Renovations

Which renovation pays the most return when it’s time to sell?

This is one of the questions that I get most often from random people that might want to sell their home in a year or two. My answers are a little different in different markets. In the last 2 years, my answer would have been NOTHING! People were buying things off the market for the price asked, literally, no matter what it looked like or the shape it was in. But the market is shifting! I do not mean that it is crashing, for goodness sake. I mean we are finally getting back to a normal market in NC. In turn, we have to talk about selling your home differently. That means that you have to begin to understand what buyers are looking for, and I have figured that out. They are looking for clean, new, and updated! And where does that matter most?

Kitchen

Changes to your kitchen can increase the value of your home dollar for dollar. That means that if you spend the money, you can ask for the money. If you put $20K into a kitchen renovation, you can ask for an additional $20K in the price of your home. The places that buyers are really looking for that are in the cabinets, lay out, countertops, appliances, and floor. Take a look at the kitchen of your home. Does it meet modern design trends? Right now, I would say those are quartz counters (or some new material), easy to care for floors, new appliances, and new cabinets. There are ways to get around buying NEW in all of those areas, but just upgrading a kitchen can make a huge improvement in value.

Bathrooms

I have seen many homes where the owners will upgrade the kitchen, but forget about the bathrooms. In my experience, these renovations may cost a little more money or have a tendency to require a bit more work. It is hard in some cases to just replace fixtures or existing things. Older showers were tiny! Sometimes this remodel will require moving walls, which means permits. I think that’s the reason so many people don’t do it. But it is ALSO a dollar for dollar upfit. If you spend the money, you can make the money back. My suggestions would be the following:

• Make use of space
• Modern fixtures
• Separate Tub and Shower
• Extended Shower
• Privacy
• Storage

Outdoor Living Space

I’m not really talking about curb appeal. I’m talking about an actual outdoor space that you want to spend large amounts of time. This is not a renovation that will be able to increase the price of your home dollar for dollar! If you put in a $20K pool, you CANNOT increase the price of your home by $20K. Pools are a little controversial (and a lot of people put them in during COVID). You have to find a buyer who is willing to take on the maintenance and liability. For that reason, it does not increase the value of the home. If it is not well maintained, it can actually decrease the value because the buyer will need to repair it, sometimes to even complete the transaction. Creating an outdoor living space can be simple, but it should look clean and well maintained. Repair and replace any damaged deck boards. Create pathways with pavers or rock. Add color and variety with landscaping. Add a sitting or dining area for entertaining. Curb appeal isn’t just about planting flowers around the front yard. It is about a space for relaxation in the outdoors.

Paint and Flooring – No! These do not increase the value of your house! But it may make the home sell quicker. The days of “under contract in less than a day” are pretty much over or, at least, are no longer the norm. The market prior to this saw homes traditionally on the market in CLT for 30 – 60 days, and Luxury properties (those over $700K) were on the market for a year plus. What sets listings apart is the way they show, in person and on film. Even though I would like to say it is the expertise of the agent, it’s really about how the home shows. Replacing damaged flooring or painting dirty (and smelly) walls will not bring additional money into your pocket, but it very well migh bring you a buyer faster than your neighbor.

Happy Independence?

I am a firm believer in Patriotism. I am also a firm believer in Jesus. But this week…WHEW! We are a nation created by the people, for the people. But when those people are limited in freedoms based on choices and personal preferences, it is no less severe than limiting freedom based on the color of your skin. Are we only the land of the free, white, man…which is pretty much what we were when the constitution was signed? So we shouldn’t look at the 2nd Amendment through the lens of a changing time, population, and country dynamic? But we should look through a different lens when it comes to issues like women’s right to make decisions and the definition of marriage? If I as a woman cannot decide what to do about my reproductive health, why would I further have the right to decide what property to own or who to elect president. If my decision about my body is not a right protected by the Supreme Court and Federal Government, then when will my other rights be yanked out from under me? If the 6 justices that voted to no longer force the federal government to protect the right of women to make their own decisions about their own bodies feel that the States can handle those decisions, would they allow the States to make such decisions about black freedoms during the Civil War, especially Justice Thomas? We are at a tipping point very similar to the one present in 1860.

It is so very difficult to explain to men the weight of being a woman. We may indeed make the same decision to consent, but we do not have to make the same decision about what that does to our lives, bodies, and freedoms. You can walk away and pretend you never heard the word “pregnant”. You can deny any part or responsibility. Yet I stand alone trying to figure out what to do, with my body, with my life, and with my faith. No one forces men to be a father. A judge can force you to pay, but not to show up or help or teach or care. Biology forces women to be mothers. That is what gives men the power they think they have over us. Maybe the real problem in society is not the lack of freedom women have, but the abundance of unrestricted freedom men have. The toxic way that men are raised to fight and control, from the smallest psychological inference of their job as protector, that’s what really needs to change. Native cultures (you know…the savages) believed that men and women were divided into Hunters and Gatherers, but they all protected and defended. Women were not incapable or fragile. I have never understood where Anglo- and Germanic- men got that from. We don’t need your protection. We want your partnership. Who in this country has the right to judge someone else’s decision when the skeletons of their own lurk somewhere in the darkness! No one should have the ability to grab you by anything and get away with it, whether you are a man or a woman. It sounds a little these days like separate, but equal.

