Dec 30, 2010

8 ways agents avoid overpriced listings | Inman News

Getting a Seller to set a realistic list price takes the work of a good Agent who knows how to dig beneath the surface and show Sellers what they are really up against. It is no longer about looking at the comparable properties it is about the competition. In this article discover 8 ways agents can (and should) avoid overpricing listings by Inman News. How does your Agent talk to you about positioning your property? Do they show you the absorption rate for your subdivision or market area or are they simply focusing on the comparable listings?

398 Peaslake Ct Rolesville, NC
 I have had listing appointments recently where the Sellers say " We are not ready to go to our bottom". The trouble with that thinking is their bottom is not the markets bottom. If you price a home correctly from the start you will have success and if you need to make adjustments make them and make them quickly.

I do subscribe to having "Swat Teams" of Agents visit a home for presentation purposes if there is an issue with the home, but not for the purpose of reviewing the list price. It is my feeling that could lead to potentially violating client confidentiality. Working on the list price is strictly in my opinion the job of the Listing Agent. The authors comment that "you must be slightly below market value to sell the property" is spot on. Do this and you will have success in getting your home sold.

Nov 30, 2010

Triangle: Real Estate in 2011

Senior VP Phyllis York Brookshire at Allen Tate Company takes a look into the crystal ball for 2011? Nay! Based on statistics and a look at the assets of the area Phyllis makes some projections as to the state of the Triangle market going forward Triangle: Real Estate in 2011 Check out Phyllis's latest posting on the Allen Tate Companies Blog "At Home In the Carolina's".

With the future projected growth of Wake County, the Raleigh, Wake Forest / Rolesville markets look like they are headed toward a health future. You have to take the long view of the market and the future is looking better!

Nov 2, 2010

Going Once, Going Twice, Going Three Times... Real Estate Auction in Raleigh, NC

Going Once, Going Twice, Going Three Times... Sold to the highest bidder "Subject to Seller Approval" this is how it went today at the Raleigh Marriott City Center in downtown Raleigh this morning as 36 luxury condos at the WEST in Glenwood South area of Raleigh were auctioned off.

This was a successful auction for all. Buyers and Investors alike got great deals on beautiful properties & for those that financed the purchase these loans are at incredible interest rates. In years to come I suspect the Buyers that won bids on units at the West will be bragging about these purchases and how smart and lucky they were to have been there.

The developer successfully wrote 10M+ in business today and that is huge! Now there was some discussion bemoaning the fact that prior or current owners of condos at the West suffered a loss today, but at the end of the day did they?

Here are some points to consider:

- More lights turned on at the development
- The HOA will be fully funded
- The projected population of Wake County is expected to grow by 700,000 by 2020
- This is highly desirable location

The above facts are positive all around for this project. If you consider the short term view then yes it could be a loss for the other owners of units within the development, but if you take a long term view it was an all around success.

If we learn nothing from the prior market we must take a longer view when it comes to investing in real estate. It was the short term, quick buck mentality that got investors and home owners alike in to trouble.

Ironically we now have a market where we will see the best deals in our lifetime and Buyers are sitting on the sidelines. Well not all Buyers but most. Maybe this Spring the Sleeping Giant will wake up!

I am glad that I was there to experience this event and the Buyers and Investors that I met were particularly savvy. They are not waiting for the ground swell but they see the road ahead and these are the Buyers that will really benefit from this market!

Oct 13, 2010

The New Foreclosure Mess: What It Means To You

With all of the mixed news in the Real Estate market across the country we have one more interesting issue that dropped on the table, the halt of Foreclosures in some areas. We sure live in interesting times. I am not saying this to be flip at all, I mean that there are so many interesting situations and daily learning experiences that you can not rest on your laurels in this business. This has always been a serious business and now even more so.

Real Estate expert Steve Harney & his team do a great job of researching what the financial experts across the country have to say & presenting it in a clear fashion. Take a look at this article The New Foreclosure Mess: What It Means To You I think you will find it very helpful & informative.

We are going to move through this one house at a time. Being located in the Raleigh, Wake Forest, NC market we are very fortunate. While we have our issues here we still are moving forward. I was in a meeting with the Durham, NC Downtown Business Alliance and they told us about several nation and international business that are moving to our area. We have growth coming, we have jobs coming & we are moving forward.

We just launched our new website www.WakeForestHomeFinder.com if you are thinking of moving to the area or are relocating within the area this is a great site to search for homes. I also have a great list of vendors on this sitethat I personally have done business with & I give them my personal recommendation. I look forward to talking to you & I hope that you find the above article helpful.

