Back to Blogging in the Bull City

Has it really been 2 years? Since my last entry there hasn't been significant change in the real estate market.  Rentals have been easier to fill and houses harder to sell.  My plunge into property management has been eventful and interesting.  You can easily become emerged in the daily life of the tenants.  I've learned more than I'd like to about some residents and a lot about myself in the process.

So what are some of the encounters I have on a regular basis? Rent checks go the way of middle school homework assignments.  Either the dog ate it or you accidentally used your invisible ink pen, darn it!  Pets never pee on the carpet, at least not your little Fluffy, why she would NEVER!  The upstairs neighbors all seem to be rehearsing for Riverdance late at night, and most frequently "the property manager is just too good". I digress. 

I've enjoyed calling Durham my home these last couple years.  I grew up down the road in Chapel Hill and I never realized what I was missing just next door in the Bull City.  From the Eno Rock Quarry (pictured) to Duke Forest and some amazing restaurants in between, I've enjoyed it immensely.  If you haven't been to see some of the changes Durham has made, maybe it's time you get a dose of The City of Medicine. 

I'm excited to have a new set of wheels.  My friends call it a "mom mobile" but I think they're just jealous of all the cargo room I have.  After my ol' faithful Ford Explorer decided to stop going in

reverse it was time to move on.  I bought the car from a woman working in my old office and for a couple of real estate agents, it was a surprisingly short and painless negotiation. 

The car has proven road worthy so far, I've been making regular trips to Winston Salem to visit my girlfriend Catherine.  Next weekend the wheels will be turning towards Greenville for homecoming weekend at East Carolina.  I've heard the downtown area has gotten dangerous there with shootings all over the news.  When I was there the only shots downtown were those being served at Pantana Bob's.  It adds new meaning to the phrase "I hope I survive my visit to Greenville". 

Thanks for reading, you guys!

I Was Framed

Good ol' Labor Day weekend. I took the opposite approach this year; stayed at home, relaxed and caught up on work. I've been on the run & out of town so much lately it was nice to stay settled and not worry about plans. I'm heading over to Umstead State Park this afternoon so I will feel like I'm out of town, at least every few minutes until a plane from RDU flies directly over.

Although I had a nice weekend, I did miss the home opener of my Alma mater ECU. I'm happy they won such and epic game but dog-gone-it I wish I had been there. I know another ECU alum that wasn't at the game yesterday, my sister Kelly. She is due this coming Friday and I'll be an Uncle for the fourth time and have a third niece, very excited about it. Here is a cool blog post my sister made recently.

With sellers scoffing at their projected sale prices lately, I've been contacted about renting their homes out for them more and more recently. I've taken on a few properties and it's been a difficult task to manage compared to selling homes. Finding tenants and showing rental homes can be time consuming with little reward.

I often kick myself for not taking on property management earlier in my career. I'll just try and forget all the rentals I've passed on over all these years and start fresh. The goal for me is to take on what I can manage and treat it as a learning experience as it grows. One thing about residential sales is you can never know it all, I'm sure the same applies to property management.

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So last week I had a fun debacle. I'll start with a warning, those licence plate frames like the dealer puts on your car: well they are now illegal in North Carolina. I was the lucky recipient of a ticket for this after being stopped in Jacksonville, NC. Not just a fine, but a court appearance was required. See here.

I drove down early Tuesday and get their about 8:45am, I get to see the DA at 11:15am. He dismissed the charge, probably because I had a suit on and may have been the only one in that courtroom who even showered that day. One guy approached the DA with his hat and sunglasses on, I'm sure that went well for him. Let this just be a heads up to everyone, $100 fine and $150 court costs can be your next headache too if you don't remove that frame tag.

That is a disheartening story about my ride home from the beach, but this is a much brighter one and a great idea to boot. When my family visits the beach we pack the fridge like the world is ending. Way too much food is a requirement of any vacation though. That is why this man's idea of collecting items for a local Food Kitchen is such a great idea. The cars are jammed up trying to get off the island and presents the perfect opportunity. Good for that guy, his story here.

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Well I'm off to get a long trail run in at Umstead Park. I hope everyone has a great short week. This Sunday, September 12, keep Chris Raynor's family and loved ones in your prayers as we celebrate his life one year after he passed.

