Real Estate v Baseball

OK, I admit it... this is copied from the At Home in the Carolinas blog -- I love baseball, so this one was very enjoyable!


South Carolina produced major league standouts like Camden’s Larry Doby and Anderson’s Jim Rice. North Carolina brought us Williamston’s Gaylord Perry, Hertford’s Catfish Hunter, and Raleigh’s Josh Hamilton. And while the Carolinas do not have a major league baseball team (yet), minor league teams such as the Durham Bulls, Charlotte Knights, Carolina Mudcats, Burlington Royals, Greensboro Grasshoppers, and Winston-Salem Dash keep the game relevant and thriving.
Being a fan of the sport, I recently spent some time thinking about the game and its myriad of rules, rituals and strategies developed over its many decades. Turns out, there’s a lot we can learn from the game when talking real estate:
 Baseball is a rewarding long-term investment of your time. So is real estate.
 In a Buyer’s market, it’s better to be the batter than the ball.
 Numbers are important. You can’t properly analyze a baseball team or a real estate market without understanding them.
 Deferred maintenance never works to your advantage (Apologies to the Baltimore Orioles).
 Waiting until next year is not always the best strategy. Get your home sold now before inventories explode. Buy a home now before mortgage rates leave the basement.
 Past performance does not guarantee future performance. Watch out for underperforming “superstars” and housing bubbles.
 Trust your coach. Love your trusted REALTOR®.
 Sometimes homeownership throws us a curve. That’s when you’re happy to have a home warranty.
 A well-maintained lawn is more valuable than artificial turf.
 Spitting should never be permitted in a dugout or a living room.

Tax Credit Extension

After a close brush with the deadline, Congress has passed an extension of
the Homebuyer Tax Credit closing deadline, the Homebuyer Assistance and
Improvement Act (H.R. 5623) . The extension applies only to transactions
that have ratified contracts in place as of April 30, 2010 that have not yet
closed. The legislation is designed to create a seamless extension the new
closing deadline for eligible transactions is now September 30, 2010. There
is will be no gap between June 30 and the date the President signs the bill
into law.

NAR worked closely with Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle to
enact this important legislation. Extending the Tax Credit Closing deadline
will help provide additional stability to real estate markets across the
nation.

For additional information on the extension visit
www.realtor.org/government_affairs