What is in and What is out for 2007 For Buyers!

What's In, What's Out with Homebuyers in 2007

In
The housing correction. My prediction in the 2006 "What's In, What's Out" I forecasted a soft decline in home prices in most markets. In 2007 I project a 5-8% decline in prices on average between single-family and condominium homes.
Homes that are priced right. It isn't the boom market of 2005, look at only the sold comparable's from the last six months. Forget the cocktail party chit-chat when all you heard was record prices in the shortest market times in U.S. real estate history.
Online home valuation sites ( Zillow.com). Mainly those that utilize up-to-date and reliable home sale data. Technology is great when it works, but tread carefully with online valuation web sites. Ask yourself how long does it take your recorder of deeds and real estate transactions to record them? If up-to-the-minute, okay, otherwise plan the lead time into the online valuation to spew out accurate information.
Market timing. Many buyers and sellers were on their own timelines in 2006 and they missed opportunities that were created by not recognizing the real estate markets ebb and flow. Spring is high market, the most demand by the largest number of buyers. Summer is a good market, fall is fair, and winter is the remnant market, the left-over buyers and sellers from the high, good, and fair markets.
Savvy buyers. With interest rates historically low and bent-up demand from a soft year in 2006, the deals and lack of frenzy won't last long. "Deferred demand" from 2006 could ignite a mini-frenzy in some markets.
Third places or officetels. Home offices are on the rise, though those who work from one, need more than a coffee shop or hotel lobby for business meetings. Look for alternative work spaces that bridge the home office with hourly rentals of conference room-type spaces that offer technology and privacy.
Upscale garages. It's no longer the out-of-sight-out-of-mind dumping ground. Today's garage owners want them decked out with cabinet and storage systems, mini-refrigerators, insulation, heating and air conditioning and durable but residential-looking flooring.
Caving. Man caves and Mom caves are coming out of the closet. Personal dedicated space for one person in a household can go and work on projects or "chill" without being disturbed and if so only in an emergency.
Two home offices. Rising gas prices and commuting times have created more two-work-at-home families. Size matters, make sure each is at least ten-by-ten feet.
Rejuvenation rooms. A one-stop space for exercising, meditation, yoga, sauna and fancy steam showers. Showers are going upscale too. Waterfall fixtures, programmable temperature and water flow are the next trend for "showerers".
Heated patios, walkways and driveways. Northern baby-boomers are tired of shoveling and are looking for ways to decrease winter maintenance, plus many have discovered how also heating the patio can add an extra couple of weeks enjoyment in spring and fall.
Snoring rooms. Offered as options in new homes, adjacent, second bedrooms to the master, offer relief from the "buzz saw" and an alternative to the couch. A godsend for millions of relationships nationwide.
Modular Housing. Many think of the out-dated double wide as the typical modular, but modular options and quality have exploded from the top end 11,000 square foot home, with every whistle and bell, complex finishing details, to the bread and butter 1200 square foot starter home. Low-cost, factory-built construction and quick conception to foundation times, make this the affordable wave of the future.
Sustainable Design. Sustainable design is based on three areas; energy conservation, indoor air quality, and resource conservation. Viewed as new-age in construction circles, sustainable design looks at homes holistically, and not just a group of unrelated systems thrown together. Natural forms of energy, such as wind, solar, and geo-thermal if available on-site, are maximized.
Structured wiring. Right up there with all the buzz about green homes is structured wiring, now entering the main stream must-have for technology based home buyers. Coaxial TV cable (RG-6), Category 5E voice and data lines, distributed radio, remote camera security are wired through out a home into multi-outlet boxes called in the trade, home network centers.
Mixing finishes on kitchen base and wall cabinets. Matchy-matchy is out in kitchen design. The new look is to have stained-wood bases and painted wood upper cabinets. The old-europe-look rules, but with today's appliances.
Out
"As is" in home sale marketing. Anything went in the boom market, but if you're planning to use "as is" in 2007, forget it. The two letter-two word kiss of death, buyers see it as a red flag about the home and you the seller. You have too much competition to be chasing buyers away.
Buyer incentives. Free cars don't sell houses, realistic pricing does. Gimmicks only confuse and distract buyers. Cut to the chase and deduct the cost of your free-with-purchase from your current price and send the signal to buyers that you're selling real property not personal property.
Endless Open Houses. The open house pendulum has swung from " the house sold in the first day" to "we need to have our house open every Sunday". Desperation is when your home is open every Sunday. Buyers know and track it. Plan on every three weeks to have a public open house.
Over-full-price offers. It was a strategy in the boom market to under-price a home and let the market set the selling price. Not today, one thing that won't change in 2007 is that every buyer will want a deal, and walk from one if they don't get one.
Bedrooms not large enough for a bed. In the boom, rehabbers and developers learned the fastest way to profit was to increase the room count of a home of an existing home. Bedrooms shrunk to walk-in closet size when a four-room one-bedroom was gut-rehabbed into a four-room two-bedroom. Or, the doorways and windows eliminate required wall space. Savvy agents kept asking, can you fit a queen-size bed in either room? And the answer was usually, no.
Loads of glass upper kitchen cabinet doors. Buyers say it looks great, but many who specified and experienced it, firsthand don't have the time to keep their kitchen cabinets organized. Plus if you hate washing the windows, having more glass in a greasy room like a kitchen is high-maintenance.
Bowl-shaped above-counter bathroom sinks. The splashing and over-all up-keep have earned these the reputation of nice to look at, but don't want one.
Any shiny metal finish. Brushed nickels and pewter's are in and antiqued and polished brass is out.
Stainless-steel refrigerators and dishwashers are a fading trend. The cold look and higher maintenance of steel is shifting buyers to specify warmer colors in kitchen appliances.
Spiral staircases. Once the rage for mid-seventies make over's, now death to a home seller. The boomers have aged, their kids don't like them, unfriendly to pets and young children. Take yours out and put in a standard staircase (inside or out) before you sell.
On the way out.
Bamboo floors. The first reviews are in on this popular eco-friendly flooring, and they're not pretty. Easily dented and scratched, and prone to warping from variations in our climate and humidity levels.
Hardwood laminate floors. The word is out that these noisy poor relatives of solid hardwood that don't stand up to multiple sanding's to change color or to remove stains.
Home sellers who smoke in their home while it is being marketed. Buyers hate second-hand and stale smoke odors. Marketing your home is not the same as living in it. If you have to smoke go outside.

