7 Reasons not to Use a Part Time Realtor

Real estate is not something that can be done on a part-time basis. Here are seven reasons not to use a part-time real estate agent.

 

A real estate agents main focus is to sell. Therefore it is important to find a real estate agent that will focus full time on your real estate needs. There is a fiduciary responsibility to the sellers in the instance of an agent for the seller, and a buyer’s agent for the buyer to get the best deal possible for them.

 

You have every right to ask the real estate agent if they are part-time or full time. If an agent says they can work part time and fulfill your needs for your real estate transactions, it is likely that they are working to make them money; they would not have the time to be fully loyal to you, when they are working at another job.

 

• If a real estate agent is working part time, he or she likely has another job and does not have the time to focus on quality, instead they are trying to get as much done in as little time as possible.

 

• Selling your home, you need someone who is going to be advertising and working to sale your home on a full time basis. The less time the agent is spending on selling your home, the longer it is on the market and you are losing money.

 

• A part time real estate agent likely has not taken the time to have additional training, and certifications to increase the quality of service you would receive. It is a good idea to ask what training the real estate agent has had.

 

• There are times that sellers or buyers can only be available for showings, signing and closings at specific days and times due to work. Therefore it is hard with a part time agent to set up important appointments because there is a limited amount of time.

 

For example: A part-time real estate agent can work Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the evenings from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. The homeowner is available during the day from 8:00am to 5:00pm. This can result in one of two things. First the agent will not try to work with the home at all. Second, the agent will set it up for you to go alone. What is the point of having the agent?

 

• If you sign an exclusivity clause with a part time real estate agent, you are limiting yourself to only being able to have part time help with selling your home, or finding your home.
• You pay the same commission for a full time real estate agent as a part-time real estate agent. Therefore you are getting half the work and effort and paying the full price. Who wants half a sandwich when they pay the full price?

 

• A dedicated real estate agent or broker works normally evenings, weekend, and are often times on call so that they can meet the needs of their clients. With this in mind, how is a part time agent going to be able to focus their time and skills on your deal if they are warn out, tired, and only able to focus at such small time frames.

 With the purchase of a home or selling of a home, the most significant investments you will make in your lifetime, you deserve to have someone who will be by your side through all the steps. The commission is paid for the services rendered. Whenever something is done part-time, it is likely done part of the way. Who is filling in the work that needs to be done because the agent does not have time to be there?

Tina Abraham is a powerful <a href="http://www.tinaabraham.com/">Wilmington  North Carolina real estate broker</a>. Whether you're looking for <a  href="http://www.tinaabraham.com/">luxury real estate, waterfront homes,  historic Wilmington homes or a quaint little cottage</a> Tina can knows the  market and can get your the best home to fit your unique needs. To learn how  Tina can help you find your dream <a  www.tinaabraham.com

here or call us at 910 619 8931

The Week in Review Wilmington NC March 29, 2008

Nationwide sales of existing homes increased unexpectedly in February after six months of decline, but private economists said it was too soon to say that the prolonged slide in U.S. housing is coming to an end.

