What has happened to our beautiful state of North Carolina?  Since moving here 8 1/2 years ago, I realize just how much worse the littering problem has become.  How many times have you driven down a local highway only to see plastic bags, fast food wrappers and actual bags full of garbage lying along the roadways (sometimes in the roadway).  There is no argument that everyone is for a clean NC.  None of us want to see our roads being littered on a daily basis.  According to a recent article in the News and Observber,  in 2007 there were 380 tons of litter along Wake County highways, that comes out to approximately 150 bags of garbage per day. 

This year, the Adopt-A-Highway program celebrates its 20 year anniversary.  Certainly a great milestone for groups all across North Carolina who in 2006 picked up more than a 1/3 of 10.1 million pounds of trash along our highways.  Kudos to the 6000 Adopt-A-Highway crews who risk safety to help clean up the mess.  Kudos as well to the News and Observer who is asking everyone who sees trash along a highway to take a photo, identify the location and send it to share.triangle.com.  In addition, the Wake County Sheriff’s Department clamped down in January on offenders along 9 road segments in Wake County.  Violators caught littering were fined between $250 and $2,000.   This is certainly a start to help cleaning up the trash. 

However, more needs to be done.  Let’s implement a program of education to make people in NC realize just how bad the trash problem is.  In Texas, the slogan “Don’t Mess with Texas”, an educational and enforcement program helped to reduce their trash problem by 50%.  Only by using this kind of proactive approach will we be successful in resolving the trash issue which by the way cost taxpayers $18 million last year.

So you want to sell your home.  Here are the 3 Biggest Seller Mistakes.

1)  Price!Price!Price!  - Just as the old saying goes in real estate, Location!Location!Location!, so does pricing your home properly.  Without pricing your home correctly, you will not get the buyers you are looking for.  Your listing agent will be the best source in helping you to prepare the proper pricing for your home.  If you price it right, the buyers will come. 

2)  Condition - Your home should shine. Be sure your house is in good repair, both exterior and interior.  All clutter should be removed.  A great way to remove clutter, pack everything you don’t need and store in garage or in a storage unit.  You will be surprised to see how beautiful your home can look without the clutter.  Remove all appliances from countertop, except a nice cookie jar, olive oil bottle, etc…for staging effect.  Make your home sparkle!  Have carpets cleaned prior to showings, paint where necessary, i.e., woodwork and trim.  Change bold paint colors to neutrals.  Replace worn curtains with new ones.  Use a nice light fragrance, buttercream, vanilla, apple and cinnamon air freshener.  Put your best guest towels out prior to showing  in bathrooms.  Just doing these few items, will certainly make a difference in the appearance of your home.

3)  Marketing  - Marketing to the right people is key.  Your listing agent should be using as much exposure on the internet as possible - 80% of all buyers view properties online first.  Ask your agent for a specific Marketing Plan for your property, where they will be marketing and what their budget for marketing your property will be.  Are they doing a portfolio to be placed in your home?  What will the brochures look like? 

These three fundamentals will certainly get you on your way to selling your home at the right price and as quickly as possible. 

You’ve made the decision to sell your home.  What simple things can you do to help sell your home?  Here is a list of 10 items that may help.

1. Repaint all woodwork in your home.
2. Give your home a fresh new look by adding new curtains and new knobs to your kitchen cabinets.
3. If you have bold colored walls, repaint with a neutral color.
4. Replace worn linoleum and carpet.
5. Repair dripping faucets and showerheads.
6. Put a new coat of paint on the front door.
7. Replace and caulk any loose siding.
8. Paint and caulk windows and exterior house trim.
9. Clean gutters.
10. Replace old exterior light fixtures with new ones.

By following this checklist, you can be well on your way to getting an offer on your home.  Good Luck!

As promised, here is my take on the current housing outlook.  According to CNNMoney.com, mortgage applications increased by 3% for the week ending February 1st.  Average interest rates for the same time period were 5.6% for a 30 year mortgage and 5.09% for 15 year mortgages.  The President is expected to sign a bill raising the loan limits for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA loans within the next two weeks. All is not gloomy in the housing market.

 Locally, housing stats are certainly not negative either.  At the end of December 2007, the TARR Report stated that current supply for all housing in Wake County was 4 months.  Compare this stat to the US where housing supply is 10.4 months.  The Wake County Revenue Department reported 20,974 annual closings in 2007 - the 4th highest on record. 

The machine that drives our great real estate market is our local economy.  According to the North Carolina Employment Security Commission, workforce numbers were 435,188 with an unemployment rate of 3.4% at the end of December.  How many areas of the country do you know that can boast these numbers?  I will continually keep you updated on the numbers - stay tuned!

Good Morning! 

