Beautiful Wilkes County NC Timber Frame Home and Mountain Property.

MLS Number: 51166, List Price: $898,500

2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, 2 half baths, 2 car attached garage, full basement, and a barn on 5 acres of land.

These terms are used to describe thousands of homes and yet some things just can’t be described, they have to be experienced. This is one of those homes that really has to be seen to be appreciated.

This majestic Timber Frame home of the Bob Timberlake genre is not just another house, it provides a feeling of home that is not about walls and floors and windows and doors. It creates a feeling of the flow between your outdoor and your indoor environment that is seamless. Everywhere you look there is a view. Everything you touch feels natural and beautiful in a way that cannot be described, only owned.

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

click here for more information

Knowledgeable home shoppers are discovering interactive sites and blogs for neighborhood scoop that’s long been the province only of brokers and neighbors. Says Jonathan Butler, founder of the Brooklyn-based blog Brownstoner, “it’s all about trapsparency”.

Maybe the best known, Zillow.com, has shot to the forefront of sites where would-be buyers now have a new tool for getting the dish on the neighborhood. Almost 80% of home buyers already use the Internet extensively during their search. But a growing number now want to move beyond basic listings and school-district info to tap into the insider “skinny” on quality-of-life issues. Tips like a recent Brownstoner post pointed out that a seemingly charming old church near one listing becomes a headache every Sunday when triple-parking parishioners block the streets. (more…)

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Having trouble selling your home? Have you recently lowered the asking price? Are you at your wit’s end?

When it comes to selling your house, you might consider paying attention to what accouterments prospective purchasers are seeking. Some styles can be put down to the vagaries of fashion and are easily fixed. Maybe simply spending a little on decorating will make the difference in a quick sale, or your home sitting on the market for a few more months.

MSNBC has compiled a list of eight reasons that just might be why your home isn’t selling. They are worth a look. (more…)

search for : trouble selling your home

What was simply a workplace feature in years past, the once ordinary kitchen countertop has become a major architectural item in interior design. There are lots of options on the market for kitchen countertops. In fact, the number of options can be daunting for the average consumer.

It really boils down to your personal sense of aesthetics, budget and your tolerance for stains. Whether it be economical Formica, granite, a synthetic surface or even concrete, choosing a countertop material is made easier with a discussion of the pros and cons of each surface. (more…)

search for : kitchen countertop, countertop material

For those of you that have been waiting for some time to sell your home in a less-than-perfect market, a recent report issued by the National Association of Realtors might indicate some encouragement. But before getting too carried away with the idea that now is the right time sell, step back and assess the overall strength of the current home-sale market in your area.

Residential real estate is an intensely localized business. A good place to start your investigation is your own neighborhood. How many houses are there like yours on the market? How long have they been on the market? Have there been price reductions? Were there any listings that didn’t receive offers during the listing period? (more…)

search for : sell your home, Residential real estate

A good lighting system goes a long way to enhance your theater room experience. First, the system must provide light so that people can safely move around the room. Then, you should arrange the light sources so that they don’t cast any glare or light on the image, which would wash out the picture.

Ambient light is a soft, general illumination that allows people to feel welcomed into a space and the best ambient light really comes from light bounced off the ceiling. Good choices include fixtures recessed in coves around the perimeter of a ceiling (more…)

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Before planning any remodeling project understand that generally homeowners aren’t recouping as many improvement costs as they could in recent years. Depending on your local housing marketplace, experts may ormay not advise that a major up fit to your property will pay for itself come time to sell.

In fact, the simpler, and less expensive projects may give you the edge over other properties on the market. Concepts like spaciousness and cleanliness go along way to convince a buyer that your home has recognizable benefits of ownership over that home down the street.

Merely cleaning the carpets, painting the walls and removing wallpaper are common fixes that costs very little, compared to most remodeling projects. It’s wise to budget for these tasks before putting money aside for more expensive projects. (more…)

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Beautiful Wilkes County NC Log Home and Mountain Property.

MLS Number: 50863, List Price: $359,900

Bedrooms: 3, Full Baths: 2, Half Baths: 0, Est Total SqFt: 2600, Type/Style: Log Home, Area: Area 6, Middle School: Cntrl Wlks, High School: Wlks Cntrl, Construction: Log

Foundation: Combination, Roof: Metal Roof, Floors: Carpet/Hardwood/Tile, Garage/Carport: None-Garage, None-Carport, Interior Features: Master Bedroom, Main Level, Large Master Bedroom, Walk-In Closet(s), Hardwood Floors, Fireplace(s), Great Room, Exterior Features: Double Pane Windows, Wooded Lot, 1-5 Acres, Hot Tub, Subdivision: N/A, Lot Size: 2.47, Apx SqFt: 2600 - 2800 SF, Basement: None

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

click here for more information

Ventless fireplaces and gas fire logs are all the rage these days. However, most home buyers, having limited knowledge of gas fixtures, would have no reason to suspect that a fully approved gas fixture such as this could be problematic or potentially unsafe.

The first indication of a problem with a ventless fireplace is a film on your windows caused by a combustion byproduct. If you can see it, then it stands to reason that is could be unsafe to breathe. Until this can be evaluated by a licensed expert or by the gas company, use of the fixture should be suspended and the gas pilot (if there is one) should be turned off. (more…)

search for : Ventless fireplaces, gas fire logs

Will 2008 be the year you buy a home? Maybe a better question could be “is anybody buying in 2008?”

This article suggests “given current state of the housing market, you certainly don’t need to be in a rush. As my Money Magazine colleague Amanda Gengler pointed out in our December cover story on the outlook for 2008, house prices are already down more than 4 percent from a year ago.”

Since the national housing market is really a collection of many local markets, and the prospects can vary considerably from one locale to the next, you really do need to do your homework with an eye on how your current, local market conditions are faring.

Property prices of different cities and communities can be researched by using trulia.com, zillow.com and homegain.com, as well as the nationwide brokers’ sites.
(more…)