Family Tides

Coming to you from Emerald Isle. I'm down with the family for our traditional summer beach week. There's twelve of us, including two nieces, a nephew, and I can't forget about a third niece on the way. Somehow I landed the bedroom directly underneath the playroom, I have just pretended sleeping in during vacation was overrated this week.

Here's Most Of The Family At The Waterpark For The Day

I brought an old box of home videos from storage that I'm excited about watching with everyone tonight. After some previews last week, it's so embarrassing to think my sisters & I would bring prom dates to the house and instantly have a film crew in our face. It was also alarming to see some of the foods my sister would feed me during the blind "taste testing game". Not sure how I ever got talked into playing that.

In real estate, The Wehmann Team had a great first half to 2010. Since the tax credit left the market, it would appear that buyers followed suit. In hindsight, a gradual reduction of the credit would of been a much more sensible approach for lawmakers to have taken. Alas, The Wehmann Team continues to list homes and anticipates the return of the buyer as summer progresses. With interest rates hovering around the low end of 4%, it shouldn't be long before they do.

My company Howard Perry & Walston is in the news again. We ranked as the #1 Real Estate Company in the Triangle and one of the top firms in the Nation. You can read more about it here on the HPW Blog.

So today is our last chance to catch a tan (or worse sunburn in my case), our time is up and it's back to reality tomorrow. We've been spending our days down at the beach. You can see from the picture, when there are kids around I have a hard time resting. These castles don't last too long before the tide comes in our my nephew Wyatt runs in to "smash it up".

With some good friends of mine living up in Morehead City for the summer, my girlfriend JoBeth and I took some time away from the family to go visit them yesterday. We had a great dinner up at the Chefs 105 Oyster Bar and enjoyed some drinks over at Jack's Waterside Bar. We also spent time at their home where we got to enjoy the company of their 140 pound bloodhound, Ori.

Well I'm going to grab the shovel and get to making big castles in the sand on my last day. I hope everyone has a great weekend, thanks for reading.

Adult Swim

The one bad thing about summer is almost every day's a pool day & we have to work most of them. At least for the meantime I've put all my buyer clients under contract and will have a free upcoming Saturday or two. Pools without diving boards are such a tease to me. How many flips can I do off a pool side with no spring action, 1, maybe 1 1/2? Bring on the high dive and I won't leave that pool till it closes.

My family went out to the swim club on Memorial Day and it was a blast. My one niece Lily had yet to jump off a diving board so I got her to take her first leap. It's harder than it looks to catch a kid and swim to the side without appearing to be drowning. I also took an elbow to the head in the men's beer bobbing contest and was whistled for running only once.

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Since my last blog the tax credit has wrapped up and I haven't heard of any new homebuyer credits in the works. Over the run of the credit I worked with 16 buyers who received over $125,000 in government tax credits. I imagine the government will take a step back and evaluate the effect these credits had and go from there. Even with the tax credit gone, there is still plenty of buyer advantages out there. Lot's of eager sellers and low interest rates should continue to drive the market through summer I hope.

So a couple weeks ago I found an old disposable camera that dated back to my ECU days. I couldn't tell you the excitement I had to get those developed. It made my day to be honest and I wished I had more, unfortunately I didn't. That is until my last trip to Charleston when I forgot my camera and got another disposable. I'm tempted to save it 10 years just to be able to have that excitement over seeing some photos again. Speaking of 10 years later, while in Charleston I got to meet up with one of my best friends from summer camp thanks to facebook. I miss ol' Camp Thunderbird.

This Friday my friends will be returning to downtown Raleigh to play at the Berkeley Cafe. Nick & The Babes are a 5 piece band (no babes, sorry guys) featuring my good friends Nick & Graham Bailey. Nick has been quite busy making music outside the band also and has been featured on some TV shows it's likely you've watched. You can read more about their group here, and Nick actually wrote the tunes that play on my website. These guys have a great sound, keep your eyes and ears out for them in the future.

F-R-E-E That Spells FREE

To set the record straight about my last blog, I wasn't attacked by squirrels or skunks. I guess I need to make my April Fool's blogs a little less believable. I had people asking me for months about horse racing last year after I wrote about being selected to train as a horse jockey. Speaking of, I still need to find a Derby party this weekend where I can sip on some mint juleps.

The tax credit deadline is 2 days away and I've had a swarm of 1st time buyers to work with lately. A good education on the buying process is important, but your in good hands once you hire me. It's the financial preparation I find is the most important aspect.

