Raleigh, NC Real Estate with Petra Thomas

What If Raleigh Isn't Giving You Enough House for Your Money?

This is a conversation I have with buyers all the time.

Sometimes I'll show a buyer what their budget buys in Raleigh and then show them what that same budget could buy in Knightdale, Wendell, Clayton, Wake Forest, Fuquay-Varina, Zebulon or even Rocky Mount.

They may still choose Raleigh—and that's perfectly fine.



But I want them to see the options before they decide.

Your home search shouldn't be about convincing you to live in a particular city. It should be about figuring out where you can get the combination of location, house, lifestyle and monthly payment that works best for you.

That's especially important for first-time buyers who may feel priced out of the neighborhood or city they originally had in mind.

Selling a Home in Raleigh

One of the harder conversations I sometimes have with sellers is about price. What your neighbor is asking for their home doesn't tell us what yours is worth.

I want to know what buyers actually paid, how long those homes took to sell, whether they had price reductions, what condition they were in and what you're competing against right now.

I look at recent sales, current listings, pending activity when information is available, days on market, price reductions, condition, improvements and buyer activity.

And then I'll give you my opinion.

I would rather have an honest pricing conversation with you upfront than tell you an unrealistic number just to get your listing.

That doesn't mean giving your home away.

It means positioning it so buyers see the value when they compare it with everything else they could buy.

Today's Raleigh buyers generally have more choices than they did during the frenzy of a few years ago. That makes pricing, preparation, presentation and marketing much more important.

If your home is already on the market and isn't getting the activity you expected, we can look at that too. Sometimes the problem is price. Sometimes it's presentation, condition, marketing or competition. Usually, the market gives us clues if we know what to look for.

New Construction or Resale?

This is another decision that isn't as simple as it looks.

Builders may offer attractive incentives—sometimes including closing-cost assistance or financing incentives—that can make a new home look very appealing.

But I want to compare the whole deal.

• What's the actual price after the upgrades you want?
  
• Is there a lot premium?
  
• What will the HOA cost?
  
• What is included and what isn't?
  
• How does the lot compare?
  
• What are similar resale homes selling for?
  
• And what could happen when you eventually sell if the builder is still building new homes in the neighborhood?

There are times when I think new construction is the better choice and times when I think a resale home gives you more for your money.

We'll compare them.

And remember: the representative in the builder's sales office works for the builder. If you're considering new construction, it's a good idea to contact me before you visit the community so we can make sure you understand your representation options from the beginning.

Relocating to Raleigh?

If you're moving to Raleigh from another state, you may have already spent hours online trying to figure out where you should live.

That's a good starting point, but a map and a list of "best Raleigh neighborhoods" can only tell you so much.

I want to know where you'll be working, how much commuting you're comfortable with, what you want to spend, whether you prefer an established neighborhood or new construction, how much space you need, whether a larger lot matters, and what you like to do when you're not at home.

Raleigh is part of a much larger Triangle region with major employers in healthcare, education, technology, state government, financial services, life sciences and research.

You don't necessarily have to live in Raleigh just because you work in Raleigh.

We'll look at the bigger picture and narrow down the areas that make the most sense for your life and your budget.

More Than 30 Years of Real Estate Experience

I've worked through a lot of different real estate markets.

I've seen markets where buyers had to make decisions almost immediately and markets where sellers had to wait patiently for the right buyer.

I've seen interest rates change, lending rules change, technology change and the Triangle grow tremendously.

What hasn't changed is that buying or selling a home is a big financial decision.

I don't think my job is to pressure you into making it.

My job is to help you understand the numbers, point out things you may not have considered, tell you what I think—even when it's not necessarily what you hoped to hear—and help you make the decision that's right for you.

Sometimes that means telling a buyer I think we should negotiate harder.

Sometimes it means telling a seller I think the price is too high.

And sometimes it means saying, "I think we should wait."



That's the kind of relationship I want to have with my clients.