Tips for Successful Yard Sale Shopping!

So many people in the Research Triangle Park area are holding yard sales this summer!  Beginning on Friday afternoons, signs start popping up like weeds!  Need to have a yard sale strategy?  Here it is!   

http://couponshoebox.com/tips/tips-for-successful-yard-sale-shopping/

Home value appreciation in the second quarter was the highest since the fourth quarter of 2005.

Things are definitely looking up in the housing market!  Check it out.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/stanhumphries/2012/07/24/housing-market-turns-corner-u-s-home-values-post-first-annual-increase-in-nearly-five-years/

The American Tobacco Trail offers a serene view of the Triangle.

The American Tobacco Trail offers a serene view of the Triangle, and follows a route where a railroad used to run!

http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/travel/video/11314520/#/vid11314520

Looking for a job in Research Triangle Park, NC? Here's some great news!

NetApp is hiring 460 in Research Triangle Park!

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/07/23/2215963/gov-perdue-to-make-jobs-announcement.html  

Real estate sales in the Triangle are up 18.7%!

Triangle MLS, Inc. - TMLS

Urban farm engages children in Garner - Wake County

Want a tomato? 

Urban farm engages children in Garner - Wake County - NewsObserver.com

It's summer time...and with that along comes thunderstorms with lighning! How can you stay safe?

It's summertime...and that means afternoon thunderstorms with lightning.  How can you stay safe?  Here are some great tips!

http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/emergency/weather/lightning/

Need a plumber?

We have FINALLY found a great plumber! They are polite, reasonably priced, capable and ON TIME!  We have used them several times and out clients are very happy!  Give them a try:  Bizzy Bee Plumbing, Inc., 919-423-7595 or www.BizzyBeePlumbing.com
 
http://plumbingraleigh.net/

This is much needed road work in Raleigh...but start thinking about your alternate routes!

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/11334970/

7 Steps for Avoiding a DIY Disaster!

7 Steps for Avoiding a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Disaster:

http://www.trulia.com/blog/taranelson/2012/07/7_steps_for_avoiding_a_diy_disaster?ecampaign=cnews201207C&eurl=www.trulia.com%2Fblog%2Ftaranelson%2F2012%2F07%2F7_steps_for_avoiding_a_diy_disaster

Raleigh / Durham is a GREAT place to live! Check us out on MSN!

Raleigh / Durham is a GREAT place to live!  Check out our review on MSN:

http://rediscover.msn.com/city/250956138/video/21?WT.mc_id=msn

August 2nd, 2012 is WATERMELON DAY at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh!

There is NOTHING like fresh sweet watermelon in the summer!  Don't forget that the State Farmers Market in Raleigh has FREE watermelon on August 2nd, 2010!

http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/facilities/markets/raleigh/promos.htm

The housing bust is over.

The housing market has turned—at last.

The U.S. finally has moved beyond attention-grabbing predictions from housing "experts" that housing is bottoming. The numbers are now convincing.

Nearly seven years after the housing bubble burst, most indexes of house prices are bending up. "We finally saw some rising home prices," S&P's David Blitzer said a few weeks ago as he reported the first monthly increase in the slow-moving S&P/Case-Shiller house-price data after seven months of declines.

Nearly 10% more existing homes were sold in May than in the same month a year earlier, many purchased by investors who plan to rent them for now and sell them later, an important sign of an inflection point. In something of a surprise, the inventory of existing homes for sale has fallen close to the normal level of six months' worth despite all the foreclosed homes that lenders own. The fraction of homes that are vacant is at its lowest level since 2006.

The reduced inventory of unsold homes is key, says Mark Fleming, chief economist at CoreLogic, a housing data-analysis firm. For the past couple of years, house prices have risen in the spring and then slumped; the declining supply of houses for sale is reason to believe that won't happen again this year, he says.

Builders began work on 26% more single-family homes in May 2012 than the depressed levels of May 2011. The stock of unsold newly built homes is back to 2005 levels. In each of the past four quarters, housing construction has added to economic growth. In the first quarter, it accounted for 0.4 percentage points of the meager 1.9% growth rate.

"Even with the overall economy slowing," Wells Fargo Securities economists said, cautiously, in a note to clients, "the budding recovery in the housing market appears to be gradually gaining momentum."

