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In Chatham County, there was an increase of 7.5% in the number of new listings in June compared to last year, which increased from 146 to 157. The number of closed sales increased from 623 to 653 or a 4.8% increase. Median sales prices also increased by 2.7%. In 2020, Chatham County median sales price was slightly below the median sales price for all MLS listings.  In Durham County, new listings have decreased by 4.5% and closed sales have decreased by 7.3% this month. Median sales price has increased 5.2% from this time last year, moving from $268,900 to $283,000. Average sales price has increased by 3.4% over the last year. In 2020, the Durham County median sales price is higher than the median sales price of all MLS listings.  Similar to Durham County, the number of listings in Orange County has decreased by 17.2%, from 204 new listings this time last year to 169 new listings this June. There was a 20.8% decrease in closed sales this March, decreasing from 259 to 206. Additionally, median sales price increased by 1.5%, from $300,000 to $335,000. In 2020, Orange County median sales price is below the median sales price for all MLS listings.  In Wake County, there was a decrease of 2.4% in the number of new listings in June compared to last year, which decreased from 2,312 to 2,256. The number of closed sales increased from 2,152 to 2,208 or a 2.6% increase. Median sales prices also increased by 5%. In 2020, compared to the median sales price for all MLS listings, Wake County median sales price were slightly below until surpassing it this month. 
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Carl was honored to be published in the New Homes & Ideas Summer 2020 issue. Read this article and learn how Carl can assist you in the home buying process as it can be a difficult time for many. It’s all about looking out for your best interests. CLICK HERE to connect with Carl so he can assist you with purchasing your next property.  By Carl Johnson, Realtor®, Broker, writer for New Homes & Ideas Deciding to buy a home can be challenging as well as navigating the process from start to finish. Whether you’re a first-time home buyer, someone looking to downsize, or a growing family, hiring a professional will elevate your home buying experience. If you owned a small business, you would hire a CPA; buying a home is a business transaction and an investment, so you want a Realtor there to help protect your best interests and lead you through the process. Before starting to look at homes, it’s important to have a meeting with your Realtor about expectations, communication, and the overall process (including all the paperwork that goes with it). During this meeting, the Realtor must evaluate their client’s needs and understand the commitment to clear and timely communication and the desired features of a property. It is important to gain an understanding of the pace of the current housing market. Understanding the timing helps set up realistic expectations for the home buyer. By the end of the meeting, the two parties have created a team that can fire on all cylinders once you start searching for homes. When looking at homes, I always suggest for the home buyers to drive around different locations and scout out the entire neighborhood. You can find out a lot about a property by looking at its exterior and surroundings. If you’re interested in a new home community, work with a lender to determine if special lending packages are available. Lenders are able to provide a buyer with more discounts or additional upgrades, but this step can always be done when you find the community you want to live in. If you’re a first-time home buyer, chances are, the main feature you’re looking for in a home is four walls and a roof. Every first-time home buyer is different, so it depends entirely on their budget, expectations, and needs to dictate the home buying process. First-time home buyers tend to buy properties that start at a lower price point, but that is not always the case. Many first-time buyers realize once they start looking at homes, that their initial budget may not accommodate everything they want. This means the buyer either will need to adjust their expectations or consider altering their initial budget. The unique challenge of first-time home buying is navigating a process that is entirely new. This is why hiring a really good Real Estate Agent is critical to walk the buyer through each step of the process. This is especially pertinent for relocating buyers looking to buy a home in another city or state. As a home buyer, it helps to clearly establish your must-have list and any additional desired features you are looking for in your neighborhood and home. Your Realtor will match you with homes in your desired area that include important factors such as nearby schools, highway accessibility, and shopping and entertainment attractions. Additionally, improved technology allows your Realtor to show a home through a video call or view 3-D Virtual Tours of floorplans and even the community amenities. Many home buyers are taking advantage of seeing homes first virtually. Most people looking to downsize, usually empty nesters, enjoy the space they already have but are looking for a smaller home. When these buyers begin their search, they sometimes have that “aha” moment; they realize they need to adjust their expectations so that they are able to take all the things they love about their old house with them or have the extra space they are used to having. Every downsizing buyer is different, however new construction homes with open floorplans and spacious eating and family room areas are trending. For growing families, navigating home purchasing means compromise and collaboration. More and more families are choosing homes that include bedrooms for each member, a guest room, bonus room, office, and a family room that opens to the kitchen or eating area. When you add those up, it’s a lot of bedrooms; five bedroom houses are the most common. The