Attention people who are selling their home or trying to rent a home in Greensboro, NC (and I'm sure in other areas across the United States).  There is a new scam on Craig's List.  Here's how it works.  We have an absolutely beautiful home currently listed for sale in Greensboro.  So imagine my surprise when I started getting inquiries from people about renting it.  Evidently, someone lifted our MLS photo, posted the home on Craig's List and offered to rent it for only $1,000/month!  When people inquired about the home, they received a lengthy email of explanation.  The email stated that the home was being offered at this incredibly low price because the homeowner was a pastor on a mission trip to Africa and needed someone to look after it while he was gone.  In order to qualify for th... 11/04/2009

Effective October 31, 2009, Fannie Mae will retire its current HomeSaver Forbearance Plan and replace it with the new Payment Reduction Plan (PRP) to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Under the terms of the new PRP, mortgage servicers will be allowed to reduce a borrower's Principal and Interest (P&I) payment by up to 30% for up to 6 months. The goal is to provide the borrower some temporary relief while working with the servicer to find a permanent foreclosure prevention solution.  To be eligible for this temporary payment reduction, the loan must be owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and meet the following minimum requirements: •        Must be a first lien conventional mortgage at least 6 months old •        In default or is at risk of imminent default •        Secured by a 1-4 unit ... 10/30/2009

There are some local builders in my area that have been building custom homes for years.  When I moved here twenty years ago, they already had reputations as the best builders in town.  Fast forward twenty years and they are still here and still have the reputations and high brand recognition. Well, it's not always deserved.  One of these builders still gets a big chunk of the local business, based mainly on reputation.  That would be great if he deserved it.  Now please don't go thinking I just have a case of sour grapes because I'm not getting that business.  OK, maybe just a little :-)  But, time after time, especially during the annual Parade of Homes, I have people going through our spec homes telling me how much better the quality of our construction is and how our attention to de... 10/30/2009

Keep an eye on your garbage!  You never know where who's looking at it. My wife and I have been feverishly cleaning out all the junk we've accumulated over ten years.  We are staging for our listing next week.  So we had about a dozen large bags filled with garbage, which I placed out in front of our home last night, for pick up today. Around ten last night, my wife called me to the window in our dining room.  There was a truck pulled over in front of my home.  Two people were going through the garbage bags.  It was dark, so i couldn't make out all that was going on.  I didn't think too much of it.  I just assumed they were looking for anything salvageable.  After they were done, they moved on to my neighbors garbage. This morning on my way out to work, I went to put some newspapers in ... 10/29/2009

Starmount is a beautiful, classic neighborhood located in Greensboro, NC that borders Starmount Forest Country Club.  Starmount is a large neighborhood that is actually made up of two smaller neighborhoods, Starmount Forest and Starmount Farms.  Homes in this neighborhood were built from 20 to 70+ years ago.   The price range fluxuates greatly from the high $100,000s to $3,000,000s.  The 150 acres of Starmount Forest Country Club includes a meticulously maintained golf course, indoor and outdoor tennis courts and pools.  The stately clubhouse is 32,000 square feet and features the latest amenities.  Starmount Forest Country Club was completed in 1930 and it has had many additions and renovations since that time.  Starmount was named for the developer's wife, Blanche Sternberger.  The na... 10/28/2009

From a blog by Regis Skeehan, President of Piedmont Personal Builders. Senator Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut) was quoted in Investor's Business Daily yesterday that there is now a deal in place among top democrats to extend the home buyer tax credit. This follows on recent statement on October 26, 2009 from Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida) reported by Bloomberg  that the program would be extended "Later this week." Senator Nelson made the President Barack Obama statement while travelling on Air Force One with President Barack Obama to attend a speech in Jacksonville. President Obama has previously said that he will sign the home buyer tax credit extension if it reaches his desk. We previously expressed doubt that the tax credit would get extended before its November 30, 2009 expiration date.... 10/28/2009

Not the news we would like to hear, especially for new home builders. Sales of new homes dropped unexpectedly last month as the effects of a soon-to-expire tax credit for first-time owners started to wane. The Commerce Department says sales fell 3.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 402,000 from a downwardly revised 417,000 in August. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected a pace of 440,000. It was the first decline since March. Sales in September were down 7.8 percent from a year ago. The median sales price of $204,800 was off 9.1 percent from $225,200 a year earlier, but up 2.5 percent from August's level of $199,900. 10/28/2009