Fix your credit score in advance! You would be amazed at the money you will save and how much more you can afford with a better score. Get some credit score tips and advice on improving it months in advance at least. One important thing to avoid is new lines of credit before you get approved for a mortgage. You will see below some things I would encourage NOT buying before applying for a loan; unless you are paying cash.

It's been a crazy couple months of work and I'm excited to have a free weekend or two coming up. My days all seem to run together lately as a Realtors' job can be 24/7 sometimes. I'm looking forward to taking a trip to Charleston with some friends here in just a couple weeks. It's been a while since my last visit there and I'm all set up staying with a friend right downtown.

I've had the pleasure of spending lots of time with my family lately. We all got together Monday afternoon for a visit to a Durham Bulls game. Aside from having his eyes glued to the man with the cotton candy tower, my nephew Wyatt was lucky enough to score himself a foul ball. I still have a few of those saved from when I was younger, things like that are golden when you are a kid.

Well I'm off, have to go pick up an offer from another 1st time buyer, talk about last minute with only 2 days left. Everyone have a great week and weekend.

Crazy Critters

Well I experienced one of the wildest Mondays in recent history. Most of you know I am a bit accident prone and this week has done nothing to dispel those assumptions. While inspecting a narrow crawl space in a Durham home I came across some unsuspecting house guests. I had to glance twice when my flashlight came across what looked to be a group of squirrels. They didn't take my presence cordially and rushed at me pretty quickly; like some sort squirrel mafia.

I've never seen squirrels behave this way. Like most of you, I'm used to seeing them scatter away up a tree when you come within 10ft. Heck, I've almost wrecked my car on several occasions trying to avoid them in the road. Well after sustaining some minor bite and scratch wounds to my legs I was able to scuttle out of there & immediately called animal control. They discovered over 12 squirrels that had been nesting in there and what they estimated was over 25lbs of assorted nuts. I gathered them up and will likely give them to the buyers as a closing gift.

It was hard explaining my days' events to clients I was meeting later that day. They are working on a short timeline however and weren't letting my squirrel bites get in the way of seeing a few homes that evening. At our last stop of the tour, we venture out in the backyard to peer in this large rustic shed. As I peel the barn style doors open, I'm hit with a spray that had an indescribably awful smell. I catch a glimpse of a little skunk running off and the damage was done. My clients who were right behind me at the time were now almost to the car at full sprint.

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I was lucky that the spray hadn't gotten on my skin sparring me the ketchup bath, but it did lay some good coverage on the suit I was wearing. The only solution at that point was quite unfortunate for me. After a quick discussion with my clients from across the yard, I dumped the suit in the trash bin and made the awkward drive home in my boxer shorts and undershirt. If your looking for a Brooks Brothers suit with a slight odor, let me know & I'll get you the address.

I'm hoping my future showings are less adventurous and don't involve hostile little critters. I hope you have a great week and of course, don't let yourself get tricked today, it's April Fools.

Here Comes The Sun

The first real signs of Spring have arrived this week and my favorite time of year is almost upon us. Good ol' daylight savings starts Sunday. That means the light doesn't start peering through my blinds for another hour in the morning and when I run in the evenings I can lose the 5lbs of reflective gear my Mom bought for me to wear.

Speaking of running, I am on the Board of Realtors committee that has put together a 5k Run/Walk on March 27th. It will be hosted in the Winmore neighborhood of Chapel Hill, first 100 to sign up receive free t-shirts. It's only $15 and you can sign up through this link. We'll have face painters and bounce houses for this kids, plus the full size Re Max hot air balloon will be on site taking passengers on short rides into the air. If you think I'm full of hot air, come see for yourself.

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I've been in real estate over 5 years now, and one thing I've found is buying a home isn't the best thing for everyone. It can be smarter to rent sometimes, if you're unsure of job status, family plans, or just happy as could be with the place your in. But most people don't know I help with rentals too. I have a lot of experience working with some great rental companies, and some of the worst. I know ways of getting deposits back, finding the deals and negotiating some cheap rents.

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Now I can't spend an entire weekend showing out of towners rentals, but I am more than happy to get these folks some local information, set them up with a good rental company, and point them to all the good rental searches online. Most of the hidden gems are on local sites, don't fight the mass at craigslist. So what do I get from all this? When that renter sees how hard I work for them and gets a taste of my local knowledge, they will no doubt come back to me when they are ready to buy or know someone else looking for a great Realtor.

