Diane's Wilmington NC Real Estate Thoughts: February 2008

When choosing your home, consider the way the home matches your lifestyle.  Two ways to define the style of your home are - ambiance and maintenance.

Ambiance - Ask yourself, how does the home I want make me feel?  You'll want to picture yourself performing your daily routine in the home of your dreams. Where do you like to eat breakfast? Do you prefer dinner by a cozy fire or outdoor setting? Do you entertain others in small groups or large open spaces? Where do you watch TV? What are the children's needs? Do they need separate rooms? A playroom? A large back yard? Do you have pets or plan to acquire one? Questions like these will help you to eliminate homes that don't fit your lifestyle.

Maintenance - For those who are looking for more freedom and less time spent on maintenance, condos, and town homes offer a wide range of choices. Your landscaping and repair chores will be handled by a homeowner's association. You'll want to be sure the fees charged are within your budget, and are worth the services and additional amenities (swimming pool, fitness center, security gate) that you are paying for.

When searching for the perfect home, visit www.thekeytowilmington.com.  For listings to be sent via email as they come on the market, select the automated agent feature, search for homes that meet your criteria, save the search, and select the boxes to determine how you want the listings to arrive. 

Diane Parker, Broker/Realtor/e-PRO

Last night, Wednesday, February 20, 2008, Wilmingtonians were treated to a spectacular show in the nighttime sky.  A total lunar eclipse was visible over much of Wilmington and our surrounding counties last night.  South Topsail Elementary School in Pender County even had an Eclipse Viewing Group in the backlot of their school.  Students were invited to bring family, binoculars and telescopes to watch the event.  While it was a little chilly, everyone had warm jackets and warm drinks, but were completely mesmerized by the sight.  Some of the students had never seen an eclipse.

A lunar eclipse occurs whenever the moon passes through some portion of the Earth's shadow.  This can occur only when the Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely, with the Earth being in the middle.  The moon must always be full on the night of the lunar eclipse.

The next total lunar eclipse will not be visible in North America until December 21, 2010.

Happy President's Day!  Here are some fun facts about the presidents I thought you might enjoy.

GEORGE W. BUSH is our 43rd president, but there actually have only been 42 presidents: Cleveland was elected for two nonconsecutive terms as our 22nd and 24th president.

EIGHT PRESIDENTS were born British subjects: Washington, J. Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, J. Q. Adams, Jackson, and W. Harrison.

NINE PRESIDENTS never attended college: Washington, Jackson, Van Buren, Taylor, Fillmore, Lincoln, A. Johnson, Cleveland, and Truman. The college that has the most presidents as alumni (five in total) is Harvard: J. Adams, J. Q. Adams, T. Roosevelt, F. Roosevelt, and Kennedy.

PRESIDENTS WHO would be considered "Washington outsiders" (i.e., the 18 presidents who never served in Congress) are: Washington, J. Adams, Jefferson, Taylor, Grant, Arthur, Cleveland, T. Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Coolidge, Hoover, F. Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and G. W. Bush.

THE MOST COMMON religious affiliation among presidents has been Episcopalian, followed by Presbyterian.

THE ANCESTRY of all 43 presidents is limited to the following seven heritages, or some combination thereof: Dutch, English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Swiss, or German.

THE OLDEST president inaugurated was Reagan (age 69); the youngest was Kennedy (age 43). Theodore Roosevelt, however, was the youngest man to become president--he was 42 when he succeeded McKinley, who had been assassinated.

THE TALLEST president was Lincoln at 6'4"; at 5'4", Madison was the shortest.

FOURTEEN PRESIDENTS served as vice presidents: J. Adams, Jefferson, Van Buren, Tyler, Fillmore, A. Johnson, Arthur, T. Roosevelt, Coolidge, Truman, Nixon, L. Johnson, Ford, and George Bush.

VICE PRESIDENTS were originally the presidential candidates receiving the second-largest number of electoral votes. The Twelfth Amendment, passed in 1804, changed the system so that the electoral college voted separately for president and vice president. The presidential candidate, however, gradually gained power over the nominating convention to choose his own running mate.

FOR TWO YEARS the nation was run by a president and a vice president who were not elected by the people. After Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigned in 1973, President Nixon appointed Gerald Ford as vice president. Nixon resigned the following year, which left Ford as president, and Ford's appointed vice president, Nelson Rockefeller, as second in line.

