Birkdale |Lake Norman|Charlotte = Your Realtor For Life - Roby Robertson

Contact Info

Mobile 704 451 7051]

Email carolinalivingrealestate@yahoo.com   

**Professional Summary**  

Licensed real estate professional with 21+ years of experience specializing in residential properties in the Greater Winston Salem and Lake Norman areas. Consistently ranked in the top 15% of agents for sales volume, with a proven track record of closing over $50M in transactions. Skilled in negotiation, market analysis, and client relationship management.   Also built a successful Property Management Business in 2006 that operates in Winston Salem and Charlotte areas.   

**Key Skills**  

- Real Estate Sales and Negotiation  

- Market Analysis and Pricing Strategies  

- Client Relationship Management  

- Property Marketing  

-  Excellent at communication through all phases of transactions.

- Property Management Proficiency with numerous clients.   Many clients are 10+ years satisfied. 

**Professional Experience**  

**Real Estate Broker**  

*Carolina Living Real Estate   

*January 2005 – Present*  

Century 21 - Lake Norman

*January 2003 – Dec 2005*  

- Closed over $25M in residential real estate transactions.  

- Consistently ranked in the top 15% of agents for sales volume in the region.  

- Created long lasting relationships with clients, resulting in many client referrals repeat business.  

**IT Consultant**  

*Various IT Consulting Firms ( VA., NC)*  

*Feb 1980 – December 2002*  

- Traveled throughout the US assisting corporations with various IT projects

**Education**  

**East Carolina University**  

*Greenville, NC 

**Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)**  

*Graduated: December 1979*  

**Awards and Achievements**  

- Rookie of the year C21 Lake Norman 2003  

**Professional Affiliations**  

- National Association of Realtors (NAR)  

- NC Association of Realtors (NCAR)  

Huntersville|Charlotte|Lake Norman - A seller’s duty to disclose latent material defects

Thinking of Selling Your Home?   We have the experience and resources to help you get it done ethically!

QUESTION: In reading last week’s Q&A (Disclosure, Material Facts, the Residential Property Disclosure Statement, and the Due Diligence Fee, release date: 6/4/2020), I was surprised to learn that a seller has a legal duty to disclose a material defect about their property when the seller knows about the defect and the defect is one that is not discoverable by the buyer in the exercise of reasonable diligence. I have long understood that a seller can’t hide or actively misrepresent a material fact about their property, but I didn’t know that a seller has a duty to disclose latent material defects. Can you give me a real-life example of when a seller got into trouble for not disclosing a material defect?

ANSWER: Yes. The case of Everts v. Parkinson was decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals in 2001. It involved the sale of a house in Wilmington in 1993 that was clad with synthetic stucco. Approximately two years after moving into the house in 1988, one of the owners, Mr. Parkinson, began to discover rotting pieces of brick molding around at least seven windows or doors. He replaced the rotting brick molding himself. Later, a painter who power-washed the house discovered that one of the windows was rotted in the sash, jamb, and part of the sill. Again, Mr. Parkinson made the repairs himself. He testified that the work “didn’t appear that complicated,” but an engineer who inspected the house testified that the window had undergone extensive repair behind the surface cladding between the inner and outer walls.

Mr. Parkinson later hired a company to build a band of stucco around the perimeter of each window to protect the windows from water. The president of the company testified that he told Mr. Parkinson the bands would not provide any waterproofing and that all the company was providing was decorative banding.

At the time of sale, the Parkinsons did not inform the buyers, Mr. and Mrs. Everts, about any of the repair work that Mr. Parkinson had done or about the construction of the stucco bands. The Everts’ home inspector testified that he did not observe any problems with the windows or doors and that he was not able to observe the perimeter joints of the exterior windows because they were concealed by the stucco bands. He also testified that he had not been informed of any moisture intrusion problems, and that if he had, he would have performed an intrusive test by inserting a moisture probe into the synthetic stucco. According to the inspector, it was not the normal practice of his company to perform this kind of test unless it was provided with information about water intrusion problems.

