Mecklenburg Times: News for Mecklenburg, Union and Iredell counties Real Estate, Development, Construction, and Community News in the Charlotte area and throughout Mecklenburg, Union and Iredell counties

Reader Question: I am going to sell my house. Would it be wise to have an appraiser evaluate my home rather than depending on a real estate agent? Monty’s Answer: There are differences between both approaches. First, consider approaching value ...

Tagged with: Dear Monty

Reader Question: There is substantial information available on the web, the library, magazines and newspapers regarding home values. I’m not sure what to believe, or not believe, as the sources of the information can be vague, conflicting or just wrong. ...

Tagged with: online value

Reader Question: We used a buyer agent to find a new home. Now we need to sell our home. We got him to look at our house. The lower commission does not seem to motivate him, and he is not ...

Tagged with: agents

Reader Question: I’m guessing nearly 40% of the homes in our neighborhood are in need of clean-up, painting or siding, landscaping, and more. The area is busy so there is traffic noise, and pedestrian traffic. I feel like the neighborhood ...

Tagged with: Dear Monty

Reader Question: I would like your opinion regarding the use of comparable sales as objective evidence of market value. Similar sales within one’s neighborhood are the most accurate indicator of market value. The primary issue I have is that the ...

Tagged with: property tax

Reader Question: I am 65. I have been living in Alabama since 2004. I lived with a family member who has since passed away. Now I am out on my own renting a house. I have had an excellent job ...

Tagged with: rent or buy

Reader Question: We recently listed our home for sale. A potential buyer wants us to give them a list of expenses to explain why our list price was higher than what we had paid. Is this a reasonable request, and ...

Tagged with: home improvements

Reader question: We own a 45-year-old home in a development. The house is well-built, with a full basement and sits on more than a half-acre of land. We have made some significant renovations and the house is in great shape. ...

Tagged with: leaky basement

Reader Question: We are starting to explore buying our first home. We have attended several open houses and spoken to several real estate agents. One of the questions we have asked is who pays the real estate commission. It is ...

Tagged with: real estate commission

Reader Question: We are planning on buying a home soon. Many of our friends and co-workers have purchased homes in the past few years. Between stories we hear from them and the stories on real estate websites, home inspections are ...

Tagged with: flashpoints