Marketing your real estate brand has evolved over the last few years and has a bit more complicated. Years ago most business was done in the local market and with local people. Most people knew one another and it wasn’t difficult to know where to go to get something done. Today, people do business all over the world and most have to "search" to know where to get something done or where to purchase something. Most of the time in real estate agents were told to brand themselves and to make sure everyone knew there name and that name implied real estate. If you need more info on Chapel Hill homes please visit www.chapelhillrealty.com for a full service brokerage that knows the area and can help you with all your needs.

Many realtors bought domain names with the names in them and began pushing themselves as the brand. That type of branding only works in the local market with local people that know you. Most home owners go to the internet and are not searching realtors, they are searching homes. Since "search’ is all about keywords, most realtors didn’t have their keywords in their domains and as a result lost out on a lot of visits to their sites. It’s similar to car dealerships, where people want to search without the bothering of a salesman. People want to search homes without an agent. Eventually they will end up with an agent, but it’s not what they are searching for up front. With that said you still need to be visible, in the areas where people are searching. This way when they are ready to buy they have a familiar agent/brokerage that they have seen numerous times throughout their search journey. We would love to help you in your search, so if you’re at that place and you are looking in the Chapel Hill area please visit our website at Chapel Hill Realty, where you can search and find numerous homes to choose from.

Real Estate rates are low and that means good news for the potential home buyer. It’s times like these when you need to take advantage of the rates and lock in for the long haul. Who knows what these rates will be like next year, so if you’re in the market to buy, now may be a good time to take some hard looks. If you would like to know more please visit www.teamjodi.com for information about the real estate market. I know it sounds like a cliché to hear a Realtor say it is a good time to buy; but really, “It is a Good Time to Buy.” 

10-year mortgage rates are at an all time low.  See the chart below that was done for me by Jim Enright with First Financial Services in Chapel Hill.

CONFORMING:

30 Yr Fixed    4.0%                                                   

15 Yr Fixed    3.75%                                                 

7/1 Arm           3.125%                                              

5/1 Arm           2.75%

JUMBO:

30 Yr Fixed   4.875%

15 Yr Fixed   4.25%

7/1 Arm         4.0%

There is no way to tell how long these incredible rates will last.  You can learn more about Durham homes for sale and Chapel Hill real estate at our website www.teamjodi.com. Six years ago, I thought rates where low when I got a 20 year loan for 4.875. I never thought I would see rates go lower than that.

Combine the low mortgage rates with an excess of inventory and this equals a buyers market.  In fact, you have the perfect recipe for it being the right time to buy.  In Chapel Hill, for example, overall, there is a 9 month supply of inventory.  See the chart below for a break down by price range for single family homes.

Interested in knowing your homes value or getting a snapshot of the market, visit www.ChapelHillHomeValues.com or www.TriangleHomeValue.com.

Interested in looking for a home in Chapel Hill, Durham or the surrounding area, visit www.TriangleHomeSearch.net and register for an auto home search with emails sent to you every time a property comes on the market that meets your criteria or when their is a price or status change in properties of interest.

These are great tools for tracking the real estate market!

It’s no question that the recovery of our economy is taking it’s time. Every sector seems to be slow to jump back up and act like normal. Everyone is so cautious about spending and that transcends over into real estate. Real estate is a big purchase and people are afraid to purchase big ticket items when the future seems uncertain. If you would like to know more about real estate in Chapel Hill please visit www.chapelhillrealty.com. It will probably be a long time before we see the recovery that everyone is hoping for. There are some high points though in some real estate markets. Houses and condo pending sales in the greater Miami-South Dade area increased by close to 41 percent in the last year. Washington DC and much of Texas also saw an increase in pending sales, with the entire southern area showing an increase of around 3.7 percent.

So there is not all bad news to report. These numbers at least show us that there are changes taking place and for some that is all they need for them to be secure enough to go out and purchase again. If fact the Mortgage Bankers Association reported that application for new loans increased by 2 percent and FHA loan applications are up by 3 percent.

These are modest gains, but gains none the less. With the unemployment rate declining hope is being restored slowly. There is still a lot of skepticism out there about the future of our country, economy, and our lives. When people don’t feel secure there is not much freedom to spend and share. Insecurity makes people think inward and manifest in them holding on to things. The recovery is slow, but there are positive signs that are helping most to believe that we have suffered the worst. If this is true than you will see people feeling a little more free to get out of their shell and spend. Hopefully the recovery will be faster than expected. For information about Chapel Hill Real Estate and homes for sale visit Chapel Hill Realty.

