Lee & Pamela St. Peter Your Raleigh NC Realtors ~ GRI, CRS, ABR

As we say, here in the Raleigh North Carolina area we have much to be excited about!

Raleigh-Cary area ranked #3 on the 2009 list of the 50 best places to start a business.

- Fortune Small Business magazine & the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, October 2009

The list ranks large cities based on factors that help make entrepreneurs successful, including economic growth and labor costs. They especially rank things like Raleigh-Cary's weather, strong higher education community, and quality family life.

Raleigh-Durham is ranked America's smartest city!

The Daily Best, October 2009

Raleigh-Durham is among the top 10 American cities that will be a post-recession mecca for the young.

- Panel of experts recruited by the Wall Street Journal, September 2009

We love recognition about our area as much as we love to back up those accolades and great news with hard facts and tangible statistics.

Below we have a table indicating exactly how the housing market in the Triangle is looking. The statistics indicate the market between September 1st, 2009 - October 22nd, 2009 as reported from TMLS (our Triangle Multiple Listing Service) for the various areas. Please remember this includes all information as per our TMLS.

Talk about a great time to buy a home in the Triangle! Home buyers right now are able to take advantage of solid deals available. On the flip-side, Triangle area home owners can rest assured that their home investment is based on a strong foundation.

Notice the average selling price is only a few percentage points below the average asking price, this is a great indicator for a strong market. Below is a map to explain the above Wake County areas mentioned:

If you have any questions at all regarding the information above or would like more detailed information about a specific area you may be interested in relocating to, please don't hesitate to give us a call.


We're always happy to answer questions, listen to concerns and work together to create a smooth transition towards accomplishing your real estate needs. We ARE your Connection to real estate opportunities in the Triangle area

We've all heard the words... blogging is a waste of time. Quit playing on the computer. Using Social media to market is wasting your time - it's a fad...

Most of us have tried as we may to answer those nay Sayers with a positive reply, even with an offer to help.

Here's some of what I pass along. We get inquiries from all over the US asking us about this area. People from all walks of life are hearing about what a great place the Raleigh Cary Apex area is in North Carolina and they'd love more information.

When they do contact us I already have a lot written about our area right here in my blogs in Active Rain.

For instance if they ask me about places to live I explain that for the most part the Raleigh area (often referred to as the Triangle) means you're going to have an enormous amount of places to explore. No matter what your budget.

We ARE a subdivision area! And these subdivision can also be broken down to lifestyle choices. For instance if you love tennis let me introduce you to Wimbledon Subdivision in Cary, NC - The name says it all - Tennis anyone? or perhaps Lochmere Subdivision in Cary NC - golfing, pool, tennis or biking anyone?

Tennis not your thing? Well then how about checking out this unique community in Clayton NC (Johnston County) called Portofino in Clayton NC an Equestrian Commity

There are beautiful homes by some of our top custom builders in places like Newstead Manor in Raleigh NC - a delightful subdivision and Greythorne Subdivision in Raleigh, NC

Of course the conversation is almost certain to make its way to what's your real estate market like? Sure am glad that I can email them my Wake county (Raleigh NC) 2nd quarter Market Report. (or the most current). It also makes a lot of sense to add a link to these reports in our e-Newsletters we send out

(as I just learned from Lisa Heindel's blog)

Sellers find those market reports important too as they struggle with where they should enter the market to be successful in selling their home.

Showing them a well written market report with the facts holds a lot more credibility than us telling them what they should list for. It allows them to make an intelligent decision based on real time information

There are other times while talking with a potential seller about what should they do to sell their home - I'll email them the link to Is YOUR welcome mat out?

Now we're not all work and NO play at the St. Peter HomeSelling Team - and we love to discover and recommend some of our fun dinning places like Coquette's in North Hills Mall Raleigh NC - A true French brasserie in Midtown! or the infamous Barry's Cafe 2851 Jones Franklin Rd. Raleigh North Carolina 27606

There are many ways for us to use our blogs - so they don't just gather Google dust... these are just a few.

I've not even touched on how twitter enhances them too. We'll leave that for another post....

Looking for something fun to do this weekend that includes a taste of Greece?  Look no farther!  The 28th annual Greek Festival begins tomorrow at 5 PM. and runs through Sunday. It's held at the Expo Center, NC State Fairgrounds.

