Raleigh Residential Real Estate Blog

Raleigh Residential Real Estate – North Raleigh Open House  Saturday May 31, 2008   2 – 4 PM

136 Brereton Drive

The Poling Team will be doing an open house in North Raleigh, tomorrow afternoon and we would love to have you stop by and tour this lovely 3222 square foot brick home that located on a landscaped lot of almost an acre located close to I 540.

The home features a two story foyer with hardwoods that opens to large formal living room. The family room has gas log fireplace that opens to the breakfast area & kitchen. 1st floor laundry rm. Master has vaulted ceiling with a huge bathroom with whirlpool tub, separate shower and skylights. There are3 additional bedrooms each with generous closets. Deck overlooks garden and buffer.

Come and see!

Directions: North on Six Forks Road, cross over 540, take 1st right on to Brereton Dr., Home is on right..

Raleigh Residential Real Estate – More Positive News for Raleigh, NC area home buyers and sellers.

Two reports today offer some positive news for the future of this year’s real estate marketplace. Since the major news media often is negative news, I thought it important to report good news in our blog. The first comes from the Jumbo lender Thornburg Mortgage Inc. reported Tuesday that the company bounced back from a billion-dollar third-quarter loss to return to profitability in the final quarter of 2007. In the company press release, the company states, “that we expect our portfolio margins and spreads to continue to improve in the near term.”

In addition, according to a release from Business Week yesterday, the Shares of Thornburg Mortgage Inc. rose Wednesday after Jefferies & Co. analyst Richard Shane Jr. upgraded the stock to “Buy” from “Hold,” saying the lender’s liquidity position has improved.

Also today, the National Association of Realtors® reported that it expects “A continuation of soft market conditions is forecast for existing-home sales in the months ahead, with improvement expected by the second half of this year if loan limits are increased.” They also reported, “Areas with a high prevalence of subprime lending will continue to feel downward price pressure. Where builders have cut construction sharply, and in most areas with improving affordability conditions, we’ll generally see moderately higher home prices,”

Try out our new home search tool BestHome Pro on our website at http://www.PolingTeam.com

Raleigh Residential Real Estate – This Home Just SOLD in Cary, North Carolina

The PolingTeam just sold this well cared two story home in an established Cary neighborhood. It featured 4 bedrooms, an office, 2 ½ baths, a stone gas log fireplace in family room, a single car garage, a large screened porch and deck, and a large private back yard with another deck and above ground pool.

It sold for $230,000 with the seller paying $5,000 in closing costs.

The PolingTeam received this listing from a past client and we listed the home just before Thanksgiving. The home went under contract in just 17 days and the sale closed on Thursday.

This sale again shows that if a home is priced right and marketed well it will sell, even in a buyers market.

Most of the PolingTeam’s business comes from referrals or past clients as we really do provide a high level of personalized service and because we really work to get our listings out there on the internet. Because of my background in IT, we do innovative things to market our homes.

So if you are thinking of selling your home, contact us for a free market analysis  to get your home’s value. Should you select us, we’ll help you to sell your home quickly too.

Raleigh Residential Real Estate Good news for existing Raleigh, NC Home Owners! Mayor Meeker said on Thursday of this week that he plans to move forward with higher impact fees on builders and developers of new housing in the city of Raleigh.

While it may not be a “politically correct” thing for a realtor® to support development fees, I do believe the mayor and several of the newly elected City Council members have it right. New construction should pay its fair share of the impact it will have on roads, parks, water and sewer facilities and other infrastructure. And Raleigh’s impact fees are too low.

The Poling Team was opposed to the recent actions of the General Assembly which gave the counties the right to ask voters to add a home tax as a part of the budget approval process this year. Read our Nov. 6 blog on this topic: Home Tax

This tax is in addition to the yearly property taxes. It is paid by the seller every time a home is sold. It hurts our state’s existing homeowners by arbitrarily singling them out to pay for more than their share. Fortunately, the issue was rejected by all 16 counties where it was put on the ballot.

Opponents have said that this will slow growth in the Raleigh, NC housing market which is feeling the effect the housing market slowdown and the recent mortgage industry problems. I am not favoring slowing our growth, but I believe it should be done with proper attention to the cities ability to pay for and to support the growth.

While it is true that everyone can benefit from growth, I do not believe the numbers have been equitable in Raleigh for some time. Developers and new home builders should pay more

Raleigh Residential Real Estate Thinking of selling your Apex, Cary, Knightdale, or any other Raleigh area home? Concerned about listing during the holidays? There are 11 reasons why you should put your home on the market now.

Thinking of selling your Apex, Cary, Knightdale, Raleigh or Wake Forest home? Concerned about listing during the holidays? The Poling Team has 11 reasons why you should put your home on the market now. In yesterday’s blog I covered No. 11 through no. 6 and today I will finish with the top 5 reasons.

No. 5 Buyers are more emotional during the Holidays, so they are more likely to pay your price.

No. 4 Houses show better when decorated for the Holidays.

