Short sales in Murphy NC Real estate has been on my mind a lot lately because there are a handful of homes out there that are short sales. Last night after writing the Basic Information on Short Sales in Murphy NC article, I felt compelled to continue on with it because there are so many things that be a challenge with them.

You can get a great buy with them, there’s just a few things that you need to know with them.

1. Has the listing price for the short sale been approved by the mortgaging bank? This is probably the most important question you can ask. If not, who’s to say the bank won’t approve it? I had an instance a month ago where we wrote an offer for more than the list price and the bank did not accept the offer.
2. Be patient. Like with foreclosures, you must be patient.
3. Have buyer agency. Make sure you have your real estate agent representing you and giving you good, sound advice. If you don’t feel like they are working for you, fire them and get another real estate agent who is - CALL The Poltrock Team!!
4. Be prequalified with a bank for a mortgage prior to making an offer or buy in cash. Just like with a bank owned property, money talks and they want to know you have the ability to follow through with your offer to purchase.
5. You’re not appealing to a seller. Yes the seller is involved and must sign your Offer to Purchase. In many cases though, they don’t care what it will sell for unless they have to bring money to the closing table. You are appealing to the bank and your offer needs to be written so it protects you and so it appeals to the bankers, not a “person.”
6. Be prepared for stupid requests. Although it won’t be as bad as in a foreclosure, there are a lot of stupid forms you may be required to sign. Smile, grin, and bear it

That’s a great start as to what you should expect from a short sale. Be certain about item #1. Otherwise, there’s a good chance you are wasting your time trying to buy it. If you like the house, have patience, and follow the rest of the advice, there’s a possibility you will get a great buy!

If you would like to know more information about short sales, what to do, and need a Realtor to represent you, give us a call! We’re here for you and in business because of you, so let us know what we can do to do help.

John Poltrock - The POLTROCK TEAM at RE/MAX Mountain Properties - www.MyMurphy.com - JohnPoltrock@gmail.com - Call toll free at 1-866-687-7496

Previous Related Articles:

Understanding a Short Sale in Murphy NC Real Estate

Foreclosure Houses and Tips to Buying Them in Murphy NC

What to Expect When Offering to Buy a Foreclosure in Murphy NC

Short sales in real estate have been a popular topic not only in Murphy NC, but all over the United States. National media has brought attention to this topic, and many people simply don’t understand what a short sale is. A short sale is not like a real estate foreclosure, which is is where a bank has repossessed a home or land parcel because the borrower failed to make their payments.

Need Help with a Short Sale? Get The POLTROCK TEAM!

A short sale happens when the owner (or borrower) still has possession of the property and sells the property for less than what is owed to the bank or mortgage holder.

A mortgage must always be satisfied (paid off) in full in order for a property to sell. In order for that, one or a combination of three things must happen:

1. The most popular and most talked about is the bank/mortgage holder writes off the loss and “forgives” the borrower. In some instances, it can still negatively impact your credit - but not as bad as a foreclosure.
2. The borrower brings cash to the closing table to pay for the difference. This rarely happens because if the homeowner had the money to pay the difference, they would likely not need a short sale in the first place. Short sales are generally reserved for when foreclosure seems inevitable and the borrower has no way to pay back the note.
3. The owner borrows the money to pay the difference. Many times the institution (so long as it is not a mega-national company) will loan the difference or a personal loan can be given from another bank.

Many sellers who are “upside down” in their real estate are trying to attempt this option. On the surface, it seems very easy. The truth is, there are a lot of hoops to jump through and you may not qualify for it. I was working a short sale and had the buyers about two weeks ago. The president of a large local bank told me, “If we did it for these guys, then we would have to do it for everyone. That would say it’s okay to default on a loan you promised to repay and that’s just not right. We’ll foreclose on it before we’ll even consider short selling it.” On the other hand, some banks would far rather a short sale than to have to go through the expensive process of foreclosing. We’ve closed short sales and they do happen.

There are so many things that come into play on these that I will have to save them for a later time. Keep an eye out for more on this topic and I will try to link them together to make them easily found. If you have any questions, call us or email! We’re in business for you and are happy to help any way we can.

