Summer Fun Giveaway Winners

KBT agents talked with almost 400 friends and clients during the Summer Fun phonathon on June 24. The event was our opportunity to tell everyone how much we appreciate your trust and your business while we do what we love: help our clients buy and sell homes.

In addition to having great conversations, everyone who called KBT was entered into the Summer Fun raffle. Winners of the great prize packages are:

Movies Under the Stars equipment and refreshment machines (sponsored by Shaw Real Estate), Lydia H.

Be Cool Yeti cooler & party grill (sponsored by Wells Insurance), Branden O.

Summer Ready & Gorgeous (sponsored by Baylee Leigh at Head to Toe Day Spa), Phylis S., Renee R., and Katlyn M.

Fresh and Clean (sponsored by Citrus Cans), Alan S.

On the Water inflatable paddle board package, Sheila A.

Backyard Sports games, Aaron D.

Go Fishing kayak and accessories, Olivia H.

Bahama Beach Bonanza, Jamie I.

Sun and ...

There’s a certain magic to making the home-buying experience a positive one for out-of-town buyers. It’s about knowing how to pivot and work with the unique situation each cross-country real estate transaction presents. Everyone, from the Realtor and the loan officer, to the moving company, must be able to work across state lines. That takes experience and knowledge.
  
Added challenges, like COVID-19 pandemic health guidelines or travel restrictions, can make long distance home searches even more difficult.

“In light of the uncertainty in today’s world, travel is more difficult, viewing homes is more difficult, and yet still the market is competitive and fast-paced,” says Kirk Pugh, Broker/Realtor with KBT Realty Group - Keller Williams Innovate. “It is important for buyers to utilize technology and a true local expert to help guide them through the process. An agent should be able to help virtually select and eliminate prope ...

What's Up | North Carolina Beaches Phasing Into Summer

Ocean-front towns along the Southeastern North Carolina coast are phasing back into a semblance of normalcy and welcoming both residents and visitors to enjoy beaches and entertainment. Towns are loosening beach restrictions, restaurants are opening with modified service, and parking restrictions are being adjusted. There are individual local guidelines, so it is important to find COVID-19 restriction updates directly from these government sources:

Carolina Beach

Town of Wrightsville Beach

Town of Kure Beach

Surf City

Brunswick Islands (including Oak Island, Ocean Isle Beach, Caswell Beach, Southport, Sunset Beach, and Bald Head Island)




Do's and Don'ts: Protect Your Pre-Approval


Once you have your home loan pre-approval in-hand, it's important not to jeopardize a smooth closing in any way. Knowing the do's and don'ts of protecting your pre-approval can prevent delays or other issues when y ...

You've been self-isolating, working from home, on lock-down. Suddenly, those four walls aren't the four walls you loved before the novel coronavirus.

COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have impacted everyone's daily movement to both work and recreation. The new lifestyle is inspiring many homeowners and renters to re-evaluate what they want most in the place they live.

Especially if they have to live in that house or condo twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

With a partner. Or the kids. Maybe a dog, or two. And a cat. Add a parent, and the house that kind of works during the best of times, really doesn't work during the most challenging of times. 

This COVID-perspective has both renters and home owners reassessing what they want out of the place they call home. There's nothing like a lock-down to make you reevaluate your living quarters with a critical eye. The list of must-haves in a new home swing from more privacy to more space, with lots of details betwe ...

1. Update Your Loan Officer
Communicate any changes in your life that could impact your finances, banking, or credit, to your Loan Officer immediately. It’s better to deal with a change in your situation early rather than hope it doesn’t become an issue.


2. Work-from-Home Contact Information
Provide your Loan Officer and team with alternate contact info to reach your employers, financial advisors, and other parties, especially if they are working remotely. This will save time and stress for any last minute
updates.








3. Current Paystubs
Be prepared to provide updated paystubs throughout the whole process, even right before closing. Because many people are experiencing a sudden change in employment status due to the COVID-19 pandemic, verification of employment and salary has become especially stringent. You might be asked for employment verification even on the actual day of your real estate closing. Your Loan Officer should ensure that you close ...