Like many first time home buyers, you are probably excited to look for your Charlotte NC home. Maybe you’ve even started looking at listings of homes, searching for homes that may fit your requirements.

Before you get too carried away planning about your dream home in Charlotte NC, one of the first things you have to do is to know your credit score. Your credit score will help you know whether you are actually qualified for a loan, and if you are, how much home you can afford.

Your credit score is a number that indicates your financial trustworthiness. It is based on your credit history.  Your credit score tells lenders what type of borrower you are, if you have the ability to pay your loans, and how you manage your payments.

This three digit number plays a major role in  your life.

Banks, car dealerships, and credit card companies use it to evaluate your ability to pay. Insurance firms use it in setting your rate. Landlords use it in checking to see if you can afford to make monthly payments consistently.

Some employers even use it  to gauge whether to hire you or not!

Credit score runs from 200 - 850. The higher your score is, the better your rate will be.

What influences your credit score rating? The following are the factors that impact a credit score.

• Payment history. This refers to your previous payments for all your loans - student loan, rent, car loan, insurance, credit cards, etc. Your history reflects whether you are likely to make payments on time, or if you are always late on your payments. It also makes note of how much was left unpaid, how recent this happened, and how often it happened.

• Credit utilization rate. This refers to the percentage of credit you’ve used. It is comparing the balance of the card to the amount of the credit limit. The more credit you use, the lower your credit score can be.

• Number of credit accounts you have. Another factor that has a high impact on your credit score is the number of accounts you have. It also takes special consideration for the most recent accounts you’ve opened. If you are planning to get a home mortgage loan, don’t open any new accounts as that gives you more means of spending, which means another debt to be paid on your tab.

• Total amount of your debts. There are different kinds of debts, and the aggregate amount will be considered when checking your credit score.

Now that you understand how credit score can affect your home mortgage loan, you may be wondering what credit score is needed to get a home mortgage loan.

Unfortunately, there is no set answer to that. Each lender has their own set of guidelines to check and follow.

There are also some other factors that are taken into consideration for the approval of your mortgage loan.

Thus, if you are planning to buy a home, it is a good idea to get your credit report so that you can evaluate your finances. You can get a free lender report each year from annualcreditreport.com.

Would you like to know if you can afford that dream home you’ve been eyeing for months? Get a free credit report, or have your credit score computed. That way, you’ll know if you can afford the payments for your dream Charlotte NC house, or if  you need more time to save.

Call me, Nancy Braun, at (704) 997-3794. Allow me to help you find the right home that will fit your budget and lifestyle.

In the latest episode of Charlotte Today, Nancy Braun shows how home staging can make a huge difference in your home.

If you are planning to put your Charlotte NC home on the market, it goes without saying that you are hoping to sell your home as quickly as possible and get your asking price. There are two simple rules to follow to assure a quick sale: price the home correctly, and make sure it looks amazing. Whatever the asking price, its appearance needs to be flawless. Presenting a well-cared for home creates a positive first impression.

Home staging is a practice that has become an important sales tool in recent years, and for good reason. Staging your home brings out the best features of your property and gives you a competitive advantage. In addition, staging can facilitate a quick sale and get the best possible price for your home in today’s real estate market.

Nancy and her team at Showcase Realty can provide you with an honest appraisal of what you need to do to help sell your home or put you in contact with a professional stager, if desired.

In this episode, Nancy gives a tour of a gorgeous home for sale in Providence Plantation and shows how home staging can help potential buyers walk in and envision the property as their home. She demonstrates how good furniture placement can help show off a room and makes a huge impact as a buyer walks through it. Nancy also highlights the importance of clearing clutter and de-personalizing your home without making it look deserted.

Selling your property is a serious undertaking. How your home for sale in Charlotte NC is presented and perceived should be given much importance and consideration. Take the time to properly prepare your home before listing it for sale so that you can can reduce the time on market and maximize the selling price. Call Nancy Braun today at (704) 997-3794 to get started.

Eugene Robinson: If you want to sell your home in a hurry, there certain things you could do to get the best price very fast.

Colleen Odegaard: Staging a house can make all the difference. Nancy Braun from Showcase Realty shows us. Staging a home can make all the difference when it comes time to sell your home and for top dollar. Nancy Braun from Showcase Realty has more to say on that here in the beautiful Providence Plantation neighborhood. This is one of your properties that's for sale, and you want to show us what a difference staging has made.

