Monthly Archives: July 2012

Housing Starts and Mortgage Applications Are Up

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Housing starts in June is the highest it’s been in 4 years with housing starts up to 6.9% for the month. In May it was only 4.8%. June’s annual rate was 760,000 versus 711,000 in May. Also, annual rate is now at its highest level since October 2008. There has been a strong increase in construction of single-family homes which was up 4.7%. Multi-family home starts were up 12.8% for the same period.

Mortgage applications have also been on the rise. The MBA’s Mortgage Application Index was up 16.9% for the week ending July 13th. Much of this activity was driving by refinancing which accounted for 80% of all mortgage transactions.

For the full article, please refer to WRAL.com.

Neuse River Greenway Opening Soon

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The first section of the Neuse River Greenway is set to open this September.  The 8-mile stretch starts from Falls of Neuse Road near the Falls Lake Dam and extends south to the WRAL Soccer Complex.  Once complete, the Neuse River Greenway will run 28 miles from Falls Lake Dam south to the Johnston County Line.  It is set to be completed in early 2013.

For more details on the latest addition to the Capital Area Greenway System, check out this article from Get Going NC.

 

Triangle Home Sales Market Update

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With sales increasing 19 percent since the same period last year, the Triangle housing market continued its upward trend in the second quarter according to the News & Observer.

Similar to last quarter, the number of listed homes in the are continues to go down while the number of sales is still rising steadily.  There were 5,721 homes sold in Durham, Johnston, Orange and Wake counties during the three months that ended June 30, Triangle Multiple Listing Services data show. Pending sales for the quarter were up 22 percent, and showings increased 11 percent.

According the Triangle Multiple Listing Services, there were 5,721 homes sold in Durham, Johnston, Orange and Wake counties during the three months that ended June 30.  Meanwhile, pending sales for the quarter were up 22 percent, and showings increased 11 percent.  The average days on the market for the homes that sold during the quarter was 115, down from 121 during the same period a year ago.

America’s Greatest State Fairs

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State fairs all over the country draw millions of visitors each year. These events were mainly built around judging livestock, agriculture and food. Recipe judging is actually one of the oldest kind of competitions. It dates back to the early 1800s.

Recently ranked as one of America’s Greatest State Fairs, the North Carolina State Fair was first held in 1853.  It has had three different homes since then.  All have been in North Carolina’s capital city, Raleigh.

The fair’s exhibits are based around agriculture and education. The Village of Yesteryear and the Field of Dreams exhibits are some of the most popular exhibits, letting fairgoers learn about farming in the past as well as today’s process of growing and harvesting crops.

Many people come just for the food. The N.C. State Dairy stand for Howling Cow Ice Cream has been around for more than half a century and is one of the most visited food stands.  The ice cream is made on the N.C. State campus at the dairy lab, using traditional recipes with fresh milk and cream from its Raleigh farm. For the more adventurous, there’s the Krispy Kreme Burger which consists of a cheeseburger placed between 2 glazed donuts instead of the typical hamburger bun.

This year the NC State Fair goes on from October 11-21 and is expected to attract more than a million people from all over North Carolina. I’m definitely going for the Howling Ice Cream this year.  What about you?


July 4th Fireworks Moved to City Plaza

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One of the most anticipated events all summer is the fireworks show at the NC State Fairgrounds every July 4th.  Beginning this year, however, the city of Raleigh will celebrate Independence Day on Fayetteville Street in Downtown Raleigh.

In addition to the fireworks display at 9:30pm, there will be events held all day long.  Some of these include the King BMX Stunt Show, a Hot Dog Eating Contest, Ice Cream Eating Contest, as well as Musical Performances at the Morgan Street Stage, on the Courthouse Steps and the City Plaza Stage.