Doug Patterson ABR® Broker-In-Charge

NORTH CAROLINA RANKED THIRD PLACE IN THE USA FOR DOING BUSINESS!

Forbes is Business and North Carolina is Approved! Okay! Let's get excited!! Those of us in the Tar Heel state have always said we have a great place to live and work, and now we have further confirmation! It's nice to be able to brag a little, especially right now in this economy, don't you think? May I add this too, we've kept our property prices reasonable, in an effort to not overstate values.

We've moved up from last year's ratings, which was number five!

<----I drew this, can you tell? ":>)

We've created more jobs in NC than 46 of the other states! N.C. Governor Purdue has recently stated , "There's nothing I love more than convincing a corporate executive of what a great place this is to live and work." Well said Madam Governor!

How does the NC Triad Region (including Greensboro, High Point and Winston Salem) relate to jobs in the past few years?

Answer: North Carolina was hit hard with the loss of so much manufacturing and exports in recent years. However the Triad attracted more fields such as transportation and logistics and that's started to make a big difference. The state is poised to handle the demand for higher skilled workers because of our strong state educational system. (reported from the May, 2010, Piedmont-Triad Economic Summit held in Greensboro, NC)

Come on and give the Triad a look! Check these out!

Winston Salem Uptown Hopping!

Greensboro Uptown Too!

Colleges and Universities of the Triad

Search Neighborhoods in and around the Triad

I welcome the opportunity to hear from you and answer any questions you may have about real estate!

Thanks for stopping by and please... EMAIL Me Today with any comments or questions you may have.

Visit REAL ESTATE NEWS to learn more about what's happening with real estate in North Carolina and the Triad Region.

HOMES FOR SALE WINSTON SALEM NC

As the fall market is in full swing in Winston Salem, Greensboro, High Point Triad area, this is the time to find the great deals....and it's not necessarily the "Foreclosed and Short Sale Home"!

People are still relocating. Interest rates are the lowest they've ever been, and jumbo rates are down.

Beware however, that there are influences in the making that may change the current interest rate scenario.

Mortgage lenders are reporting that the"United States interest rates are tied closely to the relationship between the Chinese currency and our bond market". That will inevitably change at some point, and "Home Loan Interest Rates" will begin increasing!

The ability to get a 30 year mortgage at 4.5% is incredible! It's an opportunity that should not be missed!

Give yourself a Great Christmas Gift this year....a New Home!

You've always heard the expression "BUYER'S BEWARE" !

EXAMPLES of "TRUTH IN LENDING" With 30 YEAR Mortgages

* Financing a $116,000 mortgage at 6.5%, you will pay $183,488. That's $67,049 in Interest!

* Financing a $112,697 mortgage at 5.55% you will pay $166,402. That's 53,705 in Interest!

* Financing $153,000 mortgage at 6.24%, you will pay $279,000. That's 125,900 in Interest!

Low Interest Rates are the reason to buy in today's market

I welcome the opportunity to hear from you and answer any questions you may have about real estate! Thanks for stopping by and please... EMAIL Me Today with any comments or questions you may have.

Visit REAL ESTATE NEWS to learn more about what's happening with Homes for Sale In Winston Salem and the Triad Region.

FORECLOSURE HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN WINSTON SALEM NC

If you know of someone who is behind on mortgage payments, Click on This Video to learn about the new rules put into place in April, 2010, to help homeowners who are facing foreclosure for whatever reason.

The program is called "Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives", HAFA for short.

HAFA PROGRAM ELIGIBLITY

Short Sales processes have better rules now, under the guidelines of HAFA. The Lender/Servicer of the homeowners loan must abide by the following: T

• here must be a Uniform Process, using model forms, and there will be deadlines.
• The Lender must establish in the beginning of the process what the closing costs and net proceeds will be as well as and what a "fair offer" will be for the home.
• Lender/Servicers must participate in the program guidelines, which includes about 90 % of all Mortgage Lenders.