Nancy: Absolutely, absolutely. We're gonna take a peek inside but I just want to focus on the outside of this home. It's on over an acre and a half of land, tree lined, wooded street, one of the prettiest streets in all Providence Plantation. So let's go take a peak.

Colleen Odegaard: Nancy, I think this room is absolutely spectacular. It didn't always look like this though.

Nancy: Absolutely. It's a great room to work with though. You have the exposed beam ceilings and the vaulted ceiling, and the gorgeous fireplace. Brick all way to the ceiling. And what we did is simply just simplify it. So we took out some pieces that were specific for the current seller that really reflected their lifestyle and their travels and brought in some neutral pieces that anyone could envision their furniture in the space and made it so that you could walk around, you could easily envision an armoir on this wall, and take away some of the clutter that just makes the place feel airy and bigger.

Colleen Odegaard: Another thing that makes this home field airy and bigger is this gorgeous sunroom, I love the furniture that you put in here as part of your staging business.

Nancy: Absolutely. It's separated by this custom rock and panel that really I think makes the sun room special. And then the sun room overlooks one-and-a-half acres of gorgeous wooded property where they can see deer on a daily basis.

Colleen Odegaard: Nancy, I think this room is spectacular. It's great for people who like to entertain.

Nancy: Absolutely isn't it really special? It’s my favorite room in the house, so. It's just warm and inviting. This room, you can just envision the family just merging and watching TV together, reading a book. I just think it's terrific.

Colleen Odegaard: I love this house. I think it's special. I think it's gorgeous and the staging has made such a difference.

Nancy: Yeah, yeah, so we've brightened up this room. It had a beautiful sophisticated wallpaper on here, but we took that down and then we really neutralized the colors, so anyone can put their furniture in here and and make it a really special family room.

Colleen Odegaard: Nancy let’s show everyone this spacious master bedroom, I think this is gorgeous. Again, your staging came into play beautifully with the seating area. You can really envision what it would be like to live in this home.

Nancy: Absolutely, and this is just a beautiful sprawling ranch. 3800-plus square feet and everything on one floor. But one of the things, it's an older who built in the 80s. But look at all the rooms, they’re all big. Big walk-in closets, big everything. Every room is really spacious, and open to the beautiful nature.

Colleen Odegaard: I think the staging you've done in this home is absolutely spectacular, and that's something that you help all your clients with if they need that.

Nancy: Absolutely, absolutely. There's one person's perspective may be an interior designer or decorator, or the homeowner might want to live in a certain way, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to sell for top dollar in that way it's decorated. So we took away some of the personal items and really neutralized the home. We can come into your home and we can say, “We can replace the furniture, we can just take some of the furniture out so there's more walking traffic patterns. So you feel like there's more room for the new homeowners furniture or belongings. And we can also just help you rearrange what you have.” But color is really important too, so we give advice on that as well.

Colleen Odegaard: This backyard is spectacular with the beautiful trees on this oversized deck. I just love this house. I think it's special.

Nancy: Oh, I do too. I've always loved this house. I love selling it to these clients, and I love making it available to the new homeowners, and I think the staging is just bringing out some of the beauty of this home and making it, really feel as open as it is and all the details about the home and uniqueness about the home is really coming forward. So little things like planting red and yellow flowers makes a difference in Feng Shui. It helps sell homes, but we could do some miracles with staging So, it could be as small as moving furniture around, as big as re-furnishing your property or just taking away some things. So it's less cluttered.

Colleen Odegaard: Well, you've done an excellent job it's really beautiful. Nancy, thank you so much.

Nancy: Thank you I really enjoy showing you this gorgeous home.

Colleen Odegaard: Nancy is so good and Nancy Braun can help you with all of your home buying and selling needs. By the way that homely featured in the piece that you just saw in Providence Plantation, it is for sale. It is spectacular. I totally fell in love with that house.

Eugene Robinson: The outsides are beautiful too.

Colleen Odegaard: No, it’s cool. It’s a ranch 3800 square feet, I mean that’s big for a one-story house. I really like it. Call Nancy If you're interested in seeing it. The number 704-488-3109, 704-488-3109. Call her if you'd like to see that home or if you would like help listing your home, or staging your home. Nancy's your person.

