Jen Mildenberger NC & SC Realtor

Are you new to the area and looking for a great place to connect with ladies just like you who are new to the area or looking to meet some great friends? I have just the group for you.

One of my past clients and great friends, Marge Farris decided to start a support group for ladies who are new to the area and are looking for support as they adjust to their new surroundings. Moving can be such a difficult and stressful time, so having a great group of women who understand and also are going through the same things can be very refreshing. Marge experienced this same feeling a few years ago when her husband was relocated with his company to Fort Mill from Pittsburgh. She found the group to be very beneficial and has enjoyed being a leader alongside her friend Joanne over the past couple of years.

The class starts on February 6, 2012 and is held at The Fort Mill Library in Fort Mill. The class will be held each week from 10:00-11:30 am. No childcare is provided. For more information, you can reach out to Marge atmafarris60@yahoo.com

Moving On After Moving In is a program that is run all over the country, so if you are not local to the area, you can find groups all over the country just like this one. I hope you enjoy this class!!

Happy Holidays! I hope you are looking forward to an exciting few days ahead.....

I have had the great honor of being a contributor in the Fort Mill Magazine, and I wanted to share with you the latest issue that came out this week. Be sure to check out my article on prepping your home for sale in the Spring market.

http://www.calameo.com/read/00098968669514aeffab7

Merry Christmas!

Jen Mildenberger

This weekend in Fort Mill is the 2nd Annual "South Carolina Strawberry Festival". While the mascot is the Strawberry which is now in season for picking and eating, there will be many FUN events to participate in.

The event runs from Wednesday, May 4 through Saturday, May 7 at 9 pm. Events include a golf tournament, pagents, a 5k and the festival. There will be arts and crafts vendors, petting zoo, hayrides, pig races, fireworks, and most importantly STRAWBERRY goodies and treats!

The festival on Friday and Saturday is located at Walter Y. Elisha Park which is at 345 N. White Street.

For more information, check out the website at http://www.scstrawberryfestival.com

Hope you have a great time!!

So, you just found out you are moving to Charlotte!! It is very exciting as you know that the weather is wonderful, the people are nice and that Sweet Tea is served everywhere!! You get online to start your search for a home and then you realize that Charlotte is bigger than you had pictured in your mind and you begin to panic as you have no clue where to begin your search as you relocate.

Well, that is where I come in and I look forward to working with you in your relocation. I am here as a resource to answer any and all questions you may have about the area, homes, commute time, etc. I am hopeful that with information, you will not be as confused when you get here and feel comfortable when you begin to see it in person.

I am going to highlight the most desired areas that I get requests for home searches in. They are Ballantyne aka South Charlotte, Union County (Waxhaw, Weddington, Indian Trail), & Fort Mill &Tega Cay South Carolina.

The Ballantyne area has been extremely popular over the past 10-15 years. It is a suburb within Charlotte and is a great mixture of residential, shopping, restaurants, and more. Just recently, some businesses have relocated to the area as it is an easy commute for employees. Real estate here has always been desireable and it is known as being the "IT" place to live. There are price ranges all over the board with townhomes starting in the low $100s, single family homes over a million in the Ballantyne Country Club as well as everything in between with an average around the $300,000 range. The schools here are highly rated and desired by many parents. Here are a few weblinks that you may find useful as you look in the Ballantyne Area of Charlotte.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Website

Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Website

YMCA of Greater Charlotte

Ballantyne Village (Shopping, Dining, Entertainment)

Blakeney (Shopping, Dining, Entertainment)

Just beyond South Charlotte and Ballantyne, you will find Union County NC which includes Waxhaw, Weddington, Wesley Chapel, Indian Trail, sections of Matthews, Stallings, Monroe, Wingate, Marshville & Mineral Springs. This area is in a different county than Charlotte, so you will see a bit of a tax relief and the schools are also very desireable as well.Union County is large and the areas that I find most of my buyers moving towards here would be that of Waxhaw, Weddington, Matthews, Wesley Chapel and Indian Trail as they are the closest to Charlotte and have seen great growth in real estate over the past few years. This area is very lush with trees and has always been known for horses, farm land and more of a country feeling....My husband and I make our home in Waxhaw which we love. There is alot of old town charm in Union County as well as history which truly make it very special and well-liked. Home prices range from the mid $100s up to over a million, however, the average sale price hovers around $250,000 in most of these areas.

Union County Schools Website

Union County Website

The latest and greatest hotspot for buyers has been the Fort Mill/Tega Cay, SC area as it is a short commute via Interstate 77 to Uptown. Another benefit to living in SC is that the taxes are about half of what you would pay in NC and the schools are some of the best in the country. The area is growing by leaps and bounds which is very exciting for this old mill town. Much of the old town feel is here as well as the lush peach trees that offer yummy fruit for the numerous produce stands in the warm seasons. Housing is about the same as Ballantyne in terms of ranges available, but I would tend to say that you will get a bit more square footage for your money here with exception to Baxter Village which is a definite phenomenon. Baxter is a master planned community and will end up having 1400 homes at the completion by the middle of 2012. It started in 1999 and has been very successful due to the close proximity to the interstate as well as the small town feel within the community as it has the elementary school, YMCA, Starbucks & other restaurants, medical facilities, etc. Tega Cay is a small town that is surrounded by Lake Wylie, so it offers a few waterfront & waterview properties as well as a public golf course & several recreational amenities. It is very quaint and offers some newer construction possibilities within Lake Shore as well as some older homes built in the 70s with great character.

