Happy New Year!  While all of us in the housing industry are trying to catch our breath, I took some time once again to look at our year end local SW Wake county real estate numbers.  I was both surprised and pleased to see that Triangle MLS reported the Fuquay-Varina/Holly Springs market 3^rd in the Raleigh housing market for market share for 2015.  With our crazy growth, I decided to add an even more in depth comparison of re-sale homes to new construction in our region.  According to the TMLS report, the Fuquay-Varina/Holly Springs market also showed a lower than average Days on Market of 50 (the Triangle average was 60) as well as a higher than average sales price increase of 7.5% (the Triangle average was 5.6%).

Across the board, re-sale and new construction of all SW Wake markets showed an increase in number of solds, sales prices, and price per square foot, as well as decreased days on market compared to 2014 year end.  This is not surprising news as we are deep into a “Seller’s Market”.  There are just not enough homes out there for sale, new or re-sale, to satisfy the buyers pouring in to our market.  Now is the time to sell your home!

See our 2015 Sales by City Comparison

FRONT PORCH REALTY has had lots of excitement going on this past year too!  We have added 3 more real estate brokers, 2 of them bilingual; we can now help consumers speaking French and Spanish.  We have also JUST moved our long standing Cary office to Holly Springs.  Watch for some exciting news about our Holly Springs office coming soon.

Front Porch Realty loves selling Fuquay-Varina and the surrounding area, we are helping buyers moving across country as well as those moving across town. I will be celebrating my 20th year selling real estate this year and am proud to offer Fuquay-Varina a team of experienced professionals to make everyone’s dream come true!  Please like our Facebook page to stay up on all of our LOCAL real estate news.

When I first got word that my past clients, Ashlee and Fred, wanted to view a 50 year old home in the heart of Fuquay Varina, I knew there had to be a mistake.  I had just moved them to their brand NEW dream home in the Fleming Fields subdivision just outside of town, only 2 years earlier!

But it was true…Fred had seen the historic “Elliott Homeplace” (as in Fuquay’s iconic Elliott’s Pharmacy) come on the market and had to see what it had to offer.  With its sprawling 6000 square feet of 5 bedrooms and 4 1/2 bathrooms he knew it would be perfect for his family of four boys to “spread out”.  The gorgeous brick home was nestled right in the heart of Fuquay on 2 1/2 acres.  Fred and Ashlee’s boys could walk to the F-V Mineral Spring Park, the library and to bustling downtown Fuquay.  Not to mention explore the beautiful wooded acreage around the home.

This is when reality set in….Ashlee took one look at the home and knew every square inch of it would need to be updated but she also knew they could do this historic home justice and once again make it beautiful!  With the Elliott family as neighbors, Ashlee and Fred knew they wanted to make them proud that their family home would now become the beloved “Hartman Homeplace”.

Ashlee and Fred put their heart and soul into their new home and this is the result.  Well done!

Welcome Home Hartmans!

“Know Before You Owe” Begins October 3, 2015

Real Estate professionals and lenders have been getting ready for the new government lending guidelines for awhile now.  Historically, when a consumer purchased  their home with a mortgage they were bombarded by paperwork requirements and disclosures throughout the entire home buying process. While absolutely necessary, this process can also crush  the “fun” of buying their dream home!

Typically, when “closing day” finally arrives, the buyer’s are relieved as they have taken off work, already have their things packed on a moving truck, have slept on a mattress on the floor the last 2 nights, and have already transfered utilities.  The buyers are ready to sign on the dotted line and get their keys!  Meanwhile, their HUD-1 closing statement (the document that tells them where all their money is going) may have been changed a half dozen times or so in the last 24 hours alone.

As of tomorrow, not anymore!  If a loan application is made by the consumer after October 3, 2015, the “closing statement” a borrower will sign at the closing table will now be ready for review 3 BUSINESS DAYS prior to closing so that any questions can be answered and the buyer has a better understanding of the exact terms of their loan.  If any changes need to made, the 3 business day wait will begin again.  So what does this mean exactly for the buyer, seller, the real estate professionals, lenders, and closing attorneys involved in the real estate transaction?  Currently, we write contracts to “close” on a home after 30-45 days but we are being warned by lenders to go ahead and add an extra 7-14 days to the approval process.  Essentially, we all need to work towards 2 closing dates; the “closing” of the paperwork being approved by all and then at least 3 business days later the “at the table closing” paperwork, where all documents are signed, the transfer of the deed is recorded, and a seller gets their proceeds and the buyer gets their keys!

While, in the beginning this might be a little scary for all those involved as we all anticipate delays in the closing process; I see, in the not so distant future, the initial kinks getting worked out and the closing process improving for all parties involved.  No more of the last minute “morning of closing and we don’t even know if we are closing or not” scenarios that cause stress on every buyer and seller out there!  Here is an article from Realtor.com with more information and of course you can call our office and speak to one of our experienced realtors to help answer any further questions.  

August was “back to school month”.  So Front Porch Realty hosted a school supply drive to help local Fuquay Varina schools and the many area teachers that buy extra supplies for their students in need.

Originally this was a challenge to our fellow Fuquay Varina businesses to collect what they could, get a little free publicity, and then I would deliver the supplies to our FVMS and FVHS counselors.

To our pleasant surprise, we ended up getting several visitors from within the community.  Many of them wanted absolutely no recognition for their donations and were thrilled to find a place where they could drop off extra supplies and know that local families would benefit! We collected book bags, calculators, markers, lots of paper and notebooks and even cash donations that got turned into Walmart gift cards.  I wish you could have seen the looks on the counselors faces and heard their gratitude when I brought in 4 huge tubs of supplies to our schools.

I have promised the schools that we will do it again.  Watch Facebook this winter for details and THANK YOU Fuquay Varina for supporting local schools.

It has been amazing to watch and be a part of the tremendous growth of our “little town,” Fuquay Varina. Way back when, I used to have to search and search for something for my kids and I to do on a beautiful fall weekend and it most likely involved leaving Fuquay and traveling to Raleigh, Cary or beyond. Now, I cannot keep up with all of the fun events the Downtown Association, Chamber of Commerce, and many other organizations have planned for us!

Don’t miss what I believe is the 1st annual BBQ, Blues and Brews festival tomorrow, Saturday, September 26th on Broad St. in downtown Fuquay from  3 – 8 pm rain or shine.  Come hungry!

This Sunday, September 27th, is the Out of the Darkness Walk to heighten awareness of suicide prevention. 1:00 pm check-in time and 2 pm walk .  ( Front Porch Realty is a proud sponsor of this event! )

Save the Date for Our Day in Downtown festival that has now turned into our DAY AND NIGHT in Downtown festival. Saturday, October 10th, 12 – 7 pm in our downtown historic district. You do not want to miss this event, fun for all ages!

And of course there is always the dog park and loads of other parks.  Both downtown and uptown shopping.  And local restaurants and breweries galore!

I sometimes go a whole 2 weeks without ever having to leave Fuquay!