You've bitten the bullet -there's no way around it-you're selling your home during the holidays. This time of year is unlike any other time of the year when I'm showing homes. Although my activity has slowed down from the summer season, the buyers that I've shown during the holidays are much more serious.

I noticed a recurring theme with the houses my clients liked this week - they were all warm, cozy, inviting, smelled nice, and, yes, they were decorated for the holidays. Based on my observation I'd like to give you a few pointers that are selling during the holidays:

1. Create an attractive environment that will allow buyers to view your home during this most hospitable of seasons.
2. Spruce up your home by cleaning and decorating to give your home that "picture postcard" look.
3. Make sure that your decorations are elegant and inviting and not intimidating or "over the top".

These are the types of things you need to check off for the holidays in your home:

• A fresh coating of paint and a spotlight on the exterior door works wonders to create a cheery mood upon entering.
• Keep in clean - clean daily, especially in high traffic areas.
• Make your home beautiful and inviting by setting the stage with the correct lighting - High-watt bulbs show off a home better than low-watt bulbs.
• Leave the radio on a station that plays Christmas music during the holidays. In my area 93.9 and mix 101.5 are two.
• Make sure your home "smells" like Christmas - Insert plug-ins with a mild Christmas/apple/cinnamon scent.
• Make sure that Christmas decorations don't interfere with the floor plan or spacing in the home.
  • For example, I showed a home last year where they tried to stuff their wall mounted fish next to the Christmas tree in a small dining room.
• Keep Christmas decorations simple and elegant.
• Keep the personal photos to a minimum so that buyers can see themselves living cozily in the home.

I know this isn't the silver bullet to selling a home. If I had one I certainly know I'd use it. However, keeping these simple tips in mind will be one more reason to keep your home in contention and to land a buyer.

If you like North Carolina Pottery you are in for a treat - The 26th Annual Seagrove Pottery Festival is taking place tomorrow and Sunday in Seagrove, North Carolina. Since I live in Cary I wrote about taking a daytrip to Randolph County to visit the potteries, the Zoo, and the Richard Petty Museum in Seagrove Pottery and the Ashboro Zoo - A Raleigh Daytrip and Exploring North Carolina in the Fall with the Kids. This year I recommend a visit to The 26th Annual Seagrove Pottery Festival. I've always wanted to visit the potters in ACTION!! Seagrove is home to over 100 potters and each year they are kind enough to display their skills at the pottery fest. One thing that most North Carolina residents don't realize is that the best potters from the Carolinas have learned their trade through many generations of pottery making. I am also intrigued by the "folk" pottery tradition that has deep roots tracing back to the mid-18th century. The tradition grew up in Seagrove where folk potters still use local clays; ash, salt and alkaline glazes; and wood-fired kilns. It's really a throw back to another generation. Folk pottery designs include face jugs to butter churns to vases. So what are face jugs anyway? Potters in Colonial America made moonshine jugs with ugly faces. The ugly faces were used to ward off evil spirits. I just love them. Click here for more information on the potters and participants. Click here for details on the event. Seagrove is just an hour and fifteen minutes from Cary and an hour and a half from Raleigh. Don't miss this fun event!!

I just found out today that Apex is adding a new art festival to its lineup. Apex is really trying to beef up the cultural activities. This is an event you won't want to miss!!

What? Salem Street Arts Festival

When:  Saturday October 6, 2007

Time:  9am-4pm

Where:  Downtown Apex

Free to the Public

The Salem Street Arts Festival is an exciting addition to the yearly activities in Apex.  The arts festival will feature local artists from around Apex and the Triangle.  The Firehouse Gallery will feature displays of local professional artwork as well as children's art.  There will be lots of hands on art related activities - Fun for the whole family.  Let's not stop there - the festival will also feature educational informatioin on the arts and caareer in the arts, performances, and food too!!

This is a creative twist: In addition to the hundreds of local professional artists they will also present the Kids Market where children ages 16 and under can rent a booth space to sell items they have made.

This event is sponsored by the Apex Arts Council.   

Relocation and real estate continue to grow in the Triangle Area of North Carolina.  Realtors are frequently asked why the real estate market in the Raleigh & Cary area is so popular.  Our area received numerous awards of disctinction in 2006. 

For the most recent update your best bet is to click here.

Below are the most notable.

