October 18, 2015

The 40th Annual OctoberTour™ Just Came to Salisbury NC! Own a Piece of History!

The second weekend in October is one of the very best weekends to be in Salisbury NC!  Historic Salisbury Foundation hosts its annual OctoberTour™ of historic homes every...October!!!

OctoberTour invites thousands from a wide spread geographic area to Salisbury to view private historic homes.  And this year, it's the Foundation's 40th year hosting this extremely popular event.  We sure hop you came to Salisbury, North Carolina on October 10th & 11th to enjoy the 40th annual OctoberTour!

Realtor® Greg Rapp has long been recognized as the Salisbury/Rowan County expert in historic properties.  There isn't another local real estate agent who has the breadth and depth of knowledge of historic properties in the area.  Greg has not only sold more historic residential historic homes than any other area agent, but has spurred economic development in downtown Salisbury ~ presenting the concept of downtown residential spaces over retail in the downtrodden Bernhardt Hardware building...a restoration that now supports six luxury lofts above bistro restaurant, high-end custom bakery, and children's boutique.  The impact this restoration has had on the the downtown is immeasurable and the example is soon to be followed.  Similar downtown projects are waiting in the wings ~ thanks to the innovative and proactive vision of Greg Rapp with Wallace Realty.

Greg and Wallace Realty have several historic properties listed.  So if you took in OctoberTour 2015...you are surely hooked with the historic 'bug' (as if you weren't already)!!!  Let Greg Rapp and Wallace Realty turn you on to the cure for that bug!!

Wallace Realty's  historic listings include:

180 Zeb Street ~ This mill-village cottage, circa 1937, with it's rustic charm and rocking-chair front porch, is tucked away in a completely peaceful and private neighborhood.  Don't let 'rustic' fool you...this tiny home is nearly maintenance free with its new metal roof and vinyl siding! 

MLS#58138 / $39,500 (Listed agent: Greg Rapp)



317 Thomas Street West ~   This circa 1912 Folk Victorian boasts loads of period and original details, while sporting a wonderful renovation and addition with a 1st level Master Suite, study, and screen porch.   

MLS#58145 / $164,500 (Listing agent Margaret Lipe)



418 Monroe Street West ~ if a 'fixer-upper' is your dream....here it is!  Right on the edge of the prestigious Historic West Square in Salisbury NC, this American Bungalow is priced right for your finishing touches!  

MLS#57756 / $59,500 (Listing agent Greg Rapp)



1627 N. Main Street ~ this vintage American Bungalow, circa 1908-1921, and perched on its elevated lot overlooking the North Main Historic District, just exudes charm...from its deep wrap-around porch to its spacious living room...to its bright and airy kitchen.  There's lots to love about this classic bungalow home!  

MLS#58176 / $74,500 (Listing agent Greg Rapp)



131 Bank Street West ~ When it comes to historic grandeur, it's hard to beat this Queen Anne Victorian!  There are too many great features to list here, but know that this especially wonderful home was featured on Historic Salisbury Foundations OctoberTour™ just a few years ago! 

MLS#57943/ $307,000  (Listing agent Margaret Lipe)



225 Thomas Street West ~  A Classic Dutch Colonial home, built in 1922, just overflowing with character.  Over 2400 square feet of historic charm on one of the prettiest streets in Salisbury!

MLS#57638 / $175,000  (Listing agent Greg Scarborough)


206 Thomas Street West ~  Lovely 2-story brick circa 1918 Colonial Revival home is located in The Historic West Square District and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The welcoming front porch leads to the huge foyer where the handsome staircase takes you to the second floor. 

MLS#57723 / $299,800  (Listing agent Marie Leonard-Hampton)


324 Thomas Street West ~ This circa 1927Foursquare in Historic Salisbury offers timeless elegance along with modern updates and convenience, including a completely updated kitchen! Minutes to downtown, all major local thoroughfares, and I-85. 

MLS#58224 / $179,750  (Listing agent Marie Leonard-Hampton)


408 Fulton Street South ~   Pretty circa 1898 Queen Anne style home has been sensitively restored and updated for today's living.Turn-of-the-century architecture includes: wrap around porch, original Victorian trim, high ceilings, paneled doors, original moldings, bay windows, gables, built-ins, wainscoting, stained glass transom, and a lovely wide hart pine flooring. 6 fireplaces including 1 with gas logs! 

