2015 BAH Rates in Jacksonville, NC

Here we are, at the end of 2014, and the question on everybody's minds is, "What's my BAH going to be in 2015??"

Well, good news, BAH rates have increased for 2015 across the board!  Some by as much as $40, some as much as $115!  And, by the way, BAH is the acronym most military personnel have become accustomed to using which simply stands for Basic Allowance for Housing. 

Military members who are assigned to a permanent duty station within the 50 United States, and are not furnished with government housing (whether due to availability or by choice) are eligible for BAH, based on rank, dependency status and permanent duty station zip code.  Some units have local rules about eligibility as well.
Another fun fact, BAH is tax free income.  Which means, for instance if your pay grade is E-4 or below and you're stationed aboard Camp Lejeune in 2015, you can receive $948 a month (unless you have dependents, then it's more!) to cover the cost of rent, tax free.  Sometimes you may incur out of pocket expenses if your bills are more than your allowance.  Budgeting can help alleviate that though!
So now, you're planning to live "out in town" or "off base" and you're receiving $948 every month (or  $11,376 a year!) to cover your living expenses.  What if you used this TAX FREE money to purchase a home, instead of renting?  Let's face it, you're going to be paying someone's mortgage, whether you're renting or buying, right?  So what would it look like, if you allowed the military to purchase your house for you?  It's the same amount of money every month, except by purchasing, you're making your money work for you by investing it in your own home.  With the current interest rates (as of today, December 22, 2014,) $948 a month will afford you about a $145,000 home, depending on taxes and insurance.

The reason I suggest this course of action, is mostly because I've done it, and I was able to invest, re-invest, and earn passive income (that's money I get every month without working, because someone is paying me to live in one of my houses!) ten years later, simply by buying a house using my BAH.  (True Story!!)

If this sounds like a sales pitch, I apologize.  It isn't.  It's only a word to the wise.  I have seen too many young service members in the last 15 years blow their money and have nothing to show for it by the time they're 30 years old.  And I want to help educate and help prepare for the future.  
If you are not living in the barracks or in base housing, you are getting at least $11,000 a year for living expenses.  Use it wisely or pay someone to live in their house.  
The choice is yours!
We'd love to help you, whether you decide to rent or buy and you can check out available homes here!  Give us a call for a free consultation to explore your options and talk about the home buying process, the Jacksonville real estate market, or investing in real estate!  910.545.0450  Click here to see the new BAH Rates for 2015!

**Just an update- had some questions about who will be receiving an increase in BAH and some discussion about certain service members not because of time in service.  According to this DOD bulletin, the BAH change is across the board.  Obviously the amount is dependent on location, rank, and whether the service member has dependents or not.

Williams Farm- Exclusive Living in Jacksonville, NC!

Welcome to the exclusive community of Williams Farm in Jacksonville, NC!  This community offers custom built homes that are sure to please with the finest amenities such as gourmet kitchens, home theaters, in ground swimming pools and more!




Homes in this neighborhood have been designed for the utmost grandeur and southern living.  The professional landscaping throughout the community perfectly compliments the architecture that defines Williams Farm.  I was showing homes to some lovely buyers this week from Virginia and they absolutely fell in love with the atmosphere and design of the neighborhood.  They complimented how clean and neat everything is and really liked how spaced out the homes are.

 They specifically wanted to find a home with at least 4,000 heated square feet, 5 bedrooms, large master bathroom, lots of garage space and kitchen to entertain.  We were lucky enough to find several homes that fit this bill and they found the perfect home, with the best spot for their Christmas tree!   

Residents enjoy the convenience of living in Jacksonville and short commutes, as well as privacy and open spaces.  The gated community offers homesites as big as two acres!  Horse lovers are welcome to the stables included in the home owners association.  
Homebuyers interested in building their own custom estate in Williams Farm have several homesites to choose from.  Make your dreams become a reality by designing your own home and enjoy the luxurious living Williams Farm has to offer.  For your personal tour of Williams Farm in Jacksonville, NC, give me a call!  910.545.0450 I'd love to show you around and find the perfect home for you in this exclusive neighborhood!

"We're closing on our house next week, let's go shopping!"

Congratulations!  You're closing on your new house!  But you haven't "closed" yet, so please, for the love of all that's neat and orderly in the world, DO NOT go shopping!

