Category Archives: North Carolina

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.

Starkey Mortgage Gives Back to Local Communities in Need

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Starkey LogoStarkey Mortgage’s Community Connection program was established in 2000 to better address the needs of the community. The mortgage company donates $250 for each loan closed to the home builder or buyer’s charity of choice. In the past year, more than $80,000 has been gifted to charities in Starkey Mortgage’s local communities across the United States.

When a buyer purchases or refinances a home, the charity selected receives a sizable donation. When financing with Starkey Mortgage, customers receive the highest quality home financing, competitive rates, and top notch service provided by one of the premier lenders, and their designated charity receives a $250 donation!

Debra Watt, Starkey Mortgage’s senior vice president and regional manager in North Carolina explained, “The Community Connection Program has made such a tremendous impact on communities throughout the country. We are constantly looking for new ways to enrich the lives of our clients, and what better way than giving back to the community in which they live.”

Starkey Mortgage pledges an unwavering commitment to customer service. This commitment is extended to the participants of the Community Connection Program, combining this legendary service with a wide variety of products at low prices. The mortgage lender’s vision is to help your community grow while helping customers finance the home they desire.

For more information on Starkey Mortgage’s Community Connection Program, please contact North Carolina’s Senior Vice President and Regional Manager, Debra Watt (NMLSR #346277, NC License #I-149994) at 704-246-0132 or dwatt@starkeymtg.com.

At Starkey Mortgage, people are key. The mortgage company prides itself on creating loyalty and long-term relationships with its customers and employees. As a full-service mortgage banker, Starkey Mortgage originates, processes, underwrites, closes and funds residential mortgage loans in its name. This “in-house” authority provides increased control over the mortgage process which results in superior customer service. For information on Starkey Mortgage, visit www.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.