Fayetteville, NC Real Estate Blog

We all know them.  They are around us everyday at the office and out among the public.  The NaySayers.

For anyone who doesn't know what a NaySayer is let me define it a little.  A NaySayer, well to me anyway, is someone who is always looking at the negatives that surround them.  The ones who say it can't be done, that won't work, it is not possible, etc.

Now, I am fully aware that the market has taken a turn.  Is it a turn for the worse?  Only if you view it that way.

Ok, listings are staying on the market for longer periods of time.  That is no doubt bad for the sellers.  But what does it open up?  It opens up the buyers market.  Buyers now have more time to decide on the home that they want and have a larger selection of those homes. 

I know in my market the average number of homes on the market has jumped 1000 in the last month.  What does that mean?  It means that agents are STILL out there listing and selling homes.  There would not have been 1000 additional homes if there were not agents that were listing, right?

Marketing also plays a huge part of the sell of homes.  Take for instance my personal property that I just put on the market last July.  I listed it in this "down" market and was in no way going to do so at a lowered price.  The CMA said it was worth a set amount and that's what I wanted.

Just 18 days after the listing...it went pending and we closed the sell on August 24th!  I did give in a little.  I had to drop the price by $1000 due to the appraisal and my CMA not being in agreeance and the appraisal taking precedence.  Now mind you this was in a neighborhood that had suffered some decline (hence our moving out) and a lot of the homes were going foreclosure.  Other homes on the street were only drawing a third of the price that I got.  So was I lucky?  No.  Did I market the heck out of the proerty? Yes.  Did I keep a positive attitude and not listen to the NaySayers that were around me? Yes.

Keeping a positive look is what this business is all about!  If you choose to believe what is being said about "how bad it is", well then that is probably going to be what your business becomes.  Remember, what you so you reap.

Looking at the current market we have to be at the bottom and now it is time for the best turn of all.  The upward turn.  This is when it is going to get exciting.  This is when agents are going to prove themselves.  At one time anyone could sell a home because the market was just that good....now it is going to take determination, marketing, persistance, and ATTITUDE!

So check your attitude at the door and make something happen today!

After doing some research here on AR I decided to explore the possiblities of doing a personal brochure.  After all our business cards can only say so much about us, right?

I found some good blogs on the subject and even some nice examples.  I first tried to build my brochure using my Broderbound Printmaster program but for some reason it crashed just about everytime I was finished with the brochure.  So after doing some more reading I found that I could make what I was after using Microsoft Publisher.  Ok, I admit it, I use Word and Excel all the time and am pretty familiar with those programs but I had not mastered Publisher.  Well after a couple of hours last night I had what I wanted as a finished product.

The reason I made these was that I wanted something like a resume' that I could hand out at an upcoming FSBO and first time buyer seminar that I am putting together.  I have my business cards which I am very found of but I wanted something that the FSBO seller or the first time buyer could take home and get to know a little about me.  After all, you would want to know something about someone you were trusting such a large responsibility to, wouldn't you?

I am now thinking of expanding on this idea.  Making individual brochures for the homes I have listed.  Everyone does the flier (some black and white, some color, but all the same) and I thought this would be different and maybe just maybe catch that buyers eye.  Not to mention I think it would be a definete hit with the seller.  Just think...something they could give out to the people they know showcasing their homes.

Thanks everyone for the great blogs full of ideas!  I love AR!

Well....as they say life changes.

I don't know how many of you are aware of it but I have been a part-time Realtor for the two years that I have been in the business.  I have conducted myself in an utmost (well in my opinion) professional manner and have always been able to meet my clients needs and be there for everything needed.  It has taken some creative shifting of things but I have always gotten it done.

As of yesterday, August 20, 2007, I gave myself a birthday present (don't forget...August 24th) and jumped without a safety net.  After 18 years in the fire service and having a LONG way until retirement I have decided to turn in my two-week notice and go full-time with real estate.  I know crazy considering what the current market is doing but I have always been able to hold my head above water and keep on the positive side of cash flow.

After much consideration and prayer my wife and I decided that it was now or never.  I do have my family's complete support on this which made it easier.

The fire service was really wearing on me.  Many years of seeing things that no ordinary person sees can really take a toll on someone.  I came to the point that I loathed going into work and that is truly no way to live.  My wife had told me that I had become a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde when it came to doing the fire service and the real estate business.  She made it known that I was always much happier when I was doing something related to real estate.

So....here we are.  Life has changed.  I will admit that I am a nervous wreck right now but I have a full head of steam and am pushing forward with my dreams. 

Any words of encouragement or tips would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks for reading my ramblings....

The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.  Talk about an eye opener!  If you don't like starring truth in the face then this book should not be on your "must read" list.  Dave lays it all out there, as it is, even if most of us refuse to face the truth.

Credit issues, debt, bankruptcy, making good money but really being BROKE...all of thee topics are covered in this book.  Dave gives real-life practical examples of truths versus myths when it comes to handling money and ways to finally get out of the debt and live life making NO payments to anyone and becoming wealthy.

Here are some of the topics that are covered in this book:

Here is a link to sample chapter of the book if you want to explore it a little:

http://www.totalmoneymakeover.com/media/pdf/chapter_2.pdf

Here is a link to site built just for the book:

https://www.mytotalmoneymakeover.com/index.cfm?

Throughout my life I have been skeptical of books like these but after hearing that my church had a cell group (small informal meetings that are put together to bring people together and explore life and move forward in faith) I decided to visit my local library and see what all of the hype was about when it came to Dave Ramsey.

