Hillman Real Estate Group’s Triangle Relocation Guide
Are you thinking of relocating to the Triangle? You have come to the right place! Triangle real estate industry veteran Renée Hillman is a consistent Top Producer (in the top 1% locally and top brokerage teams in North Carolina) and leads the Hillman Real Estate Group team at eXp Realty.
Relocating? We Are the Team for You!
One of our specialties at Hillman Real Estate Group at eXp Realty is representing the best interests of Triangle-area buyers throughout the home-buying process. Our comprehensive, high-quality services will save you time and money, as well as make the experience more enjoyable and less stressful. About 35% of our buyers are those relocating to the Triangle from outside of North Carolina—both from the United States and internationally. Take advantage of our experience as local market experts to make the most informed decisions you can.
The Triangle is filled with thriving city life, charming small towns, and everything in-between. When a new buyer is coming to the area, the biggest thing we have to figure out is what part of the Triangle they want to live in. They might need a specific commute time, family members they want to be close to, school districts they want to be in, or colleges they want to be near. That is where we come in. Keep reading to learn more about how we can help YOU make the Triangle home!
“A move across the country is no easy feat—and we were fortunate to have our REALTOR® in Montana connect us with Kayla at HREG—before even arriving in NC. Kayla is the most patient, ‘no pressure, but here when you need me’ agent ever! She even offered to go way out of her way to pick us up at our storage unit and take us to the airport on one of our many trips back and forth from Montana. Or help us find apartments while getting settled before housing shopping. She listened to our needs/requests and made suggestions along the way and was often already on our concerns before we could mention them. We ended up purchasing our dream home and we’re so glad to have Kayla and HREG backing us to ensure every little step along the way was taken care of to make closing day a reality. Rebecca organized all the inspections and took the time to prepare a contact list of services in our new area. Kayla connected us with a fantastic banker, who treated us like family from day one and there was great communication 24/7. GREAT experience!” – Maureen F.
What is the Triangle Area Like for Buyers Who Choose to Relocate?
We are sandwiched between the mountains and the beach and are known for being very hilly and green. Dozens of towns surround the Triangle’s original cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, each with its own unique character and history. The historic districts in Wake Forest, Apex, and Hillsborough with their charming downtowns and old buildings draw residents and visitors looking for a bit of nostalgia.
We Are Growing
The Triangle’s reputation as a center for the technology and healthcare industries has contributed enormously to making us the second-fastest growing city in the U.S. in 2020 with an average of 62 people moving to Wake County alone each day. Perhaps that has something to do with all the recent awards we have received in the last couple of years such as #3 City for Young Families, Top 10 Best City in America to Live, Top 30 Safest Cities to Raise a Child, and Top 5 City for Jobs. It also doesn’t hurt that the Triangle boasts some of the best universities in the country including Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill, and NC State University.
Let’s Talk Lifestyle
Now that many people are working from home, and being near work is not the main concern, people are selecting their homes based on lifestyle. What do you like to do lifestyle-wise? What is most important to you? Restaurants, shopping, trails, hiking, parks, dog parks, sidewalks, schools, gyms, art centers… To find the area that is right for you, these are the types of things we need to discuss.
Let’s Dive Into the Process
To start, we have a short call to get a first impression and define the next steps. Then, we schedule a more in-depth buyer strategy session. This takes about 45 minutes to an hour. During this session, we establish a working relationship with you and define your end goal and your needs for your next home. We spend time getting to know you better and understanding your timeline. We dive deeper on this call to start narrowing down areas and we talk about the budget. Depending on the budget, we might be able to narrow down the areas from 10 to two that fit your criteria. All of this is discussed before you will need to make a trip (virtually or in-person) to the Triangle.
Each area varies greatly on lifestyle, what you get for your money, and cost per square foot. We always say that you “buy your community first and then you find the home.” We do not want your new city to feel like a foreign place to you. We want to alleviate that homesickness for you and help you find that home here. Our team goes above and beyond to give you an insider perspective of what it is like in each community. The lifestyle piece is so important to us. We are not just selling a house, we are selling a home. We want you to feel as comfortable living here as we have been here for the last three decades.
After we narrow it down to a couple of areas, we like to have our clients spend three to five days looking at the community and houses in person, if possible. We want to find out what speaks to you. It is amazing how quickly we find that people resonate with certain areas. It is a gut instinct and one of the few similarities we see across all of our real estate transactions, especially with those relocating.
**At this time, we also want to mention that we have many relocation clients that we have never met in person. Everything can be done virtually with the help of our team—down to the inspections and even the closing!
Let’s Talk Timing
Let’s say you do not find a home during your in-person visit or you are not able to be here in person… Once you figure out what city/county you want to be in, we will set up a search for you that will send you an email daily about what is on the market/coming on the market. Then, when houses become available, our team can take you on a live Zoom tour. We will also record the tour so you can rewatch it or share it with someone else.
During these videos/house tours, we are looking at the house like we would be buying it for our families. We look for any issues so things do not pop up when it is too late. We understand that quality and condition are very important and will act as your eyes, ears, and nose! We look at how the house has been cared for, down to the small things… even the stove. We know you cannot smell in a picture or video so we want to give you every detail that we encounter.
In addition to the home tour, we do a video walk-through of the yard and we drive around the subdivision and the outside of the community so you can get a feel of what your life will be like here as a whole.
Let’s Talk Relationships
As you know, the market is competitive. Our team is always looking for off-market deals, as well. We have a great reputation among our peers and use the relationships to help you find exactly what you are looking for.
We also want to create a great relationship with you and make sure we are setting proper expectations. Each city and state do real estate differently. From the beginning, we will discuss financing or if you are buying with cash. If you are financing, it is important to have a lender that is on your side that you can get in touch with when you need them. Local lenders tend to be better for this and we have some that we have worked with for 10+ years that we can introduce you to. This is just one of the many ways we tailor our service to fit you.
Schedule a No-Obligation Consultation Today
Even before the pandemic, our team was well-versed in using video to assist our clients in the home-buying process. Relocating is exciting, scary, and every emotion in between. We understand that you are trusting us with a very large asset and a very big move. We do not take that lightly. We have two full-time Client Care Specialists that help with all the intricacies of buying a home, especially when are you relocating. Our team is ready to help you call the Triangle home. Contact us today at Renee@HREGSells.com or 919-877-6708!