Raleigh Real Estate Market Condtions Update--Don't Believe Everything You Read!

We have been reading a lot of negative things News and Observer and on various websites about the condition of the real estate market here in the Triangle Area. I am here to let you know that you don't need to believe everything that you read. The real estate market here in our area is still strong. Is it as strong as it was last year at this time, or even six months ago? Well no, but we are still not experiencing the rapid decline that other markets have had.

I recently received the following information in an email. It was written by Stacey Anfindsen, who is a local appraiser and the real estate market "go to" guy for statistics and information. He has given me permission to put this information on this blog, to share with everyone. I hope you find it informative and useful.

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Responding to the News & Observer:

Stacey Anfindsen Shares More Accurate Depiction of Market and Five Reasons Not to Panic Over Local Home Prices

In response to the main headline in the 10/27/08 N&O, I am presenting facts to contradict
the headline, which is yet another attempt to scare local readers by using data from selected national
sources. The writer states five reasons; crashing home prices, investor speculation, complex
investments, job losses and repeat delinquencies. I will respond to each of these to provide some local
perspective.

1) When analyzing our market, I look at data from the counties of Wake, Durham, Orange and Johnston. Within this market, the average closed price of all housing is up 8% and the average closed price of resale housing is up 6%. House price appreciation, which compares the two most recent sales prices of the same house , is an area where the Triangle outperforms the national market. Our current rate of houseprice appreciation in the Triangle is just over 4%. This rate beats the state (+3.6%) and national rates (-4.5%).

2) The Wake County Revenue Department reported +/- 21,000 closed sales within the past 13
months. Roughly 5% of these sales were purchased by buyers from out of town, a huge difference compared to the 20% rate nationally.

3) It is almost impossible to track what percentage of local purchases were made via the subprime loan mechanism. Per the FHFA mortgage metrics survey for the second quarter of 2008, 17% of all outstanding mortgages in the U.S. are rated as subprime. Therefore it would be hard to argue that a majority of house purchases were made via this mechanism.

4) Job losses are real both nationally and locally. The Raleigh/Cary/Durham MSA did not have a workforce increase comparing 8/08 with 8/07 for the first time since the 8/01 versus 8/00 period.

5) The mortgage metrics survey reveals some additional information regarding the national mortgage market. They surveyed over 30 million outstanding loans in the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac system and found that 98.6% of these loans were rated as current. They also state that foreclosure proceedings were initiated on 432 homeowners per day during the second quarter, a big difference from the 2,700 per day figure stated in the lead paragraph. There are currently +/- 14,000 listings within the four county area in TMLS. Roughly 3% of these listings are classified as foreclosure, bank or corporate owned. I have been tracking the residential market within the Triangle for over 20 years. The foreclosure market has
always accounted for a very small percentage of activity.

Our current market can be summed up with my version of the good, the bad and the ugly;

The Good

Third quarter closings were the 6th highest in history
Current supply of 8 months is lower than national current supply of 11 months
Average house price appreciation is superior to state and national rates
Average re-sale sales price +6%, average overall sales price +8%, average list price +2%
Houses priced correctly have sold in an average of 55 days.

The Bad

Overall inventory grew 7%, making 2 consecutive months of less than 10% growth
Withdrawn listings increased 2% compared to 9/07.

The Ugly

29 consecutive months of inventory growth, 20 consecutive months of lower pending sales
63% of all price points have an oversupply of housing product
9/08 expired listings were 227% higher than 9/07 expired listings

A survey of Wake County house purchases where the house was purchased and then re-sold within the past 12 months reveals a median percent per gain of 0%. I think that is pretty impressive compared to what is happening in the national market.

As we have seen during 2008, our local market is not immune from happenings in the national
market. Our biggest challenges during the fourth quarter of this year and into next year are to grow the workforce and cut down on the number of price points with an oversupply of housing.

Now Is A Great Time A Home!

Now Is a Great Time to Buy A Home!


If you read the main headline to The News and Observer on October 27th, you may have had a panic attack over the current real estate market. The paper made it seem that our current market was in the tank, and there was no end in sight. I wanted to share this information with you about our current market, and hopefully calm some fears and let everyone know why NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY A HOME!!

