Happy Holidays From Me to You
Be Aware—My Email Was Hacked Recently
My email was hacked recently, so if you get an email with a request for a Dropbox document or a business document, do not open it.
Selling your Iredell County or Lake Norman, NC home?
In this day and age of high technology, we have access to a lot of information at the touch of our fingertips. Because of this, we’re facing new kinds of crimes relating to fraud, misrepresentation, and theft. Selling your Iredell County or Lake Norman, NC home?
You may have received an unusual email from me recently asking you to open a Dropbox document or some kind of business document. The truth is, my email was hacked, and the hacker’s purpose was an elaborate scheme to steal the closing proceeds of the seller. The hacker made changes to my email address and the client’s email address. They also made changes to the signature information at the bottom of my emails—you have to hunt to find it. Another thing they changed was the last two digits of my cell phone number.
Due to the efforts of figuring this out very quickly and the attorney and both banks cooperating, we were able to foil their scheme to steal these funds. About five days after this started, the client received all of their proceeds back.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that you’ve been receiving a lot of strange emails from me. I know this is an aggravation and inconvenience, and I want to apologize to you for that. I also want you to be aware that if you get a request for a Dropbox document or a business document, do not open it. Delete the email.
I know this is an aggravation and inconvenience, and I want to apologize to you for that.
We’ve changed the passwords of many of our accounts multiple time since this was discovered in order to prevent these hackers from gaining any access to our information. If you receive an email from me, check the address it’s coming from—mine is angie@teamatr.com. In addition to my authentic cell phone number listed above, you can also reach me at (704) 872-6443.
We’re working with expert technical advisors about how to handle situations like this in the future, and both banks that were involved are doing the same. We’ve been very appreciative of their help.
In the meantime, we’re looking at other options to increase security, including possibly changing our email address, so we will notify you if we do decide to change that. Thanks once again for your patience and understanding.
If you have any more questions, give me a call or shoot me an email. We’d be glad to help you!
Being a Competitive Buyer: Part 2
Today, we’re continuing our previous discussion on how best to compete as a buyer in our market.
Selling your Iredell County or Lake Norman, NC home?
Today we’ll be covering the second half of our discussion on being a competitive buyer in today’s real estate market. Selling your Iredell County or Lake Norman, NC home?
Last time, we focused on how you as a buyer can influence a seller in taking your offer. Today, we’ll be further covering this topic.
First of all, consider the amount of money you have available for an earnest money deposit. Earnest money will show the seller you are a serious, interested buyer. The more you put down, the better. Increasing the “normal” amount will boost your offer in the eyes of the seller.
Next, think about the due diligence fee, which is money to be paid up front. Understanding our North Carolina contracts will help you be aware as a buyer.
Having professional help at every step will make a world of difference.
Also, don’t forget the North Carolina Offer to Purchase and Contract, which outlines the commitment you and the seller are both making within the transaction.
Ultimately, though, the best way you can be competitive in the market is to work closely with a real estate professional who will be able to support you through the process all the way through closing.
Having professional help at every step will make a world of difference.
If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
4 Tips for Homebuyers in Today's Competitive Market
Today I have four tips to help you get a leg up in today’s competitive market.
Selling your Iredell County or Lake Norman, NC home?
Things are jumping in the real estate market in our county, just like many areas of the country. It’s important that you understand what you need to do in order to be competitive as a buyer in order to purchase a home.Selling your Iredell County or Lake Norman, NC home?
First, you need to make sure you are pre-qualified. Get with a lender and get that letter that proves that you are able to purchase the home you’re interested in. Every seller wants to see that letter. The lender will also cover closing costs, interest rates, and how long it’s going to take to close on the home you intend to purchase.
Next, you need to know the top dollar that you’re willing to pay, in case you have to spend that amount in order to get the home that you want. Especially in a competitive market, you may find yourself in a multiple offer situation, so be prepared. When you speak with a lender, you’ll be able to determine a comfortable range from which you can make an offer.
Don’t start your offer so low that you offend the seller.
Remember that if you’re asking for closing costs, that amount comes out of the seller’s pocket. It affects their net bottom line. With that in mind, you may need to increase the amount in your offer to cover those closing costs. That way, you have that taken care of and there’s less stress to the seller.
With these tips, you should be able to get a leg up against the competition when you put in an offer on the home of your dreams. If you have any further questions or you’re looking to buy or sell a home, please give me a call. I’d be happy to help!
Why You Should Never Turn Off Your Utilities During a Home Sale
Keeping your utilities on during your home sale is important for a variety of reasons.
Selling your Iredell County or Lake Norman, NC home?
If you’ve listed your home for sale and you’ve vacated the property, why do you have to keep utilities on?Selling your Iredell County or Lake Norman, NC home?
First and foremost, our North Carolina listing contracts state that home sellers have to make their homes reasonably accessible for buyers to look at, and that accessibility extends to the existing utilities. That means, water, sewer, electricity, gas (if it applies,) and any alarm systems that are connected to the phone line.
