Triad Real Estate Podcast with Jason Bramblett

Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleBuyers who may not be seeing what they’re hoping to find in the resale market have been asking whether now is a good time to build a new home. Actually, it is. Now is likely one of the best times to build new construction, as this type of home purchase eliminates the element of competing buyers from the deal. However, there are some considerations to keep in mind before making the final decision to build. First of all, the newer the home, the longer you should stay in it. So for new construction purchases, you should probably plan on living in the home for quite some time. This is especially true if you’re buying into a development where other homes are still being produced. Because in this case, buyers planning to move in the next few years will be competing with the builder as they attempt to list their home. In terms of benefits, though, new construction properties have phenomenal warranties. New construction is, therefore, an especially desirable option for those who may not have emergency funds in place, as these properties are less likely to have major issues anytime soon. “The agent present during a new construction open house represents the builder’s best interests, not yours. ”So with bidding wars as common as they have been lately in our market, now is truly a great time to consider purchasing a new construction home. But make sure that when proceeding with this type of deal, you are well represented. Don’t approach a builder without an agent by your side. The agent present during a new construction open house represents the builder’s best interests, not yours. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleA question I get on occasion is, “How do I know I am getting the best person to sell my home?”  Well, I think that our company is a great solution to your real estate needs. It has been around for 20 years and we have developed systems and proven strategies that work right here in the Triad community. I've focused on is developing and hiring the best people. We have a phenomenal training program. I look for the best people in the business, bring them on, and plug them into our proven trackable system. We can then see the win-win results. It doesn't really matter to us if you are selling to reach the top of the market or selling as-is, we have a plan in the service for everybody. You can talk to friends, or perhaps you have seen our advertising on TV or billboards, to learn more about our reputation. Our online reviews show how many homes we’ve sold. The biggest thing we like to have you do is see our operation and how we work in person. This is something you should do with everybody. A lot of real estate agents work out of their homes part-time and are unorganized. Seeing the flow and the production says a lot about the success of the company. “It doesn't really matter to us if you are selling to reach the top of the market or selling as-is, we have a plan in the service for everybody. ”You will see that we will be successful at selling your home. We sell a lot of homes that have been on the market many times with many different companies. One of the things that we hear when people come here is that they sense a sense of urgency. They can see and experience the professionalism by coming to our office. If you would like to come check us out to see if we would be a good fit for you, call or email me. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleHomeowners in the Triad are frustrated. Inventory is low, demand for their homes is high, and they’re receiving multiple offers from prospective buyers, but home prices are still dropping.How can that be? Supply and demand economics would say that if there’s only a little bit of something that a lot of people want, the price should go up.In real estate, things don’t always work this way. The factor that is causing this counterintuitive price drop is the banks. Banks don’t care that you’re pushing home values up; they feel that a given home is worth X amount, therefore, the amount they will loan will reflect that.Now, the buyer can pay the difference out of pocket, but we’re seeing in certain price ranges that that is not always the case.“Be cautious out there if you’re a homeowner. ”Be cautious out there if you’re a homeowner attempting to sell your home. Just because you get the highest and best offer doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to stick. It could come right back down to where it might have been in a more reasonable market.If you need help, I’m here for you. We’ve been doing this a long time, so we can walk you through the process, make sure that we diligently price your property to get top dollar, and get every offer to stay. Do you really want to see a house four or five times just to get an offer to stick? We’ll always get you the most money in the shortest amount of time.For any questions or if you need assistance, feel free to reach out to me. I’d be glad to help.

Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleIt’s officially spring, so what can we expect from the spring real estate market?It’s exciting to see that prices are actually increasing and that homes are starting to appreciate in the marketplace, which we haven't seen in 10 years, at least.Nationally, inventory is very low, and it’s likely we’ll run out. How do we overcome that?“It’s a great time to take advantage of low inventory. ”As buyers reach out to us about certain areas, cities, and neighborhoods, we’ll reach out to homeowners to introduce them to buyers. If they’re a good fit, maybe you’ll consider selling your home. It’s a great time to take advantage of low inventory if you’re a homeowner who is mobile.If you’d like to upsize or downsize your housing situation or just look at the value of your home in the Triad area, feel free to reach out to us.

Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for sale  One of the things I get questioned about a lot is mortgage lending. Many people tell me, “I used this bank last time I refinanced my house and that went pretty good so I think I’ll use them again.” However, be careful. These large lenders offer what may appear to be a discount, but they make it up in additional junk fees.  Here’s what we are finding. People are being enticed by working with these big online lenders, but these lenders aren’t giving the right information, funds, or materials in order to close on time. With our local lenders, we see the opposite. When you work with a local lender, you are much more likely to close on time.“Working with a local lender makes a huge, huge difference. ”We recently had a person who thought they had everything taken care of with their online lender, but the loan didn’t close when it was supposed to. They are now going to have to stay in a hotel all weekend with their moving truck because we couldn’t get the loan closed.If moving in on a specific day is important, don't risk it by saving $4 a month on your payment. Working with a local lender makes a huge, huge difference. We have two great local lenders we'd be happy to connect you with.If you have any other questions or need anything else, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Inventory is low and demand is high. It’s the perfect storm for home sellers.   Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleOne question that we get asked frequently during this time of year is, “Should we sell in the winter?” This year, the answer is yes. Absolutely. This is a golden year for you to get top dollar for your home.“The situation is like this across the Triad. ”Inventory levels across the country are down and there are hundreds of buyers on our site looking for homes just like yours. Some are getting frustrated and deciding to build new homes because they can't find anything. There are a ton of people relocating to the area right now who are looking for properties as well. The situation is like this across the Triad.Buyers are serious right now and are searching with a mission. If you or someone you know has been entertaining the idea of selling a home, get in touch with us. We’d be happy to help you take advantage of this seller’s market.In the meantime, we hope you had a great Thanksgiving and have an even better Christmas. Happy holidays!

Today I wanted to take some time to talk to you about how to handle multiple-offer situations as both a buyer and a seller.Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleWe’ve gotten this question a couple of times in the last few months, and today I wanted to take the time to talk about how to handle multiple-offer situations.From a seller’s standpoint, having multiple offers is typically a good thing. You do have to be careful though. I have seen situations where a home has multiple offers, and then the seller gets a little too aggressive and ends up with no offers because everyone withdraws for whatever reason.We can coach you on how to handle multiple offers as a seller. The power of a third-party negotiator such as a real estate agent typically always yields a higher price for the home.From a buyer’s perspective, it can be a little bit scary to find yourself in a multiple-offer situation. Making your offer as clean as possible and allowing some of the terms to appease the seller is going to make it stand out amongst the competition.“We can coach you on how to handle multiple offers as a seller. ”Now I didn’t say to make your offer have the highest price. There are aspects of an offer outside of the price that the seller will look at. Adjusting your offer to meet the seller’s needs, such as a specific closing time and date, will sometimes put your offer to the top of the list.If you need some help with multiple-offer situations, both our buyer and our listing teams have been coached through many similar situations and can help you navigate that process easily.If you have any other questions about this topic or you’re looking to buy or sell a home, please give me a call. I’d be happy to help!

Thinking of buying an older home? You need to think about whether the charm and character of the home outweigh the potential maintenance risks.Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleAre you thinking about buying an older house? If so, how do you know if it's a wise investment?Older homes typically need a little more maintenance and love, but that shouldn't stop you from considering older homes if you have a solid budget. However, I think there are a few select groups that are probably better off not buying an older home:People just starting out their first home searchThose without three to six months' worth of emergency fundsAnyone living paycheck to paycheck (You might even want a new home with a warranty)Just be cautious when shopping for homes; I see many homebuyers get into trouble buying an older home because of the location and taking on the risk of an older home. For example, if a house is 10 years old, it will probably need a new roof in the next 10 years. Some newer homes come with 30-year architectural shingles that you don't have to worry about for a very long time.“Older homes come with more potential maintenance risks than newer homes. ”If you're considering an older home, just make sure you're not only OK with these potential maintenance costs and headaches, but prepared for them as well. Have an emergency fund and be ready for things to need replacing.If you have any other questions about buying a home or selling a home here in the Triad, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email soon. I'd be glad to help.

