Photos from Wilmington NC Real Estate & Relocation~ Ginger & Roger Sala
October Sunset on Wrightsville Beach NC photo by Ginger Sala Wiimngton NC Realtor
Located in: Wrightsville Beach, NC
Wilmington NC Moving on Up!
Wilmington NC is on the move...last year #38 this year #13 in overall rankings on Forbes List of Best US Cities for Business & Careers! Wilmington ranks even higher in the category of cost of doing business coming in at #3! right behind its NC neighbors Greensboro & Asheville!
This years criteria included 2 new categories for selection: projected job growth and the lowest number of subprime mortgages as a percentage of total mortgages over a three-year period.
In addition to Wilmington, our North Carolina cities to the west made strong showings on Forbes List. Raleigh came in at #1 with it's close neighbor Durham taking the 3rd spot. Asheville #6, Winston Salem #18 and Charlotte #19.
Forbes Ranked 200 Metro Areas
Forbes rankings include 200 largest metro areas (populations over 240,000) as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and are based on nine factors which include:
* five-year historical job & income growth
* projections of job & income growth
* migration trends
* business cost index
* labor, tax,
* energy costs
* office space costs
* cost of living index, which factors in housing, transportation, food and other household expenditures.
More Positive News for Wilmington
Builder Online named Wilmington # 14 out of 75 housing markets studied in the country. The markets were ranked by population trends and job growth, the state of home prices & the rate building permits, which they say may be the single best ongoing indicator of builder confidence in a market. They combined all these metrics to produce a score for each market.
Read the complete article on Wilmington NC by Builder Online Here
Wilmington NC: A great place to do business and a terrific place to call home! Thinking of relocating to our beautiful coastal area? We'd love to tell you all about Living in Wilmington, our wonderful new "hometown".
©Ginger Sala Wilmington NC Real Estate & Relocation Specialist serving the beautiful Coastal NC areas of Wilmington , Hampstead, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina & Kure Beach & Leland NC.
"Coast Home to North Carolina!"
Sports Lovers are you thinking of relocating to Wilmington NC? It's good to know that you won't have to leave your favorite spectator sports behind!
Sports mania is alive and vibrant in the Wilmington NC area, and although the teams and the size of the crowds may be different, the enthusiasm and team spirit remain! Here's a guide to what you can expect as a Cape Fear Sports Spectator
Wilmington NC Spectator Sports
The Wilmington Sea Dawgs of the ABA League has its home games in the Schwartz Center at Cape Fear Community College. Wilmingtonians are thrilled with the new addition of this pro team to the community!
The Sharks Wilmington’s own semi-pro baseball team are in their season 12. Opening game is the May 28 this year. Games are played at the Legion Stadium Sports Center.
Soccer is alive and well in Wilmington NC, our own pro league is in its 12th year. The fan base grows every year. Wilmington Hammerheads soccer team games are fun for the whole family and feature crowd participation contest at all home games Hammerheads soccer team is a member of the United Soccer Leagues Second Division.
UNCW Seahawks Men’s & Women’s Basketball rock! They are on a winning streak...Games at the Trask Coliseum. Read the latest on UNCW Mens Seahawk Basketball
Seahawks Baseball fans were thrilled with their recent winning seasons! Games at Brooks Field. The Seahawks Swim Team had a record year last year.
UNCW has a full roster of Sports including Golf, Volleyball, Track & Field, Tennis. The Seahawks Swim Team had a phenomenal record year last year. Catch the action at UNCW.
CFCC Mens Basketball team is hot. For the 6th year in a row it is a contender in the Conference Playoffs. Womens Sports Teams at CFCC include Golf, Volleyball, Soccer. Men also compete in Soccer and Golf.
Our town has some awesome high school sports teams with raving fans. The Locals went wild this year when Wilmington's Hoggard High School Football Team won the NC State Football Championship! read: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - HOGGARD WINS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!
High School Basketball is a big draw here in Wilmington the home town of Michael Jordan who led his Laney High School the Alma Mater to many wins. Laney is still a formidable contender. The Laney Girls basketball team is competing in the Conference Championship for the 6th year in a row. Hoggard and New Hanover finished right behind the Lady Bucs in the regular season standings and will certainly be formidable foes.
The Wildcats New Hanover Boys Basketball team has won 13 Conference Championships and is entering this years conference play on-top was top. Laney or Ashley High School are also competing in the first round play.
There is so much more going on in our local sports scene. Check out the Cape Fear Sports Report for all the latest Local Sports News and Events
PLAY BALL!
by Ginger Sala, Broker, Realtor®, ASP Wilmington NC Real Estate & Relocation Specialist serving the beautiful Coastal NC areas of Wilmington , Hampstead, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina & Kure Beach & Leland NC.