The eligibility requirements are simple. The homeowner going into default must not have purchased the home recently, and the balance owed cannot exceed $729,750. The homeowner must be deliquent already or in a reasonably foreseeable future. The program is not for investors, so you must be living in the home. Finally, your payment must exceed 31% of your gross income. To get more details go to "Making Home Affordable"

I would like to help you reach your real estate goals. Please visit our website at Park Place Real Estate . Perform FREE SEARCHES for homes for sale in Winston Salem and the Greater NC Triad Region. There is no obligation to ever purchase or sell any real estate by using this free service.

I would love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have about real estate! Thanks for stopping by and please... EMAIL ME today with any comments or questions you may have.

Doug Patterson ABR®

HOMES FOR SALE WINSTON SALEM NC -EXTERIOR REMODELING

Winston Salem homes are selling! Spring has sprung, the neighborhoods are being spruced up, to enjoy a well deserved respite from the news "That Groundhog" gave us a several weeks ago. It was a long winter to say the least!

Finally! We're enjoying greener grass, the trees are budding, and the daffidils are blooming, especially in the established neighborhoods like where I live. That's where you'll find the beauty of nature, because families have had time to see their efforts "take root", so to speak.

It's also the time to begin those projects like exterior painting, enclosing a patio with privacy fencing or installing those energy efficient windows.

Mine this year was the privacy fencing.

We moved two houses down recently. I'll save that one for a later blog. Anyway, the new house is on the corner and has no backyard privacy. We have the best neighbors and we wanted to keep it that way.

Our garage doors are the white vinyl type, so I decided to stay with the same material and shoot for vinyl fencing to match. I'm a firm believer in not having a variety of building materials used on a home exterior, which comes from my architectural background.

I called Lowes Home Improvement and Home Depot to get some pricing, with the 12 months, no interest plan, of course! Lowes got this one.

Can you see why we needed a Privacy Fence?

I was intrigued at how simple it appeared, but that's because of Justin Latham's skill and experience which definately played a huge role.

The land was pretty level, but not entirely. How to match up the tops to be in a straight line was one decision process...

As they made the 90 degree turn back towards the house, it was more important to me to have the tops level for that entire run, rather than "stepping it down" to meet the gradual slope of the land. That decision turned out well.

They ran into a problem next to the sunporch because the footing for the house extended out underground alittle too far, not allowing a post hole close enough to the structure. No worries, though, because Justin cut a piece of another panel, used some additional brackets and secured it to the last post and the brick. Problem Solved!

It was a good project and a pleasant experience. I highly recommend Lowes' sales person, David Glascow, for the planning, estimating, and ordering materials. You can contact David at (336) 768-2400. Justin Latham will do right by you, as he did for me! (336) 477-5008

Several of the neighbors have asked for his contact information to do other types of fencing for them.

I would like to help you reach your real estate goals. Please visit our website at Park Place Real Estate . Perform FREE SEARCHES with your own free account with Listingbook, or (MLS) Multiple Listing Searches of homes for sale in Winston Salem and the Greater NC Triad Region. There is never an obligation to ever purchase or sell any real estate by using this free services.

I'd love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have about real estate! Thanks for stopping by and please... EMAIL Me Today with any comments or questions you may have.

TAX CREDITS FOR HOMES FOR SALE WINSTON SALEM TRIAD NC

Since we're all headed towards April 15th, Tax Day, I thought it would be appropriate to post information on the topic from House Logic , a service provided by the National Association of Realtors.

Recentlly, one of my neighbors asked me if I knew if there were tax advantages for adding insulation in the ceiling of their garage and beefing up the existing insulation in the attic. Just so happens that there are alot of tax credits along those lines. Here are a few:

I would like to help you reach your real estate goals. Please visit our website at Park Place Real Estate . Perform FREE SEARCHES for homes for sale in Winston Salem and the Greater NC Triad Region. There is no obligation to ever purchase or sell any real estate by using this free service.

I would love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have about real estate! Thanks for stopping by and please... EMAIL ME today with any comments or questions you may have.