Our country has millions of weapons that take life, and argue that it’s our right to do so. But this one weapon that is man made and gives women power to pull the trigger is no longer defended by Federal Law. Maybe a man’s shouldn’t be either. It isn’t women that carry out mass shootings and school shootings. If legislation was fueled by a desire to save children, school shootings would have stopped after Columbine. I’m not quite sure what Independence I have left anymore. Except maybe here on this page.

Some people got what they wanted. Hopefully, what they also did was fan a flame of realization. Hopefully people see the power of their vote. That is the only way we change this! When people are in power that represent such a small pocket of belief, the entire population suffers. The majority of Americans did not want Roe v. Wade overturned. Probably because they know people and stories of people who have benefitted from abortion in some way. You can’t tell me those 6 Justices don’t! They didn’t outlaw abortions, they outlawed legal and safe abortions. But a deal was made with the Devil. People turned a blind eye with hopes of fiscal prosperity or protecting their guns. Let’s just hope that people see the evil that creeps around when people scheme to control other people. That’s what this is about, after all…control, not babies.

I am going to focus on America, the Beautiful this July 4th. We are a far cry from perfect or great this year. I don’t see a reason to celebrate our strength with fireworks and or freedoms with holidays. Those symbols should be retired this year. I personally don’t feel very strong or free after this week. And if our people don’t, why should our country. Maybe we should celebrate in quiet reflection of what the forefathers were actually trying to do…escape religious persecution, raise their families in faith without fear, create opportunity for success. Maybe let’s just stop there. I just don’t feel like there is much to celebrate this year. But I’m just a woman!

Home Buying: Next Stage

Where are you in your life stages right now?? I didn’t even really think that was a thing, for me especially, until recently. I realized the other day that my husbands friends are all getting engaged and married. It didn’t hit me until his brother got engaged. Then I realized how many weddings we have been invited to recently. He married me when he was just out of college, so I guess that is earlier than many people are ready to make life-time commitments!

Those young, newlyweds are now willing to commit to a lifetime with one person and, usually, a 30 year mortgage. Yay! Homeownsership is one of the ways you build lifetime wealth. The sooner you buy real estate the sooner you can start building wealth. There is no reason to invest in other things if you are still throwing your largest payment per month out the window and into someone elses pocket. Paying rent is just making someone else wealthy. I hope these newlyweds will make that move next! One of my favorite options for first-time-home-buyers is new construction. There are still a few builders that are doing things the right way!

• True Homes (these folks have a great Build-on-Your-Lot option)
• DR Horton
• Meritage

There is no reason to invest in other things if you are still throwing your largest payment per month out the window and into someone elses pocket.

At the same time, I am helping my mother move to her next stage of life. She will retire at the end of this year and has areed to be my assistant for a while (until he gets tired of me). The home that she is in is the house in Charlotte I grew up in, as did all of my brothers and sisters. But the upkeep and work on an older home with almost a full acre of land is just too much for her anymore. She is ready for a little less in life. We have been looking at tiny homes to put on our farm property. Our biggest concern originally was that it had to be 1 story, with her double knee replacement looming, if I can ever get her to schedule it. Most tiny homes take advantage of a loft space for sleeping with storage under the stairs. I was afraid a single story did not exist, but they do! We are a long away from making any decisions, but I am learning about so many options for that demographic of client that is ready to downsize, whether it is because of age or just a desire to live with a smaller footprint.

This tiny home is 270 sq. ft. on a steel frame and can be bought at Home Depot for $23K. Completion of the interior and all the site work would be added to that price for a total build, but it’s a cool look!

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On the other side of the spectrum, there are those clients who are busting at the seams in their current home. In some instances it the blessing of children, and in some it is the addition of parents or siblings requiring a different type or size of house to make living space comfortable for everyone. I recently closed on a house with some clients that needed 2 masters, essentially, so they could live with parents and not have to spend all their time together. Those clients offer a particular challenge because we have to buy and sell. I have learned sooooo many tricks in the last few years from cash offers from local investors and national corporations to financing loopholes that create non-contingent offers. But the problem facing most buyers right now is the low inventory and competitive bid market. I have TONS of tricks for that as well! The folks I mentioned earlier…we got our very first offer accepted at just $5000 over list price.

If you are heading into a new stage of life, staging up or down, I think there are a few common things to consider when it comes to finding the perfect home.

