I am a Home Inspector now, but when I took a real estate course in Greensboro NC, the instructor made his feelings about FSBO's quite clear. His disdain was palpable. Though many sellers are tempted to try to market their homes themselves in order to avoid paying a Realtor's commission, eventually they would be driven by sheer desperation to acknowledge the futility of their mission, and call a Realtor. The Lonely FSBO Since then I have watched many a FSBO linger on the market way too long, especially at this time, only to eventually capitulate and call in the calvary. And there are many good reasons to do so.  Not the least of which is that if you get a good Realtor they are going to make sure your house gets seen, priced correctly and point out a number of things that are obvious to e... 04/30/2008

Advantage Inspection Clear View in Greensboro NC is excited to announce that Coldwell Banker Triad Realtors has chosen our company to help them roll out their new Home Buyer Ready Program. ( See this description from the Highland/Cashiers area). Advantage Inspection (Corporate) has been promoting the use of Pre-Listing Inspections for almost 10 years. Consequently, we at Advantage Inspection Clear View, your local AI franchise with Brian Haire and Philip LaMachio, are the Triad's source for information on everything about pre-listing inspections. Because of our familiarity with this radically effective tool in real estate marketing, our exclusive affiliate partnerships and the extra value they give our customers, Coldwell Banker has chosen us as their preferred pre-listing inspectors fo... 04/29/2008

It is crazy how values can be up one day and down the next!  You never know how much your home is going to be worth, and it is up to the "opinions" of professionals around you to determine the landscape of your community!This is one of the reasons that I specialize in Lindley Park & Sunset Hills!  I live and work within a block of both neighborhoods, and truly understand my area!  I GET it!  I see those houses that have been on the market forever!  I notice the For Sale By Owner homes that switch over to a Realtor after trying to sell it on their own for 3 months.  I see the houses that are overpriced by 20 grand.  Lindley Park & Sunset Hills have constantly been two of the best neighborhoods to purchase a home in for the past 10 years...and they are successful in retaining their value ... 04/16/2008

      The Journey of  Lester and Mary Florence - 1st Time Home BuyersGreensboro, NCApril 2008  Over the years I have encountered tough closings, however, this was the most challenging because we had every imaginable obstacle come up in this one...credit, finance, build process, market conditions, rates and mortgage issues, you name it.  My clients, Lester and Mary Florence were set on obtaining their dream home and their determination and hard work paid off in the end.   Lester & Mary Florence originally came to me to do a ground up new construction build in April of 2007.  After getting the process off to a great start, we had a tentative close date for Sept of 2007.  We ended up hitting financial, credit, & job challenges along the way just prior to closing. I continued to maintain co... 04/16/2008

A few of the components I feel are critical to being a good real estate agent are being a good listener, an open and frequent communicator, and a consistent provider of feedback. As a salesperson you can easily find yourself in a position where you are "convincing" clients to make purchases of what you "feel" is a good deal, price, or item. And more specifically, what you "think" is the right asking price, location, or perfect home. But I've learned to be an effective real estate agent, it's much easier taking the approach of listening to clients to find out what their needs, desires, hopes, and wishes are. Then putting forth the effort of finding, marketing, searching, and doing whatever it takes to find the right fit to meet those needs. Avoiding the typical sales approach and focusin... 04/11/2008

Once, not too long ago, when the real estate industry was young, the way business was conducted, (commission-split set up and no effective support/training for new agents) led to an office of unsupported, poorly trained low producing and low commissioned agents and high turn-over.  But Re/Max ( read history) changed that.By changing the paradigm and offering maximum compensation, superior agent support and traditional Real Estate franchise services, Dave and Gail Liniger of Re/Max transformed the way business was done and changed an industry forever.  The home inspection business is on the cusp of a similar transformation and is past ready for it.   Presently, it is comprised of Mom and Pop organizations that because of their natural limitations, offer little more than the talents of on... 03/20/2008

