How Fayetteville, NC Brings In 2012!

Fayetteville, NC has a lot of places to spend your New Year's Eve. Listed below are just a few of the places in town that will have some great festivities happening to bring in the year 2012.

Festival Park's New Year's Eve Party in the Park is the place to be this Dec. 31st!

Photo courtesy of the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival Committee

New Year’s Eve Party in the Park, Fayetteville, NC

Three....two....one!

You can celebrate the arrival of  2012 in Festival Park from 6:30pm until 12:30am. Admission is free before 9pm, $5 after. This event is family-friendly, with a kids area hosted by the Partnership for Children.

 

 

Via 216 is hosting a Latin Party from 9pm until 3am. Reservations are highly recommended.

Via 216
216 Tallywood Shopping Center, Fayetteville, NC 28303


The Crown Expo Center is presenting " New Year's Eve Party with a Purpose" with a Kenny Lattimore. The party starts at 9pm as well. 
 Tickets for couples are $45 and $48 for singles!
Crown Expo Center
1960 Coliseum Drive, Fayetteville, NC
(910) 438-4100


For just $10, you can enjoy three floors of entertainment, great food and a live radio broadcast at Hotel Bordeaux provided by WCCG 104.5.
For more information, call (910) 484-4932.


While all of these activities/parties are great, you can always ring in your new  year the traditional way at you home church on New Year's Eve. Whatever you do, and wherever you go be safe and have a great time!! 

 

Brick, Ranch styled home in established neighborhood

6931 Bostick Dr FAYETTEVILLE, NC Great starter home with updates in Village Hills
3BR/2BA Single Family House offered at $109,900 Year Built 1986 Sq Footage Unspecified Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking 1 Car garage Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $0 per month         see more photos >   Great Starter Home! Brick ranch in established neighborhood with UPDATES to include: HVAC unit, new roof, laminate floors, double pane windows and new carpet! This home offers 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, Greatroom with fireplace, kitchen/dining room combo, master bedroom with walk-in-closet! Home also features an above ground pool and deck for entertaining! Privacy fenced yard with outside storage shed! Seller to provide a one year home warranty to new owner. Must see! For more information about this home or any home in the surrounding area please call Patty with Litchfield Realty at 910-476-4267 or visit my website at www.Ask4Patty.com.
Patty Herrera Litchfield Realty (910) 476-4267 For sale by agent/broker

Custom built brick home in Longview!!

432 Raynor Dr FAYETTEVILLE, NC
3BR/2BA Single Family House offered at $174,900 Year Built 1973 Sq Footage 1 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $0 per month         see more photos >   Custom built solid brick handicap accessible home with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The greatroom features a wood burning fireplace. Kitchen with stainless steel appliances and large eat-in-kitchen. There is also a formal dining room/living room combo. The large master bedroom offers entry to backyard and master bathroom. Other amenities include: 2 tier deck with ramp, security system, central vacuum, intercom through home and front door, new garage door openers, fenced backyard and more! Must see this home! For more information about this home or any home in the surrounding area please call Patty with Litchfield Realty at 910-476-4267 or visit my website at www.Ask4Patty.com.
Patty Herrera Litchfield Realty (910) 476-4267 For sale by agent/broker

Cool Christmas Tree Decorating Tips

          Have you already set your Christmas tree in place and are ready to go? Or are you one of the many who has been procrastinating and has yet to get you tree out of the box (or lot)?? Well, whether you are an early riser or a late bloomer fear not, these tips may be able to help "spice up" your current decorations or give you ideas for when you finally decide to dust off your Christmas storage and have a go at your tree this year!  :)

Ribbon

Having kids and a tree are not a good match all the time, tinsel gets strewed everywhere, in hair, on clothes, and even on the pets! Ribbon is an alternative to the mess, it allows you to give your tree a smooth and elegant look and yet still keep the youthfulness of it!  Think about getting ribbon that matches the room that it will be in, and decorate accordingly.




Stand Out
Do you have white walls?  Have you ever thought about using a colored tree? Red trees, blue trees, etc. will be a great way to bring color into the room and make your tree stand out against the sea of white walls surrounding it.

Vintage
Gold trees are a great way to get that vintage look and feel. Since the metallic trees are such a wow factor themselves, there is no need to over decorate this one. Instead, choose one or two colors and have at it. (I would suggest some green to offset the gold) And be sure to get a tree skirt that adds a cohesive flow to your color scheme.

Golden Rule
Here is a great spin off a traditional tree. Instead of keeping the tree completely green, try spray painting (just to tint it) gold. not all over, but just accenting a few places and then go back and lightly cover the branches in spray snow. Add some gold accents and ornaments to the tree and you have a classic spin off of the classic tradition!


Black Out
A black Christmas tree is fairly new to me, however it gives way to many great decorating ideas. Because the color of the tree can be kind of daunting alone, you will want to grab ornaments that pop out. A nice bright blue with some white lights and a tree skirt (or rug) to match the ornaments would make your tree the center of attention this year!


