With yesterday's announcement of the North Carolina Azalea Queen and festival headliners, we’re reminded that Spring is coming and that means time to freshen up outdoor spaces! If your home is for sale or you’re thinking of listing soon, now is the time to take measure of what you need to do to improve curb appeal and prepare your home for the busiest months for home buying. Here are a few tips for doing just that.

1. Rake up all the dead leaves and pine needles. Dead plant debris doesn’t just cover up all the beautiful greenery, it makes a home look untended and uninviting. It can also make the yard look smaller, so clean up and hall off or burn as much as you can.
2. Plant fresh flowers. One tray of pansies, impatiens, and petunias go a long way to adding color to your landscaping. So does a few hanging baskets. If you don’t have a green thumb, try something hardy like geraniums and trailing vines, and avoid fragile bleeding hearts.
3. Mulch. Mulching helps keep the ground warm and soil moist, so plants stay healthy. It also accentuates the plants and makes garden beds look tidy. Mulch can do wonders for curb appeal, but do your homework beforehand. Some mulch lasts longer than others. We suggest Pine or Red, which comes in different colors. These types might not last the longest, but they don’t have the shortest lifespan and won’t be hazardous to local animals or support deforestation.
4. Dead head flowers. That means to pinch off any dead or dying flower heads. Some people hate to do this for fear of hurting the plant, but for plants that bloom multiple times a season, it helps them to fill out and more blooms to appear. It also makes the garden beds look healthy and inviting.
5. Trim bushes and trees. Overgrown bushes and trees can make a home look smaller and provide shelter to unwanted creatures, like snakes. They can also be hazardous if they hang over wires or against the roof. Trim them now and avoid unexpected repairs that could come later on during Summer storms.
6. Maintain decks and patios. Depending on your home’s features, now is a good time to repair masonry flaws, wood damage, and any other issues that have sprung up since last Summer. Re-grout, stain, seal, etc. The chances of you doing work like this is higher now than it will be once the weather gets hot.
7. Clean windows. Grungy screens and smudged windows can be a downer. It’s amazing how much some soapy water and bottle of window cleaner (or vinegar!) can give a house new life. Just wait until you see them gleam from the street.
8. Clean out gutters. All those leaves, twigs, and other debris that collects in your gutters can lead to water damage. Grab a ladder and pull it all out, then spray the gutter down with water. This will help you determine if there are any leaks.

Finally, you may want to consider some enhancements. Recently, The American Society of Landscape Architects conducted their annual Residential Trends Survey and came up with a top list of what people like to see in outdoor spaces. Here is a list of some of the most desired: exterior lighting, fire pits or fire places, seating or dining areas, grills, installed seating (benches, seat walls, or ledges), and weatherized furniture. It’s never a good idea to spend money on your home if you’re not going to get it back, but if you have room to work and showing feedback relays that the backyard is lacking something to be desired, consider the list.

Quote of the Week:

“All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.”-T.E. Lawrence

Featured Home for Sale

114 N. 7^th Street, Historic District

Near the Cape Fear River in Wilmington, there is a magical place called the Historic District. Now, it’s not REALLY magical, but its live oaks, Spanish moss, carriages, horses, brick streets, and structures from the 1700s can make you feel like you’ve been transplanted back in time. There are under 50 homes for sale in this area right now and the home located at 114 N. 7^th Street (Circa 1883 Bowden-Foard house) is a beautiful example of a historic home renovated for today’s needs.  
 
Visit our web site for full description and details – 114 N. 7^th Street.
View more Historic District homes for sale.

In Case You Missed It

The local movie industry is heating up. It was reported in Fall 2011 that Iron Man 3 is slated to start shooting in our area sometime this year. Since then, numerous new feature films have made it into the schedule, including “Heart of the Country”, “The Conjuring”, and “The Occult”. Also in the works is an independent film starring Jennifer Connelly and Greg Kinnear titled “Writers”. Wilmington has the largest domestic television and movie production facility outside of California and is nicknamed Wilmywood. It’s a great financial source for our economy and helps employ many locals, so it’s always wonderful to hear of new projects in the area. For some fun this weekend, check out Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, which was filmed in Wilmington.

