Category Archives: Winston-Salem new homes

new homes and real estate in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Winston-Salem Named As Top 10 Cheapest US City

Even though home prices may be low, buyers still have to consider the cost of living for the region they want to move to. To help buyers out, Kiplinger recently released their list of the top 10 cheapest U.S. cities to live in based on research from the Council for Community and Economic Research. Making the list at number 10 was our very own popular Carolina real estate destination, Winston-Salem, N.C.

Winston-Salem is the most budget-friendly big city within the Tar Heel State, with Raleigh coming in at second. The cost of living index is a 87.5, which means it is around 13 points below the national average. The median household income is below the national average at $41,483, but the average home price is also well below the national average at $199,118. In addition, renting an apartment typically costs around $590 a month. Two of the most popular and biggest employers for the area are Wake Forest University and Reynolds American.

If you’re considering purchasing a new home in either South Carolina or North Carolina, Winston-Salem is the only big city to make Kiplinger’s list of cheapest cities for either state.

Nine Carolina Cities Make Improving Markets List for April

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Nine cities in North and South Carolina made the list of housing markets showing measurable improvement in April. Compiled by the National Association of Home Builders and First American Improving Markets Index (IMI), April’s list included 101 metropolitan areas across the nation.

Seven North Carolina cities: Burlington, Charlotte, Goldsboro, Greensboro, Greenville, Rocky Mount and Winston-Salem made the list. Charleston and Spartanburg made the list for South Carolina.

The IMI identifies metro areas that show increases over a six month period for each of the respective lows related to employment, housing permits and house prices. The data is collected from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US Census Bureau and Freddie Mac. The list of 101 cities is up from the 99 listed in March, with 11 slipping from the list and 13 new ones being added.

“While housing markets across the country continue to struggle under the weight of overly tight lending conditions and other challenges, the April IMI indicates that at least 101 individual metros are showing measurable and consistent signs that they are headed in the right direction,” said NAHB Chairman Barry Rutenberg. “A total of 35 states are now represented on the list, with 10 states having four or more entries. This positive news is in line with what our builder members have observed regarding firming conditions and improved buyer interest in certain locations.”

The National Association of Home Builders is a trade organization of 140,000 plus members involved in multifamily construction, home building, subcontracting, remodeling, housing finance, property management, building product manufacturing, design and more. NAHB builder members are expected to be involved in 80 percent of new housing projects this year.

If you’re interested in buying a home in one of these booming cities in North Carolina or South Carolina, visit Carolina Real Estate Forum.

Why You Should Cover Your Carolina Home With an Umbrella

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Why 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.

McCar Homes Offers Assurance Guarantee

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McCar Homes is offering buyer insurance in their Carolina communities. Called the Assurance Guarantee, it allows homeowners to feel confident that they made a sound investment and the right choice for their families. The Assurance Guarantee ensures that homeowners receive the lowest base price at the time of closing. Homeowners also receive a 90 day interest lock and a 15 year warranty on their home. Every single luxury home built by McCar is a high-quality house that you can be confident will last, and this warranty shows that they truly stand behind their homes. The warranty covers any constructional defects as well as all structural elements. How often does a company come along that really allows you to buy a new home with complete peace of mind? As always the McCar communities are top of the line with incredible amenities to give you and your family a place to play and grow together.

mRelevance Challenges Homebuilders to “Google Yourself”

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Do you like what you see when you put your company’s name in Google? Well when mRelevance, a new company started by the joining of Flammer Relations and MLC New Home Marketing, encouraged homebuilders to “google themselves” many found that their website did not pull up on page one, or that there was a negative article published. mRelevance specializes in improving SEO to your website and making sure that customers find positive, useful and relevant sites when putting your keywords into search engines. Today, over 90% of homebuyers shop online before heading out to view properties, meaning that a significant presence online is more powerful than ever. The team at mRelevance understands this and can help you establish the correct type of attention both online and in traditional means through internet marketing, social media and public relations. mRelevance is a one-stop-shop that can take your business to the next level through basic steps like building you the right kind of website to more in-depth means such as blogging, writing copy, tracking site visitors, writing online and traditional press releases or even planning big events to attract more customer attention. So google your company, and if you don’t like what you see, put the mRelevance team to work for you.