Real Estate Market Update for Jan - Feb 2019 | Kirk Pugh, Broker Realtor



This is a cumulative January and February housing update for the Wilmington North Carolina and beaches, most notably New Hanover, Pender, and Brunswick counties. National level information comes from the National Housing Report through Morgan Stanley. Local county information is pulled from the MLS.



Home Price Appreciation

The housing market has been great. Prices have been going up and there has been an affordability challenge discussed in the media. The home price appreciation has actually slowed somewhat. It looks like we are on track for about 5.6% for 2019. Granted, we are just into it, so that's from the first two months of the year. 

On a positive note, the median price of a house has actually fallen, just under 3%. At the same time mortgage rates have dropped about 3.5%, so we have actually had a little bit of easing in the affordability crunch. Homes have gotten easier to buy for ...

Breaking Through the Confusion Regarding Home Warranty HVAC Inspections
Armed with clear information on Home Warranty HVAC inspections, many buyers and sellers opt to contract for this service. The upfront payment for an HVAC inspection is usually in the range of $85, and considering the potentially hefty cost of HVAC repairs, clients may find this warranty pays for itself.


Repairing Your Home's HVAC Can Be a Big-Ticket Item
What is an HVAC?

HVAC stands for "Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning." Your home's HVAC is the entire system that regulates the cooling and heating of the interior, making the indoor environment comfortable through the changing seasons.

There are four different types of HVAC systems. The four HVAC systems are designed to suit the size and interior specs of a home or commercial building.

Heating and Air Conditioning Split System

A "split system" has an outdoor unit that houses both the condenser and the compressor, and an indoor unit w ...

Divorce is hard.
Navigating a real property settlement agreement shouldn't be.

Property transactions add a level of stress and complexity to any divorce. You need a realtor on your team. KBT Realty Group realtors have the expertise to deal with delicate situations firmly and compassionately - traits required to manage this process for you. 

KBT Realty Group is an industry leader made up of a team of highly skilled professionals. We have risen to the top ranks of our industry by valuing the client and our integrity above the transaction.

We stay laser-focused on service, communication, marketing and expert negotiation; all of which results in our helping hundreds of families achieve their desired result each and every year. Our practice is primary focused on residential real estate; however, we are proficient in commercial dispositions, development, and investment property.

We operate our business from a position of gratitude and with a servant’s heart

At th ...

If you are considering selling your home, one of the first actions you need to take is engaging a real estate agent. 

But, there is a lot more than signing a contract with your kids' soccer coach's wife or the friend of a friend. These agents may be the best to get your home sold, but are you sure? You should enter into a seller's contract with both enthusiasm and confidence!

Your home may be your most valuable physical financial asset; don't trust the process of selling your home to without thoroughly discussing the process and reviewing your options. Hiring a real estate agent is a huge decision. You should search for real estate professionals, choose 3-5 of those, and then interview each to find the best fit for your real estate transaction expectations.

This is your opportunity to be the "boss," so create an agent interview strategy and execute it thoughtfully. Your objective is to hire the right person for the job, and that job is selling your home at the best possi ...

What if your real estate agent told you that any home buyer could become a cash buyer?

Sounds too good to be true, right?

Real estate brokers run across situations every day where a buyer doesn't have as much power with a deal that is being financed because of offer contingencies, or they are in competition with multiple offers - a situation that comes up quite often - on the property of their dreams.


If the buyer is a cash buyer, that helps get the job done

KBT Realty is promoting a new tool that makes it possible for pre-approved buyers to become cash buyers. This tool works in a wide variety of real estate buying and selling scenarios.

A buyer might own a house in Kentucky, for example, and they have found a house in the Wilmington NC market that they want to purchase. Or they could have a house in Wilmington that they need to sell in order to be able to buy a different house in the area. That's one situation: a buyer has found a house they want to buy, but they c ...