Archive for September, 2009

Jenny? Do I have your number 867-5309

September 30th, 2009 categories: Our Charlotte Realtors

Jenny, let’s pretend you are:

• Interested in the Charlotte area, thinking of relocating
• Actively looking for a home in Charlotte
• Looking to sell your home in Charlotte

…and then let’s say you happen upon our TalkCharlotte or maybe our HouseHunt website ~ both offer free and comprehensive searches of the 28,150 Charlotte MLS homes/condos for sale.
…and let’s say you’re serious so you go ahead and register so you can access the full search tools
…and let’s say you’re leery about giving your real name, phone number and email address….

STOP!!

WE ARE NOT THIS!

Of course you’re leery because you (or a friend) have been burned, spammed, relentlessly pitched/sold, or heaven forbid duped.

Now let’s say your name isn’t really Jenny? your phone number isn’t 867-5309? and your email is not jenmovedon@hotmail.com?

• What if you trusted us just a bit and gave us a preferred way and time to contact you?
• And what if we respected that and promised not to spam, pitch or dupe you?
• What if our first goal was to earn your trust? and then to help, really help at your pace?

What if all you got from Rhonda Gibbons, Mike Gibbons, Betsy Mayer, Blake Garvin, Jackie Stutts or Donna Johnston was answers to your questions, help with effective searches, unique ways to market your home and insight into an ever more complex real estate transaction from experienced real estate professionals who work at your pace? Give us a try…..

Jenny, do I have your number?

OK, OK you know you want it…

Authored by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: 1 Comment »

Apples, Oranges? Appraisals Are Becoming Rotten Fruit

September 28th, 2009 categories: Selling your home

I share my friend, Miami Realtor Ines Hegedus-Garcia’s appraisal that whether you’re in Miami or Charlotte nobody is happy with the current state of residential real estate appraisals.

Home appraisals used to be, more or less a check off (not a good thing), a part of the process to ensure that someone did not buy a home that was wildly over or under priced (as Martha would say that’s a good thing). Nevertheless the exact and only true value of a house is the price that a buyer is willing to pay and a seller is willing to accept, today – kinda like a share of stock – yes the free market is funny (and works great) that way! Sarcasm aside appraisals are important and (when done right**) they do provide an invaluable measure for homeowners and lenders alike. Here’s the rub there is no right way to do an appraisal and the most professional appraisers will tell you even the best appraisals are subjective and as much art as science.

The problem started about 15 years ago when Americans stumbled on a treasure chest literally under their feet - the home equity line – the mother lode first for home improvements (good), then boats (worse) and ultimately even bottles of three buck chuck (bad) at Trader Joes (now in Charlotte). We went crazy using our newfound “home-wealth” to bankroll (most of) our American dreams. There was only one pesky hitch to get into the chest (your own chest) you had to have a key which was held by the bank – and to get to the key you had to go through a gatekeeper, the appraiser! Long story short – equity lines flowed like mountain springs as many appraisers checked off on treasure chests bigger than the house – not a problem since American home values would increase forever and ever (we’ve always been an optimistic lot). Well in 2007/2008 the party ended – the treasure chests slammed shut, fingers and dreams were crushed.

Past is always prologue and all that treasure hunting inflated home values beyond belief. As we know banks (and regular Joes) got their heads and foreclosure notices handed to them as home values and loans unraveled.

What now? Well the lenders have predictably overdosed on reality and the appraisal process is feeling the brunt of this fervent – albeit understandable fiscal conservatism. The home valuation pendulum has now swung as far right as it was left and we are left with the scarily governmental HVCC Home Valuation Code of Conduct which in part “…attempts to curb inflated appraisals by refusing reports from people selected, retained or compensated by mortgage brokers and real estate agents.” Appraisers are selected by “round robin” – many are not familiar with the neighborhoods they appraise and the unintended consequence of this abject objectivity is the process has become a black hole where …

A new code of conduct, that sounds great, right?  Well as @Ines so deftly describes in her MIAMISM blog post Appraisals Kill Deals ~ in practice that code of conduct seems more like a cloak of Teflon – no over-values are gonna stick to me says Mr. or Ms. Appraiser – undervalue is de rigueur. Result? Inconsistent, uniformed appraisals are killing reasonable real estate transactions (indiscriminately and unnecessarily). What should you do — now more than ever make sure you’ve got the right agent – look for the most smart, the most informed, the most candid agent you can find and for now anyway, pray for a return to common sense!

