But the most important thing to know is, that by law, homeowners are required to provide this to potential buyers.  Even homeowners who choose the FSBO route.

2.  How many showings the competition receives.
REALTORS® in the Jacksonville, NC area have a tool to show our homeowners how many showings they can expect per week, and how many other homes were shown in comparison to theirs.  FSBOs have access to the statistics provided by the websites that they've paid to advertise on, but that doesn't include REAL market data.

3.  What typical closing costs are.
I'm going to use the analogy of the wife going grocery shopping vs the husband going grocery shopping.  Typically (in most cases, especially mine!!) the wife knows about how much ground beef, for example, to buy in a months time, and just about how much it will cost.  Send the husband to the store, he might come back with one pound of ground beef and may or may not have paid the correct price, because he might not be as familiar at purchasing groceries.  If he is, chances are he doesn't do it with regularity so he's not accustomed to the typical price to pay, where to shop for it, or how much he should buy.  The same goes for FSBOs and estimating closing costs.  There are two types of closing costs- buyer's closing costs and seller's closing costs.  The amount you paid when you purchased the house, probably isn't the same when you sell it.  Unless you're familiar with the 'going rates' and who provides the services, you might not be getting the best deal you can get.

4.  Which attorney to use....among other services.
Unless you're intimately acquainted with your attorney, or familiar with the real estate industry in Jacksonville, NC, you may not even know of an attorney that handles real estate transactions regularly.  And there is a difference between a family law attorney and a real estate attorney.  As well as title services, termite companies and repairmen.

5.  How To Negotiate Due Diligence.  
Or, for that matter, what due diligence consists of.  All to often, once we're under contract, the agreed upon terms change due to discoveries during the due diligence period.  (Say that five times fast, I dare you!!) Whether it's because the buyer's rate changed before they locked in, repairs that need to be completed prior to closing, the appraiser determines value differently, and the list goes on.  Negotiating this part of the contract can literally make or break a deal.  FSBOs that go into this blindly often walk away with less money than they anticipated, or lose the buyer.

If you're considering FSBO in the Jacksonville, or surrounding area, give me a call!  910.545.0450 I'd love to discuss your options and help you set up a successful plan to sell your home!  You don't know what you don't know!

Foreclosure Homes at the Beach!

Have you checked out the foreclosure homes at the beach lately?  Not too shabby!  I mean, if you're going to choose a home, why not a beach home.  And if you're going to choose a beach home, why not choose a foreclosure home?
The fact is, there are a ton of homes on the market in our area, and the reality is, a lot of them are foreclosures.  From a buyer's perspective, it's kind of a win-win!  A beach home + low monthly payment + possible equity + possible income producing property + (did I mention you'd be living at the beach???) = Awesome!

The home buying process doesn't change a whole lot from a conventional purchase to a foreclosure.  Buyers still have the opportunity to do their due diligence before purchasing, there may be some 'sweat equity' involved, and there is usually always the opportunity for equity in these situations.
If I told you, you could OWN a beach home for around $1500 out of pocket, would you call me crazy?  Probably, but maybe for different reasons!  But it's the truth.  And if I told you that there are some hot deals out there to keep your payment reasonable, would you believe me?  Maybe not.  And that's exactly why I'd love to show you!
If you have an afternoon in the next couple weeks, we'd love to sit and chat with you to show you that you can certainly purchase a foreclosure home at the beach and enjoy the sunrise and dolphins playing in less than two months.  True story.  Wanna know more about buying your beach house?  Call us today!

JacksonvilleNorthCarolinaHomes.com and all that jazz!

