Buscher Homes & Land of HTR Capital Group

08/27/2019

What a Champion!

Warrick Dunn is one of our favorite people here at Urban Intellectuals because he works harder off the field for other people, than he did on the field as a professional athlete. This quality and the backing of dedicated people at his nonprofit, Warrick Dunn Charities, allows him to do great things....

03/21/2018

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday is expected to lift interest rates at Jerome Powell's first meeting as chairman.

03/21/2018

The Appeal Starts at the Curb

If you are a bit like me, it was a little hard to get into the first day of spring yesterday as the morning snowflakes fell on the Triangle. The good news, it didn’t last long, nor did it have an impact on the school schedule. As a Real Estate Agent, I know this day also signifies the start of the season for families who contemplated during the winter months to list their home. School midterms for many are next week and as our children enter their last quarter of the school year, that should also be a single to you, that it’s time to spruce up too. And with the end of May just about in 60 days, we know the markets will heat up as fast as the temperatures. Potential buyers will have more liberty then and will be out shopping for their new home. The clock is officially started, now is the time to get out of your hibernation mode and start preparing your home for presentation and it begins at the front of your property, Curb Appeal!
• Buyers begin their impression of the inside of a home at first sight of the house. If it's not good, it’s just downhill from there, the buyer might even decide not to even open the door.
• A typical 2 door garage can take up as much as 40 percent of the front of a home. Giving it a facelift or installing a new one can make a dramatic improvement.
• Chairs on the front porch are classic charmers that help potential buyers envisioning themselves relaxing in their new digs.
That adage; ‘you never get a second chance to make a great first impression’, it couldn’t be truer for curb appeal in real estate. The second you post your listing on MLS and put up that for-sale sign, your listing is under examination by more than just potential homebuyers. Agents, neighbors and the casual passersby will all have an opinion.
Now it’s true that listing agents have gotten savvier by ditching the camera phone and taking high-quality photos, but what happens when a professional photo isn’t enough?
The consumer’s perception is the consumer’s reality. I’ve said this regarding the value of agents, but it applies to the value of a home as well. The curb appeal reflects the buyers’ impressions of the inside of the home. They might not even want to go inside if the front of the house looks unappealing.
Sometimes it takes just a quick and inexpensive upgrade or two that will turn a home from average to pop in the eyes of the buyer. Here are some helpful ideas to boost that curb appeal and get more value.
Paint the front door- The front door is the focal point of a home. As the entrance, it’s featuring is to be accented and draw people into the home. A new coat of paint in a bright or contrasting color will enhance the look of a property. You can also add a new k**b and hardware for added appeal.
Update the garage door- The garage door is like the front door in that it’s obvious because it's huge. They can easily take up as much as 40% of the front of a house, so an upgrade can make an immense difference. Try a carriage-style door or a door with windows to enhance your property’s appearance. It can be as simple as color change and adding a trellis over the top of it.
Lighten up the exterior- This is more than a simply replacing a burnt-out porch light. Accent lights in planters and along the walkways not only makes a home feel safer but also adds extra style and elegance.

Liven up the landscape- Take care of w**ds with $14.99 bottles of w**d killer and mowing the lawn. Planting flowers and adding mulch will make a huge difference. Consider hiring a landscaper to come in and do a yard cleaning and prune up the shrubs, he can quickly get the yard into shape and get that lawn to green.
Put furniture on the porch- A couple of chairs can really help a home look more inviting. Potential buyers will be able to imagine themselves sitting on the front porch drinking their favorite beverage and being carefree.
Not only will these tips give you're listing an appealing facelift, but as sellers, you will see the return on the investment. Ready to start, use the contact button above to reach me.

