Onslow County NC REALTORS Should Dress for Success

As a REALTOR in Jacksonville NC I believe that if you want to be a successful REALTOR you should dress the part.  After all you are telling potential clients a lot with how you present yourself.  If you show up at a listing appointment looking like you are going to the beach, you probably are not going to impress anyone.  If anything you will show those potential clients the type of person that they don’t want to work with.

While REALTORs are “Independent Contractors”, able to have a very flexible schedule, which I believe is the downfall of many aspiring REALTOR’s.  You are in business for yourself.  So, act like it’s a real job, not a hobby.  There are many new REALTOR’s that just can’t seem to handle the fact that they have almost complete freedom to come and go as they please.  Most of us are creatures of habit, if we don’t have structure we waste a lot of time.

When I was starting out in the Real Estate business my Broker in Charge frowned on you wearing jeans ever!  Casual Friday?  Absolutely not!!  Dress well….. like you have a clue about what you are doing and that you are definitely worth the commission you earn.  I am not saying that you have to wear a suit every day, but you need to make an effort to dress professionally.  You never know when you could be meeting your next client.

That being said, if you are showing raw land and know you will be walking through high grass, or wooded lots, a skirt & heels or 3 piece suit is equally inappropriate.  So, dress for what you know you will be doing.  If you are just planning on being at the office to do some paperwork, during business hours, don’t come to the office in sweats, looking like you just rolled out of bed.

If searching for homes in the CampLejeune, New River Air Station, Jacksonville, Onslow County area please click here to search all active listings.

Ellen Hough, Jacksonville NC Real Estate , specializing in First time home buyers and sellers. Working with EXIT Independence Realty, 910-330-6103 (Cell)

Local Mortgage Lenders~Onslow County NC

In the Jacksonville NC, Onslow County housing market we are pretty unique. Being home of Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base and New River Marine Corps Air Station the majority of our buyers are VA. Please do not think for one minute that any successful local mortgage broker is not well versed in doing a VA loan for our many veterans and active duty military personel. Some of these on-line based companies try to make is sound like a “special” loan that they are uniquely qualifed to process. It has been my experience that, that is not true. Most of the time these people are learning as they go and can end up making the process more stressful then it needs to be. So, if you are coming to the Jacksonville NC area and want to purchase a home, contact lenders that are here. Ask friends that are here who they would recommend or ask your REALTOR for some mortgage lenders that they work with. Someone that you or your REALTOR can get in front of if you need to. Some of these on-line companies are next to impossible to get on the phone and can take their sweet time in calling you back, if at all.

The same goes for some of these nationally known companies. Just because you get with one of those companies does not mean you will get to work with one of the local mortgage brokers, since they are commission based, national companies will not “refer” you to a local person. Instead of calling that 800 number to the huge building in who knows where, get the local number for the nationally known company here in Onslow County. The person should be responsive, pleasant and knowledgeable. If they talk to you in mortgage speak ask them to explain it in laymans terms, if they can’t do that then keep looking until you find the right person to work with. The mortgage person that you choose should never make you feel like you are not smart or are bothering them. This is one of the biggest purchases you will make, and you should be well informed, not confused or afraid to ask a question.

We have several very good mortgage people here in Jacksonville NC. I would be glad to recommend a few that I work with on a regular basis with good results.

If searching for homes in the CampLejeune, New River Air Station, Jacksonville, Onslow County area please click here to search all active listings.

Ellen Hough, Jacksonville NC Real Estate , specializing in First time home buyers and sellers. Working with EXIT Independence Realty, 910-330-6103 (Cell)

Onslow County NC~Septic Permits

Septic permits in Onslow County, NC can be confusing, there are several different types of septic systems with varing degrees of care needed.  Some of the more complicated systems will require regular inspections by the county and you will need to have a contract with an “operator” to maintain the system.  Those extreme systems are not the norm.  But as we continue to develop land and build homes where we would not have in the past, this is happening more often.

  Also, older homes that had their current system fail and a new system is required, can lead to a higher maintainence septic system.  So, if you are looking to purchase a home on a septic system, ask questions, speak to the Environmental Health Department in the county to see what kind of system you are getting.  The septic system also determines how many bedrooms you have.  If you have a home with what you think are 4 or more bedrooms and you are on a septic system, you need to check with the Health Department, if you have a septic permit for a 3 bedroom home, that is what you have with a bonus room or two.  Check with the county you plan on living in for their guidelines, rules & regulations.

If searching for homes in the CampLejeune, New River Air Station, Jacksonville, Onslow County area please click here to search all active listings.

Ellen Hough, Jacksonville NC Real Estate , specializing in First time home buyers and sellers. Working with EXIT Independence Realty, 910-330-6103 (Cell)

Jacksonville NC Realtor, Ellen Hough, Never Stops Learning

As a licensed REALTOR in North Carolina the training never really stops. The market is ever changing and evolving. So, in order to keep current with the ever changing Real Estate world there is always some training going on. There are classes on Insurance, Home Warranties, Septic Systems, Home Inspections, Short Sales and so on. I believe in education and staying current on what is going on in the market. My job as a REALTOR is to keep informed so that I can advise my clients on their Real Estate concerns & needs. I am active with the Jacksonville Board of REALTORS serving as a Treasurer and then as the Secretary, currently I am serving on a couple committees and always try to take advantage of the classes that our Board sponsors. I also take advantage of most of the training sponsored by EXIT, they are a very pro-active company that knows their success or failure is tied to the training afforded to their Broker/Owners and Agents. So, when looking for an agent, bear in mind that they are required to have 8 hours of Continuing Education every year, but the better agents will have put in far more then that, in order to keep their edge in the market.

If searching for homes in the CampLejeune, New River Air Station, Jacksonville, Onslow County area please click here to search all active listings.

Ellen Hough, Jacksonville NC Real Estate , specializing in First time home buyers and sellers. Working with EXIT Independence Realty, 910-330-6103 (Cell)