1. Look into local government web sites for Chapel Hill, NC area (Orange County, Alamance County, Carrboro, Durham) to track sold properties.

2. Search tax assessor offices and county courthouses data bases – to view “sold” prices of desired property.

3. Don’t overlook free websites like Zillow. You won’t have access to as many details as a subscriber site, but it’s a good place to start.

4. Consider subscriber sites like Electronic Appraiser for more specific information. Choose wisely; there is a lot of information being sold that is available for free.

5. Rely on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), which is what we REALTORS use. The MLS is probably the most valuable database available due to its specificity of facts like days listed, notes about the property’s renovation, buyer’s incentives offered, etc. The MLS is usually only accessible with a licensed REALTOR, but most sites (mine included!) have the search function on their sites.

In fact, if you fill out the find your home’s value form on my site, and I’ll send you a customized, detailed report of your home and neighborhood – for free!

Or you can skip the search and just give me a call. A few keystrokes can initiate the search, but I’ll help you find the value of your home or that home you’ve been eyeing.

The typical FSBO home sold for $153,000 compared to $211,000 for agent-assisted home sales.

That’s a difference of 58,000. Or another way of putting it is that 27% less was earned on the sale of your home, your investment, your nest egg. Ouch!

• The owners who put their own homes on the market worked hard to get their homes noticed and sold. Here are the methods they used:
• Listing on Internet/FSBO website: 51%
• Yard sign . . . 44%
• Friends/neighbors . . . 33%
• Newspaper ad . . . 22%
• Open house . . . 15%

Some folks would think it’s logical that once you save the real estate agent’s usual 6% fee for selling your home, you could lower your price and attract a quick sell. According to the statistics here, it’s not that simple. In fact, many FSBO sellers ran into a plethora of difficult tasks. Here’s what they said was the most difficult:

• Selling within the planned length of time: 9%
• Getting the right price: 15%
• Preparing/fixing up home for sale: 18%
• Understanding and performing paperwork: 15%
• Having enough time to devote to all aspects of the sale: 5%

When it’s time to sell your home, make the choice that will increase your overall selling price. And give me a call!

*Source: 2009 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

PS Still not convinced? Read Seven reasons you should not FSBO.

The reason I pose this particular question is that most houses are worth at least $150,000. And for most people, their home is their biggest investment. Need expert help? Call a REALTOR®. Why? I thought you’d never ask! Here are 7 reasons why a REALTOR®’s very valuable to your bottom line:

1. Which lender’s best? You could contact every bank, credit union and mortgage company yourself, or you could consult one professional – your REALTOR®. (I have great lenders, for example, which work with NACA and NCHFA for first time home buyers. Not all lenders do.) After a consultation with you, a REALTOR® can help you better understand your loan capacity and find the company best suited to your financial needs.

2. REALTORS® like choices. Once you have a price range in mind, your REALTOR® can direct you to many appropriate choices through a variety of professional resources. Some properties may not be actively advertised and without your REALTOR®’s input, these houses could remain one of the best kept secrets on the market.

3. REALTORS® connect to other REALTOR®’s listings. Did you know that 50% of all real estate sales are cooperative sales? In other words, you might have hired XYZ Company, but your dream house may be listed by ABC Company. This connection means more choices for you.

4. It’s all objective. A REALTOR® is your best objective resource for your dream house’s neighborhood. She can tell you about the latest zoning decisions in the county as well as award-winning local school districts. He can help you answer the two big real estate questions: a) Is this dream house a good fit for my family and myself? ; b) Will this dream house hold or increase in value by the time we’re ready to sell?

5. REALTORS® live to negotiate. Really. It’s what they do day in and day out – and it’s for your best interest. Should closing costs be included? Are certain furnishings staying? Would you consider a lower price if that last repair was left undone? The list is extensive, and it’s a relief to know you have a seasoned professional to advise you on resolving such issues.

6. Evaluations are key. What kind of inspections do you need? Who pays for each one? Your REALTOR® knows what tests are needed in various communities. While termites might be an ongoing issue for some areas, testing for radon may be common in another. The buyer usually pays for such tests, and your REALTOR® can give buyers a listing of reliable professionals they depend on to carry out the necessary testing.

7. It’s not over until it’s over. From the first offer to the final closing, your REALTOR® is there for every step, every question, every bit of paperwork. He ‘s working hard for a mutually beneficial contract at the best possible price, and yes, that adds value to your bottom line.

In an independent survey, it was found that 84% of all home buyers would use the same REALTOR® again. Obviously a lot of folks already realize the value of a good REALTOR®!

If you’re thinking about selling your house yourself, give me a call. Let’s talk about your options – FSBO or not. Together we can get your house sold!

