If you are buying a home in a Flood plain there are a number of things you should know. Flood insurance rates are currently at some of the highest in history. In 2012, the U.S. Congress passed a law phasing out many of the available subsidies for homes in flood plains and allowing insurance companies to substantially increase rates year over year. In 2014, Congress passed a new version of the law aimed at reducing the previous likelihood of major increases and reinstating some of the subsidies.

The exact ramifications of these changes are up in the air, and it’s anyone’s guess where premiums will end up. Either way, this isn’t great news for anyone buying or selling a home in a flood zone.

Why Lenders Care About Flood Insurance

Flood damage isn’t

Over the past decade, the Triangle area has become one of the most popular areas of the country to live and work, and for good reason. A prime geographical location and a robust economy have paved the way for a huge influx of families and individuals relocating from out of state. At some point, most of these people eventually play host to visiting family and friends. Luckily, there’s no shortage of fun and interesting things to do.

Here are a few good ones:

• Heart of NC Wine Trail: Established in 2011, this wine trail includes five small, unique vineyards. It runs from Durham southwest through Apex and Pittsboro, ending in Siler City.
• Duke Gardens: The Sarah P. Duke Gardens is free and open every day of the year. This world-renowned public

Here is what buyers need to know about homeowner’s associations (HOAs). HOAs are common throughout North Carolina and are nearly universal in the Triangle area. The role of a HOA is simple: to protect and preserve property values throughout the neighborhood. You may have heard “horror stories” of people who had bad experiences dealing with their HOA—but throughout my career in real estate, I’ve found these cases to be rare. In fact, homeowners often take for granted how much HOAs help them. Condominiums have associations as well, and while their function tends to be more hands-on, their role is basically the same (see my article on the difference between a townhome and a condo).

The Neighborhood’s Influence on Home Values

You may have heard the old

Here are some fun facts about Chapel Hill and Durham that you might not know.

• In Chapel Hill, fire engines have been Carolina blue, and not the traditional red, since 1996.
• UNC Chapel Hill is the oldest public university in the United States. The school was founded in 1789.
• The Morehead Planetarium was the first planetarium in the south and a NASA training facility from 1960-1975.
• 73.5% of adult Chapel Hill residents hold a Bachelors degree or higher, based on the most recent us Census data from 2012. This is higher than both the national average (just under 40%) and North Carolina’s statewide average (just under 30%).
• 7.8 million people visited Durham in 2011 (source: Durham Convention and Visitors’ Bureau).
• Durham is called the City

“For Sale by Owner” will not save you money. Home sellers sometimes get the mistaken impression that they can save money by selling their own house instead of paying a Realtor’s commission. I could write a book about all of the reasons why this is a bad idea, but some people still only look at one factor: the 6% that they think they can save by cutting the agent out of the picture.

Most people who are not mechanics would not try to work on their own cars, and few people suffering from broken bones or other serious illnesses would think to treat themselves in order to save money. It’s not really any different when it comes to selling a home. You may have heard the old saying: “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” If you forgo hiring a professional to

The Noah Z.M. Goetz (NZMG) Foundation 2014 Fall Gala was a great success. The NZMG Foundation is dedicated to helping adopting couples navigate the challenging legal adoption process in North Carolina. They also provide financial assistance for adopting couples in need. The Fall Gala is their only major fundraising event of the year. We’re happy to announce that this year’s event raised just over $7,000 for the charity.

Angela and I are active supporters of the NZMG Foundation and personal friends of the founder Nathaniel and Parul Goetz. Earlier this year we were privileged to help establish a new grant program. At the Gala, we got to meet Dori and Terrence Wilson, the recipients of the inaugural Angela and Larry Tollen Family Grant. The charity

The first thing most people notice when entering Timberlyne is its secluded forest feel. Well-sized lots (typically around a half an acre, give or take) are surrounded with old hardwood, flowering trees and green spaces. Its lush, secret garden look belies the fact that Timberlyne is really a central location in Chapel Hill North Carolina.

At the Center of Everything

Located on the north side of Chapel Hill, Timberline is off of Weaver Dairy Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. It is a convenient two minutes from I-40, offering direct access to Raleigh, Durham, and the Research Triangle Park. Timberlyne is also a walkable neighborhood, with a wide variety of shops and restaurants within just a few minutes walk. The Timberlyne and Chapel Hill

Owning a home is still a great way to build wealth. During the Great Recession of the not-too-distant past, home values fell to unprecedented lows. Unfortunately for a lot of people, a large portion (or all) of their net worth was tied up in their homes. As the values fell, their net worth plummeted. Luckily, the real estate market has recovered, and then some. The national housing market has been on the upswing for almost two years and shows no signs of stopping. This significant recovery shows us that home ownership still makes sense as the cornerstone of a wealth-building strategy.

Home ownership can serve as a type of forced savings.

Although Americans in general have become better savers over the past several years, setting aside funds for

There are thousands of licensed real estate agents in the Triangle, and most of them do a decent job. Some are truly excellent agents and top producers. There are a few you wouldn’t trust to sell a doghouse. Using an experienced agent can reduce or eliminate a lot of the roadblocks involved in buying or selling a home, but only a great agent can make the process seem like a piece of cake (or as close to it as possible!). Here’s how you can separate the wheat from the chaff:

They Can Give You Good & Bad News

A good agent takes your opinion on price and tries to make it work. A great agent tells the truth about price, even if you don’t want to hear it. Issues with the appraisal price of a home are not uncommon. It is increasingly difficult to get

Real estate transactions are often fraught with minefields for both buyers and sellers. Purchasing a home in as-is condition is one of those things that is poorly understood, especially for new or inexperienced buyers. Listing a home in as-is condition may be of benefit to the seller, but it’s going to cost in terms of pricing if a Seller chooses to go this route.  Not only are they expressing their unwillingness (or inability) to make repairs, but an as-is sale essentially relieves the seller from both responsibility and liability for the home’s condition.

Because a home listed as-is  may comes at a comparably reduced price, buyers are anxious to take advantage of the deal they think they’re getting. I say “not so fast!” Here are some of the things