Author: debbiewaitleybroker

Wall Rebuild

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Wall Rebuild

We are getting ready to start our wall rebuild and window replacement at our house. The top windows have leaked water into the walls and have to be replaced. My brother replaced the bottom windows for me and discovered the damage. As the entire wall replacement was a little more than he wanted to undertake, we have had to hire someone to do it for us. Estimates given, materials delivered, and guess what, it’s going to rain today. Plus the cedar siding that was supposed to be delivered on Friday to finish up the job will not be here until next Wednesday. So we will not officially start until Monday (Labor Day). A few more days of worrying about what we will find inside the walls. But here’s a picture of what it looks like right now. I’ll keep you updated on our progress.

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Fire Your Real Estate Agent?

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What do you mean, fire your real estate agent? This is a person, whether you are buying a home or selling your house, that you are trusting one of the biggest financial transactions of your life with.  You enter into a contract with them.  But what if you are not pleased with your interaction with them or the results after you have signed on the dotted line? I recommend professionally speaking with them first and explain why you feel that they are not meeting your expectations. Give them the opportunity to correct the issues.  If, after a reasonable period of time, you do not see the desired results, you do have the right to terminate your agreement.   I am not advocating for everyone to run out and fire their agent, I am just informing you that you do have options to rectify a bad situation.  Even better, do your research up front and interview agents before you make your choice.  It is a large financial commitment.  Don’t you deserve the best person representing you in that transaction?

USDA Home Loans in the Hope Mills Area

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As we live near a  military base, a lot of the mortgage loans that are used here are VA loans.  Another very popular loan is the USDA loan.  USDA loans are popular because they are no down payment loans.  The USDA loan was set up to assist homebuyers in rural areas.  Most of Fayetteville, NC is not eligible for a USDA loan. Currently Hope Mills is a favorite destination for home buyers  to qualify for USDA loans (along with Hoke County).  As of Oct. 1, 2013, that will change.  Hope Mills growth has finally caught up with them and on the first of Oct, most of Hope Mills will become ineligible.  You can go online and research the location of any houses that you might be interested in buying before you consider buying them if you plan to finance with USDA.  Your real estate agent should be aware of this change and should be able to advise you.  It will be a big change for this area.  Make sure you do your homework and get a knowledgeable real estate agent and mortgage lender.

Mellow Mushrooms

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Mellow Mushrooms

Your simple craft project for the weekend. I wanted a touch a color in a drab, shady corner of my yard, far away from the water hose. I decided to add these little colorful mushrooms. $3.00 for three plastic bowls from Roses and a dead pruned limb from my brush pile and I have three little mushrooms growing under my tree! It does not have to be elaborate or expensive to be cute!

Everyone Loves a Rainbow

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Everyone Loves a Rainbow

I was traveling home from Sanford, NC last night. I had been showing some houses to a new client. It had been storming off and on with rumbling thunderclouds. On Hwy 87, outside of Sanford, double rainbows popped up. They were visible the entire hour ride home. I don’t know what is so exciting about seeing a rainbow, but it is. It was beautiful! I would have posted my pictures last night, but everyone that I knew had posted a picture of their rainbow. It was kind of humorous! But it is also nice to know that we can all still be so affected by beauty around us. Enjoy the little things in life as they come up.

A Vegetable Garden is Possible

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A Vegatable Garden is Possible

I grew up on a farm. We always had a garden. It was not a trend or a fad, it was just a fact of life. When I first went out on my own, I had a huge garden. Weeded, harvested, canned. Then, as so often happens, life gets busy. Moving, work, kids, no time for a garden. I’m getting back to basics. I realize the limitations on my time. I can’t have a big garden, yet. So I started small, I intend to expand slightly. One tomato plant, one cucumber plant, 3 different pepper plants and we had more than we could eat this summer. Soon I will be planting a couple of fall vegetables, maybe some onions. What a great and productive feeling! You should try it. Doesn’t have to be big. Start small.

Short Sale/Can I Rent It??

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If I need to sell my home because I have had to move/relocate or can’t afford it anymore, can I rent it until I decide what to do?  Not if you want to get approved for a short sale by the USDA/FHA.  Make sure that you don’t move out of the house or if you have to in order to relocate, don’t rent it out.  What a catch 22 mess!!   Before you get too far behind on your payments or your bills, talk to your lenders and make sure that you understand what the ramifications are.  If you still think that a short sale might be a viable option, call a realtor experienced in short sales and get their help.

SOF K9 Memorial

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SOF K9 Memorial

What a proud day in Fayetteville this past weekend when a statue was unveiled in downtown to honor the wonderful canines that have lost their lives defending our country. It is a very special memorial to our fallen canine soldiers. The community here supports Fort Bragg and our soldiers in many ways. I hope that everyone will take an opportunity to visit the memorial soon.

So You Need To Get Your House Sold

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So, you need to get your house sold.  Join the thousands in the Fayetteville, NC area that are in the same position.  The news keeps talking about how the real estate market has changed to a seller’s market and there are beginning to be housing shortages.  Please don’t get too excited yet.  You need to make sure that you get your information from a local, experienced realtor, not Zillow or Realtor.com.  Although it may be true that the overall market in the US is making a comeback, you have to remember that in our area, we never experienced the deep decreases in market value that some areas experienced.  And while it is true that we did see some decreases, Fort Bragg was a wonderful buffer in our locale.  So while it is always advisable to keep up on the latest trends, it is definitely wise to focus locally when you are considering placing your house on the market.   It really does not matter what the housing prices in Las Vegas are when you are listing your house in Raeford, NC. Seek local, professional advice.

Contractural Obligations

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I am going to meet one of my home sellers this afternoon.  We have not been successful in getting any buyers interested in her house.  It is staged and marketed very well, but without putting extra money into it and some layout challenges, it is not currently attracting any buyers.  My seller called me a couple of days ago and wanted to know what her options are.  What she was asking was how could she get out of her contract early without repercussions or would that even be possible.  This is the moment, that being able to make those decisions myself, allows me to do what I feel is best.  In this situation, the best thing is to release her from her contract and allow her to rent the property, until some time in the future that we feel that the home has a better chance of selling.  She and I have worked very well together and both of us have held up our end of the contract.  Sometimes things are beyond our control, such as a couple of issues that are preventing the sale of her house.  By professionally and respectfully letting her terminate her contract early, she and I will be able to maintain our professional relationship and do business together in the future.  It’s not hard to do what is right.  You just have to make sure that you always keep the long term effects in mind also.  Again, remember quality, not quantity.