Authored by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: Your Comments Please »

3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2200sf, pole sold as is

September 25th, 2009 categories: Buying your Home, Charlotte Living, Real Estate News

really don’t need words for this one….Happy Friday! (and be careful out there)

Authored by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: Your Comments Please »

Think Outside the Socks.

September 24th, 2009 categories: Selling your home

I don’t usually do this but this company seems so neat and fun and I know that this time of year many of you are looking for fun gift ideas. I rave about Seth Godin and he raves about Little MissMatched and even wears their mismatched sox from time to time. So enjoy and remember if sometimes things don’t work out perfectly (like sox) that may be just fine! “Think outside the Socks”

Authored by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: 1 Comment »

Homebuyer Catnip | Your Charlotte HomeSTORY

September 23rd, 2009 categories: Charlotte Living, Selling your home

Homebuyer catnip, huh – sounds like Mike has been nipping on something that has nothing to do with cats! So let me explain. You’re thinking OK, “I have a house but I’m not sure I have a HomeSTORY?” Good news if you have a home you have a HomeSTORY and it’s just waiting to be told! A HomeSTORY is simply all the stuff that makes your house a home. The problem is most people selling their homes are sharing stats, data and pictures but not their story! So thinking different (as always) I came up with the Charlotte HomeSTORY concept to change all that!

Regular readers know that I am big on getting back to the basics, to the joy of real estate read my post Looking or a 1974 Buick Century? I’m Your Realtor for more on that. We all know the market stinks for everyone; buyers are stymied by tight financing or because they can’t sell their own home and sellers face the double whammy of low prices and oversupply. We’re all trying to navigate real estate’s “perfect storm”.

But here’s the thing people are buying and yes, selling plenty of homes it’s TRUE ~ in fact Charlotte’s $250k and below market is booming (OK that’s relative) but the market IS active, there are a lot of first time buyers out there. But not every house is selling – the homes that stand apart sell (are bought) first. It is more important than ever that sellers position (price and preparation) their home to shine from day one.

But I’m afraid you need to do more than that, you need to do things that no one else is doing and that is where the HomeSTORY idea comes in. Absolutely price your home smartly, repair, paint, declutter, clean spit and shine do all that and then make your house a home – personalize it. That does not mean you want your walls to look like a family reunion or that you leave out your Rush Limbaugh fuzzy slippers on purpose – it’s not that kind of personalization! Rather you want potential buyers to see themselves in your house, they may look at 20 similar houses and the house they pick is the one they feel they can make their own!

Here are a few examples of HomeSTORY in action:

• No Ho Hum Townhome
• HomeSTORY Black Oak Drive
• We Don’t Want to Sell

Writing your own HomeSTORY is like catnip to buyers – because you are sharing the personal story about your house and helping them visualize living there. I work with my clients in writing the HomeSTORY encouraging them to be authentic and candid including things that are special to them:  (what the buyer’s thinking)

• a special party or event (great for entertaining, hosting family events)
• proximity to shops, parks, restaurants (safe, I won’t have to drive everywhere)
• memories of bringing home a newborn (kid friendly, families)
• peaceful retreats (maybe I can read the paper on the deck in my PJs)

This is all the stuff that only you the homeowner knows – the little secrets, the good stuff.
Now a little goes a long way here so I council my homeowners to handwrite the story and keep it to one page, two max. We are getting awesome feedback from homeowners and buyers alike. Buyers like the personal touch and buyers remember, they remember the HomeSTORY homes! For sellers it helps them focus on and highlight the positives – the things they love about the house which are often the very same things the buyers want! Writing the story brings a lot of things into perspective and I think makes for a smoother and more successful transaction.

So if you’re in the market to buy a house in Charlotte look for the HomeSTORY ribbon on the sign – you can be sure there’s a story behind that front door. And if you’re looking to sell I hope you’ll consider letting me help you share your home’s story – it might just make all the difference! Drop me an Email

Authored by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: Your Comments Please »

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