In this hot weather we’re currently experiencing, and the cold weather we experience come wintertime, it’s critically important that your home is comfortable and its temperature is moderate. If it’s hot outside, you don’t want a buyer to walk through your door and feel the same temperature. This can negatively affect their experience and make them wonder if your HVAC system is working. You definitely don’t want that question to come up.
You also want the buyer to know that all your utilities are working—that the water is coming through your pipes, your toilets flush, your HVAC system works, and your water heater heats. They will be checking those things to see if they’re functioning, so be prepared. If they aren’t functioning properly because you cut your utilities off, buyers might assume you haven’t been taking care of other things in the home. That can be detrimental to you when you get an offer because buyers take that kind of thing into consideration.
Be proactive—not reactive.
When you accept an offer to purchase your property, that offer will require that the utilities be on and functioning. The buyer has the right to check all the things in your home, and their home inspector will also check all the functions that depend on your utilities being on, so have them on and ready. Sometimes when you cut your utilities off, you create a problem that you didn’t have before. If you turn everything back on and suddenly there’s a problem that didn’t exist when you lived in the home, that can spell trouble. Don’t let that happen to you.
You want your home to make the best impression possible, so in addition to keeping your utilities on, make sure your yard looks great, your shrubs are cut, and your gutters are cleaned out. Buyers pay attention to those kinds of things too.
If you have any questions about this topic or you’re interested in buying or selling a home, give us a call or send us an email. We’d be happy to help you.
What You Need to Know About a Residential Property Disclosure Statement
Today I walked to talk about what a residential property disclosure statement is and what it means for you as a home seller.
Selling your Iredell County or Lake Norman, NC home?
In the state of North Carolina, this mandatory document is given to a buyer when you get ready to sell your home. It features a list of questions that the seller must answer. I’ve listed some of the important questions below.
- What is the age of my roof and has it been leaking?
- How old is my HVAC system?
- What is the age of my water heater? This is not required on the document, but is something that some buyers may want to know about.
- Do you have a septic tank and a copy of the permit?
- How many bedrooms was your house permitted for?
- What about restrictive covenants?
- Do you have a survey?
- What about your HOA? What are the fees? What’s covered?
Make sure you keep track of all your important documentation.
An important thing to know is when you put on a new roof or update your HVAC system, that isn’t going to increase the value of your home because it is considered general maintenance. Every homeowner will need to take care of those items at one point or another.
Many of the answers to these questions will come in the form of documentation. You should keep a careful record of things such as permits, service reports for your roof and septic tank, and HOA documentation. Whether you’re getting ready to list your home or you’re still just thinking about it, having these documents in one place will make the process of filling out your disclosure statement that much easier.
If you have any other questions about this topic or you’re looking to buy or sell a home, please give me a call. I’d be happy to help!
What You Need to Know About Underground Storage Tanks
Having an underground storage tank could cause some major issues when listing your property. Be sure you know the signs of contamination and how to tackle potential issues.
Selling your Iredell County or Lake Norman, NC home?
If you are someone with an underground storage tank (UST), you may be wondering what to do with it. Traditionally in our area, we’ve used home heating oil as a resource for keeping homes warm, which requires a UST.
If you have a UST on your property and are wondering what to do right now, know that it is exempt from regulation. But, if your tank has a leak or spill, regulations will apply. This means you will have to go through the process of sampling and testing your property to make sure you meet those regulations.
If you no longer use your UST, my best advice is to remove all the remaining oil from it in order to avoid contamination. Additionally, if you suspect contamination, it never hurts to check.
Remember, when you fill your tank, do not fill it with water. Instead, opt for a solid and inert material, like sand, to fill up the tank.
You may also, instead of filling the tank, hire a professional environmental company to remove the tank.
It's important that you address any issues with your UST as quickly as possible.
All of these points are especially important if you are looking to list your home. Buyers could potentially be concerned by the presence of a UST.
However, whether you are selling your home in the near future or down the road, it’s important that you address any issues with your UST as quickly as possible.
Some indicators of contamination from your UST include a strong smell of petroleum, a puddle of oil, and/or visible stains in the soil. So, if you notice any, don’t hesitate to act. Contact your local waste management program or the North Carolina Division of Waste Management Underground Storage Tank Section.
To learn more about this topic, or to ask any other questions you may have, feel free to call or email me. I look forward to hearing from you.
6 Ways Sellers Can Take Advantage of Our Exciting Market
There are six tasks you need to remember to get a great offer on your home in today’s exciting, fast-paced market.
The other day I was reading an email that a lender sent me titled “Fear Has Returned to the Market” and thought to myself, seriously? In today’s exciting, fast-paced, competitive market, it’s a lot different than it was from 2008 to 2011.
Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, now is a critical time to take advantage of our market and get your best offer as quickly as possible. How can you accomplish this if you’re a seller, though? Pay attention to the basics. There are six keys to remember:
- Price your home to sell. Be competitive in your pricing. Buyers are shopping on the Internet 24/7, and they know what’s being sold and what’s under contract. Do what it takes to get them in your door.