Hi!  I wanted to do a quick blog and let everyone know about our super cool new home search site:  www.JacksonvilleNorthCarolinaHomes.com!  We've put a ton of time into the creation of this website, and we're still adding stuff to make it super fly.  Our goal is for this to be the number one resource for our clients in the Jacksonville, North Carolina area.
Home buyers, renters, investors, and looky-loos can rest easy and search no more!  This site is stacked with homes of every size, shape, color and price.  What's even cooler is that you can customize your own search and set yourself up for automatic updates.
Wanna talk to a real live person from right here in the good 'ole U.S. of A.?  No worries, we're right here!  The phone number on our webpage will send you straight to either me or John.  Both of us are breathlessly awaiting your phone calls and questions!  We LOVE talking to home buyers who may be thinking about purchasing, just looking, or ready to buy today, as well as people ready to rent a home!
What's great about us is that we are not your average "pop-tart" REALTORS.  We actually care about you.  We want to know what you're looking for, how we can help your family, how we can save you money, and most importantly to us, we want to educate you on the process and the market in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

We have found that the best thing we can do for our clients is teach them what we know about the market, investing in real estate, and the smart way to buy and sell homes.  Consider our website a fancy storefront for an awesome team of REALTORs that are eager to help.
www.JacksonvilleNorthCarolina.com also features a lender we've partnered with, Troy Williamson with Towne Bank Mortgages.  Troy is very detailed and loves to educate his clients like we do, so it's a win-win.  
Here's the thing we've come to realize, buying a house and creating a home with your family is the most important thing you can do for your financial pictures.  We don't take that lightly and we're honored to be a part of it.  We're not satisfied just showing you houses.  We want you to understand what you're getting into, and make sure you're comfortable with it.
If there's any real estate needs that we can help you with, anywhere in the world, please just let us know.  Like I said, we're breathlessly awaiting your phone call.  Check our our snazzy website!  www.JacksonvilleNorthCarolinaHomes.com

Best place to buy ball gowns in Jacksonville, NC??

Military ball season is underway in the Jacksonville area and tons of ladies (myself included!!) are looking for great deals on gowns!  Having been in the military, and also attended Marine Corps balls as a civilian, I've seen my fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly!

I'm hoping to impart some of my experience to help others understand what the military ball is for, what to do and not to do, and even find some great deals!
In the past, I've usually tried to hit the gym and the tanning bed so that I look perfect next to my honey in uniform.  What I've found is, it's not as much about you, as it is about him.  So my biggest tips are spray tan, spanx, and have fun.
There aren't many venues in the Jacksonville area, so we've gone to balls in New Bern, Raleigh, Wilmington, and Greenville.  All within a couple hours, but it makes it much more enjoyable if you can stay the night of the ball.  If you end up driving to any of these locations, keep in mind you may have to park and walk to the ball- it may be a good idea to bring shoes to walk in and change later.  Or even change into your gown there!

Your date for the night will be in uniform, so anything black, blue or red will go great with their Marine Corps duds.  Silver and gold are also great choices to match with their medals and awards!  Typically, you can expect a cash bar, dinner and dancing after the ceremony.  

The Marine Corps is steeped in history and tradition so the ceremony consists of a message from the commandant, as well as a birthday message to the Marines.  Remember, the ball is about the Marine and the ceremony is to honor the tradition.  Don't bring your drama.  The distiguished guest will impart some of their experience and knowledge to the crowd and it's a very honor filled moment for all involved and typically includes several toasts.  The cake cutting is usually performed by the oldest and youngest Marine and cake is served!
This is generally the sequence of events, and remember, many people did a lot of work (mostly your FRO!!) so make sure you thank them.  It will go a long way!  Military balls are kind of the grown up version of prom.  
If you keep your dress simple and elegant you can't go wrong.  It's usually a good idea to go floor length and not expose too much of "the goods," as well as cover up tattoos, if possible.

I hope this helps clear up any questions or confusions as to what to wear, and what you can expect.  Let's talk about getting a great deal on a dress!!
I've reworn and recycled several of my dresses in the past, and have always gotten compliments.  Let's face it, you're going to wear the dress for a few hours, one night a year.  There's no reason to go crazy with it.  I always recommend for ladies to check out the thrift stores in the area as well as the dress events which your FRO can help you with.
If you're an active duty female, reading this blog for your male date, a tux is appropriate.
Classics and J. Nicholson are dress boutiques in Jacksonville that provide gorgeous options, just keep in mind what you're going to do with the dress after you've spent the money on the dress.  Lejeune Yard Sales has a lot of groups with ladies swapping dresses and reselling them as well.  So check those out!

