Tips For Selling Your Home in Fayetteville, NC. During these tough times, selling your home can be harder than ever. In Fayetteville and surrounding communities there are 3242 residential resale homes on the market with an average of 141 days on the market! (This does not include the new construction homes on the market). I have seen homes on the market for over two years and homes that have sold within a few days! Why do you think this is? Of course location has a lot to do with it, but so does the price and condition of the home! Here are a few tips to help sell your home faster.... Price it right ~ If you must sell your home in a down market, you will have to price the home to sell! In many areas foreclosures have brought down the home prices quite a bit. While you may not be able to... 03/31/2013

Looking for something to do in the Fayetteville, NC area? Look no further than downtown. Gregs Art, Pottery, and Gifts is a great place to hang out! Greg's is a great place to paint your own pottery. They have a great selection. You can paint anything from plates, cups, to piggy banks and more. This past Christmas I actually made a lot of my gifts for friends and family and they loved it. How it works: you find something you want to paint on their shelves. The price is located on the bottom of the items. This price includes the paint and firing of the item. Once you paint the item then Kelly and Aaron will let you know when you can come back to pick up the finished product. How easy is that? This is a great activity to do if you are looking for some quiet time, or looking to spend some ... 03/30/2013

Fayetteville, NC has a lot of fun facts that many of our own residents don’t know, so today I thought why not share what I know about our great city!   Fayetteville got its name from the Marquis de Lafayette and Fayetteville is the only city he visited in 1875. In fact the carriage he rode in is on display in one of our local museums.   General Sherman marched in and attacked Fayetteville in March 1865. He destroyed a confederate arsenal that was located in the area as well as the Fayetteville Observer office.   Babe Ruth hit his first home run as a professional baseball player in Fayetteville! He hit the home run on March 7, 1914.  The first known miniature golf course was built in Fayetteville, NC!   Fayetteville missed being our state capital by one vote!   The Fayetteville Observer ... 03/29/2013

Preparing The Interior Of Your Home To Sell   Making sure you prepare the interior of your home to sell, is just as important as preparing the exterior of your home. While showing homes the last few days, I noticed some sellers were not serious about selling their home. Fayetteville, NC is in a STRONG buyer’s market right now. We have over 4200 active residential properties on the current local market right now. So, as a seller, your home needs to be show ready EVERYDAY and ALL the time, from the moment you decide you're ready to sell. Hiring an agent that works full time to give you tips and advice on preparing the interior of your home to sell is key. Taking their advice will help your home stand out and possibly sell faster, that’s what you want, right?   As a seller, there are some ... 03/28/2013

Do you really need to sign a buyers agreement (Buyers Agency)? I would say YES! At least here in the Fayetteville, NC area. Lets first talk about what it is. This is a contract between you and the agent you are hiring to represent you. Once you sign the contract the agent must then work in your best interests at all times. The agent is not allowed to give any information to other agents or sellers without your permission. This is to protect you! This document also protects the agent as well. This means you will only work with this particular agent and not out “looking” with other agents. The agent is giving you their loyalty, they expect it in kind.  What is the advantage? The advantage is now you are a client. That means I work for YOU! I will search out homes that are a match with the... 03/28/2013

First Time Home Buyer’s Seminar In Fayetteville, NC   If you have ever considered buying your first home, or wonder if you could afford your own home, then you don't want to miss the First Time Home Buyer’s  Seminar in Fayetteville, NC. This is a great place and time for you to learn and decide if you are ready to own your first home and stop paying someone elses mortgage payment.     The First Time Home Buyer’s Seminar in Fayetteville, NC is put on by a full time, local real estate agent and mortgage officer. You will be able to ask questions and get real answers, with no obligation. Their number one goal is to make sure you are 100% prepared and understand the local market. Plus to help you make an informed decision about buying a home. Once a month the First Time Home Buyer’s Seminar... 03/27/2013

Spring break is fast approaching for Cumberland County schools 2013! Thats right...its that time of year again! The students of Cumberland county schools will have a early release day on Thursday March 28th and will be out of school until April the 7th, returning to school on April 8th.   Then it is all down hill from there...the next thing we will be talking about is SUMMER VACATION one of my favorite times of the year!   The McKinney family will be spending part of that time at the beach! We are “campers” and always look forward to our first trip out after the long winter.   What are you and your family going to be doing during this holiday season? Will we see you at the beach?!             03/25/2013