In its opinion, the Court of Appeals stated that “[a] duty to disclose material facts arises where material facts are accessible to the [seller] only, and he knows them not to be within the reach of the diligent attention, observation and judgment of the purchaser.” The Court concluded that a jury could infer from the evidence that material defects were known to Mr. Parkinson, that he knew the Everts’ were not aware of the defects and would not discover them in the exercise of diligent attention or observation, that Mr. Parkinson therefore had a duty to disclose the existence of the defects to the Everts’, and that his failure to do so supported their claim of fraud.

© Copyright 2020 - 2024. North Carolina Association of REALTORS®, Inc.

This article is intended solely for the benefit of NC REALTORS® members, who may reproduce and distribute it to other NC REALTORS® members and their clients, provided it is reproduced in its entirety without any change to its format or content, including disclaimer and copyright notice, and provided that any such reproduction is not intended for monetary gain. Any unauthorized reproduction, use or distribution is prohibited.

Your Huntersville Realtor and Advisor

 

What is the Realtor® Difference? Going under contract sooner than expected. But before the contract is signed it’s…

📌Receive and review all Offer to Purchase contracts submitted by buyers or buyers’ agents

📌Evaluate offers and counsel seller on offers

📌Contact buyers’ agents to review buyer’s qualifications and discuss offer

📌Send Seller’s Disclosure to buyer’s agent or buyer upon request

📌Confirm buyer is pre-qualified

📌Negotiate all offers on seller’s behalf, setting time limit for loan approval and closing date

📌Prepare and convey any counteroffers, acceptance or amendments to buyer’s agent

📌Send copies of contract and all addendums to closing attorney or title company And so much more. That’s the Realtor® Difference.

Contact me to learn more about the new Realtor Compensation Rules.   704-fourfiveone-7051

NAR Ruling FAQ From NC Association of Realtors

 Carolina Living and Roby Robertson does their best to keep their clients informed about the recent Litigation with regard to the National Association of Realtors.  Below are important points to consider.  If you are thinking of buying or selling, let us know what questions you have (no obligation).  

1. Listing Commissions: Cooperating compensation is still permitted, and as has been shown many times, it offers benefits to both buyers and sellers. It would be good to examine policies to make sure that sellers are being fully informed about how their commissions are used, including how much is being paid to cooperating agents. Sellers should be made aware that they are under no obligation to pay cooperating agent commissions, including cooperating compensation to seller subagents. 

2. Buyer Agent Commissions: a. Disclosure. Examine policies to make sure buyers are aware that sellers may not offer cooperating compensation, and that buyers may need to pay their agents from their own funds. b. Avoid Steering. Buyer agents should put their fiduciary duty to the buyer first and avoid steering their buyers only toward properties that offer cooperating compensation that will cover the buyer’s monetary obligation to their agent. c. A la Carte Compensation. Buyer agents may want to consider alternate forms of compensation, such as a flat fee or an hourly rate, if no cooperating compensation is offered. This may mean that buyer agents may want to consider altering the services they offer to reflect the amount of compensation due. d. VA Loans. Buyers using VA loans are still not permitted to pay buyer agent commissions from their own funds. Assisting these buyers is still important, but it may take time for the VA to adjust its policies, if it chooses to do so at all. In the interim, buyer agents will need to understand the risk in representing these clients if they find a property that does not offer cooperating compensation. Use existing tools designed for buyers and sellers like the North Carolina Real Estate Commission’s Working with Real Estate Agents Q&A to get the conversations about compensation started early. 

3. Use of Standard Form 220: Confirmation of Compensation, Agency, and Appointment: Agents may need to use Form 220 more often to negotiate cooperating compensation. Form 220 can be used by buyer agents and listing agents to negotiate cooperating compensation directly. Pursuant to Standard of Practice 3-1, cooperating agents should determine compensation terms, if any, prior to an offer being made. Remember that a REALTOR® may not make submission of an offer to purchase contingent on the listing firm adjusting its rate of cooperating compensation, if any. 

