Jo Ann Doyle

Single Story For Sale in English Trails

2011-08-23T13:36:00Z

Great Schools and Lower Taxes

• 2,915 sq. ft., 2 bath, 4 bdrm single story - MLS® $285,000 - Fantastic Cul-de-sac Home

English Trails, Fort Mill [York County] - Great KB home w/ open floor plan and Huge Kitchen w/ Large Island, Granite Countertops, Gas Range, Can Lights and Tons of Cabinet Space. Private Cul-de-sac lot that is great for safe play. Large Deck off of Main floor w/ views of woods behind. Unfinished Walk Out Basement is already Wood & Steel Framed w/ Insulation and Plumbing for Bathroom. Huge Master w/ Large Walk In Closet & Garden Tub. Main Floor has Beautiful Hardwoods, Ceiling Fans Throughout and there is Lots of Natural Light in this Home. Great Neighborhood in an Exceptional Location w/ easy access to I77 & I485 as well as being very close to Pineville, Southpark, Ballantyne and Carowinds areas & Low Fort Mill Taxes.

Property information

FHA Bridal Registry - What a great idea! What could be better than getting help towards your first home!

2011-07-11T16:45:00Z

FHA designed the program for maximum flexibility and simplicity. It is recommended that the FHA Bridal Registry be created prior to sending out wedding invitations. Many couples create their registry about 6 months prior to their big day. A great way to inform your guests is through a wordpress bridal page. Many couples are creating these blogs to record all the memories leading up to their wedding. By including an insert with a link to your bridal page in you invitation, your guests can learn about your FHA Bridal Registry and dream of owning your own home in a subtle way.

In order to set up your FHA Bridal Registry:

Open an interest baring savings account at the bank of your choice
Your friends and relatives can make gift deposits directly into the account a great way to facilitate this is to post a printable deposit slip for your new account.
These gifted funds can be applied to your 3.5% deposit required by FHA.
FYI you do not have to wait until after the wedding to close on your new home
Also please note: anyone with an interest in the purchase cannot be party to the gift funds (i.e. seller, mortgage consultant, Realtor, etc.)

The FHA Bridal Registry will take the guesswork out of the gift selection while providing friends and relatives with the assurance they are giving the gift the wedding couple really want and need. The program provides a rare opportunity for newlyweds to own their dream home.

This program is not limited to couples intending to be marries. A similar account may be set up for any occasion where gifts are typically received. It is important to note, these funds belong to the recipient and may be used for anything of the recipients' choice.

10 Great Cities for College Grads

2011-06-18T21:37:00Z

Cramming for final exams is over and you've got your degree. Now the real test begins. As graduates prepare to enter the workforce, they'll find the best job market in the last five years, according to career experts. The bad news: average starting salaries for new grads have dropped below $30,000 during the same time frame.

Here are ten U.S. cities that may offer exceptional opportunities for recent grads in a rebounding economy.

We began our search using the same criteria we applied to select our list of Best Cities for the Next Decade: healthy economies fueling new job growth. We then refined our search by looking at factors of interest to the post-grad set, such as rent affordability, access to public transportation, overall cost of living, culture, nightlife and the percentage of people ages 20 to 24.

Take a look. And let us know what you think with a reader comment.

Written by Caitlin Dewey
Produced by Andrea N. Browne

Read more: http://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/great-cities-for-new-grads-2011/1.html#ixzz1PfNZqQdx

5 Real Estate Mistakes to Avoid

2009-02-27T16:54:00Z

If you are considering putting your home up for sale in the current market this is good information. Do you agree?? What suggestions do you have to make a home sell faster?

We've been hearing for months that the housing market is lousy. There's 18 months worth of inventory out there and houses, depending on where they are, can sit on the market for as long as 8 months to a year, experts said.

Here's what some real estate agents identify as the five worst mistakes you can make in a declining market:

5: Not hiring a professional real estate agent. "Ninety-five percent of the people that are purchasing are working with a buyer's agent. If you do for sale by owner, by yourself you are eliminating that 95 percent of the market," said Artrice Clark, of Keller Williams Gold Coast. Citicondo.com's Patrick Schell said that only 2 percent of successful home sales are For Sale By Owner. "It's a numbers game," he said.

4: Not maximizing your marketing -- particularly on the Internet. Eighty to 90 percent of buyers start their search online, according to Roger Lautt, of WeSellChicago.com. Lautt -- a 25-year real estate veteran -- also stressed the use and quality of photos. "I will not put something on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) until I have all the photos ... people love photos and a number of those people may not go back to look it up again because it has no photos."

