Community Amenities Increase Home Values

Luxurious amenities are a lure for homebuyers in new communities. New construction neighborhoods are developing all over the Triangle region, delivering dozens of new communities throughout the Raleigh-Durham area. You can find everything from lush green spaces to fun mini water parks for adults and kids alike. The journey to homeownership will force you to weigh the long-term value of not only the household, but the community amenities as well. It's important to consider that homes with nearby amenities make living there more enjoyable, which is great while you're living there and also a terrific asset when it's time to sell.

As you start narrowing down your list of “must-haves," here are a few neighborhood amenities you may want to consider.

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buying homes with mold and mildew

If you're buying a home in this area that's more than ten years old, mold (or fungal growth) is a topic that may come up. But the truth is, mold is rarely as serious a problem as some would have you believe.

Here are three important things to understand about mold:

1. Mold is Everywhere

Mold is actually quite common. In fact, it's everywhere. There are more than 100,000 different species of mold, and there is likely mold on every surface you touch and in the air you breathe. Most of the time, it's harmless, though people who suffer from allergies may be more susceptible to mold-related health problems.

When it comes to mold in the home, again there are many different kinds, and it takes a qualified specialist to properly identify molds.…

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Briar Chapel Community Information

It’s rare for a new home community to hit the nail so squarely on the head when it comes to delivering a high-quality, convenient, luxury development. For Briar Chapel homes, homeowners not only get the amazing benefit of living in a premium new construction home, but they also gain access to the incredible amenities and features that come with living in Chapel Hill.

The Neighborhood

We know Chapel Hill as an idyllic little big town, home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Scattered throughout city are gems and hidden hot spots that make the city such a great place. Additionally, Chapel Hill is known for being a nature lover’s dream come true. With exceptional parks and green space, you will never run out of things to do in…

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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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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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Raleigh-Durham 7th Best Place To Live in the U.S.

U.S. News & World Report recently ranked the Raleigh/Durham area as the seventh best place to live in the U.S.! With an overall score 7.2 out of 10, this area showed impressive scores in net migration as well as value and desirability; area that seem to go hand in hand. Raleigh and Durham beat out other major metropolitan areas such as Boston, San Francisco, and Nashville, while Austin took the first place ranking with an overall score of 7.8.

Every year, U.S. News & World Report releases their list of the top 100 metropolitan cities in the U.S. based on how the populations scores each city based on five categories: desirability, value, job market, quality of life, and net migration.

Here's how Raleigh and Durham ranked on the scorecard:

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home foundations

Types Of Foundations

When it comes to building a new home, it all starts with a solid foundation. Most people take their homes’ foundation for granted, especially if they come from another part of the country. People from the Midwest are used to having a basement, while people in Florida are accustomed to having homes built on a slab.

But for people who relocate to the Triangle, or even those who have been here awhile, thinking about the different kinds of foundations is likely unfamiliar territory, because all kinds can be found here. Understanding the different kinds of foundations, and the pros and cons of each, is important for anyone considering buying a home here.

There are three basic kinds of foundation, each with its pros and cons:

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what you need to know about flood insurance

When buying a home, something you need to know is whether it’s located in a floodplain. Knowing what and where they are can help you make better decisions about buying a home and obtaining the proper insurance. You may think of floodplains being limited to areas affected by hurricanes and tropical storms, and while this is true, floodplains can exist almost anywhere there’s low lying land and rain.

How To Know If You're Home Is In A Floodzone

By definitions, a floodplain is any area that is likely to have flooding from rising water levels in a river, a stream, lake, or tidal area. It may surprise some people to know that flooding is the biggest natural disaster that occurs in the United States.

An area can get flooded from several causes,…

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