Here's why!
•If you've financed your home purchase, your lender is going to do a double check of your credit before closing.  You DO NOT want to make them redo anything, or make them mad! 
•If you're not financing your home purchase, and paying cash, the funds need to be verified before closing and any large transactions will look a little strange.  

For instance, if there is a washer/dryer set on sale, and you just have to have it!  Please wait.  That could be several hundred dollars (maybe even thousands....) that could make or break the transaction.

Here's what will happen.  If you finance the washer/dryer (say, using a Lowe's credit card,) that automatically creates more debt and changes your debt to income ratio, which can affect your interest rate, and quite possibly make your lender crazy.  They'll have to redo everything.  Is the new washer/dryer important enough to delay the closing, and sign more paperwork?  
Many lenders will require a certain amount of money "in reserves" when you're purchasing.  After all, you're asking them for hundreds of thousands of dollars, right?  They want to make sure you have at least the first mortgage payment in your bank account before they give you the money!  So if you pay cash for this washer/dryer, it could affect the amount of "assets" or "cash in reserve" that you have to bring to the closing table.

Additionally, don't expect to be able to paint, make repairs or changes, or move in furniture prior to closing.  Sometimes sellers will allow this under the right circumstances and it can be negotiated.  But standard practice is, whoever owns the house gets to make those decisions.  Turn the tables and look at it differently.  Would you allow someone to come in and paint your house, or replace your flooring, or move their stuff in, before you've officially sold it to them?  Probably not.  Better safe than sorry!

So the moral of the story is, please, please, wait until you've closed on your house until you go shopping, make changes or move in to your new home!  For a complete list of homes for sale in the Jacksonville, Richlands, Sneads Ferry, or Hubert areas of North Carolina, click here!  If you or anyone you know would like to chat about purchasing or selling a home, give me a call!  910.545.0450.  I'd love to help, and can explain more about why you should wait until after you've closed and where you can find the best deals to go shopping!!

TOP 5 Reasons Your Home Expired On The Market

This top 5 list will hopefully help those sellers out there whose home has expired on the market.  An "expired listing" is a home whose listing agreement has come to an end and the home is no longer being marketed for sale.

1.  Overpriced?
Sad, but true.  80% of marketing is pricing effectively.  Market price doesn't have any correlation to how much a person actually paid for their house a few years ago.  Ideally, market values go up and homeowners enjoy increased equity, sometimes though, that's just not the case!  Buying and Selling houses is the same as any other market.  For instance, if a gallon of milk cost 4.59 at Wal-Mart, and 2.39 at Food Lion, you'd probably buy your milk at Food Lion.  The same goes for pricing homes- you have to be priced in the market to be considered.

2.  Who was your REALTOR®?
Was your REALTOR® market savvy?  Did they understand the market trends?  Were they internet savvy?  Use social media?  Most homebuyers (92%, according to National Association of REALTORS®) begin their home search online.  So internet presence is a big deal!

3.  Competition?
What was your competition?  What was the speed of the market?  Did your REALTOR® share an absorption report with you?  An absorption report is a great tool to determine the level of competition and the tempo of the market.  This is helpful so that you know how to price your home and when to put it on the market.

4.  Showings
How available was your home for showings?  Did you decline or try to reschedule showings?  When a showing is declined or rescheduled, it almost never works out in the sellers' favor.  How did your home look when it was shown?  Was it clean, neat, decluttered and easy to show?  That's a key to selling your house.

5.  Feedback
From the showings you had, what was the feedback?  Did your REALTOR® discuss the feedback with you and suggest improvements to make it more appealing?  Or, did they negotiate with the buyer's agent to change the home to increase the chance of an offer?

It may be some, or all of these factors.  And sometimes, even the best homes don't sell the first time they're on the market.  I specialize in getting homes sold when they didn't sell before.  If you'd like a free consultation, click here, or give me a call!  910.545.0450.

I'd be happy to discuss with you how to sell your home and help you get a plan in place to get it SOLD.  Don't let your home be victim to any of these top 5 and become expired.  Let's get it SOLD.

What Sellers in Jacksonville, NC NEED to Know!

The current market conditions in Jacksonville, NC have fluctuated from what they have been, leaving sellers with a big question mark over their head.  This is a list of what sellers need to know!