03/21/2018

HOW “LAND USE” DEFERRED PROPERTY TAXES WORK
May 7, 2012 by ksteffan

Recently, I’ve noticed clients having questions about the “land use program” for deferred County property taxes. State law governs the program, which operates in all counties. This program allows individual landowners to have a reduced tax value for qualified land used in agricultural, horticultural, or forestry management. A lower tax value means a lower tax bill each year the property is eligible. Landowners can sign up with the County Tax Office.
Remember that this program defers taxes – it doesn’t wipe them out forever. If the property changes hands, or if its use changes, it may no longer qualify. In that case, the property owner will get a bill to catch up some of the deferred taxes. If the owner doesn’t expect that bill, it can be a shock. If you previously put your land into the program, you would have gotten a full explanation of the program then. However, if you inherited land your parents put into the program, you may not have a reason to know about it until you get the large bill.
How does the program work? In summary, to be eligible, you must own land individually, or through a corporation or LLC you own and meet the following requirements:
Agricultural: At least 10 acres of the property must be actively used for growing crops, plants or animals under a sound management plan. Alternatively, if the land is used to farm aquatic species (“fish farming”), it must have at least 5 acres in production or produce at least 20,000 pounds for commercial sale annually. In either case, for the last 3 years, the activity must have produced an average gross income of at least $1,000.
Forestland: At least 20 acres of the property must be actively used to grow trees commercially under a sound management plan. There is no income requirement for forestland.
Horticultural: At least 5 acres of the property must be actively used in commercial production of fruits, vegetables, nursery or floral products. The activity must have produced an average gross income of at least $1,000 for each of the last 3 years. Alternatively, if the land is used to grow Christmas trees, the owner must meet income requirements set by the N.C. Department of Revenue.
If the land changes ownership (by sale, gift, or inheritance) or if the property use changes, the Tax Office must re-evaluate whether the land still qualifies for the program. If the new owner is continuing the same use on the same property, and the new owner agrees to be responsible for deferred taxes whenever in the future they become due, the new owner can continue the land use status without interruption. If the land no longer qualifies for the program, it triggers the Tax Office sending a bill for the last 3 years’ worth of deferred taxes, plus interest. That means being charged for the difference between a “regular” tax bill and your reduced tax bill for the past 3 years, plus interest. If the bill isn’t paid, the Tax Office will file a lien against the property.
While no one likes getting that bill for 3 years’ worth of deferred taxes, remember that if you have been part of the land use program for more than 3 years, you still come out ahead economically. You will not have to pay back any of the money you saved on tax bills more than 3 years ago.
This article is just a summary. If you want to know details, you can read the statutes at N.C.G.S. 105-277 and those following it. You can also call the County Tax Office; be sure to tell them you are calling about the land use program, so you can be connected to a staff member who works with that program.
Filed Under: Real Estate Tagged With: Agricultural Land Use, Corporate Land Use, Deferred Property Taxes, Forestry Management Land Use, Horticultural Land Use, Land Use, Land Use Taxes, LLC Land Use

