NEW LISTING COMING SOON - RIVERWOOD GOLF CLUB

Riverwood Golf Club in Clayton NC

New Listing Coming Soon

Spectacular 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath home with over 4,900 square feet. 

Enjoy this scenic golf course home with stunning views of the 1, 2, 5, 6 greens. Prime Location!

For more information about this beautiful home, contact us.

Why Work With The Don Johnson Real Estate Team?

See What Don's Recent Clients Have to Say and Why Real Estate Designations Matter.

Are you searching for a Real Estate Agent in Cary or Raleigh, NC area? Choosing the right Agent can make all the difference in your home buying or home selling experience.  Don Johnson is not only a full time professional Real Estate Broker with a full staff of professionals on his team;  he is also a licensed General Contractor, a licensed Home Inspector, and a Real Estate Appraisal trainee.  

Don also holds several important real estate designations, ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative), GRI (Graduate REALTOR Institute), IMSD (Internet Marketing Specialist Designation), and CDPE (Certified Distressed Property Expert).

What does this mean for you?  Don takes his job very serious.  As a former Fortune 500 Executive, Don believes in excellence and being at the top of his game.  As you can see from his long list of satisfied clients, this translates into Top Performance Service.  Top Performance Selling Experience and Top Performance Buying Experience

Here are 20 Questions you should ask any Agent before they take on the important job of representing your best interest.  20 Questions to Ask Any Agent

If you would like Don's Answers to these questions for you - CONTACT US today.

"Don Johnson have been a huge help to us in finding our new home. Always very responsive at all hours and 7 days a week. Great patience with us being very selective. Never pushing us into closing a deal we would potential later regret. Very good understanding of our requirements and good at lining up potential homes as well as home just for comparison."

"We purchased a home in NC while still living in MD. We relied heavily on Don because of the distance and limited time we had to accomplish our goal. He came through every time, every step of the way. He is also a licensed contractor. His expertise in that area was extremely helpful in seeking out a good sound investment. I highly recommend him to anyone seeking relocation to the Raleigh/Durham NC area."

"Don was our ultimate SUPER agent, he has exceeded our expectation from the first day of our meeting to the day of closing. We wanted the agent who is professional not only for the knowledge of the local housing market, but also for the financial process where the money involves. He is a general contractor and appraiser himself, which is a big plus to the clients. He has been with us 24/7 to target the right listing price, prepared house for listing on the market including very impressive staging service and voila! we sold our house with almost full price less than a week. . We had bought and sold a house several times before with different agents, but Don is not comparable to anyone else so far. We think he deserves more than 5 stars."

See More Reviews About Don and His Team on Zillow and on YouTube.

Testimonials

319863

Through our process of renovating and selling a townhouse, we found Don Johnson to be an effective organizer, very reliable and highly motivated. His ... more

5.0/5.0

by user0756778

279557

Don Johnson's manner is always professional and his work meets the highest ethical standards. Using his inspection and contracting knowledge, Don ... more

5.0/5.0

by user9188872

229879

We put our townhome at 6805 Grimaldi Ct on the market for approximately one year with little success until we took it off the market in December 2011. ... more

5.0/5.0

by user5461158

Raleigh

Garden Improvements to Make Your Home Sell

Best Garden Improvement Ideas 

There is absolutely no doubt that the outside areas of your home contribute to the value and potential selling price you can get for it. These areas include patios, landscaped areas and outdoor structures.

But the question is what kind of garden improvements should you tackle to make your home sell and help get you a higher price fast?

Good Garden Improvement Ideas 

Top of the list of good garden improvement ideas is to do a thorough cleanup and make sure that your backyard and garden look attractive. Mow the lawn and prune unruly bushes. Adding shrubs and a few colorful annuals to bare patches will help to add character and color. This shouldn’t take much effort or monetary input, and it should pay dividends.

If you don’t already have a garden patio of some kind, this is one of the most worthwhile garden improvements you should consider. Even without any type of shelter, a well-planned patio area will give you a place to sit and even enjoy al fresco meals in good weather. Adding a simple pergola will increase its usefulness and value.  Just think of it as adding outdoor square footage to your home - more living space adds value.

Large potted trees and plants are also a great way to add character to a patio or entry way.  Choose matching pots in varying sizes for a cohesive look. The great thing about potted plants is that you can take them with you. (Just be sure to note in the contract that they are not conveyed with the property).

