A day in the life of a real estate broker

Just Listed - Great Greymoss Home!

2010-10-27T23:14:00.000-04:00

Roomy and open with sunlight pouring in the numerous windows. Nestled in the Greymoss subdivision among the tall pines and leafy hardwoods is a special one-level home waiting for a new owner to call this four (4) bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom HOME. Situated on .49 acres on the edge of Bessemer Place's cul-de-sac, this home has soaring vaulted ceilings, a formal living and dining room for large family gatherings, and a stone fireplace just waiting for cooler temperatures to arrive. To tour this home, call Robin Thomas at (919) 730-7068.

Just Listed - Trinity Park beauty!

2010-10-05T00:29:00.001-04:00

This spacious home is located in Durham's popular and best-selling neighborhood, Trinity Park. Situated on the edge of Durham's edgy downtown, this home is a stone's throw from the park.

It boasts a large family room and separate dining; five (5) bedrooms, and three (3) full baths, and 1/2 bath. The bedrooms are large and have lovely hardwood laminate floors.

The yard is large, about 1/3 acre, and the back yard is fenced. The surrounding homes are lovingly maintained and cute as a button. Click here to view the virtual tour.

A picture is worth a thousand words, or at least more buyers

2010-09-15T00:21:00.001-04:00

Most buyers begin their real estate search online, so it only makes sense that having an abundance of high-quality photos of your clients' homes are a necessity. So why do so many agents overlook this simple fact? Maybe to save time and money, or they just don't see the value in eye-catching, jaw-dropping photos. More pictures and high quality pictures will draw more buyers in to see your home.

Many public real estate websites rank listings higher with more photos. High-quality pictures are essential to compete in this market of high inventory and low sales volumes.

I hire a professional real estate photographer to take as many pictures as possible. His camera is better than mine, and he brings additional lighting to highlight the home's best features. He sends me the pictures in digital format that can be used for print and electronic media.

Pricing a home for sale

2010-08-14T20:28:00.003-04:00

We just finished a delicious dinner of grilled chicken, fresh steamed broccoli, and red, juicy watermelon. Now to finish some pricing evaluation work for a new listing in Cary, NC.

Pricing is the most important work we do for our clients, both buyers and sellers. I'm a rather analytical person, plus, I like to work with numbers so this comes easily for me.

The comps (closed sales) in this neighborhood which are similar to my seller's house are few and far between. She owns a ranch or one-level; most homes in the neighborhood are two levels or much smaller ranches.

There are several other properties for sale in this neighborhood, and their prices vary quite a bit, making it tricky to determine market position for my client's home.

Our office employs a state-of-the-art price modeling tool which greatly simplifies the arithmetic, but it requires starting with high-quality data. You know the saying "garbage in...garbage out" really applies to the pricing process.

~ Robin

Dealing with condition issues

2010-08-14T15:36:00.000-04:00

I met a contractor/handyman this morning at a home that I have had listed for a while. We finally got a contract on the home, but the buyers withdrew their offer before the ink was dried. The house has odor issues.

I brought in a specialist from Sparkkles to find the source of the issue and devise a solution for correcting it. They laid out a strategy, and with the help of the contractor, we are tacking it.

I went to Lowe's a purchased some pleasing air fresheners that are installed in the cold air return vent. Once the work is complete, and these are installed, I believe everything will be just fine.

103 Lanier Valley Drive, Durham, NC, Grove Park - Linkside

2010-08-03T23:44:00.001-04:00

Sold on 8/3/2010 for $193,000 in 2 days

2715 Tanglewood Drive, Durham, NC, Durham Academy Area

2010-06-07T22:22:00.000-04:00

Sold on 06/07/2010 for $237,500 in 15 days.

109 Graylyn Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, Southern Village

2010-05-14T22:45:00.000-04:00

Sold on 05/14/2010 for $680,000 in 117 days.

106 Arvo Lane, Cary, NC, Brookgreen

2010-04-29T23:19:00.002-04:00

Sold 04/29/2010 for $190,000 in 46 days

1108 E. Hardscrabble Drive, Hillsborough, Hardscrabble Plantation

2010-04-01T22:40:00.000-04:00

Sold on 04/01/2010 for $395,000 in 2 days.

