Archive for October, 2009

HomeBuyers Are You On Deck? Better get ready to Step-Up

October 29th, 2009 categories: Buying your Home, Real Estate News

If you’re a homebuyer and you’re “on deck” you may want to get ready to step-up to the plate!

CNBC’s Diana Olick reports today “Home Buyer Tax Credit: Final Deal?” that Congress may be close to extending the popular First Time HomeBuyer Tax Credit program! Good news, but there’s even better news – the revised plan may allow for “step-up” buyers to benefit. That’s right they are finally considering doing for the middle market homebuyers what they’ve done for the lower end / first time buyer! In fact there is some early buzz that a “step-up” homebuyer tax credit would apply on homes up to $800,000! We’ll believe that when we see it, right! But I am optimistic that some help is coming for that stagnant $300K-$500K part of the market and well it should.

First time homebuyers are most often strapped for cash and focused on the down payment – “step -up” buyers on the other hand are much more likely to have cash and will use the tax credit on things like below…. look how many businesses are impacted by the purchase of a home

• lawn /landscape
• furniture
• appliance
• painting / roofing
• patio / deck
• bathroom / kitchen renovations
• home furnishing / bedding
• fence / invisible fence companies
• and many, many more

So please keep an eye on congress and be sure to support any effort to help the middle end of the housing market – it is very important that we get this part of the market moving again to support NOT ONLY the  housing market!

Authored by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: Your Comments Please »

Halloween Costume Ideas at Charlotte Goodwill

October 28th, 2009 categories: Charlotte Living

Recently I met Bo Hussey reach him here he is doing some pretty cool things at Goodwill Southern Piedmont (Charlotte). Bo is a smart-bold guy who is using social media tools like YouTube in innovative ways to build brand awareness and expand the Goodwill mission here in Charlotte.

Bo knows Social Media and he is ahead of the curve (for non profits) in using tools like YouTube to get the word out about Goodwill – a perfect example is this video on the best place in Charlotte to get creative about your 2009 Halloween Costume – watch the video and many more here at Goodwill Southern Piedmont channel on YouTube (and then read more about Goodwill’s mission below and on their website! (oh and check out one of my recent Goodwill costumes – Paula Dean meets Julia Child – scary)

“Goodwill was founded in 1902 in Boston by Rev. Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister and early social innovator. Helms started Goodwill with the idea that people could earn a living collecting donated goods, repairing and selling them – that a job was better than a handout.  “Not charity, but a chance,” he always said.

Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont began providing services to people in this region in 1965. The Southern Piedmont territory includes 13 counties in North Carolina and five counties in South Carolina. Locally, Goodwill has a retail store or provides services in eight of these 18 counties: Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Lancaster, Lincoln, Union and York Counties.

Although Goodwill has grown in the past 100 years, we cannot rest while so many people still need our services. The demand for Goodwill’s employment and training services continues to increase as a result of the changing economy. This increasing demand magnifies Goodwill’s need for donations. Last year, Goodwill received more than 875,000 donations of clothing, household items and furniture totaling more than 54 million pounds from the Southern Piedmont region of North and South Carolina.”

Authored by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: 1 Comment »

Quick – Name the East Coast “Tech Mecca”?

October 28th, 2009 categories: Charlotte Living, Real Estate News

Not so easy is it? DC? New York? Orlando? New England tried, Richmond? OK maybe Raleigh’s the closet thing but then you don’t think of Raleigh as a hotbed for iconoclastic techies with start up ambitions – you think Nortel (they still around?), SmithKlineblahblahblah. No I’m talking more about a thriving entrepreneurial community where people ride bikes to work and play ping pong and vintage pinball all day – they don’t really but you get the picture. (and of course better snacks)

I was reading Neal Peirces’ column about Barcelcona’s transformation from rusting industrial shell to an “entrepreneurial city” based on technology and the “knowledge economy” – I thought hey nobody’s doing this on the east coast (YET!!!) why not Charlotte read Peirce’s Washington Post column here

So here’s the thing I think Charlotte could and should be the East Coast “TechMecca” did I just coin a phrase? – I think I did! I like that but no matter what we label it I think there is a huge opportunity (JOBS) for an east coast city to grab this distinction – right now- before its too late! We have a lot of things already in place:

• Charlotte is a leader in motorsports / high tech automotive development – wind tunnels etc
• Between Charlotte- Murdoch Research Institute-Raleigh we’re part of a distinct tech region
• BMW is here, NASCAR, Google and Apple are nearby too
• Our great hospital system will rely heavily on new tech innovations
• Our textile heritage could fire up nano and specialty fibers/fabrics
• We have UNCC and their business incubator facilities
• BIG and other entrepreneurial groups
• our oft maligned school system is just waiting (and will rise) to feed into a community vision like this
• We also have a thriving and astute social media / web community – we could (maybe we already do) lead here

and that’s just what I can think of off the top of my head….