Homes located near large power lines can present a great opportunity if they have the right price and you’re buying one for the right reasons.Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleShould you buy a home near power lines and will that ever harm your family?As to whether it’s safe or not, I’ll let you determine that for yourself. In my 19 years in real estate, I've found that homes located near large power lines present an added risk to the buyer, and sellers tend to struggle selling them in our market. These properties have one of the highest foreclosure rates.However, they can also be a good investment opportunity as rentals. I’ve seen some of them be discounted by as much as 30% to 40%, and these homes were located in great neighborhoods as well. As far as renters are concerned, they know that they’ll only be there a short time, and the quality of the home is typically fantastic.“Homes near power lines can be great as rental properties. ”The prospect of buying one for your family is a decision you’ll have to make, but I’ve seen phenomenal opportunities to buy discounted real estate in neighborhoods near large power lines. There is only a small percentage of people who won’t buy a home near a large power line, just like there is only a small percentage of people who won’t buy a home near a pond, a busy street, or a corner lot.Would I shy away from one of these homes? Not for the right price and the right reasons to buy.If you have any questions about this topic or you’re looking to buy or sell a home in our market, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I look forward to helping you.

Asbestos is relatively common due to all the older homes we have here in the Triad. How concerned should you be about it, though?Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleWe recently talked about the potential home issue of radon but what about asbestos? There are plenty of older homes here in the Triad and many of them still have asbestos pipes.Should you be concerned by this?Normally you don't have anything to worry about if your house has asbestos-wrapped pipes if you don't disturb it. However, if you need to get access or replace plumbing that's surrounded by asbestos, I highly recommend hiring someone who is trained in handling and removing asbestos. You certainly shouldn't try to remove it yourself.“There are plenty of properties in the Triad with asbestos that I wouldn't shy away from. ”Some plumbers are licensed and/or certified in asbestos removal, making them good people to talk to about it. Again though, you typically don't have to worry about asbestos from pipes or your crawlspace getting up into your living space if it's not disturbed.There are plenty of great properties here in the Triad that have asbestos that I wouldn't shy away from if I was buying a home. Just leave it alone and get some quotes on what it will take to remove or remediate it if need be.If you have any other questions about asbestos or you need a recommendation for an expert for a quote about asbestos in your home, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We're happy to help.

What happens if the home you want to buy tests positive for a high level of radon? I’ll explain what radon is and how to get rid of it today.Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleRadon sometimes comes up in home inspections. What is radon and what should you do if you buy a house that has high radon levels?Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that naturally comes up from the earth. Radon has been linked to causing lung cancer over a prolonged period of time. How long is not really clear, as different studies have found different results.“Radon has been linked to certain lung cancers. ”If the home you are buying does test positive for radon, you can install a mitigation system for $1,000 to $1,500 that will remove radon from your home.Radon is commonly found in homes built with slab construction or homes that have a basement. Certain parts of the Triad area have more radon than others, so if you are concerned about radon, you can pay $125 for an air quality test during your home inspection.If the home tests positive for radon, that’s not necessarily a reason to walk away from the deal. Again, there are things you can do to get rid of radon, so if you find the perfect house and it happens to have high radon levels, just go for it.If you have any other questions about radon gas or buying a home, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

There are a few things you can start doing now to prepare for the spring market.Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleIt may still be winter but spring is fast approaching. With that in mind, I decided to go over some things you need to do to get your home ready for the spring market.Start with the exterior. Walk around the outside of your home and take a look at the key things that tend to be issues with home inspections. First, check your downspouts and make sure they are pushing water away from the foundation of your home. We see issues with water damage in basements and crawl spaces every day, and those issues can stem from your downspouts.“Make sure the slope of your home prevents water from rolling into the property. ”Next, look at all of your door jambs. If they are discolored, starting to rot, or need any sort of maintenance, you need to jump on that because those issues will only get worse.You should also take a good look at your windows and make sure the slope of your home is preventing water from rolling into the property.Lastly, get into your crawl spaces and make sure you don’t have any water or mold issues. If you have any other questions about how to prepare your home for the spring market, or if you have any other real estate-related questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’m more than happy to help!

