Renting

House Helper: What is a short sale?

bwebb — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Q: What is a short sale and how does it work?

A: Investors in stocks probably have a different understanding of a short sale than those in real estate.

For those unfamiliar, a stock short sale means selling a stock that a seller does not own. This stock is borrowed from the brokerage house until such time as the investor buys it back and returns it to the brokerage house. This permits an investor to hedge in on what may be considered a future decrease in the price of the stock, or to sell high and buy low, in that order.

Homebuying 101: Need increasing for multilingual agencies

bwebb — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Homeownership is the quintessential American dream and the cornerstone of a strong community. As our communities become more diverse, real estate professionals must adjust to provide services that enhance a client’s homebuying experience through cultural awareness and foreign language proficiencies. In addition to guiding clients through this life-changing decision, today’s real estate agent must act as a cultural liaison between buyer and seller when dealing with clients who do not speak English as a first language.

Community of the Week: Griffin Mill

bwebb — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:00:00 -0500

LOCATION: Northwest Greensboro

BUILDER NAME: Millican Construction

YEARS IN BUSINESS: 20

PRICE RANGE: From the $320,000s

SQUARE FOOTAGE: 2,300 to 3,000 or more

CONTACT INFO/MARKETED BY: Call Jan Cox with Allen Tate Realtors at 382-1849.

Design Profile: June DeLugas

bwebb — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Title and company: President of June DeLugas Interiors in Clemmons

Years in business: 28

Design style: Casual French Elegance and Classic Traditional

Fee range: $l00 an hour

• Describe a major project you’ve worked on.

Real Estate Faces

bwebb — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0500

Andrew Courts Jr. of Environmental Solutions Group in Greensboro has completed the certification process to be recognized as a home energy rater under the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Homes program.

The designation recognizes Courts’ knowledge and field experience in energy-efficient design of residential buildings.

Alamance-Caswell builders recognize leaders

bwebb — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0500

The Alamance-Caswell Home Builders Association recently held its Christmas Gala and installed 2009 officers and board members.

• Officers: James Hunter, president; Bryan Shoffner, first vice president; Allison Franklin, second vice president; Carey Rohrer, secretary; Tom Steele, treasurer.

• Local directors: Mike Wilkinson, David Hadley, Mike Beaver, Robert Smith, Mike Conklin, Johnny Mann, Jeff Hodge, Brady Goforth, Vaughn Jarrett, Phyllis Wolfe, Mark Wilburn, Judi Baker, Dee Ann Cobb, Shawn Shoffner and Jerry Byrd.

House Helper

bwebb — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0500

Q.: When buying a home, what should the percentage of repair and maintenance cost be compared to the price of the home?

A.: If you are considering purchasing a home and think the house payment will be all of your cost of ownership, you may want to take another look. The cost of home maintenance may be substantial.

Green future

bwebb — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0500

Building a small house is normally a piece of cake for a builder like Paul Meinhart of PJM Designs in Greensboro.

But when Meinhart decided to take on a nationally certified green building project, he knew he faced many challenges.

“I was told that’s insane, it’ll never fly,” Meinhart recalls. “I took a lot of grief.”

The project in question: a guesthouse behind the main residence of state Rep. Pricey Harrison of Greensboro. Her request — make the guesthouse as green as possible — was not as simple as it sounds.

Community of the Week: Avahlee Meadows

bwebb — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0500

LOCATION: Colfax

BUILDER: Top Hat Builders

YEARS IN BUSINESS: 20

PRICE RANGE: From the $280,000s

SQUARE FOOTAGE: 1,800 and up

CONTACT INFO/MARKETED BY: Call Barbara Mann of Re/Max Realty Consultants at 669-4227.

DIRECTIONS: Take N.C. 68 North and turn left onto Pleasant Ridge Road. Turn right onto Cude Road, left onto Ballard Road and left onto Bunker Hill. Avahlee Meadows will be on the right.

Create a family treasure with gallery wall

bwebb — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0500

Dear Jessica,
I finally had a family portrait made and am looking at my walls, trying to determine where the picture will fit. I’ve wanted to create a more interesting photo layout for some time, but don’t know how to move past my tendency to hang one picture per wall. Do you have any ideas for a more creative arrangement? — Meaghan, Greensboro

Stone Gables sets new standards

bwebb — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0500

Mid Atlantic Development Co. heeded suggestions from buyers of its Stone Gables Villas properties and this month made standard several design options that were previously classified as upgrades.

The change was made to meet buyers’ needs and simplify the design selection process for people who typically wanted the same options displayed in the models, according to Barbara Currie, Mid Atlantic’s director of marketing.

Real Estate Faces

bwebb — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0500

Lisa Duke of Coldwell Banker Triad Realtors in High Point this month earned the EcoBroker Certified designation after completing a training program on the energy and environmental issues that affect real estate transactions.

The discipline emphasizes energy-efficient, sustainable and healthier design/features in homes and buildings. Examples include passive solar features and energy-efficient windows and water heaters.

Are cracks in new walls normal?

bwebb — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0500

Q: A few of the homes that I’ve toured in my homebuying search have cracks in the corners of the walls, something I was told was a result of the house “settling” after it was built. They made it sound normal, but cracks don’t seem normal. What causes this, and is it something to worry about?

A: Most houses settle somewhat after being built, as the soil compacts under the foundation and the framing dries out. Normally this results only in hairline cracks at wall junctions or between sheets of drywall. These are very common and easy to repair.

Century 21 collection helps Urban Ministry

bwebb — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0500

Century 21 collection helps Urban Ministry

Real estate professionals from Century 21 Elliott Properties presented a donation of hygiene products to the Greensboro Urban Ministry on Thursday.

Nixie Coleman, who works in the agency on Battleground Avenue, says the agents eschewed their annual holiday gift exchange in order to provide items the ministry needed. Many of the agents volunteer with the organization, and all employees were able to contribute something to the effort, she says.

Community of the Week: Carlson Terrace

bwebb — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0500

LOCATION: Greensboro Country Club farm course at the corner of Horse Pen Creek Road and Carlson Dairy Road

BUILDER: Dennis Sosebee Custom Homes

YEARS IN BUSINESS: More than 20

PRICE RANGE: $750,000 and higher

SQUARE FOOTAGE: 4,500 square feet and higher

CONTACT INFORMATION: Call Tom Chitty with Tom Chitty & Associates, of Prudential Carolinas Realty, at 420-2836.

DIRECTIONS: From northbound Battleground Avenue, turn left onto Horse Pen Creek Road, then right into Carlson Terrace.

NUMBER OF FLOOR PLANS: Custom

New in town: Wyngate Villages

bwebb — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0500

Keystone Homes is relying on the holy grail of real estate to attract a wide audience to its new luxury townhome community in Winston-Salem.

“Wyngate Villages is close to everything,” community sales manager Darren Cloninger says by e-mail, referring to the community’s location only minutes away from main commuter arteries like Interstate 40 and U.S. 421.

The Greensboro-based builder debuted the contemporary townhome community this month with $10,000 in incentives and special pricing on finished inventory, according to Cloninger.

Design gallery: Caleb’s Place

bwebb — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0500

Caleb’s Place in Summerfield is a new community from M&J Developers. The eight homes will be Energy Star-certified and built on open rural lots. This featured custom home is located at 7332 Strawberry Road.

Custom details found throughout the Caleb’s Place home include carved moldings, tray ceilings and built-in shelving.

For more information, contact Tony Johnson at 834-3383 or 587-3673.

Real Estate Faces