Great post put up by USA Today!

“Optimism is building that the housing industry is nearing a bottom — finally.

Home sales and home building are forecast to rise this year after sliding steeply the past five years in housing’s worst downturn since the Great Depression.

Recovery is expected to be slow, and home prices are widely expected to fall this year. But investors are betting on the start of an upturn, bidding up home builder stocks and causing them to outperform the broader stock market.

Chief executives are more positive. JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon said last week that housing is near its bottom but could stay there a year. Stuart Miller, CEO of home builder Lennar, said the market has started to stabilize because of low prices and record-low interest rates.

Market researcher RBC Capital Markets has also turned from a “bearish” view on housing to saying that 2012 “will mark a step in the right direction.”

Many economists expect home prices to fall more this year because of foreclosures and other properties sold at very low prices.

As foreclosures pick up this year, “prices will drop,” says Stan Humphries, Zillow chief economist. He says home prices won’t bottom until later in 2012 or next year.

On average, prices have fallen by about a third since 2006.

“This year will feel a lot better to builders, investors and real estate agents than to consumers,” says Jed Kolko, economist for real estate website Trulia.

Housing’s outlook is brightening with signs of a better economy. Last month, U.S. employers added 200,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate fell to 8.5%, lowest in nearly three years.

While an economic shock could derail progress, “there’s now more evidence of improvement in the economy, and housing will follow the economy,” says David Crowe, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders. More improvement is expected for:

•Sales. Existing home sales will rise 12% this year after a 2% increase last year, and new home sales, coming off a horrid year, will jump 74% this year, Moody’s Analytics predicts.

November’s existing home sales hit their highest mark in 10 months, and new home sales were the year’s second best, IHS Global Insight says.

•Construction. Single-family housing starts will rise 37% this year, Moody’s predicts, after falling 9% last year.

Home builder stocks are on a run. The S&P 1500 homebuilding index is up 38% since mid-October, vs. 7% for the S&P 500.”

Copyright © 2010 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Believe it or not, crime rates pick up during the Holiday season. Be careful so that you are keeping everything safe and sound during that time. Here are a few tips so that you won’t fall victim this year.
1. Pay Attention. Make sure you are aware of your surroundings, especially when leaving the store after it gets dark. Do not leave any packages visible in the car. This way, they are less likely to try to break into your vehicle.
2. Make Sure you Sign for All Packages. Criminals do not just stay in mall lots, but in neighborhood streets as well. They sometimes follow FedEx and UPS trucks so that they can snatch up boxes left unattended at the door. When you order a package, make sure you ask for a signature so that the package won’t be left outside.
3. Have Your Home Well Lit. Make sure you have some lights on or else you are flashing a huge sign to say that no one is home. Please lock up everything tight and leave a few lights on.

We hope you do not fall victim to any crimes this Holiday Season. Have a safe and fun Merry Christmas and Holiday.

Watch out for these common mistakes, don’t fall pray to them!

1. Remorse – Don’t sweat the small stuff, not every home on the market is perfect. You’ll have to fix a few things, but don’t let it get you down

2. Resale – Just because it’s the biggest one on the block, does not mean you should buy it. If anything, the smaller houses will weaken the value of your own.

3. Review – Love at first sight does not mean “buy without checking”. Make sure the home has everything that You need; number of bedrooms for children, backyard for playing, off the main road due to traffic, etc.

4. Fine Print - Make sure you read all the information before you make the contract legal and binding. Don’t let anything sneak up on you down the road.

5. Buying Alone – Bring a whole team with you to get an idea of the home better. Have a lender, lawyer, insurer, and inspector. Ask questions before you buy as well.

6. Loan No More – Just because you can be approved for more, does not mean you should. Make sure that your total monthly debt is no more than 36% of your income before tax.

7. Trust – Ask questions, do some research, and don’t be afraid to speak up. There should be trust between yourself and your agent, as well as with the lender and seller.

8. Get Pre-Approved – There is no need to look at houses without knowing the limit. You may want one for $250,000, but your approval is only $100,000.

9. Know the Appraisal – If it is lower than the sale price, then your loan could be declined. Obtain adequate hazard insurance, get a thorough home inspection, and make sure there is equity in the home.

10. Get it in WRITING – If the seller offers to give you something along with the house (like a sofa), make sure it is in writing.

There are some houses that you walk into and get overwhelmed by a certain smell. You can not put your finger on what exactly it is, but there is no mistaking that it is there. How does one deal with this phenomenon? Below I have compiled a few tips that will help make Stinky House Syndrome a thing of the past.

1. Burn Scented Candles (do not leave where flame is unattended)
2. Put out dishes of dried Lavender or Rosemary
3. Try spraying perfume on a light bulb (on that is not turned on!) When heated, the scent will carry
4. Burn incense
5. Dried eucalyptus not only looks pretty, but smells great
6. Bake cookies, cakes, bread, etc.
7. Simmer apple slices or orange peels along with cinnamon sticks on the stove
8. The magic that is Febreeze
9. Leave carpet deodorizers on the carpet and then vaccum

Hide these next few from view!

