Raleigh, North Carolina   Perhaps you're among the many whose knowledge of the wonders of Raleigh begins and ends with The Andy Griffith Show - most specifically, perhaps, Barney Fife's annual one-week vacation to the Capital City, from which he would always send home a postcard chronicling his adventures. Barney's lodging of choice was the YMCA, where he began each day with the in-house 25-cent breakfast special and tucked in for the night just after a bowl of tapioca pudding on the front porch with other of the gentlemen residents. These accommodations were so very much to Barn's liking, in fact, that upon moving on to greener-than-Mayberry meadows, he took up permanent residence within the same dwelling - which, in real life, is on Hillsborough St., as those-in-the-know well know. Th... 06/17/2007

Michael and Jackie's day of Volunteering for Habitat for Humanity      Donate Building MaterialsReStore accepts donations of good, usable, residential building materials and furniture in good condition. Items sold in ReStore are donated by suppliers, contractors, and individuals. All donations are tax-deductible and proceeds support Habitat for Humanity of Wake County and the building of new homes.Donation CriteriaThe Donation Criteria is also available below in a printable PDF format (Adobe Reader required) or you can pick one up at the ReStore register, donation dock, or in the Habitat Wake office.When to DonateRemodeling your home Cleaning a jobsite Inventory needs to be reduced Over order supplies Mismatched or leftover inventory BenefitsAll donations are tax-deductible Divert waste... 06/15/2007

I mentioned DIX306 in February with hopes that this project could become a reality.  A world clas destination park on 306 acres just across from the Raleigh skyline!Is it one step closer?  Raleigh is making a bid, backed by some development bucks and a fair amount of public support.It is all over the local news today.  What a relief from the Paris Hilton sludgefest!This gorgeous property with 120 foot wide sprawling oak trees is such an opportunity for open space for public enjoyment for perpetuity.Don't worry....I'll keep you posted.   06/14/2007

What is a credit score? Before deciding on what terms lenders will offer you on a loan (which they base on the "risk" to them), they want to know two things about you: your ability to pay back the loan, and your willingness to pay back the loan. For the first, they look at your income-to-debt obligation ratio. For your willingness to pay back the loan, they consult your credit score.The most widely used credit scores are FICO scores, which were developed by Fair Isaac & Company, Inc. (and they're named after their inventor!). Your FICO score is between 350 (high risk) and 850 (low risk). Credit scores only consider the information contained in your credit profile. They do not consider your income, savings, down payment amount, or demographic factors like gender, race, nationality or mar... 06/13/2007

The Preserve at Long Branch Farm is a brand new custom home subdivision in a rural setting on Battle Bridge Road in Eastern Wake County, North Carolina.  Forty-one homesites are planned with lots of up to an acre.  Raleigh, NC is a fifteen minute drive west, and within a few miles new grocery stores and other services are planned. You are invited to visit the photo slide show! Click to view available Active Listings in The Preserve at Long Branch Farm. Homes offer 3 or 4 bedrooms and 2.5, 3, or 4 baths.  Many upgrade features are also available. Available homes range from $357,000 to $430,000, and from 2500 to 2900 square feet. Kids in The Preserve at Long Branch Farm will attend Wake County schools.  School assignments are managed by Wake County Public School System.  More information... 06/11/2007

 Let's take a look at Enchanted Oaks, a custom home subdivision just south of the city of Raleigh, NC. I'll include a few photos here, or you can visit my Enchanted Oaks Slideshow to see 47 photos of this beautiful community. Click here to view all available Active Listings in Enchanted Oaks. Enchanted Oaks is a pleasant subdivision of gracious homes in suburban Raleigh, North Carolina.  Enchanted Oaks is located between Lake Wheeler Road and Penny Road, within an easy drive of recreational opportunities, shopping centers, Downtown Raleigh, Cary, NC, and the Research Triangle Park.  Recent home sales run the gamut from sub-$200,000 to over $1,400,000 with $500,000 range representing a most common value. Enchanted Oaks lot sizes vary between just under an acre for most properties, to so... 06/10/2007

Bryarton Village is a new community of townhomes by Bill Clark Homes in Raleigh, NC.  It was developed in 2005 and sold fairly rapidly.  Bryarton Village homes range from 1600 square feet to almost 2000 square feet.  Two bedroom homes are available but most homes offer three bedrooms.  2.5 baths is most common, with some units having 1.5 baths.  Gas log fireplaces are a typical amenity. Click to view available Active Listings in Bryarton Village.   Current Homeowner Association dues are $100.00 and include exterior maintenance, grounds maintenance, lighting, and the community pool.  "They will even clean your gutters," one resident told me.  Convenience! Homes sell in the low $200,000's range and can vary based on the individual appointments.    Bryarton Village is so well located!  Ya... 06/08/2007