The next few blogs will be devoted to real estate in the Raleigh and Wake County areas.  There are 3 facts that remain the same in today’s real estate world:

1. There has never been a better time to buy - interest rates are at an all time low.  
2. All real estate markets are LOCAL.  What may be happening in one real estate market is not necessarily what is happening in others.
3. For you sellers out there, the buyers you get today will be qualified buyers.

In today’s blog, Bridget O’Brien from Carolina Residential Lending offers her viewpoint on the current lending situation.

What REALLY moves mortgage rates?Fixed-rate mortgage rates aren’t directly tied to Fed interest rate moves. Instead, they tend to follow in the direction of other long-term government bond yields, such as the 10-year Treasury, which historically moves in accordance with the economic outlook and in advance of Fed actions. The performance of Mortgage Backed Securities, issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, is what really determines long-term mortgage rates. 

How does the economic stimulus package fit into the picture?The economic stimulus package from Congress and the White House appears to be a positive thing for most borrowers. The conforming loan limits are likely to be raised from the current $417,000 to upwards of $625,000. This means great potential savings for purchase and refinance candidates who live in 20 high-cost areas across the country. They are considering increasing the conforming loan limit on a temporary basis up to 125%.  This means once approved the stimulus package would allow the new conforming loan limit for the Raleigh area to be $521,250 or higher.  Conforming interest rates are typically lower than the Jumbo loans (which are those loans amounts higher than $417,000 presently). For those falling within that $100,000 range or even thinking of purchasing within this range the potential savings can and will be significant.  

What should you do next?If you’re unsure how the rate-cut or the proposed legislation affects your mortgage, don’t worry, you’re not alone. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Give us a call right away. We’ll review your mortgage and current financial situation and see what, if anything, can or should be done to make the most of your individual financial goals and needs. In my next blog, I will discuss the current stats on Raleigh and Wake County and where our real estate market is headed.

Currently we are experiencing a severe drought in the Raleigh area.  Here are a few tips that may ease the water burden.  If every household would implement just 5 of these 10 tips, we could all make a huge difference. 

1. Make a compost pile, instead of using the garbage disposal.  Water just goes down the sink when you are rinsing food down a garbage disposal.
2.  Replace your showerhead with a ultra low flow version (this could mean a 2.5 gallon/minute savings)
3. Install rain barrels under your downspout.  Just 1″ of rain on a 1000 square foot roof will produce 625 gallons of water. Go to NBC17.com and use the keywords Go Green to view a video regarding rainwater collection systems used for irrigating your lawns and gardens.
4. Consider purchasing front-loading washing machines - they use much less water than a regular top loading washer.
5. Always put full loads in dishwashers and washing machines.  If not using a full load in a washer, be sure to set the appropriate level of water for the amount of load.
6. Consider planting low water use plants in your landscaping.
7. Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers.  A faucet dripping at only one drop per minute wastes 2700 gallons of water per year.
8. Check for toilet leaks - add food coloring to the tank.  If color appears in the toilet bowl within 30 minutes, you have a leak.  Be sure to replace all worn parts in toilet.
9. Consider purchasing a LowFlow toilet - reduce water use by 20%.
10. Store drinking water in the refrigerator, rather than drinking from the tap.

Remember to educate your children as well about the importance of saving water.  We can all make a difference by turning the tap off when brushing our teeth.  I will publish other “Living Green” ideas in future blogs.  Please feel free to comment and give me your ideas about water conservation.

‘Tis the season for homebuyers coming to our area from across the country.  Here are a few tips for those of you looking for their new home in the Raleigh/Wake County area.

1.  Beware of the Beltline - it is a quandry - be sure your realtor provides you with maps and     great directions.   I provide maps to my buyers prior to arrival.  Be careful with map sites like MapQuest, YahooMaps, etc….  They may not have up to date info on road construction,  new roads, etc… 

2.  Call your realtor far enough in advance so that he/she can schedule you for the whole day.

3.  Have your realtor recommend a hotel, preferably close to the realtor’s office.

4.  Your realtor should show you a map that is marked with areas of interest for you, including  the areas you want to visit.

5.  Sounds simple, but be sure your realtor has your cell number, in case you get lost.  Be sure to have your realtor’s cell number as well.

6. After your arrival, drive around areas and neighborhoods that you are interested in prior to meeting with your realtor. 

Stay tuned for more tips on moving to the Raleigh/Wake County area.

TRYON PINES AND VILLAGES OF TRYON

To my friends in Tryon Pines and Villages of Tryon,

Isn’t it wonderful to be able to drive down Tryon Road at rush hour without waiting in the commuter choo-choo line at Lake Wheeler and Tryon?  Our commute is a breeze now.

A gardening tip - remember the heavy frost we had a few weeks ago? Our Crepe Myrtles suffered greatly - all the leaves were dead the next morning.  I suggested to my husband that he prune the branches back as much as possible and see what happens.  After pruning, they are nicer than before.

