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 ...

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 ...

KBT Realty Group is committed to implementing healthy strategies for home search and home sales. Deemed an "essential service" by the North Carolina Governor, members of the Association of Realtors are allowed to continue to operate — at restricted levels — during the COVID-19 pandemic. As they work, Realtors at KBT Realty, and throughout the southeastern North Carolina region, are taking proactive steps to ensure the safety of themselves and their clients as they work together to buy and sell property.

Healthy Strategies for Your Home Search

For many prospective home buyers, the need to move is essential, whether it is work-related, or an important decision involving family or health reasons. Your real estate agent will be able to educate you on implementing social distancing restrictions, leveraging digital home search solutions, and understanding all your options as you work through searching, viewing, and purchasing your new home.

The first step in your home se ...

contributed by Jen Reed


What's Up | fun and festivities
March 1, 2 - 4 p.m. Exploring Women’s History | Cape Fear Museum, Wilmington | Recording artist Women's History Month kicks off at the Cape Fear Museum when Dr. Jan Davidson presents a program (2:30pm) that explores some of the many stories of women's experiences in New Hanover County. She'll talk about a diverse group of women, including World War I army nurse Rachel Loman; Augusta Mosely Cooper, the first black woman to run for city council; entrepreneur and milliner Lelia Corbin; and tennis star Althea Gibson. Curator Heather Yenco will also have a special sampling of artifacts from the collection related to these women.
March 1, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Art Exhibit Rivers and Waterways | Burgwin-Wright Home, Wilmington | The The Art Exhibit at Burgwin-Wright House in downtown Wilmington features Connections: Rivers and Waterways, paintings by Marion Clark Weathers.
March 7, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Marchtober ...

Well into the dog days of summer, the real estate market is hot, just like the weather is outside.

Kirk Pugh jumps right into some numbers to see what that means to the real estate buyer or seller. If you are a seller today, whether you are getting a job transfer, moving to get closer to family, or needing to upsize for a growing family or downsize, the market is very much in your favor right now. "Absorbtion rate" is something that we talk about internally on the KBT Realty team. At what pace are homes that are put on the market in various price categories selling, and what is a reasonable expectation a seller can have for how long it may take to get their house sold? 

If we look at the market by price point, Kirk suggests, up to about $350,000, in New Hanover county, assuming a house is in a decent location and in decent condition without too much deferred maintenance, there is a three month supply of inventory. On the spectrum of buyers-market, sellers-market, a h ...