 #1 City for Jobs by Forbes Magazine February 2007

#1 City for Federally Funded Economic Development Incentives (Raleigh, NC) Public Policy Forum, March 2006
#1 Highest Growth County in NC  - Wake County, NC
US Census Bureau, March 2006
#3 Most Educated City (Raleigh, NC)
US Census Bureau-American Community Survey, 2004 (Released January 2006)
#2 Best Place for Business & Careers (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes, May 2006 - We've been in Top 10 for what seems like forever!
#5-Star Quality of Life Metro (Raleigh, NC)
Expansion Management "Quality of Life Quotient", May/June 2006 - Low cost of living, wonderful weather while still enjoying the seasons, great shopping, entertainment and restaurants. Wake county was rated by Forbs and having a top school system...on and on
#6 Brainiest Mid-sized Metro (Raleigh, NC)
Bizjournal, June 2006 Not surprising, considering all the Universities and High Tech fields. The Triangle has one of the highest per capita PHD populations in the world.
Top 10 Projected Home Appreciation Market (Raleigh, NC)
MSN.com, April 2006
#10 Best Walking City (Raleigh, NC)
Prevention, March 2006/ Parks and greenways are abundant in the Triangle. Bike riding is popular as well!
#16 Hottest City for Business Relocation & Expansion (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Expansion Management, February 2006  

I have a link with all of the rankings located at my website at http://www.trianglenchomes4sale.com/

What do you get in Raleigh for $1,000,000?  One new million dollar home gives you 3-4 bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, 4000 finished square feet, Dining room, Family room, Office/Study, Kitchen, Breakfast room, Hearth Room, a 3 car garage and a .25 Acre lot if it's inside the beltline or very close to it. 

What do you get for $4,000,000?  How about 6 Bedrooms, 6 Full Bathrooms, 1 Half Bath, 10000 finished square feet above grade, Living room, Dining room, Family room, Office/Study, Kitchen, Breakfast room, Bonus room, Theatre, Exercise room, Billard room, Nanny Suite, 2 wet bars, elevator and situated on a 1.32 acre lot in the heart of the Inner Beltline.

What do you get for $32,000,000?  How about a 20,000 square feet main home and a 3,500 square foot 3 bedroom guest home.  The main home has a 40-foot-high-ceilings, 10 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, 5 half baths, a 1930s style movie theater, built-in cigar humidor on a 14 acre tract.  In addition there are approximately 57 more acres that have been divided into 27 smaller lots for high end home development - should the buyer wish. This Raleigh home is owned by Peter Loftin, founder of the former BTI telecommunications company, who purchased the Florida home of Gianni Versace called Casa Casuarina and now spends most of his time there.

 

If you find such homes to be of interest let me know.  However, to view the second and third homes, verified ability to purchase is required.  Obviously, it would be my pleasure to show them to you. 

In a deal just completed, Developers Diversified, an Ohio REIT purchased a 307 property portfolio from the Inland Retail Real Estate Trust.  Of these properties, 12 are shopping centers in Wake, Durham, Orange, Chatham and Johnston counties.  The area properties in question are: Chatham Crossing in Siler City   (32,000 square feet), South Square in Durham (89,622 square feet), Meadowmont Village Center in Chapel Hill     (132,857 square feet), Capital Plaza in Wake Forest (46,793 square feet), Clayton Corners in Clayton (125,653 square feet), Sexton Commons in Fuquay-Varina (49,097 square feet), Mill Pond Village in Cary (84,364 square feet), Circuit City in Cary (27,891 square feet), and the Raleigh properties of Alexander Place (143,073 square feet), Eckerd-Perry Creek (10,908 square feet), Capital Crossing (83,248 square feet), and Wakefield Crossing (75,927 square feet).  This expands Developers Diversified's portfolio in the Triangle to nearly 2.5 million square feet.

The staff economist for the National Home Builders Association, Michael Carliner, says that the Triangle (Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Johnston, Orange and Wake Counties of North Carolina) is "perhaps the healthiest market in the United States."  Area job growth is exceeding the national average.  New people means more buyers and it certainly doesn't hurt the demand for apartments either.  In October, on a year to year basis, jobs increased nationally 1.5%, the Durham area increased 2.2% and the Raleigh-Cary metropolitan statistical area increased 4.4%. 

As reported here before, the Triangle housing market has not been immune to the hit the national market has taken.  For the most part our problems have been that of people moving here are having problems selling their homes in the markets they are coming from.  Thus the inventory of new homes locally has increased as has the inventory of resale homes because of this problem.  However, both the volume builders and the smaller local builders have been cutting back on the building of new homes which should increase the demand for resale homes and cut down on the new home inventory as well.  Currently, closings and new home starts are nearly equal which indicates a market in balance.  So what's in store for 2007?  In the Triangle it would appear that a housing market in basic balance may be the story and if that's not all good neither is it all bad.

....Click Here For Details!

Koka Booth Ampitheatre is located in the heart of Cary at Symphony Lake.  It has been recently ranked in the Top 10 Ampitheatres in the US.  The creative minds at the ampitheatre are bringing a special treat for the holidays!! An outdoor skating rink.  Here are all of the details:

 

DESCRIPTION Tinsel Town... a magical winter wonderland complete with beautifully decorated trees, an enchanted Santa house, holiday music, and a REAL OUTDOOR ICE SKATING RINK! Families will have the opportunity to skate on the rink, visit Santa, sip on hot cocoa, and meander through decorated holiday trees and art exhibits!

DATES Tinsel Town will be open daily from November 20th until December 31st with the exception of Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. TIMES Monday - Thursday: 4PM to 9PM Friday: 4PM to 10PM Saturday: 2PM to 10PM Sunday: NOON to 6PM Event schedules to be announced soon.

PRICING Tickets are available at the box office only beginning November 20th. Kids ages 2 and under are free. Kids (ages 3 to 12)   Adults (ages 13+) Monday - Thursday Admission Price - $4 Skate Rental - $2 Total Cost - $6 Friday - Sunday Admission Price - $6 Skate Rental - $2 Total Cost - $8   Monday - Thursday Admission Price - $6 Skate Rental - $2 Total Cost - $8 Friday - Sunday Admission Price - $8 Skate Rental - $2 Total Cost - $10 If you do not plan on skating but want to visit Tinsel Town your cost of admission is FREE!  What a great way to entertain the family over the holidays!!

I attended a luncheon at Hidden Lake North of Raleigh a week ago.  The agents onsite had a lot of information about what a wonderful, gated community it will be. It's just a 20-minute drive northeast of cosmopolitan Raleigh, near the quaint town of Wake Forest. This planned community of only 124 homes will feature heavily wooded, rolling topography with generous homesites ranging from 1 to 6 acres, dubbed "Private Preserves" due to their size. When the nearly 600-acre community opens, the first phase will offer more than 40 homesites bordering a 75-acre private lake. In addition to the lake, Hidden Lake residents will enjoy an array of amenities ideal for those who love the outdoors. Audubon International recently approved the site plan for Hidden Lake, which is the first step in achieving Audubon’s Three Diamond designation. Audubon International’s Three Diamond designation is its highest level of certification within its Gold Signature Program and indicates a superlative project based on protection of wildlife, water quality, and native flora and fauna, as well as green-building practices and site design.
	Acreage: 600 acres (240 hectares)
	Recreation: 227 acres of open space, including a 100-acre park and an outdoor pavilion for community and family events
	Biking Trails: Seven miles of bike paths
	Walking Trails: More than six miles of paved and soft-surface trails
	The Lake House: Will serve as the community amenities center. With a large gathering room with two fireplaces and a spacious lakeside veranda, The Lake House is ideal for both small and large parties.
	The Boat House: Includes canoes, kayaks and paddle boat launches. A few electric boats will be available for communal use. The Boat House also features a fishing pier, allowing residents to cast their lines in the clear, spring-fed lake with large fish.
	Lots: Homesites range between one and six acres and are expected to start in the $200,000's
	Homes: Homes are expected to start in the $900,000's

Let me know if you'd like any additional details by emailing me at Tracy@TracySantrock.com

I wanted to share with you the latest community coming to the newly redesigned North Hills area with a Midtown address.  Kane Residential is pleased to announce that, on October 10th, pre-sales will begin for Ramblewood at North Hills, a community of brick townhomes, brick condominiums, and single-family Garden Homes. This project, introduced by Kane Residential, has been anticipated by the Triangle community and I wanted you to be the first to know.  Appointments will begin to scheduled on October 2^nd with a start date of October 10^th.  Completion date for the first homes is scheduled in the summer of 2007.  The community will have three types of homes:

• The Townhomes will have Brick exteriors featuring a traditional architecture.  Siteplans range from 2,300 to 4,500 square feet.  The townhomes will include 9 and 10-foot finished ceilings, hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, and granite countertops.  In addition, first-floor master suites and finished attics will be available.   There will be X units and the base pricing starts in the high $400k’s going up to the $700k range.  There will be only 40 Townhomes in Ramblewood. 

