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Hickory, NC Real Estate News

By Mike & Kathleen Kelly, Hickory NC REALTORS
(Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Foothills)
Due to the drought that has gripped the south east for more than a year - the city of Hickory has restricted water usage for its businesses and residents.  Hickory High School has a found a way around the city water restrictions. They are participating in the Community Conservation Assistance Program through the NC Department of Environmental and Natural Resources. The school will install a cistern to hold rain water that drains off the roof of the athletic building. The cistern will hold the rainwater until the school needs it to water plants, garden, and irrigate the athletic fields around the building. The state will pay for seventy-five percent of the cost through the Community Conservation Assistance Program. This will cover the cistern, pipes and other materials.  The school will ...
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By Mike & Kathleen Kelly, Hickory NC REALTORS
(Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Foothills)
Hickory is a great place to live and work. The Jackson Group recently worked with the city of Hickory to ask the residents their opinions about the city.  The group conducted a phone survey from a random sample of citizens. The results were overwhelmingly high on the services provided by the city.  Some of the major strengths of the city are: •·      Citizen pride •·      Overall appearance of Hickory •·      Receiving communication in a timely manner •·      Responsiveness to emergencies and accidents •·      Satisfaction with recreation centers and parks, library services, and city public works services The overall feeling from the survey is that the levels of services provided by the city are adequate for the property taxes that residents pay. This survey help confirm that Hickory is...
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Circuit City will be closing all stores in the United States, including the one in Hickory, NC, starting today, 1/17/09.  Circuit City had filed for bankruptcy in November 2008, but was unable to find an buyer for their stores. The closing will affect some 30,000 employees of the store.  There is no current timeframe as to when the store in Hickory will actually close. You may be thinking that this may be a good time to grab a deal or two on some cool electronic, but if you venture out, buy wisely.  Often, mass liquidation sales are only started AFTER a mass price markup, so check your prices to determine if it's actually a good deal or not.  And keep in mind, you won't have a store to bring it back to if something is wrong. You can find more information on the Circuit City closing HERE.
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I sit in amazement that the price of crude oil has dropped to around $35 a barrel and is staying there, yet gas pump prices not only haven't dropped, but they Increased today.  Why, I ask?  Anytime barrel prices go up, even a little, there is a 10 or 15 cents jump in gas pump prices THAT day.  If oil barrel prices drop, pump prices take forever to fall, and then only a few pennies at best.  No comparison to the "up" that's for sure. Now, why today did pump prices increase, even though there was a price drop in crude oil?  The reason given is that there is a shortage of oil.  Not in the U.S., mind you, but in Canada.  Now, to be truthful, when doing research, I didn't actually read the "why" there was an apparent shortage in Canada.  No, what got my attention most was the hits my search ...
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By Mike & Kathleen Kelly, Hickory NC REALTORS
(Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Foothills)
Great news for Hickory North Carolina and Hickory NC Real Estate Covation LLC based in Atlanta is a customer support center for business telecommunications services announced that its Hickory operation will open in April. The company plans to hire 544 people by the end of 2009, and to employ 913 within three years. The Covation customer service support center will occupy a 60,000-square-foot building off Tate Boulevard and the McDonald Parkway adjacent to the new Graystone Eye campus in McDonald Crossing Professional Park. This is the fifth major economic development announcement made in Hickory in 2008. Other companies planning projects that will create jobs are Williams-Sonoma, FedEx, Convergys and Merchants Distributors Inc. Together, the five companies are expected to bring more tha...
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By Mike & Kathleen Kelly, Hickory NC REALTORS
(Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Foothills)
I am so happy to read in the Hickory Daily Record that this week's edition of the USA Weekend magazine on Sunday will feature a cover story about Bethlehem, N.C., The magazine is circulated to about 23 million readers in 623 papers. This great article will shed a light on just some of the great things about the Bethlehem community. As a proud resident of Bethlehem I am delighted to see such a postitive article about the area being written. Bethlehem is a wonderful place to live, work, raise a family, retire. or just get away from the stress of everyday life. Located in the foothills of North Carolina it features great schools, a beautiful recreational lake for fishing, boating, and swimming, and best of all a caring and giving spirit that is highlighted the most at Christmas. For more ...
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By Mike & Kathleen Kelly, Hickory NC REALTORS
(Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Foothills)
Everyone is invited downtown to Union Square, tonight from 5:30 - 7:30 to shop and visit the wonderful shops that are decorated for Christmas. This evening is sponsored by the Downtown Hickory Development Association. They will be hosting this event again on Thursday December 18. Events will include:  wagon rides around Union Square sponsored by BB&T,  Suzuki School of the Arts adult ensemble performing inside Shoppes on the Square,  interactive motor skills development through a fun obstacle course sponsored by the Little Gym, carolers, and of course Santa will be there.  
