Hello Everyone!

We invite all of our Past, Present, and Future Clients and Friends to join us on a road trip to see this year’s Parade of Homes 3D’s: Designs, Decorations, and Disasters!

Yes, there are disasters and we do make fun of some of the things we see. We will meet at our office on Sunday, Oct. 14th, at 11:00 am, to enjoy some refreshments until our chariot arrives at 12:00pm.

During our trip, YOU will get a chance to rate the homes’ special features and compare your evaluations with the Parade of Homes Judges.

So come join us, let someone else do the driving, and experience the Parade of Homes in style! You may bring a guest if you know of someone who may benefit from our tour by seeing the latest trends in our area. Please RSVP as soon as possible as seating will be limited. We are looking forward to a fun time together again!

Cheers,

AJ, Marge, Barbara, John, Javier, and Robert

Host: Buyers Advantage Group Realty
Where: 3737 Glenwood Avenue Raleigh, NC 27612
When: October 14th, 11am to 4pm
RSVP Phone: 919-573-6150

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Tags: Triangle Real Estate by Adam - No Comments »

Sometimes they are loved, sometimes despised, yet homeowners associations are a fact of life in the Triangle where most new subdivisions are requiring them. A homeowners association is created by the property developer and given the governance responsibility to enforce the covenants, conditions, and restrictions of managing the common interests of the single-family homes, condominiums or cooperative apartments that comprise the development.

Here’s what some folks in the blogosphere have to say about homeowner’s associations in the Triangle in reaction to the latest news story about a Wake Forrest Home Owners Association that said despite the current drought, homeowners would be forced to keep a green law or be in violation of the HOA.

The letter gave an October deadline to meet the HOA standards. Violators would be subject to fines or “self-help” — a landscape company would fix the violations; the homeowner would get the bill.

No thanks. I’ll take the hot sauce wrappers, Blues Festival “noise”, and varying shades of yellow, green, and brown that dot the Walltown landscape. Read More

Even though I shouldn’t be by now, I’m shocked to hear how much control HOAs have over people’s lives. Read More

This is exactly the reason I will live in a cardboard box under a railroad bridge before I live in a place that has an HOA. Read More

Not all homeowners associations are created equally. While homeowners associations seem to work well for most residents, you may want to inquire about the role and performance of the specific homeowners association in the development you are considering. And since such organizations depend upon the interest and participation of its members, you may want to volunteer to serve.

There are benefits to being part of a homeowners association as well as criticisms.

Most homeowners appreciate the proper management and upkeep of common amenities, like landscaping, clubhouses, tennis courts, walking trails and the like. Criticisms levied at these associations include a belief that they are undemocratic, lack a clear system of checks and balances, and that they amount to double taxation because residents must pay association assessments as well as property taxes.

Share Your Opinion!

What do you think of HOA’s? Do you prefer a community with a Home Owner’s Association, or one without? Have you had any positive or negative personal experiences with an HOA?

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Tags: What really burns me! by Adam - No Comments »

Over the past several years, a large number of magazines and organizations have ranked Raleigh top in “best of lists” ranging from the best place for business and career (#1, Forbes, 2007) to the best places to reinvent your life (#3, AARP, 2003).

Here are some places that have ranked Raleigh on their “best of” lists in 2007

• Kiplingers – Top 5 City for Young Singles
• Black Enterprise - #3 Best Place for African Americans
• Men’s Health – Best Place to Find A Mate
• Wired – Top 10 Tech Towns
• National Board of Teachers – #1 School District in the Nation for Certified Teachers
• Business 2.0 – #3 Best Jobs in the Hottest Cities
• Inc Magazine – #7 Business Boomtown
• Bizjornals – #4 Hottest Job Market for Young Adults
• Inc. Magazine – #1 Best Place for Business
• Inc Magazine, April 2007
• Forbes.com – #1 Best Place for Business & Career
• Forbes.com – #1 Best City for Jobs
• Expansion Management – Top 50 Hottest Cities for Expanding &
• Relocating Companies

To see even more “best of” lists that Raleigh has placed in since 2000, visit City Life, Carolina Style.