1. To know my house is to love my house. Who knows it best? You do! You’ve lived there, and you know which faucet needs a new washer and more importantly, when the roof was replaced. If you have school age children, you can speak with authority on the selling points of the neighborhood’s school district.

2. Who’s in control? You’re in total control of open houses, drop-ins and appointments. You don’t have a third party negotiating the best time between you and a potential buyer.

3. Can we talk…alone? Upgrade yours sales tactics to two-way communication. Price negotiations and various decisions may be simplified when the middle man is no longer in the equation.

4. Price flexibility. It’s no secret that real estate agents will earn 6% of the total price when selling your home. In today’s economy, you might want to consider reducing your price by 6% to make it more attractive to seller

Of course, as with all decisions, there are some caveats to consider when selling your own home without a real estate agent. For instance, are you willing to put in the time and work required? Are you willing to research the market thoroughly and price your home accordingly? Do you have an effective strategy if your home doesn’t sell quickly? If so, it’s time to fix that leaky faucet, paint the front porch and place an ad in the local paper!

Before you do, however, read our next post, Reasons Why You Should Not FSBO.

A couple of weeks ago her kids decided to celebrate their mom’s birthday and their parents’ anniversary and make home-made ice cream — but wow! What homemade ice cream! Peanut butter! Chocolate! Mango! We’re making ourselves hungry, and we know there’s not ice cream like that available for miles – not since the “Inside Scoop” closed in Chapel Hill! A special cake had been ordered, and Vivian knew just where to get the perfect chocolate cake…..and more importantly, what to write on top. After much thought and gathering of advice from various friends and relatives, she chose “To my better half” to celebrate her marriage, her husband, and the fact that she’s been married half her life. We’re not giving away numbers here because we want to have a job next week – although honestly, if you ask Vivian, she’ll tell you. Or you can look at the picture and guess.

So – here’s to Crazy Viv – with all the fun, all the spontaneity, and all that outside the box zest you bring to our lives and the lives of others. Happy birthday, Vivian, and Happy Anniversary Vivian and Sim! May you have many, many more.

From your very sneaky help – K and S

Here’s help.

1. Search Engines. Google, Bing, and Yahoo! are the three main search engines. You can search by town – “House for sale in Chapel Hill, NC“, by zip code – “Buy a home in 27514″, or by neighborhood or even school district – “Homes for sale in Woodcroft Durham, NC” If you’re searching by neighborhood or school zone, include the city and state. You can also further qualify your search by adding “for sale by owner”, “condominium”, or even “foreclosure”.

You’ll be presented with thousands of results, which can be overwhelming. So you may prefer a more specialized option.

2. Real Estate Directories. In the last several years, some really great real estate portals have been designed that let you refine your search for a home. Zillow.com, Trulia.com, Realtor.com, and ActiveRain.com are only a few of the great options available. You can choose to search by home size, price, number of bedrooms or bathrooms, amenities, and (of course) location. These sites allow you to save your searches, and they’ll even notify you when something matching your search comes on the market. Some of the real estate directories also have forums so you can ask questions about a neighborhood or buying options.

3. Social Media Outlets. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media sites offer a more interactive and personal way to search for a home. In addition to finding out what properties they are listing, you can get to know individual real estate agents and see how they interact and respond to their clients.

4. Individual sites. Brokers and individual agents most often have websites of their own. A good agent website will display current listings, contact information, and important information about buying a home. A great website usually means that an agent is up to date with the market, and truly cares about meeting the needs of clients like you.

Getting online to find a home is something that anyone can do. But being able to navigate all the choices effectively isn’t easy. If you’re feeling like you’re getting tangled in the web of internet options for buying a home, give me a call. Together, we’ll find the house that you can turn into your home!

1. Major renovations. Most of the time, you won’t sell a home faster because of major renovations. Adding a bedroom, creating a gourmet kitchen, or installing a hot tub probably won’t make much difference to your average buyer, and you may actually price yourself out of range for the neighborhood where your home is located.

2. High end carpet. It’s a great idea to replace dirty, worn, or dated carpet. But when you pick out the replacement, don’t choose the most expensive grade or brand on the market. A new carpet looks new, no matter the price, so a buyer will get the look and feel of your house at its best. But whether you install new carpet or not, a lot of buyers will immediately change it, and get their own new flooring with the color, style, and brand that they want to match their new home.

Note: Sometimes, if a carpet isn’t too far gone, I encourage my clients to give buyers a carpet allowance. I just staged a home for sale in Durham, and I had a flooring company give carpet samples for prospective buyers to see. It gave This gives the best of both worlds for a savvy seller – and buyer.

3. New appliances. Whether you are leaving your appliances in your home or taking them with you, take a serious look at the units to see if they are so bad that they overshadow the good points of your kitchen. If they don’t, new appliances aren’t important enough for someone to want to seal the deal immediately. If you feel you must replace them, consider renting for a week or two, or buying nice used models. (Craig’s List is a great place for this!) You don’t need to install dishwashers and everything else to improve your home. You just need to do enough to get it to sell.

4. Retiling. If you have problem tiling spots, don’t retile the whole room. Give the tile a good scrub down. Remove and replace dirty or broken caulk. Then, replace cracked or chipped tile.

5. Pool. Many years ago, a pool was a hot selling point for a home. Today, most people don’t need or want pools. The expense, the liability, and safety concerns will actually keep some people from even considering a home that has a swimming pool – and in some cases – even a hot tub.

So – even though it’s hot in Chapel Hill – don’t sweat it. Concentrate your energy and your resources on things that will give you the biggest return in selling price – and in a fast sell.

It may be easy for you to overlook cracked tiling in the kitchen, holes from your son’s errant baseball, that dripping faucet in the laundry room, but for a prospective buyer, these are red flags that may indicate your home hasn’t been well maintained.

Here’s a list of some easy fixes to problems that you might overlook:

Open and shut. Make sure that each door in your home closes and locks properly. Buyers may mistakenly think that a sagging door signals a serious foundation problem.

Light work. Put in new light bulbs in every room. The clean, bright light from a new bulb will make your home shine.

Squeaky clean. Clean your home from the attic to the basement! Don’t forget to dust blinds, vaccuum out light fixtures, and wash fingerprints off odd spots – like the ceiling. Pay particular attention to the windows. Recently, I found myself frantically cleaning some dirty windows at a home that I listed and that house sold in a week. (Your mileage may vary – but clean windows won’t hurt!)

Under pressure. Pressure wash the exterior of your home. Make sure you clean all of the exterior of the house itself – bricks and siding, foundation and eaves. You should also pay particular attention to the steps, porches, decks, sidewalks, and driveways. Every inch of your home should be pristine.

Worn out. Replace anything worn. Take a look at faucets and other plumbing fixtures. Check your light fixtures; make sure your switches aren’t cracked or dirty. Examine rugs in entry ways, carpet on the steps, handles on your cabinets.

Yard for sale. Get your yard in shape. Trim bushes and weed your flower beds. Make sure your lawn is edged and mulched nicely. It’s been really dry lately in Chapel Hill, so if you have plants that look anemic, water and fertilize them – or replace them as needed. Remove any branches or leaves from your yard.

Up on the roof. Check your roof and gutters for damage, dirt, leaves, and debris. Give a good initial clean out, and then keep your eye on it after any rain or wind.

Got your number. Make sure your house number is easily visible from the street. You want every buyer to find you easily!

So go ahead. Sweat the small stuff. These little things may just make your home sell a whole lot faster!

PS Don’t forget that staging your house for sale is another great way to get your house sold!

Like the garden. One of the things I have done is plant a wonderful garden. But I had to turn our sprinkler system off. I normally use 4000 gallons of water a month; one month this year I used 33,000 gallons – that’s $523. I turned off the system. Of course now that the garden is well established, it doesn’t need to be watered unless there is a drought. But still, I don’t spend time in the garden because I’m a wienie and like AC and don’t like mosquitoes.

And that’s just one of the reasons. And it will take time to make a final decision. But I’m thinking about it, asking myself where I want to spend the next 20 years before retirement.

I think I want to move to the city. When I think of vacations, I always pick a city. I like to walk in a city. I love nature, but I want to go walking in the city. So I want to move from my home in Chapel Hill surburbia to downtown.

So the question is this – am I going to move to downtown Carrboro or downtown Durham? I want to be in a vibrant downtown. If I live in Carrboro, like everybody else I want to be in walking distance of Weaver Street Market – which is the center of town. I own a rental house there. Is it one that I want to renovate and make it our own? My husband doesn’t.

So, we’re looking at downtown Durham which is going through an incredible revitalization. They’re even planning a store that will be like Weaver Street Market!

Stay tuned…

It wasn’t that I didn’t like the guy; on the contrary we had a great conversation, and hit it off right away. But as he explained what he needs, and what his house is like, I knew I wasn’t the right real estate agent for him.

This client has a luxury home – a niche luxury home to be exact. It needs to be marketed hard. And I don’t have the contacts with buyers. It wasn’t fair to him. I don’t want to just have a listing for the sake of having my name on the for sale sign in front of the house. If I can’t give it the hands on service it deserves, I’m not going to sign a contract.

The client was very appreciative of my honesty and said he would recommend me to his partner who also has a great house to sell in an area of Chapel Hill that will sell.

And I AM the right person for that house!

PS Check out my other homes listed for sale – houses I’m getting ready to turn into homes!