Why Do A Lock Change?

When you purchase a home, you really don’t have any idea who currently has a key, or who has been given a key in the past.  People give keys to all kinds of people.  Neighbors who keep an eye on things while they are out of town.  Service people who clean or maintain the house.  You get the idea.  Over the years, the current keys to your home have been in many hands and there is just no way to tell who might still have one.

How Much Does It Cost To Do A Lock Change?

Not as much as you might think.  One reason that the cost is reasonable is that a locksmith will simply make new keys for your home, rather than replacing the entire door lock system.  The locksmith will rekey the existing locks and provide you with new keys, which will allow you to control how they are distributed.  As of the time I wrote this article, the locksmith who I use can do a lock change on a home with 4 locks for less than $100.  Much less than it would cost to recover from the potential consequences of dishonest strangers having a copy of the key to your home.

How Long Does It Take to Schedule A Lock Change?

There are plenty of mobile locksmiths who respond to service calls for new keys from their truck.  If you think of the nature of the locksmith business (I’ve locked my keys in my car, I’ve locked myself out of my house, etc) it makes sense for these service providers to operate a very mobile business.  It’s entirely possible to get same day service.

Who Should I Call For A Lock Change?

A very good and reliable locksmith I’ve been recommending to clients for years is John Jones at Access Lock & Key.  He can provide new keys for most homes in the $100 range, he works mobile and is very quick to respond, and I’ve always received great feedback on John and the level of professionalism of the services he provides.

By having a professional, licensed locksmith do a lock change on your newly purchased home, you are providing a big security advantage for your family.

The average sell price in Wake County during the past 90 days was $242,768.  Let’s take a look at the monthly payment for a home in this price range at current interest rates and then examine what happens to affordability as rates increase.

For simplicity, this chart shows the monthly payment in terms of principle and interest only.  To illustrate affordability, and how changes in interest rates effect how much house you can afford, the monthly payment was kept as constant as possible.

Look at what happened to the loan amount as interest rates increased.  Moving from the current historically low rate of 4% to the more historically average rate of 7%.  This 3% change in mortgage interest rates changed the amount of house that can be afforded by a whopping 28%.

There is a huge difference in the size and finish amenities of a $250,000 house and a house that costs $180,000.  $70,000 more spent for a home buys you quite a bit more house.

Do you believe that interest rates will stay at 4% forever?  Do you believe that rates could go to 7% again?

Rates have certainly been at 7% in the past.  Rake a look at the chart (courtesy of mortgagenewsdaily.com) at the top of this article.  Rates were well above 7% for most of the 1990s.  From 2000 until about 2008 mortgage interest rates averaged around 7%.  Rates only dropped to the current lows in response to falling house prices.

So what will you do with the combination of low house prices and low interest rates and the tremendous housing affordability that is available right now?

Where to Look For a Realtor

The absolute best place to find a good Realtor is through the recommendation of someone you trust.  Ask friends and family who they’ve used and if they endorse that person.

Another good method is to look for a Realtor who has a published body of work.  Search online for great real estate sites that provide valuable information to the public. Typically this would be a real estate blog. If a Realtor is willing to put information about themselves and their practice on the web, you’ll be able to get a pretty good idea of what they’re like before you ever contact them. Sign up for updates to their site through RSS or email and learn a little about them while you shop around.

Qualities to Look For Before You Meet

Experience is a no brainier. You want a real estate professional who works in the business full time and has sold lots of homes for many of years.  A part time Realtor, or one who has limited experience, can actually cost you money, or even worse, have difficulty getting your home successfully closed.

If you’re checking a Realtor out online (highly recommended!) read their about page and look for testimonials.  Ask for references, or check to see if they’ve been able to get video testimonials from past clients.

In these times of social media, especially blogging, it it very easy for professionals in any field to share their expertise with the public. The best of the best do this.  It shows that they enjoy what they do and understand it well enough to articulate it publicly.

Ideally you want someone who is a native of the area where you’re looking. It’s really hard for Realtors to be familiar with the nuances of an area if they’ve only lived there a few years themselves.

Qualities to Look For When You Meet

Consider how the Realtor you’re interviewing answers your questions. Do they give clear, complete answers? Or do they come off as the hoarder of information and the gatekeeper of homes listed for sale?

Do they listen to you and take notes? Do they ask questions to draw out your goals? Or do they spend time telling you about their accomplishments? What’s the focus of the discussion? On them or you?

Ask about their availability. Always available may not necessarily be a good sign. Realtors, just like all small business people, have a finite amount of time available. While you don’t want someone who is never available, you also don’t want someone who doesn’t have any other clients. Someone who desperate for a sale might not make decisions that are in your best interest when crunch time comes.

