Raleigh One of the Top Ten Cities to Get Rich AND Most Prosperous Place to Live!

According to The Triangle Business Journal, Raleigh is tied with Houston as one of the Top 10 Cities in Which to Get Rich.

CreditDonkey did a survey and the three factors taken into consideration and were

• High Income Percentage

• GDP Growth

• Patent Numbers

Raleigh is a great place to live - there is phenomenal business opportunity, there is great investment opportunity and it ranks 10th amongst the Most Prosperous Places to Live.
With wonderful financial opportunities, a city with hiking trails, fantastic restaurants and great cultural facilities, what is there not to like?
If you are considering a move to Raleigh NC, let me show you about our great city. I live and work in Uptown Raleigh, my family go to school and university here and we belong to the local community and as your local Raleigh Real Estate Broker - I am able to share with you my local knowledge.
Search here for Homes for Sale in Raleigh, or feel free to give me a call 919-260-8607 or email me, Lisa@LisaSouthern.com
According to CreditDonkey: “Raleigh had a very impressive level of economic growth in recent years. The percentage of high-earning households here is only slightly below Houston. The area also is responsible for more than 1,000 patents - perhaps not surprising for a place that’s part of one of the nation’s most vaunted innovation hubs, North Carolina’s Research Triangle."

What You Can Do To Get Your Home Sold More Quickly

What you can do to Make Your Home Sell Quickly

There is nothing that is more frustrating for a homeowner than making the decision to sell, and then finding they’re stuck with a house on the market that doesn’t sell. 

The reality is that when you decide you are selling a house, you need to keep it clean, tidy and in “show house” condition every day of the week, just in case a buyer responds to the house sale and wants to buy a home – especially yours. If your home doesn’t look the way it sounds in the house sale advertisement, you could lose the sale. 

For this reason it makes sense to do everything possible to ensure that selling a house will be a seamless experience. So you might as well do everything you can to make your home sell quickly. Here are some tips that will help you if you are selling a house. 

Five Top Tips to Make Your Home Sell Quickly

1. Stay Neutral Customizing your décor and being individualistic is fine; but there’s no guarantee that everyone’s going to like it. Brightly colored paint, clever paint techniques, and retro furniture may impress some people, but generally anything but a middle-of-the-road approach will appeal to the bulk of potential purchasers. So the first tip is to keep neutral in terms of color and approach in an attempt to appeal to as many buyers as possible. 
2. Less is More Clutter is a “no-no”.  So you’ve accumulated family possessions and furniture over years, and/or you need to be able to seat the masses. But not many people are going to buy a home that is crammed with furniture. If you are selling a house and you really do want to make your home sell quickly, you need to make space. If you can’t bring yourself to get rid of stuff, put it in storage. People need to see the house, not your clutter!
3. De-personalize It might be a hard pill to swallow, but generally when people buy a home, they are only looking at the house – not your possessions. Get them out of the way. Even though you love them, they can become a disadvantage. 
4. Do Essential Repairs You don’t have to remodel your house to get your price, and make your home sell quickly. But you do need to ensure that things aren’t broken. Fix what can you as best as you are able. If you need a handyman or professional company, remember that a job well done will pay dividends. Leave it broken and you’ll likely have to drop your price. 
5. Maximize Curb Appeal First impressions really do count, especially when you want to make your home sell quickly. Drive past your property and see if you would be likely to buy a home like this one. (You did, but has the first impression paled?) Tidy up and do what you can to make your house look pretty from the front. 

Thinking of Selling Your Home? Let me take a walk through with you and lets discuss what we should be doing to get your home sold more quickly.  

What is Your Home Worth?

Rent vs Buying - What You Should Consider!

Rent vs Buying, What You Should Consider

Most people considering rent vs buy assume that it’s cheaper to rent a home or condo than to buy one. But this is not necessarily true. In fact right now it can be cheaper to buy than to rent in many cities. 

According to a recent article published by Forbes.com, 98 of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the US offer better rental options. So if you are considering whether it’s better to rent or buy, if you live in one of these areas, buying is a no-brainer. 

Why Rent When You Can Own a Home or Condo? 

Probably the most sensible answer to this question is simply because right now it’s cheaper to opt for rent vs buy. But why?

Property prices have been falling nationally, while rental prices have been increasing. In fact some say that this is the very lowest rent vs buy ratio we have seen for decades. Since that magical housing bubble burst around 2007, the price of residential houses has dropped as much as half! On the other hand, rents have continued to rise. So if you think about it, in monetary terms, rent vs buy = high vs less. 

According to the Forbes article, in New York and LA, both of which boast notoriously high house prices, rent prices are typically lower. In Honolulu and San Fransisco it is much more affordable to rent vs buy. But Detroit is said to give the best value for buyers versus those wanting to rent.  

