As we approach the summer months and the kids are about to end another school year; we all wonder what we are going to do during the summer months with the kids. here are some things to do with the kids this summer in Charlotte area:
A great place to spend a day is Carowinds Amusement park. Carowinds is located on the North Carolina/South Carolina state line. A large amusement park that offers a little of something for everyone. From it's Planet Snoopy area for the little ones to its 15 plus roller coasters for the thrill riders. Introduced this year was the Intimidator. The largest, fastest roller coaster in the southeast. In addition Carowinds has Boomerang Bay which is a children friendly water park that offers something for everyone.
Another popular option is the Discovery Place. A hands on interactive musuem in uptown Charlotte for the kids and adults. Finishing it's renovations on the building the discovery place promises to be even more entertaining and interactive than before. A great place to let the kids mind work as they have fun with science....
A great option for the kids is the camps they offer through Charlotte Public Library. They are offering different programs for everyone from pre kindergarten to rising twelveth graders. In addition there are morning or afternoon programs available for drop ins at the local branches throughout Charlotte.
One of my Children favorite places is the Charlotte Nature Museum. Walk among the butterflies in the butterfly pavilion, observe live animals in the creature cavern, buzz by the insect alley or just hang out in their large back yard.
Another great thing to do is vist the different parks that Charlotte has to offer. With a wide variety of parks and walking trails you could spend weeks walking or riding bikes through the different trails and never see them all...
These are just some of the things to do in Charlotte this summer with the family....
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
Friday, May 21, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Is the Housing Market Recovering?
In an article I read the other day in the Wall Street Journal economists beleive the housing price free fall has all but stopped and that home prices will start to see a gradual increase over the next four years. The article cites a study of 92 of the top economists and housing analysts. It based there findings on the average answers of them.
We have seen a stabilization in the housing prices across the United States. In the Charlotte region home prices have remained basically flat. But economists beleive that on average by 2014 home prices will have risen an average of 12% from this time nationwide. They contribute a lot of it to the fact that the economy is starting to show signs of recovering with more jobs being created than lost; and consumer confidence on the rise.
In addition they cite that home forecloures filings have DROPPED for the first time in five years. That is a large indication of the economy and market stabilizing. For the past five years it has grown each month and now we are seeing the first signs of a decline in the filings. This will help alleviate some of the excess inventory on the market thus stabilizing prices and helping home prices see the increase they project over the next four years.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
We have seen a stabilization in the housing prices across the United States. In the Charlotte region home prices have remained basically flat. But economists beleive that on average by 2014 home prices will have risen an average of 12% from this time nationwide. They contribute a lot of it to the fact that the economy is starting to show signs of recovering with more jobs being created than lost; and consumer confidence on the rise.
In addition they cite that home forecloures filings have DROPPED for the first time in five years. That is a large indication of the economy and market stabilizing. For the past five years it has grown each month and now we are seeing the first signs of a decline in the filings. This will help alleviate some of the excess inventory on the market thus stabilizing prices and helping home prices see the increase they project over the next four years.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Short Sales...Have The Rules Changed?
Short Sales have become a norm in the real Estate industry in the past couple of years.... but have the rules changed ? yes and no. A short sale is still a very good and viable option for someone looking to avoid foreclosure on their home. The loss is a lot less than if the home went to foreclosure and the stigma that accompanies it is not as devastating.
But, whether a bank will consider a short sale varies with each bank. They all handle the process in a different manner. Some require paperwork up front to approve the client for a short sale and others will only consider the short sale when an offer is presented on the home. Some will order a BPO (Broker Price Opinion) up front and others will wait. Some will get you responses in two to three weeks; while others you could six months or longer.
Hardships are another gray area sometimes now.... Some banks will consider circumstances beyond a homeowners control such as job loss, medical issues, job transfers as a legitimate hardship. Other banks want more information or will not do a short sale even if those parameters are met. Some banks will require promissory notes for the balance and other banks not.
Even with acceptable hardships, I have had some banks refuse a short sale even after they refused a loan modifcation because the seller was not behind on the mortgage payments and others that worked with the seller because of the circumstances of the hardship.
The bottom line is make sure your Realtor knows the bank you are dealing with and how to handle a short sale.... There is no standard guidelines used today across the board by the banks. Each and every bank handles their short sales differently....It could be the difference beteween getting your home sold and not.
Dave diCecco
Realotr/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
But, whether a bank will consider a short sale varies with each bank. They all handle the process in a different manner. Some require paperwork up front to approve the client for a short sale and others will only consider the short sale when an offer is presented on the home. Some will order a BPO (Broker Price Opinion) up front and others will wait. Some will get you responses in two to three weeks; while others you could six months or longer.
Hardships are another gray area sometimes now.... Some banks will consider circumstances beyond a homeowners control such as job loss, medical issues, job transfers as a legitimate hardship. Other banks want more information or will not do a short sale even if those parameters are met. Some banks will require promissory notes for the balance and other banks not.
Even with acceptable hardships, I have had some banks refuse a short sale even after they refused a loan modifcation because the seller was not behind on the mortgage payments and others that worked with the seller because of the circumstances of the hardship.
The bottom line is make sure your Realtor knows the bank you are dealing with and how to handle a short sale.... There is no standard guidelines used today across the board by the banks. Each and every bank handles their short sales differently....It could be the difference beteween getting your home sold and not.
