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.

Horse Properties near Camp Lejeune!

For all of you equestrian enthusiasts who would love a great home and some land near Camp Lejeune, I've compiled a list of the best horse properties currently on the market!  Most of these homes are relatively close to area beaches as well!  

One home located at 501 PA Nobles Store Road in Deep Run, NC is situated on almost 30 acres.

               

The home features 4 bedrooms, a sun room, huge sweeping backporch for those Carolina evenings and tons of garage space!!  Listing courtesy of Jaime Dorn, Harrison Dorn Innovative Property Specialists.

For your personal tour of horse properties near Camp Lejeune, or in the southeastern North Carolina area, call me!  I'd love to view them with you! 

Nothing says southern charm and elegance like this custom built brick home on 15 acres at 265 Sewell Road, Jacksonville, NC  28540.  Located minutes to New River MCAS, Topsail Island and Stone Bay in Sneads Ferry, this personal retreat is close to everything.  The six stall horse barn features a sizeable tack room and wash bay, as well as separate quarters for weekend guests!  Attached to the barn is a full kitchen and media room for entertaining.  The paddocks and pastures have been designed for easy turn out and convenience.  There are stocked ponds on the grounds as well.  The home boasts over 3600 heated square feet of living space with four bedrooms and three full baths.  The gourmet kitchen is sure to please as well as an impressive media room.  This horse property is located approximately 15 miles to Camp Lejeune, making an easy commute to everything.  Not a detail has been overlooked in creating this perfect slice of Southern Comfort.  Listing courtesy of Lillian Wendricks, Century 21 Sweyer & Assoc.

                                             

265 Sewell Road, Jacksonville, NC is located in the Dixon High School district and very close to Hwy 17, which is perfect for quick highway access!

Whether you're an avid equestrian enthusiast or just want to horse around, call me- I'd love to give you a personal tour of these lovely horse properties for sale near Camp Lejeune!

108 Farmgate Drive, Richlands, NC FOR SALE!

Perfectly situated on almost a half acre, this three bedroom two bath home is almost new! The vaulted ceilings in the living room make the room feel even bigger than it all ready is and the built in entertainment area is ready for your flat screen! 

The master bedroom boasts gorgeous tray ceilings, ceiling fan, lots of closet space. The master bath is a gem! Enjoy the dual vanity sink, large garden tub and separate shower! The other two bedrooms are generous in size and both feature ceiling fans, carpet and blinds all ready installed.

The eat in kitchen features a bar, tile backsplash and newer stainless steel appliances. Enjoy the private view from your dining room into the large backyard! Entertaining will be a breeze with the two-tier deck and firepit all ready in place! 














108  Farmgate Drive was built in 2010 and has been meticulously maintained and updated with blinds throughout, security lighting outside, alarm system installed, tile backsplash in the kitchen and updated fixtures. Not to mention the great back deck for entertainment! Conveniently located in the Meadowview Elementary and Richlands school districts, this home is only a few minutes from area shopping, Camp Lejeune MCB and New River AirStation. 

Call Amanda for your personal viewing or for more information on homes in Jacksonville, North Carolina!  910.545.0450

Need to Sell Your Home? The Price Is Key!

Meeting With Realtors
So you’ve decided to sell your home and have a fairly good idea of what you think it is worth.  Being a sensible home seller, you schedule appointments with three local listing agents who’ve been hanging stuff on your front doorknob for years.  Each Realtor comes prepared with a "Competitive Market Analysis" on fancy paper and they each recommend a specific sales price.
Amazingly, a couple of the Realtors have come up with prices that are lower than you expected.  Although they back up their recommendations with recent sales data of similar homes, you remain convinced your house is worth more.
When you interview the third agent’s figures, they are much more in line with your own anticipated value, or maybe even higher.  Suddenly, you are a happy and excited home seller, already counting the money.

A Sales Practice Called "Buying a Listing"
If you’re like many people, you pick Realtor number three.  This is an agent who seems willing to listen to your input and work with you.  This is an agent that cares about putting the most money in your pocket.  This is an agent that is willing to start out at your price and if you need to drop the price later, you can do that easily, right?
After all, everyone else does it!
The truth is that you may have just met an agent engaging in a questionable sales practice called "buying a listing."  He "bought" the listing by suggesting you might be able to get a higher sales price than the other agents recommended.  Most likely, he is quite doubtful that your home will actually sell at that price.  The intention from the beginning is to eventually talk you into lowering the price.
Why do some agents "buy" listings this way?
There are basically two reasons.  A well-meaning and hard working agent can feel pressure from a homeowner who has an inflated perception of his home’s value.  On the other hand, there are some agents who engage in this sales practice routinely.
 

