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Did You Miss the Home Buyer Tax Credit? Reasons Now is the Time to Buy!

The deadline for purchasing a home for the home buyer tax credit passed us by on April 30, 2010.  Buyers have been given a bit of extra time to close on these properties because of the recent bill passed by Congress.

But if you did not jump on the home buyer tax credit train in time, there are still plenty of great reasons to purchase a home in our current market! 

Interest rates are currently at a 50 year low!  In many cases around Charlotte, buyers are able to purchase homes with less money per month than they currently pay in rent.  Even if you currently own your own home, now is a great time to transition into your next home.  With interest rates this low, payments on a larger home are often the same as your current home.  Whether you’re upsizing or downsizing, the savings can be tremendous.

Currently in Charlotte, we are in a buyer’s market.  If low interest rates are not enough to convince you to buy, consider the fact that many homes are currently on the market in Charlotte for unbelievably low prices.  Many times the owners of these homes are very motivated to sell.  This means a great deal for prospective buyers.

Last, consider the tax benefits of owning your own home.  With the suggestions above, you can currently buy a home in Charlotte at a great price, with amazing financing, paying less than you’re currently paying in rent, and at the end of the year you get to reap the benefits of owning your own home.  The ability to deduct mortgage interest and property taxes is icing on the home owner cake.

So, don’t be discouraged if you missed the home buyer tax credit, there are still a ton of exciting reasons why you should buy a home in the Charlotte area.

If you have any questions about the Charlotte Real Estate market or would like help finding the perfect home, don’t hesitate to give me a call!

First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension!

If you completed a purchase agreement by April 30th for your first home but have been unable to close on the property for various reasons, you may soon be able to breathe a sigh of relief!  The house passed a bill on Tuesday June, 29th to extend the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit for an additional 3 months.   It is estimated that approximately 180,000 home buyers were set to miss the June 30th deadline to collect the tax credit.  Under the proposed bill, buyers would now have until September 30, 2010 to complete the purchases of their first homes.  The bill will now head to the Senate for a vote.  Once passed, the extension should provide ample time for buyers and their lenders to close these deals.

If you missed the tax credit, don’t fret, now is still a terrific time to buy a home as home loan interest rates are at the lowest point in 50 years!  If you have questions about buying a home or would like additional information about the Charlotte area real estate market, give me a call!

New NC Residential Property Disclosure – July 1, 2010

As of July 1, 2010 all sellers of residential property in North Carolina will be required to complete an updated Residential Property Disclosure Statement. Several key changes were made to the property disclosure.

The first change was made to item #15 and was revised as follows: “military” was added to the statment making the revised statement, “COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, OR MILITARY NOISE, ODOR, SMOKE, ETC. AFFECTING THE PROPERTY?”

On page 2 the following statement was added directly before the Owner and Purchaser Initials and Date: “In lieu of providing a written explanation, you may attach a written report to this Disclosure Statement by a public agency, engineer, land surveyor, geologist, pest control operator, contractor, home inspector or other expert, dealing with matters within the scope of that public agency’s functions or the expert’s license or expertise.”

After July 1st, all buyers should obtain a new property disclosure prior to making an offer on a property. In the event a seller fails to provide the new NC residential property disclosure, the buyer shall have the right to cancel the contract within three days of the effective date of the contract or within three days of receiving the disclosure, which ever event occurs first.

A copy of the State of North Carolina Residential Property Disclosure Statement can be viewed at:
http://www.ncrec.state.nc.us/forms/rec422.pdf

As always, if you have any questions about Residential Property Disclosures, or Real Estate around Charlotte, NC don’t hesitate to call!

2001 Cambridge Beltway Drive – Town of Ayrsley – Charlotte

FOR SALE: Offered at $179,000 – Charming 3 story townhome in the Town of Ayrsley just Southwest of uptown Charlotte. This home features 2 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, 2 half bathrooms with approximately 1,850 SF of living space, large rooms and a spacious layout with a brick front veneer.

The main floor features a great room that would make a terrific home office or media room. You will also find a two car garage and half bathroom on the main level.

The second floor invites it residents to relax in a large great room, with fireplace, that opens to a formal dining room, and a kitchen with upgrades such as hard wood floors and quartz counter tops. A large deck can be accessed from the great room and is ideal for relaxing and entertaining. There is a powder room located on the second floor as well.

Located on the third floor is the Master bedroom which features vaulted ceilings and a master bathroom with separate garden tub and shower, and dual bowl vanity. Down the hallway is a second bedroom that is even larger than the master bedroom. Also on the third level is an additional full bathroom and laundry room.