variability of buying a home for a growing family is determined by the buyer’s needs because the whole family is involved in choosing the home. Maintaining a strong level of communication with the professional you’re working with is especially important in this circumstance so that the Realtor can assure the buyer is pleased with the outcome. It is important to remember that there is no cost to the buyer for having a buyer’s agent, except for possible small administration fees. The seller of the home is the party that pays compensation to the Realtor; so there is practically no cost to the buyer to work with a professional. When you purchase a home, leaning on the knowledge base of your real estate professional is helpful in protecting your best interest. Even if there are on-site agents for new construction, you should still bring your own agent. The onsite agent works for the seller and your agent will be there to look out for your best interests and sometimes even protect you from yourself. You want an advocate in your corner so they can ask you the right questions and help you through the tough decision process. Each buyer is completely unique so the home buying process depends upon what the buyer has on their wish list, not necessarily their circumstances. There is never a preset determination of features for a home buyer. It is the Realtor’s job help make the home buying process seamless and find your perfect home! A Realtor will carefully walk you through the process and advocate for you along the way. If you are a first-time home buyer or downsizing, first and foremost have fun. It is an exciting time and a time to be celebrated! CLICK HERE to connect with Carl so he can assist you with purchasing your next property.  In Chatham County, there was a decrease in the number of new listings by 10.5%. In addition, there was also a decrease in the number of closed sales by 12.2%. However, there was an increase in the median sale price this May by 21%. Chatham County median sales price is below the median sales price for all MLS listings.  In Durham County, new listings have decreased this month by 28.4%. Closed sales, however, have also decreased by 34.2%. Median sales price has increased 2.5% from this time last year, moving from $278,000 to $285,000. Average sales price has also increased by 5.7%. In 2020, the Durham County median sales price is higher than the median sales price of all MLS listings.  In contrast to Durham County, the number of listings in Orange County has decreased by 21.7%. There was a 34.7% decrease in closed sales this May. Median sales price has increased by 4.2%, from $312,000 to $325,000. In 2020, Orange County median sales price is below the median sales price for all MLS listings.  In Wake County, there was a decrease in the number of new listings in May, which decreased by 21.7%, from 2,723 to 2,132. The number of closed sales decreased by 22.3%. However, median sales prices increased by 2.3%. In 2020, Wake County median sales price was slightly above the median sales price for all MLS listings.   Original Content & Design by Carl Johnson Marketing The decision to buy or rent a home not only affects monthly expenses but also your choice of lifestyle and the depth of your savings. Although renting provides flexibility and minimal responsibilities, the best choice right now is to buy a home. Purchasing real estate is one of the best investments you can make; Since January of 1991, the annual growth rate of the House Price Index has increased 3.6% a year, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Owning a home also comes with intangible benefits such as having a feeling of stability, pride in ownership, and belonging to your community. If you are paying $2100 a month in rent, it is cheaper to buy if you are staying in that home 2 years or more. You will be able to comfortably afford a home anywhere from $260,000 to $280,000 dollars. The total cost of renting for 2 years would be $51,217 compared to only spending $43,231 if you own; Meaning, it would cost $2,134 a month to rent and $1,801 to buy. That is a difference of almost $8,000. The longer you stay in your home the more you will save by owning rather than renting. Use this website (https://www.nerdwallet.com/mortgages/rent-vs-buy-calculator) to calculate how much you can save on your home The largest expense of homeownership is mortgage interest. In an example from Investopedia, if you borrow $100,000 for 30 years at 4%, the first monthly payment will be $477.42. Of that, $144.08 is principal and $333.33 is interest. It will take approximately 13 years for your monthly mortgage payment to go mostly towards principal instead of interest. Paying off the home will cost $71,869.51 in interest, but the benefit of home ownership is the ability to deduct both mortgage interest and property taxes you pay. Early in a loan term, mortgage interest expenses are decreased by mortgage interest deductions. For every dollar spent on interest, you may save around 20 to 30 cents on your tax bill. When renting, at each lease renewal, landlords have the option to increase rent, for there are no rent control laws in North Carolina. However, if you have a fixed-rate mortgage, your monthly payments will never increase From 2012 to 2018, home values in Durham, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh have increased by approximately 30 percent and rental rates have increased about 20 percent. Prices are being driven higher by low inventory, a trend that will continue for the next couple of years. Homes in North Carolina have gone up 5.2 percent in value in the past year, according to Zillow. The combination of low inventory and growth in the area means houses will have positive appreciation value. CLICK HERE to contact Carl if you are interested in buying a home  Need a little social interaction during self-isolation? The digital world makes it easy to host a gathering where nobody has to leave their home. Here is how to throw your own virtual party!  CLICK HERE to read a Q&A with Carl.
