I ams going to work part-time with Prestige Lending he can probably give you the lowest rate available on a number of different loan options, especially in regards to re-financing. Now is a very good time to refinance as rates are at all time lows. There is a lot of misinformation out there regarding the ability to get a loan, but the fact is that if you have a good credit score and job history, money is available. There are even first time homebuyer down payment assistance programs that are still available as well.

Weekend rates are as low as:  5.125 % for a 30 year fixed rate loan*** when you have a credit score of at lease 739 and are currently employed with a good employment history

***Loan Amounts <$150,000 and 80/15/5 combo’s are slightly higher.
***Investor loans available.  Call for quotes.

So, if you are interested in lowering your house payments or need to cash out some of your home equity for a worthwhile purpose, give Art a call or you can email him at artpoling@kw.com.

The bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has already brought lower interest rates, but it may not be as large a benefit to the real estate marketplace as one might expect. Because of the tightening credit requirements (which are absolutely justified – non conforming loans were how we got into the mortgage crisis) there are fewer buyers who can qualify for a mortgage loan.

Speaking of home mortgage rates, one of our recommended lenders has a 30 year fixed conventional loan rate of 5.75% with no origination fee and 0 points. Their 30 year fixed FHA loan is at 6.0%. This is good news for home buyers and home sellers who may need to refinance their homes.

Many of the first time home buyer assistance programs are going away as of October 1^st. There are some that will still be available but the PolingTeam recommends that you have an experienced lender help you navigate the process.

Since interest rates are low and there is plenty of homes on the market, it is a great time to buy a home. Contact Us and we will be glad to help. We love first time home buyers!

You can search all active listings in the Triangle Multiple Listing Service on our website at Find Your House with Your Mouse

You may have been wondering why I haven’t blogged in some time. It is because that in addition to being full time helping our clients with buying and selling real estate, I have taken on teaching real estate. I have always enjoyed teaching and I felt this would be a great way to share what I know. In my short time at teaching, I have found that it also has made me a better real estate broker.

I teach at Legacy Real Estate School which just opened this year. If you are interested in getting a North Carolina real estate license, I will be teaching pre-licensing July 9 to August 7.

If you are a real estate broker with a provisional license, my next Post Licensing course is Broker Relationships and Responsibilities and is offered on Monday’s and Tuesday’s, June 16 – 24. 

You can see all the courses Legacy Real Estate School offers at www.visitlegacy.com

It is hard for me to believe that I have been gone from my Raleigh Residential Real Estate blog for so long. Linda and I (The PolingTeam) had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends. Then our youngest son was married in Tennessee on January 5.

So with all those activities and keeping up with several year end home sales and a closing on January 8 for a California relocation home buyer, I have not taken the time to write.

However, I trust you will be interested to see what I have been working on for the last several weeks in regards to the status of the Raleigh, NC area real estate marketplace.

I have posted a fairly comprehensive report and a series of graphics that show a summary of the Triangle’s four main counties real estate sales for 2007 and predictions for the upcoming year. Even with all the mortgage turmoil and the declining sales numbers for the last half of the year, it still can be said that the Raleigh Area of North Carolina had a great year in 2007 for buying and selling real estate.

In the upcoming days, I will be sharing more about why it is a good time to buy a home in the Raleigh, NC area. For now take a look at my real estate market update at: Raleigh, NC Real Estate Market Update

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.

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

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!

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.

No. 11 – By selling now, you may be able to be a non-contingent buyer in the spring.

No. 10 – You can sell now for more money now and we can arrange for delayed closing or extended occupancy until early next year.

No. 9 – Even though your house will be on the market, you still have the option to restrict showings for the six or seven days around the Holidays.

No. 8 – January is traditionally the month for employees to begin new jobs. Since transferees cannot wait until the spring to buy, you need to have your home listed during the holidays in order to capture that market!

No. 7 – Some people must buy before the end of the year for tax reasons.

No. 6 – Buyers have more time to look for a home during the holidays than during the regular work week.

In, tomorrow’s blog I will have the top 5 reasons for listing your home during the holidays.
 

Monday of this week updated tax values were placed on-line on the Wake County Register of Deeds website. Mailings went out to 312,000 property owners and Wake Count Officials expect about 10% of the property values will be appealed.

In North Carolina, property values are re-evaluated every 8 years, but the tax rate can be adjusted every year. The last revaluation was done in 2000 and under the new revaluation; home values will increase an average of 43%.

Durham County also sent out letters with the new property values to 97,000 property owners and so far about 400 people have made appointments for an informal review according to the News and Observer.

The Poling Team’s home in Knightdale, NC was valued at $198,529. The letter we received this week says that our Knightdale home is now valued at $258,981. That’s a 30.5% increase. It’s amazing how much difference a day makes.

You can read the full News and Observer article here: Wake Property Value Notices Go Out
 

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.