Smartphones are essential tools that provide a ton of benefits, but letting them become a distraction to your day to day life leaves you at a disadvantage. Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleIf you’re like me, you’ve probably noticed people who are glued to their smartphones all day every day. It’s pretty clear to see that technology can become a huge distraction during our day to day lives. Back in the day, when televisions were first introduced, they were a disruption to the family unit as it gave people something to stare at instead of interacting. Then in the 1980s, computers were introduced into the home, creating another distraction.Now, all of the distractions such as TV shows, the Internet, and even video games are contained in one little device that people have on them at all times. Smartphones allow access to our favorite distractions at any time of the day, and it’s definitely affecting the workplace. I’ve even seen real estate agents who are guilty of letting their phones distract them.“Slow down and engage with those around you. ”The fact of the matter is you need to live with intention and be where you are. If you are working or having a conversation with someone, be present in that work or conversation. Put the phone down, especially when you are driving. You know when you are letting it distract you, so be more mindful during your day and while having interactions with those around you.Real estate-wise, 2017 is going to be an awesome year! We can’t wait to see what the year brings.If you are looking to buy or sell a home or have any other questions, please feel free to reach out and give me call or shoot me a quick email. I’m always happy to help!

Interest rates have gone up recently. However, they are still historically low.Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleThere seems to be a lot of people out there worried about interest rates right now. Yes they have gone up, but they are still historically low.Back in the day, rates were in the mid to upper teens. Even when I started this blog, rates were around 8% or 9%. Right now, they are only around 4.25%. You may be tempted to wait and see if they go down, but I wouldn’t do that. It won’t save you a lot of money in the long run, anyhow. You’re better off locking in a rate now when you’re ready to buy. By ready to buy, I mean once you have money saved up for a down payment, you can commit to living in your property long-term in order to see the appreciation.“Waiting for rates to drop might not be the best strategy. ”In the past 10 years, we have only had around 2.5% appreciation. In other parts of North Carolina, they’ve seen 20% or 30%. If you’re planning on buying a home in the near future, we suggest trying to finance the purchase in a short amount of time and pay off the loan. In 19 years of business, I have never done a short sale or foreclosure for someone with a 15-year loan. With rates so low and equity building so quickly with a 15-year loan, you could sell in a short period of time if you had to.I hope that tips helps you out. If you have any questions for us at all, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Selling during the winter is a win-win situation when it comes to the decreased competition and the type of buyers you will work with.Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleThis time of year, I'm constantly getting asked if now is a good time to sell a home.The answer is absolutely yes. Now is the time to sell!Why? The buyers who are out here are phenomenal buyers who are ready to go. They're not tire-kickers or looky-loos; they are excited about looking at your home, and they really need to buy. When we get into the spring and summer markets, there are more people feeling out the market who aren't as serious.“You'll face less competition and work with more serious buyers. ”The other key thing to remember is that inventory is 60% lower, meaning you have 60% less competition. This gives you even more of an opportunity to make your home truly shine. It's why we love December through March in the Triad market. We keep the hammer down and push forward to get you the results you want down this time of year while most real estate agents work their winter jobs.If you're thinking of taking advantage of all the benefits of selling this time of year, don't hesitate to give us a call. We love to help get your home sold for the most money possible in this favorable market.

With the recent rise in interest rates, I've received a lot of questions from buyers on the brink of panic. Allow me to explain why your own timing matters more than interest rates when it comes to buying a house.Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleWith interest rates going up, I've received a lot of questions from folks wondering if they should make the leap and buy a home. I'm here today to tell you to chill—there's no need to panic!So, should you buy right now? Only if you're ready. It doesn't really matter what rates are. Even if the interest rate was 0%, that still doesn't mean you're ready to buy a house. You can take a lesson from the car business, which routinely offers 0% financing. For 99% of the public, purchasing a car when they're not financially ready is still a horrible thing to do.The same goes for real estate—not everyone needs to own a home. Because homeownership is so different from renting, it's best people rent until they have a full understanding of what buying a home entails. With a rental, you simply walk away when you're done. It doesn't quite work that way with homeownership.“Not everyone needs to own a home just because rates are low. ”Things can break and need to be fixed, and you need to make sure you're properly educated and ready to go before you buy your first, second, third, or 10th property. Just because you've bought before doesn't mean things haven't changed in the real estate world, especially since the market collapse of 2007. We don't want another collapse, so we want to educate you on how to properly buy a home and avoid issues in the future. We want you to be meltdown-proof when the time comes to buy.So if you have questions about buying a house, reach out to us. We don't want you to freak out about rates because, 2017 is going to be phenomenal. We want you to get educated first because knowledge becomes power. If you'd like to talk more about this topic, don't hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We’d be happy to answer any questions you might have.Until then, we want to wish you a merry Christmas as we look forward to 2017!