- Consider doing a pre-listing home inspection. If you have a problem, find it and fix it now. Don’t let it come up during the inspection process. If you can avoid a contract falling through over inspection issues getting fixed, it behooves you to do so.
- Declutter. Get rid of all that old stuff sitting around that you don’t use and/or move the furniture around. Pack it up and put it in storage or just get rid of it. You want your home to look as big as possible, and decluttering accomplishes this effect.
Today’s market is nothing like how it was after the crash, and opportunity is there for you to take advantage of it.
- Pay attention to the yard. First impressions are critical to buyers, and your home’s first impression starts with the yard. Let them know that your yard reflects how great your home looks on the inside too.
- Make your home easy to show. Buyer’s agents have ready, willing, and able buyers, and they want to get into your home as soon as possible. Make it easy for them to get into your home, get it shown, and be able to explain its benefits and features.
- Take advantage of the help of a full-time real estate professional. They can help walk you through the process of listing your home and getting it on the market, getting a contract signed, and making sure you go to closing with money in your pocket.
If you have any questions about our current market, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!
What If Other Buyers Try to Get Your Dream Home?
Multiple offer situations are incredibly common in our current market. As a buyer, how can you win your dream home?
How do you make sure that you win your dream home when other buyers want to buy it?
We are seeing a lot of multiple offers in today’s market, so it’s not uncommon to face some competition for your dream home. So, what do you do?
First, you need to make an offer. Don’t sit and wait to see if others are going to make one. You should also keep in mind that you’re not going to know what those other offers are. The listing agent won’t reveal that information. After all, they are working for the seller to make sure that they get the best offer.
When you make your offer, what can you do to make sure that your offer is the one that gets accepted? You need to make sure that you are pre-qualified. You might need to ask your lender if you could possibly make a higher offer than the asking price, so you need to know about your finances right off the bat.
Don’t wait around to see if anyone else will make an offer.
You also have to consider how much earnest money you are willing to put down. After all, money talks.
In addition to earnest money, consider due diligence money. Do you have some money that you are willing to put down to show your sincerity in buying that property?
Another thing you can do to make your offer stand out is to write a letter to the seller. Tell them why you want to buy their house and let them know that you love their home, that you will take care of it, and explain why you’re making your offer.
Do you need a real estate professional to help you? In this market, the answer is an absolute yes. A professional real estate agent can help you maneuver these multiple offer situations successfully.
If you have any questions about winning in a multiple offer situation or about our current market, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!
Taking the Pain out of Lawn Care This Spring
It's that time of the year—lawn care season! Today I have some tips to get it back into warm weather shape whether you plan to sell or you just want it to look great for spring.
It's the time of year to start getting your lawn in shape, and it's especially true if you want to sell your house this year. The first impression of your home is crucial.
The first thing you need to take care of is getting rid of weeds. It's a problem for all of us, but with proper maintenance and irrigation, you can actually prevent weeds. Keep in mind that even if you don't have weeds in your yard, sprouts and seeds from nearby weeds can cause them to spread to you.
It's also time to break out the lawnmower or call the lawn maintenance company. If you have a mower though, make sure you're keeping up on the maintenance in terms of oil and the gas you put into it. Don't forget about the blade; dull blades can actually be harmful to your lawn. Pay attention to the tires if you have a riding lawnmower as well.
Be careful of nearby weeds, which can easily spread to your lawn.
If your yard seems beyond hope of being fixed, it might be time to start over completely.
If you take out all the grass, you need to consider the kind of soil you'll lay down and the grass seed you should use. Your specific area really matters when it comes to the type of grass to plant, so don't be afraid to seek professional advice. A great option would be to call our agricultural resource center and talk to Matt Lenhart, a horticulturist. He can give you some really great tips and can be reached at (704) 878-3000.
If you have any other questions about making your lawn presentable or you're thinking of buying or selling a home here in Iredell County, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I'd love to help you!
You Can Get Rid of Hazardous Waste on April 29th
Disposing of hazardous waste is often difficult. We’re here to make it a bit easier today.
If you have hazardous waste products like old batteries and paint, they can be tricky to properly dispose of. If you’ve been trying to get rid of some stuff like this, we have great news.
Iredell County and the town of Mooresville are sponsoring a spring collection of hazardous waste products this spring. The collection is going to take place on Saturday, April 29th from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m at the Mooresville Collection Center at 2523 Charlotte Highway in Mooresville.
The collection is April 29th from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
They will be collecting items such as batteries, acids, mercury thermostats and thermometers, fluorescent light bulbs, paint, stains, and thinners. Please note that if you are bringing latex paint, you are limited to 15 gallons per household. Farmers can also come and bring their pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and any other -cides thanks to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.
If you have any questions about the event, you can contact the organizers at (704) 878-5430. If you have any real estate questions or you’re looking to buy or sell a home, don’t hesitate to give me a call. I would love to hear from you.
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