2014 Raleigh Cary Real Estate Market Trends - Are the Indicators Right for You?

2014 Raleigh Cary Real Estate Market Trends

Housing recovery has increased for the 20th straight month and although this has been the trend over the last year, however home prices are expected to moderate in 2014.

According to Zillow, Raleigh-Cary in North Carolina has seen a 5.14% population growth, the unemployment rate stands at 6.8% and the home price forecast is at 2.4% and therefore Raleigh-Cary has been identified as one of the 10 hottest housing markets in  2014. Read about the other hottest markets by clicking here. 

Welcomemat Services, a company that sends coupons and incentives to shop local has  reported, based on various sources of information that they analyze, that within the 52 zip codes in Wake, Durham and Orange Counties, the Cary-Morrisville Zip code 27519 has proven to be the most popular with an average of 405 new residents per month! Real the full story here by Dawn Kurry of the Triangle Business Journal. 

US New home construction hit the highest percentage since February 2008. This indicates that builders are more bullish about the new home sales market. This is not only great news for the marketplace, but this will mean more jobs will be available further bolstering the US economy.

With all this positive and wonderful news, how could it not be the right time to buy | sell in Raleigh | Cary?

If you are considering an investment, I have the expertise, the team and the back up to assist you with your home purchase.

Please call me Cell: 919-800-0880 or email Lisa@LisaSouthern.com

Homes for Sale Raleigh

• Homes for Sale Raleigh New Listings (16)
• Homes for Sale Raleigh Foreclosure Listings (14)
• Homes for Sale Raleigh Short Sale Listings (12)
• Homes for Sale Raleigh Single Family Homes for Sale (380)
• Homes for Sale Raleigh Condos & Townhomes for Sale (209)

Homes for Sale in Cary 

• Homes for Sale in Cary New Listings (18)
• Homes for Sale in Cary Foreclosure Listings (8)
• Homes for Sale in Cary Short Sale Listings (8)
• Homes for Sale in Cary Single Family Homes for Sale (312)
• Homes for Sale in Cary Condos & Townhomes for Sale (102)

First Night Raleigh 2014 - Downtown Raleigh Event

First Night Raleigh 2014

Come to Downtown Raleigh New Years Eve!

First Night Raleigh is one of the most revered events in Downtown Raleigh. What better way to celebrate the close of one year and ring in the new year!

First Night was created in 1990 to bring more people to downtown and create a long lasting community event that people will look forward to every year. They certainly succeeded! Each year the event gets bigger with more entertainment and venues. The event is designed around the "Four Pillars of First Night"; Celebration, Community, The New Year, and The Arts. First Night is celebrated in many towns across the country. Each community brings their own spin on the event, making it a truly local and unique experience.

2012 drew a record breaking crowd of over 80,000 people! It will be interesting to see if we can top that this year. We are definitely excited to be right in the middle of the action at 15 E Martin St!  Here is a First Night Raleigh Event Map so you can plan for Parking and the activities that will he happening throughout the day and evening.

This year you can expect even more fun filled excitement and family fun. The Children’s Celebration is scheduled from 2:00 – 6:00 PM, so you can have some family New Year's fun without the late night revelry. From a play area, to arts and crafts, music, games, carousel ride, sleigh rides and ice skating, the little ones will be worn out! Great news for the baby sitter, so the parents can go out for the rest of the evening!

Later in the evening a slew of performers will heat up various stages around town, over 100 performances in over three dozen locations across downtown Raleigh are scheduled. See the full Event Info here.

You do need to Buy a Pass for all the events, so be sure to do that in advance if possible! Children under 5 are free. There are many locations around town where you can buy passes.

With such a huge scale event with so many people, Volunteers are always needed. If you are looking for a fun way to spend the evening and help out the community, you can Volunteer at First Night Raleigh
volunteer@artsplosure.org or call 919.832.8699, ext. 805.

The highlight of the evening is the dropping of the Raleigh Acorn! If you can't make it downtown, just tune into WRAL to watch all the fun live, in your PJ's.

Hope to see you there! Happy Holidays and may you have a wonderful 2014! From Lisa Southern Real Estate.

