Rich Ferretti and the Charlotte NC Housing Market.

Rich Ferretti
10801 Johnston Road, Suite 216
Charlotte, NC 28277 (704) 564-0807
rich@richferretti.com
www.richferretti.com
Broker / Realtor NC & SC

“Exceeding your expectations in Real Estate Service”

Knowing I can make a difference and entrusting me with your Real Estate needs, I promise to provide you with my total loyalty, dedication and to conduct all business with a focus on professionalism, integrity and service.

It is my goal as your full service Real Estate Broker, specializing in Charlotte NC and the surrounding areas, to provide you with superior service at all times.

My local expertise and extensive real estate experience will benefit you whether you are serious about buying or selling a home at this time, or are a returning client checking out the many homeowner
resources we offer.

Buying a home? I look forward to helping you select the home of your dreams by taking time to listen to your needs and desires.

Selling a home? My real estate expertise and many effective marketing programs will give you the exposure and edge you need to sell your home quickly for top dollar.

Returning Client? I appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve you and hope you take advantage of the valuable resources I provide.

Come back to visit often!

I consider the Charlotte area an excellent place to reside and would love to share with you my enthusiasm for the many neighborhoods that encompass it. I pride myself on providing unparalleled service and look forward to developing a long-term relationship with you.

Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss how I can best assist you with your real estate needs.

Ten Best Suburbs to Sell a Home

(from a recent Forbes.com article by Matt Woosley)

As we close up the year 2008, the US housing market is undoubtedly under stress, but in some parts of the country, like Matthews, North Carolina, selling a home is still a comparatively easy undertaking.

In Berkeley, California, prices are up 9% this year, with homes selling for a median price of $790,986. These California properties are sitting on the market for 73 days on average, which is low for the country right now. And better yet for our friends in Berkley, only 37% of sellers have been forced to reduce their prices to get their homes sold—one of the lowest rates in the country.
Berkeley is in good company: Venice, California; Bedford, Texas; Kennesaw, Georgia; and Montclair, New Jersey, are all also on the list of suburbs with the best conditions for sellers. The folks at Forbes.com looked at the suburbs in the country's 75 largest (census-defined) metro areas based on the last 90 days of sales activity, (research provided by Altos Research, a Mountain View, California). The study was narrowed to those cities with an inventory of at least 75 homes on the market, and suburbs where it currently takes more than 125 days to sell the average home were also eliminated. Cities like Sacramento, California, and Los Angeles are among the easiest to sell a home, (based on sales data from Radar Logic, a New York real estate research firm), but homes are mainly selling at massive discounts—so they were eliminated from the final list as the “best places to sell a home.” Also eliminated were any other suburb where year-over-year price declines were steeper than 10% and where more than 50% of sellers had to reduce their asking price to sell their home.

All that said, areas like Encinitas, Calif., and Matthews, N.C., where among the locations where homes are staying on the market 100 and 127 days respectively, made the list even though the wait times indicate a buyers' market.

Waltham, Mass., has the second-quickest turnaround of any suburb on the list, with only 79 days average on-market. Waltham, a middle-class suburb west of Boston, has seen 1% price appreciation over the last year, and only 53% of sellers have to reduce their price in order to make a sale. While this does not indicate the strongest of markets, it does put Waltham in a better position than many cities in the US.

Here is the Forbes.com list of the 10 best places to sell your home:
1. Berkeley, CA
2. Bedford, TX
3. Venice, CA
4. Kennesaw, GA
5. Sugarland, TX
6. Midvale, Utah
7. Matthews, NC
8. Encinitas, CA.
9. Waltham Mass.
10. Montclair, NJ

So what does all this mean to you? If you are buying a home in Charlotte, than you can find that there are some great deals out there still—and you can feel comforted by the fact that our property values are holding still or growing despite the economy. You are making a good investment with a property in Charlotte. And if you are a seller, than you are lucky to be in or around Matthews, where you are likely to get close to your asking price…and in an acceptable amount of time!

Are you looking to sell or buy a home in Charlotte, NC? Call Rich Ferretti at 704-564-0807.

Want more information about the Charlotte area real estate market? Check out www.richferretti.com

Christmas in the South

Christmas in the South

Having lived most of my life in New Jersey- I have to tell you, I love celebrating Christmas in the South.

After talking with my sister yesterday, she still lives up North and having her tell me about the pending snow storm I know I made the right decision moving south especially to Charlotte NC.

It’s takes a little getting used to the weather but that’s easy. Yesterday it was 65 degrees and if it wasn’t drizzling I would have played golf.

The affordability of housing, lower taxes, friendly people and you gotta love the weather.

Let me tell you about Charlotte –Ya hear!!!!

Home for Sale- Charlotte NC

Featured Homes of Charlotte North Carolina

Don't make these mistakes when showing your home.

Deadly Mistake Number # 2

Failing to "Showcase" your home

Buyers are looking for homes, not houses, and they buy the home in which they would like to live. They buy emotionally and then back up that emotional decision logically.

Owners who fail to make necessary repairs and don't spruce up the house inside and out, touch up the paint and landscaping and keep it neat and clean, chase buyers away as rapidly as Realtors can bring them.

If you were selling a car, you would wash it or perhaps even detail it to get the highest price and sell it quickly. Houses are no different. Call me today at 704-564-0807 for FREE information on how to get your property ready for sale.

Mint Hill North Carolina

Mint Hill North Carolina-28227

Mint Hill North Carolina is the hidden gem of Mecklenburg County.

Mortgage Update

While the mortgage market continues to generate a lot of chatter in both the media and in Washington, interest rates are currently near or at all-time lows. If you or anyone you know are looking to take advantage of these low rates, let me explain why now is the time to act.
Lately there has been talk about the 4.5% 30-year fixed rate mortgage. Will it become a reality though? Right now, no one really knows. Homeowners who could benefit from a lower interest rate need to know that even if 4.5% becomes a reality from Washington's actions, it would only be available to home buyers, not homeowners seeking to better their rate. If you need to refinance, you will be left out.
You also may have heard about Hope for Homeowners, which is a program approved by legislators to help distressed homeowners. However, regardless of its best intentions, the program has not been embraced by investors, and it is not available to many it could help.
The bottom line is, the Fed announced recently that they are going to buy up to $600 billion in mortgage-backed securities. This has already driven rates to historical lows. In January, the SEC is meeting and information may be released that could have a significant bearing on rates, potentially for the worse.
Waiting to obtain the best rate is only possible for those with loan applications already in process. Interest rates are incredibly volatile and fluctuations that used to take months are now occurring in just days or even hours. If you don't have an application in process, you could lose out.
We are already seeing lender backlog due to low interest rates. In 2003, with rates at these same low levels, we saw some lenders taking up to 90 days to close a loan.
Home loan rates are currently in the mid- to low-5% range. Home values are currently at 2003-2004 levels, coming down significantly from their high point. If you–or friends and family members you know–are contemplating seeking financing, now is the time to act.
With a first time home buyer tax credit of up to $7,500 and low or no money down programs available for many people today, now is a great time to buy a home.
If you have any questions about how we can help you, call us today.
Sincerely,
Tony Garshnick
Franklin American Mortgage
(704) 206-7763
tgarshnick@franklinamerican.com

Tony is a true professional and can help you with all the mortgage questions.

Let us get you into your dream home today!

Rich Ferretti 704-564-0807