RE/MAX Hometown in Wake Forest, N.C. and The Alice Ray Team has a new address

12316 - Suite 104 Hampton Way Drive, Wake Forest, N. C. 27587 - We moved in the new

building behind the old building in the same parking lot.  If you go upstairs in our old building

and find a empty office do not get worried,  we are still there in our new building in the same

parking lot on the first floor.

Come Visit the Alice Ray Team and ask for Jimmy & Alice Ray to assist you!  Call us at 919-

556-6459 or Alice cell 919-906-5794.

Are you looking for or thinking about purchasing Foreclosures? 

Here is the information you need to know as well as access to all of the areas foreclosures!

To start with here are the links that will show you the full MLS sheet on every property in Foreclosure in the following counties that is actively listed in the MLS system:

Links Updated 8/18/2009

Click here to view foreclosures in Wake County - 132 Available!

Click here to view foreclosures in Franklin County - 26 Available!

Click here to view foreclosures in Granville County - 9 Available!

Click here to view foreclosures in Johnston County - 69 Available!

Click here to view foreclosures in Durham County - 77 Available!

On each of the above links it will take you to a page that looks like the screen shot below.  You will be able to move through each of the listings by clicking on the right arrow as indicated in the screen shot below.  The screen shot below also tells you how to look at the pictures and a virtual tour if available.

You can also request any of these searches be set up for you and have them automatically email you new listings everyday by sending us an email at alice@aliceray.com and letting us know what type of search you would like.

If you are interested in purchasing any of the homes please let us know and we would be glad to assist you as your buyer's agent.  You can call us at 919-556-6459 or email us at alice@aliceray.com.

*These listings are in the Triangle MLS System and are not listed directly by our team.  As Realtors we are able to show you any home on the market and provide information to you.  We will be able to assist you as your buyer's agent in the purchase of any of the homes.

Fourth of July Fireworks Show

Trentini Staidum - Wake Forest High School

Friday, July 3, 2009 - Wake Forest, NC

It’s that time of the year again!  Time for the annual Wake Forest, NC Fireworks Show!  This is consistently one of the best fireworks displays in all of North Carolina.  I’m sure this year will be no different as the town is celebrating its centennial.  This years show will once again include the Band of Oz performing a fun mix of beach music that is always a hit.  You will also see Don Carrington's Parchute Team float down into the stadium from the sky which always a big hit with the kids. The night will be capped off with a 20 minute fireworks show that is always very impressive.

The Fourth of July weekend celebration continues on Saturday as kids line up for the annual Kid’s Parade on North Main Street in Wake Forest.  Kids can dress up and ride their decorated bike or ride in their wagon and be in their very own parade that will continue around to Holding Park.  Once at Holding Park their will be games and other activities.

The annual Fourth of July activities is just another reason why the town of Wake Forest is a great place to live. 

Here is a link to the town's website page that gives directions, parking map, parade map, and a more detailed description of the events!  Click here to visit the Town of Wake Forest's Fourth of July Page.

HUD: Tax Credit Can Be Used on Closing Costs

FHA-approved lenders received the go-ahead to develop bridge-loan products that enable first-time buyers to use the benefits of the federal tax credit upfront, according to eagerly awaited guidance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on so-called home buyer tax credit loans that was released today.

Under the guidance, FHA-approved lenders can develop bridge loans that home buyers can use to help cover their closing costs, buy down their interest rate, or put down more than the minimum 3.5 percent.

The loans can't be used to cover the minimum 3.5 percent, senior HUD officials told reporters on a conference call Friday morning.

Thus, buyers applying for FHA-backed financing with an FHA-approved lender that offers a bridge-loan program can get a bridge loan to bring down the upfront costs of buying a home significantly but would still have to come up with the minimum 3.5 percent downpayment.

There remain many sources of assistance for buyers needing help with the 3.5 percent downpayment, including many state and local government instrumentalities and nonprofit lenders.


