Monthly Archives: March 2012

Photo Series #1 – Kiwanis Park & Shelley Lake

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Like most of this week, Monday was another gorgeous day.  Perfect weather for a casual bike ride on Raleigh’s Greenway Trail System through Kiwanis Park and Shelley Lake. Afterwards, we headed to Frankie’s Fun Park for some Go Carting and Ski-ball!

Georgia, Will and Rose preparing for the ride through Kiwanis Park.

This seems to happen to us a lot...

Rose, Me and Georgia... We're all thinking the same thing, "Another dead end???"

Will is getting ready to lead the way out of there. We should know better than to follow Georgia...

I had to take more pictures. They're all waiting for me. Exciting stuff.

Just put those anywhere...

What would you do if you saw a picnic table in the lake?

Rose and Georgia risked their lives and climbed on the thing...

I'm glad there's another photographer in the group.

Will's getting that perfect shot!

He almost looks like he knows what he's doing...

Fierce... Georgia is one fierce chick. Don't let her fool you.

Hey a picture of me taking a picture - that's never happened before... Is this the best way to put your shoes on, Rose?

Photo Op!

Shelley Lake

I wonder what Georgia is looking at...

Georgia and I... Obviously I'm not paying attention.

Rose resting on the hill by Shelley Lake.

It's a close call, but I think I'm tanner than Georgia.

It was a beautiful day. I'm really glad I got to spend some of it outside with my Irregardless buddies

For Sale By Owner

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Times are tough and many of us are looking for different ways to save money.  We’re driving less, clipping coupons and even cooking more meals at home.  This brings me to   For Sale By Owner homes – FSBO’s.  Is this Do-It-Yourself project really worth it?

First of all, only licensed Real Estate Agents are permitted to list on the Multiple Listing Service.  This greatly reduces exposure for the listing.  FSBO’s are locked out of many other home searching websites such as Realtor.com also.  MLS is vital in terms of exposure for a listing.

Pricing can be tricky also.  A real estate agent can provide an update on market conditions, an assessment of the likely selling price of the home and tips for improving the home’s buyer appeal. Overpricing a FSBO home is a sure way to deter potential buyers. Having professional advice can help prevent this.

Many buyers feel intimidated when the seller is present and will spend less time in a for sale by owner home.  Buyers may be less inclined to make an offer if they know that they will be negotiating directly with the seller also.  Agents can help by providing an emotional buffer for the seller and potential buyer.

Real estate agents can help prevent potential liability for unwary sellers also.  Many sellers may be unaware of various disclosure requirements mandated by the state.  Working with a licensed agent  would alleviate the owner of having sole responsibility of keeping up with the ever changing laws that vary by state.

So is it really worth it to try and sell your home without a real estate professional?  I’ll let you decide.  For more information on all the services offered and how I can help you market and sell your home, please do not hesitate to contact me.  I would be glad to answer any questions you might have.

Pollen Season 2012

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I’m sure you’ve noticed the layer of yellow dust on everything lately.  It’s definitely pollen season – and this year, due to the warmer weather, it started early.  This could be good news for those affected by the pollen.  Although the pollen season is longer this year, it won’t be as intense as years past.  According to Mary Clark, an environmental technician with the North Carolina’s Division of Air Quality, the worst should be over by the end of April.

Bikes, Sushi and Bowling

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Meet my biking buddies - Rose, Georgia and Will

The weather these last few days has been awesome.  It’s been sunny, warm and we recently gained an extra hour of daylight.  Not to mention my allergies were starting to kick in too.  Spring was definitely near… It was the perfect day for a bike ride.

I met my friends at the Bell Tower on Hillsborough Street. From there where we made our way to Centennial Campus.  It’s a really nice campus – they’re even building a giant new library that sort of looked like it belonged in a Star Wars movie.  There’s a golf course, walking trail and disc golf course on the campus also.  We even found a great spot by the lake to watch the sun set.

On our way back from Centennial Campus, we decided to stop at Sushi Blues on Glenwood Avenue for some BOGO sushi rolls.  I really like the new outdoor patio area they built recently.  It’s much better than the little parking lot that was there before.  The sushi was pretty good there.  The house salad with ginger dressing looked really good too.  I’ll have to get that next time.

To complete our night, we hit up The Alley on Hillsborough Street.  On Monday nights, you can bowl all you want for just 5 bucks!  If I wasn’t so exhausted from the bike ride, I would have stayed longer than just one game.  However, at this point my legs felt like jelly, and all I could think about was how great sleep was going to be that night.

Overall, it was a really fun day – the weather was really nice, I got a good work out from bike ride around town, enjoyed delicious sushi, and went bowling – all in the company of  great friends…  Not bad for a Monday night in downtown Raleigh!

Don’t Forget!

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The first sure sign that spring is near is that extra hour of daylight we get when daylight savings time begins.  Be sure to set your clocks forward one hour at 2:00 AM Sunday morning (or before you go to bed Saturday night.)  Spring will be here before you know it!