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

Light Fuse, Get Away

The rubber is really hitting the road this weekend, everyone I know seems to be making their way out of town. Most folks are heading to the coast, including myself. I was wondering if I would ever get a weekend off this summer, turns out I will after all. We'll be shacking up down at Oak Island for some sun & relaxation.

If you are making your way down I-40 take a look at this ridiculous thing off the Cary exit. I just noticed it for the first time the other day. It is a cell phone tower that residents were complaining over, apparently it's ugly and unbearable. They have since revised it to look like a tree. Albeit a tree 60 feet higher than any surrounding trees. Personal opinion=way tackier.

Instead of pushing everyone to get their first home & $8k in tax credit, I'll offer up some household tips for those that have already done so.

Refrigerator

Clean it our every few months, you know who you are. You should also be cleaning the coils on the back every year. This can easily be done with a vacuum cleaner attachment. If you want to check that you have a good seal on the door, it should be able to hold a dollar bill in place when you shut it.

Air Conditioning

If you are using the traditional fiberglass filters you should be changing it monthly. Who really does that you wonder? Maybe no one, but it will keep your system running much more efficiently. Want to go green? They make reusable filters that require a monthly clean.

Washer/Dryer
Does it sometimes sound like the washer is a bucking bronco? Whoa cowboy, adjust the legs on that thing. Turn these legs clockwise to lower them all to the same level. It's also a good idea to check the supply houses for wear & tear. A busted hose when your out of the house can cause major problems.

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Disposal

Give it a good clean by running a tray full of ice cubes through there while flushing with cold water. Throwing your extra lemon wedges in there can help the smell too. To prevent it from getting clogged, run the water for at least 20 seconds after use.

Billy May's passed away this week, but his products live on. Pick up some Oxy products to clean up your household. But it was the Michael Jackson coverage that dominated the news recently. I'd guess to say Michael Jackson was the most famous person on the planet. He seemed like an odd character to me, but I love his music and I may have been the only person who bought his last CD he put out. Yes people do still buy CD's.

I hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday weekend. Let's not forget what we are celebrating and the troops who are fighting for us. And let my accident in 2003 be a lesson to everyone that the instructions on firework labels should be followed. Thanks to the ECU burn clinic you'd never know it, thanks y'all!

A great place to visit but a better place to live...

A couple times a year I find I overlook the importance of sunscreen. Today I'm paying for it as my face resembles a red delicious apple. Adding insult to injury I incurred the burn sitting through two ECU losses to UNC in baseball this weekend. The Tarheels really got the best of my Pirates, we chose a bad time to go cold as some UNC players came through with great performances. Oh well, there's always football season.
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This past Friday JoBeth & I were invited along with other guests to the G105 studio and surprisingly got some air time on Bob & The Showgram. I was caught off guard when they put us on the spot with an ambush of relationship questions. It was a fun experience though that I'll be able to look back on and laugh about. You can hear it here, starting on Seg 9 @ 4:49 & continues through Seg 11.

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We won tickets to see The Hangover movie while we were there. That has to be the funniest movie I've seen in years and I'm anxious to get back and see it again. The folks sitting behind us did feel the need to laugh uncontrollably loud and repeat lines out loud and excessively. They were one kick of the back of my seat away from getting a drink in the lap, and I don't like wasting expensive movie sodas.

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So the Triangle area received more great press recently. Our market #'s are looking great going into the summer and that has been reflective of my business as well. On the Today Show recently the Raleigh area was rated as the #2 market in the country predicted to rebound from the housing slump. Factors such as our early foreclosure rates, jobs here in RTP, and relocation were used in our ranking.

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Forbes also just recently ranked Raleigh as the #1 place folks are relocating in the country. Charlotte was #3 behind Austin, TX so we are looking good in the Carolina's. Men's Journal just named Durhams' Watts-Hillindale as being one of the top 30 coolest neighborhoods in America. Alas the News & Observer didn't like the trend I suppose, so they continue to run negative front page housing articles like this that feed the fears of the public.

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Well I'll need to find something else on Tuesday evenings to keep me busy these days, our kickball season is officially over. We were all disappointed to lose our first playoff game to a team we had already beaten in the regular season. I'll miss hanging out with the team each week but I'm sure lot's of the same folks will be ready to play next season. I'll personally name Mike, pictured here, our team MVP for his kickball skills and post game attendance.
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I'll be having my first Ben & Jerry's open house this weekend. If you're in Chapel Hill stop by my new listing at 1112 Willow Drive and have a scoop.

Two Scoops of Real Estate

I just realized I've been blogging for over a year now. First getting started I had no idea how to even write a blog, many of you may still agree with that.

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I have gotten plenty of questions this year about how my business is doing. Well it's truckin' along, working with a lot first time home buyers. Quite frankly if you're in the business of listing high priced homes you'd might rather be in my shoes, those homes just aren't selling right now. With home values low, an $8k tax credit, and a darn good Realtor if I might add, it's no suprise so many folks are going from renters to homeowners with my help this year.

Here's a look at why some homebuyers have chosen to work with me....

These last few months have been great working at HPW and teaming up with my Dad. We have some new marketing pieces coming out soon, even have a photo shoot set up this week. I may need to swing into Supercuts prior to that, it's hard to have helmet head & look professional at the same time.

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We are also seeing great success over at the Chapel Hill BNI group where I serve as President. This past Tuesday we had over 40 guests visit us. It was there I met the manager of Ben & Jerry's and created a new concept. Instead of cookies & soda at an Open House, why not delicious ice cream. I meet with him next week to work out a plan for doing so, I just know that advertising Ben & Jerry's at my Open Houses' is going to bring me more traffic than the place next door.

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Days like this coming Saturday I feel fortunate all my family lives here in town. First I'll be out of the house bright & early to help my sister set up for a garage sale. Growing up I used to love hoping around to yard sales early Saturday with my Dad, I'm sure this will bring back good memories. I may even gather a few things of my own to sell, I'm really not sure when I'm going to wear that piano key necktie anyways. Then I'm off to my niece Sarah's dance recital. If she can match all her dancing moves she and her sister show off in the playroom at home then it will surely be a success.
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And here's to the Hurricaines pulling out a win in Game 7 tonight, I want more hockey! Let's Go Canes!