Living in Wilmington NC, we don't see much snow. There rare exceptions of course, but today, when so many Southern States were graced with the white stuff, the coastal bands kept the snow from reaching our area. I was little disappointed as I was ready with my camera for some intriguing shots.
Nostalgia crept in for my snowy days up North, so I searched for a winter scene photo from one of my NY homes, and came up with this one.
Taken in our Hudson Valley NY home, in the Village of Montgomery. This was the view of our backyard from one of the upstairs bedrooms on a peaceful winter white day!
Looking to escape the snow in your area? Contact me about life in Coastal NC!
ginger in Wilmington NC
Written by Ginger Sala, Broker, Realtor®, ASP Wilmington NC Real Estate & Relocation Specialist serving the beautiful Coastal NC areas of Wilmington, Hampstead, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina & Kure Beach & Leland NC.
Copyright 2009 All rights reserved
New Hanover County NC residents have a great opportunity to visit some of our Wilmington NC area's most popular attractions for Free this weekend as once again the Cultural Community of Wilmington NC gives back to its residents. For the 14thAnnual "Be A Tourist in Your Own Hometown" Residents' Appreciation Day will be celebrated this weekend on Sunday March 1, 2009
Unfortunately, the forecast could not be gloomier with rains expected for the entire day. I am wondering if the County will give us a RAIN check since so many of the area attractions are outdoors.
From Gardens to Battleships, from Museums to Mansions, there is surely something for all tastes,ages and interests to explore for free this Sunday in Wilmington NC
Some of the Wilmington NC area attractions opening their doors to residents free of charge on Sunday include:
Full list of free attractions and hours are available at: Cape Fear Coast
ginger in NC
by Ginger Sala, Keller Williams, Broker, Realtor®, ASP Wilmington NC Real Estate & Relocation Specialist serving the beautiful Coastal NC areas of Wilmington , Hampstead, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina & Kure Beach & Leland NC.
Photos copyright Ginger Sala and may not be used without express permission
Attention all Wilmington NC area first-time home buyers!! Did you know that you are eligible for a tax credit of $8,000 or 10% of the home's value, (whichever is less). This deduction can be taken on a 2008 or 2009 tax return!
After much anticipation and congressional haggling, the final details of the Stimulus Package in regards to First Time Home Buyers has been signed, sealed and presented to the public.
Some exciting details of the plan provide that even taxpayers who have paid less than $8000 in withholding will benefit from this provision! Depending on whether you owe taxes for the year, or whether you are expecting a refund, the Tax credit will either be added to you refund, or subtracted from what is owed.
Questions on the First Time Home Buyer Credit:
Who Qualifies as a First Time Home Buyer?
Are There Any Restrictions on the Home Buyers Credit?
YES!
How do I claim the credit?
Do I Have to Repay this Credit?
According to the National Association of Realtors projections, the new Home Buyer Tax Credit will enable 300,000 buyers to purchase a home. Although we were all hoping for the Senate $15,000 tax credit proposal to pass, we are grateful for any incentive to help potential buyers to enter the market. Hopefully the economic Domino Effect of these future home buyers will be work for those in related home services fields who may have lost their jobs otherwise
Useful sites for further info:
Information about the First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit
View IRS Publication 5405: 2008 First time Home buyers Tax Deduction
Wilmington NC is terrific place to live! There are some great houses for sale in the Wilmington NC, Hampstead NC & Leland NC area! Like beach living?.. I can help you find a terrific deal on a home or condos in Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach & Kure Beach!
by Ginger Sala, Keller Williams Realty Wilmington NC Real Estate & Relocation Specialist serving the beautiful coastal NC areas of Wilmington , Hampstead, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina & Kure Beach, & Leland NC. Coast Home to North Carolina!
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Wilmington NC Real Estate Relocation Specialists serving Wilmington, Hampstead, Wrightsville Beach, Kure Beach, Carolina Beach, Leland, & Surf City, "Coast Home to North Carolina with Us!"
When you team with us as you Real Estate advisors, you can count on us to treat your transaction as if it were our own. We are not interested in "selling" you, but in facilitating transactions that are rewarding to you! Our mission is to offer you our in-depth knowledge of the local markets and current trends, open communication, honest feedback, diligent work ethic, genuine caring, and joy in the journey!
BUYERS: When we work together you can depend on us to provide the same V.I.P. treatment whether you are investing a million, or purchasing a starter home, we will work diligently to find the right home for you.