John Poltrock, Certified Residential Specialist - The Poltrock Team at REMAX Mountain Properties - www.MyMurphy.com - JohnPoltrock@gmail.com - Toll Free 1-866-Murphy-NC or 1-866-687-7496

We have the pleasure of working with such great people here in the Murphy, NC real estate business!  We feel so fortunate to get to meet so many great couples and families along the way - we feel like we make scores of new friends each and every year!  Here’s some feedback we received from one of our latest buyers (and now friends):

What a stroke of luck!  Having randomly selected The Poltrock Team to use for our Murphy, NC real estate needs, we soon learned that we struck it rich!  Our experience in land buying with John and Jessica was second to none and something that we will fondly remember for a long time.  They were both great to work with, and most certainly the most patient people we have ever come across - every detail and request we made was provided with a smile and enthusiasm.  What a team!

We would recommend John and his team to anyone looking to find their dream home here in Murphy, NC.  Their constant updates made us worry free and confident that our best interests were in the forefront of their minds during the entire transaction.  We would rate our experience with both John and Jessica with a ten out of ten, with Jessica getting the winning edge on her driving skills!  Biggest thanks goes out to The Poltrock Team.

It was a absolute pleasure working with Kathy Pasick and Bill Robbins recently in their purchase of one of my homes for sale.  We met after they drove by and saw the “For Sale” sign in the front yard of my seller’s property and gave me a call.  Here’s what Kathy and William had to say about their experience in working with THE POLTROCK TEAM:

After meeting John, we knew he would be an excellent Murphy, NC Realtor to use in getting the best house at the greatest price for us.  We have worked with many Realtors over the past years - having owned and sold over 8 homes - and we have to say that John Poltrock and his Team were by far the best we have ever had the pleasure of working with and can definitely say that if we buy or sell another home in North Carolina, we will use him again!

The most noteworthy aspect of our working with The Poltrock Team was how they offered all the help we wanted and openly invited us to call anytime, day or night, with any problems or questions we had.  He was always available to us and we felt like we were being taken care of as if we were his only clients, which we know is far from the truth!

John needs to be given a rating of 11 out of 10 for his superior commitment and professionalism in working with us.  Thanks John and Jessica!

I am pleased to announce the successful home sale on behalf of one of my clients, John Clarke, who enlisted my services to sell his home here in Murphy, NC.  Here’s what John had to say about working with The POLTROCK TEAM:

After speaking with John about my real estate needs, I knew that he was a good choice for effectively selling my home.  John and his team were both consistent and persistent in keeping things moving throughout the selling process, contract and closing.  I soon realized that John would take care of any problems that came up and resolved them with no issues.

Since I was out of State during the transaction, the most helpful aspect of working with The Poltrock Team was knowing that John would take care of all the details and managing each aspect of the sale professionally.

I would have absolutely no reservation in working with The Poltrock Team again in the future or recommending them to others.

Happy Fourth of July! Yes, it is a bit early (that and you won’t get another update till after then! ;), but it’s one of our favorite Holidays because we celebrate our freedom. Although sometimes we feel like our country could be ran better at times, we have the greatest democracy the world has ever known. It could be far worse - we could live in Afghanistan!
 
Enough of the ramble and now on to the real estate market in Murphy NC! The past 2 weeks have been quite active averaging a sale every 15 hours - nice! 22 Properties have sold in the past 14 days, and holding true to what it has been for this entire year, homes have been the most active to sell. It’s holding that way for inquiries as well… for every land inquiry we receive, we get 3-4 home inquiries. It’s an interesting phenomenon that historically is not true at all here. Land usually sells 1.5-2 to 1. The good thing is that land parcels are selling, and I do have to admit that large tracts, unless incredibly well price (read: cheap), are practically stagnant.
 

Here are some statistics over the past 14 days:
Homes
-      Average List Price - $183,194
-      Average Sold Price - $163,194
-      List to Sold Price Ratio - 89.33%
-      Average Days on Market - 341
-      Total Sold - 17
-      Homes Actively for Sale in Cherokee County: 883
-      Homes Currently “Pending” Sale: 31
 

Land
-      Average List Price - $60,760
-      Average Selling Price - $41,000
-      List to Sold Price Ratio - 71.09%
-      Average Days on Market - 326
-      Total Sold - 5
-      Largest Tract to Sell - 1.11+/- Acres
-      Land Actively for Sale in Cherokee County: 2,316
-      Land Currently “Pending” Sale: 90
 
Advice: Despite what rumor and the media says, real estate is selling! Remember that and don’t be discouraged because your property doesn’t “Fly off the Shelf.” There are 3 P’s that are making real estate sell right now:

1)      Presentation - Keep it clean, fresh, comfortable (that means keep the AC on 72-74), and “staged.”