Coming Up

2/09/12: University of North Carolina Wilmington's 18th annual Young at Heart Social – Burney Center
2/10/12: 23rd Annual Trauma & Emergency Symposium – Wilmington Convention Center
2/10/12: Valentine Carriage Ride – Springbrook Farms, Inc.
2/11/12: Cape Fear Heart Ball - Wilmington Convention Center
2/11/12: Art for All – Brooklyn Arts Center
2/14/12: Over 50's Valentine's Dance – New Hanover Senior Center
2/14/12: Valentine's Day Cruise (Free for Couples Married 45+ years)
2/18/12: 10th Annual Full Belly Feast – Coastline Convention Center
2/23/12: North Carolina Symphony: Rachmanioff-Piano No. 2 – Kenan Auditorium
Now – 4/1/12: Murrinis Within a Crystal Matrix: The Poetic Glassworks of Richard Ritter – Cameron Art Museum

The Cameron Team

Melanie Cameron, Broker 910.233.2840

Susan Harkins, Buyer Specialist, 910.431.2362

Gina Martin, Buyer Specialist, 910.619.1987

Meghan Riley, Client Care Specialist, 910.202.2547

Diligently working to exceed real estate expectations in Wilmington, NC and surrounding areas including Ogden, Porters Neck, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Castle Hayne, Leland, Burgaw, Rocky

New rules apply with mortgages and your credit report. Check out my video for the details.

Happy Monday! I hope everyone enjoyed the Super Bowl weekend. Congratulations to the New York Giants for winning the Super Bowl last night (the ads were pretty interesting too).

Well the jobs market report was better than expected last week which helped boost the DOW up to it's highest level since 2008. I think we still need to proceed with caution about the markets because there is a lot of uncertainty still here and abroad on many different levels. Locally, January was off to a phenomenal start as opposed to last year at this time. Coldwell Banker Sea Coast, alone, placed 453 properties under contract in January. That's 195 more properties than January 2011 and accounted for over $28 MIL more in volume than last January. As the old saying goes, "time will tell" but buyers finally seem to be taking advantage of the great deals and interest rates that are available.

If you have any questions, or we can help you with any of your real estate needs, just give us a call.

Have a great week!

Seawatch in Kure Beach is one of my favorite oceanfront communities. There are 113 lots and the coastal style homes are painted every color of the rainbow. Normally all this color would look out of place, but at the beach, they're quite beautiful.

The community has sidewalks for safe pedestrian traffic as well as landscaping created to offer privacy to homeowners. Add to that the community's amenities of a club house, pool, playground, tennis courts, oceanfront gazebo, tiki bar, and beach walkover...Well, the residents have it made!

Not only are the community aesthetics great, but the home interiors are wonderful too! There are 113 lots and the homes feature three levels, open floor plans, 4-6 bedrooms, 3-6 baths, 2400-3900 sqft, decks/balconies on multiple levels, and parking below (garages or carports). They're well built and nice to look at. See for yourself:

View Homes for Sale in Seawatch

If you are interested in viewing property in Seawatch, we would be happy to show it to you. Fill out our contact form or give us a call at (910) 202-2546.

The North Carolina Listing Contract, also referred to as a listing agreement, gives a licensed real estate professional in North Carolina authorization to act on your behalf in the sale of your property. Listing contracts differ according to the type of property (Home or Vacant Land) and the agreement (Exclusive, Non-Exclusive, etc.), but there are features which are common to all.  Among the elements of any legal listing contract are:

Service - The listing contract is a personal services contract between you and the real estate broker.  It gives the terms and conditions by which the broker will be representing you in the sale of your property. This includes providing knowledge, experience, advice, and marketing for the sale of the property while maintaining a code of ethics.

Compensation – In North Carolina, commission is paid by the home seller. The listing contract details how that commission is to be paid as agreed upon by the real estate agent and home owner. The standard form of payment is a percentage of the sales price paid at closing, but a flat fee is also an option.

Title Owner - All listing contracts identify who the exact title holder is. All title holders must sign the listing agreement authorizing the sale of the home. If you married after purchasing the home, it is now part of the marital property and both spouses must sign.

Termination/Expiration Date – Every listing contract should have an expiration date to protect yourself when the agreed upon duties are not being fulfilled. It’s common to see listing agreements dated to expire after 6 months or a year. If the expiration date arrives and the property has not sold, you are welcome to renew.