THE TERM "First Lady" was first used in 1877 in reference to Lucy Ware Webb Hayes. Most First Ladies, including Jackie Kennedy, are said to have hated the label.

JAMES BUCHANAN was the only president never to marry. Five presidents remarried after the death of their first wives--two of whom, Tyler and Wilson, remarried while in the White House. Reagan was the only divorced president. Six presidents had no children. Tyler--father of fifteen--had the most.

PRESIDENTS LINCOLN, Garfield, McKinley, and Kennedy were assassinated in office.

ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS were made on the lives of Jackson, T. Roosevelt, F. Roosevelt, Truman, Ford, and Reagan.

EIGHT PRESIDENTS died in office: W. Harrison (after having served only one month), Taylor, Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Harding, F. Roosevelt, and Kennedy.

PRESIDENTS ADAMS, Jefferson, and Monroe all died on the 4th of July; Coolidge was born on that day.

KENNEDY AND TAFT are the only presidents buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

LINCOLN, JEFFERSON, F. Roosevelt, Washington, Kennedy, and Eisenhower are portrayed on U.S. coins.

WASHINGTON, JEFFERSON, Lincoln, Jackson, Grant, McKinley, Cleveland, Madison, and Wilson are portrayed on U.S. paper currency.

 *The above information provided from "Facts About the Presidents" by Joseph Nathan Kane as posted on http://www.infoplease.com/spot/prestrivia1.html

Many Wilmingtonians love to fly ILM.  The short drive to the airport makes ILM an attractive choice for many.

Allegiant Air announces new, nonstop jet service to Orlando, FL, from Wilmington International Airport (ILM) beginning April 4, 2008. The low-fare carrier will celebrate the convenient new service to the Sunshine State, with introductory fares starting as low as $39.00 each way plus taxes and fees. A checked baggage fee will apply per bag. Allegiant Air introductory fare is limited, not available on all flights and must be purchased by March 8, 2008, for travel completed by August 31, 2008.

US Airways will soon fly new Embraer 190s on two daily flights between Wilmington and Charlotte. The 99-passenger planes include 11 first-class and 88 coach seats. The 190 offers more head room for passengers during boarding and more overhead and under-seat storage space than the regional jets.

2007 was a record-breaking year for Wilmington International Airport in terms of passengers flying in and out of ILM.  ILM served a total of 801,187 passengers in 2007. 

For more Wilmington area information, visit www.thekeytowilmington.com

Announced this week, six of the nation's largest mortgage lenders have temporarily stopped foreclosure proceedings, in a joint effort to cool the raging foreclosure crisis.

Under a new program, called Project Lifeline, legal efforts to oust seriously delinquent borrowers from their homes will be postponed for 30 days. During that time, lenders and borrowers will try to work out payment options on a case-by-case basis.

Project Lifeline will not be confined to borrowers with adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs), according to the prepared remarks of Alphonso Jackson, secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), that accompanied the announcement of the program.

The lenders already on board are Citigroup, Countrywide, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Washington Mutual and Wells Fargo. More may sign up if Project Lifeline meets with success. The program was put together with the backing of Jackson, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Faith Schwartz, director of Hope Now, the government-backed, foreclosure prevention coalition.

During the temporary moratorium, foreclosure prevention specialists will examine individual cases to see if there's a good possibility that, through some kind of loan modification or repayment plan, borrowers will be able to regain their footing, start paying their mortgage again and remain in their homes.

Secretary Jackson sees the program as one more step in a multifaceted approach to meeting the foreclosure crisis. Project Lifeline will supplement such efforts as: FHASecure, which is refinancing many adjustable rate mortgage borrowers into government insured fixed rate loans; the rate freeze, brokered by the Treasury Department, a five-year suspension of interest rate increases for many at-risk, subprime ARM borrowers; and the provisions of the economic stimulus package that increase cap limits for loans eligible for purchase by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae that should lower borrowing costs for many homeowners in high-cost areas.

If I can provide additional information let me know.  For Wilmington NC area information visit www.thekeytowilmington.com

Diane Parker, Broker/Realtor/e-PRO

Friday, February 15, 2008 at the Country Club of Landfall is a Gala with Curtis Stiger, 2007 BBC Radio Jazz Artist of the Year, to benefit Thalian Hall's Education Programming.  Seating is limited to 250 people.