With the current real estate market the way that it is, it is imperative that one gain a competitive advantage. One of the ways to gain that upper hand on the market is to have your home staged and ready to show to prospective buyers. Staging involves a number of things, but simply is the process of presenting your home in a way that welcomes the prospective buyer with a vision of what the home could look like. It is important for your home to look and show well, and it is to this end that there are professional stagers that will come in (for a fee, of course) and decorate your home to increase the homes presentation abilities. You can find more about homes for sale in Chapel Hill at www.chapelhillrealty.com

Staging involves the look and feel of the home and has it’s main goal to create a warm and welcoming feeling to the potential buyer. We all remember the stories about the apple pies or cookies baking in the oven when the potential buyer comes to view the home. The sweet smell of the apple pie creates a very welcoming homey feel that aids in the comfort level of the buyer.

Landscaping and the cosmetic show of the outside of the house is a consideration as well as the inside. The outside of the house must be appealing, after all this is the first thing the buyer will see. If they can’t get past the outside it will be difficult to win them over completely. We have all heard the term "curb appeal’, and this is where the outside of the house has a look and feel that is appealing as you drive by. You would want the outside of the house to be so appealing that it tantalizes the potential buyer to see the inside. If the outside is welcoming and the inside is warm and friendly than you have a good combination to sell the home. These are just some thoughts on the staging of your home. Find more at www.chapelhillrealty.com and happy house selling!

What is it that makes home prices go up or down? We all know about the supply and demand concept and most of the time that is the pinnacle factor in the driving of our pricing markets and models, but what if there were other factors that were just as important and had equal impact.

Incentives could play a major role in the pricing of homes. If there are a lot of incentives being offered to home owners than this creates more competition in the housing market, especially for home builders. For Durham homes pricing information please see www.teamjodi.com. Competition as we all know definitely drives pricing.

Recently in our economy we have seen a huge increase in unemployment rates. This creates and insecurity and that insecurity makes people not spend. When people aren’t spending, prices usually go down to try and draw them in to making purchases. We are in a struggling period of time right now in America with our economy taking hits over the last couple of years. The housing market is fighting to stay afloat and Realtors are doing what they can to sell houses.

Different markets are fairing differently with Florida leading the pack with markets that are not doing so well, whereas California is getting reports of a recovery with homes selling for more that the listing price. Please visit www.teamjodi.com for assistance with your real estate needs. We know that time will tell on most of the theories around the housing market, but for a portion of America we need solutions now. We can only get so many tax breaks that may actually be tax burdens in the future. I think for most we are all just hoping that the economy somehow corrects itself and we can have things somewhat back to normal.

There are reports that the California housing market is leading the recovery for the entire nation concerning the housing market. Tax credits, incentives, supply and demand are all factors that may be contributing to the housing market in the Sunshine State. Reports are surfacing of 107% purchases, meaning that homes are being sold for more than the listing price by 7%.

Could this really be the end of the housing slump for California? Are the incentives really working or is this just smoke and mirrors? Since many of the major cities will be the forerunners to this, outlying cities like homes in Tracy California will get a good taste of what may come. We’ll have to watch Tracy real estate for sale for trends that may indicate similar reports. Many other states will be watching this so called recovery especially Florida who holds many of the top cold markets. Should other states follow California’s way of doing things, at least for the housing market? I think most will take a wait and see approach.

Whenever there are incentives or tax breaks, or when the government is handing out money, there is room for caution. Most things are not for free and the question needs to be asked if we are all going to pay for this someday, somehow. California is having financial issues and yet they can find ways to provide tax breaks. It’s great to be able to give away money as long as you have it to give. Time will tell whether or not the real estate market in California is really recovering or is just in a temporary spike. The Silveria Team specializes in Tracy CA and surrounding area real estate. Please visit our website for more info here www.thesilveriateam.com

With unemployment rates on the decline in most states, the hopes of the battered real estate gaining a recovery is becoming more of a reality. There have been many incentives over the last year with the government offering the first time home buyers tax credit as being the biggest. We saw home builders offering purchase incentives by teaming up with the local Sears stores or other home appliance outlets giving credits on supplying their newly purchased home. You can view or search Chapel Hill homes for sale at our website at www.chapelhillrealty.com.

People are always in the mood for a good deal and when thinking about buying a home, people are constantly looking for deals. The uncertainty of the job market has caused many to rethink the American dream and has given rise to the fact that things may not always be prosperous. America is vulnerable just like any other country and people are spending less and possibly saving more, for that just in case season. 