Location: City vs. Suburb vs. Rural

Acreage: .5 or less vs. 1 or more

Square Footage: Tiny vs Extra

My last huge life stage change was shortly after my divorce, so it doesn’t always happen on any “normal” guidelines. That was the moment I knew I wanted to homestead and live on some type of farm. It was an investment/business decision as much as a housing decision. Prior to that, I was living in a third floor condo (that I loved) and I knew that was not the life for me. I included my current hubby in the decision, though we weren’t married or even engaged at the time. It was something I wanted, even if it was on my own. He agreed, thankfully! Sometimes I think he regrets that agreement!

I always encourage clients, especially buyers, to decide what is most important. Take all of the criteria that you use to choose a home and pick the 4 or 5 things that you absolutely have to have! It’s a strategy called the 80% House. If I can find you 80% of what you want in a new home, and 100% of what you need, will you be ready to buy? There are so many people that get frustrated in this market because they cannot find what they want because they have not thought about what that truly is. We must walk down that path first! It’s a big decision and it can be scary, but with the right help, it is totally worth it. My mission is to HELP…that’s my word that guides every decision we make in this business.

Wishing for a New Home

I have been wishing for a new home since I moved to this farm about 7 years ago!! Please, understand, I am NOT moving. I LOVE my farm. But the house here is falling down around us. I’m actually not kidding. The people who put on the roof didn’t add gutters, so the entire roof is rotted and moldy and mildewed. The floors in 2 of the bedrooms have holes in them that the carpet was just stretched over. The septic is from 1970 and only has 1 drain line. And the well, we believe has shifted too close to the dirt, because it pulls sediment and we have to change filters every 2 weeks now! This has been the perfect example of “What Not To Do” as a seller or landlord I think I could have ever experienced!

After 2 years of struggling (and learning) we finally started construction on our new house. We got the notice from our builder that we are about 60 days away from completion!! I was looking for a particular product and a particular process so this experience has been a learning one for sure! I really wanted to General Contract it myself…those years as a project manager for an electrical firm all came flooding back. But lenders will not give money for projects that are self GC’ed, unless you have experience (never understood this…how do you get experience if you don’t first get a chance?). So plan 1 was for a friend to GC and I just run it. He backed out at the last minute because he wouldn’t make enough money (he sort of missed the point) so I had to find something similar. I had a very simple wish list for my new home:

1. A Separate Real Office with Doors
2. A Dining Room (always on my list)
3. Closets
4. 2 story
5. In the Woods
6. $100 per square foot

view from the sliding door

kitchen

My office!

back yard and future garden

bonus space and main bedroom

bedroom #2 and bonus space

front of the house

back yard with future deck space

I went with a builder that allowed me to do a portion of the work on my own. It’s a very strange arrangement where you become both the client and the sub contractor. The problem is, this company does not have their shit together! And I pride myself on always at least seeming like I have my shit together. I will not be referring them to any clients. And don’t even want to mention their name here! Mainly because after this experience, I can definitely do this on my own. It’s their level of planning and customer service that have made the biggest problems and mistakes. They delivered our floor joists and ceiling rafters 3 weeks (and one snow storm) before they were installed. Now they are covering the cost of mildew removal and remediation throughout the entire house. That is just one large example in a long list of what I think are simple planning mistakes that have cost them money and me time and now my future clients. I’m not trying to be a Monday morning quarterback, but I will certainly use their failures and develop a much more efficient system.

When it comes to builders, I found there are really 2 types out there…spec built homes in cookie-cutter neighborhoods and giant, custom, McMansions that cost entirely too much money. In looking for my own home, I noticed that there is very little out there to get exactly what you want on a decent, affordable budget. Everyone wanted to tell me that it’s because supplies are so high. While that may be true, that isn’t the only problem. The biggest problem with builders and construction that I have found is a lack of creativity. Finding creative solutions to getting the client exactly what they want on any budget is the type of business that I want to run! And those are the types of people I choose to do business with. I do not want to hear what the problem is, but what a solution to the problem is.

What do you wish for in a new home??

What do you wish for in a new home? I love working with buyers to find exactly what they want. Sometimes what they think they want changes as we look. Pictures in this market are VERY deceiving. In my opinion almost negligibly so. With the use of wide angle lenses, digital rendering and Photoshop, you should ALWAYS go look at a property first. This making an offer before the property is available to view, or offers as sight unseen, is crap! As a listing agent, I rarely every accept those offers. (1) they have really low Due Diligence fees, and (2) they don’t seem to get as much as expected from the sale. My suggestion to buyers is always wish big and be patient. I am in the business of solving problems, not really selling real estate.

As simple as my wishes were for a new house, it has been a struggle. We had to move the location so knock off #5 (Well, we didn’t really HAVE to, but someone – or some hubby – didn’t want “spend anymore money”). There aren’t as many closets as I would like (so I’m adding more once we move in – watch for the pantry build). But we finally have walls and windows and stairs and a roof! We still have a long way to go, but it’s beginning to feel real. Ever experience something that you wished for for so long and it doesn’t seem real, or it seems surreal, like an out-of-body experience. If not, maybe you’re not wishing big enough???

