Christmas in the Pines, Presented by Whispers
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Mimosa Brunch at the Country Club of Whispering Pines 11:00 am - 1:00pm
Home and Garden Tour 12:00pm - 4:00pm
Come join us for a wonderful Mimosa Brunch in the Main Dining Room of the Country Club of Whispering Pines, followed by a tour of 5 homes and a garden in their entire Christmas splendor.
Tickets
Brunch and Tour......................$16.00
Tour Only..............................$10.00
Children 6-12 years Brunch and Tour.....$11.00
Tickets may be purchased at the following locations:
The Country Club of Whispering Pines Grill Room, 2 Club House Blvd., The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines, Whispering Pines Properties, 1 Club House Blvd. Whispering Pines
Homes on Tour
100 S. Lakeshore Drive
"The Castle" built in the 1970's is one of the most intriguing and dramatic homes in Whispering Pines. The Crawfords have transformed this 3 acre estate on Thagard's Lake into a landmark with touches of European design.
31 Windsong Place
Christmas at the Stefanko's evokes all the senses from festive decorations, baking aromas, and favorite Christmas music. The focal point is "The Tree" with eclectic ornaments which reflect important family moments. This home received the 2006 Award of Excellence by Moore County Homebuilders.
8 Country Club Blvd.
The Ellis home, built in 2006, is pleasing to the eye with a soft, white brick façade and sky blue shutters. The home features open living areas, vaulted ceilings, and large windows capturing the golf course view and wall niches for special porcelains. Custom made cherry furnishings and unique pieces complete the décor.
150 Pine Lake Drive
The Jones' 38 year old lakeside home is traditional in design eclectic in décor, lending humor through an emphasis on jungle animals in various mediums. Many Santas arrive for Christmas along with Kermit the Frog, the Scottish Golfer and the Painted Gourd. Realistic reindeer, including Rudolph, reside in the yard.
1 Morning Glory Lane
The Linss condo, with 2300 square feet of living area was built in 2005 in Whispering Winds. The inviting split plan combines contemporary décor with an Asian Flair. Custom features include cabinets and shelving, granite countertops, bay windows in dinette area and hardwood floors.
1 Highland Drive
The Navarrro's "Piazzas at Lago Bella" capture a spectacular vista of the Country Club of Whispering Pines East Course signature 11th hole. Touches of Italy are reflected in the pergolas, water fountain, gardens, fire pit, and tiered levels with curving walls created with cobblestones, a real human and wildlife sanctuary.
Wow, I just realized that I haven't posted a blog in a month. I have been busy. Thanks to FrontGate, the Keller Williams business model and The Shift training I received. I became busy very quickly. I had business! A fair amount of business with homes going under contract and several more clients with interested buyers.
Now I'm back and everything is moving along nicely with my clients happily in the process of closing on their new homes. I think what I learned from The Shift training is any market is a good market as long as we, as real estate professionals, create a mindset that this is a buyer's market and work it as a buyer's market.
Sure, there is less business but it is important to be able to counsel your sellers. Let them know that it is far better to be competitive now in pricing then have their property to be sitting unsold 12-14 months later. Your sellers are relying on you. They do not want to be paying double mortgages, taxes, insurance and utility expenses for another year. Every bit of the profit they are trying to get out of their homes will be sucked up in expenses. Comparables that we gave them over thirty days ago are now outdated and just don't let them know the true story of the market. As other sellers quickly lower their prices we need to look at the comparables very frequently to make sure our sellers are not priced out of the market.
As for buyer's, what a wonderful time to buy! Prices are low, interest rates are low and most sellers are negotiable. This means lower house payments and more equity gain for the future! This is the buyer's opportunity! Sure things look scary now and as long as a buyer is planning to live in their home for several years, this market will settle down. In time, we will be in another seller's market. Buyers understand this and will put their fears to rest if you, as a real estate professional, explain this to them. Counsel your buyers, they need you to help them so they can move forward and buy in this buyer's market.
Buyers, watch my blog, I will be putting on some of my "Best Buys". Best Buys are sellers that are ready to sell NOW and have taken a proactive position to make their properties the most competitive on the market.
Linda Breeding
910-690-8368
Mortgages interest rates saw an increase last week and forecast say they could be going higher. Interest rates are still at historically low levels. Here are the rates from 1971 until present. Freddie Mac. I love to look at numbers and what I found interesting was in 1981 interest rates were at 18.45% with 2.3 points! I can remember, back in 1981 people commonly got adjustable rate mortgages and paid additional points to lower their rates. They knew that more than likely rates would decrease.
Here is an excerpt from one of my previous blogs in reference to buyers trying to time home prices (and interest rates) in the market:
There are also significant hazards of timing the market for buyers. If buyers are waiting for home prices to drop further they are also gambling on whether or not interest rates will hold at their present rate or drop. What is widely misunderstood, a drop in home prices of 10% is immediately nullified by a 1% point increase in interest rates on a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. It is impossible to correctly time the market..............
We are in a buyer's market which of course, is the best time for buyers to buy. I heard someone say the other day, "When everyone else is fearful is the best time to buy investments, and when everyone else is buying investments is the best time to be fearful." Real Estate is not only a home it is a long-term investment. There will be a select few that will break from "the pack" and will benefit from this market and say, "Thank goodness, I bought my house in 2008!"
Linda Breeding
910-690-8368
President Bush has signed into law the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008. The bill will benefit current homeowners and new homeowners for VA mortgage loans. Following are three provisions that will help our active duty military and veterans during the current housing crisis.
It will now be easier for veterans that are currently in risky subprime mortgages to refinance into safer, more affordable loans insured by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
VA loan limit increases are now permanent and will help veterans living in high-cost areas.
The VA now has adjustable-rate mortgages. Our military families often have to move more frequently than civilians. The adjustable rate mortgages will make homeownership more attainable for these families.
The new Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008 will help ensure that our veterans and military families will have the opportunity to responsibly own and keep their homes.
Linda Breeding
910-690-8368
The town of Aberdeen is doing well in the present market. Home values have remained steady or increased. There are several very desirable neighbors with new construction that are holding the prices up. In addition, Aberdeen has a large number of homes priced below the $300,000 range and the local market has been strong in homes in this price range.
Linda Breeding
910-690-8368
Linda Breeding, a Pinehurst native, is a focused real estate professional who understands that paying attention to the smallest detail can impact the success of your next move.
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