In Chatham County, there was a decrease in the number of new listings by 32.7%. In addition, there was also a decrease in the number of closed sales by 9.6%. However, there was a small increase in the median sale price this April by 1%. Chatham County median sales price is below the median sales price for all MLS listings.  In Durham County, new listings have decreased this month by 28%. Closed sales, however, have increased by 11%. Median sales price has increased 4.7% from this time last year, moving from $272,320 to $285,000. Average sales price has also increased, but only by .4%. In 2020, the Durham County median sales price is higher than the median sales price of all MLS listings.  In contrast to Durham County, the number of listings in Orange County has decreased by 49.5%, from 294 new listings this time last year to 159 new listings this April. There was an 1.9% decrease in closed sales this April. Median sales price also decreased by 6.8%, from $352,000 to $328,125. In 2020, Orange County median sales price is below the median sales price for all MLS listings.  In Wake County, there was a decrease in the number of new listings in April, which decreased by 25.4%, from 2,455 to 1,832 The number of closed sales decreased from 1,892 to 1,651, or a 12.7% increase. However, median sales prices increased by 7.9%. In 2020, Wake County median sales price was slightly below the median sales price for all MLS listings.  CLICK HERE for an helpful Q & A with Carl.
Does checking your credit score negatively impact it? Will any debt hurt your credit? With all the misinformation regarding your credit, it is important to know what is true and what is a myth. Read the infographic below to learn what is true and what is false about building credit.  CLICK HERE to read a Q&A with Carl.
In Durham County, new listings have increased this month by 6.6%. Closed sales, however, have decreased by 20%. Median sales price has increased 6.7% from this time last year, moving from $262,378 to $280,000. Average sales price has also increased, but only by 3.4%. In 2020, the Durham County median sales price is higher than the median sales price of all MLS listings.  In contrast to Durham County, the number of listings in Orange County has decreased by 9.2%, from 272 new listings this time last year to 247 new listings this March. There was an 8.6% increase in closed sales this March, increasing from 139 to 151. Median sales price also increased by 11.7%, from $300,000 to $335,000. In 2020, Orange County median sales price is below the median sales price for all MLS listings.  In Wake County, there was a slight decrease in the number of new listings in March, which decreased by 2.8%, from 2,459 to 2,390. The number of closed sales increased from 1,747 to 1,870, or a 7% increase. Median sales prices also increased by 7.9%. In 2020, Wake County median sales price was slightly below the median sales price for all MLS listings.  Click here to learn about more ways Carl Johnson can help with your home buying or selling process.
Are you getting bored at home during this time of isolation and social distancing? Here are some fun ways to bring some excitement back into your home. CLICK HERE to find out more ways Carl Johnson can help during this time.  CLICK HERE to contact Carl.
Are you thinking about buying an investment property? Read below to learn all you need to know about factors such as location, insurance, down payment and more. Find out if investment properties are right for you! CLICK HERE to contact Carl to find out what purchasing an investment property would look like for you.   CLICK HERE to see testimonials about Carl Johnson Real Estate.
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