White Out
Here we are, total opposite of the black tree is the infamous white tree. I have seen so many variations of the white tree, but my all time favorite would have to be a classic black and white. Although it is not your "traditional" Christmas colors, in a contemporary home this would be a perfect fit. Add a touch of black pine cones to your tree as well as white icicles and think about wrapping your presents in black and silver wrapping this year to add to the effect.

Color Coded

Some of the newest color trends this season is teal and copper. If you are adventurous and want to step out of the box, i would suggest adding copper colored leaves, glittered sprigs, and possibly some bay leaves. What this does is accentuate the tree and creates a lovely contrast that will have everyone in holiday spirits.

Fine Country Living!! $178,000 - Barley Rd

146 Barley

County living at it’s finest!  This beautiful home offers 3 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms. The spacious family room has a masonry fireplace and cathedral ceilings. The spacious kitchen come fully equipped with all appliances. The bay window in the eat-in-kitchen offers picture perfect views of the backyard. This home offers a formal living room and formal dining room with hardwood floors. The large master suite offers a walk-in-closet and master bathroom with garden tub and separate shower.  Enjoy the weather or a family bbq on the back deck while enjoying views of the beautiful professionally landscaped yard with over a 1 acre lot.  The seller is to provide a 1 year home warranty to new owners.  For more information on this home or other homes in the Fayetteville NC and surrounding areas call Patty with Litchfield Realty at 910-476-4267 or visit my website at www.ask4patty.com.  OR search all available homes for sale here!

AFFORDABLE HOME in Waters Edge!! $109,900

425 Bayberry Court

Nice contemporary home with a great location near McFadden Lake. Conveniently located to Fort Bragg, shopping and schools. This UPDATED home features 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. The sunken great room has vaulted ceilings and a fireplace. The kitchen offers plenty of cabinet and storage space. The master bedroom with bathroom is located downstairs. The other 2 bedrooms with jack and jill bathroom are located up. Home offers new carpet, ceramic tile in kitchen and bathrooms, new kitchen counter tops, new light fixtures and paint inside and out. Enjoy family time outside in the backyard with a deck made for BBQ’s. Home comes with a one year home warranty! 

PROPERTY FEATURES

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Central A/C	Fireplace	High/Vaulted ceiling
Tile floor	Family room	Dining room
Dishwasher	Refrigerator	Stove/Oven
Washer	Dryer	Laundry area - inside
Balcony, Deck, or Patio	Yard

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

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1301 - 1400 sq ft
 
Visit my website at www.ask4patty.com to view this home or any homes available in Fayetteville and the surrounding areas or call Patty at 476-4267.

To sell alone, or not to sell alone?..THAT is the question!

FSBO vs. Realtors®

Not too long ago, in a not so distant land, people who were in need of selling their home hardly considered doing so without that services of a Realtor®. It’s hard to believe, right? Back then, prices were constant and real estate agent commissions were not as outrageous as they can be nowadays. In today’s market For-Sale-By-Owner (FSBO) listings are increasing. I would advise you to weigh ALL of your options though. 

So you want to sell your house? You go to your local Home Depot, Lowe’s, or Wal-Mart and grab you a nice FOR SALE sign. As you drive the stake into your front yard, you are feeling a sense of accomplishment; you put an ad in your local newspaper, sit back and let the “magic” happen, right?  Wrong! True the majority of home sales are made by word-of-mouth, passer-bys, local ads and such, but the truth of the matter is your home is not equivalent to your ’57 Chevy sitting in a vacant lot awaiting a collector of old cars to come along and show interest in it.  In fact, before even purchasing “FOR SALE” signs a seller should be knowledgeable of the trends in the local real estate market in hopes to set competitive prices for their home. In addition to knowing the trends you have to also be familiar with local and state laws, disclosures, closing points, statutes regarding assessments, and title requirements. There are a lot of local resources such as your local building commission and title offices, local web sites that list FSBOs, and even some how-to books and manuals from your local library.

The real deciding factor on whether to list as a FSBO or get a Realtor® to assist in the process could very well be based on time vs money. With a Realtor®, you can be assured that your required paperwork is properly filed, assessments and inspections are scheduled, and that your property is properly marketed within your local Multi-listing Service (MLS). An agent can also take the guesswork and hassle out of negotiating closing costs, although the average for an agent commission is 4%-8%. Depending on the price your property is sold for this can be around $8,000 or more (for a $200,000 property). 

I would strongly suggest using a Realtor®, (not just because I am one! J) but for the fact that Realtors® can speed the process up due to our knowledge of handling loan and governmental bureaucracies. When looking for the “right” agent, a seller should look for someone who has a nice history  and leads in closings within their real estate office, someone who is readily equipped with a list of neighborhood that they have sold, and someone who has a list of clients that would highly recommend them.

I hope this article made some impact in your decision to choose a Realtor® or do a FSBO.

