Demystifying The Refinance Process

Posted in Buyer Tips, News You Can Use, Seller Tips, Team Gale on Aug 10, 2015

Markets across the nation have rebounded from the burst bubble of '08, with more and more homeowners proactively trying to optimize and stabilize their assets. Home ownership is one of the most, if not the most, important investment a person or family can make. If you plan to stay in your home for some time, refinancing is responsible; as it provides the opportunity to assess the value of your home, clarify your equity, and potentially save you money on your outstanding mortgage payments. One issue associated with refinancing that always hangs people up is whether it costs anything to explore....

7 Improvements You'll Be Glad You Made

Posted in Seller Tips, Team Gale, Wilmington NC Real Estate, You're Home with Team Gale Radio on Mar 03, 2015

Selling season is upon us! HomeGain was kind enough to do the math for interested sellers and show definitively which chores and upgrades provide the greatest return when your property is on the market. HomeGain is an agent referral site, offering buyers and sellers all kinds of tips for real estate. They offer a particularly useful "Home Sale Maximizer" tool so you can judge which projects are worth the investment of your time and resources.

The top ranked improvement you can perform is surprisingly simple: clean and declutter! Bringing in a professional organizer or cleaning service may run...

Thinking of Selling?

Posted in Hampstead NC Real Estate, Jacksonville NC Real Estate, Leland NC Real Estate, Seller Tips, Team Gale, Wilmington NC Real Estate on Mar 19, 2014

Thinking of Selling?

Written by Mary Beth Tice

“Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.”

We have all heard this famous quote in one way or another and it simply refers to The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and suggesting that even though you are surrounded by something, you can’t benefit from it.*

The next question is simple, what does that have to do with real estate and why is it posted here? Ahhh, but that is the question worth a thousand closings! Right now the local real estate market is at an odd place. We have plenty of buyers looking for h...

Where is the Market Headed in 2014?

Posted in Buyer Tips, Market Reports, Seller Tips on Feb 18, 2014

Where is the Market Headed in 2014?

Written by Mary Beth Tice

At the start of anything, whether it’s the New Year, basketball season, or a new relationship, everyone wants to know “Where is this thing going?” It’s no surprise that the real estate market faces the same question a thousand times throughout each year. But much like knowing who is going to the playoffs prior to the end of the season, knowing exactly where the market is headed will vary based on who you ask.

To Know Where We are Headed, First We Need to Know Where We Have Been

Because real estate can vary greatly from place to pla...

You're Home with Team Gale: Interest Rates & Market Status Update

Posted in Buyer Tips, Market Reports, Seller Tips, Team Gale, You're Home with Team Gale Radio on Jul 15, 2013

You're Home with Team Gale: Interest Rates & Market Status Update

If you missed the live show on Saturday the 13th, Jack and Tom discussed rising yet still low interest rates and the current market status with guest Cameron Pearson from Alpha Mortgage. Listen to it here now but be sure to tune in live to Port City Radio (93.7 and 106.3) Saturdays at 9:00 am. 

Home Organization

Posted in Home Improvement, Seller Tips on Jun 04, 2013

Home Organization

Written by Mary Beth Tice

I recently moved out of my two bedroom townhome apartment in Wilmington and into a two bedroom apartment in Little River with my boyfriend. I have lived on my own for ages except for a brief time when I moved back home with the folks. And I have a lot of stuff to show for it, I mean A LOT of stuff. After all, I used to rent a 3 bedroom home in Leland and had it fully decorated and the 1 car garage stocked with all my outdoor equipment, extra books and a deep freezer. But because I know I can’t fill the new place with only my stuff but the bf’s as wel...

Condominium Market Update

Posted in Seller Tips on Oct 12, 2011

Condominium Market Update

Are condominiums selling in New Hanover County? Everyone talks about stick built homes, but what about condos? Find out first hand what’s selling and what’s not.

Condominium Market Update

Written By Mary Beth Tice

On October 10, 2011, I shared with everyone the average sold data for stick built, single family homes in New Hanover County. Surprisingly some of the feedback I received was “What about condos and townhouses? Don’t you have information on them?” And the answer is yes, of course I do! I simply fell into that mindset of everyone only wants to know what st...

There Goes the Neighborhood (Sales)…

Posted in Seller Tips on Aug 02, 2011

There Goes the Neighborhood (Sales)…

While driving around my neighborhood, I noticed that on my street there are no less than 5 houses listed for sale and I know of one more family getting ready to list their house in the upcoming month. This got me thinking. What do you do when you need or want to sell your house but everyone else on your street has beaten you to it?

I posed this and several other questions to the agents on Team Gale and here are their responses.

“What to do when every house around you is up for sale?”

“Let’s talk about why you are selling. Do you NEED to sell and if so, wh...

Prepping Your House for Showings

Posted in Seller Tips, Video on Jun 22, 2011

Prepping Your House for Showings

Team Gale Vlogger Mary Beth discusses what you can do to prepare your house for real estate showings before you leave for work in the morning. Follow these simple tips and you will always be ready to show your home at a moment's notice.

See More Seller Tips

Rain, rain, please don’t go away!

Posted in Seller Tips on Jun 13, 2011

Rain, rain, please don’t go away!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="368" caption="Image from BigFoto.com"][/caption]

Lately my yard has been suffering from lack of water. While it doesn’t crunch (yet) when you step on it, I know that soon it will. Wilmington, NC is suffering from a drought (currently Wilmington’s rainfall deficit is over 8 inches). Not something any of us like to think about but it’s true. The days of mud puddles seem like a dream. And while we are not under a water constriction (yet), we all should still consider how to maintain our property’s curb appeal without draini...