Upcoming Green Home Workshop in Cary

This came across my email inbox this morning via Chix... looks like a great (and affordable!) opportunity for home owners to gain some realistic insight and ideas for making our homes more green and sustainable.

There's a really good, informative, timely workshop coming up in Cary on 4/21/09 called Living & Working Green: Affordable Strategies for Your Home. It's being hosted/sponsored by Design & Environmental Analysis, LLC (http://www.dea-llc.net), and presented by SolarPlex-US (http://www.solarplex-us.com), which is a a nonprofit organization stewarding the resources for environmental accountability.

Here's the info:
Tuesday, April 21st, 5:30-8:00pm
BNC, 649 Walnut St, Cary, NC

Are you interested in how to reduce your home's carbon footprint & be more environmentally responsible - possibly using renewable energies - but have no idea how to get started, who to talk to, what's the best game plan (even how to create a game plan), how much it really costs (as well as how long does it take to recoup the cost), & how the new TAX CREDITS could apply to you?

This seminar will cover all of these topics, & how just about EVERY homeowner REALLY CAN afford to move in to that direction!

Cost: $10

For more information, see the attached flyer, and the Website: http://www.dea-llc.net/newsevents

Business Networking Center
649 Walnut Street
Cary, NC 27511
919.342.5251
www.i-BNC.comI've been added to my "Raleigh & More" Google calendar if anyone would like to have a nice reminder of this event, you can add it to yours, too.

Curb Appeal without Breaking the Bank

Here in Raleigh, there's a slight chill in the air but the sun is shining and it's Friday afternoon!

If your weekend plans over the next might include adding some shine to your property with a bit of curb appeal improvements, here are some nice local opportunities to keep your budget in check.

The following class can be a great project starter, if you need some inspiration:Free/$5 Seminar - Maintaining a Beautiful, Low-Input Lawn in 2009
Rich Cooper, Ph.D., Professor - Crop Science Department
NC State University

April 2, 2009 (Thursday) – 7:30pm until 9:00pm

Rich Cooper will discuss ideas for maintaining your lawn this season with an eye toward reduced watering, mowing, and other maintenance inputs. Suggestions for proper species selection in North Carolina will also be discussed. Come with your questions and leave with the answers!

Cost: Free for Friends of the JC Raulston Arboretum members, NC State University students (with ID), and Department of Horticultural Science faculty and staff, all others $5.00.

Registration: Advanced registration is not available.

Location: Ruby C. McSwain Education Center, JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Directions: Need directions? Click here.

Parking: Free parking is available at the JC Raulston Arboretum and along Beryl Road.

Download the informational PDF here!
And once your're ready to start on your projects, save some money on mulch thanks to the City of Raleigh:From the City of Raleigh eNewsletter
City of Raleigh Yard Waste Center Offers Special Pricing on Mulch

The City of Raleigh Yard Waste Center is offering mulch and leaf mulch with a special buy-one-get-one coupon.

Customers to the Yard Waste Center that purchase a pickup truck load of mulch or leaf mulch and present the coupon may return for a free load the same day. A pick up truck load is approximately 2 ½ yards. Compost and wood chips and colored mulch are not a part of this offer. The purchased and free loads must be picked up on the same day. The special offer expires May 1.

Coupons are available in the Home and Garden section of the News and Observer on eight consecutive Saturdays starting March 7. Coupons also are available at the City of Raleigh Yard Waste Center, 900 New Hope Road. The Yard Waste Center is open Monday through Saturday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Adding two to three inches of mulch around trees or shrubs reduces water loss from the soil by evaporation. A layer of mulch serves as an insulator that moderates the soil temperature during intensely hot days. Mulch can prevent crust from forming on the soil surface, which improves the ability of water to percolate into the soil. Mulch suppresses weeds, and can help gardeners reduce their use of herbicides. Natural mulch, such as that made from yard waste, adds nutrients to the soil as it decays. Proper application of mulch can help homeowners save money and protect surface waters by reducing use of chemical fertilizers.