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By Mike & Kathleen Kelly, Hickory NC REALTORS
(Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Foothills)
Catawba County Animal Services staff will hold a "Home For The Holidays" Adopt-athon at the Animal Shelter, located adjacent to and behind the Justice Center off Highway 321 Business in Newton, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 13, 2008. Animal Services staff will spotlight animals that are suitable for adoption, and provide the public with an opportunity to have pets vaccinated for rabies and a chance to learn more about training for dogs. Highlights of the December 13 Animal Adopt-athon will include: • A rabies vaccination clinic • Basic obedience dog training class from 11 a.m. until 12 Noon • A visit from McGruff The Crime Dog • A raffle for gift certificates to local restaurants and dog gift baskets with such items as shampoo, collars, combs and treats, with funds rai...
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By Mike & Kathleen Kelly, Hickory NC REALTORS
(Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Foothills)
You can save money and improve the comfort of your home if you increase the moisture content in your home. People are most comfortable at a relative humidity between 40-60%. In the winter the air inside your home is constantly recycled through your heating system which makes the air become very dry.  This dry air can create dry itchy skin, chapped lips, dry eyes, static electricity and other uncomfortable conditions.  The drier air increases the rate of evaporation of body moisture from your skin.  Most people react by turning up the thermostat. The result is that you burn extra fuel trying to maintain a warmer temperature and the air will continue to become drier. It is important in the winter to try to add moisture to the air.  Studies have shown that if you maintain humidity in your ...
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By Mike & Kathleen Kelly, Hickory NC REALTORS
(Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Foothills)
The Catawba County Tax Office is preparing to follow a new law passed by the North Carolina General Assembly that will provide property tax relief to certain homeowners.  To qualify to receive the break residents must either be 65 years of age or older totally and permanently disabled or disabled veterans. A qualifying owner must be a permanent resident of Catawba County and either age 65 or older or totally and permanently disabled, with an annual income not exceeding $25,600. A property owner who think he or she is qualified must apply for this exclusion, but only needs to apply one time. Residents have until June 1, 2009 to apply at the Catawba County Tax Office. You can call the tax office at 828-465-8436. You can visit the tax office at the Government Center in Newton or visit the ...
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By Mike & Kathleen Kelly, Hickory NC REALTORS
(Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Foothills)
The yearly drudgery of getting rid of the leaves that have fallen on your yard has begun.  Hickory is asking that homeowners rake all of their leaves to the curb before the first collection day of your quadrant.  Remember to keep leaves away from storm drains and out of the streets to help prevent flooding and accidents during rain.  It is not good for our storm water system to be overwhelmed with leaves because it can deplete the oxygen in our lakes and streams as they decay.  It is more helpful to our environment to shred and or compost our leaves than to dispose of them in the lakes or storm water system. Also remember to not park your vehicle on a leaf pile because it can result in a fire and do not mix leaves with other yard waste or trash. If you do not want to have your leaves lo...
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By Justin & Katie Keisler
It’s impossible to channel surf without seeing at lease a dozen shows about “flipping” houses! But before you “flip out” on flipping, consider the pros and cons of flipping vs. renting. Both flipping and renting are excellent ways to build wealth. The main difference between the two is whether your are looking for “quick cash” from a flip, or whether you seek to build equity through the long-term ownership of renting your property. The first step of a flip is to purchase a home in need of some minor repairs, at a bargain price. Once the offer has been accepted, it is wise to develop a timeline by which to adhere to after closing. After closing, the real work begins! Ideally, the changes you make to the property will be primarily cosmetic, and will require very little structural changes....
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By Justin & Katie Keisler
Valdese, NC is a community located in the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, unique by their heritage and proud of their rich and diverse culture. Valdese is a place where a walk down the flowered brick sidewalk on Main Street takes you back to your childhood when worries were few and summer days seemed to last forever, where you can sit on a bench and watch the world go by... But just as Valdese is rich in history, it also boasts a number of exciting industries and businesses whose products are shipped throughout the country and around the world. Valdese strives to maintain this balance between capitalism and tourism. While we offer many career opportunities, Valdese can still provide the type of community suitable for growing up or growing old. To view properties ...
