Mike Kelly Jr of CENTURY 21 American Homes and Marti Ward of Wachovia Mortgage will be hosting a First Time Home Buyer Seminar on Monday October 20, 2008 at 7pm at the CENTURY 21 American Homes Office at 2258 US Highway 70 SE (next to the Hickory Furniture Mart).
Come and find out how to take advantage of the $7,500 tax credit the the US Government is offering until June of 2009. Learn the steps needed to apply for a mortgage, how to buy a bank owned or foreclosed property, and how to get started in buying your first home.
Despite the what you may hear in the news, there is still money available for people to get mortgages.
This is a great time to buy, with interest rates at an all time low and there are plenty of homes to choose from at really good prices.
For more information contact Mike at 828-234-0479 or visit his website at www.MikeKellyJr.com
All are welcome and refreshements will be served.
Did you know that the Federal Government is offering a tax credit of up to $7,500 if you purchase a home between April 9, 2008 and before July 1, 2009?
With interest rates this low, housing prices reasonable and the tax credit so appealing there has never been a better time to be a first time home buyer.
Call me 7 days a week at 828-234-0479 to discuss your options.
For more information check out my website at: www.MikeKellyJr.com
If home prices dropped by 5%, here is what it would look like if you decided to trade up:
Home Price = $100,000
Sell at $95,000 = $5,000 Loss
Home Price = $200,000
Buy at $190,000 = $10,000 Savings
The smaller loss at sale will be compensated by greater savings at purchase, resulting in a significant net gain.
Falling home prices are a great opportunity for a savvy homeowners looking to move up. Even though you home sale price may be lower, the smaller loss at sale can be compensated by greater savings at purchase.
For more information view my website: www.MikeKellyJr.com
I wrote this article for the Hickory Daily Record and was very excited when I opened the paper this morning and saw it.
Guest Commentary
By Michael Kelly Jr.
Published: October 2, 2008
In a recent article in the Hickory Daily Record, a local agent and writer pointed out that all indications and statistics point to the fact that the Hickory area housing market is currently in a buyer's market.
While this may be true, it does not mean that it is necessarily a bad time to buy a home. I want to point out some benefits to the consumer of a buyer's market.
1. Thanks to the recent housing stimulus bill, first-time buyers can receive up to a $7,500 tax credit on purchasing a home. While this credit will need to be paid back over time via taxes, I think this is a wonderful incentive. How great would it be to actually buy your first home and then have up to $7,500 to improve your house?
If budgeted smartly, you could do some very nice upgrades to your home or simply save that money for a rainy day while creating equity in your home as you pay off your mortgage.
2. Since there is quite a bit of inventory on the market, investors might think about buying rental properties. If you purchase them correctly, rental properties can supply a lifetime of income.
There are several ways to calculate the potential profitability of a rental property. If you are new to this process consult a realtor who can help you figure out which properties can be a good investment.
3. Find what you really want. When there is less on the market, you have less to choose from. If there is more on the market, you have more to choose from. How many people would have loved to buy something on the lake in 2005 but had to settle for a lake view because of the lack of inventory in 2005? As of Sept. 28, there are 48 homes listed for sale that are considered to be on Lake Hickory, ranging in price between $237,405 and $3.4 million. As of Sept. 28, there are also 112 single-family homes listed in our MLS as foreclosures. That may sound like a lot, but when you compare it to the 1,819 total single-family homes on the market, it accounts for 6 percent of what is on the market.
One bright thing to note is that although there is more inventory, homes are surprisingly still selling for 96.5 percent of asking price on average.
4. Real estate professionals have more time to help you find what you need. Since things are not selling as quickly, most local real estate professionals have the time to spend with prospective clients to truly assess their needs, and with the growth of the internet consumers have access to a wealth of information helping them make their decision on what to buy. Make sure your realtor is current with the latest technology and can help point you where to go so that you have the information you need to make the best decision.
5. Growth prospects looking better. As reported by the Record in June, there are several companies that have announced plans to create jobs here in the coming years.
• Convergys announced plans to locate a 450-employee call center in the former Joan Fabrics office in Hickory.
• Graystone Ophthalmology and Northwest Oncology opened new medical offices in McDonald Crossing business park off Tate Boulevard.
• Sutter Street, a division of Williams Sonoma, announced in April plans to create 820 jobs in Hickory.
• Target completed grading and shell work at its 1.6 million-square-foot facility in Newton off U.S. 321 and N.C. 10.