The market actually has seen a gain in pending home sales up around 22% since April of last year. People are hopeful and with some of the jobs coming back there may be a sense that everything is going to be OK. We are a resilient country and we can figure out how to make things work. We just need to protect ourselves from being so vulnerable to downturns and other things that with a little foresight can prevent. We sell real estate in Chapel Hill NC and if your interested in services for the Chapel Hill area you can visit our website at www.chapelhillrealty.com.

Pending homes sales has risen over the last few months up about 6% since April and over 22% since April of 2009. This upward swing is good news for a failing real estate market and good news for real estate in Augusta Georgia.  The last couple of years have been horrible for home owners trying to sell their homes without losing money and it has been very difficult on local realtors. Some realtors who were not busy have returned to old jobs or are fighting to stay alive in this market.

There have been good signs though that some of the worst is behind us. Markets are showing an increase in pending sales and the government has added incentives to try and lure the potential home buyer to get off the fence and make the purchase. The mortgage rates have stayed low and seem to be going even lower, which will help with purchases since the government tax credit has now expired. Having mortgage rates low will go along way in helping with the real estate market recovery and help the market to sustain itself without having to rely on government help.

Augusta Georgia has been affected just like any other city, but as the nation turns around the Augusta market will too. We have been fortunate that our market wasn’t affected as much as some of the other areas, though no one really escaped the downslide. If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Augusta, please let us know at www.augustalistingexpert.com. Augusta is a great place to live with great shopping and dining. It is also located on the Savannah River which adds to the laid back and the adventurer.

A new law in California enables borrowers to have a tax break whose mortgage debt was forgiven through modification of their loan, a short sale or even due to foreclosure. The bill (SB 401) was signed off by Governor Schwarzenegger just before April 15th, which is the tax deadline.

This law gives a needed tax relief to those that have lost their homes and can’t afford to pay more taxes. Added on to this anyone in California that had to sell their home on a short sale is allowed to exclude the amount that was still owed to the loan company from their taxes. This also applies to homeowners who have had loan modifications to lower their debt. We specialize in Tracy homes for sale and would love to help you with your next purchase in Tracy CA or any of the surrounding areas.

One thing this new law does is allows the majority of tax payers to not be required to include mortgage debt income that has been canceled up to $500,000 on their principal residence, or up to $250,000 for married individuals that have chosen to file separately. This is applicable for the dates 2009 through 2012.
Since the Federal Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, is instituted through the tax year 2012, the California law comes in alignment with the federal law.

There are a few exceptions that you may need to be aware of. For example any debt forgiveness that is on a second home mortgage or business & investment property does not qualify. Also, and refinance loans that allow cash-out equity will not apply. For more information on California real estate please visit www.thesilveriateam.com. 

A good friend of mine wrote a song with a line in it that goes like this, “I need my soul stirred, I need a little inspiration, do you have what it takes to ride the rhythm and catch the breaks?” This line gripped me and as a result, I found myself pondering the topic of “Inspiration.” I want to share with you what I
feel about it and what it means to me.

Inspiration is an essential ingredient that we need in order to create and innovate, to help us see things through. Everyone would like to be great at something, or at a lot of things, but something that is worth doing is for the most part, neither quick or easy. It takes purpose, focus, persistence, energy, and a lot of inspiration. Inspiration is the ingredient that causes us to get through the tough times, the mundane times, the repetition; it causes us to get up after we have been knocked down. It moves us past our stopping points and helps us to not sweat the small stuff.

For example
In the heady days of falling in love, be it with a person, a new sport or a musical instrument, nothing can stop us. The annoying ticks he or she may have are insignificant, on our next mountain bike ride we are going to get to the top of the mountain without stopping, and we are going to practice that
guitar 60 minutes every day until we are a rock star. Why? because we are inspired. This is the kind of inspiration that “happens” to us. Before long however, the honeymoon is over, he or she is starting to annoy you, your mountain bike isn’t getting that many miles anymore, and practicing arpeggios on
your guitar is boring as can be. This is when we get to that place where we need to find our true inspiration. We need inspiration “on demand” to help us achieve rock star status.

In my opinion what lies at the core of this stumbling block is a lack of purpose, or the lack of “clarity” of purpose. What is your purpose in life? For Columbus, it was his hunger to explore. For the Wright brothers, it was getting man to fly through the air. For Mother Teresa, it was easing the suffering of the
poor in this world. What are you to do? Who are you to be? How am I going to be meaningful? Where can I make a difference? Forget why and how you got here… you are here, now what? 