There are a number of factors that support the belief that now is a great time to buy a home:

Interest rates remain at historically low levels.
Inventory in our markets is abundant, giving consumers exceptional home choices.
Home sales have slowed, giving buyers the additional advantage of being in a “buyers” market.
Sale prices today are more favorable to buyers than they were earlier in the year.
Home buyers who will remain in their homes for several years will nearly always come out ahead in building wealth.

Buying Up in a Down Market

According to the National Association of Realtors®, the average value of the destination home is 50% more than a buyer’s current home. If your current home’s value has decreased by 10%, then the value of your destination home has decreased by 10%. So you will have a NET GAIN by moving up.

For example: if your current home was worth $400,000, now it may be worth $360,000. So you may have a paper loss of $40,000. But if you were looking to buy up in this market, and your were purchasing a home that was worth $600,000, and now came be purchased for $540,000, then you are $20,000 closer to affording your new home. The different between the $60,000 gain in the move up home and the $40,000 paper loss in your current home.

“But we want to wait until the market bottoms out to buy.”

As a real estate agent, and real estate investor, I completely understand your desire to purchase when the market bottoms out. That way you’ll get the lowest price and experience appreciation right away.

How will we know when the bottom has hit?

The answer is, when the market goes back UP! So we will never know when the market IS at the bottom, only when it WAS at the bottom. So it is axiomatic that you will not knowingly purchase AT the bottom. Do you agree? So then you will be buying as the market rises which will achieve one of your goals: experiencing immediate appreciation.

Here are the key benefits of buying before the bottom:

Lower interest rates. They will rise when the market starts rising.

More inventory. In a rising market your choices are fewer.

Relaxed pace. A rising market brings buyer competition and multiple offers.

Time in home. By buying NOW you can ENJOY the home.”

So if you are trying to decide if now is the time for you to buy your new home, give me a call today and let's talk about your options. You can visit my web site at www.LiveInRaleighMidtown.com or email me at LisaColeman@hpw.com. And you can also call me at 919-272-4754.

Change is Good!!

So my little boy was looking for a movie to watch yesterday, and he happened to pull out my Atari Flashback. Yes, I said Atari! Although not the original, this is a system that has all the original Atari games in one console. Centipede, Asteroids, Food Fight and all the other favorites! I purchased it about three years ago on a whim when I went to Best Buy to get my Sirius Radio installed in my car. (See, I am current with technology!) There was a huge display of them at the front of the store, and they were on sale for only $14.99. So I thought it would be fun to go back in time and have some fun.

I know you are thinking, Lisa, what does this have to do with real estate. Actually, there are a ton of similarities between technology, ( or in this case, old video games) and real estate.

For example, where would we be today if video games remained the same. We would still be playing the same old Space Invades, BONG, Asteroids, etc... The same with real estate. In order to survive, it has to move forward and change.

One big change this year was to the current Offer to Purchase and Contract. In years past, a buyer who was under contract had a certain time to get his/her loan approved. However, the date was specified as "Time is of the Essence." So as long as the seller was willing to wait, the buyer could drag out the contract, trying to get loan approval. With the new contract, the buyer has so many days to get full loan approval. If he or she does not, then the seller has the right to void the contract, and keep the earnest money. Now granted, it is not as simple as it seems, but it is easier to move contracts along now, and make sure the seller's property is not tied up for log periods of time buy buyers who are not qualified.

One great change for buyers is on the Additional Provisions Addendum. Now there is a section where the buyer can list things that they want repaired to the home, and this is considered pre-negotiating the repairs. So if the buyer requests that the all items found on the summary page of the inspection be repaired, and the seller signs agreeing to it, repair negotiations are done. This makes it easier for both parties: for the buyer, they know that the repairs are going to be done, and for the seller, they agree in advance to do all the repairs, and they know that the buyer has accepted this agreement, no matter how many repairs are listed on the inspection report. Now this is not a perfect world, and differences on repairs can come up, but this is one of the best changes I have seen in a long time.