4. No Standard Commission Rates. It bears repeating that there is no standard commission rate. This is true for listing firm commissions, buyer agent commissions, seller subagent commissions, and cooperating compensation. Agents should negotiate their compensation with their sellers and buyers, and it should reflect the agent’s skill, value, time, and other factors, including whether cooperating compensation (whether offered or accepted) is in the client’s best interest.

Huntersville, Lake Norman | NAR Settlement Guidelines

The NAR settlement agreement also mandates two key changes to the way members and MLS participants do business.

1. NAR agreed to create a new MLS rule prohibiting offers of compensation on the MLS. This would mean that offers of compensation could not be communicated via an MLS, but they could continue to be an option consumers could pursue off-MLS through negotiation and consultation with real estate professionals.
2. NAR also agreed to create a new rule requiring MLS participants working with buyers to enter into written agreements with their buyers before the buyer tours a home. NAR has long encouraged its members to use written agreements to help consumers understand exactly what services and value they provide, and for how much.
   
   
   
   
   

Let's sit down and discuss the ins and outs on how I can assist you and navigate these new waters in Real Estate Transactions!  

QUESTION: Commissions – Can I share my commission with my client?

I have always been willing to negotiate my commissions with my clients.  With the new NAR ruling, this is even more important.  Below are the rules, I am bound by. (Note, this applies to our Property Management business as well)

ANSWER: Yes. The Real Estate Commission takes the position that brokers may rebate or pay a portion of their brokerage fees to buyers and sellers who purchase or list real estate through the broker, because a real estate license is not required of persons who list for sale real estate which they own or who purchase real estate for their own account. Agents should: (1) have the consent of the principal(s) (for example, if you are acting as a seller’s (sub)agent or dual agent and want to share your commission with the buyer, then obtain the seller’s consent in writing); (2) disclose the payment to the lender; and (3) assure that the payment appears on the settlement statement (failure to disclose the payment on the settlement statement could constitute a “false statement to a lender,” which is a federal crime and also a violation of the License Law and North Carolina Real Estate Commission rules).

Contact me and I can answer all your questions!

I don't really need an experienced Realtor. I can just hire a friend?

 

I don't really need an experienced Realtor. I can just hire a friend?

Would you hire a law student to represent you in monetary litigation or hire an experienced lawyer that is an expert in the field?

I have a client that told me they had a friend that just got their license and they wanted to give them a chance to sell their home.   Have you heard this before?   

In this case, things fell apart when the inexperienced agent was verbally negotiating on his behalf.  Both parties seemingly had a deal worked out and the buyers went out of town for a long weekend. No due diligence was collected because a promise was made by the buyer's agent.  In the seller's mind his home was sold and he was moving forward with his plans.   His agent was telling people it was sold and interested buyers moved on.   Low and behold, buyers came back and changed their minds.   Numerous opportunities were lost as well as valuable time.   

An inexperienced agent keeps the facts below in mind at all times and is diligent throughout the transaction.   

Negotiations leading to a contract can be fast-paced, to the extent that brokers find themselves communicating offers and counter-offers, as well as acceptances, orally. An example of such a situation occurs when an oral counter-offer is communicated to the buyers, who orally agree to the new terms. The acceptance is orally relayed to the sellers, who now mistakenly think they have a valid contract.

The Statute of Frauds requires that all contracts for the sale of land or for lease agreements exceeding three years be in writing and signed by the parties to be enforceable. In order for a valid contract to exist, all negotiated terms must be in writing and signed by the parties. Any changes must also be in writing and initialed by the parties.

A broker can best keep his or her clients informed of all communications material to negotiations between the parties by ensuring that offers, counter-offers, and acceptances are in writing and contain all necessary signatures. Oral agreements for the sale of real property are not binding.

Thinking of selling and want a FREE Home evaluation?    Visit: Free Property Valuation (robyrobertson.com)

Roby Robertson | Your Realtor and Friend

 I have been a Realtor and Property Manager for 20 plus years now and I feel I have been pretty successful.   Heck, making it that long in this business has been interesting and a challenge.

I  like what I do and have the intention of retiring because of that enjoyment.     However, even at my age and years in the business, I struggle with marketing decision making and growth. 

