Sometimes I have clients ask me, "Does it snow in Pinehurst?" Well, here's your answer, yes once every few years we get a snow. This is what I woke up to this morning. Isn't it beautiful? This is the average Pinehurst, NC snow fall, about 3-4 inches or so. By tomorrow it will be gone. So kids dust off your sleds and use them while you can.
I'll never forget that my daughter was five years old when she saw her first snowfall. It was larger than this one, we spent a couple of days sledding down a grassy hill and she had a blast, that is until she slid right into a creek and totally disappeared from sight! She was OK but she scared me to death.
Yes, it is true that here in North Carolina life stops when it snows. Everybody heads to grocery store for supplies and hunkers down until the snow is off the roads. We usually have no school, little work and just enjoy hot chocolate sitting beside the fireplace! There really is a reason we behave this way, snowfalls are so rare, there just aren't many snow plows and the plows only go on major highways. So basically, the roads can get pretty bad on the side streets and in the neighborhoods. Hey, we also just need an excuse to take a day off!
Linda Breeding
910-690-8368
I consider myself lucky to live in an area where frozen pipes are a rarity. Rare as it is, it does happen and the risk is usually only two or three days a year. I'm "lucky" enough (if you can call it luck) that I have had a frozen pipe for two years in a row and rush to call a plumber, whom comes over and spends a couple of hours in my house thawing out the pipe while I'm having my morning coffee. This is not my idea of a relaxing morning! It is always the same pipe and being a native North Carolinian, I had to learn what to do to avoid this. The danger only happens if it stays below freezing all day long. So if you live in a warm state and aren't use to frozen pipes you are even more at risk because, let's face it, when it hardly ever occurs we just don't think about it.
The pipes at most risk are exposed pipes in the crawl space, attic, and garage or along an outside wall. This is no time to think about water and energy conversation (that's me and why I fall victim).
•1. Pipe your heating system up a little
•2. Open all your cabinet doors that have plumbing, of course if you have pets and small children make sure to remove any cleaning supplies that you may have stored under the cabinet.
•3. Drip the faucets - A good hard drip or a small stream using both cold and hot water because hot water pipes can also freeze.
•4. If you can, in the middle of the night, get up and run both hot and cold water in your most vulnerable pipes for a few minutes.
•5. Turn your washer on for a couple of minutes several times each night if the pipe is to an outside wall and use both hot and cold water.
•6. Take the ice out of the ice maker to make sure it continues to run and make ice.
•7. Open any closet doors that have a back wall against plumbing pipes or closets that are on the lower level that are against floors where there are plumbing pipes. Bonus rooms are common here in North Carolina (rooms with bathrooms over garages) and frequently they have a closet in the garage under a staircase. This is the reason for the next tip.
•8. If your problem area is a garage use a space heater in the garage - if you get nervous about space heaters being on while you are sleeping, start it up at dusk and leave on until you go to bed.
•9. Ask your plumber about wrapping problem pipes.
Having frozen pipes catches this gal that runs around barefoot most of the year by surprise every time! I'm sure there are lots more tips that my Northern Active Rain friends can give us here in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Of course, all tips are welcome!
Linda Breeding
910-690-8368
Prices and average days on market for single family homes have remained steady in Moore County for 2008. Sales are down 32%. There are currently 1,013 active listings. Moore County is experiencing a buyer's market due to the amount of inventory that has remained on the market.
Linda Breeding
910-690-8368
Prices and average days on market in Aberdeen, NC are currently holding steady. Sales in Aberdeen are down 86% compared to the fourth quarter of 2007. The current level of inventory compared to units sold in the fourth quarter is creating a higher than normal absorption rate. The high absorption rate signifies that Aberdeen is in a buyer's market.
Note: Absorption rate is used to follow market trends. It is the number of weeks it will take to sell current inventory at the rate of present sales. Absorption rates can change rapidly due to seasonal adjustments.
More than 7 months of inventory signifies a buyer's market.
5 to 7 months is a neutral market.
Less than 5 months is a seller's market.
Linda Breeding
910-690-8368
Prices and average days on market in Southern Pines, NC are currently holding steady. Sales in Southern Pines are down 80% compared to the fourth quarter of 2007. The median price of sold homes has fallen which indicates the fourth quarter sales have been homes priced lower than the current average list price. The current level of inventory compared to units sold in the fourth quarter is creating a higher than normal absorption rate. The high absorption rate signifies that Southern Pines is in a buyer's market.
Note: Absorption rate is used to follow market trends. It is the number of weeks it will take to sell current inventory at the rate of present sales. Absorption rates can change rapidly due to seasonal adjustments.
More than 7 months of inventory signifies a buyer's market.
5 to 7 months is a neutral market.
Less than 5 months is a seller's market.
Linda Breeding
910-690-8368
Linda Breeding, a Pinehurst native, is a focused real estate professional who understands that paying attention to the smallest detail can impact the success of your next move.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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