One major change this year is pertaining to the commission that agents receive. Now all agents must disclose to buyers the compensation that they are receiving from the sale of the property, including all bonuses and gifts. (Such as gift cards, trips, etc...) For more information on this new change, you can visit the North Carolina Real Estate Commissions Web Site:

http://www.ncrec.state.nc.us/bulletin/bulletin.htm

If you are considering purchasing a home, and would like more information on the current changes to North Carolina Real Estate Rules and Regulations, or if you just have questions in general, please feel free to call me at 919-272-4754, or you can visit my web site at:

http://liveinraleighmidtown.com/

COLDWELL BANKER® LAUNCHES NATIONAL 10-DAY SALES EVENT

Thousands of U.S. Home Sellers Will Reduce Their Listing Prices By Up to 10 Percent Between Oct. 10-19

Majority of Coldwell Banker Sales Associates Surveyed Say a Modest Reduction in Listing Prices Will Help Bring More Home Buyers and Sellers Together

The real estate market is alot like a weather forecast...it doesn't matter to you, unless it is local. With this in mind, Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston, along with Coldwell Banker International, is preparing for the 10 day nationwide home sales event.

What does this mean to you? Seller that have chosen to participate in this amazing promotion, have agreed to reduce the price of their home during the 10 days that this promotion is going on. With the number of homes to choose from in our market, and with several sellers motivated during these challening real estate times, this means that a great buy just got better. (Please keep in mind, not all sellers have chosen to participate in this sales event.)

Below is the press release from Coldwell Banker, telling more about this great promotion.

If you would like more information this, please email me at LisaColeman@hpw.com or visit my website at www.LiveInRaleighMidtown.com

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PARSIPPANY, N.J. (Oct. 6, 2008) – Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC today announced a bold initiative to bring home buyers and sellers together and help jump-start the U.S. real estate market. Starting on October 10, 2008, the nation’s oldest residential real estate brand will kick-off its first-ever national “10-Day Sales Event” – during which participating home sellers from across the United States will reduce the listing prices of their homes by up to 10 percent. The Coldwell Banker® 10-Day Sales Event will run nationally through October 19, 2008.

“Despite the difficult headlines regarding our overall economy, the residential real estate market has been showing several positive signs over recent months that could be signaling a tipping point,” said Jim Gillespie, president and chief executive officer, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “Because of higher inventory, buyers have more homes to choose from and they can take advantage of near historically low interest rates and affordability levels that are the best they have been in years. The recent housing and economic recovery legislation also provides first-time homebuyers with the added incentive of a $7,500 tax credit.[1]

“Yet our research and discussions with our brokers and sales associates shows that in many markets sellers remain reluctant to list their homes at the proper prices necessary to attract buyers,” continued Gillespie. “It’s our hope that the Coldwell Banker 10-Day Sales Event will move buyers off the sidelines and into the market. We are embarking on this initiative – which has never been done before on a national basis – because we believe it is critical for Coldwell Banker, as an industry leader, to help serve the needs of those individuals listing homes with a Coldwell Banker broker and to help move the U.S. real estate market in the right direction.”

In a recent survey of 3,379 Coldwell Banker real estate professionals in markets across the United States, 56 percent said that listing prices in their market remain above where they need to be to attract qualified buyers. Additional findings from the survey include:

77 percent agreed that the majority of sellers in their market still have unrealistic expectations regarding the initial listing price for their homes
79 percent agreed that homes in their market that are priced appropriately are attracting more buyers and moving more quickly
76 percent feel that a 10 percent or less reduction in listing prices in their area is all it will take to help push these homes over the “tipping point” to a sale

“Our brokers and sales associates agreed that, even in the current climate, it will not take much movement to attract those buyers who have been watching and waiting,” noted Gillespie. “Depending on the market, a price reduction of just 10 percent or less just may make the difference in both satisfying sellers and bringing buyers to the table.”

Sellers participating in the 10-Day Sales Event will have added promotional power from the Coldwell Banker brand behind their listing. Those sellers’ listings will be specially promoted through national and local radio, print and Web advertising. The brand’s flagship Web site coldwellbanker.com will feature participating listings. Home sellers will have the option to maintain the reduced listing price for their properties following the 10-Day Sales Event.

[1] Consult your attorney and tax preparer for terms, availability and eligibility and requirements.

Myth vs. Reality--Is Now a Good Time to Buy a Home?

In today’s real estate market, it’s hard to separate the myths from the realities. Well, here are three market realities that none of the experts or headlines can dispute.

First, there are plenty of quality homes to choose from. According to the TARR (Triangle Area Residential Realty) Report, housing inventory in the Triangle Area has grown, on average, approximately 48% from 2005-2008. Which price point had the highest growth during this time? The luxury home market, or homes priced $500,000 and up, had the highest growth during this time than any other price point. And 60% of these homes are new. So if you are considering purchasing a home in the near future, I recommend looking at new homes, because builders have too much inventory, and they need to reduce this inventory, especially before year end.