The Importance of Support

I would probably classify myself as a loner. I have a group of great friends that group chat all the time and get together at least once a month. I have children, so sometimes being alone is impossible, but they are older now and more independent so they need my help and constant attention less and less, well…sort of. My intention for a life partner has also morphed into this you-live-your-life-and-I-live-mine atmosphere that once or twice a week/month we get to bring it together, but it has to be planned and intentional. COVID may have exacerbated some of this. We want to spend less time with the people we were stuck with for 18 months and more time with those we missed. And I had completely planned for my professional life to take the loner route, as well. But something changed in the last four years that maybe was COVID-related, but maybe more “you have a teacher heart” related.

I went into real estate with the intention of it being a lonely profession or at least a family business. But, like literally everything else in my life, the universe had a different plan. I recently discovered that one of the things I enjoy most about this business is how I get to HELP other people. (That’s been my word of the year for two years now!) I thoroughly enjoy helping clients achieve their goals. Maybe its a house in the boonies with land for animals, or a condo in the city so they can walk to everything, or a rental to keep them safe until they can buy. Whatever! Literally! When I do my job from a heart of service, I get the most from my success. Recently, that has really extended into helping other real estate agents as well.

I really enjoy what I do. And it DOES lead to Super Happy Clients!

This business doesn’t have to be cut throat. It isn’t a competition to make more money than my fellow agent. I don’t have any secrets to doing business that I want to keep away from everyone else. In my opinion, there isn’t even a “magic bullet” in real estate that creates success. It is all about the WORK. Put in the TIME, follow a GUIDE, and find HELP! How much TIME…that’s up to you. What GUIDE….that depends on you. Where do you find HELP…it is literally everywhere. The help I found came from my firm, Giving Tree Realty. Not because they have a magic formula that breeds million dollar sales, but because they have a collective atmosphere of support, guidance, and hard work mixed with a few examples of what not to do and guided by a moral compass to put all of it into perspective. It’s not just a recruiting tool to say that we have a family atmosphere and a giving spirit. It is literally at the core of our system. The moral compass is what has fueled my success in business, but more so in my life and mind. I’m not selling 30 million a year, but I’m making more money than I ever have, and I still have time to run a farm and make dinner for my family.

REALTORs are different from Real Estate Agents. This label means certain certifications, memberships, and training. Many agents choose to not go that extra mile, because of the fees. We are guided by ethical standards, required to maintain continuing education credits, and regulated by a Commission. This symbol means the highest level of professional in this business.

Humans are social creatures. We do not thrive on our own. We can survive and even succeed, but we reach our highest potential when we have a community of support lifting us up. That is one of the reasons I think it is imperative that buyers and sellers be represented by a licensed agent, even better a Realtor. There is so much you do not know in this crazy market! You spend your days in whatever your world consists of. I spend my days reading, researching, and reacting to the ever-changing real estate market. I like to compare it to going to court for a life sentence without an attorney. Who would do that?! You need and deserve representation when your life hangs in the balance, and, on a purchase that controls the next 30 years of your life, it does! And, like an attorney, you get what you pay for! If you are selling your house and choose “the cheapest” Realtor, you will get “the worst” deal, one way or another. Feel free to ask me for examples! I. Have. Thousands.

If you choose “the cheapest” Realtor, you will get “the worst” deal.

This value of support had led me to want to create my own “Team”. I put it in quotes because the traditional definition of a real estate team is a group of agents with an abundance of leads, or at least that’s what I was told. That is not mine! I want to create a place where agents with like minded goals can get the true, honest, and helpful support to THRIVE in their business (and life, since we don’t live in a vacuum). I’ve been working through what that looks like and have a great plan, so now I just need to put it in reality. It starts with philosophy. It’s not about making the most money in the Lake Norman area, it’s about helping the most people. That looks very different for every agent, client, and person that will cross our path, but that is the point. They will ALL get what I call concierge level service. Literally, the highest level of service possible. And it will happen, not because they do or do not deserve it, but simply because they are here.

Real Estate as a career has been life changing for me. I knew it would be. There are a million predictors out there about what will happen this year in the market. At the end of the day, no one really knows. I’m going to keep following my moral compass and see where the year shakes out. I have the tools because of Giving Tree Realty. I’ll be over here putting in the WORK if anyone wants to join me!

A Return to “Normal”

Is it even possible??