I am sure that you all have read an article, or seen on television, or even heard on the radio the following statements - "Real Estate Woes", "Housing Slumps", "Foreclosures on the Rise". Any of these sound familiar? Well the truth of the matter is...OUR local market is really strong right now.  Real estate is so location driven, that you can not get caught up in what the national markets are saying and what the local markets may have to report.  Yes, it is true, we are currently in a "Buyer's Market", but that is simply an inventory or a "supply and demand" issue.You may be asking, "What does that mean?". It means, that for the people that are in the market to buy, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME!  Interest rates are still relatively low and those people that are truly looking to bu... 03/19/2008

Inspectors Unite  !   Change is coming to the home inspection industry !  Change is HERE !   We are actively seeking inspector affiliates who can join our team as we revolutionize the inspection industry. Advantage Inspection is poised to expand nationwide ! Doing buisness the same old way won't answer the needs of tomorrow.  Mom and Pop operations, working out of a truck and a spare bedroom cannot offer your clients all that the combined efforts of the Advantage Inspection team can !  Established and Newbie Inspectors all over the Southeast are joining Advantage Inspection because of the powerful benefits both to themselves ( marketing support, reporting software, training ), and to their customers ( affiliation branding, exclusive products and services ). By becoming an Advantage Home... 03/13/2008

I am a home inspector living in Greensboro NC, working in the Peidmont Triad area since '92, doing remodeling and plaster restoration.  When I first came back home (here) from Chicago and began my own restoration buisness, I kept seeing a peculiar crack in the ceilings of homes of certain vintage. Usually the crack would occur in the living room, but would occasionally be found in others.  The crack would be straight down the middle of the ceiling, going the length of the room.  The homes would have plaster as an interior finish and were usually built between 1946 - 1965 +/-.Many times it was evident that someone in the past had tried to repair these cracks, but to no avail.  It always came back. One day I had a call from a customer who had a major problem.  When I got there, the ceilin... 03/12/2008

     This gorgeous 4bedroom home has it all.  Formal living and dining rooms, updated kitchen with granite counters that opens to a cozy den with gas fireplace.The new deck overlooks a park-like backyard with woods and a stream.Located in NW Greensboro within steps of hiking trails and Lake Brandt, this home is close to schools and shopping.Visit www.scottvosburgh.listingbook.com for more details and pictures.  03/12/2008

As a FSBO seller in the current real estate market you must prepare your home for success. Many FSBO sellers do not prepare a home correctly and therefore fail to make that quality first impression on potential buyers. There is 3 key factors to selling a home whether by owner or with a full service real estate firm. They are as follows Price, Exposure, and Preparation. The one that I believe is most effective and generally returns positive results is preparation. The key to preparation is start with a professional staging consultation that may cost some money but the return on investment is good. You can take time to research information on home staging and how it often results in quicker sale and for more money. As for price and exposure they are as follows, do not overprice a home eve... 02/16/2008

Many people believe that owning a home requires a big down payment, and that it would be difficult to save enough while paying all of their regular monthly bills.  Others believe that their mortgage payment would be too high, or that they wouldn't qualify for a mortgage.  I would like to tell you a few facts that just might change your mind:·       FACT:  Most people who rent can actually afford to buy their own home.·       FACT:  The average mortgage payment costs about the same (and sometimes less) than the average rent payment.  ·       FACT:  There are many, many different types of home loans, some with very low DOWN PAYMENT.·       FACT:  There are special government programs that will help first-time homebuyers come up with a down payment.·       FACT:  Many sellers are willing t... 02/15/2008

Advantage Inspection's Pre-Listing Program consists of a Seller's Inspection and a 'No Denied Claim's' Home Warranty)  Hello All, I just had to tell you !..........19 Birkhall Circle - Received a ratified/accepted contract 20 days after listing!  This is incredible. Here is my testimonial...you have free will to use as much or as little as you would like:After being in Real Estate for just over 15 months, I wanted to take my business to the next level.  As most businesses or self-employed people do I looked for anything that I could find that would set me apart from the other 2000 plus REALTORS in the Greenville market area.  I am happy to say that it did not take me long to find exactly what I was looking for.With every listing I take I automatically order an Advantage Home Inspection.... 02/14/2008

