Last week’s response, from the Federal Reserve and the White House, through the Congress, may not be enough to counter the current recessionary fever gripping the United States economy. Even with mortgage interest rates approaching the 5.25 percent all-time lows of ‘02-’04, home sales continue to falter.

The last three weeks have resulted in a panicky stock market as demonstrated plainly on stock market charts. As the markets declined, everyone seems to have finally waken to danger, and the hazard itself continues to grow. Once confined to mortgages and the very strange “structured” IOUs, an economic pullback threatens defaults in a wide range of credits. The typical victims of an economic slowdown is credit, the result of a badly impaired system. If the credit market isn’t in complete and unmanageable shambles, then it’s close. (more…)

search for : recessionary fever, economic pullback

While there’s snow on the ground, it’s time to think of a remodel, or just a renovation of your vacation rental property. Many say that vacation property owners, those who rent their home or condo for a few months each year, will face increased competition as more rental units come on the market in upcoming months.

Why the increase in inventory? Simple, it’s because so many units sit unsold. Faced with making continued mortgage payments on their units, owners are deciding to rent the propertys, just for the cash flow.

What do you need for your unit to be more rent-able than the competition?

Most prospective renters look for the amenities. Swimming pools, video games, pool tables and big-screen televisions make for an attractive rental unit. Since eating out can break a vacationer’s budget, adding restaurant quality cooking appliances, equipment, swank dining furnishings, cozy decor and adequate lighting can make for quite an eating-in experience. (more…)

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With all the talk from the automotive industry about energy savings, homeowners are beginning to consider a switch from incandescents to compact fluorescent bulbs. These energy-efficient bulbs have come a long way since they were introduced some years back. But, misconceptions about their usage, and their energy saving attributes remain in the minds of consumers.

We consumers are bombarded with statistics that seem too good to be true. Advertisements tout that if every homeowner were to replace light bulbs in five fixtures with energy-efficient bulbs, greenhouse-gas emissions would be reduced by the equivalent of taking 10 million cars off the road.

So, what are the truths among the media hype? Read on … (more…)

search for : compact fluorescent bulbs

$5,850,000

MLS Number: 50913

City: Valle Crucis, NC
Stories: 2
Bedrooms: 4 Baths: 4.5
Area: Boone-Blowing Rock, NC
Year Built: 1990
Plus Five fully furnished 1,400 sq. ft. Rental Cottages. Each built in 1996 on approx. 1/2 acre sites. Current cottage average annual rental income $150,000.

39.4 acres with 360 degree view of Blue Ridge Mountains.

5,200 sq. ft. main house built in 1990 on 1.24 acres.

No restrictions and no zoning offer many other options:

* Family compound
* Corporate retreat
* Religous retreat
* Horse farm / Dude ranch
* Recording studio
* Cottages can be sold separately
* Land can be further subdivided if desired

Contact Elizabeth Carter, 336.973.5594 or Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247 or email eacarter@charter.net

click here for more information

search for : Valle Crucis, NC, Blowing Rock, NC, Blue Ridge Mountains

Vinyl siding as an alternative to regular paintings has been available for years. Some homeowners eschewed the product as looking just too — phony. However, modern science and better manufacturing techniques can now produce vinyl products that, from a foot away, look just like painted wood.

Historically, vinyl building products have not been supplied in deep dark colors because they tended to fade and change color. Recently, Altuglas International the makers of Solarkote and Plexiglas has introduced products to alleviate that problem.

Solarkote has being introduced as a way to easily add dark, rich colors to the look of a home and yard without heavy household burdens. According to the manufacturers, Solarakote acrylic capstock is applied to a vinyl building product in the manufacturing stage. The protective layer of acrylic won’t peel off as paint does and it significantly reduces fading or yellowing of building product materials. (more…)

search for : Vinyl siding, vinyl building products

One of the major challenges when building or remodeling is to find a good contractor. Luckily, with the downturn in the real estate market, builders are no longer concentrating on construction of “spec” homes — those properties built just to sell upon completion.

It’s our opinion that the best method of finding a contractor is through a referral. Friends and co-workers have either built or remodeled, or know someone who has. You might be surprised, if you just ask, how many opinions, both good and bad, that folks have when discussing their experiences with contractors.

You will also find that sub-contractors, those trades that deal in new and remodeled projects for electrical, plumbing, flooring, etc. will be on the minds of many consumers. Stories abound about projects where the “subs” made for a good or terrible project. (more…)

search for : find a good contractor, remodeled project

Homeowners, particularly those with growing families are sometimes in a quandary. Should they sell and buy a larger residence or add-on to their present home. In this era of depressed real estate prices, along with declining home values, remodeling may just make more sense, and even save them money.

To help you make that decision, consider the following. Are you happy with the location of your home, your neighborhood and your home’s general layout, style and size? And, consider if the real estate market in your neighborhood will support your remodeling plans. Remember, it’s never a good idea to have a house whose value is a multiple of the other houses in your community. (more…)

search for : depressed real estate prices, declining home values, remodeling

Real estate marketing has experienced pronounced changes in recent years. The age of YouTube is upon us. YouTube, and other online video-centric services means that anyone can upload a video to market a home to anyone else using these free Internet services.

It’s so easy that over one in five (22 percent) American adults shoots their own videos and 14 percent post them online. Citizen journalism is now citizen advertising. If you can operate a cell phone, you can be theMartin Scorcese of home listings. (more…)

search for : YouTube

Many new homeowners, particularly those that purchase modular or mobile homes, develop some form of respiratory distress. Often, those individuals attribute the affliction to “allergies”, a common term used to describe a number of medically-related symptoms.

However, manufactured homes, especially ones built to Super Good Cents (SGC) standards, tend to be very “tight”. When they are first inhabited the indoor air quality can may be less than optimal.

For that reason, SGC homes most always have some sort of passive or active ventilation built into them to provide for a constant low-volume flow of fresh air. If the ventilation system for the home is blocked, inactive or not working for any other reason, then individuals experience higher than normal indoor pollutants, commonly called “out-gassing”. (more…)

search for : mobile home, respiratory distress, Super Good Cents

This article chronicles how Cleveland is suing banks.

The city is claiming that their subprime lending practices created a public nuisance that hurt property values and city tax collections.

The lawsuit seeks to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, including lost taxes from devalued property and money spent demolishing and boarding up thousands of abandoned houses.

Will this happen in local venues? Could be, let’s wait and see. (more…)

search for : subprime lending practice