1. Your Goal
First, figure out what your goal is.  Do you want to break even?  Make money?  Just get out from under it?  Move up?  Move down?
Understanding this will help put things in perspective and from there we can develop a plan to meet your goal!

2.  What the current market conditions are
In the past few years, new construction has dominated and saturated the market.  That's just not the case anymore, but it's easy to blame the way things are, on the way things have always been.  That's why you need a recent market analysis.  Sellers also need to see and understand the current market trends.
3.  What your competition is
Long gone are the days where you can base your selling price on what you paid for your house or what your neighbor sold their house for last month.  It might give you a ballpark, but it won't give you any clue as to what buyers are looking, or where.  Sellers need a report like this to help understand how much buyer activity has been in the area and in which price range.
4.  How long it will take

To develop a realistic plan, sellers need to know what the absorption rate is.  "Absorption rate" is a fancy term that means how long it will take something to sell based on how quickly things have been selling.  I use this to help sellers understand how to price, how aggressive to be, and how much competition there is.
5.  The process
No one is born with the knowledge of buying or selling a house.  That's why I'm here.  Sellers need to know the process from beginning to end with updated communication and conditions so that they can make the most informed decisions to get their house sold.

As a seller, what else do you think you need to know to sell your home in the Jacksonville, NC area?  Want an updated market analysis to understand how it effects your home's value?  Click here!  I love a good reason to get out and meet more sellers in the area and help them understand the current market in Jacksonville, NC.

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!

Homes for sale in Swansboro, NC!

Take a peek at this home for sale in the area, and, welcome to Swansboro!  Known as "The Friendly City by the Sea," this historic little town is located right on the Intracoastal Waterway and the White Oak River, 15 minutes from Camp Lejeune.  Swansboro has something for everyone, whether you're a water sports enthusiast, hunter, fisher, or just love historic towns with eclectic shops and fantastic restaurants!

Homeowners in Swansboro are able to enjoy living close to the water without being "oceanfront" or in a "tourist town."  The Swansboro school district is rated among the highest in the area and residents are able to enjoy the lower property taxes!

 

This home for sale in Swansboro features three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, as well as a bonus room, loft, two car garage, and an irrigation/sprinkler system!


The kitchen boasts granite countertops, tons of cabinet space and is perfectly set up for entertaining!

 

The downstairs owners suite is perfect for the growing family or the ones that are retiring.  The bathroom features a gorgeous custom shower and tons of closet space!

Currently, there are new construction homes for sale in Swansboro, as well as foreclosure homes and home buyers can take advantage of how many options there are to find the home that is perfect for them!  If waterfront homes are more up your alley, we have several of those to choose from as well!  Call Amanda 910.545.0450 for more information on homes for sale in The Friendly City by the Sea, Swansboro, NC!

Buying a home in Jacksonville, NC? Use a Buyers Agent!

If you're considering buying a home in Jacksonville, NC, I'm sure you've been looking at homes online, shopping Pinterest, making your wish list and checking your budget!  But have you considered who you're going to work with?  Or more importantly, who is going to work for you?

In North Carolina, real estate agents can wear many hats, including but not limited to, marketing specialist, area concierge, babysitter, selling agent, market analyst, buyer agent, marriage counselor, and taxi driver.  If you're considering buying a home in the Jacksonville area, making one of the biggest purchases of your life, investing hundreds of thousands of dollars, wouldn't it be worth it to talk to a Buyers Agent?

A buyers agent commits to working solely on your behalf, protecting your best interests, and sharing all the material information about properties with you.  Unless you've signed a Buyer Agency Agreement with your agent, the agent you're working with, isn't necessarily working for you.

The benefits of working with a Buyers Agent are that typically they save you time because they all ready know the inventory and have been showing homes to other homebuyers, so they'll show you the best of the best homes that fit your criteria.  Buyers Agents also negotiate contracts regular for their buyers so they know what to ask for it and how.  And since they're experienced with working with buyers instead of homeowners, they're more apt to know what you will want and protect those interests!

If you're considering buying a home in Jacksonville, NC, contact John Sharek 910.707.4636!  He's an experienced buyers agent and enjoys educating his homebuyers about the home buying process and finding the best home for his clients.  John has raving fans that he's worked with in the past.  Call John, the only buyers agent you'll need,  for all of your home buying needs in Jacksonville, NC.

It's a festival and a Riverpalooza in Jacksonville, NC!