The National Association of Realtors said that sales of existing homes rose 2.9 percent in February from January levels, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.03 million units. It marked the first month-to-month sales increase since last July.Apparently, potential home buyers are realizing that the glut of foreclosures and roughly 9 months of housing inventory, as well as low interest rates and other incentives are creating opportunities to get bargains not seen for for decades.Although sales may be taking longer, home prices in the Cape Fear region are holding fairly steady, defying national trend.New York, New Jersey and other northern states still makes the Port City seem like a bargain. Take a peek at what has been happening this week in  Wilmington. Wilmington considers continuously annexing nearby areas
Monkey Junction may just be for starters. Wilmington could soon go on a steady diet of annexation.City staffers are recommending going to a two-year cycle of annexation where the city continually considers absorbing urbanized areas on its edges.In odd-numbered years, the council would identify areas for annexation; in-depth reports, public hearings and adoption would take place in even years. The city council will review the idea Monday at its all-day budget retreat.“People need to know when they move there that if they live close to the city, they’re likely to be annexed at some point,” said Councilwoman Laura Padgett, the major proponent of the change. “I think there needs to be some sort of communication and predictability.”The proposal comes as the council ponders pushing its boundaries south to Monkey Junction by taking in a lucrative 840-acre peninsula between Carolina Beach and South College roads. Padgett and others think any such annexation needs to be accompanied by a systematic plan for future growth so people know what to expect. New Hanover County considers selling park off Carolina Beach Road New Hanover County is considering selling Battle Park, a wooded area off Carolina Beach Road that was bought and funded with voter-approved park bond money.County Manager Bruce Shell told the commissioners during a recent budget workshop that developers are interested in purchasing the 42-acre tract and that the county has already had the property appraised.County officials say they are considering selling the land because it is only about two miles away from Veterans Park, the school and park complex off Carolina Beach Road.It’s possible the commissioners could vote on a purchase offer in April, Shell said at the workshop.But with so much land being developed in southern New Hanover, some residents worry that Veterans Park is already becoming too crowded and that more park land will be needed in the future.If the land is sold, they argue, the county will throw away an excellent opportunity to plan for the future. The mixed-use concept has made its way to Masonboro Loop Road.Masonboro Lodge, a building that combines office and residential space, is under construction at 4032 Masonboro Loop Road, at the intersection of Navaho Trail. Worsley Investment and Development Co. LLC, the developer, expects the project to be finished by early fall.“It will be an urban-type living arrangement near the water,” said Earl Worsley, manager of the development company. “We think there’s a need for neighborhood goods and services but in more of a neighborhood, relaxed atmosphere.”The project will have about 5,300 square feet of space for commercial condominiums on the first floor and four second-story, one-bedroom residential lofts of about 1,230 square feet each, said Lon Edwards, a broker for Worsley Real Estate Co., which is listing the property.Three lofts are on the market; two are listed for $204,900 and the other for $199,900. The developer is negotiating for discounted prices for loft owners to lease boat slips at nearby Masonboro Yacht Club & Marina, Worsley said.Commercial space is for sale at a list price of $200 per square foot, or for lease. Worsley said he’d like to see professional offices, a small coffee shop and some light retail on the site.Proposed Brunswick County port would cost 2.3 billion.  The proposed seaport in Brunswick County will cost an estimated $2.3 billion, with the first phase expected to open in 2017, according to new studies released Thursday by the N.C. State Ports Authority.That’s a substantial increase from the $1 billion-plus cost the Authority had previously projected. Funding for new highways, better railroads, deeper navigation channels and construction of the facility is expected to come from a number of federal, state and private sources, with most of the burden falling on the Ports Authority, the state and future private partners.The N.C. State Ports Authority is planning the port on 600 acres on an undeveloped site near Southport. The container terminal, authority officials hope, will take advantage of expected growth in international trade and the resulting demand for East Coast ports as space dwindles on the West Coast.The authority has begun to search for the right development partner from a short list of companies worldwide capable of handling the complex job, said Carl J. Stewart Jr., chairman of the Ports Authority Board of Directors.....until next week in the Week in Review                      Tina

Buying Cheap Homes in Wilmington North Carolina

The real estate market has opened up in Wilmington North Carolina; however, there are still ways to buy cheap homes there. The secret to find the best deals is to know where to look and do it at the right time.

 

Wilmington has a haven of comfort and creativity in the choice area between the Cape Fear River, and North Carolina Inner beaches. The area is complimented with great golf, wonderful weather in all four seasons, natural beauty, and a relatively inexpensive cost of living.

 

So then how do you find the cheap homes for sell? It is not that hard. First you will need to decide on if you are going to be going through a realtor, a realtor that does the work for both the buyers and the sellers, or if you are going to be looking on your own.

 

Wilmington is just starting to boom, and the time to buy homes is now. The interest rates are also at a time that it will save you money in the long run by purchasing your home now. It is projected that there will be at least a $40,000 increase in the value of homes over the next five years.

 

Your options for purchases of a home in Wilmington will consist of single-family dwellings, condos, bungalows, cottages, villas, apartments, farms, ranches and more.

 

You can look at many listings and some valuable information that will help you knows how and what you are looking for when you are looking to buy a cheap home in Wilmington North Carolina.