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! Thank you for your support this year. With your help, we were able to help people around the world in 2016.Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleI just wanted to take a minute to wish everyone a merry Christmas!We hope you are having a phenomenal year. 2016 has been amazing, and we believe that 2017 will be a phenomenal year as well.Thank you to our partners and all of the folks we worked with. We were able to help a lot of people this year, in the U.S. and abroad. We have around 17 different ministry partners throughout our organization, and we are able to support those folks on a monthly commitment. We would not be able to do that if it weren’t for you buying and selling homes with us.“Happy Holidays! ”We feel that this is what we are supposed to do, and we are proud to help people both locally and worldwide.If you need any help with anything, just give us a call. We’re here for you anytime. With that, enjoy the holidays!

If your home has been affected by Hurricane Matthew, I can give you a trustworthy reference to help you repair the damage.Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleFor those of us recently affected by Hurricane Matthew, I’d like to drop you all a quick message about what to look for when repairing damage to your home.If you’re in the unfortunate position of having to replace a roof or siding on your home due to damage from the hurricane, I just wanted to let you know that I can put you in touch with contractors and specialists that are honest and trustworthy who we have been working with for years.It’s also important to be careful about who you hire when you need somebody to repair damage from natural disasters like these. Because there are so many homes and families in need, there are also often a lot of scams that occur during these times. Check every contractor with the Better Business Bureau, make sure that they have insurance and get proof of insurance from their insurance, company, not from the contractor directly.“Watch out for scams during times like this. ”Be cautious because, unfortunately, there are some scammers who will come in from all over the country, are not even licensed to do business in our state, and don’t have the proper insurance.If you’re struggling to find a contractor to help you or if you simply want a good reference, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. We’ll make sure you get taken care of!

Two years ago, one of our clients came in and talked to us about selling her home. For whatever reason, she decided not to hire us and went with a friend’s recommendation.  I can understand why you would hire an agent based off a friend’s recommendation, but consider this: Does your friend know what it takes to sell a house? Do they know the right questions to ask a real estate broker in order to hire the right one? In many cases, and in our client’s case, the answer is no. Our client hired this agent and the house failed to sell. Then, she hired two more real estate companies, and the house still didn’t sell.We always leave the door open, so this client was able to come back to us two years after our first meeting. We put the home on the market and sold it in 54 days. “Our door is always open to you. ”We’ve also had a seller come back after nine years! This client listed with another agent and the home didn’t sell. Nine years later, he came back to us and we sold the home in under 60 days. Now, does this happen all the time? No. Do we sell nearly all of the homes that we list? Yes. In fact, we sell 99% of our listings. We’ve been doing this for a long time. We sell hundreds of houses each year. Our system works. Don’t make the mistake of waiting two years to talk to us about selling your home. Even in this challenging market, we can sell your home in 60 days or less. If you’re curious about what we can do to sell your home, give us a call or send us an email. Even if you’re waiting until next year to sell, it’s never too early to talk to us. We would be happy to help you!

Selling your Triad area home? Get a free home analysis reportBuying a Triad area home? Search all homes for saleThere are plenty of reasons you may need to move quickly. I get a lot of questions about how to sell a home fast in the Triad.So what do you do to sell quick? It starts with your asking price. Time and time again we see people starting way too high with their price, and they end up chasing the market down and become frustrated. It's not fun.At my company, we get the price right first, which is the key to selling quickly. I watch the market trend and the MLS, so I see people chasing prices down every single week. The largest bar on the graph is always price reductions, and that's never a good sign. It means there are a lot of listings with prices that are too high which then spend the next few months (or years) chasing the market down. We get the price right first Don't make that mistake. Our system is quite simple: get the price right upfront, get the home checked out, and find out what's right and wrong so there's no chance of an offer blowing up when we receive it. We want to make sure every detail is covered in our due diligence because we'd much rather get it right than get it fast. A week to 10 days of perfectly good planning outweighs throwing a home on the market just to see what will happen.If you have any more questions about our process and how it works, come on down to our office or give us a call. We'd love to share with you.