Wherever “economic growth is relatively strong the supply of housing units is limited thanks to building regulations, people are willing to bid up prices and spend more believing their investments will be matched by rents eventually”. 

So, why rent when you can own?

Come and explore the option of Buying a Condo or Home vs Renting a Condo or home in Downtown Raleigh or surrounding areas.

• Homes | Condos for Sale in Raleigh
• Homes | Condos for Sale Glenwood Neighborhood
• Condos for Sale 222 Glenwood Raleigh
• Condos for Sale 510 Glenwood Raleigh
• Condos for Sale Palladium Plaza Raleigh
• Condos for Sale PNC Plaza Raleigh
• Homes | Condos for Sale Brooklyn Neighborhood 
• Homes | Condos for Sale Mordecai Neighborhood
• Homes | Condos for Sale Oakwood Neighborhood
• Homes | Condos for Sale Boylan Heights Neighborhood
• Homes | Condos for Sale Cameron Park Neighborhood

10 Key Steps to Selling Your Home

10 Key Steps to Selling Your Home 

Your Agent is the Key to the Sale

Unless you’re a registered plumber, you won’t install the plumbing in your home. If you aren't a qualified electrician, you won’t tackle the wiring in your home. So why would you try and sell your home without the necessary know-how?

The short answer to this question is probably because you want to save money, and don’t believe a real estate agent will be able to do the job any better than you can. 

This could be a fatal flaw. 

If this is what you are thinking at the point you decide to sell your home, you may well be on your way into a big hole, where all you do is lose money. 

Unless you have great skills in the property sales arena, and a good bit of experience, there is absolutely no doubt that a real estate agent is the key to a successful sale of your home. Real estate agents are trained to sell homes. It’s not just a matter of sticking up a “For Sale” sign and putting ads on Internet sites and in local newspapers; it takes considerable expertise to sell your home. 

A trained estate agent is the key to selling your home because he or she knows how to price your home, target buyers, negotiate on your behalf and close the deal. They are the professionals who can help you sell your home.  Not all real estate agents are created equal.  Get referrals, ask questions and participate in the process.

The Ten Key Steps to Sell Your Home

Bearing in mind that the agent is key to your sale, here are some of the key steps to sell your home.

1. Be sure you really do want to sell. 
2. Decide if you should buy before or after you sell your current house.
3. Choose an estate agent carefully, and sign an agreement you are both happy with.
4. Review the plan to sell your home, with your chosen agent.
5. Agree on the price you advertise to sell your home. 
6. Consider staging your home and talk to your agent for sound advice.
7. Assist with, or enable photography to make sure there are visuals and possibly also videos that will help to sell your home. 
8. Be proactive when it comes to open house days and visits. Make you home stand out. 
9. Maintain contact with your agent to make sure you know what is going on all the time … remember that your agent is the key to enable you to sell your home. 
10. Make sure you know what legalities are involved. If you have a good agent he or she will keep you in the loop every step of the way.

I would love to be the agent you interview for the job of selling your home. Please give me a call and let's have a cup of coffee and a chat and let me see how I can make the difference.

Lisa@LisaSouthern.com 

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Blount Street Commons - A Unique Blend of Old and New in Downtown Raleigh

Blount Street Commons - A Unique Blend of Old and New 

Historic homes seamlessly blend with new construction to create a new urban housing vision in Downtown Raleigh.

Blount Street Commons, located in the heart of downtown Raleigh, just blocks from the Governor's Mansion.  Easily walk to downtown Raleigh jobs, restaurants, shopping and nightlife.

Blount Street Commons is a newly re-designed community that merges new homes with the restoration of surrounding historic homes to seamlessly blend together in one community.  This unique project took a neighborhood originally established in 1869 and reestablished it with a new vision in 2008. The vision for this urban living vision was focused around integrating 25 historic homes, dating from the late 1800's to the early 1900's and infusing contemporary ideas in home design that blend with the architectural surroundings.

Resale homes, lots, pre-builds and future historic home projects are available. With a variety of housing options from apartment homes, to carriage homes, to preserved historic homes, to new construction, this unique downtown Raleigh neighborhood offers something for every budget and every lifestyle.

Spanning five blocks of the historic district in downtown Raleigh, this exciting neighborhood is a vital part of a growing downtown area. Still in development, but completely livable, this is a great place to  live and be able to enjoy the true downtown Raleigh lifestyle.

Enjoy an evening stroll in the historic Oakwood neighborhood just right outside your door.  Dine at locally owned restaurants and walk to work.  Spend the weekend at world class museums or catch an IMAX film. What more can you ask for?

To learn more about any of these available properties or to receive custom notifications when a new property is listed for sale in Blount Street Commons, Contact Us.

SEE HOMES LISTED FOR SALE IN BLOUNT STREET COMMONS