Eugene Robinson: Indeed.

Before Staging

After Staging

In the latest episode of Charlotte Today, Nancy Braun talks about why a buyer should never skip a home inspection.

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of buying a new home that some buyers tend to forget to make the important decision of having a home inspection conducted soon after they are under contract. However, a home inspection is a crucial part of the of the homebuying process that can save you a lot of time and money in the long run.

A home inspection is an all-encompassing examination of the condition of a home usually performed at the time of the sale. It is an inexpensive way to discover the overall condition of the property you are thinking of purchasing. Since a home is one of the most important purchases one will ever make, Nancy highlights the importance of ensuring that you are not buying a property in need of major repairs.

Most of the time, it's the buyer who pays for their own inspections, unless the seller’s paying for the buyer's closing costs. The typical cost can range anywhere from about $400 to about $1500, depending upon how many inspections you're gonna have.

Now, where and how do you find a qualified home inspector? Your Realtor® most likely maintains a list of home inspectors who are reputable. The inspector will look for problems with the property you're considering purchasing.

There are many different types of home inspection processes that you may want to conduct before the purchase of a home. Nancy recommends having termite and radon inspections.

The most important reason to have a home inspection before you buy is to really know what you’re buying. A home inspection is designed to keep people and property safe. The more you know, the fewer surprises there will be down the road.

If you have more questions about your home inspections or buying a home in Charlotte NC, get in touch with Nancy Braun at 704-997-3794. You can also start your home buying journey today.

Eugene Robinson:  Buying a home is one of the largest investments you will make in your life that’s why you'll want to know everything possible about the condition of your home that you're purchasing.

Colleen Odegaard:  Here to help us through the home inspection process is Nancy Braun with Showcase Realty. Nancy good morning, thank you for joining us today. 

Nancy:  Good morning.

Colleen Odegaard: Alright, you have insider inspection tips to really help buyers through the process. First, let's talk about this. Does the buyer or seller pay for the home inspection?

Nancy:  Typically, the buyer will pay for the home inspection unless the seller's goint to do an inspection prior to listing their home, but normally it's the buyer will pay for their own inspections, unless the seller’s paying for the buyer's closing costs.

Eugene Robinson: So okay, what are the typical costs of doing an inspection? 

Nancy: Well, they can range anywhere from about $400 to about $1500. Depends upon how many inspections you're gonna have. So, it also depends upon the home. So you could have a general home inspector do almost everything. You might have a pool, so maybe a pool inspection, you might have a radon inspection, you can have a termite inspection, structural engineer, roof inspection, furnace inspection, septic. Well, it could add up.

Colleen Odegaard: Why is it so critical for a home buyer to get a home inspection done before they go under contract?

Nancy: Well, that's the most expensive thing that you're going to buy probably in your lifetime, so you want to make sure that you know what the condition of the property is and during the inspection you're going to learn maintenance tips and you're going to learn how to take care of your home. And what specific things are specific for that home that you might need to keep an eye on.

Eugene Robinson: Okay, here it is, I'm looking for an inspector. What should I be looking for and what's going delineate who's a good inspector, and what's a bad inspector?

Nancy: Yeah, so, you know, inspectors are licensed and they have to pass exams, and most have affiliations with national organizations. Your realtor is probably going to be your best advisor on giving you a couple choices, on inspectors that they've used that they've liked, and they believe do a good job.

Colleen Odegaard: What are the most important inspections that should be covered. the most important things?

Nancy: The home inspection and in Charlotte, the termite inspection. I also really urge all my buyers to do a radon inspection, 'cause if you have radon in your house, you don't know it. It's an invisible gas, and it's deadly.

Eugene Robinson: Is there a different type inspection for doing a single home and then of a condo?

Nancy: It’s the same. It's usually a condo is a little less money, it's not as complicated 'cause usually the HOA takes care of the exterior so it's really more on the mechanicals and the inside, but the home inspector will, you know, do either.

Eugene Robinson: Should we be concerned about the inspection report that we get? Because sometimes that could be a little bit intimidating.

