Archive for the 'Betsy Mayer' Category

TalkCharlotte…Much More than a Hunch!

May 21st, 2009 categories: Betsy Mayer, Blake Garvin, Donna Johnston, Jackie Stutts, Michael Gibbons, Rhonda Gibbons, The Charlotte Scoop

Here’s the story…(yes go ahead and click) ~ you know you want to! OK so maybe comparing the Charlotte real estate market to the Brady Bunch is a stretch BUT hey these days we could all use a dose of that fabled Brady mirth!

I’ve been mostly a fly on the wall the last few years writing this blog and watching my wife Rhonda build her very successful real estate business. Along the way Donna has built TalkCharlotte into something very special. I’ve learned three things:

1. Being a good Realtor® is hard, very hard work
   
2. It is not about us. (Marcia, Marcia, Marcia…)
3. It is all about you.
   

So how does a Brady infused team picture make this about you? It doesn’t. But look at the pictures, the smiles, the eyes ~ Donna, Betsy, Rhonda, Blake, Jackie and Michael are on a mission to change the way things are done, to think different. Sure things are tough and while the world is focused, obsessed with foreclosures, median home values, short sales, making a killing or not losing your shirt ~ we are taking things back to the basics….helping YOU buy or sell a home on the best terms and at a value that actually allows you to sleep soundly in that new home!  Along the way we’re also going to be putting the FUN back into buying or selling a home. We’re really good at working with people who remember the excitement and delight of finding the perfect home. Those homes are out there now more than ever.
And that is all about you!

We hope you enjoy our new identity we think it reflects our personality(s) and our vision for Charlotte Real Estate and that’s…much more than a hunch!

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: No Comments »

Can Teddy Roosevelt Help Your Sell Your Home? WYCWYAWYH

May 14th, 2009 categories: Betsy Mayer, Charlotte Home Stories, Michael Gibbons, Rhonda Gibbons, Selling Your Home

OK, Teddy was not a Realtor but he did profess a legacy of self reliance and fortitude that comes in pretty handy in today’s real estate market. And one of his best quotes serves as timely advice for today’s home seller….

Do
What You Can,
Where You Are (with)
What You Have.

OK you’re thinking Mike’s finally jumped the shark (do click)…how is a Teddy Roosevelt quote going to help me sell my home? In this market (really any market) the key to selling a home is differentiation. How do I make my home stand out? How do I get more showings? How do I connect with home buyers? How does this home become the home!

At TalkCharlotte we are putting a new spin on helping you selling your home ~ actually we’re taking a step back, going back to the basics. We’re helping people share their HomeStory! Did you know, most people decide if they will buy a home BEFORE they step through the front door. Curb Appeal is (still) King! I should clarify that is not to say people buy a home without considering the inside, they absolutely do but most often the inside is but a validation (enjoy!) of the opinion they developed as they walked up to the front door. It’s why so often the decision to buy  seems to be confirmed right there in the foyer! Love often works that way too ~ right Rhonda….honey?

So let’s backtrack ~ what is a home seller to do? Ya’ know you never get a second chance to make a first impression ~ so you gotta make the front of your home dazzle! We suggest a WYCWYAWYH Makeover. Since acronyms are all the rage so we came up with our own WYCWYAWYH it means ~ Do what you can, where you are (with) what you have ~ for your home.

By all means do the big things, get your home pre-inspected, paint the inside and out, replace the roof but also do the little things. Little things like the following:

• Spread fresh, quality pine straw (no pine bark nuggets)
• Spray paint hand rails, wrought iron
• Cut/remove and /or trim selected trees and shrubs
• Plant flowers or add clay pots with flowers
• Powerwash walls, sidewalks and driveways
• Replace/ add front door hardware, address numbers
• Paint front door and shutters

These are little things that you can do, right where you are, with what you (mostly) already have or can buy for under a couple hundred dollars….or less! Little things that will make a huge difference. Sandy Phillips our colleague and friend does a really nice job with her First Impression Staging if you need a little coaching/prodding (704-277-5141)

Check out the WYCWYAWYH Makeover we did recently for one of our Myers Park listings Secret to Selling Your Home? Get a geranium and then just yesterday talk about small I spent two hours and $40 bucks* on  this 1760 Forest Side Lane makeover on behalf of Rhonda’s “out of town” seller (*we lent the decorative garden fencing). I think you’ll agree the result is an inviting, warm look that stands out (from the three other similar townhomes for sale) and will have buyers ready to buy before they open the front door!

Before…

After…

Do what you can, where you are, with what you have ~ good advice for selling your home and living your life!
Thanks Teddy!

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: No Comments »

A Charlotte HomeStory: Black Oak Drive | Sardis Forest

May 9th, 2009 categories: Betsy Mayer, Charlotte Home Stories, Communities

This week the TalkCharlotte team toured a number for our listings and we were lucky to meet one of the homeowners Annette Connell who shared what she loved about living in this handsome home at  Drive in Sardis Forest. We already knew about Sardis Forest one Charlotte’s little secrets - super location, established neighborhood, big trees and great affordable homes.