Yes, you really need to leave for showings! A lot of sellers ask if they really need to leave and I always respond YES! There are several reasons behind this. While they sound simple or not important, they are. The buyers are not coming to see you, they are coming to see the home. If the sellers are there in the home, the buyers feel uncomfortable walking through the home. They will not open closets, or bedroom doors. They tend to make small talk with you the seller but they do not look at the home. Often they tend to rush through the home without really "seeing it". Sellers tend to point out things about the home which are obvious to most buyers. For instance, this is the kitchen and these counters are granite, or maybe something like this is the great room and the fireplace has gas lo... 03/25/2013

Fayetteville City Council will hold a meeting tonight 3/25 at 7pm at City Hall. They will be discussing considering reauthorizing a municipal services district, which collects an additional tax of 10 cents per $100 in value, to raise money for downtown initiatives, such as the new parking deck and streetscape improvements. The council is also set to vote on approving an annexation agreement with Cumberland County commissioners of the Cedar Creek Business Center. It is a resolution in support of putting medians on Owen Drive and a $785,272 bid by Highland Paving Company of Fayetteville to resurface the rest of Fort Bragg Road.   03/25/2013

Upcoming Job Fairs And Business Expos   On Tuesday the 26th there will be one job fair and a hiring event, the Cumberland County Job Fair and Fort Bragg ACAP Hiring Event.   The Cumberland County Job Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Crown Expo Center. It is free admission and say that typically, around 100 businesses participate in this job fair.   The Fort Bragg ACAP (Army Career And Alumni Program) Hiring will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Fort Bragg Club. They are hosting the event to interview screened applicants with qualifications that match job requirements. For details, please visit www.fayettevillencchamber.org   On Thursday the 28th there will be Hiring Our Heroes Job Fair from 9 a.m. to noon at the Crown Center. This job fair is for veterans, active-duty mili... 03/25/2013

A System To Time Blocking   Aa a real estate agent I struggle with protecting my schedule and controlling my time...does anyone else feel the same way? I was talking with my coach a few days ago and I explained I was so busy right now and with a “leverage” situation, I am having trouble controlling my time.  I was giving up things that are very important in my business, like lead generation. I am working on hiring the RIGHT executive assistant right now, but it takes time and I am not going to rush that out of necessity. Been there, done that..twice, bad hires are costly.   He gave me seven key things that need to go into my calendar that are NOT really negotiable. Plus three key “planning” slots. Remember “if you erase, you must replace”. It also takes 66 days to create a habit, so I a... 03/24/2013

What will the new construction at Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville bring? Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville, NC is a 1 million square foot mall with over 150 retail stores. Belk, Macy’s, JCPenney, and Sears are the anchors. Cross Creek Mall is the only super regional mall within a 60-miles of Fayetteville and Fort Bragg. The mall had recently received a multi-million dollar renovation with new entrances, new flooring and a renovated food court. The expansion, which recently began, will add 46,000 square foot of space for new retailers such as Chico’s, LOFT, White House | Black Market, Men’s Wearhouse. There will be additional stores and restaurants that will be announced as the project progresses. The grand opening of this expansion is expected to be in late Fall of 2013. I am looking fo... 03/24/2013

Termite Inspections Are So Important   In North Carolina, termite inspection are so important to have done on a home you are planning on buying. If you are a VA buyer this is a mandatory inspection that your lender requires. If you already own your home and have been in it for some time, you should have a termite inspection done yearly if you don’t have it under contract with a local pest company already. As a Realtor, I see the majority of termite reports from my clients homes come back with active termites,  previously infested termite, not active or an actual clean report with no termite issues. The last 10 termite inspection reports I received back showed 7 out of the 10 had active termites or previously infested termite, not active. WOW... right? Actually not really a big surprise ... 03/23/2013

