Realty Times

An excellent resource for both those in the business and consumers is http://realtytimes.com/

You can sign up for a free daily newsletter about happenings in the market. It is not just bland interest-rate-has-gone-up stuff but information about common transactions, legal judgments, and Q&A features.

One of the things that struck me today was a feature on cons titled Con Men Seen Eyeing Unsold Inventories and how people are convincing the sellers (even builders) to sell at a higher price and give that money to the buyer. I am sure there are exceptions to this rule- when the seller agrees to pay the closing costs (but even in that case, the price should not be hiked), but in general, it is a red flag when a buyer asks the seller to sell at a higher price than s/he is asking.

Another exception to this rule is recent housing bubble- people were getting into bidding wars on their houses. Fortunately, the housing market in this area of North Carolina was never subject to this. Prices were not artificial despite growth in this area.

Although folks move around much more frequently than they once did, let’s assume the average is about every 5 years. Even then, rules change in real estate and rules that remain the same can be forgotten by the consumer. Go ahead and keep yourself educated and abreast of what is happening.

GTCC- Jamestown, NC

In a recent article in Newsweek, our local community college, GTCC, was highlighted as one of the premiere schools to get a quality technology education. Although the main facility is in Jamestown, NC (minutes away from High Point) we have a satellite campus in town. It is a great place to not only get credit-education towards a degree but a wonderful resource for folks like me who are able to obtain a real estate affiliation; take non-credit courses like training your dog or photography 101 for pleasure; build on your current career like management certificates; and basic high school classes to be taken toward a GED.

In the article, it discusses its superior programs which educate high school graduates in subjects like biotechnology, healthcare, banking, and information technology. The article is in the June 12, 2006 issue.