Local Agent – Local Knowledge - Raleigh, NC Real Estate Experts

Local Agent – Local Knowledge 

Raleigh, NC Real Estate Experts

Whether you are buying or selling a home, it pays to use a local agent with local knowledge. A local agent knows what’s happening in the area and has a well-established local network of people to work with such as mortgage professionals, home inspectors, home repair experts, and more.

Being local also means that the Agent will be able to analyze things like local services information (about education, schools, local amenities), local demographics, and house-price information that is relevant to the area. Local knowledge can even be as detailed as knowing about future development projects that could affect home values, upcoming zoning changes for schools, HOA's with known issues and even neighborhoods that have had potential problems that could affect you.

As a Buyer, using a local Agent with local knowledge, you can save yourself a lot of time and aggravation. Using a Buyer's Agent in NC is free to the Buyer. The Seller pays all Realtor Fees. Even homes for sale by owner (FSBO's) will often participate with a Buyer's agent and pay their fee. Your Agent can ask for you. There are a lot of details that go into buying a home from picking out the perfect place, to negotiations, to inspections, repairs all the way to closing. Having a local Agent with local knowledge, can help you avoid many pitfalls throughout the process.

Sellers greatly benefit from working with a local Agent with local knowledge. Finding an Agent who has sold homes in your area, one who is familiar with the local market and what buyers are looking for, and an Agent who has local connections for contractors and vendors, will save you time and money in the long run. Also a well connected Agent can often find you a buyer before the home is listed by marketing it to other Agents they know.

Working with a local Agent with local knowledge does not in any way imply small and parochial. Even major international property chains prefer to work with local Agents who have good knowledge of the area in which they live and operate.

Of course you need to be sure that the Realtor you choose to work with is an experienced professional, and somebody who will have your interests at heart. A good local Agent will be able to accurately assess the market in your area and how it relates to your situation.

Whether you are a buyer or a Seller, always interview Agents to find the right person for the job. A real estate transaction is a big event and needs to be handled by a professional. Ask for Testimonials too! This is a great indicator of an Agent's ability to serve your needs.

If you are looking for an experienced local Agent with local knowledge to help your buy or sell a home in the Raleigh, NC area - CONTACT US at Lisa Southern Real Estate. We have lived and worked in this area for many years representing buyers, sellers, & investors.

Downtown Raleigh News December 2013

Downtown Raleigh News December 2013

With all the changes in downtown Raleigh, it's hard to keep up. We are even undergoing changes ourselves. Our office is getting a complete remodel from the facade to the interior. The City is also remodeling what we fondly refer to as our "back yard", just behind our building as part of a downtown revitalization project of City malls.

One of our favorite past times is dining out with family and friends. If you are looking for a downtown Raleigh restaurant for a special holiday evening out, here is a list of some of the best fine dining options downtown. Downtown Raleigh Restaurants

Or if you are looking for a new hot spot, try the new Station Raleigh on Person St. Former Epic Games designer for Gears of War, Cliff Bleszinski partnered with Hibernian and Solas partners to make what he calls a "cozy, rustic watering hole." Hibernian owners are also working on a new Glenwood Ave project that will be called the Beir Garten, a two story restaurant and bar with outdoor patios.

Right down the street from our office, workers are breaking ground on the SkyHouse, a 320 unit building that will certainly change the landscape and skyline at the corner of Martin and Blount Streets. Other upcoming projects include Charter Square, at 11 stories high on the south end of Fayetteville Street as well as the mid-rise Edison Apartments on Davie Street and the 16-story Edison Office building next to SkyHouse. There are also several hotel projects in the works including a Hilton Garden Inn and a Residence Inn by Marriott hotel. Other new apartments in the works are The Lincoln, the L Building, 425 North Boylan, The Elan at Blount Street Commons.

According to the Triangle Business Journal downtown Raleigh has more than $300 million in new private building projects in the works for 2014 and 2015. Stay tuned for more exciting news!

If you have ever considered moving Inside the Beltline or investing in a property in downtown Raleigh, now is the time to get in the game. Contact us at Lisa Southern Real Estate today to learn more about the many exciting opportunities here.