2411 Old NC 86, Hillsborough NC 27278 | Phone: 919-732-7300 | Fax: 919-732-7304 |

03/19/2018

Applying for a mortgage and having a good credit rating is pivotal for the buyer, as the lender will be evaluating the borrower strength and weaknesses to formulate a decision to approve or deny their application.
So ever wonder what your credit score really means or what factors truly weigh on that three-digit number?
Let’s clear up the misconceptions and do some myth busting on lending. While many North Carolinians seem to have a good grasp on how credit scores are calculated, others find it downright convoluted. Unfortunately, there is confusion on what is determined as Good and Bad from the borrower’s viewpoint.
To get some facts straight, Ethan Dornhelm, a senior principal scientist at FICO®, the company behind the Credit Score used over 90% of all lending decisions, has provided guidance and debunks the five most pervasive myths.
Myth #1: The More You Make the Better Your Score
We get a lot of people asking, 'Why is my FICO®, Score so low? I have a great income.’ There's an impression that somehow anything that makes you seem creditworthy will factor into your score, but income is not included in credit reports, so there is no effect on your score.
It is true that many times lenders will ask for your income when reviewing your loan application. This is more in line with validating a recurring income source than it is for determining if you have a high income. Your credit score doesn't factor in your salary. FICO®, Scores are based solely on listed items on your credit report such as credit history, new accounts and timeliness in payment schedules.
Myth #2: Maintaining a Balance Will Improve the Score
Many people think that credit debt is just a normal part of life. Thirty-seven percent of you believe that it's critical to maintain a balance on your card to increase your score. Well, that isn’t accurate. The fact of just having credit available will improve your score for both your credit history as well as credit utilization. The key is using credit in a responsible way, to increase your score, keep the balances low, pay off the monthly balance and increase the credit line without ever exceeding the limit. Lenders see this as active management skills of your line of credit.
In fact, FICO® says the debt-to-credit ratio for FICO® High Achievers is roughly 7%.
Myth #3: Closing an Account Erase’s the History
Thirty-five percent surveyed believe that closing a credit account will lower your score. When you close an account, it doesn't fall off your credit report. Plenty of closed accounts show up and will continue to show up for several years to come.
That's good news in a way. While closing an account diminishes your available credit, which could increase that debt-to-credit ratio, it doesn't erase the fact that you've had that credit line since, say, 2008 or it was your first card back in the old college days. The length of your credit history remains on your report for years even after closing the account. That's good since credit history length comprises about 10% of your score. The more history, the better your score.
Myth #4: Employers Can Check My Credit Score
You must bless our local media stations, they sometimes get this one wrong from time to time, adding to the confusion. Forty-three percent accept as the truth the misconception of checking their score will lower it. The fact is, you must provide permission to an employer before they can pull a credit report, let’s be clear here, that’s not a credit score. That credit report is considered a “SOFT" inquiry, versus one from a potential lender as a “HARD” inquiry. Those hard inquiries can affect your credit score if there are multiple hits that are signaling you're looking in a lot of places for a loan.
Myth #5: All FICO® Scores Are Created Equal
Then, there is why that you might receive a credit score of, say, 750 directly from FICO® while the lender states it’s a 746?
Well not all FICO® Scores are the same, there are several versions depending on your loan type. Most are consistent and similar, but you may notice subtle differences. For example, the FICO® Auto Score may look more closely at your auto loan repayment history. There are some slight nuances on how it’s calculated.
In addition, FICO® Scores are based on the records of a credit bureau, and different bureaus may have slightly different information about you, depending on what was reported to them by creditors and any changes or corrections you have requested.
And not all credit scores are even FICO® Scores. There are several educational credit scores available online for free, those are not used to make lending decisions, according to FICO.
In closing, it's important to be vigilant over your credit-bureau records. You can request a free credit report each year from the three major credit bureaus through the AnnualCreditReport.com site. It is recommended to schedule these during different times of the year, just to ensure there are no abnormal reporting or unauthorized accounts have been opened. Always consider the effect on your credit health when you open and close accounts, be strategic when deciding on how you will handle the timing and final payment prior to setting the actual closing. A great credit score is not dependent on how much you make but rather on what you do with your money. Being responsible for managing debt correctly will make that score soar to the top of the ratings.
About HTR Capital Group:
HTR is an independent company with local roots and national branches through its membership Referral Exchange, a network of over 20K licensed agents in all 50 states. HTR has strong working relationships with area builders, developers, businesses and city/county/state government officials. HTR believes Customers First is a Win-Win situation! No real estate transaction is too large or too small for the HTR team! For more information, visit www.HTRRaleigh.com or contact Gregory Buscher, Realtor® at 919-795-9720 or email [email protected].

