Yvonne Beal - Chatham County Real Estate Expert

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Yvonne Beal Earns NAR Short Sales and Foreclosure Certification

Buyers and Sellers Benefit from REALTOR^® Expertise in Distressed Sales

Chapel Hill, NC - Yvonne Beal with East Bridge Realty has earned the nationally recognized Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certification. The National Association of REALTORS^® offers the SFR certification to REALTORS^® who want to help both buyers and sellers navigate these complicated transactions, as demand for professional expertise with distressed sales grows.

According to a recent NAR survey, nearly one-third of all existing homes sold recently were either short sales or foreclosures. For many real estate professionals, short sales and foreclosures are the new "traditional" transaction. REALTORS^® who have earned the SFR certification know how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities.

"As leading advocates for homeownership, REALTORS^® believe that any family that loses its home to foreclosure is one family too many, but unfortunately, there are situations in which people just cannot afford to keep their homes, and a foreclosure or a short sale results," said 2009 NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. "Foreclosures and short sales can offer opportunities for home buyers and benefit the larger community, as well, but it's extremely important to have the help of a real estate professional like a REALTOR^® who has earned the SFR certification for these kinds of purchases."

The certification program includes training on how to qualify sellers for short sales, negotiate with lenders, protect buyers, and limit risk, and provides resources to help REALTORS^® stay current on national and state-specific information as the market for these distressed properties evolves.

Yvonne Beal, East Bridge Realty, specializes in selling custom homes and land in Chatham County North Carolina. Working onsite in Chapel Ridge and The Legacy at Jordan Lake, two of Chatham County's premier custom luxury home communities, Yvonne has extensive experience in helping clients through the build process and buying completed homes or homesites. Yvonne has helped several clients navigate the short sale process and avoid foreclosure. For more information on buying a short sale or foreclosure home, contact Yvonne Beal at 919-599-9500.

This weekend - come and view the beautiful custom homes of Chapel Ridge, the area's premiere golf course community. Saturday and Sunday, 2-5pm we will have 8 open houses, wine tasting and appetizers in the golf clubhouse, drawings to win and IPod and much more! Come see why so many people love our resort-style amenities and call Chapel Ridge Home!

September 26 and September 27

2-5pm

For more information or specific directions, call 919-542-0471 today!

It's that time of year again! Time to gear up for the 2009 Parade of Homes, hosted by the Homebuilders Association of Durham, Orange and Chatham counties.

This year promises to be another great year at Chapel Ridge with 6 beautiful custom homes entered in the Parade! Come out on any of the Parade weekends and take a stroll through custom homes that include many unique features, wine cellars, home theater rooms, outdoor spacial living areas, beamed and trussed bonus rooms and more! Ranging in price from $595,000 to $1.6 million - the custom builders at Chapel Ridge have outdone themselves this year and invite you to experience the lifestyle and community of Chapel Ridge.

Parade of Homes is held from 12pm-5pm, Oct. 3-4, 10-12, 16-18. For more information or to get specific directions, call us at 919-542-0471.

Everyone Loves a Parade! Come out and Enjoy!

Yvonne Beal

Green Homes are gaining in popularity as more people become committed to maintaining the environment and the world we live in.  But besides just being a popular buzz-word, what does "Green" mean when it comes to housing?

Homes can be built Green, or they can be renovated to become Green. There are many ways to make a difference - the challenge is to keep up to date on the technology, the breakthroughs and the inovations in home building to realize the benefits that come with Green Building.

Break It Down - in the most simplest of terms, a Green Home use less energy, water, natural resources and is considered healthier for the family living there than your average home.

Benefits of a Green Home - There are many benefits to be realized by living in a Green Home.  One of the biggest benefits of using less energy translates to lower utility bills for the homeowner.  LEED (The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) has developed the HERS ranking system for Green Homes.  HERS, or Home Energy Rating System, ranks LEED certified homes and estimates these homes have a 30 - 60% energy savings over non-LEED-certified homes - a BIG reason to go GREEN!

It is expected by the year 2010, over 10% of all new construction will be Green built.  National and custom builders are making a concentrated effort to incorporate Green features into their homes - and buyers are loving it.  While not every homeowner wants or needs a top-to-bottom fully certified Green home, many are requesting more common features such as energy star certified appliances, tankless hot water heaters and HE HVAC systems.  Why not? Small changes can make a big difference in energy bills and even in peace of mind, knowing you are making an effort to protect the environment!

Yvonne Beal, Chapel Ridge Realty
Custom Building Specialist

Thinking of building a new home and need more information on builders, Green Building, or the custom build process in general? Give me a call at 919-542-5250! Custom building and customer service is my specialty!