I really dislike using that word…NORMAL. Could someone define that for me?? Does it mean a 9-5 job in an office? Two children and a white picket fence? The point is, normal is different for everyone. I hear people say all the time, “I just want a normal life.” Really, no ones life is normal. Humans have a way of making life work. We sure have been “making life work” for the last almost 2 years! As some major corporations are contemplating bringing workers back to the office in the new year, there is a lot to process, consider, and even plan. Maybe foremost on our mind is the fact that COVID is still around. We started quarantining and working from home because it existed, and it still does, so why would we consider going back to “normal”. The truth is it’s always going to exist. And variations of it have existed for years. We have got to get through some of the fear, use the knowledge that we have gained, and create an environment where people can be successful and thrive.

“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.”

Maya Angelou

Set Boundaries – What are you and the people you live with comfortable with? At this point we have all reached a limit. We know by now what we are comfortable with and what we are not. Some of us are comfortable wearing masks everywhere and all the time. Some of us prefer to stay away from people. I find myself being a mixture. I see the importance of live meetings, but understand the risk and apprehension involved. I find myself keeping live stuff to really important things that can’t be done any other way while trying to scale back on the random times out in public or in a crowd. We need to not only set the boundaries for ourselves and our families, but we need to feel comfortable communicating them. It cannot be an atmosphere where people feel afraid of doing what makes them comfortable. At least not yet. This will be a time to test the waters and see where we can go from here. Collaboration is important for many businesses and school is imperative for kids. We have to find a common ground.

Getting Healthy doesn’t mean loosing weight.

Get Healthy – I really wish we could have some serious conversations about how food is medicine. I’m not saying you won’t get COVID or you can cure it with the right diet, but it does make your immune system stronger to fight the virus, and any other illnesses that might come our way. Start with leafy-green vegetables. This is the #1 best source for anti-oxidants that can boost immunity and fight off free radicals. Berries make great warriors too. Try adding a smoothie to your day, whether just for breakfast or an afternoon boost instead of coffee. What if you added a salad to your day? Salads are easy to pack as to-go lunches. The toppings and dressing may not make them “low- fat”, but the bed of greens you add stuff to can make it a health punch! Staying healthy may mean vaccine, maybe that means vitamins, maybe that means loose weight. This is a great time to do double duty on the healthy trip and keep your body fighting germs.

My new favorite smoothie recipe: 4 oz V8 Carrot Ginger, 4 oz vanilla almond milk, 6-8 mango chunks, 1 tsp. turmeric…blend and enjoy!

Stay Flexible – Things are definitely going to change. We are going to see times where schools go to remote learning or events that get turned into Zoom calls. It is important to keep that in your mind. It may mean that we still need an at-home learning space for the kids or private office space for Zoom meetings. When the teenager is late for school and my entire schedule gets turned upside down, I get super frustrated! I’ve learned this year to prepare a little flexibility into my schedule. Mentally decide which activities can be moved around and which cannot. The mental exercise of rearranging my schedule is a little calming in itself. We are still being asked to do things a little out of the normal, so mixing that with what used to be normal may take a little mental exercise.

The Real Estate industry didn’t really slow down pre-post-or during the pandemic. We made changes on the fly. And we are keeping most of those…masks are required to see houses, no overlapping appointments, trainings are still virtual or at least have a virtual option. But business is kicking right along! People want to move! Inventory is still super needed with about 5 buyers to every seller. Interest rates are still low enough to save you some money on a monthly payment from pre-pandemic rates. And sellers are still able to get top dollar for their home at a rate of about 19% over pre-pandemic values. We are also beginning to have conversations of dealing with an influx of foreclosures or bank owned properties. I am very interested to see how that whole market levels out and have done some training and preparation to deal with those opportunities.

I am looking forward to a great 2022! Yes, I am a glass-half-full person. Positive energy into the atmosphere will send me positive energy back. That is what I believe. My word for the year is still HELP, same as last year, because I think there are so many more people that will need my HELP in 2022. Whatever your outlook for the year, Good Luck and don’t be Normal!

Happy Fall Y’all!

It is my favorite time of year!!! Maybe because it’s my birthday season! Maybe because it’s Halloween and “witches” are finally cool! But this year I decided to explore a little deeper into why I love this season so much. Have you ever felt a real connection to the Earth? I think I do more in the fall. It’s like the energy, colors, harvest and celebration make me a more productive human, a better person, even a better Real Estate Agent.

Favorite Time of Year

THE COLORS:When I was a kid, my mother did this color matching thing that helped you understand what type of colors worked well for your skin tone and personality. We were all definitely “Warm” color palettes! And those are all the colors of Fall. What I realized is that those deep dark colors of the leaves as they change is that fall really matches my personality too. I enjoy a full-bodied life. The things I consume are that way as well. Food is heavy with flavor, drinks are full of tannins or malts, books have rich and deep stories. After a visit last year to Colorado, I saw the difference in the green mountains of North Carolina that I love so much from the Rockies in the west, but that doesn’t even begin to compare to the beauty that happens when those greens turn to gold and burgundy and orange. It literally does something to my soul. The change is a powerful miracle that I’m not even sure of the scientific specifics, though I’ve heard it and taught it to my children so many times. That change gives me hope, because after all the humans mimic what happens to the Earth, since we are nothing more than Earth ourselves. If the Earth can go through such drastic changes to create so much immense beauty, so can we.

