Hot Summer Nights!

Summer nights would not be complete without a few backyard bonfires. Whether you’re entertaining friends or relaxing with your family, bonfires are a great way to wind down the lazy summer evenings. Make your backyard bonfire experiences better with these tips and treats.

You don’t want to spend more time making the bonfire than you do enjoying it. We aren’t on Cast Away here, so stop rubbing sticks together and grab a starter log.  Use dry firewood to feed the fire—this will last much longer than leaves or newspaper.

There are many different ways to position logs to create a small backyard bonfire. My favorite is the grid. This technique is when you lay the firewood on top of each other in a tic-tac-toe formation as you go up. Usually three or four layers of wood will suffice. Another way to position the firewood is the teepee. This is when you make a little teepee with the firewood. Try to make the firewood as secure as possible so that the flaming logs do not fall over and hurt somebody.

Bonfire Treats

S’mores are the go-to backyard bonfire snack, but year after year of plain s’mores can get a little bland. Some of my favorite ways to jazz up the original S'more is to switch out the classic Hershey bar for a Reese cup or Kit Kat!  Get even crazier with a scoop of Nutella.  Or, while you are roasting your marshmallow, lay the graham cracker with your chocolate on it near the blaze so your chocolate gets nice and soft. Try throwing some fruit in the mix. Strawberries and bananas are great fruit that pair perfectly with chocolate. Instead of a plain graham cracker, get the chocolate covered or cinnamon flavored kind. Or use your family’s favorite cookies.

Although all other bonfire treats live in the shadow of s’mores, they are still worth trying. Take an apple, core it, then fill it with your favorite ingredients like peanut butter, Nutella, raisins, cinnamon or sugar.  After stuffing the apple, wrap it in aluminum foil and let it bake in the hot coals for about 15 minutes. Just be sure to be careful when you are unwrapping the apple so that nobody gets burned.

Grilled banana boats are another popular bonfire treat. Leave the banana in the peel and slice it lengthwise about a half an inch deep, leaving a little space at both ends of the banana. Open the pocket and stuff it with chocolate chips, marshmallows or any other topping you want. Wrap the banana in aluminum foil and place it on the hot coals for five minutes. Once all of the toppings have melted, unwrap and dig in!

Remember to always keep safety in mind when you have a bonfire. Never leave the fire unattended and be sure to explain fire safety to young children.

With these backyard bonfire tips and treats you are well on your way to a roaring fire with delicious snacks.

I'm never too busy for any of your referrals!

Re-Introducing Ashbury Park!

Welcome to Ashbury Park, a growing community in Richlands, North Carolina!  Located minutes from Mike's Farm, Ashbury Park offers affordable home ownership away from the hustle and bustle of Jacksonville!  You will find quality new construction with floor plans starting at $109,900!  Demco Builders includes a privacy fence in the backyard, sod in the front yard, mini blinds in the bedrooms, garage door openers and 2% of the buyer's closing costs!  All lots are semi-private with existing trees and landscaping.  We're opening up the last phases in the community, so the homesites won't be available for very long!


With mortgage interest rates at a historical low, the cost of home ownership is far lower than renting!    You can build your home from the ground up at Ashbury Park and select colors for your carpet, vinyl, cabinetry, countertops, vinyl siding and shutters to really personalize your home!  Call me today at 910.545.0450 to take a look at some of the floor plans that will fit your needs!

I'm never too busy for any of your referrals!!

School is starting soon for Onslow County, NC!

Where did the summer go??  The lazy days of summer are coming to an end and it's time to start gearing up for school!  Good news though- this helpful website gives parents some great tips to save money for back to school shopping!  North Carolina is offering two tax-free shopping weekends in 2012.  The back to school tax free shopping weekend will be August 3-5, 2012.  Parents will be able to bargain shop, tax free, for clothing, shoes, school supplies and some computer equipment!

The official start date for Onslow County schools this year is August 27, 2012!  Students will start back to school bright and early Monday morning!  For a complete list of Onslow County schools and how they stack up, click here.  

"As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in schools." - Author Unknown

Look Good....Spend LESS!

That's what we all want in the end anyway!  A great looking home that feels comfortable and smells inviting, with a little extra change in our pockets.  It's really not too much to ask for.  


The secret to most home remodels is the finishing touches.  If the paint looks even and not smudged, if the trim has been caulked and painted and the fixtures are modern instead of dated, your finished product will be just that....Finished!
If you've been staring at your kitchen with discontent in your eyes and a sledge hammer in your hand, take a breath, put down the hammer and read this blog.  It might spark a little bit of patience, creativity and excitement, instead of a "Hulk Smash" mood while possibly saving you some greenbacks!


•Reinvent your 1980's style cabinetry by repainting or refinishing them!  This is a fairly simple project that doesn't need the expertise of Bob Villa.  Updating with a fresh coat of paint in a warm inviting tone will help reinvent the entire feel in the kitchen.  Update the hardware on the doors as well.  Change out the older pulls, knobs and hinges with a more modern style- there are thousands out there, so go with something simple with a  modern finish.
•If you have an island or a bar in your eat-in kitchen, try to add some pendant lighting.  It will accent the area as well as offer more light and with all the designs and colors that is available for pendant lighting, you'll have plenty of options for colors and styles.
•One of a kind crayon drawings are precious and priceless.  But it might be necessary to replace them with a framed vintage print.  You can choose from different styles, usually under $10 at craft stores.  But if the the crayon masterpieces really are too precious to put away, try framing them with a funky frame and make it a focal point in the kitchen.
•Instead of replacing your entire kitchen counter space, maybe replacing a well used portion of it with butcher block is an option.  Butcher block is a timeless utilitarian piece that most chefs find indispensable.  Show off your style and culinary genius with this idea!
•If your kitchen is the size of a Volkswagon Beetle, or smaller, you probably don't have a lot of room to move around, let alone options on reinventing the style.  To create a more spacious and airy feel to a cramped kitchen, remove the doors from the upper cabinets.  Paint the inside a light clean color to draw in light and give a finished look.  Also, add semi sheer fabric shades.  They still allow light and add some color to the space as well.
•Under cabinet lighting!  This will change the whole look of your kitchen.  It adds a diffused light which will draw colors from the other features.


