Greensboro, NC

Looking for a great place in Greensboro, NC to get away from it all but don't have much time? Visit the beautiful Bog Gardens, off of Starmount Forest Drive and Hobbs Road. The weather was perfect today for a picnic lunch there and, other than a few ducks and geese, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. There are plenty of benches at the end of the boardwalk overlooking the lake and others scattered along the paths.

Once you are finished checking out the lake, loop around the boardwalk and listen for the sound of rushing water. Just off the beaten path, you will find Serenity Falls. It is completely peaceful there and a great photo op.

It is amazing to think that this oasis is literally in the shadow of the bustling Friendly Center. This is just one of the many reasons Greensboro is a great place to live! Fall is when the Bog Gardens really shows off its colors so make sure you visit soon.

Buyer's Update for Greensboro, North Carolina and the Triad beware the market is heating up! As the time passes by on the way to the $8,000 First Time Home Buyer's Tax Credit deadline. All those buyers waiting on something better will lose out. Many people have forgotten about Thanksgiving. You know that wonderful day of football and turkey. The banks, lawyers, and county employees at the register of deeds office will be off work with us eating turkey. That on top of the fact that there are so many people jumping into the game that the lenders are asking for sometimes 45 days to close not the usual 30. I am telling all the first time home buyers I am working with that you need to be under contract in the next two weeks.

On another note the interest rates are at least holding around the 5% mark. They fluctuate on a daily basis and actually even hourly. So if you are working on buying a home please be speaking with or to a lender. Once you narrow down your choices you will want to lock in your interest rate.

Now those of you looking hard if you are keeping track of your "favorite" homes then you might start to notice that they are actually disappearing. They will no longer be available and are now either sold or under contract.

My listings are actually showing sometimes 3 to 4 times a day. So don't wait to long to jump in if you want to see one of these in front of the home you want;

The Author:

Larry is a Greensboro Residential Broker, CARTUS Certified Relocation Specialist, Previews luxury homes trained, SRES & CHMS who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in the Piedmont Triad Area that include but, not limited to Greensboro, High Point, and Winston Salem, NC. If you're relocating to or from any other area of the country, Larry connects you with a member of our national team of relocation specialist in your destination or exit city of choice. The destination service is of no cost to you! As your Personal Concierge Realtor Larry provides customer service that is equal to none. Your complete happiness is our top priority! Larry Story - Coldwell Banker Triad Realtors - 336-327-1841 also at http://www.storybookhomes.ws

Copyright© 2009 By Larry Story, All Rights Reserved...

Because the "one size-fits-all" philosophy doesn't apply to education, Guilford County Schools offers a magnet school option. Guilford County Schools provide education to students in Greensboro, High Point, Jamestown, Summerfield and many other small towns in our area.

There are fifty magnet schools in Guilford County with seventeen different magnet themes. Some schools specifically serve our advanced learners, others offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma program. Other schools focus on science, technology and the performing and visual arts, while others offer foreign language immersion. Guilford County is also one of the few places in the country where you can get a free Montessori education for your student.

The excellent education provided by Guilford County Schools is getting national recognition. U.S. News & World Report just ranked our The Early College at Guilford seventeenth in the nation for 2009, after collecting data on 21,000 public high schools. In addition, on June 8, 2009, Newsweek included two Guilford County schools in its Top 100 list. The Early College was nineteeth and Weaver Academy of Visual and Performing Arts was eighty-first. The Early College at Guilford is one of our high schools that has formed a partnerships with a local college to offer high school students the opportunity to earn college credit before they graduate.

The magnet schools are free to county residents but there is an enrollment process, which is usually in February each year. Several open houses are offered during the enrollment period so you can learn more about the programs offered.

No matter what your student's needs, chances are Guilford County Magnet Schools can help.

Now is a great time to plant here in Greensboro, NC. If you are looking to spruce up your yard but want to be more environmentally-friendly, check out this great workshop! The Kathleen Clay Edwards branch of the Greensboro library system is hosting a low-cost class to help you achieve attractive curb appeal while working with the environment, not against it.

For only $10, you get a full day of expert advice on design principles, proper site and plant selection, water conservation techniques, and many more topics. The workshop will be led by the Karen Neill, an Urban Horticultural Agent with the Guilford County Cooperative Extension.

The Carolina Yards workshop will be held on Friday, October 9 from 9-4. To register, contact Pam Marshall at 375-5876.

Piedmont Personal Builders is a certified Energy Star Builder. We like to think that we are making a contribution to a greener environment and having just a bit of a positive effect on global warming. Energy Star certification benefits us, but especially benefits you, the home buyer.

Our custom built homes are more energy efficient, more comfortable to live in and can save you money. In North Carolina, most of the power companies offer a 5% discount on your energy rates. Energy Star certification guarantees at least a 15% savings on your energy bills, compared to the same home without the Energy Star features.

Energy Star certified homes include R15 insulation in the walls and R38 insulation in the ceilings. All cavities in the walls, ceilings and floors, as well as spaces around electrical outlets, wall switches, HVAC ducts, etc. are completely sealed against air leakage. Windows are low-e glass and Argon Gas filled.

Our custom homes are tested several times by an independent EPA certified HERS consultant. The testing results in a rating number showing the percentage of energy savings. We have had a home rated as high as 31%. Of course this high a number can't be guaranteed on all homes Piedmont Personal Builders builds, but we strive for the highest rating possible on every home we build.

So next time you are ready to build a new home, ask your builder if they are Energy Star Certified.