Category: NC
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The Popular Price Point
In the Raleigh Triangle Area, the MLS uses a service to schedule showings. I well remember the days when an agent had to call each separate real estate company with fingers crossed, hoping someone was on phone duty to give out lock box combos. Now every member of the MLS pays a monthly fee to…
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When Pigz Fly
Coming back to Raleigh from a listing appointment in Wake Forest I couldn’t help but notice this crazy display right on Six Forks Rd. It turned out to be a fascinating llittle shop called When Pigz Fly. Their slogan is, “Where culture and creativity collide.” All kinds of things collide, actually — like past and…
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The NC State Fair
The first North Carolina State Fair, held in 1853, was conceived by the State Agriculutural Society as a way of getting farmers to come together and learn about “scientific” farming methods. Fairs were suspended during the Civil War but resumed in 1869. Around the turn of the century, the modern midway was added to the…
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What’s the walk score?
Choosing a home entails careful consideration of many criteria, but here’s a new one: What’s the walk score? Plug in an address at Walkscore. com, and you’ll get a number from zero to a hundred. The higher the number, the more walkable the area. How cool is that? Also on the website, a…
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We’re #1
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, IS AMERICA’S #1 BEST CITY! Businessweek.com arrived at this stunning conclusion by looking at “a range of positive metrics around quality of life,” including restaurants, school test scores, and the number of colleges and pro sports teams. “When we began the process we had no idea which cities would come out on…
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Triangle Market Update — Surprise! Good news!
At this point, it feels like news from the housing industry has been mired in gloom and doom for a very long time — but take heart! Here in the Raleigh/Wake County area, at least some indicators are moving in the other direction. Would you believe — Foreclosures are down! Distressed properties accounted for 20%…
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In August, Head for the Hills
I’m pretty sure that when James Taylor had Carolina on his mind, he wasn’t longing for the months of July and August in the big city. Combine summer heat that can reach 100 degrees with humidity in similar numbers, and you’ve got a recipe for sweaty and sticky. However, from Raleigh you can be at…
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ISO Homebuyers
Although the economy in general feels stronger, housing continues to struggle. The first quarter results here in the Triangle show sales down 8% from a year ago. That’s not terrible. But showings are down 20% from a year ago, and that is terrible. We have 20% fewer buyers out there looking. Pending sales in the…
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The Long and Short of Short Sales
Even though home prices in the Triangle haven’t fallen nearly as much as the 1/3 national average, there are still significant numbers of homeowners in our area who owe more than their home is worth. Some of them are “underwater” because they purchased at the top of the boom. Others took their equity out…
ADVENTURES IN REAL ESTATE 