The goal is to provide youth in Wilmington and surrounding areas participation through mentorship in all aspects of theatre arts, including playwriting, scenic design, costuming, lighting, directing, and acting. They want families to enjoy professionally produced theatre from our region and beyond. The programming will be fully implemented with the completion of the new Playhouse in the Thalian Hall complex.  They are already achieving great results from this first year of implementation. They have formed strong and creative partnerships with community organizations that support youth programming and theatre arts, including The Children's Museum, Theatre Exchange, and Stageworks Youth Theatre. At the beginning of this year, Thalian Hall created a new position, Director of Education and Cultural Outreach, to meet the new demands of realizing this vision. They are excited to offer this programming to the community and to contribute to the ongoing cultural enrichment of our area.  Click gala for more information. 

For more area information in Wilmington NC, visit www.thekeytowilmington.com

New Hanover County Officials reviewed plans for the first project undertaking under the new "mixed-use" zoning, in Wilmington's Riverfront District.  This would bode well for business and homebuyers alike.

Developers would like to take the existing Point Harbor Marina and turn it into a waterfront community.  The new community would encompass businesses, condos, a large marina and, down the road, a hotel.  While a project of this magnitude would have some hurdles to overcome, the Planning Board seemed excited about the plan.  It was unanimously endorsed and only a few concerns were raised.  The proposed site is slightly south of the Isabel Holmes Bridge and would view the Wilmington Downtown Riverfront Area.  The Developers intend on not impacting the historic atmosphere for the downtown area by not building on as much land or as high as they could under the new zoning rules.

Current plans call for 222 condominiums with underground parking.  It could also include some offices or retail in the lower units, a marina that would hold 200 dry stack boat slips and 55 wet slips and a boardwalk that would run the entire length of the riverfront.  They would not make the boardwalk private use; it would be open to the public.

A community such as this would be great for reducing the PPD commute as PPD headquarters would be just across the river.  Additionally, it could be a big attraction for retirees who don't want the day-to-day of home maintenance but would like the convenience of the downtown Wilmington area.  For more information on the Wilmington area, visit http://www.thekeytowilmington.com/.

This one bedroom, fully-furnished condo overlooks the Cape Fear River in historic downtown Wilmington. It is currently part of the Hilton Rental program with a great rental history.  It's perfect for an investment property, weekend getaway, or place to call home.  Available fully-furnished, however, Seller is willing to negotiate furnishings if someone prefers to decorate themselves.  Short walk to coffee shops, shopping, and restaurants.

Priced At:  $294,500

For More Information, visit www.thekeytowilmington.com

 Diane Parker, Broker/Realtor/e-PRO - 910-617-5244

With lots of homes on the market for sale, I've listed some tips for sellers to get their home sold: 

1. Hire a full service Realtor!!!!! This is probably one of your biggest investments - You need the superior quality of an educated professional to have the edge in this market!
2. Storage - Make the investment to store extra furniture or clothes that clog up closets and garages. Clear your kitchen counters of appliances and clutter. Your home needs to scream spaciousness and plenty of storage.
3. Be gone - Leave your house well before showings! You want the buyers to be able to picture themselves in your home. They can't do this with you in it. It is also uncomfortable for buyers to be in your home with you there.
4. Buyer Incentives...Offer to pay closing costs or some other from of bonus to "sweeten the pot" for a buyer when they are making a purchasing decision. They have lots to choose from right now!
5. Selling Agent Commission: Don't discount it - that agent is the hero who is bringing you a qualified buyer!!! 
6. Price your home right! Doing all of the above won't matter if you don't price your home correctly. Again, your full service Realtor is qualified to do this! Also please keep in mind that starting a bit lower could get you multiple offers even in this market. More importantly, starting lower would save you thousands and thousands in carrying costs that your home would be incurring while it sits on the market at a higher price!

 Houses are still selling in Wilmington.  The important part is positioning your home correctly in this market!  For more information on Wilmington NC homes, visit www.thekeytowilmington.com

Many people feel that as long as there is water in the Cape Fear River, Wilmington area residents will have plenty of water available to use.  The actual source of our water is located about 130 miles upstream from Jordan Lake in Chatham county.  Raw water intake comes from approximately 23 miles upstream in Bladen County.  If Chatham County is dry, Wilmington can have rain and our water source still be effected. 

Studies show that Wilmington residents use approximately 138 gallons of water per day,  Click on the chart below to see how Wilmington Residents are doing with conservation efforts.  For more information on the Wilmiington NC area, visit www.TheKeytoWilmington.com