Optima Properties' Blog

What many potential buyers in North Carolina do not know is that upon first substantial contact every single real estate broker should present them with the Working With Real Estate Agents Brochure.  This is a mandate from the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.  This is our governing body her...

Vacation homes are offering plenty of good deals at the moment. In many second-home hot spots, prices are still close to five-year lows. For example, single-home prices in second-home hotspot Napa, Calif., are down 47 percent from their peak in 2006, according to Fiserv.If you have a buyer lookin...

TIME TO BUY: The cover story in the April edition of Fortune magazine trumpets that "housing is back." "After four years of plunging home prices, the most attractive asset class in America is housing," proclaims Fortune magazine, one of the world's premier business publications, in its April cove...

What You Need to Know and Do Credit reports have always been important, but they've grown even more important in recent years. Now more than ever, you need to make sure you understand what's on your credit report - and you need to know what steps you can take to improve your score. For example, d...

  Check out these tax tips for homeowners looking ahead to 2011 returns. Mortgage interest: Your biggest tax break is reflected in the house payment you make each month since, for most homeowners, the bulk of that check goes toward interest. And all that interest is deductible, unless your loan i...

It is the first day of Spring...so enjoy! Plan in the next couple of months to go through this list and address any issues that may apply to you. Keeping up with home maintenance allows you to experience the "quiet enjoyment" of your investment and helps to keep it from devalueing in the future....

For those of you who have made an investment in a rental property or are attempting to generate revenue from an existing residence; the good news is that more and more people are opting for vacation home rentals as an alternative to hotels and B & Bs. If you follow a few key principles, you shoul...

Garden season is here, and though it may be the number one hobby in America, it isn't for sissies.  Gardening is touch on the hands, skin and back.  Follow the tips outlined below for a welcoming gasrden that's filled with color! Every season brings a different set of chores in the garden. Spring...

Home service contracts have always been a good way for sellers to entice buyers who may need a little more incentive to move forward while negotiating a sale. It's not uncommon for a home to be advertised for sale with a Home Warranty included. Service contracts typically cover repairs to applian...

RISMEDIA, March 10, 2011-A recent study conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows that while consumer hesitation on home buying is waning, the recent housing downturn has changed what Americans are looking for in their next home. The survey research on consumer preferenc...