Urban living at its finest, Ayrsley offers its residents a community complete with restaurants, shopping, parks and a large movie theater. Don’t Miss out on this great deal on a townhome with all the extras!

13706 Queenswater Lane – Charlotte, NC 28273 – Yorkshire

FOR SALE: Offered at $169,500 – Charming 2 story home in the desirable Yorkshire subdivision in Southwest Charlotte / Steele Creek area.  This home features 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, with approximately 2,010 SF of living space, large rooms and a spacious layout.  A patio in the backyard is ideal for relaxing and entertaining.

Among the many benefits, you’ll find a large kitchen with a counter top bar open to the great room, a large formal dining room, vaulted ceilings throughout the foyer, great room and master bedroom.  The great room features a fireplace and large windows.   Downstairs you will find a large master bedroom with a bay window/sitting room and a master bathroom with seperate garden tub and shower, seperate vanities, and a huge walk in closet.  Upstairs you will find two additional bedrooms with a full bathroom, a loft and built in book shelves at the top of the stairs. 

Only a short ride to Rivergate shopping center, restaurants and shopping are very convenient to the Yorkshire subdivision.  The neighborhood features terrific amenities such as a large swimming pool, tennis courts, volleyball court, playground, pavilion with grills, and walking trails galore!  With all that this beautiful home has to offer, Yorkshire is the perfect setting for your new home! 

This home is served by the following Charlotte area schools: River Gate, Southwest and Olympic.

USDA Home Loans, 100% Financing on Charlotte Area Homes

You may have seen subdivisions around Charlotte, NC and the surrounding towns and counties advertising 100% financing on their homes. In many cases these communities are offering USDA home loans which allows buyers to purchase homes in “rural” areas with no money down. This financing is available for new homes as well as resales around Charlotte. USDA financing is available for homes around Charlotte, not necessarily for a home on a farm, or an income producing farm!

The United States Department of Agriculture is trying to encourage rural development by providing buyers with lower incomes a source of financing for the purchase of their home.

USDA home loans around Charlotte, NC do have a few restrictions such as area in which the home resides, income limitations, and credit scores. The home must be located in an eligible rural area that is determined by the USDA. Some portions of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County qualify for USDA home loans, and much of the areas in surrounding counties of North Carolina & South Carolina such as York, Lancaster, Union, Gaston, Lincoln, Catawba, Iredell, Rowan, and Cabarrus qualify for the USDA financing.

With financing becoming tougher to obtain on your new home, USDA may be the perfect choice for your next home. To find out more about homes around Charlotte, NC that qualify for USDA home loans or to find a lender that can offer you USDA financing, call or email me today. I would be happy to help you find the perfect home in a USDA eligible area.

Search Lions Gate Townhomes for Sale – SW Charlotte 28273

If you’re searching for a great neighborhood, with great amenities, in a great location, check out Lions Gate located in Southwest Charlotte.  Lions Gate is a townhome community on South Tryon about one mile north of the Rivergate Shopping Center.  The community features a large swimming pool and sidewalks everywhere!  Townhomes in Lions Gate currently range in price from $100,000 to $140,000.  If you’re a first time home buyer in Charlotte, now is a great time to buy a home in Lions Gate in time to take advantage of the $8,000 first time home buyers tax credit. 

Click the button above to begin searching townhomes and houses for sale in Lions Gate, Charlotte, NC 28273.  As always, if you see something you like and would like to schedule a time to take a lookat it, feel free to call or email me anytime!

Is it Time to Sell your Charlotte, NC Home?

You may have considered selling your Charlotte area home recently but were quickly discouraged by the current buyer’s market. Don’t panic though, now may be a great time to sell!

With the new additions to the federal home buyer tax credit, home owners who have lived in their home for at least 5 consecutive years out of the last 8 years may be eligible to collect a $6,500 tax credit on the purchase of a new home. Now you may be wondering, “well how does that help me sell my current home?” The great news is the federal home buyers tax credit also provides first time home buyers with an $8,000 tax credit when the buyer contracts on the puchase of a home before the end of April 2010 and close on the home before the end of June 2010.

Recently we have seen a large uptick in the number of first time home buyers looking to purchase their first home in time to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit. This may be a huge help in selling your current Charlotte home!  Because we’re currently in a buyer’s market, you will be able to take advantage of the great deals when purchasing your next home and also collect the $6,500 tax credit, making it a win-win situation!

If you’ve been thinking about selling your home but have hesitated because of the current market here in Charlotte, feel free to give me a call so we can discuss your options. Or, click the “Get Home Value” button to the right to receive a free Comparitive Market Analysis of your Charlotte area home, townhome or condo sent directly to your email.

