Things You Should Know Before Buying A Fixer Upper

Things You Should Know Before Buying A Fixer Upper

With the boom of home improvement shows and the growth of entire neighborhoods being renovated it seems like taking on a big project is becoming the norm. So, if you're in the market for a new home, a fixer-upper can be very appealing. A fixer-upper is a home that needs to be renovated and because of this is often priced lower than other homes in the area. The price and freedom to completely customize your home draws in thousands of people every year. This doesn't mean that these homes don't come with their fair share of issues, and potential owners should know the risks. Both Larry Tollen and Andrew Palumbo who lead the My NC Homes Team have extensive experience working on homes. Here are the most…

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Home Buyer Demand Will Be Strong for Years to Come!

There has been a lot written about millennials and their preference to live in city centers above their favorite pizza place. Some have even gone so far as to say that millennials are a "Renter-Generation."

And while this might be true for some millennials, more and more research has surfaced that shows for the vast majority, owning a home is a major part of their American Dream!

New research shows that 66% of millennials who currently rent are determined to buy a home! Seventy-three percent of those surveyed {Pulsenomics} plan to buy a home in the next five years, with 40% planning to do so within the next two years!

"Millennials want to own a home as much as prior generations," Ali Wolf, Director of Economic Research at "We saw…

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Tired of Renting? 2019 The Cost of Renting Vs Buying

2019 The Cost of Renting Vs Buying

If you're tired of renting, you are not alone, the vast majority of Americans rightly believe that owning a home makes sense as this video below shows. 

While home ownership may not be ideal for everyone, here in the Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh area of North Carolina the numbers are awfully compelling if you know you'll be living here for a minimum of three years. The longer you live in the area, the more compelling the numbers are. If you're as into data as the My NC Homes team is, you'll want to check out the link below for Buying Vs Renting. We originally sat down and laid out the numbers in 2012, then Larry updated them in 2017 and honestly in the past two years the thing that's changed the most is…

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First Time Home Buyers - The Ultimate Checklist

If you're a first time home buyer then there's a good chance you are getting lots of conflicting information, from the Internet, your friends, family and co-workers. We hear things from when we're speaking to our buyer clients that never cease to surprise us as it's so often incorrect. There's a lot to consider and some prep work required. Here it is, a definitive guide to preparing to buy your first home.

Getting Ready: Mortgages and Financing

1. - Start saving for your down payment.

It may seem obvious, but if you're going to buy a home you're going to need money and the sooner you start saving, the sooner you can start looking for a home in earnest. Saving for a down payment is frequently the biggest hurdle for first time buyers, so it…

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How to find a Great Place to Live

What makes a home a great place to live?

Buyers want a great place to live, which involves more than just the house. Beyond the walls that people call home lies the neighborhood and community that make a particular location a great place to live. We asked our buyers to define what makes a particular place great and we asked our sellers what they'll miss most when leaving the area behind.

Defining what makes it great

Location

For some buyers location might be at the top of the priority list when trying to decide what spot is right for them. Work commute can be a factor, and location to shopping, dining, or access to the highway might determine what is most important. We work with a wide variety of clients from different generations; both…

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Should I Outsource or DIY My Home Maintenance Tasks? Part 2

Outdoor home maintenance: outsource or DIY?

A home requires regular maintenance both indoors and outdoors. The maintenance required on the exterior of the home is dictated by the weather climate where we reside. Maintenance is time sensitive due to the exposure to the elements.  Making sure you keep up with regular exterior inspections as a critical first-step. This gives you the option to do it yourself (DIY) and save money in the long term. 

Your House

The roof

Your roof is your first defense against the weather. The roof is also taking the majority of the beating from the sun, wind, rain,  hail, and snow. It is important to regularly inspect your roof for major   damage and signs of wear that may need repair. However, we encourage   our…

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Should I outsource or DIY home maintenance tasks? Part 1

Indoor home maintenance: Outsource or DIY?

Homeowners face a multitude of decisions as they manage their households. Whether it is regularly needed maintenance or special situations, homeowners will inevitably make decisions to either outsource or DIY the work themselves. New homeowners especially may be especially keen to save money at every opportunity.  Not all DIY maintenance work is created equal. The more experience with DIY will inevitably show you that, some jobs are better left to the professionals. In this blog, we will look at some common indoor home maintenance tasks that will make homeowners ask, “Should I outsource this home maintenance job or do it myself?”

Inside the Home

Some homeowners keep a regular schedule of tasks to…

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Why Zillow Probably Values Your Home Wrong!

It's a question we hear on a regular basis, "We love your site but we were hoping you could get a "free online valuation. Why don't you offer this on your site?"   

My NC Homes has reviewed a dozen or more of them, trying to find one we felt good about offering our clients/customers. The truth is we haven't found a single one that we felt was worth putting on our site. They're all flawed for the same reason; they calculate your home's value using a number of false assumptions. The first is that all lots within a neighborhood are the same. They don't know whether your lot backs to a beautiful glade or a powerline, whether it's level, hilly, a corner lot, backs to a highway or is positively (or negatively) impacted by adjoining properties. Next they…

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What it is like to buy and sell with My NC Homes

If you're reading this, then you're clearly wondering what it's like to buy or sell a home with My NC Homes.

We felt the best way to answer this was to have clients who have bought, sold, and referred friends and co-workers to us share their experience.

Stacy and her husband Jon have worked with Larry as first-time home buyers, move up buyers and first-time sellers. In 2012, just having moved to Durham from Maryland, Stacy and Jon had been in the area for less than a year when they decided to buy a house. Still being new to the area they had a lot to learn about the different neighborhoods and what to keep in mind for value, resale, and what they considered important.

How did you first meet Larry and My NC Homes?

Stacy: Larry had a…

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The Top Things to Look for When You're House Hunting in 2018

If you're considering purchasing a brand-new home, you've got a lot of work ahead of you. Not only will you be spending various nights and days looking through the listings in North Carolina to find the property that's perfect for your family, but you'll also need to think about how much you can afford to ensure that you don't overspend.

Remember, when it comes to buying the right home, it's important to keep your budget firmly in mind so that you don't put yourself in a difficult financial situation. But if you've got a solid idea of what you can spend, then the following 3 things might be the top things to look for when you're house hunting this year.

1. The Location

Speak to any real estate agent and they'll tell you that the top three…

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