Second, it’s clearly a buyer’s market and you can get more home for your money. For the second quarter of 2008, 5498 homes listed in the MLS had at least one price reduction. This is a 17% increase over 2007, and a 40% increase over 2005. Now more than ever, it is a great time for buyers to get the home that they have always wanted, at the price that they want to pay.

And third, there are still good mortgage rates and terms available. The news media makes it sound like no one can get a loan, which is both infuriating to me and irresponsible of them. They are adding to the problem, instead of being a non-biased source of information to the people they are supposed to serve. I say this because there are still plenty of funds available for credit worthy borrowers (employed and having “reasonable”, not necessarily “excellent” credit).

What is not available: “no doc”, “stated income” and “sub-prime” loans. These represent the minority of loans even 2 years ago, and are the type of loan that should never have been created because they often end in default. Most of the 100% loans are gone for the same reason.

What is available: 100% financing (USDA… with some restrictions), very low down-payment FHA loans up to $300,000 (gift money still allowed) along with all the other standard FNMA/FHLMC products.

And let's not forget about the $7500.00 first time home buyer tax credit! If you, or anyone you know, would like more information on this, just email me or give me a call. You can also read more about this on my website at http://www.liveinraleighmidtown.com/ and click under the Buyer/Sellers Tab on $7500 Tax Credit Info! You can also visit the following site for more detailed information:

http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/faq.php#3

In most markets around the nation, home inventory has increased giving buyers a greater choice. At the same time, mortgage rates remain at near historic lows and home prices have either leveled off or decreased for the first time ever last year (2%) according to the National Association of Realtors. It is expected to drop an additional 4-6% this year. This has made home affordability the best in the last 5 years and according to a recent Wachovia study the best in nearly 30 years.

Time and time again, our area has not only been voted as one of the best places to live, but also one of the best places for home investments. If you are considering purchasing a home, either as your personal residence, or as an investment, email or call me today. I look forward to showing you how to make a sound investment, as well as provide a place for your family to call home!

http://www.liveinraleighmidtown.com/

We Just Made Searching For a Home Easier!

Coldwell Banker has just made searching for your new home easier! Below is the press release that came out today about our new search function for iPhone users. Now not only can you receive emails from me when a home that fits your search criteria comes on the market, you can see all the details as well!

To use this great new search tool, visit my ColdwellBanker.com profile page:


http://coldwellbanker.com/servlet/AgentListing?action=detail&ComColdwellbankerDataAgent_id=63900&page=agent




PARSIPPANY, N.J. - Sept. 29, 2008 – Continuing to blaze a path of innovation in the real estate industry, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC today became the first full-service national real estate brand to launch a customized online platform for iPhoneTM users.
The Coldwell Banker flagship Web site, coldwellbanker.com, now has a different look and feel, along with navigation specifically tailored for optimal viewing on the iPhone, most notably with the property listings search and home value estimator functions. When a user accesses the site through his or her handset, the Coldwell Banker Web site automatically recognizes that it is being accessed by an iPhone, and will serve up the special iPhone interface. iPhone users do not need to download any special software to benefit from this enhancement to the Coldwell Banker mobile technology.


“Providing easy access to real-time real estate information is critical for consumers in the home buying and selling process,” said Michael Fischer, senior vice president of marketing for Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “Distribution of listings is crucial in today’s environment. Our mobile society is moving away from the desktop and utilizing cell phones and PDAs for more and more content and entertainment. With so many connecting to the Web by phone, we have to be where the consumer is in a way that makes sense.”


Those looking for a home will be able to search for homes and utilize the brand’s home value estimator. In addition, consumers will be able to enter specific search criteria such as city, state, price as well as optional filters including number of bedrooms and bathrooms. When a property is selected, iPhone users can view all of the specifications for that home and contact an agent directly.


“Now more than ever consumers want to access information about a home as they see it, pass it or hear about,” continued Fischer. “Being in front of a computer should not be mandatory.”
Earlier this year Coldwell Banker became the first national real estate brand to put its listings on in-car GPS devices through an exclusive feed to Dash Navigation. Drivers can now call up Coldwell Banker listings, map them, get directions and view other Coldwell Banker listings in close proximity.


