Real Estate Information Archive

Happy, Rainy Monday!

I hope you had a nice weekend despite the wet weather.  I for one can not wait for Spring!!

Although mortgage interest rates have ticked up slightly, they still remain at historic low levels.  We know that inflation is looming and at some time the bubble will burst and rates will go well above their current level.  Todays rates in combination with significantly lower home values is allowing large numbers of people who simply have not been able to purchase a home before to be able to jump in and become home owners.  The kind of opportunity that home buyers have today is rare and just like the sellers market of several years ago, it wont last forever.  

We are starting to see more activity in the market.  I think buyers are realizing that now really is the best time to be in the market to buy a home.  I don't think we'll see any strong appreciation in values in the coming months but hopefully over the first 2 quarters of 2011 we'll see the depreciation level off.  Only time will tell and we're certainly keeping an eye on things.

Please call or email with all your real estate needs!

Have a great week!

The Cameron Team

Melanie Cameron, Broker 910.233.2840

Susan Harkins, Buyer Specialist, 910.431.2362

Gina Martin, Buyer Specialist, 910.619.1987

Alexa Winstead, Marketing/Closing Coordinator 910.202.2547

Diligently working to exceed real estate expectations in Wilmington, NC and surrounding areas including Ogden, Porters Neck, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Castle Hayne, Leland, Burgaw, Rocky Point, and Hampstead.

P.S. If you would like to receive this update on Monday via e-mail, you can sign-up for our weekly newsletter by sending us a quick contact.

Happy Monday!

Great weather in the Port City this weekend.  I hope you were able to enjoy it.

Some positive economic news last week as new home sales reportedly rose 17.5% in December which is reiterating the fact that the housing market is recovering - albeit, very slowly.  The Fed also announced that they would be making no change to the Fed Fund Rate.  We're still seeing interest rates go up and down depending on the news of the day and that's a trend I think we'll continue to see for the immediate future.  Interest rates are still very competitive for home buyers.  Take advantage of them while you can.

The NC Real Estate Commission in conjunction with the NC Bar Association changed our contracts effective January 1st.  Now more than ever it's crucial to be financially prepared BEFORE you start searching for a home.  In doing so, here are 4 tips to make your home search go smoothly.

1. Check your credit score to make sure there are no surprises or errors on it.

2. Get Pre-approved.  This means get your financial information to your lender before you start your home search so you are confident you qualify for a loan.  More importantly, you'll have a good idea of what your closing and monthly expenses will be.  A lender typically requires W2's for the past 2 years, 2 months of pay stubs, most recent checking, savings and investment  bank statements.  More may be required so ask your lender what they'll need.

3. Set aside cash for closing.  Know and make sure you have  the money you'll need to close on the loan.  Prior to closing, stay current on ALL your payments,  don't make any big purchases, and don't sign or cosign on any other loans.

4. Have proper  buyer representation from a Realtor who knows the market and can negotiate the best deal for you.

If you have any questions about this or anything else real estate related, just give us a call or email.

Have a great week!

The Cameron Team

Melanie Cameron, Broker 910.233.2840

Susan Harkins, Buyer Specialist, 910.431.2362

Gina Martin, Buyer Specialist, 910.619.1987

Alexa Winstead, Marketing/Closing Coordinator 910.202.2547

Diligently working to exceed real estate expectations in Wilmington, NC and surrounding areas including Ogden, Porters Neck, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Castle Hayne, Leland, Burgaw, Rocky Point, and Hampstead.

P.S. If you would like to receive this update on Monday via e-mail, you can sign-up for our weekly newsletter by sending us a quick contact.

Happy Monday!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and stayed warm.  It's still unusually cold here and we saw some more sleet/snow this weekend.  Spring, please hurry!!!!

Well, what I have been saying for months has recently been echoed by the NAR's Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun.  Yun acknowledged recently that the pattern over the past 6 months is clearly showing a recovery and that "the recovery will likely continue as job growth gains momentum and rising rents encourage more renters into ownership while exceptional affordability conditions remain."

