Tips for buying a house
As somebody who bought her first home in Fayetteville in 2009, Nichole Duckworth has this piece of advice for others in search of their own abode.
"If you see something you really like, don't wait on it," she said. "Houses that are worth it go quick around here."
Duckworth said she learned that the hard way. She and her husband dragged their feet on one that they realized, in retrospect, would have been a great buy.
That's not to say all houses move quickly in Cumberland County.
And that's not to say those that don't aren't good deals.
While some neighborhoods tend to be hotter than others, many local real estate agents will often find themselves surprised by changes in patterns.
Sometimes, it's just a best guess.
So ask your agent for "the comps" of any specific neighborhood you're considering, suggests Jay Dowdy, president of the Fayetteville Regional Association of Realtors.
"That way they can see what things are selling for in that area," he said. "You want to know what the market is doing because real estate is always location, location, location."
Do lots of online research, he said.
"If I were an outsider looking in, I'd go onto realtor.com ... and search for the Fayetteville or Fort Bragg and they'd have all the MLS listings at their fingertips," he said. "That way they could search the whole market, and once they see something they like, they can contact the agent directly."
That site offers a number of tips for house hunting such as the following:
"You'll save yourself many hours of shopping (and potentially arguing) if you make a list ahead of time," according to realtor.com. "Zero in on the features you must have, would like to have, definitely don't want and would prefer not to have. Your goal is to find the right home for your family without falling in love with one that doesn't suit your needs."
Two other sites you might want to check out?
There is, of course, http://marketplace.fayobserver.com /realestate/
And http://www.militarybyowner.com/ which has a bit of a following among those who move between military installations but isn't exclusive to such shoppers.