| NEW LISTING! PRICED FOR QUICK SALE! 7109 PORTO PLACE $104,900 |
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7109 PORTO PLACE Fayetteville, NC 28314 Great family/Bachelor/Bachelorette/Starter home. The home features 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath, spacious living rm, w/ eat in kitchen. Fenced back yard w/ above ground pool as well as outside storage. HVAC less than 4 years. Convenient to everything! Call Patty Herrera for more info 910-476-4267.
Patty Herrera Broker Direct: 910-476-4267 pattylr@nc.rr.com www.ask4patty.com 
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Friday, October 19, 2012
Mortgage rates Oct. 2012!
Mortgage rates remain near record lows
@CNNMoney October 18, 2012: 1:48 PM ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Rates on the average 15-year, fixed-rate mortgage hit a new low this week, falling to 2.66%, according to mortgage giant Freddie Mac.
The 15-year is particularly popular with homeowners who want to refinance their old mortgages to a lower rate and pay off their loan more quickly.
Interest rates on 30-year loans, which are popular among first-time homebuyers, averaged 3.37%, a single tick above the record low of 3.36% set two weeks earlier.
That may be happening already, according to Keith Gumbinger, of mortgage information company HSH.com.
"If the economy continues to show signs of improvement this fall, mortgage rates could firm a little more," he said. "For that to occur though, we'll need a lot more evidence that forward momentum is building."
Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's chief economist, said rates remained unchanged this week as "home construction builds up steam."
He noted that construction on single-family homes continues to rise, as does homebuilder confidence, both of which point to an improving housing market. 
Friday, March 30, 2012
5 ways to liven up your home before you sell
5
ways to liven up your home before you sell
We are slowly but
surely recovering from a long stint of slow home sales, however it is still considered a
buyer’s market out there. Many of the buyers will not be looking to invest in a
“fixer-upper” as they may not have the funds to take care of what is needed, so
before you put your home on the market apply these 5 steps to ensure that you
have a place “live” enough to attract the attention of your potential buyers.
Give
your Kitchen a Face-Lift
The kitchen may
very well be best place to start. You don’t have to over-do it. Replacing the
cabinet fronts in your kitchen will be a lot less costly than replacing them
all together. And replacing counter tops can give your kitchen that “edge” that
will grab buyer’s attention the moment they walk in. But keep it simple, you
don’t have to spend excessive money on your kitchen remodeling.
Carpets
Nothing says
welcome home than a clean carpet! If your carpet needs a little pick me up you
may want to rent a carpet cleaner or pay for a professional to deep condition
your carpets. If your carpets are badly worn and have stains that just won’t
come out then you might want to consider replacing it.
Curb
Appeal
A lot of us don’t
go in our homes through our front doors anymore, but our potential buyers do so
creating a “homey” feel would be best when looking to sell your home. Again,
you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars creating a brand new landscaping
look. At least make sure that the grass is cut and looks nice (preferable green).
If you have flower beds make sure that they are neat and up kept, add some
mulch and remove weeds if necessary. 
Bathroom
Makeover
Potential buyers
can get turned off by your bathroom. Take a good look at it and see what can be
done to make it more presentable. Although bathroom remodeling can become a bit
expensive, there are some simple improvement steps that you can make that
should not put you out too much. If you tub looks old, you can consider
re-glazing it. This makes it look “new” again without actually replacing it and
is affordable.
Painting
Adding a fresh
layer of paint to your walls will make your rooms stand out. The effect that
freshly painted walls have on homes is amazing; it can brighten up the room and
virtually make it look new again, which is exactly what we want our buyers to
see and think when we enter!
I hope that these
tips prove to be a winner for you. We all want our houses to be just as good as
our neighbors, but remember not to over-do it. Your renovations could increase
the price value of your home, but a lot of the time the most expensive house on
the block is often the hardest to sell, however the house that looks like it
has been neglected is even worse! Good luck and happy remodeling!!