What Happens Behind the Scenes
If you start out with too high a price on your home, you may have just added to your stress level -- and selling a home is stressful enough.  There will be a lot of "behind the scenes" action taking place that you don’t know about.
Contrary to popular opinion, the listing agent does not usually attempt to sell your home directly to a homebuyer.  That would be inefficient.
Listing agents market and promote your home to the hordes of other local agents who do work with homebuyers, dramatically increasing your personal sales force.  During the first couple of weeks your home should be a flurry of activity with buyer’s agents coming to preview your home so they can sell it to their clients.
If the price is right.
If you and your agent have overpriced, fewer agents will preview your home.  After all, they are Realtors, and it is their job to know local market conditions and home values.  If your house is dramatically above market, why waste time?  Their time is better spent previewing homes that are priced realistically.  Additionally, Relators get paid when a house sells.  Everyone wants the house to sell for the most amount of money, (well except for the buyer,) but if it doesn't sell, the Realtor who overpriced the home has only wasted everyones time.
 

Dropping Your Price...Too Late

If you start out with a high sales price, then drop it later -- your house is "old news."  You will never be able to recapture that flurry of initial activity you would have had with a realistic price.  Your house could take longer to sell.
Even if you do successfully sell at an above market price to an uninformed buyer, your buyer will need a mortgage.  The mortgage lender requires an appraisal.  If comparable sales for the last six months and current market conditions do not support your sales price, the house won’t appraise.  Your deal falls apart.  Of course, you can always attempt to renegotiate the price, but only if the buyer is willing to listen.
Your house could go "back on the market."
Once your home has fallen out of escrow or sits on the market awhile, it is harder to get a good offer.  Potential buyers will think you might be getting desperate, so they will make lower offers.  By overpricing your home in the beginning, you could actually end up settling for a lower price than you would have normally received.

Interested in selling your home?  Or would you just like to know what's going on in your neighborhood?  Call Amanda for a complimentary "Competitive Market Analysis" and to discuss your options!  910.545.0450  www.AmandaParmerSellsHomes.com

What Really Makes A Real Estate Agent Valuable

Recently, an excited first-time homebuyer spent some time telling a real estate agent what she wanted in a home. They also discussed financing. Immediately afterwards, the agent took her new client out and showed her...

...two homes.

One was perfect.

Instead of making an offer right away, the buyer went home and called her friend. The friend had a real estate license. The buyer and her second agent presented an offer on the home, leaving the first agent totally in the dark.

After all, the first agent hadn't worked "too hard."

Which made me think about what really makes a real estate agent valuable, among other things.

Knowledge of inventory was near the top of the list.

It sounds boring and unexciting. Bookish, even.

You see, the reason the first agent knew which houses to show her potential client was because she had previewed those properties. That's one of those things agents do that you don't know about. They go out on their own, by themselves or with other agents, and look at property after property after property. They know what models are located where, how long they've been on the market, which ones have listing agents that are easy to work with, and more. They know all kinds of things that you don't know they know.

Not only that, the agent had been previewing properties for what "seems like forever" - so she immediately knew which houses to show the soon-to-be-excited buyer. She had been to those homes and/or model matches for those homes - for quite some time.

She knew her inventory.

The friend did not know the inventory. Otherwise, the buyer would have gone to her friend first, right?

It's like wandering around the aisles of a drug store not knowing which over-the-counter cough syrup is best for your particular ailment. Who would you rather ask? The clerk at the register or the pharmacist?

Either way, you're walking out of the store with a cardboard box filled with thick sloshy liquid.

So what you're really hiring in an agent is knowledge - and not just knowledge of inventory. Knowledge of lots of things that you don't even know you don't know. They make it seem easy, but that's because they want it to seem easy. If agents told you how hard it was, you would be even more nervous about shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars.

After all, it is only the most expensive purchase you've ever made in your life.

But it's only a house, right?

And everyone knows that a Schedule 1 item on a termite report must be repaired prior to closing, which Schedule II items do not. And all those other little details.

By the way, the first agent and the listing agent talked to one another because she expected to present an offer shortly. No details, of course - just the name of her client and to expect the offer.

The buyer did present an offer, but with the wrong agent. This took the listing agent by surprise. Like many industries, real estate agents have a code of ethics they are supposed to obey. At the same time, agents don't always know what their clients are up to. Anyway, imagine how negotiations went, if they went anywhere at all. Plus, there were other problems that will be saved for another article.

Which isn't really the point. The point was that you hire an agent because of training, knowledge, experience, problem-solving ability, connections, their ability to communicate...and lots of other neat stuff.

The moral I promised?

You don't know what you don't know.

Which is why you hire people that will cover the blanks you know about, as well as the ones you don't. That is where you find the true value of a real estate agent.

Call Amanda for all your real estate needs!  910.545.0450  www.AmandaParmerSellsHomes.com

Don't Shoot the Messenger!!