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All About Winston Salem

Old SalemFORSYTH COUNTY (www.co.forsyth.nc.us) Forsyth County began as a Moravian settlement in 1753. The town of Salem was founded in 1766 as the central town in the area. In 1851, the town of Winston was named the county seat. Winston and Salem (www.ci.winston-salem.nc.us) eventually merged into one metropolitan area that is now the largest city in Forsyth County and the 5th largest city in the state of North Carolina. A one hour drive from Winston-Salem takes you to the breathtakingly beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway. Visiting mountain communities for spectacular leaf watching, skiing, and shopping for handcrafted artwork are just a few of the weekend activities you can enjoy. A four hour drive has you walking along some of the most pristine beaches of the Atlantic coastline. Winston-Salem is home to the nations first arts council, The Stevens Center for the Performing Arts, The North Carolina School of the Arts, numerous museums, festivals, historic parks, performing arts theatres, and the Winston-Salem Symphony. The Piedmont Triad was ranked one in the top 100 cities for high-tech growth according to "Standard and Poor's" report on U.S. Metro economies. Wake Forest University has been rated as one of the most "wired" campuses in the US.
City of Winston-SalemWinston-Salem has the lowest cost of living within any metro area of North Carolina. With a population of about 174,000 people, Winston-Salem has big city opportunities with a small home-town feel.
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Festival of Lights is Now Open!Tanglewood Park is pleased to once again present the annual Festival of Lights running through January 1, 2007. Read More

Celebrate 2007 at The Festival of Bikes!Tanglewood Park and The National Multiple Sclerosis Society invite you to come out and celebrate the New Year on January 3rd with a 4-mile leisurely bike ride through Tanglewood! Read More