Additional Resources:
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Country Charmer with LOTS of yard space!!
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Central A/C
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Renting? Know your rights!!
Renting? Know your rights!!
Most tenant-landlord relationships
are matches made in heaven, however I am not speaking on behalf of ALL of them.
There are some horror stories we’ve all heard about the exceptions. There are
laws that protect both the tenant and the landlord, but trying to understand
them all can be quite a headache. The basics are to at least know your rights
before you even sign a rental agreement. Researching and understanding the
terms of your lease in accordance to your state is your best guarantee.
15 common renters' rights
Although renters' rights vary by region, many are pretty predictable. Here's a sample of rights likely to be addressed in your state's landlord-tenant law:
Although renters' rights vary by region, many are pretty predictable. Here's a sample of rights likely to be addressed in your state's landlord-tenant law:
- The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to deny housing to a tenant on the grounds of race, color, sex, religion, disability, family status, or national origin.
- Residential rental units should be habitable and in compliance with housing and health codes—meaning they should be structurally safe, sanitary, weatherproofed, and include adequate water, electricity, and heat.
- Many states limit the amount landlords can charge for security deposits.
- A landlord should make necessary repairs and perform maintenance tasks in a timely fashion, or include a provision in the lease stating that tenants can order repairs and deduct the cost from rent.
- A landlord must give prior notice (typically 24 hours) before entering your premises and can normally only do so to make repairs or in case of an emergency.
- Illegal provisions in a rental agreement (provisions counter to state law) are usually not enforceable in court.
- If a landlord has violated important terms related to health, safety, or necessary repairs, you might have a legal right to break your lease.
- If you have to break a long-term lease, in most states landlords are required to search for a new tenant as soon as possible rather than charging the tenant for the full duration of the lease.
- Damage or security deposits are not deductible for "normal wear and tear." Some states require that a landlord give an itemized report of any deductions.
- Most states require landlords to return refundable portions of a security deposit within 14 to 30 days after the tenant has vacated the premises, even in the case of eviction.
- Landlords usually can't legally seize a tenant's property for nonpayment of rent or any other reason, except in the case of abandonment as defined by law.
- Landlords are legally prohibited from evicting tenants as retaliation for action a tenant takes related to a perceived landlord violation.
- A landlord cannot legally change the locks, shut off (or cause to have shut off) your utilities, or evict you without notice; eviction requires a court order.
- If a landlord makes life so miserable for you that it forces you to move, it may be considered "constructive eviction," which is usually grounds for legal action.
- In many states, it's illegal for a lease to stipulate that the tenant is responsible for the landlord's attorney fees in case of a court dispute.
Protect yourself
Before you move in, tour the premises with your landlord, and note -- or better yet, photograph -- any existing damage. When you move out, if your landlord withholds part of your damage deposit, ask for an itemized list of charges and the reason for the charges. If there's a discrepancy between this list and the one you made before moving in, let the landlord know immediately. Keep copies of all correspondence with your landlord, as well as dated records of phone and in-person conversations.
If you have a dispute
If your landlord takes an action that is illegal in your state or neglects a legality, you probably have grounds for legal action, but consider court as a last resort. First make every effort to resolve the problem by talking with your landlord. This is the simplest and least expensive approach to mediating disputes.
If the problem continues, enlist the
help of a neutral party or a mediator. Mediators are usually publicly funded
and available free or at low cost. To find out whether mediators are available
in your area, contact your mayor's or city manager's office and ask to talk
with someone about housing disputes or landlord-tenant mediation.
If all else fails, you can take
financial complaints to small claims court, provided your claim is under a
specified amount. Before you take this step, be sure to look up local law
regarding your responsibility for attorney fees. Most larger cities offer free
or low-cost legal support for tenants in case of a property dispute. You can
also contact your state bar association to ask about its lawyer referral
program, or check with local service agencies to find out about inexpensive
legal clinics.
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