Gardening is a pastime steeped in Triangle tradition. From award-winning floral garden designs to award-winning vegetables grown and recipes derived from the fruits of North Carolina soil, we are fortunate to have incredibly fertile earth in Central North Carolina, and a  moderate climate, supporting a wide variety of flora and fauna. With such diversity however come pests in the summer.

Throughout history,  plants have been used in garden design, agriculture, and landscape design for certain properties, in fact, combining certain plants is commonplace for the benefits they confer. My NC Homes would like to offer practical tips for designing and adding plants that repel summer pests and add curb appeal. My NC Homes would be remiss not to mention…

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Ahhhh the smell and feeling of North Carolina BBQ has no parallel. BBQ's and Cookouts in the summer are quintessentially American and it is hard to describe 4th of July, Labor Day, and Memorial Day, in terms of what people love to do, without mentioning a BBQ or cookout. In North Carolina, especially, with its rich history of delicious BBQ, cooking outside for long periods of time and enjoying the fruits of your labor around a pit are part of the culture. As long time Realtors in The Triangle and cooking afficandos, we have seen lots of trends come and go in terms of trends in homes and amenities, but some things are always going to be big sellers, and the outdoor kitchen with BBQ is one of the top amenities in the South. Here are some of the…

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As the temperatures rise and schools let out, we are all itching to be outside, enjoying summer fun, and are truly relishing all that is back open and a lot of new additions to The Research Triangle. While some families are hitting the open road, or flying to see relatives, many are simply enjoying the numerous local options availbe in the summer. We hope this guide is useful for those summer residents as well as visitors to the Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill area. Here are some of our top events and things to do in The Triangle this summer, from Fireworks on The Fourth of July to newly opened attractions and event.

Apex Red, White, and Blue Drive Through 

The Town of Apex is hosting aDrive-Through Red, White and Blue Car Processional on July…

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Summer 2021 is looking a lot more normal in The Triangle with new restaurants popping up, live music bookings, baseball games, and much more. North Carolina is one of the best places to enjoy summer from the Outerbanks to The Blue Ridge Mountains, and of course the varied culture and events throughout the Research Triangle area. People are keeping closer to home this summer, but most have an itch to get outside, so these events are focused on enjoying the outdoors, food and drink, sports, and music. If you have a suggestion, please leave us a comment! Whether you are a summer resident coming to town from Cashiers, or you are heading in for a Bulls game from Cape Hatteras, here are some of the best events "in town."

Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh

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More than 44 million borrowers in the US have student loan debt totaling over $1.5 trillion. For students, recent grads, or those who have advanced degrees with lots of debt, it might seem like home ownership is out of the question because of financing. The Triangle Area is home to some of the best academic undergraduate, graduate, and medical and law programs in the United States and we have helped hundreds of students, recent graduates, and those with considerable student loan debt, successfully buy real estate. We want to assure you it's not impossible. Here is a short guide to buying, with student loan debt even in the current market.

  1. Spend the Time to Improve your Credit Score: Regardless of whether you have student debt of not it all…

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Are you considering a reverse mortgage? Do you know what a reverse mortgage is? Is it the same as refinancing? In the past decade reverse mortgages have gained in popularity, but we have also witnessed a rise in fraudulent and predatory practices within this industry. It has been pushed to seniors as a catch-all financial retirement product. However, it is important to understand that in reality it's a loan and when used to cover living, medical or other expenses you must understand that you are reducing the equity in your home. Applied without careful consideration, it can put your finances in a much worse position than other options that may be available to you. Let's explore the reverse mortgage and see if this is an option that makes sense for…

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Over the past 30 months My NC Homes clients are selling homes frequently within hours of listing. The supply of homes currently in the Triangle is well beyond constricted and as a buyer, you may find yourself without many options. Buyers are frustrated putting in offer after offer, only to be outbid, or to make concessions that would not be prudent in normal real estate transacting circumstances. We would rarely recommend buying a home without inspections, but this is the advice we are giving to some buyers to secure homes. Leading us to one of the questions we get all the time, “Am I buying at The Top of the Market? On the one hand, interest rates are low and favorable to buyers, on the other hand, home prices have skyrocketed. Let's take a look at…

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Memorial Day is the first holiday where we will likely see many people out and about in The Triangle, and it is a beautiful time of year in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Many will honor those fallen in conflict and in service of our country, we also use it as a day to celebrate what makes our country worth fighting for. Here are some of the events in the area and ideas for enjoying the long weekend. We also have included some venues that have recently reopened for enjoying live music and sports!

Learning about Memorial Day at Lake Benson Park 

The Garner Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 2013 to honor veterans and its design includes rows of tall engraved concrete around a  Walkway of Honor in Lake Benson Park. The pathway has names of…

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Creating-an-Energy-Efficient- Home

Understanding the Difference between Green and Energy Efficient Building

EnergyStar, ECOSelect, LiveGreen, EnergyPlus, GreenBuilding, Leeds, HERS score, these are just some of the many designations and terms homebuyers may see or hear when looking for a new home. It's easy to understand why many homeowners and homebuyers either lump them all together assuming they are one and the same or ignore them entirely. The truth is while there can be some overlap between "Green" home features and "Energy Efficient or Saving" features they are not one and the same.

Green Home Building 

In order to build green, contractors focus on four main areas, starting with materials. True "green" construction starts with materials that are natural, renewable,…

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My NC Homes is selling homes quicker than we can find sellers and list them. By spending the time and money necessary to properly present and market our seller’s homes, they are being sold either sight unseen (buyers have the confidence necessary because we invest in proper staging, professional photography, virtual tours including 3D walkthrough floor plans, and video) or there are dozens of appointments made typically within hours of the homes hitting the market. Final contract prices are well above asking and we are getting the absolute best terms for sellers. The market is at present strongly favoring sellers and if you were thinking of downsizing to make a move towards retirement or looking for less maintenance and more liquidity, this is an…

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