Dave diCecco
Realotr/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Matthews Elementary School--Matthews, NC.
Matthews Elementary School has been recognized by the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System as a school of distinction this past year. The school is one of the few elementary schools in the system to be recognized with at least this high honor for the past four years.
The school boasts some excellent educators and a well rounded program for children from kindergarten to fifth grade. Located just southeast fo the center of town, this small school offers a wide variety of programs for it's students.
known since the beginning of testing for it's high math scores; the school has done well in the past few yesrs to get the reading grades up to par with the math scores. Currently Matthews Elementary school is proud to be in the 1% of schools with at least 92% of it's students achieving at or above grade level in math.
Not to be outshined the reading program has seen an increase from 83% four years ago to almost 88% last year. These scores has earned the school the honor of a school of distinction. This means at least 80% of the kids are at their grade levels for reading and math but less than 90% overall.
Matthews offers some of the most affordable housing in the Charlotte area and is fast becoming a hot spot among young families...Matthews Elementary School is one reason many families are calling Matthews NC. home.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
The school boasts some excellent educators and a well rounded program for children from kindergarten to fifth grade. Located just southeast fo the center of town, this small school offers a wide variety of programs for it's students.
known since the beginning of testing for it's high math scores; the school has done well in the past few yesrs to get the reading grades up to par with the math scores. Currently Matthews Elementary school is proud to be in the 1% of schools with at least 92% of it's students achieving at or above grade level in math.
Not to be outshined the reading program has seen an increase from 83% four years ago to almost 88% last year. These scores has earned the school the honor of a school of distinction. This means at least 80% of the kids are at their grade levels for reading and math but less than 90% overall.
Matthews offers some of the most affordable housing in the Charlotte area and is fast becoming a hot spot among young families...Matthews Elementary School is one reason many families are calling Matthews NC. home.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
Monday, May 17, 2010
selling Your Home? Take Photos and More Photos
Everyday I am asked what I should do to help get my home sold. Or why has my home not sold yet? The answer sometimes is not the price but the look a buyer gets online of the home. With over 90% of home buyers starting their home search online the old adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" has more merit now than ever before.
It is just as easy for someone to click on to the next home based on the photos as it is for them to ask to look at the home. I have a professional home stager go over what the house needs and how to declutter it to make it show in it's best light. But, if you are unsure take pictures.
I tell all my clients take photos of every room from all four corners of the rooms. Do the same for the outside of the home. The more photos you can take the better you off you will be. Then take the photos and send them to family and friends who you trust their opinion. Ask them for an honest evaluation of your home.
Some of the questions I tell my sellers to ask are:
1. Does the room look to cluttered?
2. Is it to personalized?
3. Is it clean?
4. Does it show bright and airy or dark and gloomy?
5. Are the colors to bold or are they neutral?
6. Would you look inside this house if you were in the market based on these pictures?
7. What would you change if it were you?
If you get an honest feedback you might be surprised at the answers you receive. We all decorate our homes to our individual tastes and preferences...But what is the person looking at purchasing our home thinking? That is the questison you need to answer...You cannot appeal to everyone but your goal should be to appeal to the many and not the few.
I take the photos that I am thinking of using to advertise the home and send it out to ten people I trust and who have a variety of different tastes and decor. I ask them the same questions and filter through their feedback to see what I need to change to maximize the look of the home to attract the largest segment of buyers to not only want to click on the home; but look at it in person.
Today too many agents are telling people you are getting X amount of views online of your home. If those views are not correlating into people coming out to look at your home...something is wrong. If people are clicking on your home to get more details; chances are you have the home priced right. But if those clicks are not correlating into showings then something with the description or photos are wrong.
So take photos and lots of them.....it could be the difference between selling your home and not.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
It is just as easy for someone to click on to the next home based on the photos as it is for them to ask to look at the home. I have a professional home stager go over what the house needs and how to declutter it to make it show in it's best light. But, if you are unsure take pictures.
I tell all my clients take photos of every room from all four corners of the rooms. Do the same for the outside of the home. The more photos you can take the better you off you will be. Then take the photos and send them to family and friends who you trust their opinion. Ask them for an honest evaluation of your home.
Some of the questions I tell my sellers to ask are:
1. Does the room look to cluttered?
2. Is it to personalized?
3. Is it clean?
4. Does it show bright and airy or dark and gloomy?
5. Are the colors to bold or are they neutral?
6. Would you look inside this house if you were in the market based on these pictures?
7. What would you change if it were you?
If you get an honest feedback you might be surprised at the answers you receive. We all decorate our homes to our individual tastes and preferences...But what is the person looking at purchasing our home thinking? That is the questison you need to answer...You cannot appeal to everyone but your goal should be to appeal to the many and not the few.
I take the photos that I am thinking of using to advertise the home and send it out to ten people I trust and who have a variety of different tastes and decor. I ask them the same questions and filter through their feedback to see what I need to change to maximize the look of the home to attract the largest segment of buyers to not only want to click on the home; but look at it in person.
Today too many agents are telling people you are getting X amount of views online of your home. If those views are not correlating into people coming out to look at your home...something is wrong. If people are clicking on your home to get more details; chances are you have the home priced right. But if those clicks are not correlating into showings then something with the description or photos are wrong.
So take photos and lots of them.....it could be the difference between selling your home and not.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
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