Nancy: It is intimidating, it's very thick. And we actually, when we sit down to work with a new buyer, we'll show them an example of what a home inspection looks like because they need to know what all the documents are going to be involved in the transaction, so we go through this enormous book and show them each. But the home inspection is full of a lot of detail, a lot of disclaimers, a lot of fluff, and maintenance tips. So you want to go to the summary page. Usually there's a page that just shows the items that are concerns that you need to address, but not be overwhelmed by the volume of it, because it's big for everyone

Colleen Odegaard: And that's where you can really help people through that process, because to your eye, it might be overwhelming, but you help us get to the important stuff. That's summary page,

Nancy: Yeah.

Colleen Odegaard: So what kind of disclosures are required by law?

Nancy: The residential property disclosure statement is required by North Carolina and in South Carolina has their own disclosure as well and they have to disclose any known malfunction or defect that the homeowner, their seller knows about.

Eugene Robinson: Okay, now you say that you would sell a home for free if the buyer is not happy with it, is that correct?

Nancy: Well, yeah, so we have a program that if my buyer ends up not like loving their home in twelve months and they want to sell their home. I will sell it for free. They do have to buy another home with me and that is the condition. But other than that, you know, we want our clients to be happy.

Eugene Robinson: That’s generous, that is very, very generous. 

Nancy: Most of my... I've never had anyone exercise it because they were always happy with what they buy. So, but it certainly takes away the fear element of getting into the wrong house.

Colleen Odegaard: The market is still really good right now. How long do you think it'll take to sell a Charlotte home? I know it kind of depends on the area and price point.

Nancy: I think it's 34 days on the market now is on the average, it used to be much higher, so we have less than a two-month supply in the Charlotte area. A stable market is six months' supply, so it's a seller's market.

Eugene Robinson: And then quickly, how in an inspection report if they find things that are wrong with the report, how quickly should the seller get on top of it, on fixing those things?

Nancy: Well, ideally we would go and get estimates from contractors immediately, so we know what we're dealing with, 'cause typically, a home buyer is gonna be very worried about the items that are on the list and they might think, "Well it's gonna cost a hundred dollars to fix a faucet, but then it might be only a ten-dollar fix. So we would like to get bids before we're even starting to negotiate whether the seller will do the repairs or the seller could put up money towards the repairs and then the buyer can get it done after closing.

Colleen Odegaard: Nancy, thank you you're so good, thank you so much. For a comprehensive buyer's agent home inspection cheat sheet visit BuyerBeware13.com, BuyerBeware13.com or you can call 704-997-3794 again 704-997-3794. Nancy and her team are happy to work with you. Thank you so much for being here today

Nancy: Thank you.

Learn all about REO from the top REO experts.

Join us the 2018 FORCE Rally on Sunday, September 16, 2-5PM.

Our very own Nancy Braun is the FORCE Advisory Council Chairperson and one of the REO Expert Speakers at the Rally.

Visit https://fivestarconference.com for more details.

​Powerhouse, Melanie Mills Johnson, became a REALTOR® 2 years ago, and closed her first sale within 32 days of getting her license. She joined Showcase Realty 3 months ago for award-winning Broker/Owner, Nancy Braun’s mentorship, our agent resources and support.

Within hours of joining Showcase Realty, she received her 1st lead. She had 6 Closings in less than 3 months. Is actively working with 7 prospects. Has 2 listings, with more coming up. She has received 177 leads from Showcase Realty already. Melanie attributes Showcase Realty marketing and agent support for her quick results. She LOVES our Inside Sales Agents because they take away the need to cold call, filter leads, and follow up — allowing her to focus on her business.

Listen to the interview and give us a call if you want to be a superstar agent too! Call Nancy Braun on her direct number at 704-488-3109 for a confidential discussion.

Get our FREE Book of Benefits to learn what you gain as a Showcase Realty agent, visit www.GreatBrokerLeads.com. "I Guarantee That You Will Make At Least $25,000.00 More Over the Next 12 Months at my brokerage than you did in the last 12 months at your current brokerage, or I'll pay you the Difference*!" ~ Nancy Braun

Work with Melanie to close more deals! Email her at melanie@ShowcaseRealty.net or call 704.733.7933.

​In case you can not view this video here, please click the link below to view  6 Closings in Less Than 3 Months of joining Showcase Realty! on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOqh1mLpYwA&index=7&list=PLpp2nGP7qGZfL2KM6ZyE1U9tLzoZtCN1I&t=41s