10. Plug-in fresheners
11. Bowls with sponges and vanilla extract poured on them
12. Use fridge baking soda boxes to catch bad odors

And the simplest one of all: Open your windows. Getting some fresh air flowing through the house can do so much more than just getting a lovely breeze in the living room.

Raleigh, NC was named this week as the #1 Best City in America by Bloomberg BusinessWeek!

On their list of the top 50 best cities, Raleigh claims #1 for the thriving social scene, great parks, good schools, and terrific universities – North Carolina State, University of North Carolina, Duke
Raleigh was chosen on the following criteria:
•# of restaurants, bars and museums per capita
•# of colleges, libraries and professional sports team
•Income, poverty, unemployment, crime and foreclosure rates of the cities
•% of population with bachelor’s degrees
•public school performance
•park acres per 1,000 residents (I learned that Raleigh has a staggering 30.8 park acres per 1,000 residents – love this!)
•air quality

Interesting to know that the State of North Carolina and Raleigh have been named Best Place for Business (Forbes 2011),
#2 Boom Town (again Forbes) and NC was named best place for business by CNBC.

I am proud to live in the Raleigh area and have chosen my home in Cary – the town beside the capital town.

Stink bugs are here and there and well…everywhere!

Stink bugs originated from Asia and have no known predators in the US. Currently stink bugs are inhabiting 33 states. They were first reported in Pennsylvania in the 1990′s and have moved into the Bedford area just within the last couple of years. While they don’t hurt humans, they are quite annoying. They will however destroy your plants. They bite and such the moisture out of plants.

What to do?!
There are several theories on how to get rid of them, but one things for sure, do not swat or crush them. They release an odor that will attract more bugs……Some people use a vacuum to suck them up. But I found a spray that works for several types pets and does wonders for stink bugs. Its called Talstar, there are other pesticides, but this has worked great!

You can pick it up at a local farmers supply store, mix it with water and spray it on your house. I sprayed it near doors and windows and along the brick and screened porch. This product is safe for humans and pets, doesn’t have a smell or stain, and is supposed to continue to work for days. They even say you can spray it inside (but I don’t).

The bugs don’t drop instantly, from the way I understand it, the spray attacks their nervous system and the die in an hour or two. So spray and area, then wait and hour or two and come back to vacuum the stinkers…

BTW- I spray every couple of days. If you have big sliding glass doors, it is best to keep them closed, even in nice weather. That is how the bugs will get in.

I know it might be hard for some people to believe that real estate agents in “this market” are so busy they can’t always answer their phones, but it’s true! I could be talking to a client on the phone and have numerous missed alerts once the conversation is over.

While some agents will stop their conversation midstream to answer another line, I will not. Whether I’m showing property, sitting down with a client or talking to them on the phone, they will have my undivided attention. I am not saying that I like losing clients to another agent because I wasn’t right there and ready to go, but it would be rude to drop the conversation for another caller. Therefore, agents are not technically free 24/7. If I don’t answer, you will be sure someone else in my office will be there to get the message.

If you need a Cary or Raleigh, NC real estate agent who will go above and beyond for you then contact me today and if I don’t answer, leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can!

(919) 851-3171

When it’s time to pack up and move out, you have to somehow secure all those mirrors, pictures made of glass, and cabinet doors made of glass as well. Put an X of masking tape over the surface. For larger pieces, secure with a few more strips of tape. Just because you want to save money, doesn’t mean you should buy just any old cheap masking tape. Try going to your local hardware store for painter’s tape, or ask about what tapes are easy-off. The cheaper brands will leave behind sticky residue on your mirrors and glass when you try to peel it off.

When the economy gets bad, what do you do to help cut down costs in your home? Get rid of that cable box, sell all those old pieces of furniture that no one uses, or make sure you shop in small doses when you go to the grocery store perhaps? Here is a new way to help you shave off a few dollars from that water bill without letting your lawn dry out.

Sometimes we go through periods of drought and other times we get a decent amount of rain pouring down outside. Use that rain water to keep your lawn looking alive during those periods of dry weather. Purchase a rain barrel from Middle Creek Community Center, Bond Park Community Center, or Herbert C. Young Community Center. They hold up to 65 gallons of water and have a screen trap so that pests cannot get in. A tap at the bottom can be used to fill up your watering can when you water the plants. You won’t have to worry about what days you’re allowed to water the lawn and you won’t have to turn on the hose as often. Use the barrel to help conserve water while cutting down on your water bill.

Location: Middle Creek – 123 Middle Creek Park Ave
Bond Park Community Center – 150 Metro Park Drive
Herbert C. Young Community Center – 101 Wilkinson Avenue

More information, please call: (919) 460-4965