Google v. TateMAP

February
28
2011

Google has made me stupid. I know there are folks who say my stupidity pre-dates Google, but I’m pretty sure I’m correct. Google tells me how to get from Point A to Point B. It tells me the latest batch of brews at my favorite pub and Cee Lo Green’s real name (Thomas DeCarlo Callaway). [...]

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The Envelope Please….

February
25
2011

We are pleased to announce that Allen Tate Company has earned the Website Quality Certification (WQC) for the 2nd year in a row. Leading Real Estate Companies of the World will officially present the award at its 2011 Conference on March 9th in Las Vegas.
Every aspect of allentate.com was evaluated to ensure standards were met [...]

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Don’t Bang Your Head Against the Wall

February
24
2011

I like creativity and crafty projects to help spruce up my home. Surfing the internet and browsing magazines are great ways to get inspiration but nothing beats hearing ideas from my friends. Recently, a creative girlfriend of mine told me a great story about her quest to update her bedroom on a budget.
She had been [...]

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Revaluation in Mecklenburg County

February
23
2011

Revaluation (aka reassessment) seems to be the talk of the town lately and the questions it has raised are plentiful:

Should I appeal my property revaluation or not?
Am I being treated fairly?
Is it true that Fair Market Value, Appraised Value, Insured Value and Assessed Value can be the same? If so, isn’t that a rare occurrence?

Let [...]

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Sold Data Becomes Available in Upstate South Carolina

February
22
2011

Ok, I will admit it. I went to college before computers where required. If I had to write a paper, I borrowed my roommate’s word processor.  Any research I had to do was pulled during many painstaking hours at the campus library.  I don’t remember using email or “surfing the net” until my senior year [...]

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Health Care Reform Law

February
21
2011

The rumors are flying again about the 3.8% Medicare tax in the health care reform law. The messages say the tax is imposed on unearned income that includes the sale of a principle residence. But what you need to know is that the tax is actually far narrower and the $250,000-$500,000 capital gains exclusion for [...]

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Good Old Consumer Confidence!

February
18
2011

Am I upbeat that our new homes division has had its best 4 months in the past two years…you bet! I interact with a lot of builders, developers, banks and real estate companies in our region and the number one question that I always get is, “So how’s business?” Then it is invariably followed [...]

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2011 Triad Real Estate Forecast

February
17
2011

The Daytona 500, NASCAR’s biggest race of the year, kicks off the NASCAR season this month. As the race-car drivers take “the turn”, the driver’s focus is to hit it just right in order to accelerate into the straight-away.  That way, the driver can either stay in the lead or take the lead using the [...]

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What Did You Say? Now Is the Time to Buy?

February
16
2011

What did you say? Now is the time to buy real estate?
It seems like everyone is talking about the fact that now is the time to buy real estate:

“With home sales starting to improve, and with prices now possibly forming a bottom, real estate could well be the asset class that represents… the best [...]

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Sports Fans Love Charlotte North Carolina

February
15
2011

When companies look to relocate to Charlotte, one of the first questions asked is, “What is there to do in Charlotte, particularly for sports fans?”  To make sure I’m giving the best answer possible, I frequently look to Tom Apke, a long time college basketball coach and sports broadcaster who now works in our Relocation [...]

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