I've seen the trickle down effect.  As a builder's rep, I have seen the effect of the recession first hand.  Sales have been down considerably in the last year.  Many of our competitors have gone under.   Many of the local sub-contractors have closed shop.  There just isn't enough construction work for all to survive.  It's truly a shame.  Good, hard-working people, just trying to make a living, feed their families and put a roof over their heads have lost everything. This past weekend, I worked with some new potential home buyers.  One worked for a local retail furniture sales firm.  It's a very large company, that's been in the area for many years.  Although the couple is looking at homes, they are very hesitant to make a move for two reasons.  First, they have a home to sell and are ... 10/27/2009

Wow, look what I found at my house while prepping to sell this past weekend.  Granted the list isn't exhaustive, but we felt a liitle like buried treasure hunters. 1.A buffalo nickle. 2.A family of six black widows.  Umm, they couldn't stay though. 3.My Jr. High School yearbook.  My nick name was Ringo...my wife asked why. 4.Parts to the last three vacuum cleaners we owned. 5.Completely eaten Indian Corn. 6.One of about fifty missing socks. 7.Six power adapters that we have no idea what they are for. 8.A few t-shirts that last fit me in 1978. 9.Some old magazines that weren't exactly family friendly.  They were for the articles! 10.Negatives of people I don't recognize. 11.That marksmanship award I got at camp when I was 8.  Why was my wife laughing so hard? 12.A ball cap with very clea... 10/26/2009

Home resales rose far more than expected last month to the highest level in more than two years as buyers scrambled to complete their purchases before a tax credit for first-time owners expires. The National Association of Realtors says sales rose 9.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.57 million in September, from a downwardly revised pace of 5.1 million in August. Sales had been expected to rise to an annual pace of 5.35 million, according to economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters. The median sales price was $174,900, down 8.5 percent from a year earlier, but the smallest annual drop in 13 months. 10/23/2009

The Lindley Park neighborhood, located in Greensboro, NC, held its annual Fall Festival last Saturday, October 17th and it was a huge success.  Fortunately, the rain stayed away and Lindley Park residents of all ages bundled in coats and jackets to enjoy the festivities.  It may have been brisk outside but inside the Team Leung Moonwalk, there was some serious heat as lots of little bodies bounced around all afternoon.  There were also lots of delicious entries in the chili cook-off, which kept the adults warm!  You can see from the photo that many people were crowded around the tables with the chili pots.  Team Leung was on hand at the festival and gave out a hundred free pumpkins.  We also gave out bottles of water, which some said was needed to put out the fire after tasting all that... 10/22/2009

This was posted today by Fox News.  At least it's on the front burner now.   U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia is sponsoring a bill that would extend the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers. The credit is set to expire soon, unless Congress and the White House can save it. At a Senate Banking Committee hearing Tuesday homebuilders, mortgage bankers, realtors and other supporters said the extension is critical to continuing the effort to bolster home sales and to stabilize the housing market. Supporters of the extension said the credit, which expires at the end of November, has helped sell more than 350,000 extra homes so far this year. "If we don't do the housing tax credit, in my personal opinion, and extend it through mid-year next year and take away the first time home b... 10/21/2009

When honesty doesn't work , it can be very disheartening.  Even worse, it can mean a loss of business. As a builder, potential clients sometimes treat us as though we are trying to sell them snake oil.  Of course, there may be some validity to their perceptions.  We have all heard stories about builders and re-modelers, which were real nightmares.  There's the home that took a year and a half to build, when it was supposed to be six months.  There are many stories of building costs going well over budget, some increases not even known until closing.  Inferior materials and workmanship account for a large number of homeowner complaints.  Finally, there are many stories of customers unable to reach their contractor/builder.  It's not unheard of for no replies for weeks at a time. We at Pi... 10/20/2009

Sunset Hills is another wonderful neighborhood here in Greensboro.  It is very convenient to downtown Greensboro and the University of North Carolina, Greensboro (UNCG).  The homes here were built as early as the 1920s.  They offer a wide variety of classic architecture such as Tudor Revival, Colonial, Georgian and Neo-classical.  There are one- and two-story homes, along with some bungalow homes. Many have been meticulously renovated.  The neighborhood park, with playground equipment and tennis courts, is a great place to bring the kids or just relax on a bench and enjoy the scenery.  The Sunset Hills Neighborhood Association (SHNA) is a very active organization that has a great website with lots of neighborhood information.  Check out the calendar so you don't miss any of the events t... 10/19/2009

