Now is a GREAT Time To Buy a House!

Some investment research firms are saying that now is the best time in history to buy a house. Given the state of the current economy, you may do a double-take at this news, but here are the facts to support the statement...

1. Mortgage rates are the lowest in U.S. history -- According to Global Financial Data, who has tracked statistics on mortgage rates going back to the early 1900's, mortgage rates are at the lowest they have been ever! The only time they've been even close to this low is the period just after World War II. When you correlate these statistics with housing prices, you will see that this also heralded the greatest postwar boom in housing prices ever, by far!

2. Housing prices are still low from the economic downturn -- According to the Housing Affordability Index, home prices in the U.S. fell by about one third. And, according to real estate guru Mr. Allen Tate and Allen Tate Company's Mr. Pat Riley, we hit the bottom for the Charlotte region around October of 2010. This makes early 2011 a prime time to buy real estate before the prices start the slow climb back upward.

If you still have a job and are looking for a great investment, these compelling facts tell us that housing is still a great investment, and this could be the best time in American history to put your money into real estate!

Reviving Your Summer-Damaged Lawn

Summer is tough on lawns. Heavy foot traffic from spending more time outdoors, the hot weather, and sometimes even drought can cause your grass to become worn out and thin in spots. It can be frustrating for homeowners. Especially if you're spending a lot of time on your lawn with watering, mowing, edging and weeding to keep your grass looking nice. But don't worry, there is a solution to these summer lawn woes... Over-Seeding! Over-Seeding can keep your lawn healthy and bring it back into shape after the damage of summer. It is one of the cheapest and fastest ways to bring your worn-out lawn healthy, green and lush once more. Here are some tips on how to properly Over-Seed your lawn:

• The best time to Over-Seed your lawn is autumn. (If you can't seed then, the next best time is spring).

• Choose a variety of seed that is suitable for your lawn... Is your lawn shady or sunny? Will kids or pets be romping over the grass? Do you need a drought-resistant variety of grass? Do you live in the South where you can have a green winter lawn by mixing perennial rye grass into your bermuda grass lawn? Are weeds a problem in your yard? Bring the answers to these questions with you when you go to your local garden center or call your lawn specialist so they can help you select the seed that best suits your needs.

• Prepare the lawn before seeding by mowing a little lower than usual and removing the lawn clippings so the seed can reach the ground more easily when you broadcast it.

• Enrich the soil... Spread a very thin layer (no more than 1/4 inch) of enriched soil over the yard with a rake.

• Broadcast the seed... Be sure to follow the instructions on both your spreader and the bag of seed for proper seed installation. You can use a hand-held spreader for smaller yards, and they also make rolling models for larger lawns.
  

If you don't have the proper equipment or simply don't want to get your hands dirty, we would love to help you with your lawn care! Click the link to visit the R&D Real Estate Services website to learn more about our lawn care and landscaping services. We would be happy to give you a free estimate.

Spring Lawn Care Tips

This late into the Spring, spraying is the quickest way to keep the lawn looking green. Using a high nitrogen content fertilizer will keep the lawn green. Also, clover is a sign of low nitrogen soil. The nitrogen content in a fertilizer is the first number on the bag. Now is the time to put out fertilizer with crabgrass control. Crabgrass will grow in the fall, so now, before it gets out of control, is the best time to take care of it.

While fighting weeds is a year-round job, weed prevention is best practiced in the fall and early spring to take advantage of the growing season of turf grasses. A healthy, thick lawn is your #1 defense against weeds. In fact, a badly weed-infested lawn is usually a sign of nutrient imbalance or other soil problems. Small patches of weeds can be handled by pulling or digging. All-over lawn weed control is usually not necessary either, as a heavy infestation would be better handled by making the grass healthy. However, for those in-between situations, you may want to consider the use of a chemical or organic herbicide.To choose the correct herbicide, it’s helpful to understand some basic terms that appear on the labels of commercially-packaged weed control products:

• Pre-Emergent herbicides work by preventing seed germination, so they don’t do much good after the weeds are growing. They’re best used as a preventative spot-treatment in known weedy patches.


• Post-Emergent herbicides work by killing growing plants, usually by interrupting chemical processes such as photosynthesis, protein production, or root growth. They are best applied when the plant is actively growing and in the fall when plants are storing up nutrients in their roots. This allows the herbicide to be quickly sucked down into the roots where it is most effective. Post-emergent herbicides can work on contact (killing only the vegetation they touch) or systemic (absorbing into and killing the entire plant).


• Selective herbicides target only certain types of plants by identifying specific enzymes or other plant chemicals. Frequently you’ll see selective herbicides designed to target monocots (such as grasses or other strappy-leaved plants) or dicots (all other plants, often referred to as “broadleaf” plants).


• Non-selective herbicides kill any plant they contact and should be used for spot-treatment only.


• Total vegetation herbicides kill all plants and sterilize the ground for a certain period of time – they should be used very carefully!

For professional help in selecting the best weed control method, fertilizer, and other treatments to keep your lawn looking green and lush, talk to your lawn care specialist. If you live in Charlotte, NC or the Lake Norman region, R&D Real Estate Services can evaluate your yard to establish the best course of action for it and give you a free quote; just click here to visit our website for more information!