The first-time homebuyer tax credit was enacted last year--and improved upon earlier this year--to help encourage households to enter the housing market while interest rates are low and affordability is high. The credit is worth up to $8,000 and is available to households that haven't owned a home in at least three years. The credit does not have to be repaid, and is fully reimbursable, so households can get their credit returned to them in the form of a payment.

If you are in the market for your first home in the Wake Forest, North Raleigh, or Franklin County Areas, or know someone who is please email or call us today to let our team help guide you in the purchase. As your Realtor we can help you make sure you make the right choices and take advantage of this Great Time to Buy!  Email us at alice@aliceray.com or call us at 919-556-6459!

The Best Way to Search for Homes in the Wake Forest, Raleigh, and Youngsville, NC Areas.

There is no reason to search for Real Estate any other way! 

I believe there is a lot of confusion with the way buyers are searching for homes these days.  The combination of the media, variety of websites, and advertisements about homes has made it very difficult for the average buyer to know what they need to do to make sure they are getting up to date information about homes for sale. 

Many websites today have to be manually updated by either a homeowner or a listing agent anytime a home is put on the market, sold, or has a stutus or price change.  If you are a buyer and happen to use one of the sites you may be looking at outdated or incorrect information.  Sites such as these include Craigslist, Trulia, Zillow, Yahoo Real Estate, and many others. 

So what is a buyer looking for a home in the Wake Forest area suppossed to do?  Well as a Real Estate agent I know that if I was looking for a home myself I would go straight to our MLS system to find my next home.  When I look in the MLS I know that I am getting the most up to date information and the most information on the most homes than I can get anywhere else.  I know i can hear you now - "well that is great if you are a real estate agent and have access to the MLS system!"  

YOU TOO can have access to the MLS system!  All you have to do is have a Realtor who is a member of the MLS system set you up a custom search in the system and it will automatically email you MLS Sheets from the MLS system.  You can have instant access to more information than you will find on any other search site out there, including the search on my website, realtor.com, any other real estate company or agent's website!

The way it works is you send the agent your search criteria.  For example, I may be looking for a minimum 3BR/2BA home in Wake Forest with a two car garage, at least 1/2 acre, between $150,000 and $200,000.  Once my agent puts in the search the sytem will email a link to a webpage created specifically for me that will load all of the homes that currently match my search to it.  I will then be able to view the MLS sheet on each of these properties and either save or delete the ones I like.  I can even make notes that will be saved when I access the site later.  Then I will autmatically receive an email every day there is a new listing that matches my search or if one of my matches has a price or status change. 

So after a few days I may realize I'm not finding my dream home and I need to include homes in Wake Forest that have less than 1/2 an acre as well.  Or maybe I decide to extend my search to include real estate in Youngsville or Raleigh.  All I do is send my agent a quick email and ask for those changes and its done! 

Want to find out more about this powerful search option?  Click on the following link to see more information and examples of what it looks like.  Or just send us an email at alice@aliceray.com with your search criteria and we will get you started right away.

Click here for more about the MLS Search for Wake Forest Homes and Real Estate in the Wake Forest, North Raleigh, and Youngsville, NC Areas!

First Time Homebuyers

 What you need to know!

First off you have made a good first step by visiting our website.  In this blog we are going to try to give you all the information you want without requiring anything of you. No special meeting to attend, no phone  number, and no email address.  In the end we hope you have gained some knowledge and are ready to make that exciting step into homeownership! 

Here is a list of things we are going to cover:

                     1. First Time Buyer Tax Credit

                     2. Getting Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

                     3. Choosing a Realtor to Represent You!

                     4. Searching for Homes

                     5. Making the offer!

                     6. Savings of Owning versus Renting

                     7. Give the Alice Ray Team a Call or Email! 

You can reach us at alice@aliceray.com or contact Alice directly at 919-906-5794!

Ready?  Let's get started! Click on any of the above topics to the specific blog on that section!