All of these DIY projects are relatively inexpensive and can dramatically change the look and feel of your kitchen.  Try researching how-to videos and ask the associates at your hardware store for more insider tips and methods!  Good Luck!

"I'm never too busy for any of your referrals!"

"I want to buy a house. What the heck is an ABR®?"

An ABR® is an Accredited Buyer Representative, recognized by the National Association of REALTORS®.  
What does that mean to you?  A buyer's representative in a transaction should look out for the buyer's best interests in a transaction.  However, a buyer's representative that has taken extra education and undergone the requirements and training to earn the ABR® designation has obtained the benchmark of excellence in home buyer representation and will skillfully be able to:

• •Help determine locations and neighborhoods to fit your interests.
• •Find properties in those locations to suit your needs.
• •Help you establish an affordable price range.
• •Preview properties and accompany you to showings.
• •Examine and research properties for possible issues or problems and present material facts about properties.
• •Advise you in making a purchase offer.
• •Present your offer to the seller or the seller's representative.
• •Confidently and competently negotiate the price and terms for you.
• •Help you get the appropriate financing for your property.
• •Assist you in finding experienced and professional vendors for additional services such as movers, painters, carpenters, etc.

Call me today for all your real estate needs!  I'd love to discuss your options with you and see how I can best help you!

What's a Short Sale??

Short Sale?  Let's get the facts straight!

A quick and dirty definition of a short sale is when a seller sells their home for less than what they owe on the mortgage.  The bank must approve the sale, and who pays the deficiency is up for negotiation.

Why would a homeowner do this?
There are a number of reasons homeowners are forced into financial hardship, many of which have nothing to do with how they manage their finances.  It could be anything from illness, relocation because of work, loss of employment, divorce, and so on.  It is estimated that most American families can only maintain their current living expenses for 30 days or less when income is interrupted for any reason.


Why not let it go into foreclosure?
While negative credit items fall off of an individual's credit report after seven years, the one question that is asked on every mortgage application is "Have you ever had a foreclosure?"  This item has staying power and will follow a person around indefinitely.  There are tax consequences to consider for either side of the argument.  The homeowner should consult a tax professional to discuss the best course of action.  However, there are laws in place to protect distressed homeowners.  Credit scores will drop- typically anywhere from 100-250 points, but usually can be repaired within 18 months.  Short sales are typically the lesser of the two evils and the damage caused can usually be repaired.


What a short sale is NOT:
It is not a "Get out of my mortgage free card."  A homeowner has to be approved by the lender and truly have a hardship, or have an impending hardship and on the way to foreclosure.  Just because a homeowner is upside down on their mortgage, does not mean that they qualify for a short sale.


How does a distressed homeowner get started?
First the homeowner should call me!  As a Certified Distressed Property Expert and an accredited Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource, I would love to discuss your options with you.  It never hurts to ask!!

"I'm never too busy for any of your referrals!"

Busting Home Buying Myths!!

We've all heard the hub bub in the media about how buying a home can destroy your finances, but as soon as you switch the channel, you hear the opposite!  What's fact and what's fiction?!
First you have to determine if buying a home is the right thing for YOUR situation.  Not your mother's, not your brother's, certainly not your Realtor's, but yours and yours alone.  
Consult a trusted real estate professional and ask questions about current home prices and trends.  A professional REALTOR is held to a code of ethics and should provide statistical data to you, if you wish.

Until, then, here are five common myths people commonly use as fact!

1.  "The Perfect Home Is Out There"  It may be!  But more commonly, it's a matter of compromise.  Many buyers tend to focus on the one thing a home doesn't have, rather than the 9 out of 10 things that it does have.  Decide up front, which features are deal breakers, and which ones would be nice to have.


2.  "The House Has To Speak To You"  Many people believe the home has to feel right when you walk through the door.  Companies spend billions of dollars every year to hire design consultants and staging professionals to ensure their home "speaks" to buyers.  Use a critical eye when viewing homes.  It's a process of elimination!  


3.  "The Listing Information is Always Accurate"  Listings are created by people.  People make mistakes!  Even with the best of intentions, REALTORS can accidentally misrepresent information.  Be on the safe side, measure the rooms for square footage, count the number of closets, get a home inspection.


4.  "You Should Buy as Much House as You Can Get"  Why?  Is it practical, either financially or otherwise, for a newlywed couple to buy a 4,000 square foot home, because they can afford it?  Not really.  Purchase a home so that you can live comfortably and enjoy your home, instead of working to pay the bills.


5.  "If Your Offer's Accepted Right Away, You Offered Too Much"  Not necessarily.  Buyer's remorse is a common occurrence- it's like cold feet at a wedding.  It's most likely the best decision, but people get nervous!  Just because your offer was accepted right away does not mean that you offered too much.  It may just mean that it's a buyer's market and sellers are ready to unload their homes!

Call me for all your real estate needs!  I'm never too busy for any of your referrals!