Yesterday a candidate for our firm sat before me and asked, “Isn’t it a bit difficult to start in the business right now?”  Like a prospective swimmer, she was dipping her foot in the water to test the temperature.  Certainly, she had heard the voices of family and friends voice the warning, “Are you CRAZY! You can’t dive into that business right now.” 
 
In spite of the evident challenges and high media visibility of  some metropolitan real estate markets in the U.S., the Triangle market remains a terrific place to launch a real estate career.  In fact, I advise, launch it right now.  Here are four reasons why:
 
•    Sales Activity:  We are currently on pace for 20,000 home sales in the triangle in 2008.  Remember that translates to 40,000 sides of business available for sales professionals.   Combine that with an average sales price of approximately  $230,000 (give or take a bit for our various sub-markets), and one may determine that a Realtor can earn $100,000 income with 24 closed sales in a year.

•    Dabblers Are Leaving the Business:  The Realtor market in the Triangle has been crowded for years with agents working part time, poorly trained (if at all), and underfunded to service clients in anything but a red-hot conditions.   What remains today are a core group of career-minded professionals and plenty of room for new agents who want to make real estate a career, not just something in which to dabble.

•    The Nation Looks At The Triangle:  When reading trade reports on national sales trends, most highlight over-appreciated prices in Las Vegas, over-condo’ed (yes, I just created a word) Miami, and everybody’s-leaving-ClevelandandDetroit.  These markets have experienced frightening free-falls in sales and home values.  However, many of these reports  conclude  with a reference to two markets outperforming the national trends: Raleigh-Durham (us) and Charlotte, N.C.   Our local market has not experienced a downward free-fall; it has cooled from red-hot status to a warmth that allows long-term, sustainable growth.  Such a pattern is very GOOD for the long-term market in which Triangle Realtors operate. Relax, the sky seems to be staying right in place.

•    Good Habits:  The Triangle market no longer provides a market in which a yard sign will close the deal.  In most cases it takes the services of a strong agent backed by the resources of a healthy company to assist sellers. These services include preparing and staging the property for maximum effect, reviewing financials to minimize surprises, a well-executed marketing plan with a concentration on Internet positioning, and constant evaluation of market conditions to determine the best offer price.   Agents working in the current environment are developing strong selling skills and outstanding abilities to serve their clients.  When the market returns to a faster pace (many analysts point to mid 2009), agents who are learning the market now will be extremely well positioned for even greater levels of success then.

These are the reasons that I encourage committed, hard-working, enthusiastic candidates to make their transition to the business as soon as possible.  Jump on in, the water's just fine!

-Kevin Woody

 

Fall is here and it is time to regenerate your lawn. The hot summer, drought conditions and insects have damaged and thinned out parts of your lawn. Not to worry a few steps will have it looking great again.

The first thing you need to do is mow the lawn a little shorter than you normally would. Typically I keep Tall Fescue at 3.5 – 4 inches. When I am going to reseed and aerate I would mow the lawn to 2.5 inches. This will help with seed germination and composting of the grass clippings. Some suggest that you gradually lower the lawn height over a few weeks as to not stress the lawn.

Next you will need to aerate your lawn. What is aeration you ask? It is the process of poking hundreds of holes in your lawn and removing a core of earth. What this does is open up the soil and help to break up the compacted top layers. The small cores allow a nice home for the seed to germinate and form a root structure. It also allows water and nutrients to penetrate deeper into the soil. You can rent a core aerator at your local tool rental or home improvement store or simply contact a landscaper in the area to do it for you. You will get the best results if you aerate when the soil is wet. This will allow for better penetration of the tines.

Top dressing the soil is an option here. The more you do the better the results. Top dressing is the process of spreading a thin layer of organic material on top of the soil. Peat Moss is a great option for top dressing your lawn. It will hold moisture and help the grass seed to germinate. Top dress the lawn after aeration and before seeding for best results. You can also follow the seed with a quality starter fertilizer.

Hopefully you have been enjoying this blog and the information provide here. We welcome your comments. If you are looking to buy or sell a home www.HPW.com is the place to search all of the mls listings. We have all of the homes for sale in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill and the Triangle all in one place. We are the home for Raleigh Real Estate!

