Archive for the 'Charlotte HomeSTORY' Category

Will you buy my Mommy’s Townhouse? Please.

January 6th, 2010 categories: Charlotte HomeSTORY, First Time Home Buyers, Michael Gibbons

Yes this is Abigail ~ need I say more?

Now Abigail’s Mom Elaine and I have a problem, you see we’re pretty sure if Abigail could talk she’d tell us she needs a little more room to spread those angel wings! (with a with a 15 year old Daddy’s Girl of my own – I’m pretty sure Abigail is going to get what she desires!)

I came to know Elaine after she joined our cycling team MojoRiding a couple of years back – then she kind of disappeared and reappeared with a beautiful baby in tow! We reconnected on of all things Facebook – go figure right! Elaine is an CRNA and I vaguely remembered she had the opportunity to work at a hospital in Boston – which accounted for the disappearance but not for the BABY! Now I knew Elaine was single when she left…and she was gone for twelve months…but…as it turns out Abigail needed someone and Elaine was there for her – now she is in the process of adopting Abigail, they are a miracle for each other.

Elaine has “loved living the low maintenance and carefree living of a townhouse” (read her Homestory below) but going forward life is going to be anything but low maintenance! Elaine and Abigail want to spread their wings a bit – so they’ve got a townhome to sell!

Magnolia Park is at the corner of Park and Tyvola – could you have a more perfectly located townhouse – minutes from downtown, even closer to the Carolina Medical Center (just ask Elaine) and Presbyterian Hospital (are you a health care worker? RN? Doc?) seconds from Southpark Mall (are you a shopper?) and down the street from Phillips Place theaters (and more shopping) and yes a walk from one of Charlotte’s best (true) Italian restaurants Portofino. Check out 2937 Duvalla’s WalkScore here to see why this is truly the perfect SouthPark location! And don’t forget Charlotte’s remarkable Greenway Project of trails and conservation will run right behind the Magnolia Park Townhomes – more info here

If you’re in the market for a Charlotte townhouse we hope you’ll visit Magnolia Park. Well built by Pulte Homes we think you’ll find everything you’re looking for and more in this impeccable, cared for, roomy townhome. And if you’re a first time Charlotte homebuyer this is a great time to make an investment and enjoy living in one of Charlotte’s most desirable neighborhoods. But most importantly as you can see from Elaine’s “homestory” we’ve got to find a place where Abigail’s pink gown and wand will not cause a stir!

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: No Comments »

Oh I bet you say that to all the Realtors!

October 13th, 2009 categories: Charlotte HomeSTORY, Charlotte Real Estate & More, Michael Gibbons

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of working with a young family relocating to Charlotte – it was a double pleasure because Andrew, Tena and their daughter Brooklynn are the kind of clients I love – they wanted to buy a house they could make a home – it was going to be their ‘74 Buick Century. Now don’t get me wrong Andrew and Tena knew exactly what they wanted, what they were willing to pay and they are no pushovers – but they never lost sight of the forest or the trees.**

Everyone says it’s a buyers market and I suppose it is but in some respects I think that only makes the transaction tougher (for all parties). A seller ’s duress often leads to a messy deal or one that ultimately fails. In this case we were all lucky to deal with a seller who not only acted professionally but had a heart and really cared about the family that was buying his home – remember those days? Although negotiations were at times tenuous and as Andrew says “most of all (Mike) fought for us as the buyer” – well it’s much easier to fight when dealing with reasonable people who are buying for the right reason. So often today it’s ALL about the DEAL, seems to be solely a game, one up-manship, ego – not here - in the end this was about the joy of owning a home! Proof that sellers don’t have to lose for buyers to win & vice versa.

It’s true (as you see below) Andrew and Tena did (in the end) buy the first home I showed them – truth be told that had a lot more to do with luck (and their focus) than providence as I initially took this home out of the mix due to a sloping front yard! And let’s not forget we looked at a bunch of homes in Lake Norman, Waxhaw and Mint Hill – which helped them hone in on what they really wanted! That is what it’s all about – part of finding the home you want is checking out the homes you don’t – it’s why there is nothing more valuable to buying a home than a good Realtor – who listens, who listens.