Water always adds to the ambiance of a garden, and ponds and pools can add a great deal, but if you don’t already have a pond, don’t add one in the hope it will help your garden sell. Some people see water in the garden as a potential hazard, so be cautious about the size, depth and safety. Consider a simple fountain that adds a soothing sound to the garden.

Curb appeal is obviously very important to draw in potential buyers.  Just getting an appointment for a showing is half the battle.  Once a buyer comes to see your home, make sure they are just as impressed with the back yard as they are with the font and the inside of the home.

If you are considering selling your home and would like some advice for the best improvements to make to get the biggest bang for your buck, contact the Don Johnson Real Estate Team for a no cost consultation.

Selling a Turnkey Property

Benefits of Selling a Turnkey Property

When we talk about turnkey, we mean something that is ready to be used immediately. So a turnkey home is one that quite literally is ready for occupancy, and all the new owner needs to do is turn the key, open the door and move in.

In the building industry, a turnkey property is generally one that has been developed by a contractor (or developer), with everything completed. Buyers are not invited to bid or buy before the house is built, and there are no final completion options like paint color, floor coverings, kitchen cupboards and cabinets, or bathroom fixtures and fittings. What you see is what you get; and it’s all there.  

The same principle applies to a renovation, and to the development of a property for rental. 

But what are the benefits of selling a turnkey property? And if you are selling a property, does turnkey make good business sense?

Here are five benefits of selling a property that is turnkey, including ways that the buyer will profit:

1. More and more people are buying investment properties that they rent out. For them, buying a turnkey property will usually make perfect business sense, because they don’t have to spend any time fixing, cleaning or renovating. Their tenant can move straight in. 
2. People buying properties for investment don’t always buy in the same area or even the same state in which they live. For them a turnkey property is the best choice. 
3. Although not true for those seeking a “renovator’s dream”, generally if you’re selling a property realtors report that a turnkey property will sell more quickly because it doesn’t need any work. And because those in the industry know that good deals move quickly, buyers realize they have to be on the ball and buy quick. 
4. Building a house (or rather having one built) takes time out of your day, even if you aren’t doing any of the work yourself, and you have a project manager on site. While there are some people who will leave everything up to the contractor and project manager, most will want to see how the house is progressing, and have a hand in making decisions. For those who don’t have spare time, a turnkey property will usually make perfect business sense. 
5. Many buyers are wary of buying houses that are not complete (and turnkey) because of the danger of contractors running out of money and either cutting corners or simply not making completion. 

Looking for a Turnkey Property? Search for Your New Home Here!

Selling Your Home? Find out what your home is worth

Local Market Conditions for Cary, NC

Local Market Conditions for Cary, NC

Learn more about the Cary Real Estate Market 

Sales and prices are on the rise in Cary, NC.  Since this time last year we have seen a steady climb in closed sales prices.  August 2013 was one of the best months to sell your home in Cary in recent times.  If you are considering selling, now is the time to capture the demand and get top dollar.  Interest rates are still low, for now, and buyers are seizing the opportunity!

Here are some graphs for various Cary Zip Codes.

List to Sale Comparison for 27519

What is interesting about this graph is the 8/1/2013 figures.  Notice how close the Listing Price is to the Sales Price and they are both on the rise!  Meaning homes are selling quickly and for a higher price than before. This is also good news for the higher end market since homes over $300,000 have generally had longer Days on Market than homes priced below $200,000.

In the central Cary area, the market is pretty tight, as noted in this chart below.  In August, the list to sales was dead even, showing homes selling almost immediately for close to or over list price.  We have actually seen a lot more multiple offer situations in recently months than we have seen in a long time.  This price range is also the hottest in our local market.

List to Sale Comparison for 27511

List to Sale Comparison for 27513

Prices are on the rise, both list price and sold price.  Homes priced right are likely selling first.  Inventory, both overall and especially in any given neighborhood at any given time, also impacts the sales price.  

If you want to keep an eye on what's happening in your area, sign up for our Market Insider Report and get this information and much more delivered to you monthly.  

Contact us anytime to discuss how this information impacts you and your real estate goals.  Whether you are buying or selling, the Don Johnson Real Estate Team is ready to help you make sense of the market and get you the best value buying and top dollar selling.

Expert Advice and Top Performance Service!

Best Improvements To Make Your Home Sell Quickly

Best Improvements To Make Your Home Sell Quickly

You don’t have to renovate your home before you put it on the market, but there are some repairs and improvements that will help you sell your home fast. 