A properly feed lawn will be stronger and more likely to survive through the hot summer months in North Carolina. A great looking lawn will help your home stand out from other homes in the neighborhood. Your home is in competition with other homes in the real estate market. Regardless of the market conditions you want you home to show better than other homes. You want your home sell faster than other homes. Ask any real estate professional and they will tell you that curb appeal matters. Thinking about lawn care starts before you decide to sell your home. A lawn that is properly maintained is a lot easier to care for than a lawn that has suffered years of neglect

So lets talk about the feeding your lawn. Fertilizer is a combination of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K).  Nitrogen will take care of the intensity of the green color. Phosphorus helps to build a strong root system and Potassium help with the overall vitality of the grass. So how do you read a bag of fertilizer?

Here is an example of what you might see a fertilizer label: 24-5-11 in the order of N-P-K. This bag is 24% Nitrogen, 5% Phosphorus and 11% Potassium. To determine the weight of the nutrients simply multiply the percentage X the weight of the bag. For example a 50LB bag of fertilizer that is 24% Nitrogen would have 12LBS of Nitrogen.

50LBS bag weight X .24 = 12LBS of nitrogen.

Understanding how the fertilizer works helps you choose the right fertilizer.

•    Nitrogen (N) helps with leaf development and vivid green color.
•    Phosphorous (P) is for root growth.
•    Potassium (K) is for root development and disease resistance.


So now you understand a little more about fertilizer and how to read a bag what do I do with this information?

In the spring when you want a quick green up and accelerated growth you would use a fertilizer with a high nitrogen to potassium ratio (2:1 or higher). In the fall or winter you would use a more balanced approach and use a fertilizer that has an equal nitrogen to potassium ratio (1:1).  It is also important to have your soil tested to determine what nutrients you need and how much of them you should use.

Please take a look at the following links.
The first is for the North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Turffiles site. They have a great Tall Fescue Lawn Maintenance Calendar.

Lawn Care Turffiles


The second link for the North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension. Publications for Commercial Horticulture, Nursery, and Turf. This site has more than you ever wanted to know about anything that can grow.

Publications for Commercial Horticulture

Please be sure and follow the application instructions that came with your fertilizer and use an appropriate spreader for the fertilizer. Using more fertilizer than recommended will not give you better results and may harm the environment. Organic fertilizers are available and will be discussed in a later blog.   


Hopefully you have been enjoying this blog and the information provide here. We welcome your comments. If you are looking to buy or sell a home www.HPW.com is the place to search all of the mls listings. We have all of the homes for sale in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill and the Triangle all in one place. We are the home for Raleigh Real Estate!

The US Housing Rescue Plan: What It Includes
One part of the new law could make it easier for some homeowners to refinance to lower-cost loans. Another offers direct government support to the nation's two biggest housing finance companies. Transcript of radio broadcast: 31 July 2008

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This is the VOA Special English Economics Report

Last week, the United States Congress approved a major housing bill. President George Bush signed it into law on Wednesday.

The plan could help an estimated four hundred thousand homeowners late in their payments and in danger of losing their homes.

The government will guarantee up to three hundred billion dollars in lower-cost refinancing of loans. In return, lenders must agree to forgive part of the original loan.

But experts say as many as three million owners are in trouble. With falling prices, many people owe more than their homes are worth.

The new law also includes help for the mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They guarantee or own almost half of the nation's twelve trillion dollars in housing debt.

They buy high quality loans but have also invested in risky mortgages. In recent months they have reported eleven billion dollars in losses, and their stock prices have collapsed.

Congress created the Federal National Mortgage Association, or Fannie Mae, in nineteen thirty-eight. In sixty-eight it became a shareholder-owned company financed with private capital. Then Congress created a competitor: the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Association, or Freddie Mac.

Fannie Mae and the smaller Freddie Mac buy loans from banks and other lenders, then sell them as securities to investors worldwide. This secondary market provides money for lenders to make new loans.

Now, few investors are interested in mortgage-backed securities without government guarantees.

Investors always believed that if Fannie and Freddie needed help, the government would intervene. Now, it has. The new law lets the Treasury, until the end of next year, offer them unlimited credit and even buy their stock.

Some critics say Fannie and Freddie should be replaced by truly private companies. Their government connection has lowered their borrowing costs. But many economists say homeowners get little of that savings. And critics have deplored their spending on political campaigns, lobbying activities, and pay for their executives.