Work has consumed me these past few weeks, all my first time buyers are scrambling to get that tax credit before the April 30 deadline. I have had some time for things of my own, for one I starting doing is reffing for Rainbow soccer, a Chapel Hill league I grew up playing in. I had my first game on Saturday and avoided being yelled out for any bad calls. I hope to find the time in coming years to coach a team but it's too much time commitment, for the time being I'll spend Saturdays blowing the whistle.

For all of you reading, enjoy all the extra sunlight we'll be seeing from now on. I know I'll be out & about, maybe I'll even dust off my old rollerblades. OK maybe not.

Getting My Kicks At Dorthea Dix

My fondest memories of growing up are of snow days in the neighborhood. From trotting around in my over sized cross-country skis to building jumps that would leave us bruised and battered. Nothing some hot chocolate and another day off school couldn't fix, but these days are different. I'm self employed; snow prevents me from working and explaining a broken bone as result of a "sick jump" is hard to tell my clients.

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It is hard for me to hide the kid inside sometimes. I found a few good hills on my days off, and Dorthea Dix took the cake. I found myself surrounded by a bowl of hills with a grinning face. My girlfriend JoBeth seemed amused by my excitement, and as a school teacher naturally had more fun watching all the kids than sledding herself. It brought back old memories and I rediscovered that although another year older, sledding is still as fun as it ever was.

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All the homes I was scheduled to show my clients this weekend got postponed, I've been trying to get everyone caught up this week. One client I have wants to be convenient to everything, but not right in the middle of downtown. I pointed her to this site, http://www.walkscore.com/ It rates your address to what is in walking distance, from grocery to bars to eateries, then pushes out a score. It can be useful when relocating to an unfamiliar town, or looking to move within your own city. They also have an iPhone app called Walk Score that calculates your area's walkablity and shows the nearby amenities.
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One home I showed yesterday had a little scare tactic planned. Unfortunately it was intended for mice but got the best of me. They put a fake rubber snake in front of the refrigerator to scare off mice, but it had me running straight for the door. My clients weren't far behind once I told them what the snake was there for. Not the best marketing piece I've ever seen for a home.

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There are lots of deals on the market right now, but the best I can find for you is $10. You might need a little luck with that $10, but that will get you a shot at a Chapel Hill town home and a donation to The Parker Reese Foundation. With a second prize of $50,000 and third place $25,000, this is one raffle I think I'll give a try. Check out the website here, if you win and don't want to move, don't fret, I'd be glad to sell the town home for you.

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I hear in the Triangle we should be getting some more snow this week. That will probably generate some moans from residents here, the kids aren't even back to school yet here. I wonder if the slow street clean up has to do with department budget cuts. I can imagine if their department wants to express frustration over these cuts, a slow clean up is a good public demonstration. Enough of my street sweeper theories though, it's time for me to head over to Chapel Hill for a lunch appointment.

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Freddie Mac indicated rates could climb to 6% by the end of 2010 or sooner. Right now they are hovering around 5%, so if your thinking of buying get on the ball. Don't wait for higher rates and the tax credits to expire. Thanks for reading!

The Running Realtor

Right now I am sitting at the front desk of the Coldwell Banker office and the phones are ringing again! I've been getting referrals left and right these past couple weeks and can feel this real estate market coming back from the depths. I'll have less competition this year too, many agents couldn't survive the crash and moved on to new careers. Not the Wehmann Team, we set records for 2009 and plan on dominating in 2010.

Outside the office I am making big changes for myself in 2010 too. There are several things I'm set out to do in 2010 I've never done before. Here is a look at just a few, I'll let you decide which ones I'll be taking seriously:

So I couldn't of chosen a worse time of year to train for a marathon, I'm convinced of that much. This cold has been relentless, I've been looking forward to the forecast of it getting up to the 50's this weekend. I survived my longest run of the training so far, a twelve miler this past Sunday. The nice thing about the cold is I focus more on my frost bitten limbs than the fact my knees are giving out with each stride.

In the glamourous world of real estate, I have sat down with too many sellers latelty who want to move, but they bought in 2007 and their values have dropped or stayed the same. "I can't afford to lose $10,000 on the sale, I'll wait until next year once the market has recovered." This has been the reality and many listings I have to walk away from. But not before I give these home owners a realistic option.