Be Wary of Potential Mortgage Scam Artists

With low rates, low housing prices, and new tax credits, now is a great time to purchase real estate! But, if you are considering purchasing a home, keep in mind that the tough economy and the upheavals in the mortgage industry have given rise to mortgage scam artists.

R&D Real Estate Services has always offered services for protecting your investment in your home through maintenance, handyman/repair services and landscaping; but we also like to stay abreast of real estate news so we can keep our customers informed to protect their interests in other ways. Here are some things to look out for:

• If a "mortgage company" says they will help you use a government program to get rid of the burden of your current mortgage obligations, and all you have to do is send them a payment of X amount of dollars to start the information process, it's likely be a scam. And even if it's not, you should shop around before giving your hard-earned money to a lender. There are plenty of legitimate mortgage companies that will send you the same information, absolutely free of charge, in order to get your attention and earn your business. Only after they have done actual work for you (such as a home refinance and the steps leading up to it) should you have to pay any fees.
• If you receive a fancy brochure from someone promising foreclosure relief for an upfront fee, chances are it's a scam. The best place to go for foreclosure relief is your actual lien holder. There was a time when the economy was booming and banks had no problem with throwing someone out of their home for non-payment since they knew they could easily sell the home to someone who could pay (and there are still a few out there who will do it in a heartbeat). However, the current state of economy and housing market has caused a shift in attitude by many mortgage lenders. Call your lender. If you are honest and upfront with them, letting them know you want to do your best to work with them on it, there is a good chance they will reciprocate.
• If a company offers to negotiate a short sale with your bank for you (and some may even use language about "their attorneys helping you") for an upfront fee, it might be a scam. This is something you can easily read up on and then handle yourself personally with your lender, and if you do prefer to have a professional walk you through the process, talk to your real estate agent. Because most agents know they will receive a commission on your home sale, they will typically do the legwork and negotiate between the bank and potential buyers for free! If you don't have a real estate agent, talk to R&D Real Estate Services. In our business, we know many Realtors, so we can direct you to one of them who is qualified in handling short sales. And unlike the scammers, we will NOT be charging you any fees for doing so!

Getting a Tax Refund? Invest it in Your Most Precious Asset, Your Home!

We all can be tempted to buy something frivolous when we receive a good tax refund check. But in these tough economic times, consider investing that money, or at least part of it, in your most precious asset, your home!

With the recent housing crisis, it's possible that your home has stopped appreciating, or even dropped in value, so it is more important than ever that your home is in the best possible shape in case the need arises for you to sell it. The homes that are in the best condition will always be the homes that move first in this type of housing market. Make your home stand out amongst all the competition!

Don't plan on selling anytime soon? Keep in mind that maintenance is key. It will cost you much less to invest money in your home now and take care of those pesky little maintenance items, than to pay high repair bills down the road when those issues have grown into much larger problems!

If you live in or near Charlotte, NC or the Lake Norman area, contact R&D Real Estate Services for a free evaluation of your home. It's easy! Simply tell us how much of your refund you would like to budget towards your home, and we'll visit to make suggestions for repairs or updates that fit your budget and will add value to your property.

Visit our website to view more information on our many services for homeowners and real estate agents throughout the area.

Helpful Tips for Winterizing Your Home

As temperatures drop, your utility bills go up!
To combat high-cost energy bills, use these
effective winterizing tips:

• The clothes dryer exhaust duct is frequently the reason that the laundry room is cooler than the rest of the house when the dryer is not in use. Check the vent outside to make sure the trap door has not gotten stuck in the open position. Worn vent covers can be replaced at a reasonable cost by calling R&D Real Estate Services.
• After dark, turn on a light in your attic, and then close the access from below. If light is coming through, so is the cold! R&D Real Estate Services can add weather stripping to the edges of the access doorway to help. And if there are not fold-up stairs in the way, adding insulation to the inside of the access panel is also a good idea.
• Check the weather stripping around all exterior doors to see if it is worn out. If you can pass a piece of paper through the cracks around the edges, you may need R&D Real Estate Services to replace your weather stripping.
• If you have a fireplace, be sure to close the damper when it is not in use so your warm air is not going right up the chimney.
• If you own an irrigation system, check with R&D Real Estate Services about having your system winterized. Freezing temperatures can damage systems that have not been winterized, so this preventive measure could save you huge repair costs down the road.
• Have your heating system tuned up about once a year to make sure that your heating system is running as efficiently as possible. Replacing the air filter once a month is something you can do yourself that will also aid in the efficiency of your unit.
• Close blinds/drapes during cold weather for added insulating power at the windows when the sunlight is not shining in through them.
  

R&D Real Estate Services would be happy to go through your home and give you a free quote on these and many other low-cost ways to reduce the efficiency of your home. We serve the Lake Norman and Charlotte, NC areas.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Newsletter Blog for R&D Real Estate Services. We've just launched our blog, but check back soon and we'll have helpful homeowner tips (and more!) in the coming weeks to help you get your home ready for the holidays!