A lot of real estate is about marketing and it is so easy to throw good advertising money at bad advertising.   I have always thought about my chick flick favorite movie ‘The Notebook’ when Ryan Gosling says to Allie in a forceful way ‘WHAT DO YOU WANT’  and how I can use that in marketing.

When someone becomes a customer, I feel I can always give them what they want and do a great job for them.   With all the competition, I struggle to get that message across without sounding salesy like everyone else.   I also often wonder if it is a beauty contest since we all put our pictures on everything.   I sincerely hope not because I feel like I lose every time  up against the glamor shots and the young guns.

I will just say this.   I work hard for my clients and look out for them.   Don’t know how else to put it. 

Charlotte|Lake Norman - Prepare To Buy A Home In 2023

Carolina Living Real Estate

We Can Guide You Through the entire process with Professionalism, Patience and Experience!

 

Let's connect to get the process started!

Huntersville|Lake Norman|Charlotte - Mortgage rates not likely to fall until late 2023

Carolina Living Real Estate can Help You with your real estate descision

 

Huntersville|Lake Norman|The Demand For Homes Is Still High!

Carolina Living Real Estate Fees Never Exceed 4.5 Percent to List Your Home!

 Today, the demand for homes is still greater than the number of houses for sale. If you’re planning to sell this summer, this is great news for you. That's why experts think home prices will continue to appreciate, just at a more moderate pace. Fill out the contact form on the right today so we can discuss why it’s still a great time to sell in today’s market.

Huntersville|Lake Norman|Charlotte How Homeownership Impacts You

 

New From Carolina Living Real Estate

June is National Homeownership Month, and it’s the perfect time to reflect on how impactful owning a home can truly be. When you purchase a house, it becomes more than just a space you occupy. It’s your stake in the community, an investment, and a place you can put your stamp on.

If you’re thinking about buying a home this year, here are some of the benefits you'll experience when you do.

The Emotional Benefits of Homeownership

Because it’s a place that's uniquely yours, owning a home can give you a sense of pride and happiness in several ways.

Your Home Can Reflect Your Tastes and Personality

Investopedia puts it like this:

“One often-cited benefit of homeownership is the knowledge that you own your little corner of the world.”

That knowledge can lead to a powerful, emotional connection to the place where you live. But so can the realization that your home will grow with you. Because it’s yours, you have the freedom to make updates to it as your needs and tastes change. As Logan Mohtashami, Lead Analyst for HousingWire, says:

“The psychology is that this is yours and you’re going to make it as good as possible because you’re in for a long time, . . . “

And that can create a greater sense of ownership, pride, and connection with your home and your community.

It Can Enhance Your Neighborhood and Civic Engagement

Homeownership can lead you to get even more involved with your local area. After all, you’re putting your roots down in a location and will want to do what you can to help improve it, much like your home. In a recent report, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) says:

“Living in one place for a longer amount of time creates and [sic] obvious sense of community pride, which may lead to more investment in said community.”

The Financial Benefits of Homeownership

When you choose to become a homeowner, you’re making a financial decision as well. That’s because your home is also an investment.

It Can Help You Feel Financially Stable

Homeownership is truly one of the best ways to improve your long-term financial position. Not only will you have a predictable monthly housing expense that can benefit your budget in the short term, but you’ll also gain equity as your home appreciates in value and you make your monthly mortgage payment. As Freddie Mac says:

“Building equity through your monthly principal payments and appreciation is a critical part of homeownership that can help you create financial stability.”

It Can Grow Your Wealth

Because of your growing equity, you can build your net worth as a homeowner. And when you compare the difference in net worth between a renter and a homeowner, it’s clear that owning a home truly offers a great way to build your long-term financial position.

According to the latest data from NAR, the median household net worth of a homeowner is roughly $300,000, while the median net worth of renters is only about $8,000. That means a homeowner’s net worth is nearly 40 times that of a renter.

Bottom Line

Homeownership is truly a way to find greater satisfaction and happiness and to build financial freedom. If National Homeownership Month has you dreaming about purchasing a home, then let’s connect to begin the process today.

