Charlotte Homes for Sale
Nina Hollander
(704)779-0813

Happy Valentine’s Day From Carolinas Realty Partners!

The passing of another year gives us time to pause and reflect all that has been and all that will be. 

Carolinas Realty Partners wish you and your loved ones a very happy, prosperous and joyous New Year.

2011 will be a great year to buy real estate–home prices have never been lower and interest rates are at 50 year lows. Call us when you are ready to consider property in the Charlotte metro area, Fort Mill metro area, Waxhaw, Marvin, Matthews, Mint Hill, Weddington.

The holidays offer us an opportunity to pause in our busy world to reflect upon the gifts we receive on a daily basis, the people who share our lives. Carolinas Realty Partners wish you and your loved ones a holiday season filled with joy and love. And on behalf of everyone at Carolinas Realty Partners, I’d like to send our sincere thanks for your friendship, your business, your support and your referrals.

Some important real estate news worth paying attentions to:

• Mortgage rates jumped for the fourth straight week and have hit their six month highs. This is somehow happening “under the radar” and lots of home buyers who were approved at very low rates who haven’t yet purchased a home, will get a bit of sticker shock surprise when they do. Keep in mind that each 1% increase in mortgage rates, on average, increases your monthly payment by about 10%.
• Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have announced that they will freeze foreclosure evictions from December 20th through January 3rd for occupied homes. If you are facing foreclosure, clearly this is positive news for the holiday weeks.

Looking for more updates on real estate in the Charlotte, Waxhaw and Fort Mill areas? Contact Carolinas Realty Partners.

      It’s that time of year again…. getting your house decorated for the holidays! But what if you are in the process of selling your home? Just how much decorating should you do without “turning off” potential home buyers? Some home sellers are afraid of decorating at all. But if you are still living in your home, while selling it, you should celebrate and enjoy the holiday spirit that comes from decorating your home. Some people actually take their homes off the market during the holiday season. We always recommend to our clients that they keep marketing their homes during the holidays. Here’s why: While there are fewer buyers in the market during the holiday season, those that do look typically are much more serious buyers and many need to make a purchase decision before the end of the year. And a beautifully decorated holiday home is inviting and buyers enjoy looking and often get more excited about making offers.

Here are some great tips on what to do and not to do:

• Don’t Over-Decorate: keep it simple; don’t overwhelm a room with decorations. Simply touches of holiday decor work best. Fireplaces are often a prime selling feature of a home, so don’t overload the decorations and Christmas stockings so people can see the fireplace and appreciate it. Minimize the number of Christmas trees you have in the home and maybe even put up a smaller tree so it doesn’t dominate the room or block windows and light.
• Add Splashes of Holiday Colors: add fresh greenery; add some red accents; bows and ribbons go a long way to dress up candles, wreaths, etc. But you can also use neutrals and add some glitter with silver and gold accents. If you decorate in multiple rooms, stay with the same color theme.
• Set the Holiday Mood: holiday music playing softly in the background; holiday scents (cinammon, pine, cider, vanilla) add to the atmosphere. Research has shown that when there is holiday music playing softly in the background, home buyers were more eager to buy.
• Christmas tree decor: keep it simple; keep it elegant; keep it minimized. If you do have a very large tree, remove some furniture from the room so it looks less crowded.
• Don’t forget curb appeal: but don’t overdo the outdoor lighting. Clear, white lights are the only ones you should use. Don’t forget a pretty wreath for your front door. And don’t forget to add some lights to the deck for evening showings. Battery-powered candles in windows make a wonderful first impression for buyers, if you have window sills that can hold them.
• Remove all the holiday decorations by January 2nd!

Have you discovered WorldofChristmas.net? This site is a treasure-trove of decorating ideas for all budgets. Check it out and remember to keep it simple.

Looking for more ideas and tips? Contact Carolinas Realty Partners–we’d be delighted to help!

WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES A BOUNTIFUL THANKSGIVING AND THE TIME TO RELFECT AND BE GRATEFUL!

   It’s Veteran’s Day today.  I’m enclosing a great link to several videos about the history of Veteran’s Day. Hope you enjoy! And don’t forget to say “thank you” to a Veteran today!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Enjoy your Halloween Trick or Treating! Here are some great safety tips from Carolinas Realty Partners: