About Pitt County, NC

This Happens!

GREENVILLE, NC - An 89 year old gentleman and his wife we're on the way to breakfast in Greenville, NC and evidently had an encounter with this deer - that's not odd - deer are plentiful around here. However, the gentleman and his wife didn't know that they had hit this deer until they drove into the McDonalds parking lot and had someone point it out to them. Can you imagine them sittin there inside, having their morning coffee and hasbrowns and someone walking up and saying "Mr., is that your car? You have a deer inside your hood!" I think we may need to have him surrender his license. What do you think?

UNC Study: 535 Deer Crashes reported in Pitt County in 2008!

GREENVILLE, NC - Since 2004, NC has seen a 27% increase in deer-related crashes. Pitt County ranked 5th among NC's 100 counties in 2008 for reported crashes involving deer. This number was likely higher due to the unreported cased - as the NC Highway Patrol now says that you can report the incident within 24 hours if medical attention is not needed and your vehicle is still drivable. While the total miles driven and the total number of accidents all together throughtout the state has dropped, deer crashes have risen to an all-time high.

LOWER CAR-DEER CRASH RISKS BY:

• Slow Down! In Areas with large deer populations, esp where deer signs are posted
• Always wear your seatbelt (No brainer here)
• Watch for eyes reflecting in the headlights, Scanning the roadsides.
• If one deer comes accross, watch out, they often travel in herds
• Do NOT place confidence in "deer whistles" or "ultasonic" devices!
• Maintain control of your vehicle, avoid veering off the road
• Buy a home from Remax Preferred Realty (http://www.Remax-Greenville-NC.com)
  - (not proven to lessen the risk, but you'll be happy you did!)

It's Friday folks! Live, Laugh & Love!

In a London Store
TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW

In a Laundromat:
AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT

In a London department store:
BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS

In an office:
WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN

In an office:
AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD

Outside a secondhand shop:
WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?

Notice in health food shop window:
CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS

Spotted in a safari park: (I sure hope so)
ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR

Seen during a conference:
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR

Notice in a farmer's field:
THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES.

Message on a leaflet:
IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS

On a repair shop door:
WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING. (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR - THE BELL DOESN'T WORK)

Deryck Wilson, Broker, e-PRO
The Tallest Man in Real Estate - Above the Crowd, Literally!

RE/MAX Preferred Realty

Let's talk about: Greenville NC & those ECU Pirates!

A Foreclosure Prevention Workshop is being held on Monday,
October 5, at City Hall, 200 West Fifth St, 3rd Floor
Gallery. Registration is at 9:30 a.m. Program is 10:00 am
till 2:00 pm. Program is free and lunch will be provided.

You can register online at www.nchousing.org or contact Regina
Green at 919-827-4494 or rgreen@nchousing.org.

Check out the local listings at: www.JesseAllenHomes.com

Realtors' index rises 6.4% in August for 7th straight gain as tax credit deadline boosts activity.

GREENVILLE, NC -- Homebuyers signed more sales contracts in August than in any month this year, boosted by the looming expiration of a homebuyers' tax credit, according to an industry report released Thursday.

The August Pending Home Sales Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) surged 6.4%, the seventh straight month-over-month improvement in the indicator. The increase far exceeded economists' expectations -- a panel of analysts surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast a 1% rise.

Pending home sales rose 3.2% in July.

Pending sales are considered a forward indicator of housing market health since contract signings precede actual closings, which typically occur two to three months later. August contract signings show up in October and November NAR statistics as existing home sales.

Housing markets have gained some ground recently as a tax credit for first-time homebuyers -- which is scheduled to expire Nov. 30 -- stimulated sales of starter, and other, homes.

"No doubt many first-time buyers are rushing to beat the deadline for the $8,000 tax credit, which expires at the end of next month," said Deryck Wilson, a local RE/MAX associate.

One problem in extrapolating future closings from contract signings, however, is that there are continuing problems obtaining mortgages that may scuttle many deals, according to Yun.

"The rise in pending home sales shows buyers are returning to the market and signing contracts, but deals are not necessarily closing because of long delays related to short sales, and issues regarding complex new appraisal rules," he said.

Those issues also could also lead to some double counting of previous pending sales as buyers whose earlier deals fell through may return to the market and sign new contracts.

Still, the oversized gain in pending sales will surely translate into some increase in closings, and the report added to several other positive recent indicators that housing markets are at least stabilizing, if not in full-blown recovery.

Not all economic and housing indicators have been pointing up. Initial jobless claims climbed this week, according to a Labor Department report, after three weeks of declines.

Foreclosure filings are still well above normal and they threaten to go far higher as the terms of many toxic mortgages, such as interest-only loans and option ARMS, reset over the next six to 12 months and send the monthly mortgage payments of homeowners soaring.

Another housing market question mark is the status of the tax credit for first-time homebuyers, with the industry fearing that home sales could drop sharply if it's allowed to expire.

There are, however, several efforts in Congress to extend the credit and even to expand it to all homebuyers, not just first-timers. That could turbo-charge home sales if it goes through.