This annual fundraiser by the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church now in it's 28th year has become a very popular event here in Raleigh - it attracts thousands of people from all over.  This year part of their proceeds will not only support their church but also will benefit Habitat for Humanity.

You're in for a taste, site, and sound treat.  Authentic foods which include Moussaka, Pastitsio, and the traditional greek chicken I grew up on called Chicken Riganato. 

Of course the favorite spot is over at the desert counter.  Who in their right minds can resist my all time favorite galaktobourdeko?  I think the most popular all time Greek desert is baklava and believe you me these ladies put out a mean baklava!  Check out the full menu

You'll be entertained by authentic greek music and dancing too!  Everyone has such a fun time!

You'll also find a variety of booths surrounding the main hall with exciting items for sale too - I usually start my Christmas shopping at the festival because of all the unique gift ideas.  Or try your luck and purchase a couple raffle tickets.  Not sure if they are having their silent auction - but there's usually some great items to bid on.

Lee and I love visiting with my aunt and uncle - Matena & John Costakis who put in so many volunteer hours with their friends from Holy Trinity.  Seeing the fruits of their labor is heartwarming as so many people attend this event every year.  We've not missed one in the 14 years that we've lived here.  Oh and don't let the long line scare you - Uncle John and others make sure it moves quickly.  They are very organized.

If you would like you can print out this ticket for free admission...

Hope you can make this year!  It's a lot of fun and a fundraiser for a good cause...

Arts & Culture, Moore Square Redesign Competition in Raleigh NC

With all the growth and new residents arriving each month here in the Raleigh NC area it's so refreshing to know that the city planners are at the top of their game with the planning and development taking place for Moore Square.  The goal - to re-design and incorporate the park with the art community.  Watch this interview with Sarah Powers, the owner of Visual Art Exchange, to learn more about the role that Moore Square plays in the arts community. 

Moore Square located at S. Blount Street is one of the few places we have where residents of downtown Raleigh NC can enjoy a park like setting for picnics, throwing the frisbee, or just relaxing on a blanket on a warm summer day.  Those who work downtown can take their lunch to the park or go for a brisk walk to get some fresh air.  If you're a visitor with kids, the park offers fun thing to do like  the marbles kids museum.

View Larger Map

Planned events such as 1st Friday, The Visual art exchange, movies, and festivals all add to the fun that Moore Square brings to us in downtown  Raleigh.  And since Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina there's plenty of museums and places to explore around the park as well.

So the competition is on for young designers and local firms to get involved in the groundswell taking place in Raleigh to meet the city's goals to develop sustainable growth and incorporate Moore Square Park, the  arts, and the growing downtown Raleigh NC area. 

I'm so proud to a resident of beautiful Raleigh NC with her tree lined streets, rich history, and vibrant growth!

I have a tool for all of you 1st time home buyers out there sitting on the fence about buying a home. It's a countdown widget you can put on your desktop that will remind you just how many days are left until you've missed getting an $8,000 TAX CREDIT from the U.S Government.

I don't know about you but I sure don't want to miss any opportunity to take advantage of someone wanting to give me money. And $8,000? That to me is a good chunk of change.

Just imagine what you could do with that money.. You could use it for new furnishings in your new home (AND you'd be helping the economy too right?) Now you could save it for a rainy day - I'm sure you'd be happy when that rainy day rolls around but that option may not be so enticing right now...

OR you could grab your partner and plan an amazing trip say to Hawaii! Whatever you can dream doing with that money - just don't let the opportunity pass you by because you don't know where to start.

Just this week I've had 2 calls from 1st time home buyers wanting to know if they could get that $8,000 tax credit for real... Granted - there are qualifications that you need to fulfill. Here's a recap:

• The tax credit is for first-time home buyers only. For the tax credit program, the IRS defines a first-time home buyer as someone who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase.
• The tax credit does not have to be repaid.
• The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000.
• The credit is available for homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009.
• Single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit

So what are you waiting for? Call a REALTOR®. Find someone you can sit down and talk with. Ask them if they would refer you to a good mortgage lender. Your REALTOR® will have the expertise to make your 1st time home buying experience a pleasant one.

But hurry that clock is ticking! Don't wake up December 1st from a terrible nightmare... I'm afraid many will...