Why is Now the best time to buy real estate?

Cost to buy is often less that the cost to rent, and rent is going up and so will the cost to buy.

Many predict this is the bottom of the market.

Interest rates are at an historic low.

All this will pass and you may say, "I regret I did not make a move when the market and rates were better!"

If you want to know what is on the market in your market visit http://nancynipper.com

Selling your house can be, at times, overwhelming. Once upon a time, only the exterior of your house was featured solely in the MLS and print media. Now, however, your property is displayed inside and out in the MLS, thousands of websites and even in video. To ease your stress & worries, follow my tips for prepping your house for listing photos.

1. De-Clutter. Far too often people selling their houses skip this step until they have a contract in hand. Go ahead and pack up your personal effects and store them. The price of storage will typically be less than a price drop or low-ball offer.

2. Dust Everything. In order to showcase your house’s best features, a photographer will shoot from unique angles and no one wants to see dust bunnies in the photographs.

3. Steam Clean Your Carpets. Vacuuming isn’t enough here. Sadly, dirt builds up in high traffic areas even if you vacuum every day. Rent a steam cleaner for about $25/day and your carpets will sparkle.

4. Tidy Up. Put out fresh linens, empty trash bins, make all the beds, put away all dishes & appliances and fluff the pillows. Your house should feel clean, airy and clutter free.

5. Tidy Up Outside. Mow & rake the lawn, pressure wash your exterior (if possible), deck, patio and driveway. Also, remove any spider webs, wasp nests or dead bugs. (It’s best to do this now because buyers will notice.) The exterior of your house should feel welcoming to buyers and viewers of your listing photos.

Selling your house can be a daunting task. But with a little prep work, it doesn’t have to be. For more tips, contact me, Nancy Nipper, or view my online seller’s tips.

Prepping your house to sell can be a bit over-whelming. If you have a lot of little things that need a makeover, you might feel like you will never get them fixed and you are watching your profits go out the window. Don’t fret. In a few short steps you can make almost anything look fresh and new.

The ideas below are straight from HGTV’s website and Designed to Sell designer Lisa LaPorta.

Excerpt from “30 Can’t-Miss Home Staging Tips”

Do you have an overpowering brick fireplace that sticks out like a sore thumb?

Here’s an easy way to tone it down with paint. Use a rag or brush to rub a light coat of paint on the bricks, one at a time. This will give them a new tone without covering them completely. And, if you use a paint color that matches the walls, your fireplace will go from sticking out to standing out.

Updating an old fireplace screen is a cheap (and quick) fix.

After removing the screen and wiping it down to get rid of the dust, mask off the windows so you won’t get paint on them. Then, using a can of heat-resistant spray paint, give the screen a facelift. Hold the can about 18 inches away, and use long, even strokes. For less than $5, you will have a fireplace screen that’ll keep your sale from going up in smoke.

Turn an unattractive fireplace into a selling feature.

Need to turn an unattractive fireplace into a selling feature? First, that dated brass screen has got to go. Next, give the fireplace a good cleaning, scrubbing it with soap and water. Then, using a stone color enhancer, polish the bricks to make them shine. In no time you will have a fireplace that will turn your house into the hottest property on the block.

“Too often, the average distance that food travels to get from where it is grown to where it is consumed is over 1,000 miles.  That means the produce in traditional stores could be several days old by the time that it is purchased.” –Port City Produce

This week kicks off a great local event- the Riverfront Farmers’ Market in Downtown Wilmington. Every Saturday through December 22, 2012 from 8 AM-1 PM, you can purchase great local produce, baked goods, plants and more. These items are purchased straight from the farmer/baker/creator that produced the product, keeping prices down and without a middle man, keeping more money in both your pocket and in the pocket of the supplier. Because suppliers are local, more money also stays in the local economy, something everyone benefits from.

Another great benefit of buying locally grown produce is shelf life. Too often we buy food from a national chain and within a few days, our purchase has spoiled and must head to the trash or compost. Locally grown food is often purchased within 24 hours of being picked, not days or weeks later. This means the food you buy stays fresh at your home longer, allowing you to visit the grocery store less often. Even better, the sooner food is consumed after harvesting, the higher the nutritional value.

If you can’t make it out to this week’s Riverfront Farmers’ Market, there are other great local options for buying local food. Port City Produce has two locations open 6 days a week. Visit the original, newly expanded location next to New River Pottery on Market Street or their second location on Carolina Beach Road. Carolina Farmin’ is a grocery store packed with locally grown and raised produce, meats and dairy products as well as some regional and national favorites. Complete with a café, Carolina Farmin’ encourages its customers to relax and enjoy their shopping experience. Open 7 days a week, you are never without all the local ingredients for dinner!