THE ENERGY: I feel a different energy in the air. Maybe it’s created by the pull of the Earth away from the sun. Maybe it’s created by the cool temperatures. It could even be the lack of humidity in the air after a summer of thickness. All of those things seem to make it easier to do things. It gives me energy to work harder and longer. I even see it in the animals on the farm. The horses always get a little more frisky this time of year. Our old guy Tyson, who you can’t get to run in the summer, will just take off in these months. I don’t work horses very much in the summer because the heat is too much, in my opinion, but once the temps begin to cool, we are back in the arena putting on some muscle mass. The boys here have gained a few pounds on all that summer grass. Now it’s time to turn that into muscle.

THE HARVEST: If you don’t go to the Farmer’s Market this time of year, you are really missing out! And if you don’t have a local one, find one to deliver! My favorite delivery is Misfit Market, but there are tons of local farms that will ship. My favorite thing to do is go to the local farmers market to meal plan for the week. Our last market find was homemade pasta. I really enjoyed building meals around the homemade tortilini, ravioli and gnocchi we found. Sometimes I can find bushels of older produce that I can take home and can for the winter. One day I will get back to my own harvest. The nights of shelling peas and snapping beans in front of the TV are not over for me. I dream of a pantry full of Ball jars with all kinds of concoctions. I will be apple picking in the next week. Then there will be a trip to pick pumpkins and gourds for processing and drying. In preparation for my garden next year I’m going to try to do a little seed banking this year! I’ve been reading about it in ancient cultures. The people who held the seeds in a village held the power! I don’t have a green thumb by any stretch, or any power for that matter, but I am sure going to try!

THE CELEBRATION: The beauty of it all is that it culminates in my absolutely favorite holiday…Thanksgiving! It is the only holiday that is truly, solely about food. My favorite day where I spend all day in the kitchen and all week prepping. It celebrates 3 of my favorite F words Food, Family, and Football. What could be better than eating with your favorite people and falling asleep in front of the game or starting your own outside in the cool air. I spend time making crafts and decorations and dessert (which I never make because I don’t measure things). When my native ancestors would gather from the fields and preserve and store and then give thanks…I fell connected to that, or at least I try to. And as I get older, I find the need to try a little harder every year to connect to that. It’s not trendy and people don’t understand why I do it. They say it’s “harder”. But how can something that your people have been doing for hundreds of years be harder than the basic, plastic stuff people try to do now?!

August was a busy month! I think the cooler temps will make the market even more active.

OH WHAT DOES THE MARKET DO?? And I don’t mean Farmer’s Market. Traditionaly Spring is the busiest time for Real Estate. People are looking to move through the summer and settle down for fall. But after the spring, and heck the last 18 months, we could all use a “settle down”. In the 4 years I’ve been in Real Estate, the Fall has been my favorite. I do think this year we will see a calming of sorts where people are actually able to get into the homes they want and maybe even have a selection of homes to look through. BUT, with the right tools and techniques, none of that really matters. Yes, I can likely get you the financing. Yes, I can find you a beautiful home in your budget. And Yes, the price you pay might be higher than what you would get it for in maybe 12 months…BUT the interest rate will be lower!!! Find yourself a mortgage calculator and do some quick math…$370K house at a 3.5% interest rate ($1675) vs. a $350K house at a 5% interest rate ($1840)…https://www.mortgagecalculator.org The rates are already starting to climb. There is some fear that the Fed will make some changes. I met with a lender this past week that has a program at $0 down, 3.5% for a 640 credit score that’s a conventional loan. Yes, Real Estate is about price. But sooooo much goes into that price. Fall is my favorite time to sell houses!!

I hope you enjoy all the cool temps, amazing food, and beautiful scenery!

Happy Labor Day

My husband and I were talking about an upcoming trip to see a music festival where he wanted to request 2 days back to back off. He said he had to use a vacation day. We have this dream/goal of getting to Hawaii this summer to celebrate our oldest daughter’s graduation, so he needs to save all the vacation days. I was confused. Why, when you get 2 days off a week any way, finally, do you have to use a vacation day? “They just don’t do that.”

Look, I know employment is sketchy these days. After COVID people are worried about their jobs. Layoff and furloughs did some damage to the human psyche. Companies that were able to create ways to keep employees on staff, whether by creating WFH procedures or creatively keeping customers and clients paying are the REAL HEROS of Labor Day this year! My favorite story is the joint task force created in a local town by a coffee shop, a restaurant, and an old abandoned drive-thru back. The creativity we’ve seen in the last year to keep businesses afloat and employees paid is a new definition of Labor Day.

