Category Archives: Featured

Want to Move to a “Green” Location? Consider Charlotte

1158957_green_houses aref featInvesting in energy-efficient products and green building not only protects the environment, but it protects your family as well. Buyers looking for a healthy, “green” location for their families should consider the purchase of Carolina real estate in Charlotte, N.C.

Recently, Charlotte was named as one of the top 25 cities with the most energy-efficient buildings that received the EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification in 2010. Among the facilities that are eligible to earn the ENERGY STAR label are K-12 schools, supermarkets, bank branches, financial centers, places of worship, hospitals, offices and retailers to name a few. Your family probably frequents these types of locations often, if not on a daily basis.

So, why is this important for your family? Did you know that nearly 20 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from energy use in commercial buildings? However, ENERGY STAR certified buildings emit 35 percent less carbon dioxide and use 35 percent less energy than average buildings.

To qualify for the ENERGY STAR rating, a building must perform better than at least 75 percent of similar buildings nationwide, and be verified by a licensed professional engineer or a registered architect.

Tell us what you think: How important is energy efficiency to you?

For more information about Charlotte’s ENERGY STAR certified buildings, visit the ENERGY STAR website.

Many Are Making Home Repairs, But Why?

Home BuilderSo, you’re about to make repairs to  your home. Is it because you’re preventing further upkeep while you wait for the real estate market to change? Is it because you just can’t put it off any longer? Or are you preparing to sell your home in what you see as a shifting market?

The

Equifax Personal Finance Blog recently posted an article by real estate expert Ilyce Glink entitled “

Best Time of the Year to Start Big Home Improvement Projects.”  Glink reports on the ServiceMagic Q3 Remodeling and Repair Index, which shows that homeowners are focusing more on necessary repairs and less on remodeling and addition projects.

These repairs are coming after a period that Equifax has previously reported as a time focused on paying down consumer debt. In fact, 46 percent of the homeowners say they have put off making repairs for more than a year, but could wait no longer. The report shows an increase in repair and maintenance services on heating and furnace systems, septic tank and well services, roofing, and window installation.

While the ServiceMagic report seems to show people making repairs as they prepare to stay in their homes for awhile longer, sometimes real estate agents will have their sellers make repairs so homes will be more attractive to potential Continue reading

Is It Time to Refinance Your Home Again?

homeowner looking at houseEven if you refinanced recently, you may want to look at doing it again. Rates are at an all time historical low. Even reductions of a half-percent will save you thousands of dollars over the life of your loan. The Equifax Personal Finance Blog recently ran an article, “

Should I Refinance Now?” that will help you take a hard look at the numbers before you decide if another refinance is worth it. Real estate expert Ilyce Glink talks about her experience refinancing and her thought process as she considers refinancing for the second time in less than a year.

A major consideration is the cost of the refinance versus what you will save each month. To make the math easy, let’s say it would cost you $1,200 in closing costs, but you would save $100 a month. You break even in one year.

If you’ve refinanced in the last year, think about how much you’ve paid in interest since you refinanced. Because you pay more interest each year at the beginning of your loan, Glink says you’ve likely already paid thousands. If you refinance now, you’ll lose the year you’ve already paid. It will now take you a year longer to pay off your loan, plus it’s as if you’ve lost the money you’ve already paid in interest.

Glink’s plan to make this work out better is to put some of the monthly savings toward one extra mortgage payment each year. In her case, one extra payment per year will knock one year off of the loan. With the savings in interest, pre-payments on her loan, and subtracting the interest she “lost” in the last year, she figures that she still stands to save several thousand dollars.

How about you? To learn more about Glink’s thoughts on refinancing, visit the

Equifax Personal Finance Blog. She has links to follow, many more articles on real estate and finance, and an opportunity for you to ask questions.

Why You Should Cover Your Carolina Home With an Umbrella

Happy family with umbrellaWhy should your home need an umbrella? Well, when litigation rains (and it seems to reign king in society these days), you’re going to want to make sure your home and all your assets are covered. An umbrella policy may be the extra coverage you need.

Especially for homes and families that have pools, dogs, teenagers, motorcycles, boats or RVs, lawsuits are the rain cloud that’s always hovering nearby. One accident, and you could end up paying with your current assets and your future earnings.