Sep 18, 2010

SparkCon - Downtown Raleigh this weekend & 5K Race in Wake Forest for BackPack Buddies

Finally we get a break in the weather and it is time to play outside! There are two great events that I personally plan to be involved with this weekend. I started out this  morning in Wake Forest  working registration for a BackPack Buddies 5K Race & here is why we do it my co-worker Rich Bove' & I along with a few other fabulous volunteers got to greet the runners and their families as they checked in. There was also a 1 mile fun run and a kids run. Oh my were the kids cute!

People were also able to drop off donations of snack foods that go directly to this program. If you do not know much about this program it is a much needed program. There are regular drop off spots for food / snack donations like Wake Forest Chamber of Commerce, Dinners at Home in Wake Forest & The Factory also in Wake Forest.

If you have any questions about this program, want to volunteer or want to know what foods are appropriate contact Rebecca Warriner you can read about why she does this and how to contact her. Today's event supports the Wake Forest & Rolesville programs.

More fun to be had this weekend!     what

Another great event in the Raleigh Area going on Downtown this weekend is SparkCon! This is a wonderful event that started Thursday and goes until Sunday Sept 19th. This is an outdoor event in the streets of all kinds of art, music, fashion...to name a few. Check out the calendar of events here for SparkCon!

Whatever you choose to do this weekend make the best of it and spend time with the ones you love! It is easy to enrich your life, it is easier to enrich your life if you turn off the tv & get off of the couch (unless your favorite college team is on or you are reading a good book!)

Have a great September weekend!

Sep 11, 2010

Left to our own devices we are so good at muddying the waters! All the talk of the economy based on the health of the housing market has gotten so that people can think of little else but homes & home values. We are accustom in this country to moving as we wish, when we wish. If you don't need to move right now or have a compelling reason to be on the market then get the heck off! I have had people call me and say "well we don't really need to sell, but we just wanted to test the market".


How can I think anything to myself other than "really". My next thought is under which rock do you live? Ok I am kidding, I do more investigation but truly if you have no compelling reason to sell right now you have to ask yourself why even entertain this. There is an oversupply of listings and we are in a full on Buyers Market, one of the things that would help the current market would be; if you do not need to sell now then come off of the market. Coming off of the market really would help Sellers that need to sell in your area.

I have another bone to chew... If you are currently living in your home and you have no plans to sell, don't need to sell and you don't need to refinance please please stop talking about the money you have lost in your home! This is akin to looking at your 401K everyday and bemoaning the days market up or down. If you did this it would drive you crazy so stop. The market is where it is today, it hasn't always been this way and it won't always be this way!

Home Sweet Home! http://www.8200willowglen.com/

Lastly I want to address Home Buyers, the ones that are out looking, looking, looking. What are you afraid of? You stand to lose more value in the car that you just bought, you know that unappreciating asset in the driveway then you do in the home you are looking at today. Oh and most of us give our cars, the unappreciating asset more care on an annual basis than we do our homes! I think this article by Matthew Ferrara Kick Buyers Butt makes the point way better than I do, take a look and let me know what you think. All the cards are in your hand, don't miss this opportunity by sitting frozen in indecisiveness. This time for you is like being given the keys to the kingdom, don't freak yourself out. Find the home you want and can comfortably live in and go for it.

Call your Agent (or me 919-623-7715) and let's get this moving!

Aug 19, 2010

Home will sell if the price is right - Real Estate News - NewsObserver.com

It use to be a fact that if you priced your home competitively it would sell. The fact is these days you have to price your home compellingly to get it seen. I love it when the press gets it right and today the N&O got it right Home will sell if the price is right - Real Estate News - NewsObserver.com

Often there are articles in the paper that generalize the news about real estate and that is a disservice to the readership & the community it serves. Take a look at the article above and if you're home is on the market for sale call your Agent and have a current look at the competing listings. We curently have fewer Buyers looking for homes so you have to make your home stand out. You have to have the three P's in place: Pricing, Presentation and Promotion. Pricing leads the way for a reason.

