Remodel an existing home? Or buy a new home?

Which way to go?

You love New Bern, You love the house, but it needs a larger master bedroom and a Carolina room. Can one be added to this home? How much would this cost?

I will be glad to give you professional input about remodeling and renovating an existing home. In addition to being a Real Estate Broker I have been a licensed General Contractor since 1982 and my expertise in this area can help you decide if the home you like can be modified to suit your needs and if it would be financially feasible.

Top 10 Best Reasons to buy Real Estate in New Bern NC today.

1. Great selection. There are quite a few homes for sale in New Bern. Although we are faring better than most of the country we still have an excellent selection of homes available in various price ranges.




2. No bidding wars. In 2005 and 2006 buyers often had  bidding wars on homes for sale in New Bern. This is rarely the case today.




3. You can make an offer. Not long ago you were wasting your time to make an offer on a home for sale in New Bern that was below the asking price. Not the case today. Sellers are more receptive to below asking price offers.




4. More time to make decisions. In the turbulent times of a few years ago you needed to decide fast if you found a home for sale that you liked. Today a buyer has the time to think it through and make sure you are making the right decision.




5. More new homes in New Bern to choose from. In the past, some markets were so hot that there were lotteries to buy new homes. Builders  could not build them fast enough. Not so today. Let realtor Steve Tyson help you find a new home at today's low interest rates.




6. Repair request are taken seriously by sellers. Sold as is was a common phrase a few years ago. Today sellers are more inclined to make repairs reported on home inspections.




7. Not as many investors buying up real estate. As many as one third of properties sold in 2005 and 2006 were sold to investors that were speculating on the housing market and driving up prices.




8. Interest rates are incredible. The interest rates today are at a 50 year low. This makes buying a home a very attractive alternative to renting. In addition, for those with good credit there are some special programs in place to encourage homeownership.




9. Instant equity. Today's slower market is requiring some homeowners to fire sale their homes which can result in a buyer acquiring instant equity.




10. Location-Location-Location. The slower real estate market might open up some neighborhoods to you that would have been out of your price range a year ago.

    Let's sum it all up

    It is a definite buyers market. And yes, mortgage rates are at a 50 year low. Unfortunately when the opportunity to buy is high, buyer urgency is often low. Why is this the case? Largely because the national media thrives on bad news. The media often gives out uninformed and sometimes ridiculous advice. The media bad news frenzy has scared many potential buyers and prevented them from buying now when interest rates are low and home prices have fallen to attractive levels in many areas. This is ironic because when interest rates were higher and home prices were out of sight the media was cheering folks to hurry up and buy a home they could not afford. It was a classic sellers market yet folks were participating in bidding wars to buy. This type of herd mentality is insane.

    So take it from me, someone who has been in the real estate business over 25 years. If you need a home now is a great time to buy. I personally do not think interest rates will remain this low for an extended time. If you try to time the market and catch home prices at their rock bottom you might pay a higher interest rate which could more than offset a small drop in prices.
    
    SteveTyson@ncmove.com

    Where to Retire Magazine

    New Bern is featured in the July-August 2008 Where To Retire Magazine, one of the leading magazines for retirees looking to relocate. The magazine is not available online and the following information is quoted from the article.

    When Dave and Barb Rohrbach retired in New Bern, they were looking for a comfortable neighborhood and an interesting town with history. Comfort was found in a new home they built in a suburban golf community, but the history was downtown, where they quickly found themselves part of an American scene that has been unfolding for almost 300 years. As a volunteer with a dedicated green thumb, Barb helps ensure that the magnificent gardens of the Tryon Palace continue to burst into blooms each spring as thousands of visitors come to visit New Bern.

    Barb 57, and Dave, 61, who lived in Manchester CT, investigated several retirement locales in Florida and the Carolinas before stumbling on New Bern during a trip in August 2002. At the suggestion of a friend they had gone to look at Wilmington, NC, and as they returned they discovered New Bern resting picturesquely on the Neuse and Trent Rivers, its downtown church steeples visible from the bridge on highway 70.

    The sight prompted  an overnight stop, a spontaneous act that changed their lives. Congenial, friendly people and the charm of New Bern's colonial character quickly won them over. In 2003 they bought a lot in the suburban Taberna community and built a three bedroom home that they rented out before selling their Manchester condo and moving in 2005.

    Their quiet rural setting is only 10 minutes from downtown New Bern , where three historic districts boast Georgian, neoclassical, federal, and Victorian architecture. Early statesmen, artisans, and business pioneers lived here, and many of the workplaces have been restored as offices, restaurants, and shops.

    On the corner of Pollock and Middle streets in historic downtown New Bern is the pharmacy once owned by Caleb Bradham. Here Barb greets customers with, welcome to the birthplace of Pepsi. While growing flowers at Tryon Palace is her volunteer job, Barb works twice a week as a paid "soda jerk" in the restored pharmacy where Brad's drink later renamed Pepsi-Cola was invented.

    It's such a great down, Barb reflects from behind the old-fashioned soda fountain as tourist wander in and out. It will be New Bern's 300th anniversary in 2010, and a great effort is being made to highlight the city with updated structures and streets.

    Dave, who occasionally drops by the soda fountain for refreshments, is usually busy doing his volunteer work with habitat for humanity and the chamber of commerce.

    Steeple bells from half a dozen historic churches announce the hour, and patrons fill friendly restaurants and shops aptly named Middle Street, which bisects downtown.

     Judy, a former bank executive in Sarasota, also works part time downtown New Bern as a loan-servicing agent with the Neuse River Development Authority, a non-profit lending organization. "There are art galleries and a civic center and so much theater talent for a small town. Costumed characters in Colonial garb work the streets greeting people," Judy says.

    Originally from Maryland, the Bowdles are "halfbacks" who decided to move halfway back north to retire in North Carolina's four-season ambience. They wanted something near the water, and their 3 bedroom home in New Bern's upscale Greenbrier neighborhood is 10 minutes from their 20 foot boat at a small marina on the Neuse River. Golf is another pastime, and during their breaks from their "jobettes," they enjoy the nearby Emerald Golf Course, where their initiation fee is $900 and monthly dues are $188 for full golf membership. For more information on golfing in New Bern Click Here

    Not far from the Bowdles, in the town of Trent Woods, John and Nell Ward and their two Bernese mountain dogs have found a creekside