WEST JEFFERSON NC MOUNTAIN PROPERTY

87.5 +/- Acres Available For Residential Subdivision Mountain Development, 7 miles from West Jefferson, NC

Paved Road and Bridge Built To State Specifications.

Average of $23,000 per acre.

This Property Should Retail For Approximately $50,000 to $60,000 per acre.

ALL PROPERTY HAS LONG RANGE MOUNTAIN VIEWS

Contact Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247

or

email Greg at grstike@charter.net

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With the exception of 2007, homes have increased in value nationwide one to two points above inflation levels, which is good, but it’s not an incredible return.But when you add in government incentives, you can just about live for free when you own your own home, counting getting your equity back when you sell. Did you know that when you pay points to take out a mortgage, whether you or the seller paid, you can deduct it? Hello, $1,000 or more.

One of many benefits is being able to deduct property taxes from your federal income tax return. If you’re a renter, you’re paying someone else’s property taxes and getting zero deductions. In effect, you’re throwing two percent of your net income away. And that doesn’t count the equity you’re building for your landlord. (more…)

Existing home sales increased for the first time in a while, says the National Association of Realtors. February sales rose nearly three percent over January. However, sales are still nearly 24 percent lower than a year ago and home prices are down over 8 percent.

Sellers have dropped their home and condo prices enough to be attractive to buyers. Coupled with below six percent interest rates, February was a good time for buyers to lock a rate and put a contract on a home. One month doesn’t make a trend. Things could continue to improve if more homes aren’t dumped on the market, interest rates hold in a reasonable range, and the credit crisis improves. (more…)

Vacation property, an investment for retirement or a permanent residence, this Lake James waterfront home may be your dream property.

The beautiful water front home is located in a private community with spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It has a double deck boat dock, an enclosed boat garage and a private ramp to launch your own watercraft. The home was built originally in 1972 and totally renovated in 2002. A four car detached garage was built in 2002.

There is a total of 264 ft. of water front. Beautiful three tier sea walls accent this elegant home. Hard wood and tile floors, modern appliances and vaulted ceilings are only a few of the amenities that capture you with this home.

Private dock permit.

List Price: $1,800,000
Flexibility: Willing to finance
Acreage: .75 acres
Type: Waterfront

Floors: 2
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 4
Sq. Footage: 3700
Garage Size: 4.0
Year Built: 1972, totally renovated in 2002
School District: Nebo

Suitable Use: Residential

Topography: Rolling
Road Frontage: Private Road
Location: Lake James, Burke County, NC

Amenities: Waterfront, Fireplace, Central AC, Alarm, Wood Floors, Gas Range, Patio, Wheelchair Accessible, Nature/Bike Paths, Boating, Controlled Access, Spa/Jacuzzi

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search for : Lake James waterfront home, Blue Ridge Mountains, Lake James, Burke County, NC

Once used around the home for driveways, porches and decks, concrete is quick becoming an artistic upscale trend in home design. New and remodeled homes see contractors transforming this typically utilitarian building material into whatever the home and condo owner can imagine. Concrete contractors can make concrete any color and make it resemble any pattern desired, from stone to slate to wood.

One of the most common decorative concrete techniques is stamped concrete. Stamped concrete is a technique applied to new concrete where rubber molds are pressed into the surface of the concrete before it sets up. Concrete can also be colored by adding pigment when the cement, sand and water are mixed. Because this is not an exact science, it is best to make sure the entire area is poured at the same time to ensure the color is consistent. (more…)

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The most recent statistics from the Department of Labor shows that the median income for a real estate agent is about $39,760 per year. The middle 50 percent earn between $26,790 and $65,270 annually, and the top 10 percent earn around $111,500 per year. While that may seem to be a goodly income, there are both downsides and expenditures that make the profession somewhat less appealing.

The more prosperous agents in any locale are always on-call for their clients. It’s a business where the agent has to be there 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Otherwise, another agent will capture the listing, or make the sale.. It’s a chore to take a vacation. Almost all successful agents work weekends. (more…)

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For the 2007 tax filing, homeowners may be eligible for a few new breaks. Among them is a deduction for private mortgage insurance premiums, appearing on Schedule A, line 13. The insurance must be “in connection with home-acquisition debt,” per IRS regulations. Premiums paid on a contract issued before the beginning of 2007 don’t count.

Another change could help homeowners with mortgage debt that was forgiven, either partly or entirely, by lenders. This deduction was recently enacted and is easily overlooked. The provision which was enacted Dec. 20 and is now known as the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007. Simply put, taxpayers may exclude from gross income debt that was forgiven on their principal residence for “qualified” mortgage debt up to $2 million (or $1 million for a married person filing a separate return). (more…)

search for : private mortgage insurance, Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act

Beautiful Wilkes County NC Timber Frame Home and Mountain Property.

MLS Number: 51166, List Price: $898,500

2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, 2 half baths, 2 car attached garage, full basement, and a barn on 5 acres of land.