Aug 9, 2010

8200 Willowglen Dr, Raleigh, NC 27616, Presented by Julie Keelan, Allen Tate Realtors. Powered by FloorPlanOnline

This is the best priced home is the Braefield subdivision, not to mention the fact that it shows beautifully! This location is just off of Forestville Rd & 401. If you need easy access to I-540 or to be within 20-25 minutes of Wake Med this is a great location. This property backs a large farm which provides for excellent privacy. Please take a moment to tour this home and if you like it please let me know. 8200 Willowglen Dr, Raleigh, NC 27616, Presented by Julie Keelan, Allen Tate Realtors. Powered by FloorPlanOnline

If this home is not for you, you may have a friend looking for a home like this, please share this link with them. This is a unique time for all of us and we are all in different positions. If you have been thinking about buying a home but are waiting let me tell you that interest rates have never been better. Interest rates along with home prices make for a historical buyers market.


I serve the Wake Forest, Rolesville and Raleigh, NC markets. This is just one of the exceptional listings I have. Call me at 919-453-5064 to set up a showing today!

Aug 4, 2010

A Conversation on Short Sales vs. Strategic Defaults

Once again Steve Harney and his crew at Keeping Current Matters put out good relevent information about Short Sales & Foreclosures & the topic of Strategic Defults A Conversation on Short Sales vs. Strategic Defaults This is tough stuff to sort out right now. I am reading everything I can get my hands on about this subject. For now take a look at this conversation.

Jan 14, 2010

When the World Becomes Your Neighbor

This is a time where more than ever we must pay attention to what is going on with our neighbors whether literally your next door neighbor or a neighboring country. Things are happening all around us that we cannot ignore; friends, neighbors & family members are falling into difficult financial times everywhere we turn. Common dinner conversation is someone sharing their current difficulty while others listening are quietly shaking their heads in identification. You can no longer sit back in isolation thinking "it won't happen to me" because it is happening to everyone. The time to no longer know your neighbor has passed.

Now as the world looks on at the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti it is happening again, our neighbor is in trouble & the band aides that were put on before to hold things together have been ripped off. The damage that has been incurred in Port-au-Prince is devastating and to the typical American unimaginable. The thing is that the conditions that the Haitians have been living in both politically and economically have been horrible for years. The poverty, state of housing, health care & nutrition have been effecting the population for many many years so when the earthquake hit, what little there was came tumbling down.

The good news is that assistance has been launched from all corners of the world by many countries with teams of disaster experts ready to help the people of Haiti. The likes of a disaster like this has not been seen or experienced by many of us. I am thankful to those that do have the training necessary to assist in situations like this.

Likewise we must be prepared to see how we can assist our neighbors. What do I have that I can share? How can I help you? What can I do to lift you up? What kind deed, word or thought can I contribute to someone else? The good news is that I have seen people reaching out more than ever of late, I have seen peoples hearts open. Friends that have had surgery or babies, food has been prepared. Friends have gotten together to help neighbors that had no propane for heat & hot water. People are looking around their homes saying what do I have that I don' t need & who can I give it to.

We are all being called to be of service to the people in our; neighborhood, communities, families & co-workers, the list goes on. It has been asked that people not travel to Haiti as many did to New Orleans & the Gulf Coast, so at this point the most constructive thing to do is to contribute money to organizations that are already on the ground in Haiti. If you are so moved, I hope that you will take a minute to go to the side bar on my blog and make a contribution to the people of Haiti, our world neighbors. They are calling, they need help and we know it.

Haiti Earthquake: Twitter Pictures Sweep Across the Web [PHOTOS]

Haiti Earthquake: Twitter Pictures Sweep Across the Web [PHOTOS]

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About Me

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Raleigh / Wake Forest, NC, United States
Julie Keelan is a Broker with the Keelan ~ Page Group at Allen Tate Company in the Triangle Area of North Carolina. The Triangle encompasses: Raleigh, Wake Forest, RTP, Durham, Chapel Hill; her focus is the Raleigh, Wake Forest, Rolesville & surrounding areas. Julie also specializes in Horse Farms and Golf Course homes. Starting in 1996 as a Real Estate Appraiser in Flagstaff, AZ & in 2005 moving to Raleigh, NC getting her Brokers License she has seem many markets. Julie shares her experience and take on what's going on in the Real Estate market in her area and Real Estate in general...there is always something going on! The news is not all bad despite what you hear from the non-stop talking heads on the 24 hour news networks. In today’s market you have to search for professionals that truly know what is going on in your market, always remember REAL ESTATE IS LOCAL! Please contact us if you have any questions or if you would like to talk to us about Buying or Selling we have great tools and marketing plans to get the job done for you. In the mean time I hope to put some light and lite into your day as related to Real Estate. Keep Coming Back!