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Take a look at how low interest rates are now and how soft the market it. Say you are moving up, selling your $200,000 home to buy a $300,000 home. You don't want to take a price cut of $10k so you'll wait until next year. But let's say next year the market's recovered, buyers aren't getting the same kind of deals and interest rates are back up. So much for that $10k you "thought" you were saving. Here's a look at the math:

Loan $300,000

Today's Rate: 4.875% 30 year

Monthly Payment $1,589

But you wait until next year and the interest rates are up-

Loan $300,000

Possible Rate: 6.0% 30 year

Monthly Payment $1,798

With these comparisons, you are paying $75,969 more in interest over the life of the loan. That isn't factoring the deal you can get in todays market, or the $8,000 or $6,500 tax credits available. You don't need to see much more to know that NOW is the time to buy, even if it means selling for less than you want. Thank you to Susan Trimmer for these #'s.

If you have read this far, you might be in luck. The first person to answer this question correctly and post the answer in the comment section below gets a $10 Starbucks gift card sent to you, by me.

Q: What James Taylor song reminds first-time buyers to obtain hazard and flood insurance?

Ho Ho Home for the Holidays

Happy Holidays everyone! I'll start you off with a little poem I wrote about the weather this week in the Triangle:

I feel like we got robbed this week in our State.

It's been raining for weeks. It's more than we can take.
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Then, the weatherman said "We'd see some snow-

an inch or twelve", he didn't quite know.
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The stores were soon packed - milk & bread quickly bought,

"I think I just saw a snowflake" or so they'd all thought.
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I soon located my sled and headed for the hills,

but with this "speckle" of snow, I couldn't catch any thrills.
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It snowed for a minute and then turned to rain.

Once more, I thought to myself - not more of this again.

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The Northeast was buried. They got a day off work,

Here "O'Fishel" can't leave his house for being called a "jerk".

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Winter is just starting, so I'll still make this wish,
Soon I'll be downhillin' on my neighbors satellite dish.

I will be spending the holidays here with my family in Chapel Hill. I've been in the office a lot for December, a typically slow month for real estate. I have been Triangle wide this month; a new listing in Raleigh, buyer under contract in Chapel Hill, and working with flippers to get a home ready for sale in Durham. That and getting all my New Years calendars ready to send out to you all.

2009 has been a roller coaster between work and life. The market went bust but it was another record year for my sales, my Dad and I joined up to form The Wehmann Team, and I got to see my nieces and nephews get one year older. I saw friends get married, have kids and start new lives, I had a best friend who's life was taken just as it was getting started. I hope that through all the madness of this past year you made it out the other side a brighter person.

In the spirit of old Saint Nick, I thought I would cover a home maintenance topic often overlooked until December: The Chimney. You don't want Santa shaking off all that soot in your living room, so think about getting it cleaned and inspected. It is recommended by the Chimney Safety Institute you have yours cleaned once a year, but that is a lot to ask of any homeowner.

When the soot starts to build up inside a chimney, there are more hazards than a smelly home. This soot can ignite up inside your fireplace, making it's way through any cracks that may exist causing a home fire. Build up in narrow pathways through fireplace, such as birds nests, may block the smoke then circulating carbon monoxide back into your home. This goes for gas fires too. So if it's been a while, have your chimney swept and inspected for your homes health.

Have a fun and safe New Years eve, and here's to a great 2010. Thanks to everyone who brought me business and referrals this year, and to all of those that read my blog I really appreciate it. I started this blog with a poem, might as well end it with a joke:

What did one snowman say to the other?

"Does it smell like carrots to you?"

Going The Distance

Gobble Gobble y'all, it's that time of year again. Work potlucks, tacky sweaters and road trips back home. I personally enjoy all of those things, and everything else that goes with the holidays. Many of you will be out hitting the stores this Black Friday, I personally avoid it. Although I do like the competition aspect of it. Storming to the back of a Home Depot at 5:45am to get my hands on one of ten graphite broom handles for only $4.99!

Running has never been a thing I've enjoyed, so no telling why I started training for a marathon. Maybe because I'm not a big fan of the gym, I seem to spend more time getting ready than I do in there. I've picked out a novice training program although it doesn't feel that way. The longest run I've had to endure so far is 6 miles, I ran 3 today in just under 24 minutes. Getting onto the sofa even feels like a strain afterwards, but I'm sticking with it. 16 more weeks to go!

