About Nash County, NC

This year started on a high note for Rocky Mount. The Halle Companies of Maryland purchased the foreclosed Ford's Colony of Rocky Mount development. Ford's Colony of Rocky Mount was developed by Realtec of Williamsburg, VA, in 2004 to complement their sister property in Williamsburg, VA. The property was well underway with an 18-hole golf course, 80-acre private lake and a raquet and swim club all within the development.

This property was set to be a premier gated community in the Rocky Mount area. Due to several sets of circumstances, the economy being one, this beautiful development went into foreclosure. In a deadline purchase, the Halle Companies exercised their option on December 30, 2011 for the development, excluding the golf course. This company has developed properties in Maryland, Virginia and in Apex, North Carolina.

If you are looking to relocate to Rocky Mount, do not excluded this development. I think you will find that it has a lot to offer.

Well it looks like winter has finally decided to show up in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. If you are not familiar with our winters, just know that they vary from year to year and hour to hour. This week is testimonial to that; 16 degrees this morning, 65 degrees this Friday.

If you are wondering whether we get snow or not, we do sometimes. For such a small word, it can be quite powerful. Around here, snow means no school...no bread, milk or eggs. Folks can't wait for the snow, yet they go into a panic if it's mentioned in the weather forecast and they want to go home early from work. Who wouldn't?

Yes we can have snow, but more often we have ice...black ice. Traveling around town you will find that our City Workers get out quickly and take care of the main roads first and then the most used side roads. Just remember that some of the neighborhood roads or county roads (which we have a lot of) may not get touched until the sun melts the ice. Don't worry that may be later the same day.

So enjoy our winters here in Rocky Mount.

So your are trying to decide what to do on a beautiful day like today...well head over to Nashville, NC, and enjoy the 15th Annual Nashville Blooming Festival. There will be bands, rides and a parade. You will find something for everyone on this Mother's Day weekend. So don't just sit there, get out and enjoy the beautiful weather and the Nashville Blooming Festival.

Everyone remembers the Andy Griffith show, in NC it is a show that everyone must watch to be allowed to stay in the state. The show was about a small town sheriff that handles all the problems of the day with just listening. He does not carry a gun, does not chase the bad guys, and does not raise his voice. In fact his deputy always does the opposite, Andy always comes out on top and Barney usually ends up shooting the floor with his gun in his holster.

I bring this up because for the past 6 months I have been out of business cards. Those little rectangle information slips that are normal for those trying to do business with someone else. The first "visiting cards" appeared in the 17 th century France and have been around ever since. I went to a Century 21 Convention in the fall and thought I would need them, but the only people that wanted my card also wanted to worry me with emails about their products. I go to Realtor open house's and the Realtors want my card so they can "draw" my name for a chance to win $25, hardly ever win anyway!

The times I meet new clients I have told a little white lie and said "I forgot a business card"! Most are probably thinking GOOD because I was going to throw it away anyway, leave in my car, or find it in the washing machine! BUT I have always turned it around and said "can I get your email and cell number"? I then email them my information and web site.

I know that Andy had a gun back at the office and used it when he had a big problem, so I am sure I will order some new business cards..someday! But to be honest, like Andy I do not use it as crutch, see Andy did not pull out his gun he just listened and reacted. If I just handed my business card to everyone because that was what the norm has been for the last 400 years I would not listen to the needs of the client, would not ask for their email and cell, and would wait by the phone for them to call me!

On the flip side of this I believe in putting my name on things that would stay in the clients view (IE pens, key chains)! So do I order more business cards? What do you think of business cards? Do you have a better idea that you could share? Can I get your email and cell number? :)

In NC we have a new "Offer to Purchase Contract" effective January 1 2011. It comes with a few changes for us and before I had used the contract I was really not looking forward to using this new contract. I am OK with "new" and I like change..but this contract seemed to be weird, strange, maybe even silly. That was until I wrote one and discussed it with my buyer. You see the new NC offer has wording like "due diligence"! They wanted buyers to pay for this due diligence period and write two checks to two different people. They (the NC real estate commission) wanted people to loss money for walking away from a deal. Wait maybe that is OK..Yeah that might make buyers think twice about being dumb and walking away.

OK so here is how it works; look at the outline below

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*________________________________*---------------------*

Offer Due Closing

Signed Diligence (Settlement)

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The left * starts the deal with everyone signing the contract.

The solid line ___ is the due diligence period (a negotiated period of time that the buyer pays the seller for directly at the time of offer), the buyer pays for this time, the seller can not sell the home during this time, and the buyer can walk away for any reason or no reason during this time, the buyer holds all the cards during this time! If they buy the home the fee is given as a credit. The buyer must do inspections, appraisals, etc during this time.

The middle * is the due diligence date (end of the due diligence period), why is this date important? ONLY if the buyer has money on both sides of this * The date can be up to closing and is a very important date. After this date if the buyer walks away they now will forfeit their Earnest Money (Due diligence money is paid to the seller and Earnest Money goes in the listing agents escrow account)...PLEASE UNDERSTAND FOR THIS DATE TO BE IMPORTANT THERE MUST BE MONEY ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS *

The ---- line is the waiting period...the buyer is done..if they walk away now they will forfeit both Earnest Money and Due Diligence money. My opinion is that this line should be short, the buyer wants it to be short on the right and long on the left, the seller wants it to be short on the left and long on the right.

A few thoughts:

-if the property is older or looks like it may have inspections issues the buyer would want as low as possible due diligence money

-The seller needs something for their time, someone taking their home off the market for 6 weeks for free is not a good idea

Any thoughts?