Moving to Fayetteville NC ?

35 Years in the Fayetteville Area | 20 Years in Law Enforcement | 200+ Families Helped

About James Walker

I’m James Walker, a Realtor with All American Realty Group serving Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Raeford, Fort Bragg, and the surrounding area.

I have lived in the Fayetteville area for about 35 years, so I know this area from more than just working real estate here. I have watched Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Raeford, and the communities around Fort Bragg grow and change over the years.

I primarily help military families, veterans, first responders, and families relocating to the Fayetteville area. About 85% to 90% of the buyers and sellers I work with are military or VA clients.

Since getting into real estate in 2019, I have helped more than 200 families buy or sell real estate.

How I Got Into Real Estate

Before real estate, I spent 20 years in law enforcement.

My mother has owned rental properties and flipped homes for about 30 years. I did not work heavily in her business growing up, but watching what she did with real estate stayed with me.

When I started thinking about life after law enforcement, her experience helped inspire me to get my real estate license.

I became licensed in 2019 and worked part-time during my first year. In 2020, after getting injured and retiring from law enforcement, I moved into real estate full-time.

One thing that transferred from police work into real estate more than I expected was communication.

As a police officer, you have to know how to talk to people, explain difficult situations, listen, and communicate when people are under stress.

Real estate requires many of those same skills.

I like explaining the process and educating my clients so they understand what they are doing instead of simply being told what to do.

Helping Military Families PCS to Fort Bragg

A large part of my business is helping military families who are PCSing to Fort Bragg.

Most of the families I work with are not just trying to find a house. They are trying to understand an area they may have never lived in before.

Fort Bragg is a large installation, so one of the first things I talk about is where someone will be working and which gate may make the most sense if a shorter commute is important.

Then we start narrowing down what they actually need in a home.

That includes things like:

  • Price range
  • Bedrooms
  • Bathrooms
  • Square footage
  • Commute
  • Whether they prefer a more urban or rural area

The three areas where I most commonly help military buyers are Fayetteville, Hope Mills, and Raeford.

I normally explain them very simply.

Fayetteville is the largest city and gives buyers the most options.

Hope Mills is a medium-sized town.

Raeford is smaller but has continued growing.

The right area depends on the buyer, where they will be working, what type of house they want, and how much driving they are comfortable doing.

Living in Fayetteville

Living in Hope Mills

Living in Raeford

When Should You Contact Me Before PCSing?

I have had military families contact me anywhere from one month before arriving to more than a year before their PCS.

In my experience, about three to four months before the move is a good time to start seriously planning once you have hard orders.

That gives us time to talk about areas, housing criteria, financing, and what the buying process may look like before everything becomes rushed.

I Do More Than Send You Listings

Many of my military buyers are still living in another state when they start looking for homes.

That is why video tours have become a major part of how I work.

I also have a YouTube channel where I create educational videos about moving to the Fayetteville area and PCSing to Fort Bragg.

Some buyers have purchased homes after finding me through those videos and then using my video tours to see properties remotely.

When I record a video tour, I do not just walk through the house with the camera moving as fast as possible.

I normally start outside and show the surrounding area briefly.

Then I walk through the house room by room and pan slowly so the buyer can actually see what I am seeing.

I look at things such as:

  • The ceilings for possible water stains
  • Carpet, hardwood, LVP, vinyl, or tile flooring
  • Granite, quartz, marble, or other countertop materials
  • Wallpaper
  • Holes or damage in walls
  • Paint condition
  • Visible wood rot or damage
  • Strong pet odors or other noticeable smells
  • The HVAC system
  • The roof

If I see something that concerns me, I explain what I am looking at and why it caught my attention.

A listing photo is designed to make a house look good.

My job during a video tour is to help my client understand what the house actually looks and feels like when they cannot be there themselves.

[INTERNAL LINK: PCSing to Fort Bragg]

[INTERNAL LINK: Fort Bragg Relocation Guide]

Helping Buyers Understand VA Loans

A large percentage of the buyers I work with use VA financing.