 

http://www.e-northcarolinarealestate.com/

http://www.wect.com/Global/category.asp?C=81086&nav=menu157_7_4

http://www.relohomesearch.com/

 

The easiest way to find cheep homes for purchasing in Wilmington North Carolina is to hire a buyer’s agent. This agent will be able to help you find the listings of home at a reasonable or cheap rate. This is because they are always on the look out for good deals, and they also receive specific information about houses that are newly up for sale.

 

The buyers agent has your best interest in mind and will keep track of the homes that come available that fit the prices you are looking for, in addition to the need you have, and then you will be contacted via email or on the phone to check out the homes that are available.

 

There are also listings that you can see on the Internet, through MLS or through HUD and other loan options that can make purchasing a home in Wilmington affordable and attainable.

 

Another great way to find cheap homes in Wilmington North Carolina is to ask around. In a tight community, you will find that it is easy to find out who is moving and what the going prices of homes in that area have been. That way you know more about the offering prices you can look to negotiate.

 

Your agent will also be able to inform you of homes that are being sold due to personal problems or issues that pertain specifically to the owners, however they cannot tell you what the problem is. Just that the property is going to be sold cheap and is a great deal.

 

In North Carolina the Association of Realtors supervise real estate deals, and keep track of the agents that are setting up the purchases of homes in Wilmington. This is an added security to you because there are regulations in the tools used for negotiations.

 Learn more how I can help you buy or sell your home in Wilmington NC call 910 619 8931 or visit  www.tinaabraham.com 

5 Reasons to Use a Buyers Agent

Real estate transactions come with risks, competition, and expenses. With your financial and family future on the line, there are five reasons to use a buyer’s agent in order to give you a fighting chance.

 

The buyer’s agent is a realtor that has gone through special training with the National Board of Realtors. The training authorizes the realtor to use the specialized sub-title in addition to the realtor title they already carry. The realtor is a real estate specialist. Therefore when you attain the help of a buyer’s agent, you are also getting the experience and training of a realtor.

 

A buyer’s agent does many things that decrease the risk of purchasing a home for their clients. They also increase the overall satisfaction of the sale, because they look for specific qualifications and amenities. Here are some of the steps a buyer’s agent will take to give you the highest level of happiness with your new home.

 

1. The buyer’s agent will make sure that there are the correct inspections, appraisals, and market analysis complete to ensure that your purchase is made with a full understanding of what to expect after the completion of the purchase. The buyer’s agent or realtor will make good recommendations to let you know whether the home is safe for your family.

 

2. A realtor, or buyer’s agent knows the market. They will also know if the price the sellers are asking for is the price you should be paying. They will also know how to negotiate a better price for your benefit. Therefore, you will be making your purchase for the best deal possible.

 

3. A realtor, or buyer’s agent will know what the newest listings are. They pay for listing information that keeps them up to date on the newest and the best. This is why the realtor or buyer’s agent will be able to help you find a home easier and give you a much broader set options to look at. Realtors also work close with each other to help meet the needs of their clients. Since the majority of homes for sale are exclusively listed with a realtor or real estate agent, some times the only way you will get this information is through a realtor. Also a realtor will use all their tools to gain the best list of homes for you. This would be the use of the MLS or nationwide multiple listing service, their company listing service, and many other options.

 

4. A realtor will likely know a home is for sale, before it ever hits the Internet. An MLS listing of a home can take between one and ten days to show up. By that time the home could already be sold. Word of mouth just like in any other business works for you. You need to find the right home, so your realtor will tell other realtors about you, and then that realtor will look at what he has. It is just like having a personal liaison in your corner doing all the work for you.

 

5. Realtors or buyer’s agents understand the contracts, legal documents and the complexity of the overall closing process. Your realtor will know how to complete the consumer-mandated seller’s disclosure, the environmental and structural reports, among all the many other legal reports. Your agent will also interpret the information in the transaction that may be more difficult to understand.

 

There are many reasons to use a buyer’s agent. The biggest thing to remember is that in most cases the buyer’s agent is paid from the commission from the sale of the house. Therefore, you really would not be paying anything extra. So having the security of having someone on your side is more logical than any other move you will make when purchasing a home.