Looking for a new picnic spot?  Visit the newYates Mill County Park - a mere couple of miles down Lake Wheeler Road.  This new county park comes complete with a working gristmill where demonstrations are given on  a regular basis.  Check out this link for more information on this really pretty new park in our area.

http://www.wakegov.com/locations/yatesmill.htm

Until next time.

Welcome to my new blog and my corner of the world, Raleigh, North Carolina. Spring has sprung here in the Raleigh area. The trees are now full of leaves and the azaleas, dogwoods and Bradford Pears are now gone, time for spring cleaning, yard sales and much-awaited fresh strawberries. I bring to my blog, tips on moving to our area, topics on the Raleigh area real estate market and upcoming events in the Triangle area.

As an introduction, my husband and I relocated from Central Pennsylvania 8 years ago. We live in the South Raleigh area and have one Shetland Sheepdog named Blue. We enjoy the cosmpolitan feel that the Raleigh area brings, wonderful museums, such as the North Carolina Museum of Art, North Carolina Museum of History and North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Other great things to see include the North Carolina Symphony (free 4th of July Concert), NC State Fair in October and who cannot miss the beautiful North Carolina coast. We truly feel that our quality of life has improved since moving here. I am sure you will feel the same way too. I started in the real estate business three years ago after leaving the working world. I worked in in Human Resources Management for 23 years. I enjoy working with my clients and promise to give the best real estate experience to you and your family. My specialty is relocating families to the area. I cover the surrounding areas as well, including Wake Forest, Cary, Morrisville, Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, North Raleigh and Apex.

RELOCATING TO THE RALEIGH/WAKE COUNTY AREA?

For those of you who don’t know, the Triangle area is the area of North Carolina consisting of Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill. The term “RTP” refers to the Research Triangle area where companies such as IBM, Cisco Systems and Bayer CropScience are located. Thousands of RTP’ers commute to work every day to this area between Raleigh and Durham. For those interested in living in the outlying areas around Raleigh, I will feature different communities, i.e., Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, Cary, Apex, Morrisville and Wake Forest as the weeks go on.

RALEIGH AREA REAL ESTATE MARKET

The Raleigh real estate market is still strong, thanks to a low unemployment rate, low interest rates and a vibrant economy. In a recent article, Lawrence Yun, Senior Forecast Economist with the National Association of Realtors,

“Some markets like Portland, Oregon, Raleigh, North Carolina and Austin,
Texas could experience price gains close to 10%. For homeowners, that
means their homes will yield an immediate one year wealth gain of about
$20,000.”

The average sale price for a home in Wake County in February was in the $260,000’s. The overall appreciation rate for Wake County for the year ending 2006 was a little over 4.3%, the highest appreciation rate ever. Other area markets such as Cary and Morrisville are steaming ahead. A great deal of new construction is going on in the Morrisville area with new communities such as Providence Place, Kitts Creek and Twin Lakes. In addition to all this good news, Raleigh was recently named by Forbes Magazine as the #1 City for Jobs. Click on this link to read more,

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/1/07bestplaces_Best-Places-For-Business-And-Careers_land.html

Please stay tuned to my blog, as I will update the Raleigh area real estate market each time.

TRYON PINES & THE VILLAGES OF TRYON

This space is dedicated to my neighbors in Tryon Pines and The Villages of Tryons.

Welcome to my new community blog! If you are interested in posting an announcement or event regarding Tryon Pines or The Villages of Tryon, please feel free to e-mail me at darcyhamm@nc.rr.com. As your realtor in these communities, I will be happy to announce any yard sales, upcoming neighborhood events, births, marriages, etc… My blog will be printed on a bi-weekly basis.

Wondering what all the construction is off Tryon Road past the Raleigh Golf Association? This is a new master planned community called Renaissance Park. This area is developed by Wakefield Development the same group who developed Bedford at Falls River. Renaissance Park is scheduled for 1,100 new homes and townhomes with a commercial/retail area as well. Townhomes start in the $130,000’s, single family homes start at $250,000 and custom homes start at $275,000. This neighborhood will boast a 7,000 square foot recreation center including a 4,500 square foot pool and two tennis courts. This community is certainly a great addition to our little corner of Raleigh.

The long-awaited Tryon Road widening project is continuing. We should see the section from Lake Wheeler to Gorman Street completed shortly. Stay tuned to find out when the section from Lake Wheeler to Highway 70/401 is scheduled.

Great news for neighborhood dog owners! Last week, Raleigh City Council approved a third off-leash dog park in our area, Carolina Pines Park. The new dog park is slated to open later this year. I will keep you updated.

Please feel free to e-mail me at darcyhamm@nc.rr.com with any questions or to add community news to my blog.

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!