Homeowners insurance and auto insurance will cover some liability, but they have there limits. According to the

Equifax Personal Finance Blog, that’s where an umbrella policy steps in. It protects assets and income when the limits on your basic policies have been reached, plus it will step into some situations your other policies won’t touch.

The Equifax article, written by insurance expert Linda Rey, is titled “

Umbrella Insurance: The FAQs.”  It says that some things an umbrella policy might cover where you would otherwise be left on your own are overseas claims, non-business-related personal injury cases, and liabilities that occur off your property.

Umbrella policies are sold in increments of $1 million, and you may think you don’t need one because you simply don’t own that much stuff. However, when you add the value of your Carolina home with your investments, assets, future earnings potential and even your future pension income, you may be surprised at how much you have to lose.

The good news is that you may be able to get a discount on your policy. Try purchasing auto, home and umbrella insurance from one provider, and you should receive a cut in your premiums. And that doesn’t count what you will save on peace of mind.

For more details on umbrella policies and to make comments or ask questions of the experts, visit the

Equifax Personal Finance Blog.

National Active Retirement Community Conference

mature-couple-with-laptop-feaAmerica’s top professionals involved in building for, marketing to and serving people aged 55+ will gather at the National Active Retirement Community (NARA) 11th Annual Business Conference in Columbia, SC October 20-22.

Professionals, academicians, real estate developers, marketers, salespeople, city/town representatives and other business professionals seeking to capitalize on the unprecedented aging of America at our doorstep will attend. Topics will range from internet marketing to strategies to attract retirees to invest in your community. Speakers will also offer advice on how to successfully design, build and market 55+ housing, as well as market 55+ targeted products and services.

“As America ages, we are faced with enormous challenges and opportunities to serve this burgeoning market segment,” said NARA Director Dan Owens. “Every six seconds, an American turns 50 and professionals need to get attuned to this marketplace to be successful in our changing economy.”

“With 70 percent of all assets held by people over 50, older folks play a large role in the economy,” said Owens. “A large number of active retirees have moved in early retirement in the past five years bringing hundreds of millions of investment dollars to states. As the economy starts to recover, you see homebuying being led by those 55+ buyers who have the financial ability to move…and often pay cash for their new home.”

Past conferences have attracted business professionals from 16 states, Canada and Mexico.

Experts from around the United States will be speaking at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. On Wednesday, October 20, sessions featuring two national experts will be open to the public. John K. Lynch, chief market analyst with Wells Fargo’s Evergreen Fund, will give his assessment of the current economic climate as it relates to older consumers. Following Lynch, Dr. Joe Gribbin, head of the masters’ program at the Erickson School at the University of Maryland, will give a detailed presentation about the future of Social Security and Medicare.

Other speakers include:

*Dave Reitz, Chicago, Ill. Formerly a leading executive with Del Webb’s Sun City brand, Dave now works in the residential building market targeting 55+ buyers.

Colin Milner, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founder and CEO of the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA), one of the world’s visionaries on the health and well-being of the older adult.

*Simon Hudson, Columbia, SC. Chair in Tourism Research at USC. Simon has done extensive research into mature (50+) tourism and will discuss tourism as it leads to retirement in a location.

*John Cromartie, Washington, D.C. A senior demographer at the Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, John has focused on retiree migration to rural areas.

*Gene Warren, Phoenix, AZ. A principal in Thomas+Warren, Gene is a leading authority on where retirees move and why.

*Tom Mann, Baltimore, MD. A principal of TR Mann Consulting and the Tuesday Morning Sales Club. Tom is also a co-founder of the networking group Mature Market Experts. Tom’s clients include senior housing developers, magazines, financial and consumer products and several fitness products, all aimed at serving the boomer and senior markets.

Richard “Dick” Ambrosius, South Dakota, VP, NeoCORTA, an organization committed to assessing and improving brain fitness among older adults.

The Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board is the host organization and a Diamond Level sponsor. Other sponsors include the Go Texan state retiree attraction program and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. All NARA sessions will be held at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center in Columbia’s resurgent downtown “Vista” entertainment district.