03/16/2018

In 2011, the North Carolina Real Estate Commission introduced a revised Offer to Purchase and Contract. NCREC who's interested is to protect the consumers and with that, a new term called "due diligence." Was born. This new concept and contract came with challenges for many NC Realtors as like any habit old ones are particularly hard to break. However, once you understand it, it's really designed to protect both real estate buyers and sellers and that my friends is ‘GOOD’
Typical contingencies such as a home-sale, financing, appraisal, and inspection contingencies. So, what about due diligence, where does that fit in? Prior to 2011, "earnest money" was the only money that was paid up front. Earnest money was put in place primarily to show "earnestness" from the buyer and to compensate the seller for their lost time and opportunities from the prospective buyer if that buyer bailed. If everything went according to plan and the deal went to closing, the earnest money would be credited back to the buyer at closing and all were happy. However, sometimes that thing called “MURPHY’S LAW” would get things befuddled and it didn’t always go smoothly. Buyers and sellers were sometimes left out in the cold. Let me explain...
See, the earnest money would be returned to the buyers if their financing fell through for any reason. This could be due to the loss of their job or any other reasons related to their debt to income ratios changing, or even by a mistake by their lender.
Now, this is where the big problems came for the sellers. Their home had been off the market while under this offer to purchase for weeks or even a couple of months if there was a contingency in waiting to close this deal. Then at the 11th hour, the buyer's financing fall’s through, and there is the seller, left standing at the altar with nothing to show but the hardship, lost time, lost opportunities, etc. And the buyer; was on their merry way with their earnest money in hand. Can you imagine how devastating this is to a seller?
Due diligence is a little different and in my humble opinion a favorite if I am representing the buyers. Under due diligence, the buyer has any number of specific business days that they see fit to do their research on the property. Typically, less money means less time like 10 business days, the more money the more days to perform any due diligence on a property they are desiring. This is the ‘specific time’ to vet out any questions and all concerns that they ‘the buyer’ needs answered regarding the property and surrounding area prior to moving forward to closing. Questions like, what are the annual taxes? What is the homeowner's annual hazard insurance? Is that a hog farm at the end of the street? Other questions about dock permits if on the water. Flood insurance costs, etc. Any questions that need to be answered prior to the buyers agreeing to move forward to the next step.

So, a popular question I get asked is- "Can the buyers back out for any reason under a due diligence contingency?" Well, I'm no attorney but under due diligence rule stated by North Carolina Real Estate Commission, the buyer should be able to walk until that due diligence date is met. They do not need to even give reason however they ‘DO’ need to notify the sellers in writing that they are not moving forward. Because if they DO NOT notify the sellers in writing, then they are accepting the property in "as-is" condition if they don’t by that date stated in the offer to purchase contract “Time Being of the Essence”. That time is critical and ends effectively at 5:00pm on the Date specified on the offer to purchase contract.

As the listing agent when representing the seller, I want the Due diligence fee and earnest money amount to be as high as possible. Nothing more express confidence in me than the buyer is willing to lay down serious money! That states they are all about making this work and are willing to risk that higher amount. And of course, if something does happen aka… murphy’s law, my seller has been compensated accordingly. Also, I want that due diligence period to be as short as possible. A shortened Due diligence period gives me assurance the buyer's willingness and abilities to make the closing happen. It will also shorten the length of time that my seller's home will be off the market should the deal not come to fruition.

I hope this helps bring clarity to this process. And always remember- as Travis Everette an NC Real Estate Licensing Trainer states “it all boils down to this. If the buyer wants to buy and the seller wants to sell and there is money brought to the table, the attorney is going to make the closing happen.” Because no matter how convoluted things can get, it all comes down to that!

03/02/2018

03/02/2018

Attention Builder/Developers needing prime land. 3.33 acres Commercially Zoned in City Limits of Holly Springs. Subdividable, HS UDO allows up to 15 lots based on a preapproved site plan with city.

02/27/2018

Craig Webb / Remodeling / February 20, 2018 Metrostudy Big-ticket residential remodeling activity nationwide will rise faster than previously expected, increasing 5.2%, and then continuing to go up through 2020, Metrostudyannounced today in conjunction with the release of its latest Residential Remo...

02/24/2018

Does your pad look like a dorm room? Kick these decor items to the curb—and pick up a few chic things in their place—for a sophisticated style upgrade.