Fort Mill School District

York County Government

Fort Mill YMCA

Fort Mill Newspaper

There is so much to know and learn about the area. Once you have looked this over, please let me know what questions you have as I am so happy to help you. As a buyer, you need all of the information to make an informed and smart decision, and I would be honored to assist you in making this even easier. As a resident of the area since 1987, I have alot to offer you. I would encourage you to visit my website at www.WithJenYouWin.com and look on the left-hand side for information on things to do, sports, places to go on vacation that are short trips, etc.....It is fairly user friendly, but as always, please ask if you have further questions.

Also, I have found that http://www.charlottesgotalot.com/ has some great information that is also helpful to get you acclimated to Charlotte. I look forward to working with and meeting you when the time is right. Let me know your travel plans, so I can make sure that I have blocked out time in my calendar to spend with you and help you even more.

Beginning on January 1, 2011, North Carolina rolled out a shiny new Offer to Purchase form with some big changes. And the biggest of these changes is the addition of a Due Diligence Fee and a Due Diligence period. No, I am not talking about the earnest money deposit as that is still a part of the contract, I am talking about Due Diligence.

What is a Due Diligence Fee? The Due Diligence Fee is made payable to the Seller when a Buyer makes an offer on their home and the contract is accepted by both parties. It is a non-refundable fee (with a few exceptions) which allows the Buyer to investigate the property and to obtain financing. If the Buyer decides to back out once the Due Diligence period is terminated, the Seller retains this fee and the Buyer can walk. However, if the Buyer closes the transaction, the fee is credited to the Buyer at closing as well as the Earnest Money Deposit.

How is the Due Diligence Fee determined?? The amount of the Due Diligence Fee is negotiated between the Buyer and the Seller as to what is acceptable. There are many schools of thought on how much this amount should be, and I believe that it will be a case by case situation based on the Seller's motivation, the condition of the property and how long that the Due Diligence Period will extend. So far in my talks with other Realtors, I have heard that some Buyers are contributing a set fee while others are calculating a per diem amount. The only times that you will not see a Due Diligence Fee be discussed at the time of writing an offer is in the case of a foreclosure, a short sale or a Relocation sale.

What is the Due Diligence Period? The Due Diligence Period is the opportunity for the Buyer to investigate the property at their own expense. This includes (but is not limited to) inspections, surveys, appraisals, review of Restrictive Covenants, gaining property insurance quotes, investigating zoning & school districts, etc.... Also, during this time, the repair negotiations will be completed as well as the Lender being able to give the Buyer sufficient information to decide whether to proceed with the transaction based on being able to gain loan approval. If the Buyer is not satisfied with the home during this period, they have the right to terminate the contract for any or no reason at all as long as it occurs within this period. Once the period has expired, the Buyer waives any right to terminate the contract based on any matter dealing with Due Diligence.

What exceptions would make the Due Diligence Fee refundable to the Buyer? The Due Diligence Fee is refundable to the Buyer if the Seller breaches the contract or fails to materially comply with any of the Seller's obligations. Obligations include (but are not limited to) evidence title, access to the property, removal of personal property by the closing date, satisfaction of liens, delivery of a General Warranty Deed, payment of assessments, etc.

How long is the Due Diligence Period? Again, this is negotiated between the Buyer and the Seller. The quickest approach to this timeframe would be if the Buyer was paying cash for the home as they would only need to gain inspections and possibly an appraisal/titlework by the attorney. Most Realtors are seeing this period be on average between 30-45 days. In the case where a Buyer is obtaining a mortgage, they should be advised to consult with their lender on how quickly they can get the appraisal completed as well as gain a loan commitment before writing an offer. My preferred lender can guarantee this within 21 days if needed, so feel free to let me know if you need a good reference on that end.

As a Buyer or Seller in NC, it is very important that you read through the new contract to make sure you completely understand what to expect when in a transaction. As a Realtor, I take great care to make sure that my clients understand each part of the contract so as to know what steps must be taken to make sure we are in compliance as well as to protect them at all times. If you need a great Realtor to represent you in either circumstance, I would be extremely honored to assist you to make the process as manageable as possible. Feel free to share your comments and thoughts on this new Due Diligence in NC.....It will take time to get used to, but soon enough we will all be pros at Due Diligence in NC.

As always, this information is meant to be educational and does not include every piece of the contract....please consult with your Realtor or Attorney for more specific information at your convenience. Thanks again!!