 Greensboro Real Estate Listings -  What is a flat fee listing?From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Flat fee MLS (sometimes referred to as "flat rate mls" or "fixed fee mls") refers to the practice in the real estate industry of placing pertinent information about a property for sale into the database of the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for a set fee or dollar amount as opposed to a commission based on the sales price of the property.Not all Flat Fee Business Models are the same.The Pros Saves thousands of dollars. Services are always negotiable. In a tough market the seller can become more flexible with the price. The seller has more room to help with buyer's closing cost The seller has more negotiating room to make repairs. The seller and the REALTOR work together as a team. ... 11/11/2007

Mount Airy Real Estate Listings Mcbride $45,500 MLS#: 439236w City: Mount Airy Subdivision:  Style:  SqFt: 1100 - 1400 Acres: 0.46 Bedrooms: 3 F/H Baths: 1/1 Rooms:  Year Built: 1971 Garage:  Stories: 0 Clemmons Real Estate Listings Fieldview Ct $159,900 MLS#: 449877w City: Clemmons Subdivision:  Style: 6 SqFt: 2000 - 2400 Acres: 0.59 Bedrooms: 4 F/H Baths: 2/1 Rooms: 8 Year Built: 1969 Garage: B Stories: 2 3 Winston Salem Real Estate Listings Saint George Rd. $174,900 MLS#: 448237w City: Winston Salem Subdivision:  Style: 21 SqFt: 2000 - 2500 Acres: 0.35 Bedrooms: 4 F/H Baths: 2/1 Rooms: 10 Year Built: 1964 Garage: A Stories: 1 4 Hillsville Real Estate Listings ROCK CREEK RD $94,900 MLS#: 451002w City: HILLSVILLE Subdivision:  Style:  SqFt: 1800 - 2200 Acres: 2.34 Bedrooms: 3 F/H Bath... 11/08/2007

  At CFL Mortgage we help our clients make informed financial decisionsabout the most important investment of their lives is their homeMichael J. BrosmithCFL Mortgage    Michael J. Brosmith CFL Mortgage Office: 336-855-5715 E-Mail: mike@cflhomemortgage.com      For the week of Aug 13, 2007 --- Vol. 5, Issue 33  Last Week in Review   IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES...Wait, maybe last week was just plain the worst of times, as far as the financial markets around the globe were concerned. French bank BNP Paribas - the largest bank in France and second largest in Europe - touched off a crisis in Europe on Thursday when it announced that it couldn't determine the values of three of their mutual funds due to their containing US sub-prime mortgage investments, and actually... 08/22/2007

I believe that with all the growth that is coming to the Grensboro area over the next 5 to 10 years, there will be an increase in the medium sales price of homes.  With the large growth of population that is expected with the opening of the new FedEx hub, Honda Jet and other industries that are coming to the Greensboro area.  The annual salary will increase and the Housing Oppurtunity Index (HOI) will increase as well.  Over the past 3 years the HOI in the TRIAD has fallen nearly 9% while the population has risen and the amount of homes built over the past 5 years is over 45 thousand.  Currently we are in a buyer's market with a large amount of supply and a decrease amount of qualifing families, home builders and existing home owners are giving away the Kitchen sink to sell there homes ... 07/17/2007

With all the new development arriving to the Greensboro (Triad) Area, now more than ever is a great time to invest in the future.  In the short time to come i will provide more information about outstanding investment opportunities in the Greensboro area.  For my fellow Realtors around the nation i welcome the opportunity to work with you and your clients you may refer to me(Standard referral fee of 25% will be issued).  As for potential buyers without a realtor, I look forward to meeting you and assisting you invest in your future wisely.  07/06/2007

OK, Ive finally caught up enough to post about my local stomping grounds, Greensboro North Carolina. Greensboro is located in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina, smack in the middle of the state.  Real resonable real estate, great weather, low cost of living are just a few reasons to consider Greensboro NC as a home or an investment.   Like Country livin?  it's a 10 minute drive.  Prefer the downtown loft in the middle of a bustling and cultured city center?  That lifestyle's here too.... I'm going to use links to Neighboroo (Thanks Travis) and redisplay the normally boring demographic data layout into a pretty color coordinated map mash-up.  PEOPLE & LIFE: The Population is booming. Lifestyle. There has been a steady and heavy influx of 20 and 30 somethings from states north, south, ... 01/23/2007