And if you searching for a home in the Midtown/North Hills Area, visit my website at:

www.LiveInRaleighMidtown.com to see all the latest listings and other Raleigh Midtown News.

(iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple Computers, Inc.)

How Will the Federal Mortgage Buyout Affect Our Local Real Estate Market?

Wow is all I can say right now! In an unpresendented move, yesterday the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve began discussing with our leaders in Congress a large plan to buy up huge numbers of distressed mortgages held by investors and financial institutions.

Details on this plan are not complete, but when everything is worked out, this could be the largers bailout in US History. Much larger than the Resolution Trust Corp, which is what this plan is based on. (For more information on the Resolution Trust Corp, please visit this site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resolution_Trust_Corporation ).

Several blogs are going on about this new proposal, both for and against it. With the Federal Reserve loaning, just yesterday, almost $300 billion to worldwide financial markets, one question is where is the money going to come from? Ultimately, US Taxpayers will be responsible for any portion of the assests that the government cannot resale.

And the large influx of money did little to stop the panic and make the general

public feel more secure. But the overall goal in all of this is for the government to eventually make money on the well unpriced securities that it does purchase.

So what does this mean for our real estate market? One thing it will do is free up money for these institutions to lend to new home buyers. Lending institutions rely on the mortgage payments of existing loans to fund new ones. If those loans are in default, then they don't have money to loan to new buyers. And it also makes the qualification process much tougher. All of this would mean more sales in our area.

If you would like more information, this is a great article that I found on the LA Times site:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-rtc19-2008sep19,0,1876178.story?track=rss

I hope you have a great weekend and if you know of anyone looking to buy or sale a home, please have them contact me!

Real Estate Is Still a Great Investment!

Something to think about - The Fed is attempting to be savvy and creative in its

ways to help the financial system get back on track. However, there is simply no

one who can draw upon past experience to find answers here. This situation is historic...and we are living through it. It is almost comical to hear the zany ignorance that comes out of the mouths of some of the politicians who are paraded in front of the cameras...I can't help but think that we actually elected these people.

There is a lot of panic out there. People are very worried about their life savings. Is money in the bank safe? How about if it is in a life insurance policy? How about in bonds? Unfortunately the answer is no, no, no. Yesterday, the panic reached a level that caused such a demand on Treasuries, that the total return of some short-term paper went negative. That's right...the premium paid was higher than the return provided by the yield. So keeping your cash under the mattress is better than an investment in some Treasuries, and apparently safer than the financial market. Suddenly, guess what may become the most attractive way to protect your money?

Think about it...you can touch it, get a tax break, and live in it too.

Yes, Real Estate is starting to look pretty good, especially since the pricing has become more reasonable.

The local and national media are having a field day with falling house prices in various parts of the country. But for the most part, what they are using to confirm their stories is the mediam pricing index distributed by the National Association of Realtors. They seem to forget that real estate is unique to the area, and sometimes right down to the neighborhood or street that we live on. So the big question is:

How are home priced holding up in Wake County?

The answer is that we are doing just fine! In the last 18 months, the average appreciation for a home in Wake County is around 4.8%. Any seller that purchased a home in 2008 and needed to sell has been lucky to break even, and most of them have. The luxury home market ( homes valued over $500,00) is oversupplied, but we all knew that. There is currently a ten month supply of these homes. But there is light at the end of the tunnel for this market. Building permits for these homes have dropped, so the supply should shorten within the next year to year and a half.

The Fed has come to the rescue lately, but all these bailouts and programs to help faltering companies are hard to sustain. They can't save everybody because money will run out. As mentioned, the Fed has been very creative. But eventually, the money and creativity could run out. And the Fed may need to actually print money - this would be highly inflationary. Let's hope it doesn't get to this, as that would be very bad for rates.

So history has proven once again that real estate is still a great investment. If you are considering adding real estate to your investment portfolio, please give me a call at 919-272-4754 or email me at LisaColeman@hpw.com . I would love to show you how to create a great cash flow with investment properties.

You can also search my website at www.LiveInRaleighMidtown.com for homes!

Will the FED Cut Rates Today?

It's Fed Day, but that isn't the big story at the moment. Right now, all eyes are on insurance giant AIG, which is in very serious trouble. The company is in desperate need of around $75 Billion and it has until today to shore up this capital, otherwise it could face bankruptcy. This story is far reaching as AIG is a worldwide company, with $1 Trillion in assets and operating in 130 countries.