3: Not making your home accessible. When a seller has trouble making appointments, "there is so much more inventory we can look at," Schell said. "If a property isn't accessible and somebody makes a request to see it, and you aren't able to show it to them, it's quite likely that they aren't going to come back," Lautt added.

2: Not considering your home's condition. Declutter, depersonalize and fix any problems. A stager can be a big help, too. Frank Riordan, whose town home is at 2501 N. Wayne in Lincoln Park, didn't believe in staging at first, but changed his mind. "It shows wonderfully, and the staging does help make it look better," he said. Rita Rodgers, at 2825 N. Mozart in Logan Square, focused on the decluttering project her agent Roger Lautt recommended. She boxed her personal items and stored them in her basement. She also spent $15,000 on fix-ups including a major overhaul to her hallway entry. "Roger said to me you have a real problem with your hallway. People make up their minds in the first 30 seconds, and I was stunned! So I had the whole hallway re-done," Rodgers said.

1: Not making sure the price is right. If your property is overpriced, you'll drive away buyers -- some may not even come and take a look, realtors said. "The market is determined by what people have paid for similar houses like yours within that last 3- to 6- month period," Artrice Clark said. Frank Riordan thought he'd priced his townhouse correctly, but it's been on the market now since last March. Now, after several price reductions, he feels he's really learned a real estate lesson the hard way. "I really wish that we had dropped the price quicker, " he said. "I hope that we are at the point where it is aggressive enough for the market to sell."

As an incentive, Riordon is including a 50-inch flat screen TV with the purchase price. His agent Patrick Schell is offering the buyer's agents a cruise.

It's a great time to be a buyer.

By Marion Brooks

NBCChicago.com

What You Need for a Mortgage; Your Lender Checklist

2008-10-13T16:49:00Z

Lists are not the most glamorous thing to write about, but in this day in time I know that most people want to be prepared when they walk into their lender's office to get approved. If you read my blog you will no doubt understand that I don't believe in the "pre-approval" letter. I want my clients and customers to go ahead and get a full approval. This means that they need to be prepared to provide the lender with anything needed to help them get their job done.

When you arrive at your lender's office be prepared to have the following in hand;

*W-2 forms — or business tax return forms if you're self-employed — for the last two or three years for every
person signing the loan.

*Copies of at least one pay stub for each person signing the loan.

*Account numbers of all your credit cards and the amounts for any outstanding balances.

*Copies of two to four months of bank or credit union statements for both checking and savings
accounts.

*Lender, loan number, and amount owed on other installment loans, such as student loans and
car loans.

*Addresses where you’ve lived for the last five to seven years, with names of landlords if
appropriate.

*Copies of brokerage account statements for two to four months, as well as a list of any other major assets of
value, such as a boat, RV, or stocks or bonds not held in a brokerage account.

*Copies of your most recent 401(k) or other retirement account statement.

*Documentation to verify additional income, such as child support or a pension.

*Copies of personal tax forms for the last two to three years.

Written by Hank Bailey

In today's environment it more important than ever to get pre-approved by a reputable lender to make sure that you will not experience any problems with the mortgage process. This list would be extremely helpful in getting everything together to meet with your lender so that they can quickly get you processed so that you can then go shopping for a home with confidence.

Charlotte named best place to live

2008-05-15T18:23:00Z

Come join all the folks that are moving here from North, South and out West! Slow and steady appreciation keeps this market the best in the country!

By Amy Hoak, MarketWatch

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Apparently, there's just something about North Carolina. For the second year in a row, America's best city in which to live lies within its borders, according to Relocate-America.com's annual list.

This year, Charlotte, N.C., is in the top spot, the site announced this week. Last year's winner was Asheville, N.C., which slipped to No. 7 on this year's list.

"North Carolina is very active on our radar," said Steve Nickerson, president and CEO of HomeRoute. "It continues to get a flood of interest from all over."

HomeRoute is the real estate firm that operates Relocate-America.com, a source of community information and real-estate resources for those who are relocating. Each year, the site ranks the top 100 places to live in the country.

Areas need to be nominated on the site in order to be eligible for the list; more than 2,000 were nominated this year, Nickerson said. Special efforts are made to prevent spamming campaigns from influencing the results, he added.

But the site's editorial team also takes into account an area's growth, its educational and employment opportunities, crime rates and housing options before granting it a spot in the top 100. Environmental highlights also play a role, with a city gaining points for good air and water quality or the strength of its recycling efforts, Nickerson said.