SELLERS: When you list with us you reap the benefits of The Sala Team’s Complimentary Professional Home Staging® Service! Ginger is one of only a handful of Accredited Staging Professional™ Realtors in all of Southeastern NC! As seen on HGTV, the practice of Staging Homes for sale is a hot commodity in California, and helps sell homes more quickly for a higher price. And now we are offering it with every listing as a value-added service!
INVESTORS: We are on top of the market trends and We can help find you the properties that best fit your personal investment goals!
RELOCATING to our awesome Cape Fear Region? We know about that first hand since we relocated to this amazing place from the cold and snowy Northeast. We feel so blessed to call Wilmington our home, and we would truly welcome the opportunity to share with you all that we know and love about our "Little Corner of Paradise!"
Wilmington, Hampstead, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Figure Eight Island, Surf City, Ogden, Porter's Neck, Leland, New Hanover County, Pender County, Brunswick County
It is truly a blessing to live here in Coastal North Carolina! We thank God every morning for the joy of living here. We love the Cape Fear Coast and all the wonderful people who make it their home. When people ask "Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world"?, we have only one response... our "hometown" Wilmington, NC! If you are thinking of moving here, come on down, you will love it as much as we do! And if you are living here now, then you know what we are talking about!
Thanks for visiting with us today, we look forward to talking with you! 
Wilmington Area Resources
Wilmington NC Real Estate Blogs by Ginger Sala
The $8000 Tax Credit for New Home Buyers just got better!
The U.S. Housing and Urban Development today announced that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will now allow home buyers to apply the $8,000 first-time * home buyer tax credit toward the purchase price/closing costs of a FHA-insured home. Housing Secretary Donovan was very hopeful that this new rule action will help to stabilize housing markets by across the country by an increase if future home sales.
New Tax Credit Rules Can Help More Buyers
Originally the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 offered First Time Home Buyers a tax credit/refund of up to $8,000. The "old" guidelines allowed this credit to be received as a refund only after the Home Buyers filed tax returns with the IRS. The FHA's new rules allowing state Housing Finance Agencies and certain non-profits to "monetize" up to $8000 of the tax credit (which depends on the amount of the mortgage) so that borrowers can apply the funds toward their down payments.
Lower Monthly Payments Possible... Sound good?
First Time Home buyers * using FHA-approved lenders can apply the tax credit to their down payment in excess of 3.5 percent of appraised value or their closing costs, which can help achieve a lower interest rate.
Down Payment Requirements & Guidelines
Remember, Borrowers applying for an FHA-insured mortgage are still required to make a minimum 3.5 percent down payment on the purchase of their home. Current law does not permit approved lenders to monetize the tax credit to meet the required 3.5 percent minimum down payment, but, under the terms of today's announcement, lenders can now use the tax credit immediately as additional down payment, or for other closing costs, which can in effect create a lower interest rate & monthly payment. In addition to the borrower's own cash investment, FHA allows parents, employers and other governmental entities to contribute towards the down payment.
Projected Home Sales Expected to Climb with New Tax Credit
According to estimates by the National Association of Home Builders, the home buyer tax credit will stimulate 160,000 home sales, 101,000 of which will be first-time buyers who will receive the credit. Another 59,000 existing sellers will be able to buy another home because a first-time buyer purchased their home.
Buyer Beware! Scammers are on the Prowl!
Potential buyers should beware that their are all kinds of mortgage scammers out there, ready to pounce on the unsuspecting. It is crucial to consult with seasoned, respected financial services provider. The local Wilmington NC Area mortgage professionals that we recommend have the outstanding reputation, expertise, integrity & diligence, that every buyer deserves, and they are also FHA approved lenders.
Wilmington NC Homes for Sale
Are you ready to go shopping for your Wilmington NC area home with some Governments money? There are some terrific buys out there! Sellers are eager, prices are down, interests rates, according to the experts will not be going lower, and free money will only be available for a few more months!
Want to get moving??? Call us for more details & to see if you would like to team with us to help you achieve your goals! We'd love to show you what your money can buy. You just might be very surprised!
*Remember definition of first time home buyer is anyone who hasn't owned a home in the past 3 years!
©Ginger Sala, Keller Williams Realty, Wilmington NC Real Estate & Relocation Specialist: serving the Coastal North Carolina areas of Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Hampstead, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Topsail Island, Surf City & Leland. "Relocating from the cold Northeast to the sunny coast of Wilmington NC has been a dream come true for our family! We love Wilmington's beautiful beaches, outdoor lifestyle, vibrant cultural scene, friendly atmosphere, & down home, yet sophisticated environment. Wilmington NC Living truly has something for everyone!" Visit our website CoastHomeNorthCarolina.com for Wilmington NC Area Information, Wilmington NC Schools, Wilmington NC MLS listings! Click here to contact Ginger
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