2007 Golf Clinics Now AvailableDoes your golf game need improvement? Be part of the most rewarding golf instruction sessions in the Triad! Read More

Charlotte's Web . . . a 4-H Movie?Yes . . . So much so that for every ticket certificate purchased to see Charlotte's Web, a $1 donation will be made by Hollywood Movie Money to 4-H. Read More

W-S/Forsyth Co. Beehive Launched!Looking for information about finances, health, schools, jobs, child care and other important topics? Visit the Beehive for all this and more! Read More
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New Neighnorhoods in Raleigh, NC

Dear JoAnne,Pulte Homes is pleased to announce the Grand Opening of three new communities: Glenwood Crossing, McCrimmon at the Park and Harmony, coming this January and February.Glenwood Crossing, located in Raleigh at the corner of Ebenezer Church Road and Marvino Lane, right off Glenwood Avenue will feature two-story town homes with one and two-car garages. The homes will have three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and range from 1,490 to 1,760 square feet. In addition to this incredible location convenient to shopping, dining, and nightlife, Glenwood Crossing will offer a community pool and cabana.Grand Opening January 20th!McCrimmon at the Park, located in Cary, will feature single family homes with a two-car garage and town homes with a one-car garage. The single family homes will feature four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, two-car garage and range from 2,217 to 2,474 square feet with basement available. The town homes will feature three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, one-car garage and range from 1,490 to 1,564 square feet. Located within minutes of Research Triangle Park, RDU International Airport, shopping and dining, this location is truly unbeatable. McCrimmon at the Park will have a community pool and cabana.Grand Opening February 3rd!Harmony, located in Cary, will embody all the beauty of Cary and all the ease of convenience. Located on Turner Creek Road, right off Highway 55, Harmony will include amenities such as the community pool, clubhouse and tot lot. Homes in Harmony will range from 2,217 to 3,650 square feet with basement opportunities available. Some homes will also offer a third story retreat and three-car garage option.Grand Opening February 10th! For more information about any of these communities, please contact us at raleighinfo@pulte.com. We look forward to helping you and your clients at our new communities opening in the New Year!Sincerely,Pulte Homes of RaleighWHAT'S NEW? Experience the delight shared by Pulte Homes homeowners directly through their testimonials.

New Neighnorhoods in Raleigh, NC

Pulte Homes is pleased to announce the Grand Opening of three new communities: Glenwood Crossing, McCrimmon at the Park and Harmony, coming this January and February.Glenwood Crossing, located in Raleigh at the corner of Ebenezer Church Road and Marvino Lane, right off Glenwood Avenue will feature two-story town homes with one and two-car garages. The homes will have three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and range from 1,490 to 1,760 square feet. In addition to this incredible location convenient to shopping, dining, and nightlife, Glenwood Crossing will offer a community pool and cabana.Grand Opening January 20th!McCrimmon at the Park, located in Cary, will feature single family homes with a two-car garage and town homes with a one-car garage. The single family homes will feature four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, two-car garage and range from 2,217 to 2,474 square feet with basement available. The town homes will feature three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, one-car garage and range from 1,490 to 1,564 square feet. Located within minutes of Research Triangle Park, RDU International Airport, shopping and dining, this location is truly unbeatable. McCrimmon at the Park will have a community pool and cabana.Grand Opening February 3rd!Harmony, located in Cary, will embody all the beauty of Cary and all the ease of convenience. Located on Turner Creek Road, right off Highway 55, Harmony will include amenities such as the community pool, clubhouse and tot lot. Homes in Harmony will range from 2,217 to 3,650 square feet with basement opportunities available. Some homes will also offer a third story retreat and three-car garage option.Grand Opening February 10th! For more information about any of these communities, please contact us at raleighinfo@pulte.com. We look forward to helping you and your clients at our new communities opening in the New Year!Sincerely,Pulte Homes of RaleighWHAT'S NEW? Experience the delight shared by Pulte Homes homeowners directly through their testimonials.