On June 4th, G. Scott Thomas wrote and article for bizjournals of the top cites with largest income growth. Our Raleigh area came in at number 86. If you didn't know, the greater Raleigh population is approximately 1 million people. The average income is almost $36,000 per year (as of 2005). Since 1995 we have seen a 40.3% rise in our income. While this may not sound so fantastic, please understand that it is a huge benefit to our Raleigh Real Estate market place. Allow me to explain. Our average price of homes in the greater Raleigh area is around $250,000. Our homes are very affordable compared to many areas our size and we do not have the high rates of inflation, property taxes, or city taxes as many areas of the country seem to experience. The fact that we have steady income growth,... 06/05/2007

I am not here to talk about what a great real estate agent I think I am.  I am also not going to tell you how great my team is.  I am going to tell you that buying real estate in Raleigh, NC is fantastic.  I know that the newspapers and TV would like to tell you that the residential real estate market is in trouble, and in some areas where my colleagues reside that seems to be true.  However, that is not true of our area.  Let me share with you an interesting story that happenned to me a few months ago.I was in my office conducting the business of real estate, when I received a phone call from the Raleigh Newspaper.  I won't go into their name, but it does rhyme with 'Blues and Disturber".  This reporter wanted me to talk to him about how bad my business was going to be as a result of t... 05/30/2007

I have had several requests for a "Gated Community List" in the Triangle so I thought I'd publish the list for those that are interested.  The Triangle are is not known for having many gated communities.  Most of these communities are small and elite neigbhorhoods.  For your reference here are the details and some photos to go along with the post.  North Raleigh Stone Falls-Off of Falls and the Neuse and Durant.  Currently no homes on the market.  Homes built in 1995-2000 Olde Raleigh-Off of Duraleigh Road.  Homes built in 1989-1997.  Stately traditional homesLocated in a beautifully wooded area between Duraleigh and Edwards Mill Road near Rex Hospital and I-40. The Olde Raleigh community features three gated entrances with nightly security service, three beautiful lakes with centerpiec... 05/30/2007

Over the past few weeks I've had lots of inquiries about The Hamptons at Umstead - an exclusive community offer by Coldwell Banker HPW, in Raleigh, North Carolina. In case you aren't familiar with this community, it is a brand new secluded community located on Ebenezer Church Road in Raleigh. There will be 215 home sites with lot prices starting at $180,000. Lot sizes will be from .29ac to .89ac. There are 22 custom home builders to choose from. Lots may be reserved prior to recordation of the property and first builder lot draw. Recording is anticipated summer 2007. Buyer may select lot and secure it with $1,000 refundable deposit. Reservations taken prior to recording will remain valid for thirty days after date of recordation. After 30 days, deposit monies will automatically be retur... 05/23/2007

Today's local newspaper, The News & Observer, featured an article regarding Raleigh, NC as one of the best cities for young singles. According to Kiplinger's Personal Finance, the Capital City joined Washington; Denver; Austin, Texas; and Lexington, Ky., as the best cities for young singles. Among Kiplinger's criteria: "For young singles, two factors can be crucial to choosing where to live: Can I afford the rents? And what can I do there? Finding an apartment that fits a starting-out budget is key. And whatever money is left over often goes to meals out and concert tickets. But what do the singles who call the City of Oaks home? The singles scene is thriving on Glenwood South, the drink-dine-dance stretch on the southern blocks of Glenwood Avenue, near downtown". Average monthly rent f... 05/14/2007

Harbourgate is a small, but decidedly upscale subdivision in West Raleigh, North Carolina.  The Harbourgate entrance is on Ebenezer Church Road, near Arden Forest and Bridgeton Park. Homes are from respected local custom builders, partial or all brick veneer,with sale prices ranging from $700,000 to well over $1,000,000.  Home construction beegan in 2002, and the subdivision is now finished. Harbourgate home sizes range from 3600 to 8100 SF.  Many sites offered basement lots. Click to view Available Active Home Listings in Harbourgate. The neighborhood is in one of the best convenient low-traffic locations in Raleigh.  Nearby attractions are the RBC Center, Carter-Finley Stadium, the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, the NC State Veterinarian School, the North Carolina Museum of Art, U... 05/12/2007