Get Professional Representation For Free

Realtors representing buyers typically get paid by the listing agent.  The agent who represents the seller charges their client a fee and offers to share some of it with the buyer’s agent in the transaction.  If you’ve done your homework, you will end up with a true professional to be with you every step of the way and make your home buying experience a pleasant memory.  And you will not pay any Realtor fees.

Keep in mind that although 79% of home buyers use a Realtor, closer to 100% of home sellers have professional representation. Most people understand that a process as complex as purchasing a home is best done with professional guidance.  There’s no reason you cannot have a highly skilled professional guide you through this process too.

Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts

The Performing Arts Center (as the locals call it) is located at the south end of Fayetteville Street in the heart of Downtown Raleigh. There are four venues within The Performing Arts Center.

Memorial Auditorium – This is the largest of the on-site halls and has hosted many big name performances over the years. Performers such as Frank Sinatra, Itzhak Perlman, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughn and Natalie Cole have appeared at Memorial.  Broadway plays like The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, The Lion King, Jersey Boys and Miss Saigon have entertained sold out crowds.  Broadway Series South brings the best of the touring shows here for your enjoyment.

Meymandi Hall – This amazing 1700 seat venue is home to the NC Symphony. One evening immersed in the remarkable acoustics of this shoebox shaped hall and you’ll be hooked.

Fletcher Opera Theater – The AJ Fletcher Opera Theater is the area’s top destination for opera and dance performances.  There are 600 seats and the fact that the furthest view is only 70 feet makes this the perfect venue for an enjoyable evening.  The Carolina Ballet and the AJ Fletcher Opera Institute provide intimate performances here year round.

Kennedy Theater – This is a new 170 seat black-box theater that promises to provide a deeply personal and intimate experience.

Durham Performing Arts Center

Located in Downtown Durham, the locals refer to this venue as DPAC.  Only open since 2008, the DPAC has already tallied up an impressive list of 520 ticketed performances and there’s a full season ahead.  Broadway plays, comedy shows and concerts are all excellently presented in this state-of-the-art facility.

NC Museum of Art

Our art museum has quite a bit to boast about.  It’s home to the largest Rodin collection in the southeast United States. The permanent collection includes American, European, African, Egyptian and Judaic works.  The already impressive facility received a 65,000 square foot expansion that opened in 2010 bringing the total under roof facility to 127,000 square feet.  This new building features a unique design of 360 custom skylights that allow natural, light to defuse into the building.  The museum itself is surrounded by a 164 acre art park that provides permanent as well as seasonal works to be displayed against the backdrop of a natural landscape.  Past exhibitions have included vast works of artists such as Norman Rockwell, Monet, and Picasso.   The Rembrandt exhibition just closed and many more major collections are being scheduled.

Want More Information?

There’re many more venues in our area, but I wanted to highlight a few of our major facilities for showcasing the arts in the Raleigh area.  If you want specific information on anything not covered here, please ask away in the comments below, or drop me a note and I’ll get something to you right away.

The Lexington BBQ Festival is one of the largest gatherings of its type in the southeast.  This 28th annual festival had over 100,000 people in attendance.  That’s about the same number as attended the NC State Fair on the same day.

The atmosphere reminds me of the fair.  Except the setting is historic downtown Lexington, NC rather than the state fairgrounds.  Nine blocks of N Main Street (and a block each way at every intersection) gets blocked off for the event.  There are all kinds of crafts being sold at booths along the street, as well as every type of festival food imaginable.  Yes, that includes candied apples, cotton candy, elephant ears, turkey drumsticks, foot-long hot dogs, and every imaginable fried food substance known to man.  And there’s plenty of entertainment for just about any preference or taste.

There’s a lumberjack show, pig races (you have to see this!), a rock climbing wall, live music throughout the day from a variety of bands, a stunt bicycle show, and several car shows.

I really enjoy looking at classic cars, so I would make the two hour drive from Raleigh just for this.  The Lexington BBQ Festival is a pretty big event, so it attracts some impressive cars for the shows.  One (original!) owner of a mint condition 55 Chevy we met told me more people looked at his car this day than at all other shows throughout the year combined.

And of course, there’s the Western NC style barbecue.  Which is different from Eastern NC barbecue.  And way different than barbecue from any other part of the country.

What’s the difference in Eastern and Western NC barbecue you ask?  Well, in both cases it’s pork.  And it’s a noun, not a verb.  In North carolina, barbecue is a food product, not something you do to meat.

Eastern NC barbecue uses the whole hog (white and dark meat) and has vinegar based sauce.  Western NC barbecue uses only pork shoulders and has a ketchup based sauce.

From my perspective, both are really good and I’ll eat whichever is placed in front of me.  The bottom line is if you make the trip to the Lexington BBQ Festival, you absolutely owe it to yourself to try this tasty local barbecue.