2)      Price - This is incredibly important to be on point for your price. If you’re overpriced in the market, you’re helping sell all the other homes that are correctly priced. Wondering about yours? Ask us! We can help.

3)      Patience - You’ve got to have this one! Even if you have all the above perfect, you’re still going to have to wait. It’s a lot of work to keep your home presentable and priced right, and without this, all the rest doesn’t matter. There’s a lot of agent “hopping” in the market where people will list their house, not sell in 6 months, and change their agent. This isn’t in your best interest. You chose the agent you like and trust and stick with them. When homes are taking an average of 11.36 months to sell in the past two weeks, 6 months simply doesn’t make sense or match the odds. Vegas casinos don’t win in the long run by going against the odds. Sit back, be patient, make your agent work, and talk to them! The advice you get is worth the weight in gold.
 
We thank you for your business - we’re here for you! Anytime we can do anything for you, please give us a call. Although you don’t hear from us every day, we’re behind the scenes sometimes constantly working to generate buyers and closings for our clients. So far, this year is going great and we’re going to keep it up.
 
We have a closing today at 11:30, so today’s another great day for real estate! Have a wonderful 4th and be safe out there.

John Poltrock - The POLTROCK TEAM at REMAX Mountain Properties - www.MyMurphy.com - Call Toll-Free 1-866-6877496 - Murphy’s #1 Real Estate Team

It’s not always just about real estate, it’s about the natural beauty of a place and the things there are to do there. The John C. Campbell Folk School is an excellent combination of both.

In the mountains of Brasstown, North Carolina, a school exists with the motto, “I sing behind the plow.” The school is John C. Campbell Folk School and the skills that are taught here are so expansive that one is sure to be right up your alley.   From the art of writing, to basketry, the choices of over 860 classes held both weekdays and weekends are for the amateurs and the proficient alike. This is a unique vacation unlike any other and the creative side of you will be drawn out by the expertise of the instructors. Small classes and interactive learning in a passive atmosphere will be an experience you will enjoy in an area of tremendous scenic beauty that only a place like Brasstown, NC has to offer.

Resident artists and a staff that is dedicated to allowing you the chance to explore your inner artist help to keep the John C. Campbell Folk School a great learning environment. The Folk School welcomes you to the area and the wide array of skills you can learn while you are visiting. The classes are small so the instructors have one on one time with those wishing to learn a new skill or polish up on one they learned several years ago.

The studios are all about the learning experience – the choices you have are practically endless:.

* Blacksmith
* Clay
* Cooking
* Enameling/hot glass

A few of the selections you will have are highlighted here, but this is only a sampling of the fun and creative time you can have when you visit the John C. Campbell Folk School.

The Rock Room

Enjoy this studio with rock covered walls that blends in with the nature of the North Carolina hills. The windows are plentiful and the openness of the space for basket, chair seat and broom classes are what make the Rock Room a studio that you will enjoy working in while learning these skills.

Woodcarving Studio

Here is the epitome of the rustic and picturesque buildings of old. The saw mill nearby and the porch for enjoying the mountain air make this building the perfect spot for woodcarving. The carvers can make whatever their hearts desire from a cowboy to a mythical wood spirit.

Music Studio

The splendid view surrounding the Music Studio seems to be just made for the enjoyment of music. From the mountain dulcimer to the Native American flute, the classes held in this beautiful studio which boasts a fireplace are available for all levels - the beginning musician to the experienced.

Enameling/Hot Glass Studio

With the joining of metal to glass, the possible projects are endless. Jewelry, home décor and art are all taught in this studio. Work on an art project that will inspire the free form artist in you - a three dimensional project made of copper or a stained glass technique. Whatever you choose will be a personal work of art you will enjoy making.

Cooking Studio

If you love to cook or just want to learn how this is a culinary dream come true. The huge selection of appliances with which you will have to work are going to ensure you will come up with a wonderful dish or two. From the wood-fired brick oven to the pasta maker, you can learn the basics of cooking or dream up a real masterpiece.
 