Arden Forest is a small subdivision of move-up custom homes in West Raleigh, North Carolina.  The subdivision adjoins Bridgeton Park and is accessed from Ebenezer Church Road. Arden Forest was developed in the early 1990's, and is located in hugely convenient area of West Raleigh.  Residents can walk to shopping and Rex Hospital, and are about a mile from the RBC Center and Carter-Finley Stadium.  It is a short drive to Umstead Park or downtown Raleigh, NC, and access to I-40 or RDU Airport is excellent.               The RBC Center is the home of NC State Wolfpack basketball and the NHL 2006 Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes.  Carter-Finley Stadium is the home of NCSU Wolfpack football.  The North Carolina State Fairgrounds which hosts year round activities adjoins the football... 05/12/2007

I was driving by Bridgeton Park, in Raleigh, North Carolina on a sunny day in early April, and I was lured in by blooming azaleas and fresh green trees. Bridgeton Park was developed in the mid-1990's, and is located in an extremely convenient area in West Raleigh.  The subdivision borders Arden Forest, is within walking distance of shopping and Rex Hospital, and about a mile from the RBC Center, home of NC State Wolfpack basketball and the NHL 2006 Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes.         Abutting the RBC Center are Carter-Finley Stadium, home of NCSU Wolfpack football, and the North Carolina State Fairgrounds which hosts year round activities.  It is a short drive to Umstead Park or downtown Raleigh, NC, and access to I-40 or RDU Airport is excellent. Bridgeton Park homes ran... 05/12/2007

I'm always looking for a business opportunity to invest in property in my market or other markets.  That said, I had a friend that wants to purchase the investment as a co-ownership property. In addition, I have a lot of inquiries from parents that students attend NCSU about co-ownership As a result, I let her know there are tax consequences associated with co-ownership programs.  I had to do some hefty research to get to the bottom line but here it goes:  Tax Effects on Co-Ownership Properties   Relatives and Investors are allowed to team up with owner-occupants to purchase real estate together.  The non-occupying relatives or investors can help the owner-occupants qualify for the loan, produce the down payement money needed to purchase and make a portion of the monthly payments.  The ... 05/10/2007

I know that there are many parts of the country where the market has slowed.  Fortunately my market is not one of them.  Our area continues to receive accolades from the top magazines in the country.  Just last week Oprah named the Triangle the #4 market in the country for Single Women to meet men over 35. Well, I think she's gone a bit overboard here but we sure do like the publicity.  I've even devoted a section on my website called "Ratings".  It's quite a list. I had a client print out the list and it was over four pages!!!  The bottom line-we had over 18,000 new residents last year and over 8,000 new students in the Wake County Public School System alone.  Chances are you may know someone that's moving to the Triangle. There are a couple of other ratings bestowed upon the area that... 05/09/2007

Are you are concerned about a possible real estate bubble in Raleigh? " The National Association of Realtors Research Division recently conducted a home price analysis in the Raleigh-Cary MSA. The reports concluded that there was very little danger of a housing market bust in this region. In fact, the reports stated that local housing markets were in excellent shape with a potential for significant housing equity gains, particularly for homebuyers who plan to remain in their house for the long run. Additionally, local markets had very favorable home price-to-income ratios and even better mortgage servicing cost-to-income ratios. The latter ratio is currently below the local historical average implying no widespread financial overstretching to purchase a home in the region. As a point of... 04/26/2007

Because I have played tennis just about all my life I wanted to share details on the areas finest tennis facilities for anyone moving to the area.  Hopefully this will be a resource that you can use to locate a great club to join or just to find a location to play your next tennis match.  Cary Cary Tennis Park is a premier public tennis facility located in the heart of Cary with 30 championship courts, including one stadium court and one teaching court.  This facility hosts some of the top tournaments in the state including the ACC Championships and State Closed Junior Championships.  This facility is also considered to be a  USTA Welcome Tennis Center.   Kildaire Farm Racquet Club is located in South Cary and is host to many Cary tennis tournaments.  The facility has a full service pro... 04/26/2007

  City: Raleigh, North Carolina Directions: I 540 to Lumley Rd, Left at stop sign. Cross Brier Creek Parkway & continue into Brier Creek Sub. Right on Arnold Palmer   Neighborhood Facts: Neighborhood established in 2002, most of the homesites have now been developed but there are a few lots still available. Resale prices for single family homes start in 340ks up to $1M+ In the heart of the Triangle adjacent to the Airport but not in the airport takeoff or landing path Arnold Palmer signature 18-hole golf course Toll Brothers Community Brier Creek is a luxurious golf course community by Toll Brothers in Raleigh, North Carolina. Brier Creek  was recently was named MAME Developer of the Year and Building Company of the Year! Situated on Raleigh's only Arnold Palmer Signature golf course Br... 04/25/2007