While I think the distressed sales in our area will keep home values from seeing any significant appreciation in the near future, I do think buyers are starting to see that conditions are very favorable for home ownership.  Interest rates are still very favorable as well as selection of homes on the market.  Another good sign is seeing that investors accounted for 20% of the transactions in December (according to NAR).

If you're thinking about buying or selling and want to explore your options, just give us a call.  We're here for all your real estate needs.

Have a great week!

The Cameron Team

Melanie Cameron, Broker 910.233.2840

Susan Harkins, Buyer Specialist, 910.431.2362

Gina Martin, Buyer Specialist, 910.619.1987

Alexa Winstead, Marketing/Closing Coordinator 910.202.2547

Diligently working to exceed real estate expectations in Wilmington, NC and surrounding areas including Ogden, Porters Neck, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Castle Hayne, Leland, Burgaw, Rocky Point, and Hampstead.

P.S. If you would like to receive this update on Monday via e-mail, you can sign-up for our weekly newsletter by sending us a quick contact.

Happy MLK, Jr. Day!  I hope you've had a wonderful weekend.  I'm certainly happy to see the days starting to get a bit longer.  Spring can not get here fast enough!

Good news on the economic front as many reports are showing signs that our economy is improving.  Stocks just had their 7th straight week of gains and December's Jobs report posted the lowest unemployment rate since May 2009.  The good news with all this is that once people feel more secure about the economy and job security, home buying will increase and values will follow.  On the flip side, as the labor market and economy improve, home loan rates will inevitably start to rise as well.  Interest rates are still very attractive so whether you're looking to purchase or refinance, I'd seriously start looking at your options.  If you need some guidance or have questions, just give us a call.

Check us out on Facebook at:

http://tinyurl.com/2u95f53 or search "Cameron Team"

 Have a great week!

The Cameron Team

Melanie Cameron, Broker 910.233.2840

Susan Harkins, Buyer Specialist, 910.431.2362

Gina Martin, Buyer Specialist, 910.619.1987

Alexa Winstead, Marketing/Closing Coordinator 910.202.2547

Diligently working to exceed real estate expectations in Wilmington, NC and surrounding areas including Ogden, Porters Neck, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Castle Hayne, Leland, Burgaw, Rocky Point, and Hampstead.

P.S. If you would like to receive this update on Monday via e-mail, you can sign-up for our weekly newsletter by sending us a quick contact.

Happy Monday from snowy Wilmington!  

We've had an exciting snow day here.  At my house about 6 inches of the white stuff.  Only in Wilmington do you use knee boards and surf boards for sleds and you have to change shoes every 30 minutes while you're outside (because we don't have snow boots either)!  At any rate, a fun snow day!

Now that the holidays are over, we're definitely seeing an improvement in the market.  Interest rates are still great and to reference a tweet I received today from Joe Kennedy, "smart money always wins, capitalize and thrive in a down economy."  Couldn't have said it better myself.  As I've said before, we won't know the market has "bottomed out" until we're well pass that point.  There are some great opportunities right now whether you are a first time or move up buyer.

Want to explore your options?  Just give us a call.  We're here to help!

Have a great week!

The Cameron Team

Melanie Cameron, Broker 910.233.2840

Susan Harkins, Buyer Specialist, 910.431.2362

Gina Martin, Buyer Specialist, 910.619.1987

Alexa Winstead, Marketing/Closing Coordinator 910.202.2547

Diligently working to exceed real estate expectations in Wilmington, NC and surrounding areas including Ogden, Porters Neck, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Castle Hayne, Leland, Burgaw, Rocky Point, and Hampstead.

P.S. If you would like to receive this update on Monday via e-mail, you can sign-up for our weekly newsletter by sending us a quick contact.

We're on a billboard!

Aren't digital billboards just awesome?