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!

Fire Sale

It's always nice to get back to my Alma mater East Carolina. I was back this past weekend for the SigEp Alumni Golf Tournament. I didn't make it any easier on my pairing that's for sure, my golf game has been in decline since playing Nurf Putt-Putt as a kid. The event was designed as a fundraiser, and what better way to get checkbooks out than to serve $1 beers on the course all day.

The fundraising was much needed, our back fraternity house recently burned down because of a faulty electrical outlet. It was scary to see the place I lived for a couple years charred to the ground, especially since there was no fire alarm system in place during that time. Everyone made it out safely though and the rebuild should be starting soon.

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Right now in real estate I have quit a few folks looking to buy. Those that see the real opportunity right now don't want to miss out. We are currently seeing an inflated inventory of homes and a true buyers market. You won't find desperation from every seller, but deals are on the doorsteps of many homes currently on the market. Interest rates are in a great place right now, I have a client closing on a FHA 3% down loan and a UNC medical resident getting 100% financing.

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Too many folks right now are making the mistake of believing these programs are washed up. The national headlines sure make it seem that way. I wish they'd shed more light on the $8,000 homebuyer tax credit rather than the dried up lenders making news. There are great incentives right now for first time homebuyers, which includes those who haven't owned a home in the past 3 years. For them, they will receive and $8,000 tax break if closed before December 1st. Don't owe that much in taxes? They'll send you a check for the rest.

I'm glad it's that time of year for live outdoor music. This Friday in Chapel Hill marks the start of Fridays on the Front Porch downtown at the Carolina Inn. The great food & hopping bluegrass makes a good start to any weekend. Over in Raleigh, the Beach Music Series has begun at North Hills Mall. Thursday evenings you can pull up a chair or dance on your feet to some of the best beach music acts in the Carolinas.

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Over at the big music venue Walnut Creek, Jimmy Buffet is putting on a show this week. Unfortunately I can't go this year, but even better I'll be babysitting for this guy. My nephew Wyatt is closing in on 2 years old and sprouting up fast, I think I may have been his same height at age 7. You can check in on Wyatt's adventures right here on my sister Kelly's blog.

Hope everyone is having a swell week so far. Tell any friends or family you have renting to get off the fence and give me a call, the window of opportunity is open.

Horsing Around

Well this past Sunday sure took an interesting turn. I made a trip up to Virgina for a visit to the Colonial Downs horse track. I've had some luck with horse betting in the past, so I felt good this particular Sunday. A friend of mine got us onto center field to chat with some regulars, then even back to some of the stable areas. I guess it was then I was "spotted" by a local horse owner.

According to him I've got the perfect stature for a jockey. I did some training exercises later that day and seemed to pass the test, it had been a while since I'd been on a horse too. I head up Thursday for 3 days of training before race day on Sunday. I couldn't be more nervous about it though, the horse I'm riding is a young 1 1/2 years old. Her name is Martina McRide, after the country music star I suppose. I'm just hoping to finish a lap while staying on the saddle, but would love a win my first race.

So growing your business as a Realtor is all about exposure in the community. That's why I've decided to start my own cause & event this year. After learning that 3 people were attacked by rabid dogs in my neighborhood alone this year, I'm putting on the 1st annual Run For Rabies. I'm working on the Animal Shelter being a co-sponsor but they are so difficult to hear on the phone, too much background noise.

It will be a 100 yard dash only so won't need a huge commitment from participants. We'll have both cute adorable dogs on hand, as well as those exposed with rabies. A quick tutorial on identifying the symptoms will be held before the race. I really think it's a good theme for an event because it will teach prevention and rabies doesn't have a lot of public exposure right now.

Well the NCAA Final Four upon us and I am still leading all the pools I've entered. With only 1 wrong pick so far in the tournament how could I not be!!!! I didn't even put much thought into my picks so it's pretty crazy, I only wish I had entered more pools. I'm just hope those awesome Tar Heels cut down the nets!

Today is also April Fools so hopefully you didn't take much(any) of this seriously. Be sure to check in next time for some "real" blogging.