Think about this - AIG provides insurance in all facets of life, from car to life insurance - and should AIG go bankrupt, claims around the world would not get paid - that is scary to imagine. We will see what happens in the next several hours as this story develops.

At 2:15pm ET, the Fed will release its interest rate decision and policy statement. Up until the last few days, there wasn't much of a chance for a Fed Cut - but as of this morning, the Fed Funds Futures are saying there is a 100% chance of a .25% cut and a 50% chance of a .50% cut. This is really amazing. We won't know for sure what will happen until later today - but with mounting issues in the financial sector, the Fed may just cut in an attempt to restore a sense of calm in the global financial markets. Should the Fed cut, Mortgage Bonds may not like this action because of its inflationary effects so stay tuned - prices are already down slightly on the day even in the face of heavy selling pressure in Stocks.

We hope the Fed doesn't cut, as they did when they panicked in January. We are just starting to see signs of inflation moderating, oil prices receding and the US Dollar strengthening. A Fed Cut would likely disrupt those nice trends. Should the Fed not cut - Mortgage Bonds may likely move another leg higher, but should they cut - we could see prices give up some of their recent gains. We see Mortgage Bonds moving higher in the longer-term, but a Fed Cut today could provide a speed bump and possible retracement in prices.

If you would like more information on how a federal interest rate adjustment will affect your future home purchase, you can contact Jody Mueller at 919-845-3715. Jody is with Alera Financial and he is wonderful at helping you get the best rate for your mortgage in these tough lending times!

Midtown Raleigh Shopping Event Tonight!

I wanted to let everyone know about a great shopping event at Uniquities at North Hills. Their fall fashion event is tonight, September 11th, from 6-8 pm. Polished will be on hand to help you as you are browsing around, and will be offering free fashion advice for a night out on the town!

For tonight only, they are offering special discounts to shoppers:

Spend $250 and get $50 off!

Spend $500 and get $100 off!

Spend $1000+ and get $200 off!

Also, for tonight, you can receive one free hour of future Polished services with any of the above purchases!

(So here's the fine print: This is valid only for this evening, and discounted items are a final sale, and you cannot use the discount on previous purchases).

And if you just want to look around, they will be serving Champagne and Light Apps.

For more information on Uniquities and Polished, go to their website at:

http://www.uniquities.com/

And for more information on Raleigh and the Midtown Area, visit:

www.LiveInRaleighMidtown.com

Happy Shopping!

What is Midtown Raleigh?

What is Midtown Raleigh?

For the past decade or more, Raleigh has been searching for its “Midtown”. But the wait is over, and really has been over since 2005.

Most people think that it is equivalent to North Hills, but it is much more than that. Midtown magazine considers it every area within the 27609 zip code. The News and Observer includes some areas inside the beltline, around Whitaker Mill Road and as far east as Brentwood. According to the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, Raleigh's midtown includes the Five Points neighborhood to the south, extends northwest about five miles to N.C. 50, follows Millbrook Road east to U.S. 1, then southwest to Wade Avenue. An easy way to define it is to go north of the I-440 Beltline up to Millbrook Road (some go as far as Lynn Road) between Fall of Neuse Road on the East and Glenwood Avenue on the West.

An urban feel with suburban convenience, according to the Chamber, a midtown district comprises of homes, convenient to shopping, school, major roads and entertainment. It is not downtown, but it does have a higher density, for example, than neighborhoods north of I-540, with walk able elements.

Since the idea of Midtown has caught on, property values of surrounding neighborhoods have averaged an annual appreciation of 8-10%. It is quickly becoming a destination for home buyers, similar to the “inside the beltline” feel.

How many of us wish we could have purchased property in the area when it was just considered North Raleigh? My parents purchased a home on Currituck in North Hills in 1971. You don’t know how many times I have wished they had kept it! But things do come full circle, and I am raising my children in the Midtown area in Quail Hollow.

So if you are considering a home in the area, or if you just want more information about the Midtown area, please visit me at http://liveinraleighmidtown.com/. We will be updating our blog on Midtown frequently, so please bookmark our site and visit us often. We will be focusing on all things Midtown, not just the real estate market, but on restaurants, things to do, and much more. Also, if you know of something going on, please let us know, we would love to include it.


Lisa