“Michael was the right Realtor for us right from the very beginning. His prep work was extensive and allowed us to focus only on those properties which met our requirements. Throughout the entire process Michael was reachable, responsive, proactive, extremely well organized and knowledgeable, but most of all he fought for us as the buyer. In fact, he was so good that we ended up buying the very first house he showed us! I would recommend him highly if you are serious about buying a home.”   Andrew Sobel

Malcom Forbes once said “in all thy getting, get understanding”. I think that is apropos especially for today’s market — make sure in all our getting (wanting) that we don’t forget the understanding part – its the part that makes all the difference, the part that helps us remember/focus on what we’re really after.

So if you call me for list of  foreclosure porperties - you’ll understand why I’ll politely recommend another agent who can help you with that deal!

**Oh and talk about forest for the trees, joy etc. – how about this – ten minutes before the closing Andrew proposed to Tena in the (suitably posh) LawAvania law offices!! Now that’s a closing to remember!

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: 2 Comments »

Homebuyer Catnip | Your Charlotte HomeSTORY

September 23rd, 2009 categories: Charlotte HomeSTORY, First Time Home Buyers, Michael Gibbons

Homebuyer catnip, huh – sounds like Mike has been nipping on something that has nothing to do with cats! So let me explain. You’re thinking OK, “I have a house but I’m not sure I have a HomeSTORY?” Good news if you have a home you have a HomeSTORY and it’s just waiting to be told! A HomeSTORY is simply all the stuff that makes your house a home. The problem is most people selling their homes are sharing stats, data and pictures but not their story! So thinking different (as always) I came up with the Charlotte HomeSTORY concept to change all that!

Regular readers know that I am big on getting back to the basics, to the joy of real estate read my post Looking or a 1974 Buick Century? I’m Your Realtor for more on that. We all know the market stinks for everyone; buyers are stymied by tight financing or because they can’t sell their own home and sellers face the double whammy of low prices and oversupply. We’re all trying to navigate real estate’s “perfect storm”.

But here’s the thing people are buying and yes, selling plenty of homes it’s TRUE ~ in fact Charlotte’s $250k and below market is booming (OK that’s relative) but the market IS active, there are a lot of first time buyers out there. But not every house is selling – the homes that stand apart sell (are bought) first. It is more important than ever that sellers position (price and preparation) their home to shine from day one.

But I’m afraid you need to do more than that, you need to do things that no one else is doing and that is where the HomeSTORY idea comes in. Absolutely price your home smartly, repair, paint, declutter, clean spit and shine do all that and then make your house a home – personalize it. That does not mean you want your walls to look like a family reunion or that you leave out your Rush Limbaugh fuzzy slippers on purpose – it’s not that kind of personalization! Rather you want potential buyers to see themselves in your house, they may look at 20 similar houses and the house they pick is the one they feel they can make their own!

Here are a few examples of HomeSTORY in action:

• No Ho Hum Townhome
• HomeSTORY Black Oak Drive
• We Don’t Want to Sell

Writing your own HomeSTORY is like catnip to buyers – because you are sharing the personal story about your house and helping them visualize living there. I work with my clients in writing the HomeSTORY encouraging them to be authentic and candid including things that are special to them:  (what the buyer’s thinking)

• a special party or event (great for entertaining, hosting family events)
• proximity to shops, parks, restaurants (safe, I won’t have to drive everywhere)
• memories of bringing home a newborn (kid friendly, families)
• peaceful retreats (maybe I can read the paper on the deck in my PJs)

This is all the stuff that only you the homeowner knows – the little secrets, the good stuff.
Now a little goes a long way here so I council my homeowners to handwrite the story and keep it to one page, two max. We are getting awesome feedback from homeowners and buyers alike. Buyers like the personal touch and buyers remember, they remember the HomeSTORY homes! For sellers it helps them focus on and highlight the positives – the things they love about the house which are often the very same things the buyers want! Writing the story brings a lot of things into perspective and I think makes for a smoother and more successful transaction.

So if you’re in the market to buy a house in Charlotte look for the HomeSTORY ribbon on the sign – you can be sure there’s a story behind that front door. And if you’re looking to sell I hope you’ll consider letting me help you share your home’s story – it might just make all the difference! Drop me an Email

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: No Comments »