So part of my job as a professional REALTOR® is prospecting.  One of my methods of prospecting for future clients is telling people about my current inventory.  Not only does it give me the opportunity to speak with other people about real estate, but serves as a great service to my seller when I call other people to talk about their home for sale.  Point blank, it's cold calling.  It's not easy, it's not always very fun, but it does work.  So I do it.  Today, I was calling around my listing at 146 Locust Court, Jacksonville, NC, 

 and one of the gentlemen that I had the pleasure of speaking with asked me to never call his home again because, "Realtors® are nothing but scam artists and take advantage of these young Marines in this town."  He belabored the point to tell me about the new 3.8% real estate tax that everyone has to pay is in the Obamacare bill and how no one in Jacksonville will be able to sell their home and it's only going to add to the 200 foreclosures in our town.  (His words, not mine!!)
Little did he know, I am, in fact, a US Army Veteran and I am in a very committed relationship with a Marine, and actually come from a military family.  So truly, scamming young Marines is not on my list of things to do.  I know not everyone has the same goals, but I think I speak for most of my REALTOR® comrades by saying that it's just not true.
I tried to explain to him that his information isn't accurate.  The fact is, the real estate tax of 3.8% ONLY applies to individuals who make more than $200,000 (adjusted gross income) and $250,000 for couples.  I don't think that's going to harm the average consumer in the Jacksonville, North Carolina real estate market right now.  
And as far as there being 200 foreclosures on the market- the actual statistics, according to Jacksonville Board of Realtors® MLS today, there are 2,424 homes on the market for sale in Onslow County.  Of those homes, 165 are foreclosure homes.  That's less than 7%.  And nationally, speaking, foreclosure sales are at an all time low since 2007, according to Les Christie at CNN Money.
Another part of my job, and probably the most important job, is educating.  I think it's more important for people to know the facts, rather than what they heard in the media or what their neighbor told them about the housing market in Toledo.  I don't go to the salon to ask about a weird noise my car is making, I go to the mechanic.  REALTORS® are here to educate and guide, as well as sell houses.  All REALTORS® aren't the same, and some are better than others.  Call me for a more detailed statistical analysis about the Jacksonville real estate market!  I'd love to help!

Why Use a Buyer's Agent to Buy A Home?

You think you can do it yourself!

The way technology has grown over the years, you would think there are no limitations to what you can find online. This is somewhat true, however,  you can’t always believe what you find online. There are countless real estate websites like Trulia.com, Realtor.com, Zillow.com, YahooHomes.com, AmandaParmerSellsHomes.com, and the list goes on and on!  When it comes to searching for Jacksonville NC homes, any agent can help you, however, a Buyer’s Agent will help you find the right home at the best possible price.

Why Use a Buyer's Agent?

Why? When you are a client of a Buyer’s Agent, you will notice the difference from just being a customer. The key concept that sets one apart from the other is the client relationship that a signed Buyers’ Agency agreement provides.  As a client, we are required to place your needs and goals first and that is why we are here for you, to help you. Allow us to alleviate the stress you may be feeling and help walk you through the transition to homeownership. You can rest assured that your best interest  will come first and that you and your family will have a great adventure along the way.

Buyer's Agent can show ANY home

When using a Buyer’s Agent, you can rest assure that they will be 100% loyal to you and will look out for your best interest as you start your Jacksonville NC home search. Did you know that Buyers Agent can show you any home regardless of which sign is out in front of a house, they are not pushing one of their listings, new homes in their subdivision, or the home with the largest commission. Real Estate is our career and we are experts in helping their buyers find the home that fits their criteria in the location you want, and at a price that fits their budget.

Using a Buyer’s Agent is FREE!

Just consider that as their client , you will receive the highest level of service and this service will cost you nothing. We do not charge you a fee, our services are paid thru the listing agreement that a seller has with the listing real estate firm.

What is the difference between client and customer?

                Now, you may ask what is the difference between being a customer and a client? The main difference is that clients are entitled to a superior level of service than a customer, you may ask in what way? As a client, everything you share with a Buyer’s Agent is keep confidential – your plans, your motivation, your finances, etc. – all the information that a Seller’s Agent would use against you to get the best price for his client – the Seller. That is why a buyer talking to an agent, whose name is on the sign in the front yard is at a disadvantage from the start – the Seller’s Agent is gathering information while talking to you about his Client’s house. Yes, the Seller’s Agent wants to sell the house, but his loyalty is to his client , the Seller, not you, the customer. Make sure you are represented by a Buyer’s Agent, who has had plenty of experience in the market.

Still think you can do it on your own

                It’s perfectly true that you can buy a home without a REALTOR®.  But why would you want to?  Utilize a real estate professional to represent your interests in the transaction.  Especially when you don’t have to pay for their service!  When you go to the grocery store and can’t find the cucumbers, you’re going to ask the grocer where they are in the store.  Usually they’ll not only show you where, but help you choose the best ones.  The same is true for Buyer’s Agents!  Not only can we show you homes, but help you make the best decision/investment to suit your specific needs.

Working with a Buyer's Agent as a Team

Teamwork is the key to success. Keeping your Buyers Agent updated on any change in needs, what your likes and dislikes, all come into play when working as a team to find your home. Fluid communication will help your Buyer’s Agent find you the best home, for the best price in the shortest amount of time.  Call today to talk about your real estate needs!

Amanda Parmer has dedicated extra time and effort in pursuing the National Association of Realtors® designation of Accredited Buyers Representative to better serve her buyer clients.  She’s ready to get to work and help you with all of your real estate needs and she’s never too busy for any of your referrals!