After beginning to read the book I found that it was actually hard to put down.  We all know what we should be doing in life when it comes to our finances but do we do it?  Most of us probably don't and I truly believe that it is because of what Dave Ramsey says...we are taught skills such as reading and writing and how to earn a living in school but we are never taught what we should do with those earnings once we have them.  According to Dave we all will have approximately 2 million...yes, I said MILLION go through our hands throughout our lifetime.  I don't know about you but that money is not in my bank account...so I opened my mind to what Dave had to say to see if I could hold onto a little more of what comes in.

So far...although I have been good enough not to be swimming in debt in my lifetime...the bills I do have are shrinking by using Dave's plan.  Dave's plan when you sit back and look at it is really common sense...thinking that we sometimes forget to use.  You know...the impulse stuff we do as humans.

I think the most important thing I got from reading this book was finance knowledge.  I plan to share this book with both friends and family and probably even clients.

Remeber...the definition of INSANITY is...doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Just remember this quote from the book if you don't remember anything else.

Don't try to keep up with the Jones'.....the Jones' are BROKE!

Welcome to Fayetteville, North Carolina!  A great place to live!

Being a native of Fayetteville I guess you could say that I am kind of partial to this area.  Wayyyy back in 1971 I was born in Cape Fear Valley Medical Center located in Fayetteville....so I guess you could say I am a lifelong resident.  Other than a short 8 years of living in a neighboring county I have always been a resident of Fayetteville.

So what is it that makes the Fayetteville / Fort Bragg area a great place to live?  Well, I am going to give you a few examples.  Join me as we take this journey...won't you?

                                                           " The Market House"

Ahhh....the olde market house.  The centerpiece of Fayetteville, NC.

The Market House was built in 1832 on the site of the old State House, which was destroyed by fire in 1831. It was within the walls of the State House that North Carolina had ratified the Constitution of the United States in 1789 and chartered the University of North Carolina. Also here North Carolina ceded her western lands to form the state of Tennessee.

The focal point of downtown Fayetteville, the Market House sits in the center of the intersection of Green, Gillespie, Person, and Hay Streets. For decades meat and produce were sold beneath its arches by local farmers, while the second floor was the town hall. In recent years the second floor has been used as a public library, chamber of commerce offices, and an art museum. Many distinguished visitors have spoken from its balconies.

Architecturally unique in North Carolina, the Market House is one of the few structures in America to use this town hall-market scheme found in England. The clock chimes the hours and the bell in the cupola still rings at 7:30 AM for breakfast, at 1:00 PM for dinner, at sundown, and at 9:00 PM, once the curfew hour.

                                           "Airborne and Special Operations Museum"

The Airborne & Special Operations Museum is run jointly by the non-profit Museum Foundation, made up of local business, civic and government leaders, and the Department of the Army. Opened August 2000, it now stands as a stunning symbol of the teamwork that Fayetteville and Fort Bragg have developed over the past eighty years. Located at 100 Bragg Boulevard at the intersection with Hay Street, the museum is an anchor for downtown revitalization and a shining example of the local community's belief in the importance and viability of this historic part of the city.

A part of the U.S. Army Museum System, the museum tells the story of Army airborne and special operations units from their 1940 origin and movement to the Fayetteville area in March of 1942, through the present. The 59,000 square-foot, 22.5 million dollar museum houses many rare and impressive artifacts, including a C-47 "Skytrain" airplane suspended from the ceiling, complete with a paratrooper in the door. A fully restored CG-4A glider, one of only a handful that remain from WWII, is on display, along with two helicopters, a Sheridan tank, and a complete collection of uniforms, equipment and weapons spanning the sixty-year history of this exciting segment of the armed forces.

While the exhibit gallery provides a picture of the origins and progression of airborne and special operations training and warfare, the museum's movie and motion simulator give visitors an up-close look at what the Army's finest are capable of today. Narrated by Benjamin Franklin, the exclusive movie Descending from the Clouds is a larger than life depiction of modern airborne units in training. For those who need to be in on the action, a ride on the Pitch, Roll & Yaw Motion Simulator lets the visitor "ride along" as special operations soldiers jump, ski, ride and fly through high-speed training.

Museum hours: 10am - 5 pm, Tuesdays through Saturdays, Noon - 5 pm Sundays. Closed Monday; open Federal holiday Mondays. Admission is free; there is a charge for the movie and motion simulator. (910) 483-3003.

                                                        "The Crown Coliseum"

The nights, the lights and all the stars! Entertainment at the Crown delights thousands of all ages! The state-of-the-art Crown Coliseum opened in October, 1997 and has steadily proved to be the premier venue in eastern North Carolina, continuing to set new success records! This versatile facility hosts world-class concerts and performances, an ice floor for pro hockey and ice shows and a variety of configurations for assemblies and meetings.

The Crown was creatively designed to offer every seat in the house an excellent view and the building can be set up for multiple purposes with full house seating at 13,500 and half house seating at 7,000. The main exhibit floor is 20,000 square feet - plenty of space for a three-ring circus, a monster truck show or seating for 2,000 theater style, 1,000 for a banquet or 100 - 10 X 10 booths.

Fort Bragg is known as the "Home of the Airborne and Special Operations Forces." Fort Bragg is the home for the XVIII Airborne Corps and the 82nd Airborne Division. The US Army Special Operations Command and the US Army Parachute Team (the Golden Knights) also call Fort Bragg home.

Our Mission is to maintain the XVIII Airborne Corps as a strategic crisis response force, manned and trained to deploy rapidly by air, sea and land anywhere in the world, prepared to fight upon arrival and win.

These are just a few of the things that make me proud to call the Fayetteville / Ft. Bragg area home.  Come, visit and I think you will agree.  Fayetteville, North Carolina is a GREAT place to live!