Walgreens about ready to open doors

2010-03-25T23:34:00.000-04:00

We've all watched the builders working on the new Walgreens for what seems like years. The landscaping is now in, as is the parking lot, complete with an access to Subway/Ice Cream Club. It rounds out the development on that corner of Horton at Guess Road.

It's nice to have some new infrastructure in North Durham. We didn't necessarily need another drug-type store, did we? How about a new dry cleaner to replace Hollywood Cleaners who vacated the far reaches of the old Harris-Teeter complex.

I know developers are scared to dip their toe in the pond right now with the sluggish economy, so I'm grateful for Walgreens and other businesses that bring much-needed life to our little quiet neck of the woods.

518 Ramcat Road, Durham, NC, Huntington Ridge

2010-01-22T22:31:00.001-05:00

Sold on 01/22/2010 for $330,000 in 92 days.

2 Roswell Court, Durham, NC, Hope Valley Neighborhood

2010-01-15T22:42:00.000-05:00

Sold in 01/15/2010 for $470,000 in 188 days.

5512 Ventura Drive, Durham, NC, Greymoss

2009-11-19T22:18:00.000-05:00

Sold on 11/19/2009 for $200,000 in 33 days.

5 Pearce Place, Durham, NC, Briardale

2009-11-05T22:20:00.000-05:00

Sold on 11/05/2009 for $229,000 in 182 days.

115 Berwick Place, Hillsborough, NC, Hardscrabble Plantation

2009-10-23T22:36:00.000-04:00

Sold on 10/23/2009 for $390,000 in 377 days.

Attention Ladies of North Durham - New Nail Salon in Willowhaven Shopping Center!

2009-10-07T22:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, ladies. If you live north of our wonderful Eno River, and you find it too time-consuming to trek ALL THE WAY down to Northgate Mall for a manicure or pedicure, then you're in luck! There is a new nail salon next to the party store just waiting for you to show up. Their pedicures and manicures are reasonably priced, and the shop is neat and clean. Give them a try!

8 Providence Court, Durham, Walden Pond

2009-06-29T21:11:00.003-04:00

Sold 6/29/2009 for $92,000 in 29 days

Super Harris-Teeter not just a supermarket

2009-05-28T23:26:00.000-04:00

The Super Harris-Teeter is not just a supermarket, but a place to meet friends and neighbors, catch up on old times. With the loveliest produce section around and a huge selection of everything you'll need (and then some!), H-T is a cool hangout place. The toddlers love the mini-shopping carts, too, and can shop alongside Mom or Dad. There's something for everyone there.

See you at Harris-Teeter soon!

318 N. Waters Edge Drive, Durham, NC, Grove Park - Lakeside

2009-05-13T21:26:00.000-04:00

Sold 5/13/2009 for $178,000 in 24 days

4621 Reigal Wood Road, Durham, Heritage Heights

2008-09-30T21:20:00.002-04:00

Sold 09/30/2008 for $175,000 in 95 days

Welcome to North Durham!

2008-04-15T23:35:00.000-04:00

Situated along the banks of the Eno River and minutes from Duke University, Duke Medical Center, and Durham Regional Hospital, North Durham is an ideal location for families with children, health enthusiasts, singles, professionals, empty-nesters, seniors, and just about anyone who enjoys a quality of life that is yearned for by residents of other parts of the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area.

From North Durham, you can reach Downtown Durham in 5 minutes, Research Triangle Park or the RDU airport in about 25 minutes, Chapel Hill and its university and hospital are about 15 minutes away.

Whether you enjoy hiking, biking, canoeing, or kayaking, you'll love the wide-open spaces that North Durham has to offer.

North Durham is home to such communities as Willowhaven, Greymoss, Trapper's Creek, Country Club Heights, Ashfield Place, Grande Park, and the award-winning golf course community of Treyburn!

The main roads running through North Durham are Guess Road and Roxboro Road, which run North and South. Umstead Road runs East to West, connecting Cole Mill Road to Guess Road.

For more information about homes in North Durham, contact me at (919) 730-7068 or at rthomas@markthomasrealty.com. Search all homes for sale in North Durham here.