MLS#57933 / $258,900  (Listing agent Marie Leonard-Hampton)

1116 Fulton Street South ~  Look at this unique granite block 1.5 story home!  Built in the circa 1910 bungalow style, it features 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, spacious rooms, a deep front porch, and...wait for it...60 cabinets n the kitchen!! 

MLS#57109 / $150,000  (Listing agent Nancy Poe)



501 Mitchell Avenue ~ Circa 1930 Dutch Colonial in desirable Fulton Heights is a must see property!  Large room sizes with great natural light, period-style kitchen, and a wonderful private side porch off the living room with a second story balcony off the master suite!  

MLS#58131 / $200,000  (Listing agent Greg Rapp)

Connect with the agent who knows more about historic properties, the historic neighborhoods, and the ins-and-outs of preservation and restoration from the ground up....Greg Rapp / Wallace Realty. 

When you make that call/text to 704.213.6846... you'll know you've taken steps in the right direction towards your own piece of history!













Greg Rapp 
Wallace Realty Co. 
704 213 6846 Mobile 
704 636 2021 Office 
www.realestatesalisbury.net 





October 17, 2015

Sold! Cute-As-A-Button Country Cottage! Tiny House Living is IN!

Tiny House Living is IN! Whether you're just starting out...or whether you've had that multi-room spread and are just READY to downsize...OR...you realize, like many, the economy of scale ~ a 'tiny house' might be just for YOU!  

Witness:
 
Greg Rapp just closed the deal on the sale of 1000 Rowan Avenue in Spencer NC. Just just under 900 square feet ~ this cozy 2-bedroom / 1-bath post-war cottage fits the bill in this era of 'tiny house' fascination or the 'less-is-more' philosophy! Not only is this sweet circa 1947 cottage charming in every way on its interior and exterior - it is also located in a country setting, but close to town and city amenities. Best of both worlds!
 

And this!

Greg Rapp sold 355 Dukeville Road ~ another circa 1941 2-bedroom ADORABLE cottage whose 1100 square feet featured a cozy kitchen with warm knotty pine walls, painted & glass cabinets, and a sweet rocking chair front porch.

This 'tiny house' was originally part of a company village for Duke Energy! 
 

Are you ready?

If you are ready for a sweet compact lifestyle unencumbered by the multi-room, 'McMansion' weight-of-the-world ~ check out 180 Zeb Street in Salisbury NC!

This rustic cottage has almost a cabin feel on the exterior, but will be a low maintenance home with its vinyl siding and almost new metal roof! (That magical sound of raindrops on a tin roof, anyone?)

180 Zeb Street, with just one bedroom & one bath and 900 square feet of living space, is the ultimate tiny home. Tucked away in what was once an old mill village near the Yadkin River, the quiet dead-end street is dotted with similarly structured homes, old growth shade trees, and surrounded with peace and quiet. 

The authentic wooden front porch, complete with porch swing, will be your favorite spring/summer/fall evening spot for sipping sweet tea and listening to the birds in the treetops...and the quiet! Ahhhhh! 

Greg has ideas on how this little 1-bedroom home could accommodate a 2nd bedroom...if you're interested! 

So... 

Whether you're ready to downsize, just starting out...or you just 
DIG the tiny house trend  ~  this cottage-style home might be just for YOU!  

Give Greg a call at 704.213.6846 to find out more ~ and to visit this cottage yourself!







Greg Rapp 
Wallace Realty Co. 
704 213 6846 Mobile 
704 636 2021 Office 
www.realestatesalisbury.net 





October 01, 2015

8 reasons FSBOs should list with a Realtor

8 reasons FSBOs should list with a Realtor


*By Bernice Ross / Inman.com / April 26, 2012

Can you explain why it’s smarter for a potential home seller to list with you, a real estate agent, as opposed to attempting a for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) deal? Showing the FSBO the value you bring to
the transaction may be much easier than you realize.

Many real estate experts thought the Internet would result in more people being able to successfully sell their home without a real estate agent.

The exact opposite has happened. According to research from the National Association of Realtors’ latest Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, FSBOs accounted for 10 percent of sales in 2011, down from 14 percent in 2003 and 2004.