Charlotte| Lake Norman|Huntersville : 2022 Housing Market Forecast [INFOGRAPHIC]

 

Carolina Living Real Estate 

Some Highlights

• What does the rest of the year hold for the housing market? Here’s what experts have to say about what lies ahead.
• Home prices are projected to rise and so are mortgage rates. Experts are also forecasting another strong year for home sales as people move to meet their changing needs.
• Let’s connect so you can make your best move this year.

 Carolina Living Real Estate Can Guide You Through This Chaotic Market

Birkdale | Huntersville | Charlotte|Lake Norman | Today’s Home Price Appreciation Is Great News for Existing Homeowners

 

Carolina Living Real Estate Never Charges More Than 4.5% to List and Sell Your Home

If you’re planning to sell your home this season, rising prices are great news for you. But it’s important to understand why prices are rising to begin with. One major factor is supply and demand.

In any industry, when there are more buyers for an item than there are of that item available, prices naturally rise. In those situations, buyers are willing to pay more to get the product or service they’re looking for when options are scarce. And that’s exactly what’s happening in the current real estate market.

Selma Hepp, Executive, Research & Insights and Deputy Chief Economist at CoreLogic, puts it like this:

“With so few homes, buyers are once again left with fierce competition that’s driving the share of homes that sold over the listing price up to 66% . . . With the continued imbalance between supply and demand, home prices are likely to have another year of strong gains and are expected to average about 10% growth for the year.”

Because it will take some time for housing supply to increase, experts believe prices will continue rising. The latest Home Price Expectations Survey forecasts what will happen with home prices over the next 5 years. As the graph below shows, while the rate of appreciation will moderate over the next few years, prices will continue rising through 2026:

What This Means When You Sell Your House

If you’re a homeowner, the projection for continued price appreciation this year opens up an opportunity to move. That’s because it may give your equity a major boost. Equity is the difference between what you owe on your house and its market value. The amount of equity you have increases as you make your monthly payments and as rising home prices drive up the market value for your home.

Growing equity is a powerful tool for homeowners. When you sell your house, the equity you’ve built comes back to you in the sale. That money could be enough to cover some (if not all) of your down payment on your next home.

Of course, if you want to know how much equity you have in your current house, it’s crucial to work with a real estate professional. They follow current market trends and can help you understand your home’s value when you’re ready to sell.

What This Means for Your Next Purchase

But today’s rising home values aren’t just good news if you’re ready to sell. Because price appreciation is forecast to continue in the years ahead, you can rest assured your next home will be an investment that should grow in value with time. That’s one of several reasons why real estate has been rated the best investment in a recent Gallup poll.

Bottom Line

If you’re weighing whether or not you should sell your house this season, know rising home values may be opening up an opportunity to use equity to fuel your move. Let’s connect so you can find out how much your home is worth and to learn more about all the benefits you have in today’s market.

Huntersville | Charlotte | Lake Norman : Thinking of Selling? How Much Equity Do You Have?

 

Do You Know How Much Equity You Have in Your Home? Let Carolina Living Real Estate Help You Figure It out!

Some Highlights

• If you’re a homeowner, your net worth has gotten a big boost. That’s because recent home price appreciation has increased your equity.
• Your equity grows as you pay down your loan and as your home increases in value. Over the past year, the average homeowner’s equity grew by $55,300.
• Ready to sell? Let’s connect to talk about how you can use that equity to fuel your next move.

Huntersville | Lake Norman | Charlotte: It’s Still a Sellers’ Market

 

Carolina Living Is Here to Help With This Chaotic Market!

Some Highlights

• Due to low supply and high demand, today is one of the strongest sellers’ markets we’ve seen.
• Sellers can benefit from more offers to pick from, higher home values, and a faster sales process. There’s a reason why 72% of people believe it’s a good time to sell.
• Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity. Let’s connect so you can take advantage of this hot sellers’ market.

Huntersville | Charlotte | Lake Norman - The Many Benefits of Homeownership

 

The past two years have taught us the true value of homeownership, especially the stability and the feeling of accomplishment it can provide. But homeownership has so much more to offer. Here’s a look at a few of the non-financial and financial benefits of owning a home. If you’re looking to buy a home today, think about all the ways homeownership can impact your life.