These terms are used to describe thousands of homes and yet some things just can’t be described, they have to be experienced. This is one of those homes that really has to be seen to be appreciated.

This majestic Timber Frame home of the Bob Timberlake genre is not just another house, it provides a feeling of home that is not about walls and floors and windows and doors. It creates a feeling of the flow between your outdoor and your indoor environment that is seamless. Everywhere you look there is a view. Everything you touch feels natural and beautiful in a way that cannot be described, only owned.

Contact Elizabeth Carter, 336.973.5594 or Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247 or email eacarter@charter.net

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Those needing a larger home or folks that desire a house in a better neighborhood may soon get their chance to trade up on an affordable home. However, when they sell their existing home, they will likely get a less than stellar price.

Since the second quarter of 2006, real estate has fallen 10.2%, as measured by one National Home Price Index. But the new, grander house will also be relatively inexpensive, so those folks will effectively increase their real-estate exposure when the market is well below its peak.

Unfortunately, the new home will probably result in a bigger mortgage and higher ongoing costs, including homeowner’s insurance, property taxes and maintenance expenses. These ongoing costs will offset a large chunk of any future home-price appreciation. (more…)

search for : affordable home, mortgage, homeowner’s insurance

Small actions can make a difference in getting your home sold. “Scentmosphere” isn’t exactly new but it is rapidly becoming a way to attempt to attract buyers. When buyers walk into a house before they actually see anything in that house, because they breathe, they are smelling.

Prospective buyers actually get an impression, whether it’s conscious or subconscious, of your home just by the way it smells. Choosing to proactively make a statement in the way your home smells is just another step in helping to sell your home faster. It’s the next step after curb appeal. (more…)

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Beautiful Wilkes County NC Log Home and Mountain Property.

MLS Number: 50863, List Price: $359,900

Bedrooms: 3, Full Baths: 2, Half Baths: 0, Est Total SqFt: 2600, Type/Style: Log Home, Area: Area 6, Middle School: Cntrl Wlks, High School: Wlks Cntrl, Construction: Log

Foundation: Combination, Roof: Metal Roof, Floors: Carpet/Hardwood/Tile, Garage/Carport: None-Garage, None-Carport, Interior Features: Master Bedroom, Main Level, Large Master Bedroom, Walk-In Closet(s), Hardwood Floors, Fireplace(s), Great Room, Exterior Features: Double Pane Windows, Wooded Lot, 1-5 Acres, Hot Tub, Subdivision: N/A, Lot Size: 2.47, Apx SqFt: 2600 – 2800 SF, Basement: None

Contact Elizabeth Carter, 336.973.5594 or Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247 or email eacarter@charter.net

click here for more information

Global demand for bio-fuels and other agricultural commodities are driving up the value of farmland acreage to all-time highs. Unlike the housing boom, farmland appreciation isn’t being propelled by innovative and unsustainable financing, nor is it due to speculators looking to flip the property. Neither is it solely based on the surging popularity of bio-fuels.

Experts say price per acre appreciation is not because of the wild increase in the use of ethanol to fuel our obsession with the automobile, rather they contend that there are several fundamentals that are showing that the next 10 years for agriculture will be extremely favorable. (more…)

search for : bio-fuels, agricultural commodities

Guidelines for taxpayers that wish to do a 1031 exchange involving a vacation home have recently been clarified by the IRS. Historically, the accounting term “1031 exchange” defined that group of real estate investments as property held for investment or used in a trade or business.

Until just recently, there existed no guidance from the IRS indicating whether vacation homes were investment or personal use property. That changed when the U.S. Tax Court disallowed a taxpayer’s exchange from one vacation home into another.

The ruling was released as a Revenue Procedure, which is a type of “cook book” ruling, describing what a taxpayer must do to achieve a certain result from the IRS. (more…)

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The current crisi started in the housing market when the appreciation stopped, prices began to deflat and homeowners started defaulting on their mortgages. This scenario hurt the value of the debt securities tied to “subprime” mortgages that were made to high-risk borrowers. All these factors lead to big losses at investment banks and hedge funds.

Almost all of the credit problem areas today have one common denominator: housing. Several years back, as the housing market got hotter, lenders lowered their credit standards. Those companies allowed people with bad credit records purchase homes at inflated prices, just to bolster the company’s bottom lines. Some buyers even put no money down towards buying their dream home, condo, or even second (vacation) home. (more…)

With the two car garage morphing into a one car plus storage space, sales of components and cabinets to achieve a better organized garage have skyrocketed. In fact, garage gear has become a billion-dollar industry. High-end custom garage-organizing companies have been growing 20%-25% per year; however, the growth is expected to flatten a little in 2008, because of the weakening economy.

Gladiator GarageWorks, a Whirlpool Corp. brand, is an easy to use site that allows a viewer to came up with a basic design using click and drag tools. One can put in a closed cabinet under the window and a tall one next to it, bins for balls, a rack we could use for things like skis and brooms, and some “GearTrack” paneling for more hooks. (more…)

search for : organized garage, garage-organizing