Another part of the holidays is the real estate market slows down. This year is a little different than last however, October sales Triangle wide were up 26% from last year. These increases are good news for the market, but it should also be considered October 2008 was just about the complete bottom of the market. We also have the tax credit working to our advantage, helping existing and new home buyers now.

Many people don't want their home being showed over the holidays for good reason. Let's take a look at the other side of that, some advantages to listing this time of year:

1. The buyers looking this time of year tend to be more serious.

2. There are fewer homes on the market, less competition means more money for sellers.

3. Many people will buy before the end of the year for tax purposes.

4. Sell your home now so you have time to buy and take advantage of the $6,500 tax credit!

Since we are on the topic of Thanksgiving and delicious food, I'm glad to see a Trader Joe's has opened up near me. It would have been safer running through traffic than making your way through there on Opening Day, I tried. But when it settles down, get your hands on some of those appetizers. Most I've tried are delicious, and the Two Buck Chuck isn't too shabby either. I'm sure quite a few of you will be having a glass over the holidays.

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I'm looking forward to my high school 10 year class reunion this Friday. Geez how time flies. It's being held over at The Station in Carrboro, I hope there's enough room. It's a combo reunion of both high schools since many of us from East Chapel Hill High once attended Chapel Hill High. I'm sure people will still be arguing over which one is better.

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I'll be pulling for East Carolina to win their division this Saturday and host the C-USA title game, either way a solid season from Skip Holtz and the Pirates. It's also important to note this is the most dangerous holidays for driving and there are a high rate of accidents. Drive safe, take it slow and enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend.

To the Max!

Halloween is just the best, do I really have to wait another year for it? My sister Carrie put her seamstress skills to work and fixed me up with this "Max" costume from Where the Wild Things Are. Of course the year I wear a thick fabric suit it was 80 degrees out. Franklin Street was a good crowd even though the town is trying to close that chapter of Chapel Hill tradition. I'm sure this video kept a lot of people from joining the festivities, haha. My only regret is that I missed this flash mob that gathered for a Thriller rendition.

My blog domain name is ringing even truer these days. Per my home showings this Saturday, I began in Chapel Hill and ended in Garner. It's only right I had made the switch from TarHeel Broker to Triangle Broker a few years ago, I am covering all sides of the Triangle on a regular basis. I am consistently educating myself on all areas of the Triangle so I can be a good resource of information to my clients.

Over at my main website, http://www.liveinthetriangle.com/ has been invoked with a little bit of sound. Friend & musician Nick Bailey prepared a track he thought would be fitting and I think it does just the trick.

The decisions made in Washington this week could have a large impact on my business. I'm crossing my fingers that the tax credit extension is passed. This has proven to make an impact on home sales this past year and certainley on my business. The extension would include a new credit, if you have owned a home for 5 of the last 8 years you would be eligible for a $6,250 credit. The first time buyer credit of $8,000 would remain. Just waiting on the politicians in Washington to put their ink on it.

If your thinking to yourself, "I can't afford a house because I spend all my time & money on golf", don't worry. You aren't to be left out. Many have discovered the loop hole in the tax credit now being dubbed "Cash for Clubbers". Consumers are getting golf carts qualifying as street legal for almost free through the loophole in legislation. Ironically those people getting these free carts and playing golf frequently are not the targeted recipients of the governments bailout money. Somebody has to be yelling "fore" over this in Washington.

Local elections are underway and the streets of Chapel Hill are littered with signs. I'll be ready for these to be over so 1.)my For Sale & Open House signs can get some recognition again 2.)we need some better candidates involved in the Town Council. I'm endorsing Jon DeHart for this position. The last cycle of Council members issued themselves lifetime health coverage. Nice move during a recession guys. Matt Czajkowski was the only Council member to protest it, that will probably be enough to get him the votes for the Mayor position he looks to fill.

This week as I try to cope with my favorite holiday being over, I look forward to a Christmas full of egg nog and tacky sweater parties. There will be a holiday that involves lots of food and plenty of homes to show in the Traingle until then. After four years as a Realtor I'm used to work slowing down as we move towards winter. This year is turning out to be different, my Dad and I are both outfitted with clients and look to end our year strong. The amount referrals I have recieved this year from friends and past clients has been flattering. I appreciate everyone that trusts in the level of committment I give to my clients. Have a great week.

