New Listing: 343 Amir Circle Matthews, NC. 28105

343 Amir Circle is one of the rarest finds in the Crestdale Crossing subdivision. The reason is because it is a ranch home. If you drive through the community you will notice very few ranch homes and the ones you notice will not have a garage (which this one does). Located in a nice subdivision of Matthews, NC. This home boasts almost 1300 square feet of living space. The home is situated on a cul-de-sac lot and features a nice white vinyl privacy fence for the back yard. One of the best features for me is the rocking chair front porch. It has one of the largest covered porches of any unit in the complex and the homeowner put in a swing on the porch overlooking the cul-de-sac. As you enter this home you are instantly greeted by the large open living room. The living room is the focal point of their house. There is a nice stone accented gas fireplace in the room and plenty of space to entertain and layout the room. Through the living room you go right into the open kitchen and dining area. A good sized kitchen that has plenty of cabinet space and countertops for cooking. Through a doorway you enter the part of the house with the bedrooms. The master bedroom is conveniently located in the rear of the house (adding to the privacy you get). It is a spacious room with dual closets for him and her (or just her as in my case). Situated in the master bedroom is a master bathroom with dual sinks and a tub shower combination. Coming out of the room you go down the hall to the hall bathroom which is adjacent to the master bathroom helping split the bedrooms from the master. The hall bath features a nice vinyl sided tub/shower surround. Farther down the hall is the two spare bedrooms. Both are good size and one features a walk in closet while the other one has a large double door closet in it as well. Keep going to the front of the house and you have the laundry room which actually breaks up the space between the garage and the bedrooms of the house. I found this to be a convenient location. Especially if you are tracking in any red clay or mud from outside.... The features that i love most about this house is the fenced in level back yard, cul-de-sac corner lot, and the ranch style living with a garage. A hard and rare find in their community. This home is a great home for a family starting out with great schools; or empty nesters looking to downsize. Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker www.davedicecco.com

What Is An Arm's-Length Transaction In A Short Sale?

This question of what is considered an arm’s length transaction in a short sale is something that is very important when considering an offer for the bank to approve. By definition it is a transaction in which the buyers and sellers of a product act independently and have no relationship to each other. The concept of an arm's length transaction is to ensure that both parties in the deal are acting in their own self-interest and are not subject to any pressure or duress from the other party. in a Real estate transaction the bank will have both parties sign a form stating that this transaction is an arm’s length transaction. They are looking to protect their interest in the transaction of the house. Sellers and buyers always ask me why? The answer is really simple. The bank is willing to accept less than the house is worth and allow the seller to walk away from the remainder of their financial obligation. They do not want a situation where the seller is looking to cheat the bank. Suppose, you are selling your home on a short sale. you owe $200,000 on the house and the bank is willing to accept based on the current market conditions $150,000. They do not want the seller having a family member or relative purchase the house and then the seller is applying it back through the family member just to reduce the principal amount they owe on the house. If you are considering short selling your house and a family member says i want to buy it when you find out what the bank will accept politely tell them you cannot sell them the house.... Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker www.davedicecco.com

Charlotte, NC. Restaurant Week January 20-29, 2012

This Friday starts the famous Charlotte area restaurant week. If you have never heard of it before or are new to the area; this is a great week for food lovers. You pick one of the great restaurants listed and pay $30.00 for a three course meal (taxes and gratuity are excluded as is beverages). Charlotte is proud to have over 100 restaurants participating this year in restaurant week. These are restaurants that you could pay up to 3 times that amount for a meal. With locations spread through the Charlotte area and all types of restaurants there is something for everyone. I have participated in the past and have many friends who have done the same... I find it a great way for a night out with your spouse or a friend. The event runs for one week and starts this Friday evening January. 20, 2012 and runs through January 29, 2012. I have attached the link to the website so you can see participating restaurants and make reservations as needed. www.charlotterestaurantweek.com Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker www.davedicecco.com

Short Selling You Home? Should I Move?

I have been dealing a lot with short sales recently. both on the seller end and the buying end. One question I get with sellers looking to sell their home is "Should I move out now?" There is a stigma about losing a house and a lot of people do not want there friends or neighbors to know what is happening. However; unless you absolutely have to; why would you move out of the house prior to closing on it? Generally, you are doing a short sale because you are behind on the mortgage payments and cannot afford to continue to make them anymore. As long as you have a legitimate hardship showing why you cannot make the payments the banks will work with you on a short sale. (see here is a little hidden secret: they do not want the house back either). So, you can live in the house rent free while we negotiate out a short sale for your home. That for me s the number one reason to stay. if you are having a difficulty paying the mortgage now...why leave and rent someplace when you can stay there for free? it can help you get your finances in better order for when you do move out. Yes, there are occasions where a home will not sell during a short sale process and the house will go to foreclosure. But even in that case you will have ample time to move out of your house. generally from the time a judge orders the foreclosure to the actual time of the sale is 30 days. then there is a little lag time for you to get out of the house. Even though the bank prefer you be out at time of sale. Also, in Charlotte, NC. the average time from initial filing to actual foreclosure on average is 21 months. that is almost 2 years you could live int hat house. now there are occasions where it can go faster and others where it can take longer. But from the time you are delinquent on your payment to an actual foreclosure the quickest i have seen is 7 months. There really is no financial benefit for you moving out. In addition you run the risk of the home being vacant that it can be subject to vandalism and other random acts of property destruction. You also run the risk of issues coming up with the house in the winter months if you are not properly winterizing the house; or if you are keeping the utilities on why pay for something you are not using. It makes the house easier to sell if someone is living in there. As long as the home is neat and tidy the home will reflect better than if it were empty. And you are more likely to get a better offer on the house. A vacant house sends a signal of desperation to buyers...Something like they have to sell so they will take so much less. I have found that my offers on vacant short sales are substantially lower in relation to what I feel the bank will accept versus ones that someone is living in. There really is no good reason to move out of a house that you are short selling; unless you have to for your job or other reasons..... The financial part alone makes it viable to help you through the tough times. Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker www.davedicecco.com