Buying a home in the Jack Britt School District....   This has become an extremely popular area to buy a home in Fayetteville NC! Good schools, convenient location, and it is growing by leaps and bounds!! I spend a lot of time showing homes in the area, heck I LIVE in the area and my children go to school at Jack Britt.  I am from Fayetteville, grew up here, went to school in the area.....I remember when this whole area was farmland! Wow it has come a LONG way!   But we still have farmland all around us.  Its like live in the “country city”! Yep, I made that up :)   But seriously if you are moving to Fayetteville NC and you have been considering buying a home in the Jack Britt area of Fayetteville NC we would love to help you find the home that will fit your needs!   Give the McKinney R... 03/23/2013

The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival   The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival is quickly approaching. This years marks the 31st Annual Dogwood Festival, so make sure to mark your calendars for April 26-28, 2013. The Dogwood festival is one of the main attractions for Fayetteville and has a nice economic impact on the community. This three day event has been known to bring over 200,000 people and there is “something for everyone” during these three days. One of the best parts about this great event...the admission is free! The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival was “done to entertain, promote new business, enhance a positive community image, attract visitors, share cultural and recreational opportunities of our community, encourage unity through the celebration of our diversity, promote the education... 03/21/2013

Spring has Sprung! What can you do to your front landscaping to add that curb appeal? Whether your home is on the market or not, the curb appeal of your home makes the first impression! First of all, clean out those planter beds. Pull out all those weeds, put down weed block and replace that old mulch. Clean and reposition any stones or bricks that border your beds. Adding stones or bricks around the beds keeps the mulch in and makes for a clean, well groomed yard. Pick plants and flowers that will add color  to your landscaping. Be sure to check how large the plant will grow, you don’t want it to get too large and take over the area. Also, be sure to check the amount of sunlight it needs and plant according to your yard and location. Don’t forget to brighten up your mail box with some ... 03/20/2013

Buying a Home in the Jack Britt School District   Homes in the Jack Britt school district range from as low as you can go to million dollar homes! But what if you don't have a million dollar budget? There are very nice homes at very affordable prices...some may need a little work and some are ready to move right in! Search homes for sale in the Jack Britt school district in Fayetteville NC in the 75,000.00-150,000.00 range. This search will return homes that have at least three bedrooms or mare and at least two baths or more.   When you find a home that will fits your needs call one of the members of the MCKinney Realty Group to schedule a showing that will fit into your schedule.   Each member of our group is very familiar with the area as we all reside in the area. We are here to serv... 03/20/2013

Four Year Old Check Up   We have been seeing the same prediction at Fayetteville Children’s Clinic since our daughter Isabella was born and Bella loves Dr. Kelly. I remember the first time my husband and I met Dr. Kelly and Isabella was only a few hours old. He came by the hospital to check her over and I felt like he held my baby like a rag doll and was not gently...new mommy and lack of sleep. Well, I remember asking him before he left if he had any kids and he said no. I didn’t think much about it. He is a very quiet man with a dry sense of humor, but an awesome doctor and great with kids. He was getting ready to leave the room and he looked up on his way out and said “I don’t have kids because I don’t like them” (he was joking) he smiled and left. Of course, I freaked out as a new m... 03/20/2013

Spring is a great time for sellers in the Fayetteville, NC area. While typically this is a busy time of year for showings and buyers, its also a great time to re-look at your home with a fresh new perspective. Since we look at our homes each and every day we might not notice things slipping. Here are a few helpful hints (these apply even if you are not selling your home). Keep your front door area clean! In Fayetteville we are starting to see a lot of pollen which builds up every day. Wipe down the door so buyers see a fresh clean area. Sweep out the cobwebs, leaves, and pollen. This will help you not track it indoors too. Clean out your gutters. Over the winter leaves and pine needles tend to build up and if left alone can actually cause you more problems with wood rot or broken gutter... 03/20/2013

What will adding a swimming pool do to the value of my home? Every geographic location will have pros and cons to adding a swimming pool to your property. To some buyers, a pool may be a liability. Maybe a family with young children may see this as a safety hazard. Where as a family with older children or a retired couple may find this as an asset. Swimming pools are also looked at as another added expense. As far as increasing the value of your property, you may want to talk to a local real estate professional about this. In most cases, you won’t recoup the cost of installing the pool, if any. I do believe that it can help sell your home because the pool feature will stand out above others in the area, but only if you have a buyer who desires a pool. Questions to ask yourself and your ... 03/19/2013