 

Tina Abraham is one of the leading <a  href="http://www.tinaabraham.com/">Wilmington, NC real estate agents</a>.  Tina specializes in helping people sell their house or buy the home of their  dreams in the internationally famous Wilmington, NC market.  Visit Tina for  www.tinaabraham.comWilmington, North Carolina real estate

10 Reasons it pays to Use a Realtor

Real estate transactions are complicated and can be costly if completed incorrectly. There are ten reasons it pays to use a realtor. After you have decided to purchase or sell a home, then it is time to find the right realtor. However if you are only thinking about buying or selling, you can browse the availability on your own.

 

Once you have made the decision to buy or sell a home, now you need to find the realtor that will make that purchase or sale as easy and quick as it can be.

 

The reasons it pays to use a realtor are very economical when you figure in the amount of service you will receive for the price you will pay. Here are those reasons.

 

1. Your realtor works, looks, and negotiates with your best interest in mind.
2. You will be shown a clear understanding of the financial options available to you.
3. Your realtor will provide a clear diligence during the evaluation of the property. This will likely include:
   1. Inspections for termites, dry rot, asbestos, faulty structure, roof conditions, septic tank, and well tests.
   2. They will look to make sure there are not any title issues with the home that you need to be aware of. Like a lein against the title of the home.
   3. The realtor will find professionals to conduct all of these areas of the investigation on the home.
   4. They will also conduct a search of the correct ownership of the home.

 

4. A realtor can help you to negotiate a good deal for the property you look to purchase or sell. Realtors with experience are used to looking for signs and areas that can be negotiated to get the most for the person they are representing. In recent studies it was proven that on average the home sold by a realtor will sale for roughly $20,000 more than if it was sold by the owner. So if you are the seller the realtor can get more money for you, if you are the buyer, your buyer agent can negotiate a fair price for the purchase of the home for you.
5. The realtor is trained and has a wide variety of homes available to help you find the right home for your needs. A realtor can show you homes that are listed exclusively to them, and therefore you can only get going through their service.
6. A home that does not appear on the open market, may take some investigating to find the listing information. Therefore, you realtor can take the time and has the resources to get the information you would need on the home.
7. Your realtor also has the tools and connections to make you aware of the buying power you have. They will help you look at your down payment; purchasing options and borrowing options that can help you find the home of your dreams. They can help you set realistic expectations to what your options are for purchasing a home.
8. The realtor can help you to list your property with the right agencies and in the right manner to make sure you get the most coverage for the property you are selling.
9. Your realtor will be able to evaluate the buyer or sellers proposal with out jeopardizing your negotiation power for the property involved.
10. Finally your realtor can help complete the purchasing and closing documentation on the home. They will make sure that all of the legalities involved are followed through with in the correct manner.

 

Now that you know the reasons it pays to hire a realtor, you can start the interview process to find the right realtor for you. Keep in mind that you will want to interview at least three realtors, ask many questions and make sure they have the experience you want and need in a realtor. The right realtor can make a world of difference in the real estate process.

 

The Week in Review Wilmington NC January 19,2008

The Week in Review

...your Wilmington Connection

January 19, 2008

A late Week in Review I know, but all linked to the stirring of the real estate market. Things are picking up and there has been a great interest in Wilmington lately, with CNN naming Wilmington as one of the top 10 cities to buy.

WCFHBA makes housing prediction

Jeff Stokley, 2008 President of the Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association, projects a turnaround for housing to begin in late 2008 based on three broad factors: aggressive action by the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates; Congress acting on a series of bills aimed at shoring up the economy and helping home owners to stay in their homes; and no further unanticipated shocks to the economy.

The actions of the Federal Reserve should be the first step in reversing this housing slump. “The Federal Reserve must take aggressive action to cut rates when policymakers meet at the end of the month,” Stokley said. “Usually, the Fed moves incrementally by cutting rates by a quarter of a percentage point when seeking to stimulate the economy. To keep the economy moving forward, a half a percentage point rate cut is necessary to add liquidity and provide a solid psychological boost to the markets and consumers.”

A fairer deal for elderly property taxpayers
A welcome property-tax break for elderly or disabled Tar Heels of modest means passed the General Assembly last year. Called a “senior circuit breaker,” it would offer an alternative to the existing homestead exclusion, starting in 2009.