Nearly half of FSBO sales were intra-family transfers or other situations where the sellers already knew the buyers. Only 6 percent of 2011 sales were FSBO transactions in which the seller did not know the buyer.


Here are some of the key factors that deter most homeowners from selling without an agent.

1. The decline of print advertising as a major lead generator
In the past, newspaper ads would produce a fair number of calls on FSBOs. Today, a three-line ad in the local newspaper has little chance of competing with the wide array of information online, including video, color photos, 360-degree virtual tours, and a wealth of community and lifestyle data.

2. Buyers seek rich content
IDX and VOW solutions, Realtor.com, Trulia and Zillow provide access to virtually all the listings in most market areas. Most buyers comb these major sites simply because it’s more efficient than searching for single properties.

3. Instant gratification
A third problem for FSBOs is that people who surf the Web usually are seeking instant gratification. In fact, most visitors will only visit a website once and stay for 15-30 seconds. If the FSBO has no strategy for capturing the lead’s contact information or for immediately following up, the lead moves on to the next website. Even if the Web lead does contact the FSBO, unless the buyer gets back to the FSBO quickly, that lead is gone.

4. Buyers want the savings
Even for those who do search for FSBOs, most buyers automatically deduct 6 percent from the sales price because they want the savings in their pockets, not the seller’s. The result is that many FSBOs end up selling for up to 20 percent less on average as compared with sellers who hire a Realtor.

5. The needle-in-the-haystack effect
A major challenge for FSBOs is the needle-in-the-haystack nature of the Web. There are millions of websites including the hundreds of thousands of company and agent sites. Without search engine optimization, meta tags and a host of other branding strategies to achieve high Web placement, the probability of the Web buyer finding the FSBO’s single listing online is small.

Of course, the buyer could post on sites such as ForSalebyOwner.com, ByOwnerMLS, or utilize the "Make Me Move" feature on Zillow. The challenge is that unless the buyer specifically wants to purchase a FSBO, it’s much more efficient to search on the brokerage or MLS sites.

The FSBO could also put his home on Craigslist. There are two challenges, however. First, the FSBO has to repost the ad regularly for it to appear near the top where it can be found. Second, there have been so many rental scams and unsavory people using that site to identify targets for possible criminal activity that listing there could be a major safety issue.

6. Web leads are reluctant to share contact information
Another issue FSBOs must face is that most Web buyers are reluctant to provide contact information to a stranger, especially during the search process. Instead, buyers identify homes they want to see and then normally contact a single agent who can show them everything they want to see, not just a single home.

7. Availability for showings
Because FSBOs don’t have lock-boxes, that means the FSBO will need to be present for every showing. There are numerous challenges with this situation, the most important of which is safety. Is the person who wants to see your house legitimate or not? Even if you accept an offer from a potential buyer, how do you know whether the person meets the income and credit requirements to close the deal?

8. The proof is in the pudding
Here’s a great closing question for sellers who believe that becoming a FSBO is a smart move. Did you know that Colby Sambrotto, founder of ForSalebyOwner.com, which is one of the most popular and robust FSBO sites on the Web, ended up listing his home with an agent AND paying a full commission?

If he couldn’t get the job done for himself using his website, how effective do you think this approach will be in getting your home sold for the highest possible price in the shortest amount of time?
The climate has never been better for prospecting FSBOs. If you haven’t considered adding this valuable niche to your business, there’s no better time than right now.  (Ross, Bernice.  April 26, 2012. Inman.com  http://www.inman.com/2012/04/26/8-reasons-fsbos-should-list-with-a-realtor/)

Maybe it's time to stop the uphill battle of trying to sell your property...all by yourself.  Connect with Greg Rapp / Wallace Realty, and get all the advantages of working with an experienced and accomplished licensed Realtor with proven marketing plans that WORK!   
704.213.6846

 







Greg Rapp 
Wallace Realty Co. 
704 213 6846 Mobile 
704 636 2021 Office 
www.realestatesalisbury.net 





*Bernice Ross, CEO of RealEstateCoach.com, is a national speaker, trainer and author of the National Association of Realtors’ No. 1 best-seller, “Real Estate Dough: Your Recipe for Real Estate Success.” Hear Bernice’s five-minute daily real estate show, just named "new and notable" by iTunes, at www.RealEstateCoachRadio.com