Read their story…

BUT we still have Labor Laws on the books and hanging on a poster in your break room! Many companies that I personally know crossed those lines in the early days of the pandemic. I’m not name calling or revealing anything, just stating some facts for consideration and thought! They may have done it out of desperation, but it was and is still illegal! I know many employees that worked without breaks, without days off, and without overtime compensation just because they felt like they “had to”. Whether they did it because of pressure fro the boss or because they were grateful for a job, IT’S STILL ILLEGAL! We have Labor Laws in this country so bosses don’t take advantage of employees and yet that is exactly what they did.

Enjoy some relaxation!

One of my favorite things about real estate is that I am an Entrepreneur! I don’t think people understand that. My bills are only paid if I have clients that buy or sell homes with me. I can only feed my family if people use me to represent them in a real estate transaction. I affiliate with my firm, Giving Tree Realty, so they can pay for the technology and office stuff, but I don’t get paid a salary. My success and potential failure is based on the same thing as that local coffee shop you supported so vehemently during the lock down…word of mouth, repeat business, referrals! I believe entrepreneurism is what powers this country. There is a mental (and physical) shift away from “get a job with a big company, work for 40 years, and retire so you can finally travel.” (That sounds so ridiculous!) Is owning your own business harder than working for a company, hell yeah! But I don’t have to argue with my boss about how to use my PTO! I think this shift may be one reason businesses are having a harder time of staffing positions post-pandemic.

So on this Labor Day, value your time off! Our country is built on hard work, but we’ve spent years getting away from slavery and indentured servitude so don’t let your boss or company become a new master. Maybe spend sometime understanding what our labor laws are, like read the poster in the break room. Or shower an entrepreneur with praise (and fee advertisement). Or just plan how to use allll the PTO your company offers!

Stay safe out there!

Family Vacation

The last year and a half has been full of changes and differences. Last year, family vacation was cancelled because of a hurricane. We were stuck at home due to COVID for months and then we were stuck at home due to a hurricane for our vacation. We decided to stay home and stay safe and stay bored. I was so tired of being bored! And it seems so was the rest of the world!

I heard a story the other day about how National Parks were seeing such an influx of travel this summer. So much so, that they were having a hard time managing it with limited staff back at work. The true concern was for the waste and pollution being added to their work load. I don’t think people consider the impact they have on natural spaces. I was taught to “pack in – pack out” and “Leave Little”. Take out everything that you take in to a natural space. Leave as little trash behind as absolutely possible. Pack out your trash. Don’t use single use items, like paper towels, paper plates, and plastic ware. I can promise you my friends and family make constant fun of me for washing dishes at the yearly camping trip! I know that your small three day sum of paper and plastic products may not seem like much, but multiply that by the millions of people that are “road trippin” this summer and I can only imagine what Park Rangers are having to deal with this year.

So I had big plans for this summer! I wanted to travel and vacation and rest! But it didn’t happen the way I planned. We didn’t add to the throngs of people traveling around the country. Our summer has been consumed by summer school, summer jobs, and summer commitments. Now that the summer is coming to a close, and I am being a little reflective, I think it was more of a success than I was willing to give myself credit for. It’s just the the success looked very different this year than it has in previous years. But doesn’t that sum up 2020/21 pretty perfectly!

The hubby and I ended up in Maine on Peaks Island for a college roommates wedding. It was gorgeous! My favorite thing, besides navigating an island town so much like my beloved Ocracoke, was watching the full moon over the ocean. We didn’t do much resting because of the wedding shenanigans, but we spent time together, traveled, made some new friends and explored a new place. I thought it didn’t count as a vacation because we were so busy, but I was wrong. We didn’t rest physically, but we got to take an emotional and psychological break from reality. I didn’t realize it until we were home. After the mental stress involved in the last year and a half, I think being able to let loose a little was very healing for me. I didn’t have to worry about work schedules, school schedules, kids, dinner or animals. I just got to enjoy the place and people around me. The constant worry had really taken a toll on me, but I was so focused on getting through it I hadn’t really noticed. I think that our mental health has suffered most during COVID in my family. I was originally annoyed at not getting to do what I had planned for the summer, but, as always, God’s plan was better than mine!

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Beautiful wedding venue at The Inn at Peaks Island in Maine.

As for the girls, they had their own set of adventures! I have always wanted to give my kids a similar experience to my own growing up. I think I valued it so much that I thought they needed those experiences to be raised right. We always went on family vacations growing up. My whole family would travel for a week or two in an RV across different parts of the country exploring different things. We would fit 7 people in a van and drive through New York City or cross the Canadian border or see the Grand Canyon. So when my father passed away in January of 2020 a huge part of that changed for us, but mostly for my mother. She has been trying to figure out how to do things for herself after 50 years of having a partner. Travel was a big issue. So when my 13 year old daughter agreed to road trip with my mom to New York City, I wasn’t the least bit worried…maybe. But they did amazing! They visited the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 Memorial, Central Park, and Ellis Island. They navigated the hotel, the subway, and a bike tour. And most of all, they did it together! I am so glad that they have that experience to look back on forever. It is not the same experience I had in NYC with my entire family, but it is theirs and that is better!