For any questions or for more information, call the City of Raleigh Yard Waste Center at 250-2728.Feel free to share any of your local resources, too!

Questions About the Federal Housing Tax Credit for First-Time Home Buyers?

Do you have any questions about the Federal Housing Tax Credit for First-Time Home Buyers program?

Courtesy of our broker-in-charge, Nathan Becker, here's a link to an informational website (which includes FAQs) from the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders).

http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/2009/home2.html

Be sure to let us know how we can help you take advantage of this opportunity!

FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act

Just yesterday all members of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) received the following email:President Barack Obama signed H.R. 1105, the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, into law today. In doing so, he ended our nearly eight-year battle to preserve the separation between banking and commerce.

Specifically, this new law permanently bans large national banking conglomerates from entering the real estate business by preventing the Treasury and Federal Reserve, by rule, order, or any other way, from opening the door to such activities.This is a major conclusion which many of us believe will ultimately help preserve the distinction between both the real estate and financial sectors and the relationships that banks and creditors provide for buyers and sellers - ultimately protecting consumers and areas of these industries that affect the US economy.

For more information and to take a look at the informative answers to many frequently asked questions (FAQs), visit the NAR's online reference on banks and commerce here.

First-Time Home Buyer Credit

For Buyers: Please take a moment to review these great points from First Citizens Mortgage Services regarding the First-Time Home Buyer Credit. Feel free to pass this information along to anyone who may find it useful.Key Points: First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit
* This credit is available to homebuyers who purchase a home before December 1, 2009.

* In an effort to make the effects of the credit felt quickly in the economy, homebuyers can claim the credit either on their 2009 tax return or immediately on the 2008 return due in April.

* The tax credit represents 10 percent of the purchase price of a home up to a maximum of $8,000 ($4,000 for married taxpayers filing separate returns).

* The credit does have to be repaid if the homeowner sells the home in less than 36 months or if the home ceases to be his principal residence during that time.

* For the purpose of this credit, a first time homeowner is defined as one who has not owned a home for the 36 months ending on the date of purchase.

* The credit is available to taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes up to $75,000 or $150,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly. Above those income levels the credit is phased out gradually.


* Homeowners who purchased a house between April 8 and December 31, 2008 are not eligible for the new credit. They are covered by the earlier legislation and can claim the $7,500 repayable credit that is actually a 15 year loan.

Customers must consult a local tax professional to discuss how this information applies specifically to their unique financial situation.

We hope you will be able to put this information to use immediately with clients. We welcome the opportunity to partner with you to serve them!

Mortgage Services Team:
Jamie Barron 716-8764 // Kristen Carmack 716-4153 // Ryan Shaughnessy 716-4103 // Erik Taylor 716-2692

Steve Powell, First Citizens Bank
SVP, Mortgage Sales Manager, Central Region
336.412.4033 (O) | 336.412.4008 (F) | 866.407.4206 (EFax) | 336.848.2283 (C)
For Brokers: I had the great opportunity to take a very affordable (only $10!) CE class with the folks from First Citizens Mortgage Services. It was one of the best CE classes I've had to date and you wouldn't believe the amount of useful information I learned to help buyers (first-timers and repeat, alike!). Contact Steve Powell (steve.powell@firstcitizens.com, 336-412-4033) for more info or to sign up for a future event yourself.

Consumer Reports Tips for Remodeling

Consumer Reports just published a blog post this week with some great tips for those of you who are considering remodeling or renovation projects - either on your own property for personal use, for re-sale, or for rental properties that need updating.

(The post is titled to attract first-timers, but I think the info is relevant for any property owner!)

Topics include: bathroom sinks, kitchen floors, kitchen countertops, ranges, washing machines and dryers.

You can check out the whole post here online - Remodeling Tips for First-Time Homebuyers.