Journal » Real Estate Stuff

Home Inspection before listing? Sure!

Mike — Fri, 09 May 2008 02:23:57 +0000

I wrote a little ad piece for the Cary News this week, in the “Consult a Specialist” Q&A section.

Paperless? No. Less Paper? Yes!

Mike — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:45:00 +0000

I have this great client, Mark. We worked together to get him a renovation project, and succeeded in finding a dandy. (more…)

No photos or bad photos in listings?

Mike — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:48:04 +0000

Too often, homes go up on the MLS with no photos, or with really bad photos. I wonder why? (more…)

Land Ho! Selling Dirt…

Mike — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:45:39 +0000

Some agents avoid land and lot sales. They don’t understand it.

Some agents pursue land and lot sales, because they think it should be “easier.” Dangerous thinking. It isn’t “easier.” (more…)

Home shopping without mortgage preapproval is hazardous to your wealth!

Mike — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:03:06 +0000

Mr. and Mrs. Buyer:

That Mortgage Preapproval is good for YOU! To protect YOU! To keep YOU from being hurt.

Too many folks hurt themselves by getting under contract on a home purchase when they can’t actually buy a house. And then the problems start… (more…)

Yahoo rejects MLS emails as SPAM!

Mike — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:46:25 +0000

It’s a little bit of a nuisance. My automatic MLS property search emails that go out every morning are anticipated by several of my motivated Buyers in Cary, NC.

And as of last week, Yahoo! is refusing to deliver them to folks who use Yahoo! email. Seems too many Yahoo! clients have called agents’ MLS emails SPAM, and Yahoo! has blacklisted the Triangle MLS server.

Our good folks at the TMLS tell me they have contacted Yahoo! looking for help. And they have received no response. So now, as well as trying to help nice folks find housing, I’m also promoting Hotmail, Gmail, or other providers. Not exactly the business niche I seek, selling email services…

Of course, folks can also use my site to search for homes, and set it to alert them to new listings. That would be: www.MikeJaquish.com

But I would be just as delighted if the TMLS folks could make peace with Yahoo! That would give me a great blog to write!

Wake County Property Tax Reassessment: How to appeal your new assessed tax value

Mike — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 07:37:03 +0000

Wake County Property Tax assessed valuations for 2008 were released this week. We saw property values increase by an average of 40% across the county. I know folks who saw their values increase by 70%.

Are the numbers based in reality? Further study is needed. But such a sharp increase definitely calls for scrutiny of how the assessed value is determined. I have neighbors whose home is over-valued. How do I know? Wake County says they have over 3000 square feet, when the true measurement is closer to 2500 SF.

They should be able to appeal and win based on that error alone.

The appeal process is well-documented on the Wake County Tax and Property Information site, WakeGov.com. To learn about appealing, Click to read more. It includes building a case based on recent home sales in your neighborhood, and helping to demonstrate how the assessment is faulty.Just make sure you have done your homework and all the information and the completed form are submitted to Wake County by the deadline, January 1, 2008.

Merry Christmas, right?

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Affordable homes in great Cary neighborhoods

Mike — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 16:28:07 +0000

Cary, North Carolina, routinely pops up on lists of most desirable towns when areas are ranked.

A combination of factors creates a wonderful environment.

Cary, NC, is located in the center of the Triangle region, between Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill and just minutes from the Research Triangle Park.

This location allows for easy access to all the amenities of the area, which would include entertainment districts, employment centers, sports venues, medical care, parks and other outdoor recreation, Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), and great shopping complexes.

And Cary is an easy 2.5 hour drive to great North Carolina beaches. A similar drive takes you to the mountains of North Carolina.

Town of Cary government is very proactive in creating a safe community, and the Town routinely ranks as one of the safest towns under 200,000 population in the United States.

Growth has been rampant, and well-managed. In 1970 Cary’s population was under 4,000. Today it is over 110,000 and growing. Growth has been very suburban in style, with subdivisions organized in a cul-de-sac layout which leads to quiet streets with low traffic. Growth has allowed Town government to maintain a superb credit rating for bonds, and low property taxes.

I have lived in Cary since 1997, and enjoy it tremendously.

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