Visit our local suppliers online!

Riverfront Farmers’ Market

Port City Produce

Carolina Farmin’

St. Patrick's Weekend Events

Looking for something fun to do this holiday weekend? Check out my list of Wilmington Area events for March 16-18th.

Jump To Date: Friday, March 16th   Saturday, March 17th   Sunday, March 18th

Friday, March 16, 2012

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Leland Bark in the Park

Bring your favorite four-legged companion with you to the Town of Leland’s annual Bark in the Park this Saturday, March 10, at the Leland Municipal Park (102 Town Hall Drive) from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. This event features a free rabies clinic, a raffle with prizes, k-9 demonstrations and more from pet-centric businesses in Leland and the surrounding areas. Sponsored by Capeside Animal Hospital, this event promises to be a hit with you and your best canine pal. For safety, we ask that no aggressive dogs or cats be brought into the park during this event.

For more information on Bark in the Park, please contact Amy Ryan at (910) 332-4823 or e-mail aryan@townofleland.com.

If you are waiting for the bottom of the market when do you think it will be here?  

Most predictions are that the market has just about to hit bottom.  I remember when the

prices were going up back around 2005 and 2006 and I said prices can't keep going 

up. Now I am finding myself saying prices can't keep going down.  

Supply and demand drive our market and we are finding some of our supply are finally

going down and builders are starting to get back in the market.  Jobs market is

slowly improving and interest rates are still at a all time low. Still it may not be the

right time for you to buy, but do you still think you are waiting for

the bottom of the market?

Under the beautiful oak trees at Airlie Gardens in the spring and summer is one the best ways to spending an afternoon.  Bring your snacks, family and friends and enjoy the music and just spend a relaxing evening. The children run and play, adults visit and talk and it is just good fun for all. 

Airlie Gardens announced its line-up of live music for its 2012 summer concert series held on select Fridays from 6 to 8 p.m. beginning May 4. Folk rock band, L Shape Lot, kicks of this year’s series that runs until September 21.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $2 for children and free for Airlie Gardens members. All general admission parking is offsite. Free parking and shuttles are provided from the old Cinema 6 property at 5335 Oleander Drive located next to Great Harvest Bread and Tidal Creek Co-op, and directly across from Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park.

The 2012 concert line-up is:

May 4: L Shape Lot (Folk Rock)

May 18: Da Howlies (Hawaiian)

June 1: The 360 Degrees (Dance)

June 15: Grenoldo Frazier (Jazz)

July 6: The Imitations (Dance)

July 20: Bibis Ellison (Indie/Pop/Soul)

August 3: The Mako Band (Dance)

August 17: Shine (Soft Rock)

September 7: Stardust (Jazz)

September 21: The Imitations (Dance)

A message on the Airlie Gardens’ website, voicemail message, Facebook page and Twitter feed will be posted should the concert be cancelled due to inclement weather. For more info, call (910) 798-7700 or visit airliegardens.org.

What do you need to do to get in shape to buy a house?  There are some very important steps to take up front when you start your house hunting search.  

1.       Check your credit score - You can go online and get this done for free or you can ask a lender to do it for you. A real estate agent can give you names and number of some good local lenders that do a great job.

2.       Improve your credit if possible- After you check your check if there is anything on your record you need to improve do it before getting a loan.  Your score does set it the rate on your loan, the better the score the better the rate.  It is well worth your time to work on getting the best possible score, and don't be late on any payments. It can put you 12 months out from buying if you let a payment slip not paid on time.  You can set your payments up on auto pay which is a great way to avoid late payments.

3.       Know how much house you can afford, usually 2.5 times your annual income.  This will give you a good way to guess how much house you should look at when shopping but you should get pre-approved also.

4.       Get preapproved from a lender before house shopping- Real Estate agents can give you several names of local lenders or you may want to check with your bank. When you make an offer on a house you will want to have this step already taken care of so your offer will be a stronger offer.  The seller's agent may request a pre-approval letter if you do not submit one with the offer.

There was an article in the Greater Wilmington Business Journal today titled "Home sales forecast sunny". It looks as if we are having a great start to 2012 on the home sales.  Realtors sold more than 2,600 homes last year according to Wilmington Multiple Listing Service.  It appears the housing inventory is also shrinking, MLS data shows 24% down from this time last year. We are hopeful that the market will be better this year, but right now we are at pre 2003 prices.  With rates down and prices reduced it is prime time to buy!