The 2012, 29th annual festival should take place in October next year, so if you’re new to the Raleigh area be sure to mark your calendar and check out a little local NC culture.

Raleigh ranked number two with regards to future prospects for prosperity.  The study looked at the top 52 metro areas and ranked each with regards to past, current and future prospects for growth.

One third of the score was based on job growth over the past two years.  This was done to get an idea of how well each area is dealing with the current economic slump.

The remaining two thirds of the score consisted of a broad range of equally weighted demographic factors including:

• Rate of family formation
• Educated migration
• Population growth
• Attractiveness to immigrants

The rate of family formation was a measure of the percentage growth in children ages 5-17.  Attractiveness to immigrants measured how the area is perceived as a place to settle, make money, and start a business.

This focus on demographic factors was important as a method to capture the attractiveness of the areas to college educated migrants, new families and immigrants.  All of these groups are thought to be critical in determining the future prosperity of towns and cities.

It’s clear that the Raleigh area is doing relatively well during these tough economic times.  This Forbes study supports the findings of a recent United Van Lines study that ranked North Carolina as the number three state in terms of inbound migration.

With great schools and universities, major hospitals and corporations, Research Triangle Park, relatively low taxes, and a mild climate it’s no wonder we end up being a destination for so many families seeking to relocate to a better lifestyle.

Welcome to the next big boom town… Raleigh, North Carolina.

I have always heard that around a 6 month supply is a balanced market.  Less trends towards a sellers’ market and more trends towards a buyers’ market.

Here’s a question.  What would it take to create a sellers’ market?  More buyers absorbing the excess inventory?  It’s interesting how the heaviest buyer activity occurs during a sellers’ market, isn’t it?  When prices are rising and inventory levels are falling, the fear of loss take over and buying activity increases.  And when we have a situation like we do now, prices are at 2003-2004 levels and interest rates are as low as they have ever been, buyers seem to be waiting.

Here are the numbers.

February started out with a good amount of promise compared to the same period in 2010.  Especially considering that the tax credit deadline was approaching during this period last year.  The gap widened in March and especially April.  Just remember when you look at these numbers that the 2010 tax credit pulled a large number of buyers from the second half into the first half of 2010.

What do the months ahead hold for sellers and buyers?  Sellers must realize that the competition can be overwhelming.  Everything has to be done perfectly… from presentation and marketing… to price.

Buyers?  Ask yourself what you’re waiting for.  If you don’t need to move, by all means stay put.  But if you have a real need to move, the time has never been better.  If you’re waiting for prices to fall some more, carefully consider the effect that rising mortgage rates could have on your purchasing power.

If you don’t care to make the 1.5 hour drive to High Point, we have some pretty good alternatives right here in Raleigh.  One of the best local options for a wide range and variety of well built furniture is Whitley Galleries in Zebulon, which is just a few miles east of Raleigh.

Right now Whitley Galleries is having their once a year, store wide sale.  It happens this weekend, May 21-22.

I’ve personally purchased furniture from Whitley Galleries before and was very pleased.  Their city-block showroom offers lots of selection to view.  It makes a big difference to be able to see what you are buying.

They have very good service too.  I once had a brand new piece that I had purchased and it got scratched after it was delivered.  Clearly my problem, not theirs.  I made a quick call and they dispatched a guy who worked some magic and made the scratches totally disappear.  And they didn’t charge a penny for this service.

So if you’re in need of furniture, this would be the perfect weekend to check out Whitley Galleries.  Have fun!

I’ve lived here all my life and honestly it’s hard for me to imagine the Raleigh area as a destination for people seeking to retire.  But it is.  I help lots of people relocate to Raleigh who are at or near retirement.

The biggest reason people look for retirement communities in Raleigh is to be near adult children and their grandkids.  There are also a decent number of folks who don’t have family here, but still seek out the Raleigh area for the stable economy, moderate weather, and our just-right-size.

What I mean by just-right-size is that we are large enough to have excellent healthcare facilities, major universities, and most of the other amenities that you’d expect to find in a big city.  But we’re not all that big.  Yet.

Let’s take a look at the Raleigh area’s top three retirement communities.

Carolina Preserve at Amberly

Carolina Preserve is a Del Webb community.  These guys may be one of the most well known developers of retirement communities in the United States.  Carolina Preserve is located in the Northeast corner of Cary, NC.  It’s convenient to NC 540, the airport, I-40, and many other local attractions.

This place has the amenities!  There’s a 34,000 square foot clubhouse complete with a fitness center, indoor pool, ballroom, kitchen and activity rooms.  There’s a club or group for just about every interest imaginable.  Just a few of the current groups include; bocce, golf, cooking, photography, poker, pottery, square dancing, tennis, and yoga.  That’s a lot!

