$1,000 CLOSING COST INCENTIVE: The Downtown Raleigh Alliance is offering a $1,000 closing costs incentive to the first three event attendees who purchase and close on a home in downtown (see below for specifications) between May 21, 2011 and December 31, 2011. Funding for the incentives made possible by corporate sponsorships.

if you are a first time home buyer shopping for a home in Raleigh say between $100,000 and $149,999 and in April found that your low ball offers weren’t being accepted, it’s because it ISN’T A BUYERS MARKET IN RALEIGH in that price range.

Remember, housing will likely be in a much better position in the second half of the year and at that time rates could be a bit higher. Now’s the time to take advantage of the combination of low rates and affordable housing.

This increase could cost your buyers more money each month for their total monthly mortgage payment. What can your buyers do? If they are close to contract, advise them to buy now before the new mortgage insurance premium takes effect. They must have an active loan application for the subject property prior to April 18, 2011.

three little known down payment grants for home buyers in Raleigh North Carolina

Even if a friend or relative has recommended a contractor that he or she has used before, you should establish some minimum credentials. Get the full company name and address, and make sure that the firm has a current state license and adequate insurance coverage. (Typically, this means at least a million dollars in liability and worker’s compensation coverage.) Get license and policy numbers, then verify that they are current. Determine whether any formal complaints or legal actions have occurred in the past or are pending.

Scam artists are nothing new, but there are plenty of reasons to predict there will even more of them due to tough economic times. While they tend to prey on the elderly, anyone who is not cautious and informed is a potential victim. Your best defense is a skeptical mind and knowing what to look out for when you hear that offer that’s “too good to refuse.” Here are some of the most popular, and costly, home improvement scams.