rainwater harvesting in durham, cary, and chapel hill

In the Triangle and throughout the Southeast, water is a plentiful resource. Still, for some homeowners, especially those with green thumbs, a rainwater collection system may make sense.

About 46 inches of rain falls each year in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area, giving residents a reliable source of water for in-home use as well as for lawns and gardens. Although a rainwater collection system isn't a necessity in this part of the country, it can lessen your dependence on municipal water and reduce some of your utility costs.

Here are some of the benefits of a residential rainwater collection system for Triangle homes:

Automatic Irrigation

Most people who have a rainwater collection system in the Triangle use it to keep their flowers…

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Meet Larry Tollen of My NC Homes

As a longtime Realtor, Larry has seen it all. When he and Andrew founded My NC Homes, it took almost no time at all for them to agree on how they’re team should operate. Experience, integrity, and results. These are the pillars in which their team is founded on because they’re also what’s most important to you as a buyer or seller.

When working with the My NC Homes Team, you can expect nothing but the best service possible. Their team is committed to treating their clients the same way they would wish to be treated were the roles reversed. My NC Homes was founded on the belief that your best interested are the top priority, not the agent’s commission.

Dual Agent: Why NC Homes Doesn’t Represent Buyer & Seller In A Single Transaction

To…

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Lauren Wimple, First-time buying specialist



When Lauren graduated in 2014 from UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in economics, she was eager to apply her education and enthusiasm in the real estate market. This drive and determination led her to earn her broker license shortly after graduating, which is when she met Larry and Andrew at My NC Homes. Working under the mentorship of Larry and Andrew, Lauren has gained invaluable experience and industry knowledge, which she then applies to every transaction of her own.

Lauren also handles most of the administrative duties on the team, so when she’s not house hunting with her own client’s, you’ll often find her in the office and responding to inquiries from the website.

First-time Homebuying Specialist

As a recent homebuyer herself, Lauren…

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best craft beer festivals in the triangle

The Triangle boasts a wide range of breweries and craft beer styles, and beer enthusiasts can sample many of them at the area's three best beer festivals.

A couple weeks ago, local beer blogger Kyle Rubeling offered some of the can't-miss breweries in the Triangle. But if you want to try them all at once (and you have a designated driver), a beer festival is the way to do it.

Here are the Triangle's three beer festivals, when and where they are, and what you can expect to see (and taste) at each.

World Beer Festival - Raleigh and Durham

This is actually two beer festivals, as the the World Beer Fest takes place in the spring in Raleigh and in the fall in Durham. Both festivals are a favorite among casual beer drinkers and beer enthusiasts…

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Andrew Palumbo - new construction real estate specialist

Andrew is one of the founding members of the My NC Homes team. He specializes in new construction transactions, but also loves helping first-time homebuyers reach their longtime goal of owning their own home.

Becoming a real estate agent was a natural fit for Andrew. Growing up, he loved going to the job site with his father and eventually followed in his footsteps by getting involved in the family’s construction and real estate business. During this time he became a licensed appraiser and general contractor for condominium, luxury homes, and vacation homes. After several blustery winters in Vermont, he and his family moved to the Triangle region in search of a better climate.

Why Specialize In New Construction?

Many people think that…

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meet the My NC Homes team - Chapel Hill realtors

 

The My NC Homes team is one of the Triangle’s most well-rounded real estate firms. Their small-team dynamic allows them to do the work of a big brokerage without compromising the personal attention you deserve during the purchase or sale of your home. Thanks to the unique strengths and abilities of each team member, they’re capable of handling even the most challenging transaction.

Here’s a quick introduction to each team member and a quick summary of what they bring to the table.

Lauren Wimple: Licensed Broker

Lauren grew up in the Triangle area just outside of Raleigh. She’s made lifelong friends, can tell you all about the area’s best hidden gems, and loves to chat about what makes each community so unique.

Lauren graduated in…

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What documents you need to keep after buying a home

When you buy or sell a home, you have to review, initial and sign many documents. So many that it can feel a bit overwhelming. So when the sale is final and you start to move in (or out), there is a huge temptation to throw all those documents away. That would be a big mistake, because you never know what problems or issues might arise in the future. To avoid those headaches, it’s important to understand what the closing documents are for, and how long you should keep them.

Here is a basic guide to help you:

Keep These Documents When Buying A Home

When you close on a home, you’ll get a mortgage agreement, various addendums and disclosures, the deed and the settlement statement, among other documents. Some documents you’ll get right away, and…

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Is it really better to rent rather than buy a home?

These days, people are questioning the value of homeownership and wondering if it's better to rent instead. Some experts have concluded that renting is better, and they've come up with several reasons, listed below.

However, those reasons are dubious at best and just plain false at worst, at least as it pertains to buying vs. renting in the Triangle region. Here are three common reasons why renting is better than buying, and our answers to them.

You don't have to pay taxes and fees

The argument goes that when you rent, that's all you pay. You don't have to pay the property taxes and other fees that go along with owning a home.

While it's true that you don't write out a tax check every year, you are covering the cost of those taxes and…

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home maintenance tips for new homeowners

Buying your first home is an exciting time, but many new homeowners may not be sure of what maintenance needs to be done and how soon to do it. Unfortunately, unlike buying a car or almost anything else, homes don’t come with owner’s manuals.

To help first-time homeowners, here is a handy checklist of maintenance tasks you should be completing throughout the year:

Every Month

  • Replace the air filters - Air filters take dust out of your home, but if you let them get too dirty, it can affect the performance of your furnace or air conditioner.
  • Check your fire extinguisher - A fire extinguisher is a must for every kitchen, and they should be professionally certified every few years, according to the instructions on the label. Every month,…

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4 can't-miss breweries in the Triangle, NC

The Triangle is a beer-lover’s paradise. With dozens of breweries in the area, and new ones popping up all the time, the area is experiencing a craft-beer renaissance. But what are the can’t-miss breweries in the Triangle?

We asked Kyle Rubeling, an area beer enthusiast who blogs about North Carolina brews, to tell us the four breweries visitors and residents alike should be sure to visit. Here are his recommendations:

Fullsteam in Durham

Visitors to Durham will want to pay a visit to Fullsteam. The brewery’s mission is to put some South in your mouth, creating beer that “celebrates the culinary and agricultural heritage of the South.”

To do this, they buy ingredients from southern farmers when possible. The result is beers like their…

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