In North Carolina, the listing agreement is often accompanied by certain addendums specific to the property. These include a Residential Property Disclosure revealing any faults with a home, an Owners Association Addendum disclosing HOA fees, and a Short Sale Addendum if the home is being sold for less than what is owed. It’s important to thoroughly read the contract and ask your real estate agent or an attorney any questions you may have. You can reach Melanie at (910) 202-2546 or MelanieCameron@seacoastrealty.com.

Quote of the Week:

"You get the best efforts from others not by lighting a fire beneath them, but by building a fire within."-Bob Nelson

Featured Home for Sale

321 S. Kerr Ave, #144

If you’re attending the University of North Carolina-Wilmington now or in the future and would like to purchase a starter home, consider this immaculate townhome located within walking distance of the school. It is beautifully priced for under $75/square foot making this a very affordable option. Plus, the washer, dryer, and refrigerator stay with property, so no extra cost of buying appliances after you purchase.

The home features three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms with the Master Suite on the first floor. The first floor has an open floor plan and sliding glass doors that lead to a back patio – all great for entertaining! Best of all? The HOA covers the lawn maintenance.
 
Visit the listing page for more information – 321 S. Kerr Ave, #144.

In Case You Missed It

The City of Wilmington is in talks with the Atlanta Braves and Mandalay Baseball Properties to build a new baseball stadium and bring a minor league baseball team our area. It is unsure if this will include a tax increase. Mayor Bill Saffo has stated it may mean a rise in taxes, but he’s going to work hard to prevent that. If the city proceeds with negotiations, Mandalay Properties will have 6 months to figure cost and location, and decide if there is an available team. Baseball is a popular sport in our area, so a new stadium and team is sure to make fans happy…as long as a tax increase isn’t included. Keep up to date with the story at StarNews Online.

Coming Up

2/2/12: To Kill a Mockingbird – Thalian Hall
2/4/12: Wilmington Garden Show 2012 – Schwartz Center
2/4/12: Chopin & Tchaikovsky – Kenan Auditorium
2/5/12: Wilmington Wine & Chocolate Festival – Coastline Conference and Event Center
2/11/12: Cape Fear Heart Ball - Wilmington Convention Center
2/18/12: 10th Annual Full Belly Feast – Coastline Convention Center
2/23/12: North Carolina Symphony: Rachmanioff-Piano No. 2 – Kenan Auditorium
Now – 4/1/12: Murrinis Within a Crystal Matrix: The Poetic Glassworks of Richard Ritter – Cameron Art Museum

The Cameron Team

Melanie Cameron, Broker 910.233.2840

Susan Harkins, Buyer Specialist, 910.431.2362

Gina Martin, Buyer Specialist, 910.619.1987

Meghan Riley, Client Care Specialist, 910.202.2547

Diligently working to exceed real estate expectations in Wilmington, NC and surrounding areas including Ogden, Porters Neck, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Castle Hayne, Leland, Burgaw, Rocky

Happy Monday!! I hope you had a great weekend.  The weather was wonderful!

I remain cautiously optimistic about our local real estate market. We continue to see slow and steady signs of improvement.  Coldwell Banker Sea Coast sales exceeded January 2010 in the first 3 weeks of January by several million dollars...definitely a good sign!  In addition, the last 2 months of activity has been higher than we've seen in the last 4 years (with the exception of the period where the tax credit was in effect). The Fed announced last week that it intends to keep interest rates down through the latter part of 2014 which continues to make for the perfect scenario for home buyers.  Even Warren Buffet is saying now is a great time to buy.  Need help or would like a free consultation?  Give us a call!

A great addition we recently made to our website (Thanks Meghan) was the addition of a "Lifestyle Search" on our website.  Just go to our website at www.TheCameronTeam.net and click on "search listings" and in the drop down menu, choose "lifestyle search" to find homes that are waterfront, in a golf or gated community, homes with boatslips, etc.  It's simple and user friendly so check it out!

Have a great week and as always, we're here for all your real estate needs.

Many Wilmington, NC, home buyers have found it beneficial to use a real estate agent to represent them in the home buying process. It is their responsibility to help you find a home that suits your needs, provide you with facts that will help determine your decisions, and protect your interests the best they can during negotiation and closing. In North Carolina, the buyer agent’s commissions are usually paid by the home seller (one exception is For Sale By Owners who do not agree to pay commission). If you choose to use a real estate agent to purchase a home, they will ask you to sign a Buyer Agency Agreement, which will outline their role and services. This document is important, because it assures that both you and the agent have a clear understanding of what to expect from each other. There are two forms of the buyer agency – Exclusive and Non-exclusive.

An Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement does not allow you to hire more than one Realtor to represent you in the transaction. If the commission is not due to be paid by another party (as stated above, usually the seller), you are responsible for paying commission to your agent. Exclusive agreements typically last six months to a year and cover a general area. As a buyer, you are required to present to your agent homes that you are considering. Commission is paid despite how you were introduced to the subject home, because the agent is still going to work to protect your interests. If you enter into contract to purchase a home that the agent introduced you to a specified number of days after the expiration of the agreement, you must pay that agent commission. While the Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement is more restrictive than the Non-exclusive Agreement, it provides the most room for negotiation on your behalf.

A Non-exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement allows you to hire more than one Realtor to find you a home; however, you must inform each agent you work with that another agent is involved and whether they have shown you specific homes. You are not obligated to pay the agent commission, if the seller or another party does not agree to pay. However, the agent may choose not to represent you if that is the case. Non-exclusive Buyer Agencies usually last less than a few months and are specific to a property/complex or a list of specific features. You could potentially pay less money, but you could also sacrifice representation and negotiation potential.

If you are unsure which Buyer Agency Agreement you should sign, it’s best to discuss your options with Gina, Susan, or Melanie. They may provide additional provisions to the buyer agency, like an easy termination, that will put your mind to ease about entering into an exclusive agreement. Realtors are bound by a code of ethics to make you aware of your options and many are happy to explain this form to you. After all, the purpose of the Buyer Agency Agreement is to protect all parties involved.

The Cameron Team

Melanie Cameron, Broker 910.233.2840

Susan Harkins, Buyer Specialist, 910.431.2362

Gina Martin, Buyer Specialist, 910.619.1987

Meghan Riley, Client Care Specialist, 910.202.2547

Diligently working to exceed real estate expectations in Wilmington, NC and surrounding areas including Ogden, Porters Neck, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Castle Hayne, Leland, Burgaw, Rocky

Quote of the Week:

“Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life.” ~ Burton Hills

Featured Home for Sale

326 Pages Creek Dr., Wilmington, NC

Some homes resonate with character and life. You can feel it as soon as you walk in. They sing of stories and memories, and memorable moments to come. You don’t find it very often, but this is one of those homes.

It features beautiful wood work, including Pine wood floors throughout most of the living area and stained paneling in the living room and dining area. A brick gas log fireplace creates beautiful ambiance in the living room on cold nights while the screened porch is a welcoming environment on warm days.

This home has some wonderful features, but best of all is its location – right on Pages Creek. It’s southern waterfront living under majestic oaks!

Visit the listing page for more information – 326 Pages Creek Dr.

In Case You Missed It

Not a resident and thinking of visiting Wilmington? Want a place to stay that exudes the charm of Historic Wilmington? Two local bed and breakfasts recently received the AAA Four-Diamond award for 2012 – The Graystone Inn and The Verandas. Winners of the award are selected by specially trained anonymous guests. Only the best of the best receive the award – that’s about 3.5% of 58,000 establishments. So, if you’re looking for a great place to stay, here’s your recommendation! Read more about the award.

Coming Up

1/26/12: Wilmington Theater Awards – Thalian Hall
1/28/12: 15th Annual Model Railroad Show and Sale – American Legion Post 10
1/29/12: Brooklyn Arts Center Wedding Showcase – Brooklyn Arts Center
2/4/12: Wilmington Garden Show 2012 – Schwartz Center
2/5/12: Wilmington Wine & Chocolate Festival – Coastline Conference and Event Center
2/11/12: Cape Fear Heart Ball - Wilmington Convention Center
2/18/12: 10th Annual Full Belly Feast – Coastline Convention Center
2/23/12: North Carolina Symphony: Rachmanioff-Piano No. 2 – Kenan Auditorium
Now – 4/1/12: Murrinis Within a Crystal Matrix: The Poetic Glassworks of Richard Ritter – Cameron Art Museum

The Cameron Team

Melanie Cameron, Broker 910.233.2840

Susan Harkins, Buyer Specialist, 910.431.2362

Gina Martin, Buyer Specialist, 910.619.1987

Meghan Riley, Client Care Specialist, 910.202.2547

Diligently working to exceed real estate expectations in Wilmington, NC and surrounding areas including Ogden, Porters Neck, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Castle Hayne, Leland, Burgaw, Rocky