Welcome to the most current Housing Trends eNewsletter from Carolinas Realty Partners. This eNewsletter is specially designed to provide you with national and local housing information that you may find useful whether you’re in the market for a home, thinking about selling your home, or just interested in homeowner issues in general.

Please click on this link to view the Housing Trends FEBRUARY-2011 Newsletter, which contains the latest information from the National Association of REALTORS®, the U.S. Census Bureau, Realtor.org reports and other sources.

Housing Trends eNewsletter is also filled with local Charlotte area real estate sales and price activity, as well as  national real estate sales and price activity as provided by Multiple Listing Services and the National Association of Realtors (NAR), U.S. Census Bureau key market indicators, housing market video reports, blogs, real estate glossary, maps, mortgage rates and calculators, consumer articles, community reports that map shopping, schools, recreation and more.

If you are interested in determining the value of your home, click the “Home Evaluator” link for a free evaluation report from Carolinas Realty Partners.
Sound decisions can only be made with accurate and reliable information, and Carolinas Realty Partners in the Charlotte/Fort Mill metro areas are happy to be a trusted resource for you. Call on us at any time for help with buying a home, selling a home, relocation to the Charlotte area.

 To access your copy of the December issue of  “Real Estate CyberTips.”

This month’s special security issue includes the following Tips:

* GET YOUR PAPER GRADED BEFORE YOU TURN IT IN!
* CONVERT YOUR PHOTO TO A CARTOON IN ONE CLICK!
* SEE YOUR RESUME AS HIRING MANAGERS DO!
* SET UP YOUR WEBSITE IN JIFFY – A GOOGLE GIFT!
We hope you enjoy the December edition of  “Real Estate CyberTips”. 

For any real estate questions, don’t hesitate to contact Carolinas Realty Partners in the Charlotte and Fort Mill metro areas.

      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!

 To access your copy of the November issue of  “Real Estate CyberTips.”

This month’s special security issue includes the following Tips:

* TRICK #1 TRACK YOUR EMAIL!
* TRICK#2 SEE WHERE THAT SHORT URL IS TAKING YOU!
* GREAT PLACE #1 SELL YOUR JUNK AT THE BEST PRICE!
* GREAT PLACE #2 CONVERT FILES — NO NEW SOFTWARE!

We hope you enjoy the November edition of  “Real Estate CyberTips”. 

For any real estate questions, don’t hesitate to contact Carolinas Realty Partners in the Charlotte and Fort Mill metro areas.

Keep in mind that while each state has its own regulations and rules on who can vote, there are some general guidelines if your home has been foreclosed that you can follow to vote tomorrow:

• If a foreclosure on your home has caused you to move,  you must re-register if you’ve changed counties or states. However, if you moved within your county it’s a simpler exercise– just update your address.
• Many states will allow you to update your change of address up until Election Day. Otherwise, ask for a provisional ballot.
• If your home foreclosure has begun, but you are still living in your home and are already registered to vote in that precinct, just go and vote as normal.
• If the foreclosure process is complete and you’ve moved out, you need to update your new address (see above).
• If you’ve not yet established a new, permanent residence at which to register to vote, many states will allow you to use your prior address of the foreclosed home.

So don’t let foreclosure keep you from voting! To check the rules in your state, go to the US Election Assistance Commission website.

For a complete list of foreclosure properties in the Charlotte, NC and Fort Mill, SC metro areas, contact Carolinas Realty Partners.

 To access your copy of the October issue of  “Real Estate CyberTips.”

This month’s special security issue includes the following Tips:

* DO YOU WRITE LIKE HEMMINGWAY?
* DOUBLE YOUR MONITOR SIZE!
* GO HERE TO ENRICH YOUR BRAIN!
* CHECK THOSE WORDS THAT REPEAT IN YOUR HEAD!

We hope you enjoy the October edition of  “Real Estate CyberTips”. 

For any real estate questions, don’t hesitate to contact Carolinas Realty Partners in the Charlotte metro area.

A home inventory will enable you to file a claim more quickly and speed up the claim processing, but it will also help you identify property recovered after a burglary and to write off losses on your federal income taxes! And by the way, if you ever move this list is great for insuring your contents with the mover and providing proof in the event of loss or damage during the move.

Your insurance agent can provide suggestions on how best to set up a home inventory, as well as advice about what information and details your insurance company will want in the event a claim is filed. Keep in mind that different insurers have different formulas for calculating value on a claim. You should ask your agent/broker what your insurer uses as a formula.

Here’s what you need to start making a home inventory:

• Printable checklists or forms.
• A pen.
• Receipts or other documentation of major purchases.
• Any appraisals for any of your belongings.
• Photos or videos clearly identifying your belongings.

This might feel like an insurmountable project, but if you go room by room identifying everything, you’ll have your list before you know it!

For “big-ticket” items, you will want to always record the following information:

• Date/year/place item was purchased
• Quantity of items
• Serial and/or model number
• Cost of the item when purchased (good idea to save your receipts)
• Current value or replacement cost of an item
• Detailed description of items (if you can’t take a photograph or video)

And don’t forget to update your list at least annually and whenever you acquire something major and expensive. You can also look into insuring such items individually.

Keep a copy of your list somewhere other than in your home in the event of a major disaster such as flood, fire, etc.

Want more help? Contact Carolinas Realty Partners anytime!