Tickled Pink

I know you are probably thinking, "Wow, another blog already? But he just wrote one." Well I am crazy...crazy for blogging. Ok moving on, I'm looking forward to another weekend and the last wedding I will be attending this year. That is pending none of my friends elope and ask me to attend, I have never known anyone to do that. Such a free country we live in.

It's been busy around our office this week preparing for Tickled Pink. Our group gets very involved with breast cancer awareness in October, this is one local event that we are involved with here in Chapel Hill. Some agents here spent many hours this week preparing this scene out front of our office. The pink pumpkins were painted that color, otherwise I'd be winning a ribbon at the fair with one of those.

So I'm going to give a brief snapshot on how the Triangle market has fared this year so far. We have seen our sales returning from 2008 albeit at a slow pace. The average sales price has only reduced 6% Triangle wide compared with 2008. Some areas like Chapel Hill have even seen a 12% rise in sale price. These are not bad numbers given that closed sales are down over 20% on the year.

The numbers show more homeowners have decided to stay put this year, with new homes on the market down 19% over 2009. With even less inventory the homes are still averaging 14% more days on market. A continuing trend into 2009 is the lower end homes are selling much better. The high end home market has been slower and spending even more time on the market. This trend is likely caused by the tighter lending limitations on the high end and great rates and a tax credit benefiting the low end market.

The market from my perspective has been great for my buyers. My dad and I have had 5 closings in the past 20 days alone. This next few months will be a real scramble as my first time buyers rush to get under contract before the end of the month. Most of my clients have been getting FHA loans, only requiring 3.5% down at a great rate. Many of them have used Whitney Long at Carolina Home Mortgage who has prepared their loan packages in less that 30 days.

I am glad to see my favorite band Widespread Panic is making it's way into the Carolinas. It's been a while since I've seen the boys. I am debating on heading up to Portsmouth, VA this Wednesday but will 100% be at the Raleigh show next Sunday.

I've been thinking a lot of my friend Chris since he passed a few weeks ago. Some days it still doesn't feel real. It's hard to think of going to concerts and tailgates this fall with out him around. I know he is missed very much by everyone.

Hope you all have a safe & relaxing weekend. Thanks for reading my blog on your Friday, hope you get to leave work early today.

Bright Side of the Road

I've been enjoying my new location downtown Raleigh lately. I fancy a nice bike ride or evening stroll, with lots to offer in the immediate area it's been quite dandy. A bike ride up to the Cameron Village Harris Teeter is much more enjoyable than fighting that cramped parking lot mess. A jog down to Five Points is the perfect run if you're like me and keep it under a mile. Or walk down to the new pizza place Sauced for a late night slice.

I work between Raleigh & Chapel Hill so the I-40 drive can be a bit tedious. As long as you don't get the mobile secretary driving 55 in the far left lane it goes by like a breeze though. That is one reason the Triangle keeps getting rave reviews and top rankings by so many publications. There is so much to offer in each town, from Raleigh to Durham & Chapel Hill; if you aren't enthused by one town you can skirt on down the road to the next.

I'd have trouble calculating the tax dollars going towards programs that so many people can't even access. $8,000 for each first time homebuyer, $4,000 for every clunker turned in. So here is a look at other programs that will help you get your piece of the pie while making your home more efficient.

Cash For Appliances

There is a federal program available this fall allowing consumers to get cash rebates when they buy new, energy efficient appliances. There will be $300 million in funding with rebates ranging from $50-$200. Lower your bills & spruce up your home at the same time. Remember, appliances are personal property & are not considered part of the sales price unless specified. You can always take these with you on your next move.

Efficiency Rebates

The government is rewarding homeowners that make their homes more efficient in other ways as well. From windows to roofs, insulation to water heaters. You can receive up to $1,500 in credit for installing eligible HVAC units right now. Make sure when purchasing any of these products you are educated in what qualifies for the credit. For those homeowners that will have to replace any of these in the near future, better act now before these credits expire.

It's no secret though there is talk about extending & increasing these credits, most importantly the home buyer credit. Tim Geithner acknowledged last week they would be looking into this. It's no gurantee though, so don't get caught looking if the put the brakes on the program. Maybe they'll do a clunker home trade in program. Matter a fact some builders in the Raleigh area are doing just that, allowing you to trade your existing home for one of theirs, plus the difference of course.

Well the football season is off to a fast start, just like ECU's loss column. That 1-2 record is good evidence how we appear to be playing though. Despite losing to UNC this weekend I had a great time at the game. You certainly get your money's worth of exercise tracking friends down at a UNC tailgate though, climbing parking deck stairs is a lot different than crossing the flat terrain of Greenville. An ECU football alum made headlines on theOnion.com last week in this article . Most of you ECU grads should get a kick out of it.

Chris Raynor Oct.20 1980-Sept.12 2009

Obituary

"If I had one gift that I could give you, my friend, it would be the ability to see yourself as others see you, because only then would you know how extremely special you are."~B.A. Billingsly

I'll always miss you Big Cat

Getaway's & Giveaway's

This week has been a bit crazy for me trying to get all caught up. I was out of town last week & a sure fire way to become busy as a Realtor is to go on vacation, it happens every time. Luckily my Dad & business partner was here to pick up all the slack. During the time I was gone he put our new listing under contract and wrote two offers for my first time homebuyer clients. Only 100 days left on the tax credit so lots of these folks I'm working with are starting to feel the squeeze.

The past week I spent down in St.Thomas with my girlfriend JoBeth. It was an amazing place and I'll miss the poolside drinks & that crystal clear water. What I found funny in the Virgin Islands is the law prohibiting you from driving with your shirt off. They'll slap you with a quick fine for that, but it's totally legal to tote an open beer while driving. If you see someone doing both at the same time you probably just pulled across the border into Georgia, now head on back to NC ya hear.

So one thing I've really enjoyed since making the move to Coldwell Banker is all the tools they make accessible for us. The entire way people start their home search is moving towards the internet and they realize that. New tools like this iPhone app give the property I sell much more exposure while being a great search tool for consumers at the same time.

This coming weekend will be a busy one with about 14 showings, a home inspection and a Sunday Open House. There I can at least look forward to eating my Ben & Jerry's, I can never give it away! Who would of thought passing off single scoop cups of ice cream on a hot day would be difficult. Maybe they don't want the added pressure of buying the house that comes with eating the agents delicious treats. There is however no commitment to buy after treating yourself to a scoop of my Chunky Monkey.

Well other than the busy forecast I'm hoping to get in some fun this weekend. I'll probably head to Carabba's for dinner one night with the gift card I won. Usually I win based on luck, but this was a home pricing competition and I came out on top. My market knowledge was strong that day. Anyways I hope that all of you have a splendid weekend. Download the new CB app on your iPhone and find a home I can show you next weekend!

SPF 8,000

It's 5:00 somewhere, thankfully right now that place is Emerald Isle. My family is down for a week and right now we're awaiting some house guests coming over for cocktails & hors d'oeuvres. The weather has been great for us this week and I've taken on a bright shade of red. SPF 6 was a bold move for my first full day of sun.

Duty has called and I have to return back to Raleigh for work tomorrow unfortunately. I shouldn't complain , it's nice to have so many clients and to be this busy right now. I turn right back around and head to Tampa for a bachelor party on Friday. That kicks off a 2-month spree of one wedding after another. Throw in a trip I'm taking with JoBeth to St.Thomas in August and it makes for lots of traveling but lots of good times ahead.

The recession seems to have done most of it's damage on the real estate market. The # of sales around the country are picking back up although sale prices still seem to be down. In some markets these prices are picking back up quickly. I am skeptical of anything that happens quickly in a real estate market. The Triangle was slower to react to the slump and I see a benefit to it rising at the same pace.

While the # of sales in the Triangle is down about 14%, the average sales price is only down about 9% from the last year. This is a good sign homes are holding their values a little better than other areas. These low interest rates coupled with the valuable tax credit available to first time buyers should keep our local market headed in the right direction. Don't forget, only 124 days left to get your $8,000 tax credit.

Well I'm posting on Twitter now, you can follow me @JohnnyWehmann. It seems like just yesterday I was refusing to join Facebook, my how times change.

Well that cocktail hour is sneaking up here so I better wrap up. Here's a quick look at some of the fun my family has been having here at the beach. My nieces & nephew are at a great age right now and keep their Uncle Johnny quite busy. Thanks for reading - Adios!

Kelly & Wyatt after a go-kart ride, he definitely thought he was driving!

Carrie & Lily floating in the surf

Giving Wyatt some surfing lessons