Category Archives: North Carolina

John Wieland Homes Welcomes New Division President

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John Wieland HomesJohn Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods recently welcomed Terry Montgomery as the new Division President in Charlotte, North Carolina. With over 20 years of experience in management and home building, Terry will oversee general operations, land acquisition and homebuilding in the area.

“I am honored to join the John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods team and excited because we are poised for growth,” said Terry Montgomery. “We have several new neighborhoods that we’ll introduce in 2015 as well as major developments planned for our flagship BridgeMill, McCullough and Olmsted neighborhoods.”

In his new position as Division President, Terry Montgomery will supervise the entire Charlotte team overseeing land acquisition and homebuilding, as well as directing general operations. He began his career in business after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance.

During the past two decades, Terry has acquired extensive experience in homebuilding, serving as President of Jimmy Jacobs Homes in Central Texas and Division President for Pulte Homes in Austin. In addition to his homebuilding experience, Terry has succeeded in a range of leadership roles culminating in his positionas Director of Sales for the four-state Ohio Valley Region of Frito Lay/PepsiCo.

Terry Montgomery will oversee a diverse portfolio of John Wieland neighborhoods in Charlotte offering new homes and townhomes from the $200s to $800s and known for masterfully planned settings, landmark amenities and exceptional architecture and design. To learn more about John Wieland homes in Charlotte, visit jwhomes.com/charlotte.

About John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods

With a legacy dating back to 1970, John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods is currently building in 40 neighborhoods in Atlanta, GA; Charleston, SC; Charlotte and Raleigh, NC and Nashville, TN. In its four-decade history, the John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods brand has won more than 600 awards for excellence, including National Builder of the Year, the National Housing Quality Award and the industry’s top award in 2005, America’s Best Builder.  Widely recognized for excellence in the move-up market for its award-winning home design, quality and neighborhood planning, the John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods portfolio offers homes and townhomes from $200,000 to over $1 million. The John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods brand is owned and operated by JW Homes, LLC, which is a partnership between the John Wieland family and Wheelock Street Capital, a real estate investment fund based in Greenwich, CT. For more information, visit jwhomes.com.

New Designer Model Homes to Open at WoodCreek

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The Donnelly model homeJohn Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods is thrilled to announce the opening of two designer model homes at WoodCreek. Located in Holly Springs, home buyers can now tour The Donnelly and The Melbourne Designer Models, open daily.

Each model home combines innovative design and classic styling. The Donnelly, from the Heritage Collection of the John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods Signature Portfolio, has 3,650-plus square feet, five bedrooms and five baths. Visitors will enter the home from a welcoming front porch and be led to a beautiful great room that overlooks the breakfast room and gourmet kitchen. Featuring a striking butcher block waterfall island and a butler’s pantry that makes the formal dining room easily accessible, these spaces are perfect for entertaining. A convenient study, which can double as a guest suite, completes the first floor. Upstairs, the grand owner’s suite includes a spa bath. Three additional bedrooms offer private spaces for everyone, while the large bonus room is a perfect gathering spot. Even more awaits on the third floor with a large media room, entertaining bar, full bath and inviting crow’s nest office loft.

The five bedroom, four-and-a-half bath Melbourne is part of the Signature Portfolio’s Manor Collection. With 3,725-plus square feet, the home boasts a traditional foyer entry, flanked by the formal dining room and study. Visitors then move to the bright, open living area where a gourmet kitchen, large breakfast room and spacious family room all overlook the home’s WoodCreek Melbourne model homecentral outdoor living space. The Melbourne is uniquely designed to appeal to multi-generational households with a second living room and private guest suite is tucked away on the first floor. Upstairs, the luxurious owner’s suite is a private retreat featuring a spa-like bath and dual walk in closets. The generously sized secondary bedrooms open onto a large central recreation room, perfect for work or play.

WoodCreek is a master-planned neighborhood with resort-style amenities for the whole family. Dive in the pool, workout at the fitness center, take up a friendly tennis match, challenge the neighbors on the basketball courts, explore the trails, relax by the fire at the Club and much more. Convenient to I-540 and Route 1, WoodCreek is minutes from shopping, parks, entertainment and Wake County public schools. New John Wieland homes at WoodCreek are priced from the $300,000s to $600,000s.

For more information about John Wieland’s designer models and new home at WoodCreek, visit jwhomes.com/WoodCreek or call 919-362-1683.

North Carolina Cities Named Next Biggest Boom Towns in U.S.

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Starkey LogoTwo of North Carolina’s biggest cities, Raleigh and Charlotte, are destined to get even bigger according to a new study published by Forbes magazine. Forbes recently named the next biggest boom towns in the United States, with Raleigh taking the No. 2 spot and Charlotte tying for No. 8. According to Forbes, these cities “are destined to grow and prosper in the coming decade.”

Forbes, with the help of Mark Schill of Praxis Strategy Group, took the 52 largest metro areas in the country and ranked them on various data points that indicate past, present and future vitality. These data points included job growth and a range of demographic factors, such as family formation and population growth, as well as the city’s attractiveness to immigrants as places to settle, make money and start a business. Together, these data points created Forbes’ list of The Next Biggest Boom Towns in the U.S.

According to the data, Raleigh has it all. The city boasts a high rate of immigration, including that of educated workers, and it has seen a healthy increase in population and the number of children. Raleigh’s job creation record is also among the best in the nation. In fact, Raleigh experienced the second-highest overall population increase and the third-highest job growth over the past two decades in the U.S.