Please post any comments or advice out there and share away!!  As always, if there is anything I can help with in the real estate world- whether you're looking to buy, sell, rent or invest in real estate, please just let me know!

Amanda Parmer
REALTOR
910.545.0450
www.JacksonvilleNorthCarolinaHomes.com

Wanna help homeless veterans, women and children in Jacksonville, NC?

Of course you do!  And you can!  Sign up for the Jacksonville Board of REALTORS® 3rd annual Run For a Reason 5K and all the proceeds will go toward helping homeless veterans, women and children in Jacksonville, NC!

The run starts promptly at 8am on October 18th at the Jacksonville Commons Middle School.  Recipients of the proceeds include Family Endeavors, Zing Zumm Childrens Museum, and Onslow County Ministries!  Your registration can make the difference!

Click here to register!

Top 5 Things To Consider When Selling Your Home

When you've decided to sell your home, the process can seem intimidating and your "honey-do" list starts to grow.  Keep it simple with this quick list of the top 5 things to consider when selling your home!

1.  Are you selling your home, or your house?
As simple as it seems, this is one of the very first things to wrap your head around.  For many people, selling your home stimulates an emotional tie to the home, and in a lot of homeowners minds that means an increase in value.  In reality, you're selling a house.  Buyers are buying a home.  So you need to eliminate as many emotional ties to your home as possible and as soon as possible.  This includes decluttering, taking down children's artwork, removing family pictures from the home and other staging techniques to make your home as show ready as possible.  It also means understanding the market trends and how your house stacks up to other relevant properties for sale.  For an updated market analysis, contact me.  I'd be happy to sit down with you and discuss the market and how it affects your house.

2.  What are buyers looking at?
The National Association of REALTORS® publishes an annual report chocked full of data and statistics based on buyer trends, what they like, what they don't like, what they want to change in homes they buy, their experience, demographics and more.  Using this tool, as well as local showing reports, I can better help you understand what buyers are looking for when shopping for a home and what they buy.

3.  Homebuyers are educated.
There are TONS of tools online for home buyers and they come to the table very educated about what is on the market, what they can ask for, and more importantly, what things cost.  Additionally, there are a host of classes in the Jacksonville area for buyers to take advantage of that discuss the home buying process, mortgages, and investments.  Tack on an experienced Buyer's Agent who professionally represents and negotiates for the homebuyer, and you've got a "professional home buyer" looking at your house.

4.  Exposure.Top 5 things to consider when selling your home
How is your house getting seen?  What is it saying when it's getting marketed?  How available are you to show your house?  Are you measuring your results for marketing?  Who are you showing your house to?  What feedback are you getting with your marketing and showings?  Many homeowners I talk to that choose to sell by themselves rather than hire a REALTOR® to sell their home ask me about marketing strategies.  Our marketing exposes our listings to millions of people worldwide through over 900 websites and we can measure the clicks and inquiries on almost all of them.  We can see what's working and what's not to adjust our strategy to reach the most qualified home buyers in the quickest amount of time, which ultimately leads to SOLD.  We only show homes to qualified home buyers and recently, security is a higher priority, so we have a plan in place to protect ourselves, as well has our homeowners.  Our feedback system prompts for immediate feedback from showings so we know how well the showings went and so do our homeowners.

5.  Time.
Selling a home can be a time consuming task, but it doesn't have to be.  From staging, to marketing, to showing, negotiating, pre qualifying buyers and transaction management, you can have weeks invested in selling your home.  How much time do you have to carry out all of these jobs?  Our team has systems in place or people to manage them.  

If you're considering selling your home, talk with me. 910.545.0450  Let's discuss the process, the market trends and let me help you become as educated as you can be to sell your home!