We can do this! We’re big enough to take this on and we’re stable enough (lucky) that we can build on what we have – all we need is a plan, a vision and a collective zeal like that put forth by cities to host the Olympic Games! Charlotte is a happening place with a great circulation of new people we need something to get behind something like an Olympic bid – except in this case it would be a drive for something lasting (JOBS) unlike the fleeting  3 week glory of the Olympic games! And of course don’t forget better snacks!

Authored by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: 1 Comment »

Friday Fun | THE LOVE BOAT!

October 23rd, 2009 categories: Great Neighborhoods

Another video that speaks for itself – making my blogging life easy. Amazing how perfectly the lyrics go with the video – enjoy!

Now get out there and enjoy Charlotte’s Lake Wylie and Lake Norman – but let’s remember to be careful out there!

Authored by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: 1 Comment »

I just wanted the price of a Charlotte home, I didn’t want to speak to a real person!

October 21st, 2009 categories: Buying your Home, Real Estate News

Have you ever been driving around and come upon a home for sale that you’re interested in…and there it is the agents name and number right there on the sign -  so you dial the nu…..you hesitate…WAIT….you think “Do I really feel like a sales pitch right now — all I want is the info, the number of bedrooms, does it have granite countertops, what’s the PRICE! I’m not ready to buy (yet) and I sure don’t want to end up on some “hot” lead list or worse to be pestered mercilessly by an underworked real estate agent!

I think we’ve all felt that way at times (even as an agent I don’t like to be pitched or pushed) sometimes I just want to do things, check things out on my timeline, my pace.

Well what if there was a service (there is) that would allow you to call about any house for sale in Charlotte, any house NOT just REMAX houses – call any Allen Tate, Keller Williams, Helen Adams, Cottingham/Bissell, etc – and get not some but all the info you need without ever talking to an agent! (more on that secret below**)

REMAX EXECUTIVE is rolling out Voicepad in Charlotte.
In two easy steps:

1. Call this number 704-367-4444 (from any phone, home, cell, smartphone or not)
**You can choose to activate your service through a REMAX agent or just use the number

2. Put in the street address and…
(no special codes or mumbo jumbo)

….Voila You will hear all of the details about the home INCLUDING THE PRICE (I highlight price because with other text/info systems the agent will typically not give you that info forcing you to call the agent for the price and (a sales pitch)

So no doubt Voicepad is an awesome service for the homebuyer – you have full access to full info on every home in the Charlotte MLS literally at your fingertips. But here’s the rub….FULL DISCLOSURE when you use VoicePad to call about a property – an agent will be advised of your call – and you’re sure to get a call (maybe more than one) from that agent.

UNLESS….and here’s the SECRET

Let me ACTIVATE the service for you first – By activating the service (all I need is  your email & phone number) when you call about a property I will be the agent who gets the “lead” (no one else will know you called about the property, not even the listing agent) So together we can decide how to communicate — if you want to me follow up that’s fine and if not that’s fine too! This way you get all the information on ANY listing and you do not have to speak to an agent ~ until you’re ready to speak with an agent!

So what do I (my teammates Betsy, Blake, Donna, Jackie and Rhonda) get out of this? Maybe nothing. We are providing our clients with this free service in the hopes that it will help you in your Charlotte home search and that when it comes time to visit specific homes you will call on us for our expertise and help. We know people like to check things out on their own (we’re the same way) we hope with Voicepad you’ll feel less pressured and that your efforts will be more productive and fun!

If your interested is setting up your own Voicepad please drop us an email right here ~ and please let us know if you are already dealing with a REMAX agent so we can get you to the right person!

Authored by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: Your Comments Please »

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