Carol Clay, Broker/REALTOR Brevard NC Real Estate Specialist

Every where I look these days, I am seeing freshly tilled soil. The area around Brevard, North Carolina is a rich agricultural area that has fields of century old family farms and small garden plots in virtually everyone's back yard. Several years ago there was a survey done by the local newspaper that reported that 60% of households in the area have a garden of some kind. This is the time of year, after winter is hopefully well on its way out, when people start turning soil and preparing their gardens for the planting and growing season.

The same idea should hold true for sellers who plan to put their home on the market in the next 90 days. Use this shoulder season to take care of repairs, freshen up the look of the home inside and out, and of course, start turning some soil outside so you can plant some pretty spring flowers.

So what should a seller be focusing on? Here are just a few ideas to help get your home ready for those spring time buyers.

- Clean out the gutters. Safety first!

- Pick a nice day and clean your windows to let the sun shine in.

- Brighten up the interior of your home with a fresh coat of paint, or try a new color for an updated look.

- Take a hard look at your front door. Could it use a fresh coat of paint or a shiny new door knob to help say "Welcome Home"?

- Make small repairs like tightening loose door knobs; make friends with WD40 to insure all your windows open and close easily; get an electrician in to fix any outlets that no longer work.

- Take a look around for any tired, outdated lighting fixtures, inside and out. A new dining room or bathroom fixture can go a long way towards giving the room a new updated look. New lights around your house also go a long way towards helping your home stay current.

- Replace any light bulbs that aren't working while you're checking out all those light fixtures.

- Take a walk around your yard. Start removing any dead bushes or grasses that didn't make it through the winter months. Rake out the flower beds and pitch anything that you know isn't coming back with the warmer temperatures.

- While you're walking around outside, check your home's exterior for any touch up painting that may be needed. And how is that deck looking? Once it's a little warmer, could it benefit from a fresh coat of stain or polyurethane?

- If you have a yard that require mowing, get your lawn mower in for a tune up and a blade sharpening. A dull blade is a sure way to invite pests and disease into your fresh and tender spring lawn.

- Start talking to local real estate agents now. Discuss marketing and pricing strategies so you hit the ground running. An over priced home will only linger and eventually become stale to a buyers, so if you're serious about selling....price it to sell.

The bottom line is that homes that are priced right, and are updated and maintained stand a better chance of attracting the attention of buyers, so make sure yours is in the best condition possible before putting it on the market. Selling your home today isn't quite as easy as it may have been four or five years ago. But if you dig in now, come spring time, you could be harvesting plenty of offers and planting a SOLD sign in your yard!

For more information about homes, land, investment properties, and other property for sale in the Brevard, NC area, contact the Clay Team. Visit online at BrevardNCProperty.com, or call us direct at 828-551-6290 or 828-551-6291.

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If you're looking for ways to save money.... get your groove on with Groupon!

These days, I'm all about finding ways to save money any way I can. So I was intrigued when I started hearing about Groupon. I'm still learning my way around the site and the concept, but Groupon is a free email subscription that sends you great deals on restaurants and services in your area. In the last few weeks I've received notices about discounts to a variety of area restaurants including one today that was a "groupon" of $15 for $35 worth of Tapas at Zambras, a restaurant in Asheville, NC. The other day I received one for a service that delivers organic foods to your home. In that case, I would pay $35 for $75 worth of organic food. Not a bad deal! There is a full description of the product or service and a limited about of time for you to claim your "Groupon". You can even buy a "groupon" for a friend as a gift. Refer a friend and you get free Groupon Bucks!

According to their website, the concept is really simple: "Groupon negotiates huge discounts—usually 50-90% off—with popular businesses. We send the deals to thousands of subscribers in our free daily email, and we send the businesses a ton of new customers. That's the Groupon magic." You can personalize the type of deals you want to get and you can be notified a variety of ways including on your mobile phone.

Check it out today! See where you could be saving $$ in your area.

In Transylvania County in western North Carolina, residential sales during January 2011 remained relatively stable compared to the same time last year ending the month with 16 sales, one more than in 2010. The biggest difference between 2010 and 2011 was in the listing and selling prices. In January 2010 a number of higher end homes sold, driving the average listing price up to $281,273 and the average selling price to $257,433 or roughly 90%. In 2011, however, the average list price was $145,807 and the average selling price was $132,446, or roughly 91%.

There 14 single family homes sold last month, with 11 of those sales under $200,000 and three between $200K and $300K. Considering the current inventory, that means the absorption rate for the month was nearly 4 years. Two condominiums sold this moth, both in the $100K-$200K price range. The absorption rate for condos is also very high at 45 months.

Land sales lagged slightly behind last year. In January 2010 there were ten land sales compared to six in 2011. This year, the average listing price was $179,333 and the average selling price was $143,167 higher than in 2010. When compared to the year before, there were fewer properties sold during the past month, but the ones that did sell sold for 80% of the listing price, higher than the year before indicating that sellers have successfully adjusted their prices to fit the market demand.

For sellers, the message isn’t new. It’s a very tough market right now and the answer to getting any property sold will be found in the pricing. For buyers, there are tremendous deals out there for you. But, before you even start to look at homes, contact your lender. Learn what your lending options are and get pre-qualified. Loan are taking longer to process and sellers want to know that your offer won’t fall apart because your loan won’t make it through underwriting.

For more information about the real estate market in the Brevard area, contact the Clay Team at 828-551-6290 or 828-551-6291. Or visit us online at BrevardNCProperty.com

This bank-owned property is located in the Lake Toxaway area of western North Carolina, approximately 20 minutes from downtown Brevard or 20 minutes from the mountain town of Cashiers. Or you can be in South Carolina in less than an hour! At roughly 3,000 feet elevation, it's a great place to escape to during the hot summer months. Plus it's only minutes from Gorges State Park and spectacular waterfalls, hiking, and more!

The main floor is 1,760 square feet and includes the master suite, two additional bedrooms, a second bath, spacious kitchen, dining, and living room, and the laundry area. The lower level is not heated so it cannot be included in the square footage, but it is finished in every other way with another bedroom, full bath and tons of room that can be used in a variety of ways such as a home office, play room, media room, workshop, art studio...just use your imagination.

Priced now at only $119,900!

For more information, call the Clay Team at 828-551-6290 or visit us online at BrevardNCProperty.com today!