Awww......shucks!

I have referred Michelle to a couple of my very close friends and she took very good care of them, went the extra mile (a few times) and found the PERFECT place for them... they love their new place and has now referred Michelle to their good friends! (Oh and, Go Realty rocks too.)

Lynn Waide

So You're Ready To Sell....Now What???

Making the decision to sell your house is the easy part.....getting it "show ready" is a whole different story for most of us. I get many calls from prospective sellers asking me to come over & advise them on where to spend their time and money to get their home ready to sell. This is one of my favorite & not so favorite things to do. Sometimes I have to say things like "The wall Mural of KISS in the Family room needs to be neutralized. That doesn't go over so well!

Remember that once you put your home on the market it's no longer a home; it's a product to be sold. How you live in a home & how you sell a home are not the same. Decorating & staging are completely different. Staging is removing items to show the features, space & view of the product in order to justify the price. Our market is very unforgiving right now! You want your home in top shape because once the front door opens, the buyers will know within 15 seconds whether it feels like their home.

Here are some quick tips to help you get started:

De-Clutter, Pack Up & Store

If it's broke, fix it....the Home Inspector's gonna discover it anyway

Replace Burnt Out Light Bulbs

Neutralize, Neutralize, Neutralize

Don't Let This Happen To You......

Here are some general tips to keep your home from falling in around you:

CRAWL SPACE: Make sure you have a vapor barrior and check periodically for water.
ELECTRIC: Push those "test" buttons on the GFCI outlets in your bathroom & kitchen every month to clean the connections. Don't forget to push "reset."
FILTERS: Clean or replace those heating/air filters every month, especially if you have pets (every 2-3 months if you don't).
FRIDGE: Clean/vacuum the coils at least 2x/year (yes, really). And stock up - a full fridge uses less energy than an empty one.
GUTTERS: Clean gutters and drain pipes regularly so water doesn't back up and cause damage to your roof and/or siding.
ROOF: Examine roof for leaks, especially around chimney, skylights, vent pipes, etc. Trim back tree limbs & vegetation away from roof.
SAFETY: Check smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers. Replace batteries twice/year.
SIDING: Check for holes/cracks. Caulk where nails are not flush with the siding.
TILE/BATH: Check caulking around showers, bath, sinks, toilet base.

RESOURCES:
Home Check-Up: VIP Inspection Services can help you out!
Call Sabrina at (919) 468-3114 or www.ncviphi.com

Handyman: For handyman/contractor services/Remodeling, contact Donnie Waide at Lyndee Construction at (919) 422-7129

I have the best clients!

We worked with Michelle twice - the first time to find a rental house in a tight time frame and the second time was to buy our house. We had a great experience both times. Michelle really listened to us to find what we were looking for and was very open and honest about the pros and cons of every place we went to look at. She was always easy to get a hold of and readily available to look at places. She still keeps in touch with us, a year out, just to see how we are doing and if there is anything else she can help us with. All in all, she was so easy and FUN to work with! We would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a real estate agent in the area.

-George & Christine Henning

The Eyesore in the Hood!

We've all seen them....the house that's painted a pretty shade of purple or electric blue! So what do you do when you live right next door to them & you're getting ready to put your house up for sale? You can always complain to the HOA, or talk to your neighbor....or you can just take my husband's approach & grab your paintball gun!