Home-price appreciation does get some consideration, however it's only one piece of the analysis, Nickerson said -- explaining why some struggling real estate markets in California and Florida, for example, still made the top 100. Areas that offer a comfortable climate and economic opportunity tend to be the most sought-after communities on the site, he said.

Charlotte's diversity of housing options and home affordability were two of the reasons users nominated the city, Nickerson said. The city's strong economy, boosted largely by the banking industry, was another selling point.

Second on this year's list was San Antonio, Texas, which people praised for its cost of living, recreational opportunities and diversity, he said. Chattanooga, Tenn., came in third place, noted for its vibrant downtown and affordable home prices in the nominations.

Below are the top 10 cities in Relocate-America.com's 2008 list:

1. Charlotte, N.C.

2. San Antonio, Texas

3. Chattanooga, Tenn.

4. Greenville, S.C.

5. Tulsa, Okla.

6. Stevens Point, Wis.

7. Asheville, N.C.

8. Albuquerque, N.M.

9. Huntsville, Ala.

10. Seattle, Wash.

Identity Theft Prevention

2007-11-13T19:34:00Z

Learn how you can protect yourself from identity theft
Tuesday, November 13, 2007

By PETER J. SAMPSON
STAFF WRITER

A first-ever review of Secret Service files has found that only half of the cases of identity theft involved technological devices, such as computers, scanners and digital cameras, and only 10 percent were done exclusively through the Internet.

In a fifth of the other cases, thieves stole personal data the old-fashioned way.

Low-tech tactics included rerouting mail by sending change of address requests to institutions handling credit card and bank accounts, swiping items right from residents' mailboxes, and "Dumpster diving" -- going through trash for information used to produce counterfeit documents and to open credit accounts.

Researchers from Utica College's Center for Identity Management and Information Protection in New York analyzed 517 closed Secret Service cases of ID theft from 2000 to 2006. It was the first study of such files from the federal agency, which is responsible for investigating identity theft and fraud.

Among their findings:

• A fifth of the time, identity thieves stole personal data at their workplace. Of them, 60 percent were employed in the retail industry -- stores, car dealerships, gas stations, casinos, restaurants, hotels, hospitals and doctors' offices. Another 22 percent worked for financial services, such as banks and credit card companies, and 9 percent were in government.

• People were victimized by a family member or friend 16 percent of the time.

• Personal information was stolen from someone's home, car, wallet or pocketbook 12 percent of the time.

• Most of the thefts occurred in the Northeast and the South.

• The median loss was just over $31,000, although in one case a thief spent millions on luxury vehicles and established shell companies to defraud more victims.

The study follows a recent Consumer Reports poll that found Americans overwhelmingly believe they are more vulnerable to identity theft when a business has their Social Security number. Most respondents said they want companies to stop using the numbers to identify customers.

A Social Security number, coupled with your date of birth and address, is the Holy Grail for identity thieves. You should never give out personal information over the telephone or Internet unless you know whom you're dealing with.

In addition to shredding documents before discarding them, the Secret Service recommends not storing any passwords on your computer's hard drive. Hackers know how to retrieve them, she said.

Consumers have become more savvy to Internet scams meant to trick them into divulging account numbers, passwords and other personal information. They know all about the Nigerian advance-fee scheme.

They may have become less vigilant about other tactics, authorities say.

"What we get a lot are people who work in offices, maybe a doctor's office, or your credit card is getting swiped at the gas station," said Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Brian Lynch. "[Someone at] that doctor's office picks off your Social Security number and the next thing you know you've become the victim of a terrible identity theft," Lynch said.

Lynch urged people not to give their Social Security numbers when filling out any type of medical forms or applications.

"Just decline," he said. "They don't really need [it]."

Postal Inspector Douglas Bem said residents shouldn't use their home mailboxes for outgoing mail. And by no means, should they raise the flag on the box if they do.

"That's as much an indicator to a thief, as it would be to a letter carrier, that there's mail to be had," he said.

Anyone concerned about incoming mail should try to retrieve it as soon as it's delivered, and make sure to place a hold on it when they're away so it doesn't accumulate, Bem said.

Bem said there were few instances in which identity thieves rerouted mail by submitting a change of address card to the postal service. In the overwhelming majority of cases, he said, "the change of address was actually done directly with the bank or financial institution" that held the victim's personal information.

To prevent fraudulent rerouting of mail, Bem said, the postal service uses a dual verification procedure in which confirmation letters are sent to both the old and new addresses to verify the request is legitimate before any mail is forwarded.

In the FTC's 2003 survey of identity theft victims, 4 percent cited stolen mail as the source of their problems, he noted.

