Accidents happen with increased frequency during the holidays. Floors become scratched, cabinets dented, or furniture nicked. And this time of year, as holiday guests flow in and out of the house between Thanksgiving and the New Year, heirlooms and furnishings are at heightened risk. Even a benign Christmas tree can seem like a rude visitor if it gouges the door frame while being carted inside.

The most vulnerable home surface is the floor. Charles Peterson, a flooring expert in Gales Ferry, Conn., and a contributor to Fine Homebuilding magazine, said that if the floor is wood and the scratch is confined to the surface, it can be restored easily enough.

That goes for furniture, too, said Norm Abram, the master carpenter on the television show “This Old House.” If the scratch is just on the surface finish, he suggested lightly wiping it with mineral spirits to clean it, and carefully scuffing the surface with 220-grit sandpaper, a very fine grade, before applying a couple of coats of polyurethane. (more…)

The Jacob’s Ridge community features 5 lots on W. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir. All lots are lakefront and have access to public water, saving owners from $5,000 to $10,000 on drilling a well.

The entire development also features underground utilities. The lots are clustered around a “dead-end” cul-de-sac on a private road. Currently, the owner is offering $10,000 cash rebate to buyer!

Driving directions are 421 North from Wilkesboro NC towards Boone, turn left on South Recreation Rd., then right on Rocky Point Rd. Look for the sign at Nicole Ln., then turn right on Jacob’s Way.

W. Kerr Scott Lake is 1500 acres with 50 miles of shoreline and is controlled by the US Army Corps of Engineers. It is clean water with good fishing and is excellent for boating, kayaking, skiing, and swimming. The property is surrounded by National Parks. Wilkesboro NC is a beautiful community and town with friendly people. It is located just 40 miles east of Boone NC and Blowing Rock NC and one and a half hours northwest of Charlotte.

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

click here for more information

search for : Jacob’s Ridge, W. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir, W. Kerr Scott Lake, Wilkesboro NC, Boone NC, Blowing Rock NC

If you’re putting your home on the market, better be sure you’re ready to tell all — good and bad. “The majority of lawsuits or claims that occur are as a result of buyers finding out about something that is wrong with their property after the close of escrow and coming to the belief that the seller knew but didn’t tell them,” says real estate attorney, Peter Solecki of Winton & Larson, LLP.

Disclosure is vital. In one extreme case, it may have spared a seller from going to jail and even saved lives. The New York Times reported on a trial back in the late eighties that found the seller of a home guilty for not disclosing to the buyers that the home’s heater had malfunctioned. (more…)

$5,850,000

MLS Number: 50913

City: Valle Crucis, NC
Stories: 2
Bedrooms: 4 Baths: 4.5
Area: Boone-Blowing Rock, NC
Year Built: 1990
Plus Five fully furnished 1,400 sq. ft. Rental Cottages. Each built in 1996 on approx. 1/2 acre sites. Current cottage average annual rental income $150,000.

39.4 acres with 360 degree view of Blue Ridge Mountains.

5,200 sq. ft. main house built in 1990 on 1.24 acres.

No restrictions and no zoning offer many other options:

* Family compound
* Corporate retreat
* Religous retreat
* Horse farm / Dude ranch
* Recording studio
* Cottages can be sold separately
* Land can be further subdivided if desired

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

click here for more information

search for : Valle Crucis, NC, Blowing Rock, NC, Blue Ridge Mountains

Mortgage giants Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac may back 30 million mortgages. But that doesn’t mean that the new foreclosure prevention program announced this week by the Bush administration will rescue every troubled borrower on their books.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which took control of Fannie (FNM, Fortune 500) and Freddie (FRE, Fortune 500) in September, together with Hope Now, the coalition of lenders, servicers, investors and community groups, designed the plan to help some of the most at-risk homeowners. (more…)

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

click here for more information

If you’re asking me to predict when the housing market will hit bottom and when prices are likely to start climbing again, I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. My housing crystal ball is on the blink. I can tell you, though, that at this point we’re still looking at one bleak house scenario. If anything, the latest price statistics suggest that the market is still falling. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller Home Price Index for 20 large metropolitan areas was down 16.6% in August compared to its level a year ago. That’s more than the index was down for the year ending in July (16.3%) and in June (15.9%). National Association of Realtor stats for September also show a decline.

On a marginally positive note, there has been somewhat of an uptick in sales of both existing and new homes. But given the fact that foreclosures and mortgage delinquencies have also been rising and the job market and the economy generally have been softening, I don’t think anybody believes that the recent improvement in sales represents an imminent reversal of fortune. (more…)