No. 3 Since the supply of listings will increase in January; there will be less demand for your particular home. Less demand means less money for you.

No. 2 Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from during the Holidays and less competition means more money for you!

And the Number One Reason Sellers Should List During the Holidays…

No. 1 People who look for homes during the holidays are serious buyers!

Raleigh Residential Real Estate - Just Listed in Raleigh, NC - Best Home Buy in Riverside Subdivision!

At just $249,900, this 2573 square foot home offers great value in an ultra convenient location.  Just minutes from I-540, this home is easily accessible to just about everything.

You can also access me and more information about the home on our website:  www.PolingTeam.com. 

Watch Now:

 5933 Myakka Court Podcast - wmv [1:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Raleigh Residential Real Estate - Just Listed in Raleigh, NC - Best Home Buy in Riverside Subdivision!

The Poling Team just listed this wonderful home in the popular Riverside subdivision in North Raleigh.

Located in Riverside Subdivision, 5933 Myakka Court is an elegant 2-story transitional with a brick front and 2-car garage. It’s proximity to I-540 makes traveling anywhere in the Raleigh, NC area easily assessable.

• Transitional with 2-story foyer
• Brick front and vinyl siding
• 2573 square feet
• 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths
• Formal living spaces with crown molding and chair rail
• Upgraded kitchen cabinets and gas stove
• Hardwood floors through much of the first floor
• Sizeable bonus opens to office or sitting room
• Low HOA dues include community pool and tennis
• Master bath with whirlpool tub and separate shower
• Great schools!  Great neighborhood! Quality craftsmanship!

View Virtual Tour

Raleigh Residential Real Estate - New Home Sales rise in September?This is certainly not true of new home sales in Raleigh, Durham and the rest of the Triangle area of North Carolina.

Today’s News and Observer is reporting that, “The Commerce Department reported today that sales of new homes rose by 4.8 percent during September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 770,000 units.”

I don’t want to be a pessimist, but I don’t believe the government has it right. The National Association of Home Builders is questioning the numbers as well. Here is what they said today:

“Given the substantial downward revisions to home sales numbers for June, July and August, it must be said that this is still a fundamentally weak report”, noted NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders. “Moreover, the large sales gains reported in the West region are highly suspicious, given the results of our own builder surveys and large downward movements in existing-home sales in that region. On the positive side, builders do seem to be making progress on reducing the substantial overhang of unsold units on the market, according to the latest figures.”

Sales of new construction homes in the main four county area of the Triangle, NC declined by 23.8% according to statistics from the Triangle Multiple Listing service (TMLS.)

You can see the new home sales data and a Real Estate Market Update on the Poling Team website. Take a look: Raleigh, NC Real Estate Market Update

It’s important to understand the numbers as we have entered a mixed market when it comes to home sales in the Raleigh real estate marketplace. While we have shifted to a buyers market in some areas and some price points, there are still markets in the Triangle where there is an undersupply of homes in certain price points.

Contact Us if you are interested in buying or selling a home and we will provide helpful professional advice so you can make intelligent decisions.

Raleigh Residential Real Estate – Local Property Taxes on your Raleigh, NC home may be going up – Remember to VOTE –   TOMORROW October 9, 2007!!  There are 3 Bond Issues on the Wake County Election Ballot

In the last several blogs, I reviewed the upcoming bond referenda to help you decide how to vote on October 9. Click on each of the following to read about each bond from past blogs.

Public Libraries  $45 million
Wake Technical College  $92 million
Wake County Open Space  $50 million

I personally believe each of these bonds are important to maintaining the quality of life of our area and will help maintain the value of our Raleigh area homes. I am personally going to vote for each of these bonds and would recommend that you do the same.

If you would like to know your homes present tax value, The Poling Team would be happy to find it for you just click  Contact Us

We would also be happy to provide a free market analysis of your home. Find Your Homes Value

Raleigh Residential Real Estate – Local Property Taxes on your Raleigh, NC home may be going up – More Information on the Bond Issues are on the October 9, 2007 Wake County Election Ballot – What are they and are they worth it? 3rd Bond is for Wake Technical Community College.

The third of the three bond issues to consider is a $92 million bond for the Wake Technical Community College.

The bond will be used for:

• A new building at the Northern Wake Campus. This building will be used to offer classes in financial services, pervasive computing and information.
• Expand Health Sciences Campus to train more nurses, radiology/MRI technicians and other allied health professionals.
• Renovate Public Safety facility for law enforcement, EMS and fire safety officer training.
• Acquire property and design for a permanent Western Wake Campus.
• Repair and renovate several builings on the Main Wake Community College Campus.

You can read more on the Wake County website: What’s on the ballot

All three bonds will raise your Raleigh, NC homes’ taxes approximately 2.25 cents per $100 of valuation. This is the tax valuation of your home, not the current market value.

If you would like to know your homes present tax value, The Poling Team would be happy to find it for you just click  Contact Us

We would also be happy to provide a free market analysis of your home. Find Your Home’s Value