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By Justin & Katie Keisler
The first brick schoolhouse (building on left) was built in Hildebran in 1917. It remains a part of the present building, but has had several additions during the years. No electricity was available until the early 1920's. The auditorium was lighted for night programs by several gas lanterns. The first addition to the school was in about 1923, an auditorium with additional classrooms on the second floor. The original auditorium was converted to classrooms. The first commencement was held in 1919. By 1925 the graduating class had increased to fourteen members. A wooden structure was built in the 40's to be used as a lunchroom. It later became the schools first gymnasium. In 1957 more land was purchased and a new primary ("main") building was constructed (building on right). In 1959, a n...
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By Justin & Katie Keisler
The legend is that the Town of Long View was thought to have been named by Sam D. Campbell a prominent contractor and real estate dealer who helped build the old Piedmont Wagon Company factory building in Hickory. The story goes that one day while standing at his former home where the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company building is today, Mr. Campbell gazed down the Southern Railway track toward Hickory and remarked, "It's a long view." The name stuck. There has been some confusion as to whether Long View is one or two words. "Longview" one word, is commonly used today in connection with the town. However, as of March 8, 1907, Section 1 of Chapter 430 of the original charter ratified by the North Carolina General Assembly in an act to incorporate the Town of Long View in Catawba County states:...
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By Justin & Katie Keisler
Statesville, North Carolina is home to two of North Carolina's most unique and exciting festivals, The CrossRoads PumpkinFest and The Carolina BalloonFest. These two festivals combined feature great entertainment, food, arts and crafts, hot air balloons and of course flying pumpkins. Beyond festivals Statesville is also home to numerous attractions and activities including Historic Downtown Statesville, Lake Norman, NASCAR, Fort Dobbs, golf, outlet shopping, unique local cuisine, arts and culture, museums and even gem mining. Statesville also serves as a gateway destination to the North Carolina Mountains, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Hickory furniture stores or even the nearby Yadkin Valley Wine Region...find it all close by in Statesville. Statesville may still be best known for it's lo...
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Real Estate is our passion. It's what we do! We enjoy helping others, and it is evident in the work that we do for our clients. With our combined experience in residential construction, home design, real estate management, and internet marketing, we are an unstoppable team . Our experience extends beyond simple real estate knowledge. A graduate with his degree in Architectural Technologies , Justin has experience in not only the physical construction and building of new homes, but also the design and engineering of residences. He has designed custom homes for many of his clients – thus offering his real estate clients just one more service that the average Realtor does not have. He is ready and willing to simply create your dream home, if you cannot find the one you want! With her degr...
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By Justin & Katie Keisler
Looking for a golf course community in Hickory , NC ? Well you have come to the right place! Among the many great resources on our website, we have included a list of local area golf courses in the Hickory-Metro. We listen to our clients. Many of you wanted to know if Hickory , NC had amenities such as golf courses, elite country clubs, etc. – and the answer is YES! Hickory is thriving with many upper class gated communities! Click here for a list of Hickory, NC's most prestigious gated communities that include amenities such as award winning golf courses, clubhouse spa's, equestrian centers, and more! Country Acres 828-754-1992 1875 Beaver Helton Way, Lenoir D L Tee Golf, Inc. 828-322-1599 3005 Hwy 70 SE, Newton dlt@charter.net Glen Oaks Golf Club 828-428-2451 245 Golf Course Rd, Maid...
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By Justin & Katie Keisler
The Hickory-Metro is home to many prestigious communities! Below is a list of neighborhoods that you may wish to consider, if you desire to live in a high end community, with amenities like award winning golf courses, equestrian centers and state of the art spas. The neighborhoods listed below are local to the Hickory, NC area, and feature homes that are $400,000 and up price range. We will be happy to provide more information about any of these neighborhoods. Real Estate in these neighborhoods is a high demand market. If you are thinking of moving to Hickory, NC and are considering one of these neighborhoods, please let us notify you when new properties become available in theses communities! Otherwise, you may miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime! Let Justin and Katie do the wor...
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By Justin & Katie Keisler
We make it our goal to stay "on top" of the current technological trends in real estate, therefore we keep our real estate marketing techniques on the "leading edge" of our competition. All of this is for the all important ambition of keeping our clients happy, secure, and in the best position to make the most money possible off of the sale of their home. Centralized Showing Service (CSS) is just another example of how we put these ambitions into practice! Centralized Showing Service is a new and technological advanced showing appointment service, that allows you to rest assured that you are notified of every appointment, every time . This service also increases the security of your home . Now, in order for another real estate agent to retrieve the lockbox code to your home, they must ...
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