Homes in Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill is located right in the middle of North Carolina, halfway between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. In 2000, the nearly 20 square mile city had a population of 48,715 people and it has substantially increased over the last five years.

The city enjoys a rather mild climate with summer temperatures ranging between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit and winter temperatures normally ranging between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Buying one of the many homes in Chapel Hill is a great investment because it is a wonderful place to raise a family. The city has a strong sense of community, an excellent school system, safe neighborhoods and friendly residents. There are also several recreational opportunities nearby including golf, tennis, horseback riding, biking, hiking, camping, etc.

Home buying basics

According to the 2000 census, the median value of homes in Chapel Hill was $229,100. If you are seriously looking at homes in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, be sure you know the common procedures and pitfalls that come with the process. Below are a few tips to help you have a successful home buying experience.

Get your credit report. It is advised to get your credit score before shopping for a home. A credit score is based on several different variables and ranges between 300 and 850. A score above or near 700 is favorable and most likely to be approved by lenders.

Choose a good real estate agent. Buying a home can be a much easier process with the help of a real estate agent. One of the best ways to secure a good real estate agent is by talking to people you know who have worked with that particular agent. If that is not possible, you can look in your local real estate listings and find an agent who has been successful selling a variety of homes. Choose an agent who is professional, yet aggressive and has your best interests in mind. Also, try to help out your real estate agent by giving him or her specifics. Such as, how much you are willing to spend on a home, what style and size of home you are looking for, which neighborhoods you prefer, etc.

Remember there is always room for negotiation. A large portion of home buying is simple negotiation. In a sense, the market sets the price of homes, not the seller. If you think the home is overpriced, don't be afraid to offer less than the asking price.

Be patient. Don't rush into buying the first home that you like. Finding a real estate agent, choosing a home, and setting up financing can take several months. You need time to carefully evaluate all the homes on the market and see which one best fits into your budget and lifestyle. If you take the time to look at many different homes, you are more likely to get a better price on the home you finally decide on.

Go for it! Once you decide what kind of home you're looking for, obtain your credit score, and hire a trusted real estate agent, buying one of the great homes in Chapel Hill will be a breeze. With several different homes in a variety of styles, sizes and prices, your next step will be packing the moving vans.

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More than 40 states signed onto a proposed $25-billion deal with major mortgage servicers over faulty foreclosure practices. New York, Nevada and Delaware joined California in holding out for better terms.

More than 40 states signed onto a proposed $25-billion settlement with major mortgage servicers over faulty foreclosure procedures, but California, New York and other key states were still not among them.

California has until Monday to share in a multi-state deal with banks to obtain mortgage relief and reforms. Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, who walked away from talks last year, says the door remains open.

With a Monday deadline at hand, California officials have resumed direct talks with the Obama administration about joining a multibillion-dollar, multi-state mortgage settlement with the nation's largest banks, a source said Sunday.

The talk show host pays $12 million for the 4,088-square-foot house with four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The ocean-view home sits on 1.26 bluff-top acres with beach access.

In one of the more talked-about transactions in town, actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have sold their Malibu beach house to daytime host and comedian Ellen De Generes for $12 million.

The four-bedroom, five-bathroom house built in 1920 for industrialist James Wigmore lists for $2,875,000.

A decorative cast stone entrance opens to this restored Spanish Colonial Revival-style house in Pasadena's South Orange Grove area. Built in 1920 for industrialist James Wigmore, the house retains such original details as coffered wood ceilings and arched doorways.

They don't believe they can sell their property for what it's worth, so they're spending money on making their homes more comfortable.

Do you fit any of these descriptions?

A biennial research report by the National Assn. of Realtors indicates that a handful of real estate agents and brokers and their clients either don't know the law or don't care to follow it.

When it comes to lawsuits, real estate agents and brokers tangle mostly among themselves.

The president aims to help about 3.5 million people with good credit who are unable to refinance at historically low rates because their homes are worth less than their mortgages.

 

The White House hopes to help millions of homeowners lower their monthly mortgage bill with a $5 billion to $10 billion plan to set up a streamlined refinancing program for people who are current on their payments.

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index of 20 large U.S. cities fell 1.3% in November from October as foreclosures continue to drag down the housing market.

Three straight months of home-price declines in the biggest U.S. cities showed that foreclosures remain a significant drag on a housing market that is entering its fifth year of deterioration.

L.A. Clipper Chris Paul may be quick down the court, but he moves pretty fast when it comes to buying multimillion-dollar real estate too.