Outdoors there are walking trails, tennis courts, bocce ball courts, putting greens, another pool, and a large lake.  I’m betting you could easily find something to do at Carolina Preserve.

Heritage Pines

Heritage Pines is also located in Cary.  Not far from Carolina Preserve as a matter of fact.  Heritage Pines is a smaller, more intimate community.  There are no where near as many homes.  And the clubhouse is scaled accordingly.

But, there’s still plenty of activities and things to do!  The clubhouse features a large multi-purpose room, library room, exercise facilities, activity rooms, and a kitchen.  It sits adjacent to an outdoor heated pool, spa, bocce courts, tennis courts, shuffleboard court, and horseshoe court.  There are also walking paths and a neighborhood pond.

Planned activities include; dining clubs, talent shows, book clubs, poker and all kinds of card games, dart clubs, pocket billiard clubs, bocce, shuffleboard and horseshoe clubs, bingo, needle groups, art groups, and even a model yacht and sailboat club.  Plenty to do here too!

Four Seasons at Renaissance

This one’s brand new.  As a matter of fact, construction is scheduled to begin on the first pre-sale and model homes this month.  Four Seasons will be similar to both of the other retirement communities in the Raleigh area and will be positioned in size somewhere between the two.

A 6400 square foot clubhouse is planned complete with a ball room, sports bar, crafts room, library, exercise room, and two covered porch areas.  Also planned are a swimming pool, tennis courts, horseshoe courts, bocce ball courts, and a putting green.

And the location can’t be beat.  It’s near the Briar Creek area.

If you’d like more information on any of these great retirement communities in the Raleigh area, just contact me and I’ll be glad to answer any questions you have or to schedule a private tour for you.  If you’re move is a little farther in the future just let me know that too and I’ll be glad to set you up to receive information about homes in any or all of these communities as soon as they come on the market.

People ask me all the time how to do things related to owning a house. Most of the time I have some pretty good answers because in my business I run into lots of people doing all kinds of things related to home ownership.  I’m kind of an aggregator of information.  After getting asked the same question a bunch of times, and seeking answers for clients, I usually end up with a pretty good consensus on how to do stuff.

No so with cleaning stainless steel. Just look at the appliances in my house and you’d know that.  Hope my wife doesn’t read this.  I’m not saying our appliances are a dirty mess.  Actually we’re more likely to get accused of being obsessed with keeping things clean.  It just gets tiresome cleaning the stainless steel non-stop to keep fingerprints and smudges off.

I’ve casually asked for advice on cleaning stainless steel appliances over the years and it seems everyone I’ve asked is looking for a good answer to this question themselves.  And the common complaint seems to be fingerprints and smudges.

So I decided to ask some experts how to clean stainless steel appliances.  Mostly fellow Realtors across the country who have probably fielded this same question themselves. I was hopeful they had got better answers than I had. So I posed the question on Twitter and here are the responses I received.

@StacyStateham suggests using CLR Stainless Steel Cleaner.  This is an aerosol spray that is supposed to clean without leaving residue or streaks.  Maybe the streaks are what I’m referring to as smudges.  This sounds promising and costs $7.49 for a 24 OZ can on their website.

@homesbythomas recommends a degreasing soap like Dawn and a Scotch-Brite pad.  One thing I like about the suggestion from Thomas is that I already have these things on hand.  Nothing extra to buy.  The only negative I can think of is that the Scotch-Brite pad is abrasive and may scratch some stainless steel products.  Might want to test this solution on a non-conspicuous place first and definitely rub with the “grain” of the stainless steel.

@klemmju suggested another product I have on hand called Bar Keepers Friend.   We’ve used this product to clean clean our stainless steel sink and it works like magic!  My only reservation here was with the risk of scratches due to the abrasive nature of Bar Keepers Friend.  Judy said to make a paste from the Bar Keepers Friend, rub it on, and polish off.  Just like with the Scotch-Brite pads, be sure to test in a non-conspicuous place first and watch for scratches.

@RealEstateTonya replied that Pledge works great.  This is another product that many of us have around the house.  No cost to give it a shot.

@RealLifeSheri says use Clorox Clean-Up and a simple stainless steel cleaner purchased at Sears for shine.

I also  posted the question on Facebook and got a great answer from a past client and friend, Kelly Hartway.  She recommends Cerama Bryte Stainless Steel Cleaner.  Kelly says they got a free sample when buying an appliance and were immediately sold on the product.  She’s also had good success with Cerama Bryte reducing fingerprints which is a huge plus.

There you have it.  Recommendations from a wide range of people who are using a solution for cleaning their stainless steel appliances that works for them.  Now the next time someone asks you how to clean stainless steel appliances you can send them a link to this article