“Gratitude can turn common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” — William Arthur Ward
Did you know? Thanksgiving wasn’t celebrated regularly until President Abraham Lincoln declared the fourth Thursday of November to e a national holiday. It’s true. In fact, Sarah Joseph Hale is the person credited with campaigning for the idea for 17 years before it ever became a federal holiday. There’s something to be said for perseverance! But gratitude certainly doesn’t have to be limited to one day a year. Here’s a short list of ways to be purposefully appreciative all year long.
- Appreciate the little things. Some days it’s easier to find things to be thankful for than others. Regardless of how your day is unfolding, take...
And they’ll want an easier way to get around
Charlotte is facing a sea change in how people like to get around, and that is bringing accommodations to the city's landscape to make it easier to get out of your car for trips through town.
"This new generation wants to play by walking or biking, and not take a car," says Vivian Coleman, a Transportation Planning Program Manager for the city of Charlotte DOT, in the Charlotte Real Estate Talk podcast with Scott Pridemore and Mike Hege. She points to the surge in popularity of dockless bikes and scooters making their way around town, Rail Trail along the Lynx tracks in South End, and explosion of apartments along light rail lines as proof.
Coleman says younger workers -- the "Millennials" we hear so much about -- are moving to Charlotte because of the...
It has been years since I have kept a consistent blog. As many of you know I wrote every single day of my journey through my daughter Claire’s Cancer battle. I believe I only missed 5 days out of our eight-month battle. I started that blog then, so she could read it someday and also to keep our incredible support group informed. It was in this process that I realized writing was good for me. It was a place to organize all that was floating around in my head and get it out. The other thing I have noticed is that I am only good at writing when I have a passion for something.
So now I begin phase two of my blogging life. The thing I have passion to write about – Charlotte, my birthplace and current home; and a smattering of all things real estate to which I also love.
Charlotte, North Carolina a southern U.S. metropolis home to...
Kevin Ratliff believes that "we all have a rich story to tell." Yes, his story may move you to tears, but will also uplift you with the possibilities of turning a family tragedy into a blessing for many others.
In Kevin's case, he decided to lead an army.
Kevin's day job is as a realtor at Pridemore Properties. He's a good one -- winning the Vane Mingle Rookie of the Year Award from the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association in his first year. A first-year realtor has to be good at his or her craft to be considered for the award; but more than that, they have to demonstrate real service to the community. That is Kevin’s story.
Their story goes like this: Kevin and his wife Emily were starting a family. Their church group helped them prepare for their little bundle of joy -- their baby Claire. But it turns out, the family...
There is no doubt that mortgage credit availability is expanding, meaning it is easier to finance a home today than it was last year. However, the mortgage market is still much tighter than it was prior to the housing boom and bust experienced between 2003 - 2006.
The Housing Financing Policy Center at the Urban Institute just released data revealing two reasons for the current exceptionally high credit standards:
- Additional restrictions lenders put on borrowing because of concerns that they will be forced to repurchase failed loans from the government-sponsored enterprises or Federal Housing Administration (FHA).
- The concern about potential litigation...
If you are debating purchasing a home right now, you are probably getting a lot of advice. Though your friends and family will have your best interest at heart, they may not be fully aware of your needs and what is currently happening in the real estate market.
Ask yourself the following 3 questions to help determine if now is actually a good time for you to buy in today’s market.
1. Why am I buying a home in the first place?
This truly is the most important question to answer. Forget the finances for a minute. Why did you even begin to consider purchasing a home? For most, the reason has nothing to do with money.
For example, a recent survey by Braun showed that over 75% of parents...
A recent study of more than 7 million home sales over the past four years revealed that the season in which a home is listed may be able to shed some light on the likelihood that the home will sell for more than asking price, as well as how quickly the sale will close.
It’s no surprise that listing a home for sale during the spring saw the largest return, as the spring is traditionally the busiest month for real estate. What is surprising, though, is that listing during the winter came in second!
“Among spring listings, 18.7 percent of homes fetched above asking, with winter...
There are many potential homebuyers, and even sellers, who believe that they need at least a 20% down payment in order to buy a home or move on to their next home. Time after time, we have dispelled this myth by showing that many loan programs allow you to put down as little as 3% (or 0% with a VA loan).
If you have saved up your down payment and are ready to start your home search, one other piece of the puzzle is to make sure that you have saved enough for your closing costs.
Freddie Mac defines closing costs as:
“Closing costs, also called settlement fees, will need to be paid when you obtain a mortgage. These are fees charged...