Like every other tax law, this one would be complicated, but the gist of it is that people who qualify can delay paying a portion of their property taxes until they move, sell or die. The final tax bill would include interest on the deferred amount.

To qualify, taxpayers must have incomes below a certain level and must have lived on the property for at least five years. That’s a blessing for longtime residents who are seeing their taxes rise out of sight because the old home place has become much more valuable.

Riggings owners bank on sandbags
Habitat prohibits nourishment, so homeowners cling to 22-year stopgap

Kure Beach | The Riggings wants one more shot to explain to coastal regulators why the 48-unit condominium complex should be allowed to retain the sandbags that have protected it from the encroaching Atlantic Ocean for more than two decades.

But the homeowners also have put the property across the street that was the basis of a federally funded relocation plan on the market for $13.5 million.

That could paint the Riggings property owners into a corner, with no place to rebuild their condominiums if the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission turns down the variance request.

State regulators have already ordered the bags removed, an action the homeowners so far have declined to follow.

Under state law, sandbags are supposed to be a temporary measure to buy a property owner time to come up with a permanent solution to protect oceanfront property from the encroaching ocean.

Generally that means either removing a threatened home or nourishing the eroded beach.

But the Riggings’ sandbags have been in place since 1985, and state regulators have repeatedly chastised the homeowners for seeming to have little enthusiasm for working on a long-term solution to their erosion woes beside asking for sandbag extensions.
Sunset Beach bridge contract awarded

After 30 years of conflicts and lawsuits, the N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a $31 million contract to build a new Sunset Beach bridge.

English Construction Co., of Lynchburg, Va., will build the bridge.

The new high-rise bridge will replace Sunset Beach’s single-lane, wooden pontoon bridge. It will stretch a half-mile long and include two 12-foot travel lanes and 5-foot shoulders for bicyclists and pedestrians.

The new bridge is a long time coming for Joe Blair, DOT division construction engineer. He has been working on this project since he started at the department more than 20 years ago.

He said construction of the project will take 2 1/2 years to complete and could start within 30 days. Another clinical research firm to open area office, More growth for Wilmington

The world’s largest clinical research organization is opening an office in Wilmington, bringing to at least five the number of companies either headquartered or represented here that are involved in clinical trials for drug companies.

Triangle-based Quintiles Transnational Corp. will open a clinical research office occupying two of three floors of the North State Bank Building at 1411 Commonwealth Drive, near the corner of Eastwood and Military Cutoff roads, the company said Thursday.

PPD Inc., which has about 10,000 employees worldwide, is headquartered in a downtown high-rise on the Cape Fear River. It and Quintiles, which has 19,000 employees worldwide, offer a full line of services to drug companies, from conducting clinical trials to managing regulatory matters up to and after a drug’s approval by the Food and Drug Administration, a process that can take up to a decade and cost drug manufacturers $1 billion.

Quintiles would not say how many employees it will have in Wilmington, but only 1,500 of its 19,000 employees are in North Carolina. Wilmington is the privately held company’s third location in the state. It employs about 50 people in Williamston, a spokesman said.

Quintiles has been advertising for positions in Wilmington that include clinical study manager, senior clinical project manager and clinical research associate. Coastal setback proposal modified
Allows more development in nourished areas

New Bern | Concern from property owners and coastal officials has prompted state regulators to modify their proposed setback rules for new development along nourished beaches.

But the new regulations still don’t give what most people were calling for – “grandfathering” to allow property owners to rebuild structures to their current size.

Still, it allows new development and redevelopment in areas where it previously wasn’t allowed.

“What’s being proposed is limited development under limited conditions,” said Jeff Warren, coastal hazards specialist with the N.C. Division of Coastal Management.

Under current rules, oceanfront setback requirements along beaches that have had large-scale nourishment projects are based on what the beach looked like before the new sand was added.

Locally, that includes large chunks of Oak Island, Ocean Isle Beach and all three New Hanover County beach towns.

The rationale behind the rule is that homes built closer to the ocean could be threatened if the engineered beach isn’t periodically nourished and erodes back to its natural state.

But some beach towns, notably Ocean Isle Beach and Oak Island, complain that the current rules severely limit both new construction and the replacement of homes along wide swaths of their nourished beach front that are healthy and stable. …..until next week in The Week in Review Tina