Combine that and the fact most of our area is close to Interstate 40, and the U.S. 321 corridor allowing easy access to many other North Carolina cities, signs are pointing to the fact that our best days are ahead of us in the Hickory area. Why not buy now and reap the benefits of our future growth while prices are affordable?
If you are considering any of the above strategies, consult with a local realtor to help you assess your options and figure out your best home-buying strategy.
Michael Kelly Jr. is a Hickory realtor with Century 21 American Homes. Contact him at mkellyjr72@gmail.com or go to www.mikekellyjr.com.
It was a great weekend in the Hickory area as the owners of the new Century 21 American Homes office in Hickory NC opened its doors to the public for the first time. There was food, giveaways and lots of fun to be had at this wonderful celebration. Mayor Rudy Wright and the Catawba Valley Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark this great event on Friday evening and the party continued through Saturday.
Hopefully this will be a great location for us since the new office is strategically placed on US HWY 70 in Hickory close to I-40. The office is located right across from the Olive Garden and next to the "famous" Hickory Furniture Mart"
If anyone is in the area and would like to stop by feel free to check out this great new facility.
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WE are REALTORS in The Hickory NC area. We are very easy to get along with and very focused on our clients needs. Call or email us today.
We are REALTORS specializing in the Greater Hickory, NC Metro area. Included in that area is Hickory, Newton, Conover, Granite Falls, Mountain View, Hudson, Lenoir, Alexander County as well as Eastern Burke County.
Kathleen Kelly works with me as a REALTOR. She focuses on our Internet marketing program. It is great working together and our individual strengths make us a great business team.
Mike started his real estate career as an investor. He would buy a house fix it up and sell it for a profit. He has done this several times and still try to do a few a year, but since he earned my real estate license in 2006, he have been fully committed to mastering this craft.
We truly believe that the Hickory NC area is primed for greatness and we want to be there when it happens. We are very excited about the future prospects of our area and hopefully over the years others will be as well.
If I had to pick something to specialize in then I would say that it would be helping move-up buyers find the right home for their needs. One of the best ways to help someone find the right home is to visit their current home to see what they like and what they dislike about their current home, it also gives you an understanding of how they currently live and decorate and it is easier for you to picture them living somewhere else.
I am also good with the out of town buyer, since I have only lived in the area for about three years, it is still fresh in my mind the special nuances our area has to offer a person who is not from the area.
I recently earned my GRI and CRS designations from the NC Association of Realtors.
When you see the letters "GRI" after an agent's name, you can count on receiving the knowledge and guidance you need to make your transaction go smoothly. In short, you can count on getting the best service available from a real estate professional.
The Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) is the highest Designation awarded to sales associates in the residential sales field. The CRS Designation recognizes professional accomplishments in both experience and education. I am very proud of this accomplishment and I hope that the knowledge I have gained from that experience will allow me to help my clients even more.
Through this great program I learned about the latest topics influencing the way potential clients buy and sell real estate when it comes to energy efficiency as well as "living green". Being an EcoBroker® will help me stay current with the growing green real estate market and the opportunities it presents. Many real estate professionals focus on the normal visual features of a home.
This program has changed the way I look at things though allowing me to focus on the things that make my properties stand out from the crowd from an energy efficiency standpoint. I do not think that living green is just a fad as many people in the industry believe. With energy prices getting more and more expensive I think that people will truly embrace being green if for no other reason than just from a cost savings standpoint.
Attention Fellow Agents:
I am a big fan of referrals so please feel free to refer clients to me if you are from out of the area. I will treat them like part of the family.
Mike Kelly made selling our home a great experience. He took a very difficult situation and made it work by going above and beyond our expectations. If you are looking for a realtor who truly cares about his clients, give Mike a call. I guarantee you will not regret it. We are forever grateful. - Gina
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Mike Kelly was fantastic! He made the whole experience of finding a new home, which I was extremely scared of, very easy and free of stress. He was professional, always available, and really friendly. You can tell that he really cares about helping you find a new home. I would highly recommend Mike to everyone. You won't regret it! - Bill
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Mike is really committed to each client and dedicates himself fully to finding you the perfect place. He's flexible, patient, and always looking out for you first. This was our first experience buying a house and we could have easily become overwhelmed. Mike did a great job working with us through the whole process and made everything simple and easy to manage. Hickory Real Estate Group is small but agile, and they focus on the client, not their bottom line. They provide a level of service you just can't get with some larger franchise realty company. I'm recommending Hickory Real Estate Group to everyone I know. - Andrew
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