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Annie’s adventures in NYC!

We have had beach trips and lake days and day trips and family days. We have managed to squeeze in a surprisingly large amount of things into a crazy busy, super packed summer. I’m beginning to understand that my experiences with my family, while similar to other families and other experiences, are as unique as each one of us are. I always want to explore and travel. I always want to do things with my girls. But I learned this summer that it’s okay to let them do their thing while I get to do mine. It’s another step of letting go of the control I felt that I had to have over everything. Growth and change have created a different path than anyone could have predicted this year, and I really like where it took us. We didn’t control the situation, but we did maneuver the way we responded to it. I’m proud of where we are each individually and as a family unit!

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I live for day trips and short vacations because of all the animals on our farm!

The Seller’s Market

If you are trying to sell your home, NOW is the time to do it! Sellers are at a HUGE advantage these days because there are so many buyers out there looking, and so few sellers actually listing their property. Let’s take a look at what that means for buyers, for sellers, and for the market in general.

June stats in the Charlotte market from Canopy MLS

Buyers may be having it the worst in this market. So we’ll start there. If you are in the exciting position to be searching for a home, you will find very little of the perfect inventory you wish for. I have a TON tricks and tips to finding a home in this market. One trick may be wait it out! I see things loosening up already so the fall looks like more inventory, a bounce back in new construction and less competition to buy. But if you definitely need to move quickly, make sure you do it with cash. Cash is still and will always be king. If you have it, use it…in Due Diligence, in the down payment, in the offer, use it anywhere there is an opportunity to entice people. If you don’t have it, there are ways to turn the equity you have in your current home into cash. Again, I have oh so many tricks!

The sellers plight is a little different. They have to be ready to move quickly. It is not the normal market where you have to be concerned about how clean or neat your house is. When you are ready to put your house on the market, just know that it will not last there, so make sure that you have a plan of how to move. The difficult question is always what to do first, but in this kind of chaos, I definitely suggest you sell first. There are companies out there that offer bridge packages. Sellers are in the position to request lease back options of their buyers. There is always the opportunity to do a short term lease, many of which can be found at airbnb or VRBO.

As a seller, a little strategy and forthought can help the sale move more smoothly. Go ahead and get a pre-inspection so you know what to fix. Using a little strategy when listing the property can help you and your family control the chaos that comes. My personal strategy is as follows: a. prep everything first, b. list the property as coming soon early in the week (Monday or so), c. turn it active on Friday night or Saturday morning, d. if necessary or desired, hold an open house on Saturday and Sunday, e. call for highest and best by 8PM on Sunday, and be under contract by Monday at noon. Most importantly, I cater our strategy to meet the needs of the family. It is not as difficult as those commercials make it sound! I have cash buyers with a two week close too, if that’s what you want!

Don’t try to navigate this market alone…and don’t let your friends do it either!

But what does it mean for the market? Well, there’s the rub, as they say. Sellers think it works well to their advantage that homes are selling at a higher price bringing them more money at closing. But are they? I used to think that a higher sale price meant higher property values for the neighborhood, and that seemed like a good thing! Now, after surviving through this for the last year, I can see two sides to the situation.

I was recently reading Promise Land by President Barack Obama. There is a section of the book that talks about the housing bubble that burst in the early 2000s. I was fascinated by the potential correlation between then and now! It described lending practices that allowed people to get loans at low to no interest rates. We are seeing those same types of loan packages. The difference right now is that borrowers have “good” credit AND some cash up front. Lenders seemed to have “sort of” learned their lesson. We actually have a lot of cases where loans don’t get funded because of the regulations developed by lenders after that market adjustment.

Is It Really Good For The Market?

One of the major problems during that housing bubble explosion, was that homeowners found themselves upside down on the value of their home. They paid a certain amount for the home, then property values tanked due to the market and recession, so they owed way more than the property was worth. We are currently seeing a lot of that. In a recent sale where I was the listing agent, the home sold for $70,000 over the price I listed it at. I do my research for market value! So I knew what the actual value of that home was. But the buyer was comfortable putting way more cash into it just to win the bid! Appraisers are trying to manage the market increase (or over manage in some cases) by using comparable properties that many agents and home buyers don’t find comparable at all! There is some argument that the market will make an upward adjustment in 6 months, but that’s a risk many buyers should struggle to trust.

I LOVE MY JOB! I love helping people achieve whatever their goal in real estate is…make money, buy a new house, get my family more space. But this market is not for the faint of heart! Be warned if you plan to enter into it. And get an amazing agent you trust (like me). AND THEN LISTEN TO THEM! Now more than ever, home buyers need a Buyer’s Agent to guide them through this chaos! Don’t do this alone and don’t let your friends do this alone!