Homeownership Has Impactful Personal and Emotional Benefits

Owning your home gives you a significant sense of pride because it’s a space that is truly yours. And as a homeowner, you can customize your home to your heart’s desire. Having a space you’ve put your stamp on enhances the pride and sense of ownership you may feel.

And that sense of ownership can extend beyond your shelter to help create social, community, and civic benefits as well. That’s because the average homeowner stays in their home for longer than just a few years. That means you’ll naturally feel a stronger connection to the community around you the longer you live there. This can help you experience a greater sense of belonging and a greater stake in your community as a whole. As the National Association of Realtors (NAR) says:

“Living in one place for a longer amount of time creates an obvious sense of community pride, which may lead to more investment in said community.”

Owning a Home Is a Significant Step Toward Financial Stability

In a financial sense, homeowners benefit from home price appreciation, equity gains, and having a shield against some of the effects of inflation. These benefits can have a big impact on your life. As you gain equity through home price appreciation and paying down your mortgage, you build your net worth. And in times of inflation, your 30-year fixed-rate mortgage can help you stabilize one of your largest monthly expenses for the duration of your loan.

Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for NAR, explains how you can start to see these lasting effects of homeownership as soon as you make your purchase:

“Owning a home continues to be a proven method for building long-term wealth. . . . Home values generally grow over time, so homeowners begin the wealth-building process as soon as they make a down payment and move to pay down their mortgage.”

Knowing you’ve made a good investment soon after your purchase is powerful. And that may give you confidence in your decision to buy a home.

Bottom Line

The benefits of owning a home are foundational. As a homeowner, you can feel proud of the space you call home and know you’ve made a sound financial investment. To learn how homeownership can help you, let’s connect to start the conversation today.

Huntersville, Charlotte, Lake Norman | Why Right Now Is a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity for Sellers

 

If you’re thinking about selling your house in 2022, you truly have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at your fingertips. When selling anything, you always hope for strong demand for the item coupled with a limited supply. That maximizes your leverage when you’re negotiating the sale. Home sellers are in that exact situation right now. Here’s why.

Demand Is Very Strong

According to the latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 6.18 million homes were sold in 2021. This was the largest number of home sales in 15 years. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for NAR, explains:

“Sales for the entire year finished strong, reaching the highest annual level since 2006. . . . With mortgage rates expected to rise in 2022, it's likely that a portion of December buyers were intent on avoiding the inevitable rate increases.”

Demand isn’t expected to weaken this year, either. In addition, the Mortgage Finance Forecast, published last week by the Mortgage Bankers’ Association (MBA), calls for existing-home sales to reach 6.4 million homes this year.

Supply Is Very Limited

The same sales report from NAR also reveals the months’ supply of inventory just hit the lowest number of the century. It notes:

“Total housing inventory at the end of December amounted to 910,000 units, down 18% from November and down 14.2% from one year ago (1.06 million). Unsold inventory sits at a 1.8-month supply at the present sales pace, down from 2.1 months in November and from 1.9 months in December 2020.”

The reality is, inventory decreases every year in December. That’s just how the typical seasonal trend goes in real estate. However, the following graph emphasizes how this December was lower than any other December going all the way back to 1999.

Right Now, Sellers Have Maximum Leverage

As mentioned above, when there’s strong demand for an item and a limited supply of it available, the seller has maximum leverage in the negotiation. In the case of homeowners who are thinking about selling, there may never be a better time than right now. While demand is this high and inventory is this low, you’ll have leverage in all aspects of the sale of your house.

Today’s buyers know they need to be flexible negotiators that make very competitive offers, so here are a few areas that could tip in your favor when your house goes on the market:

• Competitive sales price
• Flexible closing date
• Potential for a leaseback to allow you more time to find a home
• Minimal offer contingencies

Bottom Line

If you’re thinking of selling your house this year, now is the optimal time to list it. Let’s connect to discuss how you can put your house on the market today.