GeniusBuyer

Charlotte Area Real Estate: Did you Know?

geniusbuyer — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:05:00 +0000

Did you know that NC ranks #3 in the latest Forbes magazine ranking of best states for business. Up from #5 last year, Forbes #3 ranking was based on the state excelling in the following areas: business costs, regulatory environment, economic climate, growth prospects, and labor supply. Utah took the top spot due to its economic growth and Virginia took #2 to round out the top 3.

Message from the Broker-In-Charge regarding Charlotte Real Estate Market

geniusbuyer — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 11:02:00 +0000

As Fall is upon us I think we are starting to see some leaves of change in the real estate market as well. Fueled by the record low interest rates and affordability of homes, purchase contracts are up. After a stagnant 3rd qtr. we at C.A. Carter Group are seeing a multitude of purchase contracts and property management deals set to close in the 4th Qtr. I am seeing a frenzy of foreclosure and short sale activity this month. Approximately 60% of all the homes we put “under contract” this month were short sale or foreclosure properties. In the market? E-mail us!

Charlotte Real Estate Update

geniusbuyer — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:59:00 +0000

Pending home sales are up for 2nd month in a row. Signed purchase contracts rose 4.3% in August, primarily driven by pricing and record low interest rates.

Top 5 Reasons you should Charlotte Real Estate Now!

geniusbuyer — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:56:00 +0000

1-A Buyer’s Market! We are 4-5 years into the biggest housing bust in modern US history. 2-Mortgages are Cheap! In fact, the lowest rates on record. 30-year loans are being quoted at 4-4.25%. 3-Savings from Uncle Sam! You can deduct mortgage interest, real estate taxes, and avoid capital gains (whenever you sell). 4-Inflation Protection! According to Karl Case (of Case-Schiller) housing tends to beat inflation by a couple percentage points a year. 5-Forced Savings! You are creating a savings account by building equity. The mortgage is “good discipline”! Want to discuss, e-mail me.

Charlotte Real Estate Update

geniusbuyer — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 10:46:28 +0000

NC foreclosures rose 34% from 3rd Quarter 2009 and 9.3% from the 2nd Quarter 2010 (according to the Charlotte Business Journal). Expect this to taper off significantly in the 4th Quarter as a result of many banks including Charlotte-based Bank of America declaring a moratorium on residential foreclosures due to mishandling of paperwork.

The Problem with the Charlotte Real Estate Market

geniusbuyer — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 19:41:00 +0000

The big problem with the housing market is the lack of barriers of entry into the industry. After all, you can become a real estate broker after merely a week or so of classes and pass a test. This is true in all aspects of real estate from mortgage brokers to real estate appraisers (the last line of defense to a sound investment). This real estate industry is broken. The probability that someone will find a person with true expertise in the real estate profession is more unlikely than likely. Make sure you do your homework before making a decision on a real estate professional. I, as broker-in-charge at C.A.Carter Group, am a CPA and seasoned investor in the real estate arena. Know that if you go with C.A.Carter Group for your real estate needs that your best interest is at heart.

Do you know how much Charlotte Real Estate is “Underwater”?

geniusbuyer — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 19:37:00 +0000

Did you know that according to the Charlotte Business Journal an estimated 6.6% of the residential properties with mortgages in NC are “underwater”. This means that the property is worth less than what is owed on the loan. This equates to 156,061 homes statewide. Nationwide nearly 28% are “underwater” with the highest concentration in Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Michigan and California.

Charlotte Area Real Estate Do’s and Don’ts

geniusbuyer — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:35:00 +0000

Bridging the negotiation gap between buyers and sellers these days has gotten increasingly difficult. Sellers have started to become more reasonable but many buyers still are low-balling offers to find someone desperate enough to bite increasing the disconnect. A few do’s and don’ts include 1– Don’t make ridiculously low offers. Coming in 10% below list price is a good starting point for negotiations these days in our market. If that will not do it you should probably look for a more reasonably priced property. 2– Don’t start shopping for your next home until you list your current home. 3– Don’t take low-ball offers personally. Consider them an opportunity for negotiation to reasonable terms.

Defending Ownership of Charlotte Real Estate

geniusbuyer — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:30:00 +0000

Many have read the doom and gloom articles out there and concluded that home ownership in the Carolina’s is a bad idea. I disagree. First, home ownership is a form of forced-savings for the future. Let’s face it, without forced-savings most Americans can’t discipline themselves to save. Further, home ownership has qualitative factors such as living free of a landlord’s whim. After all, the bank can only kick you out if you do not pay your mortgage. Lastly, at some point in your life as a homeowner you will pay off that mortgage and there is no piece of mind like that!

From the Broker-In-Charge

geniusbuyer — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:11:00 +0000

In the last week my son and daughter starting taking their first steps. Of course a very proud, yet somewhat sad time for a new father. Just 14 months ago this week we were welcoming them to the world. How quickly things change! Think about it. I just read an article this week in Bloomberg Business Week and the headline read “America’s Strongest Housing Market in 2014”. The article projects that Charlotte will experience a 4-year price increase of 13.9%. Rates are at their lowest ever! 4.375%, wow! We are at the bottom. There is a lot of opportunity out there.