The plan does create new supervision over both companies.

The Congressional Budget Office says the rescue plan could cost taxpayers twenty-five billion dollars. But it also says there is probably better than a fifty percent chance that no money will be needed.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter.

 

 

Hopefully you have been enjoying this blog and the information provide here. We welcome your comments. If you are looking to buy or sell a home www.HPW.com is the place to search all of the mls listings. We have all of the homes for sale in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill and the Triangle all in one place. We are the home for Raleigh Real Estate!

Why drive around the Triangle area to learn more about the area when you can find out what the area has to offer from the comfort of your home or office?

We created the community films on HPW.com to help our local homebuyer as well as those relocating to the area get a better sense of what each area has to offer. Follow this link to the “Living in the Area” section. I have included a brief description of each community film. I hope you enjoy them and will share your thoughts on living in the area.

Current Community Film Descriptions

Cary, NC is consistently ranked among the best small cities and it's no surprise why. With its family-friendly atmosphere, tree-lined streets and fast-growing business environment, Cary is a bubbling metropolis of activity. You can spend your Saturday at dog park or an arts and leisure festival, then stop off at the amphitheatre to catch an evening symphony performance under the stars. Just a few of the reasons why there's no place like Cary!

Chapel Hill, NC is a unique city that offers the friendliness of a small town, with an inviting University setting at its core. Here you'll find a sense of place and community, rich in history and traditions. Among its assets are a lively downtown and wonderful neighborhoods. There is always something to do in Chapel Hill, whether you're after music and theater or sports and games. for education, research, and industry. This vibrant city is great for long-time residents and newcomers alike!

Durham, NC is the proud home to Duke University, North Carolina Central University, Research Triangle Park and the legendary Durham Bulls Baseball Club, to name a few. The city's prime location in the heart of North Carolina is a perfect setting for education, research, and industry. This vibrant city is great for long-time residents and newcomers alike!

Raleigh, NC offers the perfect combination of big city fun and Carolina charm. Whether you want to enjoy the bustling night life, cheer on the Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes or visit one of Raleigh's beautiful parks or gardens, you can get a taste of all the culture Raleigh has to offer. And with its proximity to the coast and the mountains the city offers an abundance of vacation and recreation options.

Nestled in northern Wake County, Wake Forest is a progressive town of active residents, dynamic businesses, and vibrant shops and restaurants. Rich in history and heritage, downtown Wake Forest is an officially registered historic district. With character all its own, Wake Forest continues to emerge as an influential part of the Triangle while retaining its small town charm.

 

Hopefully you have been enjoying this blog and the information provide here. We welcome your comments. If you are looking to buy or sell a home www.HPW.com is the place to search all of the mls listings. We have all of the homes for sale in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill and the Triangle all in one place. We are the home for Raleigh Real Estate!

When watering you lawn please keep in mind your local water restrictions. It is better to give your lawn a good soaking than it is to lightly water it. The deeper watering helps to get the water deeper in the soil and encourages the roots to go deeper as well helping the lawn tolerate a drought better. The best time to water is early in the morning. Watering a lawn in the evening or late at night may promote the growth of fungus.

In the Triangle area or Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Wake Forest and Chapel Hill you will need to apply about 1 to 1.25 inches of water each week in the spring and fall and about .5 inches of water every third day. This summer watering almost follows the current Raleigh water restrictions.

Please use the following link to the Wake County North Carolina Environmental Services Water Quality Division webpage to learn more about the water restrictions in your area.

Wake County Water Restrictions

 

 

Hopefully you have been enjoying this blog and the information provide here. We welcome your comments. If you are looking to buy or sell a home www.HPW.com is the place to search all of the mls listings. We have all of the homes for sale in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill and the Triangle all in one place. We are the home for Raleigh Real Estate!

Having a thick green lawn can really help to make your home look great. It may also help your home sell faster. Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and look through their eye’s. As they drive up to the home and see a thick green lawn free of weeds they know they can move in and enjoy the home. The outside appearance of the home may also an indication of how the home was cared for on the inside as well.

When I look at a home I make a mental list of what I need to do. If the list gets too long or involved I may start to lose interest. Excitement is replaced by disappointment. Instead of seeing a new home that I can enjoy I see more tasks and time away from family and friends.