Although manufacturers offer a variety of lockable boxes to secure your mail, the postal service doesn't endorse any, Bem said.

Mail is more likely to be stolen at points along the distribution chain, he added.

"Many times we see mail that is stolen by organized groups who may have infiltrated airlines or private delivery companies or private mail rooms," Bem said. "It even occurs when couriers hired by the banks and financial institutions are picking up mail from post offices.

"It's not all residential mailboxes -- not by any stretch."

With the holiday season approaching, consumers need to be more watchful than ever, said J.R. Reagan, managing director of security and identity management for BearingPoint Inc., a McLean, Va.-based consultant.

"Certainly consumers are much more at risk now for having their information compromised than in the past, either by electronic, online or the low-tech means," said Reagan. "Just as in the real world, when you walk out of your house and you have to be watchful, careful and cognizant of your surroundings, that doesn't differ when it comes to your personal information. "It can become ruinous if it's in the wrong hands."

Have you ever been the victim of identity theft? How did it affect you?

Staging

2007-11-13T19:31:00Z

When you are ready to sell your home, it becomes a product. Think of a product in your favorite store. You may not need it, but when it is marketed at eye level with eye candy colors, you want to put it in your cart. Home staging is similar. Your home must be presented to attract the maximum number of buyers. When priced correctly, and staged for optimal appeal, your home is as good as sold!

If you were going to be selling your home do you think having your home staged would be worth the money if your home would sell quicker and for more money?

Do you have a clue about CLUE reports?

2007-05-15T20:52:00Z

A "clue" report is a report issued by the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange, or CLUE. It is a clearinghouse of information relating to underwriting factors for issuing insurance policies on homes or other real property.

CLUE reports help an insurance company to decide if they will insure your home. When purchasing a home, contact an insurance agent either before writing an offer or immediately after negotiating a contract. If waiting till the contract is negotiated make sure that the contract is contingent on your being able to get homeowners insurance at an affordable rate.

An insurance company will run 2 CLUE reports before issuing you a policy, one on the property and one on you individually. The one on the property shows every insurance claim made on that property, the amount of the claim and the reason for the claim. The report on the individual shows all the claims that an individual has made over a given period of time.

Have you had any experiences with CLUE reports that have prevented you from getting insurance or either caused you to get insurance quoted at 2 - 3 times the going rate? What were the reasons?

Stop The NC Home Tax

2007-04-19T20:16:00Z

Some state lawmakers want to tax the equity in your home.

Bills are now being considered in the North Carolina General Assembly that would force the sellers of new or existing homes to pay a 1% sales tax.

Go to http://www.itsabadidea.org/ to get all the facts. Make sure to let your legislator know how you feel.

This tax is every time a property sells begining with a piece of raw land and could be whatever % set by the General Assembly.

What are your thoughs?

Home prices slip in U.S., but not in Charlotte

2007-04-04T18:34:00Z

Charlotte-area home prices keep climbing while values slide in much of the nation, data released Tuesday show.

Charlotte was the only metro area among 20 surveyed in the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index where prices rose between December and January.

The region's home values inched up 0.4 percent in those months, while the composite of 20 cities fell 0.6 percent. The index tracks prices on existing homes.

Year over year, Charlotte had the third-highest price growth. For all 20 cities, annual values dipped 0.2 percent -- the first drop since 2001.

"There's a good chance we'll see bigger drops (nationally)," Robert Shiller, chief economist at MacroMarkets, told Bloomberg News. "The psychology is changing."

Charlotte has fared better than most because the region's home values did not post annual leaps of 25 percent to 50 percent that Washington, Phoenix and Las Vegas reached during 2004 and 2005.

Charlotte's annual price growth has ranged from 2 percent to 5 percent with healthy employment and migration, S&P's Maureen Maitland said. The region's current home-price growth, 7.9 percent, is the biggest in six years.

Some Rise, Some Fall

The latest annual change in home values among 20 metro areas surveyed in the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index:

1. Seattle: 11.1%

2. Portland: 8.7%

3. Charlotte: 7.9%

4. Miami: 4.2%

5. Atlanta: 2.3%

6. Chicago: 2.2%

7. Los Angeles: 1%

8. Dallas: 0.5%

9. Las Vegas: 0%

10. Tampa: -0.1%

11. Phoenix: -0.7%

12. Minneapolis: -0.9%

12. New York: -0.9%

14. Denver: -1.1%

15. San Fran.: -1.4%

16. Cleveland: -2.7%

17. Wash. D.C.: -3.9%

18. San Diego: -4.2%

19. Boston: -5.6%

20. Detroit: -6.9%

Composite: -0.2%

Selling Your Home During the Holiday Season

2006-11-09T18:08:00Z

Winter may be the most wonderful time of the year, but the holiday months can be anything but miraculous for sellers with property on the market. Traditionally the real estate world slows down significantly from early November through the beginning of January, and often sellers are the ones left in the lurch.