Raleigh has also been named the No.1 city for raising a family by Forbes. This can be attributed to its low crime rate and low cost of living relative to the area’s rising level of income. In addition, the city’s affordable housing opportunities and short commute times are particularly attractive to recent college graduates and millennials who are looking to start families.  Starkey Mortgage (WR Starkey Mortgage, LLP NMLSR #2146) has recently explored the millennial generation housing trend, which you can read more about on the National Builder Division blog.

According to Zillow, the median list price for homes in Raleigh is $210,000, while the median sale price is a little lower at $191,800. Currently, the median household income is $46,612, which is slightly better than the national average.

The city of Charlotte’s high ranking can be attributed to its commitment to building infrastructure, such as roads and cultural institutions, which are primary components to future growth. The city is also home to a bustling airport that serves major national and international routes.

Charlotte also boasts low housing prices and short commute times. The median list price on Zillow for homes in Charlotte was $189,000, while the median sale price was $201,000. The median household income was only slightly higher than that of Raleigh’s at $46,975.

If you’re ready to begin your home search in North Carolina, Starkey Mortgage can help you begin the loan approval process now. For more information on obtaining a new home loan, please contact Debra Watt, Senior Vice President and Regional Manager (NMLSR #346277, NC License #I-149994), at 704-246-0132 or dwatt@starkeymtg.com.

Equal Housing Lender. 10800 Sikes Place #110, Charlotte, NC 28277. Branch NMLSR #93518, Branch License #L-112550-102. SC License #MLB-93518. Phone: 704-246-0132.

Raleigh Named Second Fastest-Growing City in America

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Starkey LogoThe city of Raleigh was recently ranked No. 2 on FORBES’ annual list of America’s Fastest-Growing Cities. As part of the Research Triangle, the area offers its residents an exceptional quality of life. More and more Americans are realizing this fact and rushing to call the beautiful city of Raleigh home.

The state of North Carolina was ranked by FORBES as the fourth best state in the country for doing business, and it is evident that many companies agree with this ranking. The popular Research Triangle area is home to more than 170 companies, including IBM, Cisco and GlaxoSmithKline. The state’s relatively low cost of doing business is bringing even more businesses into the area, which is creating more jobs for local residents. In addition, the wider area is home to several major universities, including North Carolina State University in Raleigh, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University in Durham.

This combination of job opportunities and educational institutions means that the local population is highly educated. Nearly half of the area’s residents aged 25 to 65 have a college degree, and many graduates choose to remain in the Research Triangle after they’ve completed their education.

According to FORBES, the influx of business to the region has caused Raleigh’s job rate to rise 2.44 percent year-over-year, while the population climbed an estimated 2.15 percent in 2013. This rise in the population helped the city of Raleigh to climb from its No. 4 spot on the 2013 list to the No. 2 spot on this year’s list of America’s Fastest-Growing Cities.

“It’s exciting to be at Starkey Mortgage because we are positioned to execute in both the current and future market conditions,” said Jonathan Hayward, Regional Builder Services Manager, East Region. “We are engaged in hiring and opening new offices for future growth.”

If you are searching for the perfect location to call home, the city of Raleigh and the entire state of North Carolina are an excellent place to move. With great education opportunities, a low unemployment rate and a great quality of life, now is the time to make Raleigh your home.

For more information on obtaining a new home loan in North Carolina from Starkey Mortgage, please contact Debra Watt, senior vice president and regional manager (NMLSR #346277, NC License #I-149994) at 704-246-0132 or dwatt@starkeymtg.com.

Equal Housing Lender. WR Starkey Mortgage, LLP NMLSR# 2146, 10800 Sikes Place, Suite 110, Charlotte, NC 28277, Branch Phone: 704.849.2125, Branch NMLSR#93518, Branch License #L-112550-102, SC License #MLB-93518.

 

Is Purchasing a Home in Cash Always the Best Choice?

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Hands holding piggy bank and house modelMany home buyers throughout the Carolinas may wonder whether paying for their home in cash or securing a mortgage makes more sense, particularly with rates still at historic lows. If you can afford it, paying for your new home in cash may seem like the obvious choice. However, for many buyers, that may not always be the best option.

There can be many advantages to financing your home with a mortgage company, such as Starkey Mortgage (WR Starkey Mortgage, LLP NMLSR #2146).

Having a mortgage means that you will have liquid assets that will allow you to secure cash if something unexpected occurs, such as a natural disaster or sudden illness. Most experts recommend that you have enough liquid cash available to support your household for up to six months in case your cash flow suddenly and unexpectedly stops.

By purchasing your home with cash, you will have fewer resources available to invest elsewhere. If you financed a portion of your home and invested that money somewhere else, it may be able to outperform the money you’re saving on a mortgage, therefore becoming a better investment option for your money.

Mortgages, especially fixed-rate mortgages, can act as an effective hedge against inflation. As inflation makes the dollar less valuable over time, your monthly payment will actually become more valuable as it doesn’t change over the lifetime of the loan.

For more information on whether securing a mortgage for your new home purchase is the right option, contact Starkey Mortgage’s Senior Vice President and Regional Manager, Debra Watt (NMLSR #346277, NC License #I-149994) at 704-246-0132 or dwatt@starkeymtg.com. For more information on Starkey Mortgage, visit www.StarkeyMortgage.com.

Starkey LogoEqual Housing Lender. WR Starkey Mortgage, LLP NMLSR# 2146, 10800 Sikes Place, Suite 110, Charlotte, NC 28277, Branch Phone: 704.849.2125, Branch NMLSR#93518, Branch License #L-112550-102, SC License #MLB-93518.