Real Estate Information

Give a hearty welcome to my newest buyer specialist, Melissa Randolph.  I'm absolutely delighted to have Melissa as a part of my team.  She has been practicing residential real estate in the Charlotte NC market (particularly in Concord and Cabarrus County) for the past two years. 

Melissa has made the choice to join a team so that she can better focus her efforts on serving buyers, which is her favorite part of reall estate! 

Melissa, her husband and two 12-year old daughters live in Concord.  She understands completely the questions that folks may have about public schools and property taxes-two of the reasons she lives in Cabarrus County NC!

Whether you're in the middle of a relocation to the Charlotte NC area or you're a local person who's hoping to find that perfect next home, Melissa is ready to help you find what you're seeking.

You can reach her at 866.440.7136 or email her directly.  Leigh Brown and Associates is always ready to help!

  It's not a great surprise to anyone that the real estate market in New Orleans has its own unique set of challenges in the current marketplace.

And when a market is challenged, where do you turn when you have excellent clients whose son is leaving New Orleans? These folks are lovely-we've worked together on several transactions over the past few years here in Charlotte NC and, well, they love me. =)  They called me when their son in New Orleans needed to sell his home-and they wanted a RE/MAX agent.  (who can blame them?) 

Usually, when I need to send a referral, I head for the CRS roster and the RE/MAX roster.  I look for folks who are turning business, who have experience, who have personal websites, who have photos posted, and who check email.   This time was different-I really felt more comfortable sending them to Eric Bouler, who I 'met' here on ActiveRain over a year ago.  (yes, the old-timers' clique).  I knew that Eric would not lie to this young man, that he would be honest about the marketplace and about proper pricing, and that he'd take care of him.

He did.  Eric got the job done, and the mutual client got his house sold and closed by the end of December.

Thank you, Eric.  It's a pleasure to know that I have a true business partner and friend in New Orleans!

Hurts, doesn't it?  I got my love letter from the Cabarrus County Tax Assessor today as well.

Folks who live in Concord, Harrisburg, Kannapolis, Mount Pleasant, and Midland NC are feeling the pinch tonight.  You see, in North Carolina, very often our tax values lag market values.  It's the natural side effect of the amount of new construction in the area-the tax office can barely keep up with new builds, much less resale homes!

But the North Carolina general statutes try to keep the local counties in line by requiring that re-assessments occur at least every 8 years. (You know, market values can change a LOT in 8 years!).

So here we are.  Letters arrived today at many households.  And folks, the formula used to arrive at your tax value isn't perfect.  You may find that the tax value is still below market value (celebrate the savings!), or you may find that the county thinks your home is worth more than a normal buyer would pay.

IF you find yourself in a position where you aren't sure of the validity of the number, and you'd like a professional opinion about the true value of your home, feel free to call or email Leigh Brown for some helpful information.

I'm a local homeowner, too, and I'm glad to help my neighbors!

I'll say that we're trying to go 'greener'-to go totally green would require more change than my pocketbook will currently allow.

We just purchased a home which is 15 years old.  I LOVE my house. While we're already enjoying the improved energy efficiency of a full brick home on a crawl space, there are changes that I want to make sooner rather than later.  So you can consider this to be the first installment of an irregular series about making changes bit by bit in an effort to improve. 

If you don't remember from previous posts, I'm a pianist.  My baby grand piano is truly my baby-it's a restored antique Baldwin baby grand, and I love her.  The front room, where she resides, has gorgeous floor to ceiling windows.  And I didn't like the idea of traditional blinds covering up that light.  But I also couldn't bear the idea of my baby's finish getting ruined by the sunlight.

So we called on a local window tinting specialist, Charlotte Glass Tinting.  They install 3M film to the windows, which is fabulous.  The light coming in has been reduced by 45% (but you can't tell looking at it), which reduces the amount of ambient heat which enters the home and also reflects the current heat back inside.  Also pretty much stops cold the UVA and UVB rays entering the home.

It's more affordable than I had expected and carries a lifetime warranty.  If you're in the process of purchasing  home and are considering window coverings, you should check into this product (and of course, call Leigh Brown, the local Charlotte NC area Realtor who looks out for your best interests across the board), and perhaps you too can make your home use just a little less energy.

You know, I think I've made this resolution before. 

And I usually do a pretty darn good job of prioritizing my time, letting clients and prospects know when I am and when I am not available.

But then you get a referral.  And you're already busy-but it's a referral and we love those folks.  (at least, I do!)  And the buyers who are so anxious to purchase a home here in Charlotte NC are just chomping at the bit to go out and look.

In fact, they want to go out on:

Dec 22, Dec 23, Dec 24, Dec 26, Dec 27, Dec 28, Dec 29, Dec 30, Dec 31 and Jan 1.

I know, you're all laughing right along with me!  Seriously these people thought that I was only entitled to ONE day with my family at Christmas!

Sundays are my days for worship and family.  I try very hard to keep that day of the week sacred.  Otherwise, I will get burned out and I'll be of no use to anyone or anything.  And let's be frank-I have two small kids.  And I will NOT sacrifice my relationship with them to the altar of the almighty dollar.

So....long story short, I agreed to spend a couple of hours with these folks on Sunday afternoon since they were SO desperate to go buy something.  I should have known better!!  Whenever I've bent my own personal rules in the past, it's never worked out.  Never. 

I thought we got along well, accomplished a fair bit and got to know one another.  But then I got a call from the referring agent today that they would rather work with someone else.  Someone who better understands their sense of urgency. 

Fine by me.  When this young couple gets married and has kids, perhaps they'll understand why I do not work on Christmas Eve.  I work very very hard to ensure that my clients get the best possible representation from an agent who studies the market, the builders, the trends and can advise them accordingly.  But respect goes both ways.  So does commitment.

Therefore, in 2008 and beyond, my schedule is my schedule and I shall refer out the folks who think that they are more important than my pumpkins.

Habitat for Humanity is seeking a Major Gifts Officer to serve the metro Charlotte, NC area.  Job description and details are below:

Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) in conjunction with the Habitat for Humanity (HFH) metro Charlotte, North Carolina area Affiliates of Matthews, Our Towns, Cabarrus and Charlotte is seeking an experienced, energetic, and creative Major Gifts Officer to cultivate six-figure relationships resulting in major gift donations for these Affiliates. HFHI and its metro Charlotte Affiliates are non-profit Christian ministries dedicated to eliminating substandard housing.  This is an exceptional opportunity for a seasoned fund-raising professional to work collaboratively with senior executives and program professionals in developing strategies and soliciting six figure gifts in the metro Charlotte area in order to further the work of these Affiliates.

The ideal candidate will possess a minimum of 5 years of front-line experience of major gifts fundraising for a large non-profit, preferably in the metro area of Charlotte.  Successful experience closing complex six-figure commitments including planned gifts, campaign and endowment gifts, and investment options is ideal.   Superior presentation skills, including the presence to deal effectively with diverse constituencies including principal donors, Board members, national staff and leadership in the field is a must.  A BA/BS and CFRE are both strongly preferred.

If you have an interest in this position, you can apply online at the Habitat website. 

As always, thanks for your support of Habitat for Humanity, Habitat Cabarrus, and all organizations that are striving to eliminate sub-standard housing!