Winter Sellers: Disadvantages

Bad weather: Potential homebuyers are only human, so naturally winter’s stormier conditions can convince many consumers to stay indoors.

Shorter days: Most buyers prefer to view homes in the full light of day, even when casually looking at houses and neighborhoods by car. With fewer daylight hours in the winter, homebuyers are usually limited to weekends for in-person showings.

Busy schedules: Time is at an absolute premium during a season of shopping for presents, attending holiday parties and traveling to visit relatives. Most people don’t feel they can spare time during these months to shop for homes or plan the move to a new home.

Winter Sellers: Advantages

Smaller Housing Inventory: Because the holidays are traditionally slower selling season and sellers are just as busy as buyers at this time of year, few homes are put on the market towards the end of the year. In addition, many previously listed properties are taken off the market as a temporary measure. While the number of active buyers is lower during the winter, sellers also face less competition.

Serious Buyers: People who are willing to rearrange their holiday schedule and brave the elements to shop for a home in general tend to be motivated, serious buyers. In many cases buyers at this time of year are invigorated by the promise of impending year-end bonuses. The demands of the season in large part also eliminate false alarms from casual buyers who are “just looking”.

Tips

Target Those Rare Winter Buyers: When buyers are harder to come by, you have to work harder to attract their attention and do more to meet their needs:

Make sure your home is well marketed on the Internet with plenty of photos and virtual tours, as buyers will spend more time browsing properties from the comfort of their own home.
Hold open houses on weekends whenever possible. Consider an evening open house event, providing coffee and light fare to those who attend.
Be flexible with your scheduling and requirements for showing the home to interested buyers

Improve Visibility: Make sure your home is well lit in the evenings and is not obscured by low hanging branches or foliage.

Update your Comparative Market Analysis: Even if you’ve previously obtained a market analysis, you may want updated information that factors in the seasonal slowing of real estate sales.

Presentation: Because it is holiday season, homebuyers may look at your home and try to imagine it as the setting for their own holiday celebrations. Make sure your home is warm and inviting without going overboard (no need to buy the biggest tree and the most lavish decorations available).

Have you bought or sold a home over the holidays? What do you think?

What To Consider in Choosing a Real Estate Agent

2006-11-09T17:56:00Z

As a buyer or seller choosing the best real estate agent is a big decision. There are many factors you should consider.

How much experience does the real estate agent have in the business? This is an important factor to consider but sometimes having a relatively new agent can be a bonus. They are just getting started and have a fresh perspective on the industry. They also may not have many clients as an experienced agent may have. If you are fairly savvy on real estate yourself, choosing an agent who is still fresh and enthusiastic may be the right choice for you. If you are totally new to the business of buying or selling, choosing a more seasoned agent may be a better way to go.
How available is your agent? If you continually call your agent and get their message machine and no return calls on a timely basis - your agent may either be too busy, working another job or just not into their career. Let this go once or twice...more than that, you may want to continue shopping around.
Does your agent listen to you? Is your agent showing you homes that are way out of your price range, not in the area you like or don't fit any of your search criteria? Or do they only show you their listings and no other agents? If so, it may be time to look for someone else. One of the most important things an agent can do is LISTEN to their clients, learn what they like and keep their eye out for properties they think their clients will like.
What do past clients say about the agent? This one is very important. Agents can be very good at selling themselves but if you hear from people that their service was less than acceptable, you may want to reconsider using them as your agent. Of course, not everyone walks away from a real estate transaction happy - but if you are hearing this from more than one person, red flags should go up.
Do you have good rapport with your agent? Sometimes your agent can be the most experienced, most knowledgable, most available one out there. But if you just don't LIKE them, it may a painful experience for you to go through with a transaction. Sometimes finding a house can take awhile so you may need to spend alot of time with these people. You should feel comfortable with them and trust them.
Does your agent have a website? In this day and age, websites are essential to any real estate business. If the agent doesn't have one or has one that looks like a grade school kid built it...you may want to continue looking. Or you can "google" the agents name. If you get alot of hits, this means they have taken the time to make their internet presence strong.

What are some other things consumer looks for in an agent? Send me a comment and let me know!