10 Reasons to Work with a Charlotte Real Estate Buyers Agent

If you’ve been thinking about buying a home in or around Charlotte, NC, you should consider contacting a real estate buyers agent to help guide you through the home buying process.  Here’s 10 reasons why…

1. An Advocate for You
In the state of North Carolina, a listing agent(the sellers real estate agent) works in the seller’s best interest at all times during the selling of the home.  This means if you call a phone number on a “For Sale” sign and ask the agent to view the home, you should be cautious what you tell the agent, as the agent will relay any important information back to their sellers.  A buyers agent can be your advocate during the process and will keep all information confidential. An example of this that I really like is referees in the Super Bowl.  If your team was playing in the Super Bowl, you would not like the idea of the opposing team’s coaches acting as the referees for the game, would you?  Keep in mind that the other team would love it if their coaches were the referees… Just like a listing agent loves it when they get to work with buyers that are not working with a buyer’s agent.  It lets them control the situation and have the upper hand at all times for their seller.

2. Education & Experience
In North Carolina, a real estate buyers agent has many hours of education in the local real estate laws.  They can navigate the real estate waters and explain each step of the process in terms you can understand as a buyer. Experienced buyers agents will have the knowledge to advise you when tough decisions arise during the home buying process.

3. Neighborhood Knowledge
Charlotte Real Estate agents are constantly taking a communities pulse and understand the real estate dynamics of individual neighborhoods.  The knowledge of specific areas will help you as a buyer to make the most informed decision when purchasing a home.

4. Expert Negotiator
Having an experienced negotiator working for you can mean the difference between saving thousands of dollars on your home purchase and possibly not getting the home at all.  A Real Estate buyers agent knows the ins and outs of negotiations and will work to get you the best terms and price on your home.

5. Price Guidance
Determining whether the listing price of your dream home is a good deal or not can be a confusing concept.  A buyers agent will research comparable homes in the area that sold recently and inform you of their expert opinion as to the value of the home.

6. REALTOR® Resources
A Charlotte buyers agent will use all available resources as an agent and a REALTOR® to help you search for and find that absolute perfect home.  A good buyers agent will have previewed many of the homes you’re interested in and will be able to provide you with details about the property that you can not find through a simple internet search.

7. Discuss your Financing Needs
A real estate agent can discuss your financial situation with you, and help guide you to the proper experts to help you accomplish your goal of buying a home.

8. Professional Networking
As real estate agent in the Charlotte area, it is a must to network with other industry professionals regularly.  A buyers agent can provide you with contacts for experts you will need when buying a home, like real estate attorneys, home inspectors, surveyors, and lenders.

9. Loads of Paperwork
Paperwork is a necessary evil when buying or selling a home.  A real estate agent will complete much of the paperwork for you, keep it all organized, and always keep your abreast of key dates you may need to remember in the contract and throughout the closing process.

10. You closed on your Charlotte Home, Now What?
After you’ve closed on your new Charlotte home, it is almost guaranteed you will have questions about something.  When you’ve worked with a buyers agent on the purchase of your home, they continue to be your real estate resource even after closing.  You can go to them anytime for expert real estate advice.

Search Southwest Charlotte NC Real Estate & Homes for Sale

Southwest Charlotte NC has much to offer its residents, great shopping, gorgeous parks and greenways, and some of the best communities in and around Charlotte, NC.  To begin your search right away for the perfect home, click the link to the right to view current homes for sale in the southwest portion of Charlotte, NC – Mecklenburg County.

With terrific developments like Berewick, Ayrsley, The Palisades, The Sanctuary, and other Steele Creek subdivisions, you are sure to find a community that will fit your life style.  Homes in the southwest section of Charlotte area are located in zip codes 28278 and 28273.

If you’re interested in shopping, the Rivergate Shopping Center will offer you a convenient location for all your shopping needs, such as a Super Target, Old Navy, Office Max, Best Buy, Pets Mart, and many other stores.  The Rivergate Shopping Center is located on South Tryon at Highway 160.

With the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport only several miles from Southwest Charlotte, you will always be a few minutes away from jumping on a plane for a weekend getaway, or your weekly business trip.

With all that the Steele Creek area in Southwest Charlotte, NC has to offer, its worth checking out the homes in the area.  To begin your search, check out the available Southwest Charlotte Homes for Sale here.

As always, if you would like help in searching for your new Charlotte home, I would be delighted to help!  Give me a call, I look forward to hearing from you!

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