Why I Oughta.... If you remember Moe Howard of the Three Stooges, that was one of his most used lines.  Of course it was usually followed by "brain you", or grabbing Curly by the nose, or poking Larry in the eyes. I think I'll take a bit of a kinder approach today. Why I oughta.... Compliment my wife more. Call my mom more. Walk my dog more. Exercise. Donate blood. Donate my time and money to local charities. Spend more time with my children. Work harder at getting sales. Watch less Three Stooges and spend more time on social networking for my business. What are your "I oughtas"? 10/15/2009

Time to stage my own home...Oh Boy!  Yes, I think my wife and I have decided to sell our home and downsize a bit.  So, where do we begin?  It's not that we are both shop-a-holics.  It's not that we basically have a zoo in our home.  it's not the sentimental value of so many objects.  It's not the over abundance of family photos.  It's not.....Oh, who am I kidding!!!  It's all of the above and then some. We've only been in this house for ten years.  It's amazing just how much stuff one can accumulate in that time.  I use to be able to park both cars in the garage.  Now I can barely fit my compact car.  Perhaps I should trade in in for a Smart Car.  The garage will look huge and I won't have to get rid of my cross country skis I last used in 1999, or my utterly useless collection of hardw... 10/14/2009

Here is the monthly real estate update on Sunset Hills, Greensboro, NC Real Estate Market Information (as of 10/6/2009) Active Homes For Sale in Sunset Hills: Number of homes for Sale: 15 Average Asking Price: $300,907 Average Days on Market:  90 Pending Homes in Sunset Hills: Number of Pending Homes: 3 Sold Homes in Sunset Hills Since January 1, 2009 Number of Homes Sold: 14 Average Asking Price: $242,566 Average Sold Price: $229,271 Average SP/LP ratio (what % of asking price did homes sell for): 94.5% Average Days On Market: 84 Click here for a complete report on Sunset Hills and other neighborhoods in Greensboro, NC. 10/12/2009

Is it a sign of the things to come?  Is the tide turning for home sales? This past weekend Piedmont Personal Builders participated in the Greensboro Parade of Homes.  The custom built home we entered was in the Lake Jeanette Northern Shores area of Greensboro, NC.  We had entered this same home in last Spring's parade as well.  The parade lasts two weekends.  We averaged 15 people touring our home each day.  That was a very low number compared to traffic in previous years.  We attributed it to the general down turn in the economy and in particular, the housing slump. This past weekend, we averaged forty per day.  That is approaching numbers we saw in previous years.  Typically, many of the people we spoke to were genuinely interested in building a new home.  Of course we will see those ... 10/12/2009

Wow!  Great news!  Eight homes closed in Starmount, Greensboro, NC in September 2009!  Here is a summary of the Starmount Real Estate Market Information as of 10/6/2009: Active Homes For Sale in Starmount: Number of homes for Sale: 27 Average Asking Price: $574,308 Average Days on Market:  110 Pending Homes in Starmount: Number of Pending Homes: 3 Sold Homes in Starmount Since January 1, 2009 Number of Homes Sold: 31 Average Asking Price: $298,848 Average Sold Price: $288,065 Average SP/LP ratio (what % of asking price did homes sell for): 96.4% Average Days On Market: 74 Click here to get the full report with charts, along with real estate market information for Greensboro and other neighborhoods in Greensboro. 10/10/2009

Lindley Park, Greensboro, NC Real Estate Market Information as of 10/6/2009 Active Homes For Sale in Lindley Park: Number of homes for Sale:  20 Average Asking Price: $191,500 Average Days on Market:  88 Pending Homes in Lindley Park: Number of Pending Homes:  4 Sold Homes in Lindley Park Since January 1, 2009 Number of Homes Sold: 31 Average Asking Price: $175,985 Average Sold Price: $168,423 Average SP/LP ratio (what % of asking price did homes sell for): 95.7% Average Days On Market: 71 Click here for the complete report and charts, along with market reports for Greensboro and other neighborhoods in Greensbor.  10/10/2009