Real Estate Information

You’ll love your tax credit.

We wanted to be certain you were aware of the tax credit you could receive.  If you have been in your current home for over 5 years you may be eligible for a $6500 tax credit for a limited time.  To learn how to take advantage of this excellent opportunity, call or come by our office today. 

Happy Valentines Day from TeamHeidi.

I became a Certified Distressed Property Expert to help my community find answers in their times of need. I want to ensure my friends and neighbors always have the best information, so they can make the best decisions. That’s why I’ve created a website to provide answers and assistance. I’ve recently prepared a free report on two dignified solutions to an upside-down mortgage situation: a short sale and a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. You can download it here for free: http://savemycharlottenchome.com 

Contrary to what you may have heard, lenders actually want to avoid foreclosure wherever possible, accepting more short sale and deed-in-lieu transactions every day. This is great news for homeowners facing financial distress, providing hope for a positive new year. I want our community to thrive and remain a stable environment for our families and friends. If you or someone you know could use my help, please don’t hesitate to contact me. In any event, it would be great to hear from you again. 

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

SPREAD THE TABLE!

Here we are in the midst of the holiday rush - buying gifts, attending parties, decorating, sending cards, and preparing for the feast of the season. We're doing all this for whom?

We tell ourselves it's for the ones we love. We want to make them happy, fill them with joy, and make their world bright. We want to make everything perfect for them at this special time of year.

In a way, that's like preparing the holiday feast for those who matter most to us, then eating it for them and commenting on how tasty it was. Truth is - we can't "make them" do anything, we can only spread the table before them.

Whether they choose to consume the feast, or be happy doing it, is their choice - not ours. We can give the presents, offer our own good holiday spirit, or bake the cookies, but we cannot "make" anything happen.

Epictetus once said, "Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not. If you think that you have free rein over things that are naturally beyond your control, or if you attempt to adopt the affairs of others as your own, your pursuits will be thwarted and you will become a frustrated, anxious, and fault-finding person."

Why not take a little of the pressure off yourself this holiday season? Feel free to give whatever gifts, energy, creativity, or love you have to offer, but let go of the desire to control the outcome. The gifts that will make the most difference are those that arise from the heart with no expectation of reward. My wish for you is the joy and freedom that results from giving. Happy holidays and best wishes to you and yours!

Friday I had a closing for a newlywed couple in Charlotte North Carolina. They got a great deal on a home that had slid into a bad situation. The sellers had divorced and were at each others’ throat. Because of their feuding and divorce, the mortgage payments were not being made. The situation was dire. If the house hadn’t closed on Friday, the home would be auctioned in foreclosure at the Mecklenburg County courthouse on Monday at 1:00 pm.

Fortunately, my buyers were able to close on the home on Friday. It was a win-win-win. My buyers won because they got the home at a great deal because the sellers had to sell. The sellers won because they avoided a foreclosure. The bank that held the mortgage for the seller won because they didn’t get another unwanted foreclosure in their portfolio

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

ARE YOU RELATED?

In the long distant past, all generations of a family lived in the same town, if not just across the road or down the lane. Each member of the family knew all the good - and the bad - about every other member (as well as all the neighbors). They worked together, played, and prayed together.

Today, families are scattered throughout the country. What we call relationships now are often only acquaintances introduced through business situations or chance meetings. They may be casual and based only on a single shared interest, i.e. golf, fitness, children's school activities, etc. These relationships may lack depth and rarely go beyond that single shared interest.

Even with family relations more scattered and unavailable to us on a day-to-day basis, our human side still has a need and desire for deeper relationships. The good news is that they are not only possible but also available to us with just a little effort.

A single common interest through school-aged children may result in having lunch together. The lunch may reveal that both individuals appreciate the arts, with one being an amateur photographer and the other a proficient watercolor artist. Further conversation may find that both are caring for aging parents, have endured similar life challenges, or witnessed brilliant successes.

In short, deep relationships, akin to those shared by families in the past, are still possible. Yes, they must be cultivated. They don't just passively occur as in the daily activities of a family. The result is the same, however, as these relationships can provide a richness to life that is missing in their absence. Try to find some missing relations today!

Happy Monday!

We held our annual TeamHeidi Toys for Tots toy drive with the Marines on Saturday. This year we also took gently worn coats and food for those less fortunate this holiday season. I'm so happy that we did, it seems to be unsually cold this year.

We had a great turnout!! It was very suucessful and we look forward to seeing you again next year. Thank you to everyone who participated!!!