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Tags: General Category by Adam - 1 Comment »

The results of Forbes Magazine Most Affordable Real Estate Market are in and Raleigh has ranked #12 on the list! Raleigh has experienced a steady increase in growth and welcomed new residents while other areas of the country have seen a mass emigration.

Though housing prices have risen over the last several years (37%), the share of share of median income earners who can afford real estate in Raleigh has only dropped by a miniscule amount (3%) – even in the midst of Raleigh’s population boom.

The Forbes article quotes Francine Dupont, a broker with Dupont Real Estate in Charlotte as saying:

A lot of people are cashing in on their northeastern properties and moving down here (NC) because you can get so much more for your money.

We’ve seen a tremendous increase in the number of people relocating to Raleigh. Those coming from other areas of the country are often amazed by the types of homes they can afford here that would be completely out of their budget back home.

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Tags: Triangle Real Estate by Adam - No Comments »

We’re very excited to announce that we’ll be rolling out a relocation incentive package that companies can adopt and offer to their prospective employees. Unlike other relocation incentive programs, ours will be completely free of charge to businesses while still offering employees money-saving and time-saving incentives to relocate to Raleigh.

Currently, the incentive package provides relocating employees with:

• A tour of activities and amenities in the Triangle area that are tailored to the individual’s interests and that of his or her family.
• Home tours of Raleigh real estate to show potential employees what they can expect for their money in the area
• A professional recommendation on a reliable, professional, marketing and real estate agent in the area where the employee is moving from
• Exclusive representation from an exclusive Raleigh real estate buyer’s agent
• Waiver of retainer fee

We are also in the process of securing partnerships that will provide employees with:

• Discounts with moving companies
• Lender discounts
• At least $1000 in total relocation incentives

We are currently in the final planning stages of rolling out the employee relocation package for small to midsized businesses and want your input! We’d like to know what types of incentives you as a business owner (or as a relocating employee) would help you incentivize top talent to relocate to Raleigh.

Interested in learning more about how you can incorporate this employee incentive into your HR department? Contact one AJ, Barbara, or Marge today at 919-573-6150 or through our online contact form to learn more about how this program works or to tell us your ideas for additional relocation incentives.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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Tags: Triangle Real Estate by Adam - 1 Comment »

With the current housing and mortgage market, sellers are even more desperate to make the sale. Consider this: The National Association of Realtors says if no more new homes were built, it would still take over 9 months to sell all the existing houses on the market – wow!

And while this is great news for buyers in terms of pricing, it’s critical that buyer’s be even more cautious as sellers and their real estate agents become even more desperate to sell homes.

In a market where it’s difficult to move houses off the market, real estate agents with a vested interest in the sale of the property may be more likely to withhold critical information that may negatively affect your buying decision.

On the other hand, an exclusive buyer’s agent acts as an advocate for the buyer and has no vested interest whatsoever in the home that’s selling. True buyer’s agents don’t work for firms that also list homes, meaning you’ll receive an even greater degree of non-bias.

Before you choose an exclusive buyer’s agent, be sure to ask these questions:

1. Do you list any properties?

If a real estate agent lists any properties of his or her own, they stand to make a double profit if they sell one of those properties to you. If an agent represents him or herself as an exclusive buyer’s agent on their website, look for links on that website that lead to their own listed properties. If they are selling property and listing property, they are a dual agent.

2. Does your firm list any properties?

Sometimes, exclusive buyer’s agents and exclusive seller’s agents work within the same firm. Technically, these agents could call themselves “exclusive agents,” but in most states, each has a fiduciary responsibility to the firm to try to sell the firm’s listed homes first. When an “exclusive” buyer’s agent and an “exclusive” seller’s agent get their bread buttered from the same firm, they are dual agents.

3. Are you a member of NAEBA?

NAEBA is short for the National Associate of Exclusive Buyer’s Agents. Members of NAEBA must be real, bona-fide exclusive buyer’s agents with no commitments to sellers agents whatsoever. Look for the NAEBA logo when browsing through agent websites.

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Tags: Triangle Real Estate by Adam - No Comments »