Economists aren't always right, but on this at least they agree: A new Wall Street Journal survey of forecasters found 44 believe the housing market has reached its bottom; only three don't. (The full results of the Journal's July survey will be released at 2pm ET)

Housing is still far from healthy despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to resuscitate it by helping to push mortgage rates to extraordinary lows: 3.62% for a 30-year loan, according to Freddie Mac's latest survey. Single-family housing starts, though up, remain 60% below the 2002 pre-bubble pace. Americans' equity in homes is $2 trillion, or 25%, less than it was in 2002 and half what it was at the peak. More than one in every four mortgage borrowers still has a loan bigger than the value of the house, though rising home prices are reducing that fraction slowly.

Still, the upturn in housing is a milestone, a particularly welcome one amid a distressing dearth of jobs. For some time, housing has been one of the biggest causes of economic weakness. It has now—barely—moved to the plus side. "A little tail wind is a lot better than a headwind," says economist Chip Case, the "Case" in Case-Shiller.

From here on, housing is unlikely to drag the U.S. economy down further. It will instead reflect the strength or weakness of the overall economy: The more jobs, the more confident Americans are about keeping their jobs, the more they are willing to buy houses. "Manufacturing had led growth and construction had lagged," JPMorgan Chase economists said last week."Now the roles are reversed: Manufacturing growth has slowed as private construction comes to life."

Plenty could go wrong. The biggest threat is a large shadow inventory of unsold homes, homes which owners won't put on the market because they are underwater, homes that will be foreclosed eventually and homes owned by lenders. They have been trickling onto the market, slowed in part by government efforts to delay foreclosures; a flood could reverse the recent rise in prices. Or the still-dysfunctional mortgage market could get worse. Or overly zealous regulators or a post-election change in government policy could unsettle mortgage lenders or home buyers.

But the housing bust is over.

Can your home help you retire?

This is an excellent article on how your home can help you retire!

http://www.trulia.com/blog/taranelson/2012/07/6_ways_your_home_can_help_you_retire?ecampaign=cnews201207B&eurl=www.trulia.com%2Fblog%2Ftaranelson%2F2012%2F07%2F6_ways_your_home_can_help_you_retire

Rules of Thumb for Water Use on Lawns

How much water does a lawn need? In general, turf grasses need about 3/4 to 1 inch of water per week to maintain green color and active growth. However, during certain times in the summer when high temperatures are the norm, you should allow lawns to naturally slow down in growth. You can let the lawn go almost completely dormant in hot weather. In hot weather you may need an inch of water only about every three days.
In general, water as infrequently as possible. When you do water, water thoroughly so that moisture soaks down to the roots. One deep watering is much better than watering several times lightly. Watering to a depth of 4 to 6 inches encourages deeper, healthier root development. It also allows longer periods between watering. Early morning or night is the best time for watering, as less evaporation will occur at these cooler times.

July Home Maintenance Hints

·         Check all exterior walls for peeling or cracked paint .Usually, paint on south- and west-facing walls deteriorates faster and requires more frequent recoating than paint on north- and east-facing walls.

·         Inspect brick or masonry siding for cracks or missing mortar. Repair with fresh mortar or concrete caulk.

·         Inspect roof for cracks and loose or missing shingles and repair as necessary. Check attic spaces underneath the roof for leak stains, especially from "flashed" areas in roof valleys and around chimneys and vent stacks.

·         Inspect the operation of automatic light timers and motion-detector systems, especially if you plan a vacation.

·         Prune trees and shrubs so that branches do not come in contact with exterior siding.

·         Clean and repair cracks in concrete driveways using epoxy patching material. Repair asphalt driveways using asphalt patching material. Seal asphalt driveways every other year.

·         Inspect foundation walls for tunnels or dirt bridges, which are signs of termites. If you suspect termites, contact a professional exterminator.

What to take to a 4th of July cookout? Jalapeno poppers...from my Texas niece's favorite cookbook! I add minced jalapeno and crumbled cooked bacon to my filling. These are easy to make, may be cooked the night before and warmed up at the cookout. I caution you: wear thin plastic gloves when handling the peppers (you can buy them at the grocery store). ENJOY and Happy 4th!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/07/bacon-wrapped_j/

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies

thepioneerwoman.com

These are evil. And they must be destroyed. My lovely sister-in-law, Missy, brings these little wonders to my house each ...