One thing I have learned is that many military buyers are not necessarily misinformed about VA loans. They simply have not been fully educated about how the benefit works.

Some of the things I regularly explain include:

  • A VA loan can be used more than once.
  • A VA loan may allow a qualified buyer to purchase with no down payment.
  • No down payment does not mean there are no closing costs.
  • There may be a VA funding fee.
  • Depending on the transaction, a buyer may be able to ask the seller to pay some or all of their closing costs.
  • Builder incentives or lender credits may sometimes help with upfront costs.
  • Some buyers may also qualify for other assistance programs.

When financing questions move into interest rates, debt-to-income ratios, payment calculations, or loan qualification, I send the buyer back to their lender.

That is the lender's lane.

I stay in my lane and help my clients understand the real estate side of the transaction.

If they ask my opinion, I will give it to them, but I do not try to replace the professionals handling their financing.

Buying Before Your Next PCS

One of the biggest conversations I have with military buyers is about how long they expect to own the home.

Military families can receive another PCS in three or four years, and sometimes even sooner.

I have seen families buy a home and then learn a few years later that they have to move again.

The problem is that owning a house for only a short period does not automatically mean you will build enough equity to sell comfortably.

There are costs that buyers often do not think about when they first purchase.

When you sell, you may have Realtor compensation, seller-paid concessions, repairs, and other selling expenses.

If you financed a VA funding fee into the loan, that is also part of the loan balance.

During the first few years of a mortgage, a large portion of the payment may also be going toward interest rather than reducing the principal balance quickly.

That does not mean a military family should never buy.

It means they should understand the possible exit before they purchase.

If you were my client, I would want you thinking about the next PCS before you sign the paperwork for this one.

Renting the property later is not always a perfect solution either.

If your mortgage payment is $2,000 but the property may only rent for $1,700 or $1,800, you could be covering the difference every month.

I try to explain those possibilities upfront.

Ultimately, whether someone buys or rents is their decision.

My job is to give them enough information to make that decision with their eyes open.

Who I Work With

Military and VA buyers make up a large part of my business, but they are not the only people I help.

I work with:

  • Active-duty military families
  • Veterans
  • First responders
  • First-time buyers
  • Families relocating to the Fayetteville area
  • Local buyers
  • Homeowners looking to sell

My background naturally makes me especially comfortable working with military families and first responders.

But if you are looking to buy or sell real estate in the Fayetteville area, I am here to help.

Working With Me

My approach is education first.

I want you to understand the area, understand the house, and understand the process.

That is also why I spend so much time creating educational content on YouTube, Instagram, Google, and my website.

Before someone ever contacts me, I want them to feel like they already know how I communicate and what working with me may be like.

My wife, Stephanie, is also a real estate agent with All American Realty Group.

Clients typically work primarily with me because I am the one creating most of our online content and handling the public-facing side of the business, but Stephanie and I work together within the same firm.

We have been married for more than 20 years, and our son recently graduated from UNCG and plans to pursue a career as an attorney.

Why Work With Me?

I have spent about 35 years living in the Fayetteville area.

I spent 20 years serving this community in law enforcement.

I have been working in real estate since 2019.

And I have helped more than 200 families buy or sell real estate.

Most importantly, I understand that military families moving to Fort Bragg are often making major housing decisions from hundreds or thousands of miles away.

I cannot make that decision for you.

What I can do is give you local knowledge, show you what I actually see in a property, explain the process, answer your questions, and help you make an informed decision.

If you are PCSing to Fort Bragg, relocating to Fayetteville, Hope Mills, or Raeford, or simply looking to buy or sell a home in the area, I would be glad to help.

Start Your Home Search: https://www.fayettevillenchomesforsale.org/

Contact James: Call or text 910-988-8578 or set up a call or Zoom on my Calendly: https://calendly.com/jamesmwalker181/buyer-or-seller-meeting

 

PCSing to Fort Bragg? Start Here: https://www.fayettevillenchomesforsale.org/fort-bragg-pcs-guide/