Ten of the Best Improvements to Make 

The more effort you make to get your house looking clean, tidy and well maintained, the quicker you are going to be able to sell it. It's a proven fact.

          Fix up the entrance

First impressions really do matter, and so if you’re selling a home it is vital that you ensure there is no evidence of neglect. If the paint on your front door or shutters is peeling, strip it and repaint. If your screen doors are sagging, have them fixed or replace them. Also trim bushes, dead-head shrubs, and mow the sidewalk. In essence, do all you can to give your home “curb appeal”.

Tidy the roof

Moss, missing tiles or shingles, and peeling paint on roof sheeting, are all an indication of roof neglect. Do whatever it takes to clean, repair and make the roof look like its been cared for. 

Clear gutters and unblock drains

Gutters and drains have one thing in common: they help to remove rainwater from the house.  When gutters and drains get blocked the water doesn’t flow away, and there will inevitably be telltale signs of blockages. 

Patch internal nail holes

When selling a home, one of the key strategies is to declutter and get rid of personal items. This includes removing family pictures and other personal items from walls. When you do this you also need to pull out nails and fill the holes. Use DIY filler or lightweight putty; apply with a putty knife and scrape off the excess. Allow to set and harden; if there are rough edges sand them before painting the spots. 

Eliminate odors

There’s nothing like a bad smell to put off a potential buyer. This applies to anything from tobacco to smelly drains, and even the smell of animals in the home. One of the best improvements to make is eliminating odors – and not with scented candles, incense, potpourri and the like. Fix any problems (like blocked drains) and then clean like you have never cleaned before. If it’s really bad you may have to repaint certain rooms. Fresh, new paint has its own “clean” smell. Once you’re done, don’t allow smoking in the house, and make sure pets are banished – at least until you have sold. There are lots of good kennels and catteries if you don’t have a friend or relative who can look after your animals temporarily, while you are selling a home. 

Clean and repair flooring

The amount of work that needs to be done to sell your home fast really will depend on the state of your flooring. The worst scenario is that vinyl and/or carpeting will have to be replaced. Often though a good scrub, clean and/or polish will do the trick. 

Reseal the toilet

If your toilet or toilets are obviously unsteady and obviously becoming unseated, now’s the time to replace seals or even reinstall the toilet. This doesn’t entail any plumbing, so you can take the DIY route. If you’re not handy, hire someone to do the job for you.

Fix dripping faucets

Dripping faucets draw attention to themselves visually and audibly – so fix them before you embark on selling a home. It may be as simple as washer that needs to be replaced; or you may need a new cartridge – all depending on the types of faucets in your home. Either way, this is one of the simplest and best improvements to make before you put the house on the market. 

Fill and paint dingy baseboards

If your baseboards are looking dull, dreary and in need of a little TLC, this is another of the best improvements to make to move your house for sale. Clean them first and then fill dings and dents, scrapes and scratches, before repainting. This is one time when it’s not a good idea to patch. Prime the entire baseboard and then repaint, matching the color as closely as possible to the original color. 

Repair cabinets and cupboards

If there are missing handles and broken hinges, fix these first. Then clean the surfaces and try one of the proprietary “scratch cover” products to improve the surface appearance.  

Once all this is done, there’s a very good chance that you’re going to sell your home fast, particularly with the assistance of a good real estate agent. 

If you are thinking of selling, the Don Johnson Real Estate Team has expertise and the knowledge to assist you when deciding what needs to be repaired and cleaned in order to get your home sold more quickly. 

Read about my expertise here

Do You Know What Homes in Your Area are Selling For?
Take a look at this market snapshot and see what you could be selling your home for.

Mobile App for Triangle Home Search - Free Download Here

Mobile App for Triangle Home Search - Free Download Here

Try out our new Home Search Mobile App now.  Download from iTunes or Google Play - Just search Keller Williams Realty. Use the Code - KW1YU5F52

 Search for homes from your Apple or Android device using this state of the art map integrated home search tool. The map search pinpoints your location so you can view all homes for sale in a neighborhood as you drive through. 

With the map drawing tool, you also can easily find homes in a very specific area just by drawing a perimeter on the map with the touch of a finger.  Perfect for scouting out your dream home in a particular area.  

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Get started today, it's easy and fun!  Give the Don Johnson Real Estate Team a call if we can answer any questions about any of the homes you see.