True story!  Next weekend is Jacksonville's 12th annual Riverwalk Festival and Riverpalooza on the New River!
The Riverwalk Festival is Jacksonville, NC’s most successful annual festival (now in out 11th year). The New River Palooza is a celebration of the scenic New River. Together, they make for one unforgettable weekend of music, activities and family fun. Bring your family down to the river walk September 19-20 for this Jacksonville event!  

You can enjoy everything from BBQ pig cook off, shrimp meal, belly dancers, kayak race, paddle board instruction, tons of food, live bands and vendors!

Downtown Jacksonville is steadily becoming an economic destination for arts, cultural, and educational uses.  The area has been growing considerably year over year, and the Riverwalk Festival and Riverpalooza is a fun event to highlight why Downtown Jacksonville is so great!  Hope to see everyone out enjoying the festival and Riverpalooza in Jacksonville, next weekend!!

Have you seen this home for sale near Jacksonville, NC?

No really, have you seen this home for sale near Jacksonville, NC?  Located about 15-20 minutes north of Jacksonville at 402 10th St, Maysville, NC, this four bedroom brick ranch home is the ultimate zombie apocalypse home!
Just think about it- a little outside the hustle and bustle, all brick home, small garden area in the backyard, and multiple power sources (seriously- no electric? No problem! We have propane hookups AND a generator hookup to power the rest of the house!)

This home has a formal kitchen with gas stove, tons of cabinet space, granite countertops and updated appliances, as well as a summer kitchen!  Perfect for canning, boiling water, or even an extra area to prepare food for extra zombie apocalypse survivors.  There are two wood burning fireplaces in this home, one with a granite surround, one with an all brick hearth.  The four bedrooms are all spacious and if you needed even more space, the entire upstairs has been finished from attic space to heated living space!  The upstairs could also double as a defensive stronghold to protect against incoming zombies.

You could comfortably live and grow in this beautiful home with the peace of mind of surviving any zombie apocalypse in the future.  To take a look at this home for sale near Jacksonville, NC, give me a call 910.545.0450!  I'd love to show you all it has to offer!

Toys For Tots Fundraiser Masquerade Ball!

That's right!  Tis' the season to raise funds for Toys For Tots!  The Toys For Tots organization is a non profit organization, directed by the Marine Corps and the purpose is to provide funding and support, as well as toys for children in the local area so that they may have a happier Christmas holiday!
This year, Jacksonville, North Carolina is hosting a Masquerade Ball to raise money in support of this great cause.  All proceeds and donations will go directly to Toys For Tots, and in turn, will go back to children in our community!

Tickets can be purchased at 3840 Henderson Drive, Jacksonville, North Carolina and the event will be held Friday, November 21, 2014 at the Jacksonville Country Club!  Call me at 910.545.0450 for more details and dress to impress!  The Masquerade Ball will be a great opportunity for fun and a perfect fundraiser for Toys For Tots in Jacksonville, North Carolina!

Have you heard of Forkful in Jacksonville?

Well, have you??  Forkful is a locally owned restaurant in Jacksonville that I absolutely love!  They serve fresh food with a  little bit of Mediterranean flair and I honestly always leave super satisfied!

What makes Forkful great?

Let me count the ways....

It's locally owned and operated.

The food is made from scratch daily!

There are always gluten free options, no trans fats, and no MSG's!

You can choose healthy, or even be a little naughty!

They always have something new that they're trying out.

It's super affordable!

You can order online and have it delivered!

Not only is their food phenomenal, but you get generous portions and they cater.  Because of their local roots, Forkful always seems to be pitching in on one fundraiser or another.

You can choose from rice bowls, salads, wraps, homemade soups, or a combination of any of them!  Check out their menu here!

Lots of yumminess to choose from, and truly, the food wizards at Forkful are always cheerful and that really makes the whole experience super!

Still don't have you convinced that this place is the berries?  Call me for a lunch date!  I could always use a good reason to check out one of my fave places in Jacksonville!

Amanda Parmer

Red Sapphire Realty Group

Keller Williams Realty

910.545.0450

Looking for homes near Camp Lejeune?  Click here!  Then have lunch at Forkful, because looking at homes all day can make you hungry!!

Top 10 Biggest Mistakes Home Sellers Can Make!

Selling your home can bring an entirely new version of stress into your life, so to make it easier, take these steps to avoid the top 10 biggest mistakes!

