Chapel Hill Real Estate Search

Wow. Just looking back and realize I have been blogging for more then five years here on this site. When it started I primarily did it as a way to talk about the local Chapel Hill real estate market. Five years ago our market was pretty predictable. Town was filled with newly minted real estate agents and business was, well - booming!

Flash ahead to 2011 and some areas of the Chapel Hill or Carrboro market feel like they have been through the ringer. While Chapel Hill has fared much better then most many neighborhoods are not worth what they were. That’s a big disappointment.   The crowds of new realtors have dissipated, this market is not the place to start off, that’s for sure.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again - choose experience when looking for your real estate agent. Reg Morgan has almost 25 years of experience in buying and selling real estate.

Money Magazine has come out with it’s annual great places to live articles.  And I’m afraid that I have to dispute their findings!  There is just no place like this Southern Part of Heaven. No place with our great schools, our weather, our restaurants, OUR HEELS!  How could we be 40th?  (And Cary is 23rd?  Go Cary!)

I’ll let you decide for yourself, but I’d like to think we are number one for so many reasons.  Give me yours!  And if you are  interested in looking at some of the properties available in our triangle real estate market, check in with me - Reg Morgan.  Let’s get started looking at your place in our local market!

First time homebuyers - did you know that the $8,000. tax credit can now be used as part of your closing costs on the purchase of your new home?  This program, part of the much maligned and much celebrated (depending on who you talk to!) stimulus package is a real plus for first time buyers.  The market in Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Durham for condos and entry-level homes is full of great buys.

Call or email me - Reg Morgan to find out more about this program.

There have been a great number of changes in the way properties are marketed and sold - chief among them are the internet and the ease with which the average home buyer or seller can research listings in their target area.

However, now there is a new phenomenon that is pretty exciting too.  The use of social networking sites in home sales and marketing.  Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are the primary vehicles - both can be helpful in reaching clients, marketing properties and tackling this very difficult Triangle real estate market. 

Try me - follow me at Twitter @regmorgan, LinkedIn or on Facebook .  Or since I’ve been in this business a good long time, I still just like a phone call or a meeting!  So call Reg Morgan at 919.624.3434.

There has been alot of attention paid in Chapel Hill to some high profile real estate auctions.   The Hilltop House at 740 East Franklin Street was the subject of a recent article in the Chapel Hill News.   What the article didn’t mention because of early printing deadlines, is that not a single qualified bidder showed up.   Many people think of an auction as a last resort when a property isn’t selling.   But there are so many other options other then tagging the property as “up for auction.”   With the unfortunate alternative as in this case, that locals have seen the sign, the article and know that the house did not generate any interest.

The price is the first thing that should be reevaluated and that should be throughout the sales process.   A good realtor will have a sensible price from the start and with a good marketing plan that includes print and internet advertising, staging, and reasonable home improvements the home should attract attention from local realtors and buyers. Their feedback is instrumental in tweaking the home’s interiors/exteriors,  marketing and price.

For more information about selling your Chapel Hill home, contact Reg Morgan, your Chapel Hill realtor.   Take a look at the current Chapel Hill MLS listings to see what is for sale now.

Sales numbers are out for the month of March and they look good once again.  The slowing real estate market has not hit Chapel Hill, Durham or Raleigh. Here are the numbers for the average price of a home:

Orange County: $315,779, Number of homes sold:153
Durham County:$199,190, Number of homes sold: 386
Wake County:   $255,238, Number of homes sold:1,763

It is a great time to put your house on the market too.  Call me if you have questions about local real estate.  With over 20 years of experience, Reg Morgan can help you make the most of your real estate transaction.

Here’s an interesting statistic for those of you thinking of relocating to the Triangle area of North Carolina.

United Van Lines, which actually handles about 30 percent of the household moving market reported that more families, couples and individuals moved into the state of North Carolina in 2006 then any other state.   62.5 percent of all NC moves were attributed to inbound relocations.   South Carolina and Oregon followed North Carolina, while Michigan and North Dakota were tops in outbound migration.

The Triangle includes our many wonderful cities and towns.  I know them all well and can assist you in buying or selling your home here.   Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham, Raleigh, Cary, Apex and Hillsborough all have the great quality of life that we have come to treasure here. 

Call me, Reg Morgan to discuss your place in our Triangle real estate market.

The News and Observer had an interesting article yesterday highlighting the tremendous growth in Wake County.   This year, schools in Wake enrolled an additional 7,566 students - a record.  The school district is growing every year - and now stands at 22nd nationally with 128,070 students.  Compared to that enormous growth, Johnston County gained 1,568 students, Durham, 262, Chapel Hill - Carrboro, 179 and Orange County, 122.

Much of this growth is driven by the great affordability of our housing market.  The Triangle’s median home price is $162,600, while the national number stands at $167,500.  

The article quotes the Wake school district’s demographer, who says that, “the biggest concentrations of growth this year occurred in two areas.   One runs from Brier Creek in northwest Raleigh down into Apex and forms a “half-moon” ending in Garner.  The other runs from Wake Forest through northeast Raleigh, Knightdale and southeast Raleigh.”

The school district is addressing this issue first with plans to convert 19 elementary schools and 3 middle schools to a year-round format next year.  They have also put a school construction bond on the ballot on November 7.  The $970 million school construction bond would go towards payments for 17 new schools and the land costs for 13 more.

How would this affect your plans to buy or sell your Wake County home?  Call Reg Morgan to discuss your place in our local real estate market.  With over 20 years of experience as a real estate agent and the Certified Relocation Professional (CRP) designation, he is uniquely qualified to assist you.

Check out the Wake County MLS listings now.

Orange County schools announced that their new middle school, Gravelly Hill would be delayed even further due to water and sewer construction issues.  Opening date has been set for November 1.  For now, students that are slated to attend Gravelly Hill are at CW Stanford middle school.

Orange County has some wonderful real estate and excellent schools.  Hillsborough is a great town and I have many clients who decide that Hillsborough is their first choice when relocating to the Triangle area of North Carolina. 

If you are thinking of buying or selling your home in the Orange County, call Reg Morgan.   An Orange County realtor with over 20 years in local North Carolina real estate.

Take a look at some Hillsborough MLS listings now.

One of the most important decisions you can make when deciding to buy or sell your home, is your choice of realtor.  You need someone with experience and credentials.

Reg Morgan has over 20 years of experience in real estate sales.   His credentials include Certified Relocation Professional (CRP) and Graduate, Realtor Institute (GRI).  In today’s very complicated real estate market, it is critical to have a realtor with additional knowledge and experience. 

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in the Triangle area of North Carolina, you should call Reg Morgan.  Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Cary, Raleigh, Durham, Hillsborough, Apex or Chatham County are all wonderful and unique towns for living and working.  But they are different - and you need a realtor with clear knowledge of pros and cons, local schools, neighborhoods, new zoning issues and new construction. 

Aside from experience and credentials, you need to have a professional that you feel comfortable with - take a look at what other clients have said about working with Reg Morgan.   And when you are ready to talk about our local North Carolina real estate market, you can call Reg Morgan too!