 

• The Stacked Flats will be Single level floor plans offering 2 and 3 bedroom options at 1,150-2,000 square feet.  The raised ceilings will include 9-foot finished ceilings, Hardwood floors, Stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and gracious terraces.  They will also have reserved, covered parking with elevator access and storage located in the parking level.   The stacked flats will start just under $300k and go into the $400k range with 80 units available. 

 

Garden Homes With only 18 sites available they will go fast.  The architecture will be influenced by classical English, French and American architecture and begin at 3000 square feet.  The floor plans will be either open or formal with first-floor master suites.  These Modern amenities, including state-of-the-art kitchens, delivered with timeless style will include Double-car, carriage style garages.    In addition,  outdoor spaces offer a variety of landscape design options, including cutting gardens and water features.  These luxurious high-end homes will start in the $900k range.

 

If you would like more information please feel free to call me at (919)656-5310 or email me at Tracy@TracySantrock.com

The area is a unique new gated community with 950 acres and 740 homesites.  What makes this neighborhood so unique is that almost half of the community is devoted to open space, including 11 unique parks for resident families to enjoy.  Because the neighborhood is on the cusp of Chapel Hill and Jordan Lake, the setting should be spectacular. The development company, Crescent Resources,   was formed more than 40 years ago by Duke Energy and has land interests in nine states.  This venture is the second community in the Triangle. The first, Hidden Lake, is comprised of 124 homesites centered around a 75-acre private lake 20 minutes north of Raleigh.  Additional communities include The River Club in Atlanta, The Peninsula, The Point and the Sanctuary in Charlotte.  

 

The plan is to begin construction in the Spring of 2007 with homesites ranging from $90k to $200k range and home prices expecting to start in the $500k range. In addition, a limited number of lots will be available for public sale, but you will have to make a reservation to reserve it.

In addition, there will be a large clubhouse, indoor swimming pool and sauna, outdoor swimming pool with water slides, and six tennis courts all within walking distance of the entire neighborhood. The community is designed with families in mind and will even have a full-time activities director on-site to coordinate year-round events.

If you would like more information, you can contact me via email at Tracy@TracySantrock.com or you can leave your information in the comments section.

In many regions across the United States home prices have been rising sharply, and media coverage has predicted a burst in the "so-called" housing market bubble. Are you are concerned about a possible real estate bubble in Cary? " 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. Any respectable gains in the Raleigh-Cary job market could translate into substantial home price gains. In addition, we've seen a net migration of over 18,500 to the area over the previous 12-month period. For example, in the Cary area the reduction in supply of homes on the market is pushing appreciation rates higher. The year-to-date statistics released in August 2006 indicate Cary appreciation year to date appreciation at a strong 10.44% vs. last years appreciation of 4.59% year-to-date. In conclusion, it's a great time to invest in the Triangle area with continued growth and equity appreciation expected over time.

Cary has many restrictive ordinances. These include the banning of neon signs on the exterior of restaurants and instructing residents on what they can and cannot plant in their yards. The town also restricts the use of certain colors on buildings and architectural styles, and limits development near drainage channels. The town recently annexed an area containing the home of an eccentric gentleman of some local fame whose yard contained an antique cannon and an abundance of signs and posters expressing his opinions. In a rare compromise, the town council said the man was allowed to keep his yard's ornamentation as long as he did not add to it further.

Compared to many other cities of a similar size, Cary has extensive and restrictive zoning. Cary grew from a small downtown area. It adopted zoning and other ordinances on an ad-hoc basis to control growth and give the city structure. The city has small areas, located throughout, called Planned Development Districts. These districts are not planned so much in the traditional sense of planning, which is layout, but are zoned to restrict the land uses in the district.

Cary is a very quiet and peaceful community with a very low crime rate. Money magazine recently rated Cary as the top "Hottest Town" on the East Coast and among the six top-rated spots in the country. It's also the safest large municipality in the South: Cary is also home to the site of a new housing development from KB Home designed by the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia team. In addition to the low crime rate and close proximity to the Research Triangle and many local universities, Cary can also boast having the most Ph.D.s per capita in the U.S. for towns larger than 75,000 people.