Step 1.
Declutter!  You're all ready planning to move.  Go ahead and start packing up stuff that you don't need.  If you have dust around it or dig to find it, pack it up!  Stuffed closets, crowded countertops, knick knacks, broken exercise equipment, and overflowing drawers can make a home seem smaller than it is.  Consider a yard sale or storage unit.

Step 2.
Hide your pets.  Just because your fur babies are part of your family, doesn't necessarily mean that potential buyers will appreciate them as much.  Remove your pets for all showings- take them with you, keep them at a neighbor's house, or consider kenneling at a doggie day spa.  Erase them from your home!  Have the carpets, and possibly furniture, professionally cleaned to eliminate any pet odors.  Often when non-pet families enter a pet friendly home, they'll pick up on the slightest animal smell, no matter how clean your pet family is!  And a clean smelling home is always inviting!

Step 3.
Be scarce yourself!  You know how it feels when you walk into a department store and there are salespeople everywhere trying to help you or offering advice on something?  That's how potential home buyers feel when they are looking and trying to envision themselves living in a home and the homeowner is lurking around.  

Step 4.
Don't discount the first offer.  It's easy to be offended when you receive a low ball offer on your home.  However, it's easier to negotiate with someone who is willing to put an offer on the table, rather than no one!  The longer you hold out for a better offer, the more likely you are not to get one.

Step 5.
Always negotiate.  Don't take it personally.  This is a business transaction, and most often than not, the buyer that made an offer is somewhat emotional about the decision.  There is usually always a way to meet in the middle to achieve a win-win!

Step 6.
Out with the old!  This is the time to replace burnt light bulbs, broken blinds, worn or tattered carpet.  You wouldn't purchase a dented, dirty car over an immaculate shiny one would you?  The same goes for house shopping.  Put your best foot forward.  You may need to invest a little bit of money to spruce up, but this is the time to spend money to make money!

Step 7.
Remember curb appeal.  It's very important for the outside to be just as immaculate as the inside.  Freshen the mulch, keep the grass trimmed and the flower beds weeded.  Any peeling paint or missing siding- fix it!  Clean the gutters and pressure wash if needed.

Step 8.
Depersonalize!  Take down your treasured personal touches- children's refrigerator artwork, treasured religious artifacts, ultimate frisbee trophies and Johnny Cash shrine.  These things can be valuable and it's safer if they're not in plain sight anyway, but besides that, it's more difficult for potential buyers to visualize themselves living there.

Step 9.
Light and Bright!  Buyers are always attracted to light, bright, and warm homes.  If it seems dreary they'll feel dreary in the home.  Rid the home of heavy drapery, get high wattage bulbs, clean the windows, and consider ditching the wallpaper or wood paneling.

Step 10.
Get on the honey-do list!  It's almost always cheaper to fix what's broken, rather than wait for a professional to do it.  And you'll save yourself more in the front end if you can identify the things that need taken care of rather than wait for a buyer or home inspector to find it for you.  Ultimately what happens is if a buyer finds one small thing that needs repaired or replaced, they will start looking for more.  So go ahead and save some time, headache and dollars and knock out those honey-do items!

Taking these steps can help you avoid the top 10 biggest mistakes!  Call me if you have any questions, or if you'd like to discuss what you need to do to get your home sold!

Amanda Parmer
Red Sapphire Realty Group
Keller Williams Realty
910.545.0450

Click here for a list of great homes for sale near Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Gorgeous New Construction Homes in the Highlands at Queens Creek!

Welcome home to the Highlands at Queens Creek!  New Construction homes in this community range in size from 2000-3200 heated square feet.  The artfully designed homes feature stone accents, hardwood flooring, granite countertops, wainscoting, crown molding, 9' high ceilings and even more luxurious touches.

                           

                                   
Residents of this neighborhood can enjoy the community's basketball courts, athletic fields, pool, clubhouse, and running trail.  Within minutes of Queens Creek, Camp Lejeune and located in the Swansboro school district, these homes are perfectly situated on large spacious homesites and convenient to everything!

This gated neighborhood features over 50 acres of recreation area and the exquisite craftsman style construction in the Highlands at Queens Creek is sure to please and welcome you home.

Call Amanda Parmer 910.545.0450 for your personal tour of these beautiful homes in the Highlands at Queens Creek!