What is your purpose? When we are asked this question most of us become quiet and have no answer. This, (in my opinion) lies at the heart of feeling empty. It opens the doors to depression, addiction, disease and ultimately, death.

So what is it for you? For me, it is being physically immortal. By that I mean eradicating death from my physical being, from the cells and atoms of my flesh. Being free of death means to be free of all the things mentioned above. It means being free of anything that would stop me from functioning 100%. It
means being 100% responsible. It means being 100% accountable, so I can manifest and express the true glory of me, the glory of who I am.

Some call me crazy, some call me delusional, but it works for me so who are they to tell me anything! I learned early in life that no matter what I do, there will be those that like it and those that don’t. I discovered that I needed to figure out what made me tick, and then surround myself with those whom
approve of that. Think big, feel deep, have the guts to stand for what you feel in the midst of adversity, for only there will you find true inspiration.

How are we to become inspired on demand? Once you have found your purpose, you have to line up your whole life with that purpose. This means; Get rid of everything that distracts you from manifesting who you are, change your thoughts and habits, say goodbye to unsupportive people, get rid of your
addictions, and not just the obvious ones such as tobacco or alcohol but your addiction to let’s say… drama or depression. It takes a continuous movement to be lined up with your purpose, even when you are totally free of duality; there is always the threat of invaders that want to rob your joy and
inspiration.

Once everything in your life is lined up with the new you, you have to start practicing. We have to learn how to nourish our souls, how to fuel the fire. This is done first by having people around you that remind you of who you are and what your purpose is, not only by “telling” you, but also by “showing”
you who they are.

We need to consciously engage in stimulating interactions, and stimulating activities. Every morning we need to line ourselves up with our purpose instead of going on autopilot. We need to “practice” feeling inspired.

Life takes on a different meaning when we do what we do out of inspiration and not out of a drive, or out of obligation. I hope I have inspired you to take charge of your inspiration

Good luck!
Dimitri Larno
Associate Broker – Realtor®
To learn more visit http://www.DiLarno.com

The time has come. You’re ready to sell your house and the big question is: what price tag should you give it? Let me explain the crucial point you need to grasp before taking your next step. Experience has shown that the foundation of any successful home sale is based on applying the Price versus Value principle. Everything else being equal, price in relation to value is what sells a house. Dimitri specializes in Luxury Scottsdale Homes and can help you with your buying or selling needs. Visit www.dilarno.com for more information about Scottsdale Real Estate.

One challenge I always face with sellers is the belief they have in how special their home is. And how, because of this specialness they should be able to get a higher price than all the other similarly styled houses on the market. In most cases, there is nothing special about your house. I know this is hard to accept but let me explain. Your 3 bedroom, 3 bath, granite counter-topped home with 180 degree views of the mountains is up for sale along with, (at any given time), tens, if not hundreds of houses just like it in your local market.

The only way you are going to differentiate yourself is to stand out with your Price versus Value, and declare, “Look, all these features for this competitive price!” Naturally, if your house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, or you are situated in a small town, the principle I’m talking about won’t be relevant; but in general, most of us are facing general market conditions.

Price versus Value will also determine whether or not your house will sell in a timely manner. To illustrate, let’s assume that the value of your house is $300,000 (how you got to that figure is a whole other issue that we will not get into at this time). Nothing stops you from attaching a 1 million dollar price tag to your home, but will it ever sell? At the other extreme, if you would price the property at $25,000, you would probably get multiple offers within hours. Also, it never hurts to test the market. If you don’t get an acceptable offer in the near future you can adjust your expectations or sell at a later date.

As a seller you have to be realistic about the numbers, as well as understand that at any given time there are only a finite number of buyers in the market for a home exactly like the one you are selling. In order to consummate a sale it is your job to come up with a price that works for you, as well as meet buyer expectations.

What is your personal scenario? Gather the information you need and weigh the pros and cons. Once you have come up with a price that makes sense to you, organize your best marketing materials and if you prefer, hire a real estate professional to help you with the process. Never forget; everything else being equal, price versus value is what sells.

Good luck!

Dimitri Larno
Licensed Agent
Real Estate Professional
c. 602-524-1487 e. azbigdeal@gmail.com

As an investor himself, as well as a licensed Realtor®, Dimitri has over a decade of real estate experience. Dimitri’s specialties include primary residences, second homes, investment properties, commercial properties and land. Visit http://www.dilarno.com for more details and listing information. He has been recognized for being a Multi-million Dollar Producer, and is an accomplished Realtor® committed to superior results for his clients.

"Strive not to be a success but rather to be of value" Albert Einstein