Your home is in competition with other homes and you want to make your best first impression. This is the first in a series on lawn care. I will also be adding tips and techniques for having the best looking lawn in Raleigh.

Having a great lawn is not hard to do but it will require some time and effort. I think that the time and effort are worth it when you can see the results. To have a lush green lawn you need to feed your lawn, water your lawn, mow it at the proper height and aerate the lawn annually.

When I moved to Raleigh North Carolina from New Your more than 15 years ago I had no idea how to manage and take care of a Tall Fescue lawn. Back home I was had an established lawn of Kentucky Blue Grass.

Proper Mowing of Tall Fescue

The first thing that I need to learn was the proper mowing height for Tall Fescue. I have read much on the mowing height of Tall Fescue with mowing heights ranging from 2 to 3 inches and 3.5 inches if it is in a partially shady area. My experience in Raleigh North Carolina has been to mow the lawn at 3.5 inches. I have found that this has helped my lawn tolerate the heat and drought conditions in Raleigh and the surrounding RTP area. If you live in the Triangle area of Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill I think that a mowing height of 3.5 inches would be a good idea. Leaving the grass blades a little taller I feel also helps to shade the roots and keep them cooler requiring less water. If you were to mow the Tall Fescue too short it starts to thin out and look clumpy. The lawn may also become stressed and allow for the growth of weeds.

It is also a good idea to keep the mower blade sharpened. If you have not sharpened the mower blade perhaps it is a good time to have it serviced.

Next we will talk about the importance of nutrients and your lawn.

 

 

Hopefully you have been enjoying this blog and the information provide here. We welcome your comments. If you are looking to buy or sell a home www.HPW.com is the place to search all of the mls listings. We have all of the homes for sale in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill and the Triangle all in one place. We are the home for Raleigh Real Estate!

HPW.com Your Home for Raleigh Real Estate Searching for North Carolina Real Estate? Your home search starts right here! At HPW.com, you can easily search all of the listings in the Triangle and beyond! Interactive Google Mapping

lets you put your North Carolina dream home on the map. Want to know more about living in the Triangle area? Then be sure to check out our community films by clicking the "Living in the Area" link. We made our films with you in mind. You want to know all that the Triangle has to offer...and we want to be your guide. Three beautiful Southern cities-Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill make up the Triangle area of NC. Here you'll also find the pinnacle of technology and research, the Research Triangle Park. And the Triangle is surrounded by charming cities and towns full of culture, education and commerce such as Cary, Wake Forest, Apex, Garner, Knightdale, Mebane, Hillsborough, Holly Springs, Zebulon, and Fuquay Varina WE'RE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. With 13 offices and more than 800 sales associates Triangle-wide, we are conveniently located to better serve your North Carolina real estate needs. For more than 30 years, Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston has been the neighbor to know in central North Carolina. SEARCHING FOR A NEW HOME IN NORTH CAROLINA? We represent more than 130 new homes communities Triangle-wide. If you are searching for a new home in the Triad, the Research Triangle Park area, or in any of our surrounding communities in Wake County, Orange County, Durham County, Granville County, Johnston County, or Chatham County we are your perfect North Carolina real estate partner! A NEIGHBORHOOD OF SERVICES UNDER ONE ROOF As a full service real estate company, Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston presents: HPW Mortgage, Relocation and Business Development, Home Concierge, HPW Real Estate School, HPW Insurance Services, HPW Market Title and HPW Foundation.

We have had a lot of feedback on the new site and we are listening to what you have to say. We are adding back the street level search and making some changes to the way you interact with mapping among other things. We want you to have a great experience so your input is valuable. If you would like to share some constructive comments please send an email to website@hpw.com. Please let us know how you would like something to work if you do not like the way it works now.

 

The day has finally come to pull the covers off of our new website. We have worked long and hard to deliver what I think will be a fantastic consumer experience. The new site is easier to navigate and has features like Google Street View on the listing detail. Now when you are searching properties not only can you look at the front of the home but you can also see what the rest of the area looks like. Be sure and take a look at our community videos and check out our School and Community information associated with the listings. Stop back to the blog to get useful tips to maintain your home. I hope you enjoy the new website.