New Harris-Teeter is Underway

2008-03-10T23:30:00.000-04:00

The long-awaited Super Harris-Teeter has broken ground and is well-underway. It is located on the site of the former Willowdaile Cinemas, which occupied that spot for the past 25 years. Once the new movie theaters were opened at the newly-remodeled and expanded Northgate Mall, the Willowdaile decided it was time to close their doors. That opened the door for Harris-Teeter to move to that prime location.

The new grocery store will be twice as large as the existing one, and it will house a Starbucks, as well as a pharmacy. Manager Tom Reece says that the store is expected to open in April of 2009. The Guess Road store is a favorite among North Durham residents, and it is conveniently located between many North Durham homes and I-85 and 15-501, so it's easy to drop in on your way to and from work.

Great Places to Eat in North Durham

2008-02-17T13:48:00.000-05:00

We love dining at Randy's Pizza and Italian Pizzeria. With young children, pizza and spaghetti are a part of our routine at least once a week. They are both within a 5-10 minute drive from North Durham.

Another favorite is Ruby Tuesday's at Northgate Mall. Their salad bar is second-to-none, and with the recent re-decorating now completed, the atmosphere is suberb, too.

When you're in the mood for a nice, hot cup of coffee, you're in luck. We are fortunate enough in North Durham to have not one, but two, drive-thru coffee houses - Starbucks and Coffee World. While you're enjoying a coffee, you can also dine at Subway, Krispy Kreme, and Ice Cream Club.

North Durham Community Watch Program

2008-02-17T00:14:00.000-05:00

I am hosting a Community Watch program for the residents of North Durham on Wednesday, February 27, 2008. It will be held at 6:30PM at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in room 209, the Outbackers' Sunday school class.

The program will be presented by Deputy John Carroll of the Durham County Sheriff's Department. He will tell us how to protect ourselves, our homes, and our property, and help us start a Community Watch program for our neighborhoods. Please plan to attend if you'd like to be a block captain or to learn more about this program

Why Live in North Durham?

2008-02-12T01:15:00.000-05:00

Many people ask me why would I want to live in North Durham, when the "big mall" is on the south side of town? Well, that's my reason, exactly. The big mall is NOT here. Now don't get me wrong. I love shopping as much as the next person, but I like the slower pace of life North Durham offers. What IS here that I truly adore are the large yards, lovely azaleas in the Spring, and loads of colorful leaves in the Fall.

There are townhomes, single-family homes, Treyburn Country Club (the best kept secret in the South), rolling hills, farm land, horse farms, and lots of clean air to breathe. We now have our very own drive-thru Starbucks. Our schools aren't overcrowded, and we're a 10-minute drive to the finest minor league baseball team in the whole USA -- the Durham Bulls.

Getting Started

2008-02-02T15:33:00.000-05:00

My husband always says the hardest thing about getting started is, well, getting started! How true. Whether it's a new diet, exercise routine, career, or Christmas cards. It's all the same -- it's hard to get started.

He dragged me kicking and screaming into real estate 8 years ago, but once I got started, I realized how much I loved it. I should've started much sooner. Real Estate is not my first career. It's not for most people. It's their 2nd or 3rd, perhaps their 4th stab at the working world. For as far back as I can remember, I've always sold something: Girl Scout cookies, Million Dollar chocolate bars, toothbrushes for new band uniforms, Cutco knives, water filters, skin care products. The list goes on and on.

Maybe I get my salesmanship from my father. He, too, was a salesman. Dad worked at JC Penney as a salesman as a young man, then ran the store later in life. Once he retired from Penney's, he sold IRAs, Keoghs, SEPs - all before investing money was popular. He also sold shoes, brooms and fruit cakes (for the Lion's Club), and anything else that came his way. He was the city's version of Mr. Haney from Green Acres.

Getting started on this blog was no easier than starting a new diet or a new career. Now that I've started, I'm on my way. Stay tuned for more neat information on North Durham County, North Carolina.

8 Scarsdale Place, Durham, NC, Trotter Ridge

2007-05-07T22:27:00.000-04:00

Sold on 05/07/2007 for $242,000 in 116 days.

127 N. Riverdale Drive, Durham, NC, Trappers Creek

2007-03-15T22:28:00.001-04:00

Sold on 03/15/2007 for $299,900 in 19 days.