Toys for Tots and Warm Coats - Food Drive

THIS SATURDAY  December 12,  2009   

 11am to 2pm

Highland Creek Elementary Parking Lot

7242 Highland Creek Parkway  Charlotte  

“How Many Balloons Fit in Heidi’s Bug?”

(Closest Number Without Going Over Wins)

For EVERY Toy, Coat or Bag of nonperishable Food donated get a chance to guess!  

Family Prize Package For Winning Guess

Valued at $600 +

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors 

U-Junior U-Build  PARTY FOR 10

Monday - Thursday    (select Fridays)

1 hour & 20 mins. of private playtime in 2 awesome Bounce Rooms

40 mins. in private party room to celebrate event

Free Drinks for 10 participants

5 Bounce Passes

See certificate for more details!  

BounceU

10624 Metromont Pkwy., Ste. 300

Charlotte, NC 28269

Phone: (704) 921-8771

Email: Charlotte.nc@BounceU.com   Web: www.BounceU.com

Savvy Gift Basket

20403-2 W. Catawba Ave.

Cornelius, NC 28031

704-895-0404

http://savvysalonanddayspa.com

Escape...Enjoy...Experience the power of touch within the area of the spa or salon.    When you need to get away, just for awhile, the staff at Savvy is sure to  provide you with just the experience you  need.

Weekday Round of Golf for 2

Highland Creek Golf Club

7101 Highland Creek Parkway

Charlotte, NC 28269

704-875-9000

 18 hole championship golf course. The Highland Creek Golf Club is a public course and accepts members. The clubhouse includes a proshop, and a restaurant, "The Player's Grille."

I had a buyer the other day ask me where the real deals are. I asked her what she meant? She was looking to buy a home in the $130,000 - $150,000 price range. She said,"Homes in that price range for sale, that she saw through my website, were about the same price as last year. Homes are supposed to be priced less because of the nationwide downturn." 

This buyer really brings up an important point that I had to explain to her. Newspapers, magazines and broadcast media are really quick to bring up a percentage figure of how much home prices in the Charlotte North Carolina area have declined. The problem is that the price decrease is not across all price ranges. Higher end homes, especially homes over $1,000,000, have seen the steepest price decline. Why? Simple, buyers in this price range that can buy a $1M home don't have to buy a $1M home. A home that's 50% less or more can do just fine, thank you. 

Homes in the more affordable price range, under $200,000 are really selling. Why? Buyers in this price range can't do with a home that $50% less. Besides, buyers in this price range are really tempted by the first time homebuyer's tax credit of $8,000 and the currently low mortgage rates.

Good morning,

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Did you eat to much? I did, but don't tell Jenny Craig. I love this time of year. I get great joy from giving and helping others, that to me is better than receiving gifts. I am having another toy drive this year and I am also collecting food and gently worn coats for the less fortunate. You can get the details here http://www.charlottencrealestatesource.com/Toys-for-Toys-and-Warm-Coats-Food-Drive

And Here's Your Morning Coffee!

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

GOBBLE! GOBBLE!

Remember when you were a teenager leaving the house on a date? Your parents' last words as you went out the door were, "We'll leave the light on for you". Think about that. So what if they did or didn't leave the light on? Their words were really more of a verbal hug. They cared about you - wanted you to know it - and applied the hug with kind words.

With Thanksgiving in just a few days, why not take the time to "leave the light on" for someone who may not get many hugs? There's still time, and it's easy.

First, learn who needs hugs. Check with your local fire, police, or sheriff's department. Ask whether they know of three or four families or individuals who could use a hug. Ask also whether they would consider delivering your hugs at the appropriate time. Two groups stand out as needy - the elderly and families with small children. Of course, we're talking about individuals who are experiencing difficult circumstances in their lives, be they physical or financial.

Next, consider what type of hugs you have to offer. Perhaps you might prepare three or four Thanksgiving turkeys with all the trimmings. Live in the country where people heat their homes with a wood stove? Deliver firewood. Live in a cold climate? Add some warm socks or a sweater to your dinner box. It's really not that difficult to come up with ideas that would make a difference to your chosen recipients. If you aren't able to provide "things," consider visiting with some nursing home residents. Brighten their day by listening for a while.

It goes without saying that our country is truly blessed. Although practically invisible to most of us, however, there are some individuals who are being challenged. They need a hug, and we can brighten their lives by way of simple gestures. Make a family project out of it - involve your kids. Do it anonymously. Afterwards, when you get home, we'll leave the light on for you!