Too hot inside? What spring maintenance tips did you skip?

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Air Conditioning RepairHomeowners in the Carolinas are settling into summer with temperatures in the 90s and humidity levels that no one outside the Southern US could believe. If it’s too hot in your home, you’ve probably already realized that you skipped a spring maintenance step or two – like changing out your filters and calling for a check up on the air conditioning unit that worked so hard for you last summer.

It makes a hot and sweaty homeowner stop and think – what else did I forget to do for my home this spring? When you buy a brand new Carolina home, things may still feel so new the first time spring or fall comes around that you forget there are things that must be done seasonally to make sure your home systems continue to run like new for a long time. Many new home builders will provide a check list for you to follow each season, either as part of a “welcome home” packet or on their web sites.

If you’re lacking such a checklist, look no further. The

Equifax Personal Finance blog gives tips about avoiding

Spring Home Maintenance Headaches. The blog includes lots of other tips too – on everything from real estate to retirement to credit. Now’s a good time to take a look and see what you forgot to do for your home. After all, it’s never too late to show your home some love!

Experience the magic of Venice at the 2010 STARS Awards Gala

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Stars awardsBe a star at the 2010 STARS Awards Gala on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at the Hilton Charlotte Center City Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The STARS Awards are a centerpiece of the 21st Century Building Expo and Conference—the premiere building expo and conference in the Southeast. Each year, the gala salutes the outstanding professional performance of HBA members throughout the region by honoring the achievements of builders, associates, Realtors, media and advertising professionals, and many others who make major contributions to the residential home building industry. Local home builders associations are also honored for their outstanding achievements. With 47 categories to choose from, there is something for everyone!

Do you have a great project that deserves recognition? Do you need a creative way to make your product and company stand out above the competition? If so, enter the STARS Awards! To be eligible for consideration in the 2010 awards program, you must be a member of the National Association of Home Builders. Projects must have been completed between January 1, 2009 and July 31, 2010. Entrants can choose between two entry deadlines this year:

1) Early Bird deadline: All entries (fee and entry materials) must be received no later than July 12, 2010. Fee: $100 per entry

2) Regular deadline: All entries (fee and entry materials) must be received no later than July 21, 2010. Fee: $150 per entry

The official Call for Entries can be accessed at the following link: http://www.21buildingexpo.com/star_award.cfm

If you would like a hard copy mailed to you, please contact Kathryn Atkinson at 919-676-9090 or katkinson@nchba.org to make a request.

Agents, Need FloorPlans?

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Floorplan OnlineFloorPlanOnline® has launched a new version to provide Buyers, Sellers and Agents with valuable resources. This new more user-friendly version 2.o has an integrated website that includes upgraded navigation with different property content, and multiple tour customization options.

Home Shopper Features

The advanced site presents the home buyers with a myriad of Media options; including a Floor Plan Viewer with zoom-ability and full screen, Photo Viewer with large, high quality photos, WalkThruTM Video, and the new RoomPlanner that allows the user to drag and drop furniture onto the floorplan to experiment with furniture placement and design.

FPO 2.0 brings a new, high level of information to the home buyer about a listing. Our goal is to provide the most robust content platform for properties online, said Kris Cone, CEO of FloorPlanOnline®. To be able to see the floorplan of a home, click on a room and see the photo of that room – it’s a powerful tool. To then further make it your own with the RoomPlanner gets the buyer interested and engaged.  We are taking great care to offer this premium service affordably and efficiently through full or self service options.

Listing Agent Features

The site also allows the listing agent to perform search engine optimization (SEO) on individual properties and do their own tracking via Google Analytics (or other tracking programs).

Visit FloorPlanOnline® for more information on version 2.0.

March Homes Sales Rise

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Home SalesAs the federal housing tax credit ran out, home buyers raced to buy a home to meet the looming deadline. This pushed pending sales of existing homes in March up 5.3 percent over February according to the National Association of Realtors. The organization is also reporting that pending sales were up 21.1 percent from just one year ago. However sales are expected to stabilize throughout the year and not maintain this pace.

Now that the incentive and the sense of urgency to buy quickly and buy now is gone, experts are predicting that home sales will fall over the next few months. However, there is good news on the horizon as home sales are expected to become self-sustaining in the second half of 2010 and into 2011.

Despite the Economy, a New Business Thrives

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The Interior PartnersTwo years ago, the housing market was slowing down and several companies were going out of business. That is also when The Interior Partners decided to set up shop. In those two years, Cindi MacPherson and Ashley Norred have experienced success after success with twenty projects under their belt. They’ve completed five residential projects, a restaurant and 15 model installations for home builders. They operate all across the Southeast.

How were they so successful in such a down market? Their low overhead, flexibility with clients and knack for staying in tight budgets have given them a competitive edge. In order to stay in budget, furniture was reused for different projects but accented with different items to provide a fresh look. Cindi MacPherson is extremely optimistic about growth potential in 2010 since the market is turning around.

Last fall, The Interior Partners won the Gold and Silver OBIEs from the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association for best model home merchandising for $299,999 and under for their work in the Bryant Lake community of LaGrange, Ga.

The Interior Partners enjoys the creativity in residential projects. Currently, they are working on one project in Midtown Atlanta, a structure of glass, stone and steel, and another in the Vinings neighborhood that was damaged by the September 2009 floods in Georgia.

The Interior Partners would love to assist you with your next project. They serve the following areas: Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama or Tennessee. Contact them by calling 678-731-0926 or visiting their website, The Interior Partners.