Staging Your Charlotte NC Home For Sale
May 16, 2010 by Victoria Stankard · Leave a Comment
If you want to sell your Charlotte home faster or for more money in today’s market, how you present your home to potential buyers is key! Overzealous home staging attempts with too many cutesy, contrived decorative touches can turn off potential buyers just as a messy house can with too many personal items on display. The goal of staging is to make your Charlotte [...]
Energy-efficiency Home Improvements Give You More Bang For Your Buck!
May 12, 2010 by Victoria Stankard · 1 Comment
Many home owners are under the misconception that if they do a few improvements, upgrades or renovations, they will increase the value of their home and recoup their investment when it comes time to sell it, which isn’t always the case. Truth be told, not all home improvements, renovations and upgrades are created equal, have the [...]
First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit – Only Two Months Left
March 3, 2010 by Victoria Stankard · 1 Comment
With home prices and interest rates at all time lows and only two months left before the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit expires, many folks are taking action and looking to buy a home. The $8,000 tax credit, extended and expanded to include current homeowners in 2009, expires on April 30th, 2010. Qualifying for the Tax [...]
New Home Buyers Tax Credit – Only Paper Filings Allowed
February 25, 2010 by Victoria Stankard · 1 Comment
According to a federal audit released last October by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), nearly 90,000 taxpayers claimed the New Home Buyers Tax Credit, for which they were not entitled to. More than 1.2 million tax returns had claimed approximately $8.5 billion in the refundable tax credit. Although the rules of the tax credit [...]
Why 2010 is the Perfect Time to Relocate to Charlotte, NC!
January 2, 2010 by Victoria Stankard · Leave a Comment
Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina and is consistently ranked as one of the best cities to live, raise a family, work and play in the U.S. The “Queen City” is considered to be a hub for finance and technology and is also known for its educational and housing resources, culture, modest climate, beautiful parks, [...]
More Employment Good News for Charlotte NC!
December 23, 2009 by Victoria Stankard · Leave a Comment
Bev Perdue, Govenor of North Carolina made yet another big employment announcement yesterday. Just last week, Perdue happily announced that the Swedish appliance company, Electrolux, was moving their American headquarters to Charlotte, NC. The company will be bringing over 700 jobs with them and is the largest headquarters relocation in Charlotte in the past 25 [...]
15-year Fixed Loans are Becoming More Attractive to Borrowers – Charlotte NC Real Estate
December 16, 2009 by Victoria Stankard · Leave a Comment
With interest rates at an all time low, more and more borrowers are choosing to go with a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage rather than a traditional 30-year fixed rate loan. Rates on a 15-year fixed-rate loan averaged 4.46% last week. Rates on a 30-year fixed-rate loan averaged 4.99% and according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, 15-year [...]
Buying an Eco-friendly Energy-Efficient Home – Charlotte NC EcoBroker Certified® Professional
December 14, 2009 by Victoria Stankard · Leave a Comment
With so many homes sitting on the market, home buyers are in a position to be even choosier about the homes they buy. An energy-efficient home is a smart choice because it saves us money, reduces our carbon footprint and improves the over-all quality of our life. Consequently, many home buyers are putting green features [...]
A Bit of Good News for the Housing Market – Charlotte NC Real Estate Expert
December 11, 2009 by Victoria Stankard · Leave a Comment
According to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), pending home sales have risen for nine consecutive months, up nearly 4%. Although some deals can and will fall through the wayside, signed contracts are a good forward-indicator of where the housing market is headed. October definitely showed signs of optimism and any trends pointing to housing market recovery are [...]
Smaller House Buying Trend – Charlotte NC Real Estate Expert
November 30, 2009 by Victoria Stankard · Leave a Comment
The “appeal” of a bigger home is shrinking along with house size. Americans are downsizing due to the economy or simply out of preference. The lure the “McMansion” has faded making way for a new trend of smaller home buying. For many, the bigger the house, the bigger the headache. According to U.S. Census statistics, the average [...]
Leigh Brown, aka The Real Estate Diva, is a native of Concord NC in the Charlotte area. She grew up on a farm at the edge of Cabarrus County, still goes to the same church she grew up in (home of the world famous Mallard Creek Barbecue!), but has become a leader in area real estate through constant learning and continually upgrading technology to better serve buyer and seller clients. Leigh does indeed have a reputation as a barracuda-when it comes to protecting client interests. Her softer side is reserved for her husband and two kids who provide a constant source of joy-and entertainment