Annette was kind enough to share some of her thoughts in a letter to prospective buyers (see here).  Once again we have a seller who loves their home and is only moving because of circumstance. I can think of no one better than Betsy Mayer to help the Connell’s transition to a new chapter in their lives and to find a buyer who will care for their beloved home! Annette talked about the things she’ll miss the back yard, the quiet streets, community pool and families ~ lest you get too worried about Annette and Tom I got the  sneaking suspicion she was ready to check out what was going on down in one the areas hottest real estate markets Sun City Carolina Lakes ~ can’t say I blame her!

We are Realtors but what we really do is help people transition and make new beginnings. The business part can get complicated and we’re glad to be there to help but we never forget that we are helping people like the Connells making sure that they are satisfied and happy! It would be Betsy’s pleasure click here to show 912 Black Oak or any of us at TalkCharlotte are ready to help you (transition) whether you’re selling or buying a Charlotte home, answer questions and yes… to listen!

Oh sshhhh…and we can help you with Sun City Carolina Lakes too!

More pictures of beautiful 912 Black Oak Drive!

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: No Comments »

TalkCharlotte Team “Chips In” at Charlotte Realtor Care Day 2009

April 28th, 2009 categories: About Our Realtors, Betsy Mayer, Blake Garvin, Donna Johnston, Giving Back in Charlotte, Jackie Stutts, Rhonda Gibbons, Sunday Inspiration

Chipped and scraped and scraped and cleaned and painted would be more like! All for a great cause, for some great people in a great City! On Friday 600 Charlotte Realtors teamed up and fanned out to work ~ fixing roofs, painting and doing general maintenance on  33 homes in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties. Helping those people who can not perform critical home maintenance and repairs due to financial or physical limitations.
Fridays are a busy day for Realtors so we are extra proud that the entire TalkCharlotte team was out early ~ Jackie, Blake and Besty the earliest birds ~ Starbucks delayed Michael, Rhonda and Donna ~ we worked the entire day. Our job (we thought) was to prop up and paint a porch on a traditional Charlotte home in the Plaza Midwood area ~ little did we know we’d be scraping and painting an entire home! It seemed a little daunting at first but we channeled “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” and got to work making sure we could “Move that Bus” at 4PM! The homeowners worked with us side by side and the day flew by ~ it was fun and satisfying for everyone! (please click on the picture titles for a special treat!)

Nice work if you can get it!

Up on the roof!

You know when you look around you see all kinds of people doing amazing things for others. If you are “being the change you wish to see in the world” then KUDOS and keep it up! If you’ve been on the sidelines please consider getting out there and doing some good for someone else – I guarantee in the end it will do more for you!

Move that Bus!!

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: No Comments »

Radon, Run for your Lives?

September 29th, 2008 categories: Betsy Mayer, Real Estate Grind

OK Godzilla may be a little over top. It is not our intent to make light of the radon issue, especially when by some accounts radon poisoning kills 21,000 people in the US each year. (radon-induced lung cancer is thought to be the 6th leading cause of cancer death overall according to Wikipedia)

So hopefully our post today will be a start and provide some resources EPA says for a better understanding of a serious issue for some homeowners. Its should be pointed out that radon has not typically been a southern problem (Lord knows we have our share) but radon is not usually one of them owing to the fact that radon is most prevalent in basements and bedrock — apparently radon does not like red clay. While we usually “don’t do basements” we have our fair share and we do on occasion have radon issues. Keep in kind that there is some chatter about radon in some types of granite.

Our own Betsy Mayer asked one of her trusted home inspectors Michael Lewis of Mecklenburg Inspections to share this thoughts on the radon issue here in Charlotte…

Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that occurs naturally in all parts of the US. Radon is a “Group A” carcinogen and the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. The primary concern about indoor radon gas is the increased risk of lung cancer that exists from breathing radon and its byproducts. The magnitude of the risk depends on the radon concentration in the air you breathe and how long you are breathing it. Radon is estimated to be responsible for the death of about 21, 000 people in the US every year. The US Surgeon General, US EPA, and The American Lung Association recommend that all homes be tested for radon gas.

Radon is a national concern. Soil, sand, and rock underneath the home are the primary sources of indoor radon gas. The soil under a house always contains traces of uranium that eventually decays into radium that then decays directly into radon. This soil constitutes an enormous surface area for release of radon gas into the air and into buildings. Material inside the home, such as concrete, granite, slate, marble, sand, shale and other stones can also contain traces of radium that release radon with varying intensities. The contribution from building materials to the indoor radon concentration is very dependent upon the building ventilation rate.

Diagnostic measurements of the radon in the air you breathe can provide better risk estimates. It is highly recommended that you have a certified residential measurement provider perform the radon gas measurement in your home. All certified measurement providers are aware of testing protocols and have the education necessary to take accurate measurements.

Thanks to Betsy and Michael for his expertise in this area, our home inspectors do a really nice job of keeping up with the most current data on issues like radon. If you’ d like to learn more please click on the links above and of course feel free to contact our team for a wonderful selection of radon free housing in Charlotte NC!

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: 1 Comment »