The John C. Campbell Folk School will certainly be a sure hit within your home, whether it is here in North Carolina or out of state, and may very possibly be a place for return visits in the future.

You can learn more about the folk school including class list and more at their official website: www.folkschool.org

Searching for Real Estate in Brasstown NC Near the Folkschool or Close By? CLICK HERE and we’ll send you the listings that fit what YOU are looking for!

John Poltrock - The Poltrock Team at REMAX Mountain Properties - www.MyMurphy.com - Call Toll Free 1-866-Murphy-NC or 1-866-687-7496

Here’s the kind of property you don’t find every day in Murphy NC for sale! This is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home that rests on a beautiful 3.5 acres with a pond, creek, 2 car garage, and a full mother-in-law suite or a separate apartment!

The home itself features an attached 2 car carport that leads directly into the stunning kitchen. It is very spacious and boasts black granite with golden flakes which truly sets off the kitchen. The separate dining room features a bay window overlooking the stunning landscape and the large living room is an excellent place to enjoy the days, especially by the stone wood burning fireplace. The bedrooms are huge and easily accommodate king size beds. Top it all off with a geothermal heat pump, and you have quite the energy efficient home!

There’s so much to talk about outside of the home! The large patio behind the home is an excellent place to grill, barbeque, or to just spend time outside. There’s also a 2 car garage, storage shed, a full apartment that could be used as a mother-in-law suite, and that’s not even mentioning the creek through the property or the stocked pond! The property is a beautiful setting to over look with the apple trees between the home and the pond, imagine looking on your own post card every day!

Click Here to see more photos and the current price of this real estate for sale in the Mountains of Murphy NC

Call The POLTROCK TEAM TODAY! Toll Free at 1-866-687-7496 - www.MyMurphy.com - JohnPoltrock@gmail.com - REMAX Mountain Properties

Welcome to the finest residential real estate in the mountain valley of Andrews NC for sale! This home and property features almost 6 stunning acres that’s equestrian friendly, a two car garage, storage building, waterfall feature, underground pool, fencing, and even a 3 stall horse barn. It even has a stunning mountain view!

The home is a 3 bedroom, 2 ½ bath, with a bonus room and even features 4 fireplaces! Coming in the main door is like stepping into a perfectly decorated home featured on Homes & Garden TV or Southern Living magazine. Inside you’ll find a large living room, spacious kitchen, and enormous pantry and laundry room, and a master suite that’s truly stunning! It is complete with its own gas log fireplace, Jacuzzi type whirlpool bathtub, separate shower, and a walk-in closet that will make anyone have closet envy!

Downstairs is an excellent place to spend your time with a supersized den, another fireplace, a built in desk, kitchenette, 2 bedrooms, and a bonus room that you can use for just about anything you like! It all leads directly to the swimming pool, and that’s a gorgeous spot to swim the day away.

The property is manicured delightfully with mature plants and trees and looks like a dream. This home and property is genuinely a work of art and you absolutely must see it in person!

Click Here to see more photos and the current price of this real estate for sale in Andrews NC

Call The POLTROCK TEAM TODAY! Toll Free at 1-866-687-7496 - www.MyMurphy.com - JohnPoltrock@gmail.com - REMAX Mountain Properties

What a whopping opportunity to buy real estate in Murphy NC! Located at 922 Liberty Circle in the Hiwassee Dam community,  this amazing 3 bedroom, 2 ½ bath true log home with custom milled logs and an open floor plan is a spectacular buy - and on just over 2 acres! It’s situated perfectly on top of gentle ridgeline and surrounded by wooded privacy.

This log home boasts a roughly 66′ long front porch with tongue and groove ceilings, and if you step inside, you’ll see a very nice stone gas log fireplace, supersized laundry room and pantry, a full bonus room that can be an office or just about anything you like! You’ll also find a tongue and groove interior giving it that warm, woodsy feel while still being bright and open.

The kitchen is great with lots of room, gorgeous cabinetry with lots of storage, an island, and so much more! The master suite is separated and to itself giving it privacy from the other bedrooms. In it, you will find his and hers closets, a private bathroom with a large tile shower, and much more. It has a full metal roof and a 16×20 storage shed outside that will be great for storage, a workshop, or just about anything!

CLICK HERE for more pictures and the current price of this log cabin for sale in Murphy NC. It’s truly amazing!