Feel free to contact me with any questions regarding Selling your home or with any real estate matter! I will be more than happy to assist you in your decision, no matter what route you choose to go!

Search All Available Homes For Sale in the Fayetteville NC/FortBragg NC Area

Country home with In-Ground Pool!

3BR/2+1BA Single Family House offered at $249,900 Year Built 1987 Sq Footage Unspecified Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $0 per month         see more photos >   Everything you want and more! Beautiful home in Wendemere Subdivision. This home is has been well maintained and features: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms plus bonus room with separate entry! Greatroom with fireplace, kitchen/eat-in-kitchen with bay window plus a formal dining room. The master bedroom is located downstairs and offers a walk-in-closet, laminate flooring, bay window, entry to screened porch and a master bathroom with dual vanities. All other bedrooms are upstairs. Watch the kids swim in the in-ground pool from the comforts of the screened back porch! Other amenities to include: sprinkler system, alarm system, gas logs, fenced backyard and a wired workshop. A 1 year home warranty will be provided to buyer. For more information about this home or any home in the surrounding area please call Patty with Litchfield Realty at 910-476-4267 or visit my website at www.Ask4Patty.com.

Patty Herrera Litchfield Realty (910) 476-4267 For sale by agent/broker

Cute AFFORDABLE home in Acorn Ridge

3BR/2BA Single Family House offered at $134,500 Year Built 2006 Sq Footage Unspecified Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors Unspecified Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $0 per month         see more photos >   Cute home in Acorn Ridge offering: 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Greatroom with fireplace, Spacious kitchen with dining area. The master bedroom features a walk-in-closet and master bath complete with garden tub and separate shower. Other amenities to include: security system, gutters, cathedral ceilings and privacy fenced back yard. Seller to provide a 1 year home warranty for new owners. For more information on this home or any home in the surrounding area please visit my website at www.Ask4Patty.com or call Patty with Litchfield Realty at 910-476-4267.

Patty Herrera Litchfield Realty (910) 476-4267 For sale by agent/broker

Mortgage Tips for First-Time Home Buyers

In this blog I will be talking about mortgages!!  Usually the biggest challenge for a first-time home buyer is getting enough money saved for a down payment, especially in metro area markets here in NC. There is a solution for that though! Thanks to an array of financing options available now, it is very likely to find mortgages for as much as 97% of a home’s value!!  To break it down, what this means is that you could put down as little as $5,441 for a home that costs $181,375 (estimated median home price in Fayetteville, NC for the month of Nov.)

 

 The catch? Your interest rate could possibly increase due to the low down payment. Don’t get scared! Even with a higher cost there are many more reasons to own YOUR own home. You gain intangible benefits, build equity through your homeownership, and it is the single biggest tax break available to many consumers.  Use this mortgage calculator to help determine if you are better renting or buying.

Whew! So after all of that you decide to buy into the “American Dream” of owning your first home. Here are a few strategies that would be beneficial to first-time home buyers:

Pay off your debt first

I cannot tell you how many times I have seen this happen: Johnny and Sue save as much as they can to cover their down payment but then are faced with the reality that a lender will not fund the whole amount of their loan due to their existing debt. Here is how it can be broken down; many lenders will not allow your total monthly debt to be in excess of 40% of your gross income. (This includes credit card payments, student/car loans, homeowner’s insurance, property taxes, AND mortgage payments!)

 

Instead, a better approach is to use the extra cash you do have and put it towards eliminating your credit card debt and other high-interest consumer debt.

Questionable Credit?

Worried that your less-than-perfect credit may affect your home buying experience? Worry no more, you may qualify for loans insured by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA). An FHA loan is a government-insured loan that allows you to put as little as 3% down, and get an interest rate for about less than a quarter of a point higher than those in the conventional market.

There is no limit to qualify for an FHA loan, however, since they are focused on first-time home buyers and low-to-moderate-income families there is a limit to how much you can borrow. The amounts vary by region with the overall max being $290,319. In order to get an FHA government-insured loan be sure that you have a HUD-approved lender, or at least a mortgage broker that works with one.

How Much Can You Afford?

Initially this may seem like a simple and basic answer that requires you looking at your checkbook and number crunching to see how much you can afford for a down payment. While that is a start it is only half of the 2-part function it takes to estimate how much you really can afford. The other half is figuring out how much you can borrow. Your mortgage payment, taxes, and insurance (homeowner’s) should not exceed 28% of your gross income. On top of that, you should determine how much cash you have for a down payment and still be able to leave yourself enough to pay closing costs (which can get to be 3-5% of the total home’s value. And always put a little cash to the side in the event of emergency repairs once you move in.

So based on everything we just discussed, the main points to take with you are

o        First and foremost – PAY DOWN YOUR DEBT!

o        If your credit is not good, look into optional funding             sources

o        Figure out how much you can REALLY afford prior to buying a home

o        Always keep in mind that if your mortgage (plus taxes and insurance) should not exceed 28% of your gross income, that leaves you with only 12% for any excess debt!