John Head Colony Realty Corporation Podcast

John Head

If you are looking to buy or sell a home, get all the information and the latest updates, tips, and tricks from John Head - your professional Real Estate Agents.

  1. 03/10/2020 ·  Video

    We Can Help You Protest Your Property’s Assessed Value

    If you were alarmed at your home’s assessed value on this year’s property taxes, we can help remedy the situation. Here’s what you need to know. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale Just about a week ago, I started getting a lot of phone calls from homeowners who had recently received their property tax assessments in the mail. Many are confused about the huge increase they have seen in their home’s assessed value over the past year. If you're in the same boat, it’s time to get in touch with the assessor’s office to see about protesting your assessed value. If you have a home that we’ve taken a look at in the past or want us to give you a CMA of what your home is worth in today’s market, we can use that to support a lower value. You can also give me a call and I’ll be happy to send you some comps as well. That’s my offer to you. Even though we’re extremely busy, we’re always happy to help whenever we can.  The right information is out there, but the county assessor isn’t using it. ” The county assessor’s office doesn't take the uniqueness of your home into account, especially here in the Outer Banks. If your property’s value went up by $150,000, like some have, that’s not right. We’ve had a lot of sales over the last few years that the assessor should be able to see and factor into their estimation, but it doesn’t always work out that way. It’s because they’re not using that information on their values. They’re using an algorithm that doesn’t take everything into account. We can help you use the information that they aren’t using to get a fair market value for your home. If you need help or have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you. .

  2. 01/02/2020 ·  Video

    What to Expect From Our 2020 Outer Banks Market

    Our Outer Banks market is poised for a great 2020. Here’s why. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale What’s in store for our Outer Banks market in 2020? To answer that question, let’s recap what happened in 2019. November was the biggest month in terms of homes going under contract since the MLS started tracking this metric in our area in 2013. This means that January and February of 2020 will feature a tremendous number of closings, which is a good thing because it creates momentum heading into the second quarter of the year. Before that, the market almost stalled near the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third because interest rates jumped. After rates were reduced (twice), the floodgates opened. Interest rates are still low and the market is still strong, so if you’re thinking of buying or selling, now’s the time. 2020’s first quarter should be stronger than anything we’ve seen in the last decade.   I think we’re in store for a great 2020 in the Outer Banks market. ” After this propels us into the summer months, if history is any indication, we should see a bit of a dip right before the election. Uncertainty creates indecision, but that’s OK—we expect a great fall/winter season next year, which will put us in a great position once 2021 is ready to begin. Keep in mind, I don’t have a crystal ball. If the Federal Reserve were to raise interest rates by 0.25% or even 0.5%, it would slow everything down considerably. That being said, I think we’re in store for a great 2020 in the Outer Banks market. If you’re thinking of buying or selling a property or you have any more questions about our Outer Banks market, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.

  3. 12/10/2019 ·  Video

    A Few Interesting Things I’ve Seen in My 20-Year Real Estate Career

    Real estate can lead to some pretty interesting stories. Here are three events that stood out to me the most. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale I’ve spent more than 20 years in the real estate business, and those two decades have been filled with a lot of interesting moments. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on the fun, weird, and wild things I’ve seen throughout the years. There were three profound moments that really stood out to me, and today I’d like to share them with you. I had one of my first sales in the fall of 1998, when I helped a large family purchase an oceanfront property. Years later, they were looking to expand their investments, so I found them a property. It was a few days before closing and they still hadn’t received a loan package. Why? Because the underwriter wanted to see the title for the buyer’s Volkswagen. Regardless of the buyer’s many other assets, this loan professional was fixated on whether an old car was paid for. Another time, I’d just finished showing a home to a family. They had pulled away already, and I was just about to get into my truck. Before I got in, I saw a woman walk out of the house I had just shown. Apparently, she’d been on the deck the whole time; she only came out after hearing the door shut when we left. Then, after this somewhat odd encounter, she asked me to fix the light pole. Unfortunately for her, I couldn’t help.  A lot of things have happened throughout the years, but these were a few of the events that stood out to me the most. ” My last story occurred when I was driving around, searching for a home’s location. It was difficult to find, but I finally arrived — with no way of getting inside! I figured I would walk to the owner’s home, as it was just down the road. Suddenly, a woman in the bushes asked, “Can I help you?” I told the bush woman of my plight, and she told me she could help. The whole ordeal just felt off, and it was one of the most uncomfortable experiences I’ve ever had in real estate. When we arrived, she began freaking out about everything that was wrong with the home. It turns out she was one of the owners, and she didn’t want it to be sold. A lot of things have happened throughout the years, but these were a few of the events that stood out to me the most. If you have any questions about real estate or would like to hear about more of my adventures, feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

  4. 11/19/2019 ·  Video

    Replacing Your Roof Before Selling Your Home

    Should you replace your roof before you sell your home? Here are my recommendations. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale Recently, many home sellers have been asking us whether they need to replace their roof before they sell their home, and today I’d like to share my thoughts. The answer ultimately depends on the age and condition of the roof. If you have a home with a roof that’s fairly old, I’d suggest that you have a contractor come take a look at it to see what its current condition is. If the age of the roof is suspect and you’ve had to have it patched a few times over the years, it’s also a good idea to have an insurance adjuster come out to see if you could work it into your insurance policy before you close on your home sale.  If the roof is in bad enough shape, insurance companies may deny your coverage. ” Here’s why that’s important: Insurance underwriters are now sending people out to discover the age, quality, and lifespan of the roof on a home before they’ll insure it; if the roof is in bad enough shape, they may deny your coverage. What does that mean for you? Well, if you have a 20-year-old roof on the home you’re selling, the buyer will have someone come out to inspect the roof in order for their insurance to be able to cover it. If the roof is in such condition that their insurance won’t cover it, that may be a deal-breaker for them. So if the contractor you hired to take a look recommends that it be replaced, it’s a good idea to see if you can have at least a portion of it covered. Here in the Outer Banks, where we’ve recently dealt with Hurricane Dorian and then a nor’easter, coverage for wind damage is especially important. In the end, you’ll want to replace your roof before selling if the condition is poor enough to deter buyers from making it through the transaction to the closing table. If you have any questions about this or other real estate topics, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d love to help you.

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If you are looking to buy or sell a home, get all the information and the latest updates, tips, and tricks from John Head - your professional Real Estate Agents.