Latino Festival

Saturday, September 24

1 p.m.-6 p.m.

Rock Quarry Park,

701 Stadium Dr., Durham

For more information click here

In Durham, NC there is never a dull moment. If you want to enjoy yourself and live a little, look no further than downtown Durham on June 18 from 1-8pm. This 7th Annual Durham Juneteenth Celebration & Unity March will be filled with fun as the event kicks off with a processional at 12:30pm. Following the march there will be an opening ceremony at the CCB Plaza which will include songs, prayer and more. The 7th Annual Durham Juneteenth Celebration & Unity March has activities geared toward family participation, community unification and good old fashioned FUN!!

And at 8pm just make your way over to the Hayti Heritage Center for some great poetry. That’s right, there’s a poetry slam happening in Durham. Check out the Jambalaya Soul Slam.

Dispose of Your Unused, Expired Prescriptions

Take-back event offers public safe, secure way to dispose of their medications.

March 23, 2011

Durham, NC -

WHO:
Durham Police Department, Duke Police, Duke University Hospital, Kroger and Food Lion (select stores), Safe Kids Durham County and DurhamT.R.Y.

WHAT:
Prescription drug take-back events where you can safely dispose of your expired, unused prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications and keep them out of the wrong hands. Operation Medicine Drop cannot accept biohazard materials.

WHY:
Unintentional poisoning from prescription medications is on the rise in North Carolina – since 1999, nearly 4,500 people have died from prescription poisoning. Operation Medicine Drop offers the public a free and convenient option for disposing of their prescription and over-the-counter medications to protect their families and the environment.

Location/Times:

March 23, 2011

Duke University Hospital North Lobby 6-10 am, South Lobby 7-11am, and Durham Regional Hospital, front of the hospital, 10-2pm.

March 26, 2011, 10am-2pm

Krogers, Hillsborough Rd

Krogers, Roxboro Rd

Krogers, Hwy 54

Food Lion, Sherron Rd

This information reprinted from a Durham County Press Release. For more information, please consult Durham County Public Information Department

Q: What is Marry Durham?
A: Marry Durham is a family-friendly event intended to promote citizen engagement in Durham, celebrate Durhamites’ love for their quirky little town, and raise funds for five great non-profits in our community! We’ll gather downtown, marry Durham to affirm our commitment to the city, and then celebrate at a large reception on Rigsbee Ave. between Corporation and Geer St. Like all good weddings, there will be delicious local food (for purchase), and dancing. The wedding ceremony begins at 4:00 PM on Saturday, March 19th – don’t be late!

This information reprinted from the Marry Durham FAQ page

Gradual progress in the housing market continues at a steady pace without government support. The market has shown remarkable improvement from the initial drop after the expiration of the home buyer tax credit this past July. Although higher-than-normal distressed sales skew the overall picture of home prices downward, inventory continues to shrink and sales continue to rise. The rock-bottom interest rates of 2010 are likely to trend upward. As economists anticipate rates at or above 6% by the end of 2012, buyers are moving off the sidelines and into the market.

A good sign for long-term market stability is that the median down payment on conventional mortgages has risen to 22%, up from 4% in 2006 and slightly above the 20% standard in the 1990s.  This may keep buyers looking in slightly lower price ranges, but it is a good sign of future sustainability for homeowners and banks alike.  There are still ample opportunities for those who would like down payments below 20%, including some conventional mortgages and those backed by the Federal Housing Administration, Veterans Affairs, and  the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development loans.
As the economy improves, stimulus efforts by the government and the Federal Reserve Board will gradually wind down, which typically means rising interest rates. Meanwhile, buyers continue to benefit from historically favorable buying conditions and sellers are encouraged by increased market stability.

Home Sales (in millions)

The increasing trend in existing home sales activity continued through January, and for the first time rose above year-ago levels when the home buyer tax credit was in effect. This marks the sixth monthly increase since July when the tax credit expired, and indicates a recovery that’s gaining a firmer footing without government support. 

Home Price (in thousands)

Home prices softened in January with median home prices decreasing slightly to $158,800 – 3.7% below the year-ago level. Contributing to this is a larger share of distressed homes sales, which accounted for 37% of sales in January compared to 30%-35% throughout much of 2010. Prices and mortgage rates remain favorable for buyers.

Inventory- Month’s Supply (in months)

The uptick in home sales and a shrinking inventory pared down the month’s supply to 7.6 months, a decrease of 7.3% from December and 1% from year-ago levels. This is the lowest level in more than a year and marks the first time since July that the month’s supply is below where it was the previous year. Months of inventory has declined steadily (64%) from its peak of 12.5 months in July and is now back to pre-tax credit expiration levels. The supply of inventory is not far from a seller’s market, which is less than 6 month’s supply.

Source: National Association of Realtors – housing data released Feb 23.

Interest Rates

Mortgage rates jumped above 5% for the first time since April 2009 in January. While rates dipped back to just below 5%, they are expected to continue an upward trend throughout the year. As overall economic recovery remains on track, rates will likely rise to keep inflation in check. Buyers wanting to capture the savings in monthly payments that a historically low interest rate affords are expected to take advantage of excellent buying conditions.

Source: Freddie Mac, Rates as of Mar 3.

This Month’s Video

Topics For Home Owners, Buyers & Sellers

Preparing your home for sale in a buyer’s market can seem daunting, but these five tips will help you get the best price in the least amount of time.

• Organizing and cleaning is crucial when prepping a home for sale. Potential home buyers have a more positive reaction to homes that are clutter-free and give them the feeling that the home is “move-in ready.”
• Presale home inspection can inform you of any trouble areas within your home that can stand out to potential buyers. An inspection can also help you make any repairs necessary before future open houses.
• Determine replacement estimates before listing your home, even if you are not planning on making the replacements yourself. This information can help buyers to make informed decisions.
• Have your warranties ready – especially for all those home appliances that will stay within the home after the sale.
• Curb appeal is a crucial factor because it determines first impressions. A negative first impression can cloud their entire opinion about the home.

On a typical day in my life as a Durham, NC Realtor® I drive all over the Triangle.  Some days it seems like I wake in Durham, lunch in Raleigh and dinner in Chapel Hill. LOL.  Of course, most of my time is spent surveying the houses along the way, but yesterday, I couldn’t help noticing the amount of buses I passed along the way.  With the prices of gas skyrocketing, riding the bus on a lazy Saturday afternoon sounds like a great idea.  Why are we always rushing and insisting on driving our cars.  Slow down people and look around you.  Our Triangle area is a wonderful place to live and if we just put our keys down for a few minutes, it’s a very easy place to navigate and take advantage of our resources. We can hop on the Bull City Connector, the DATA,  the CAT, the Chapel Hill Transit or the TTA and sightsee our way around town.

btw – check out the future…of TTA

My treasure of a city, aka…Durham, NC is home to a diverse population.  This diversity combined with the outstanding universities (Duke, NCCU and more) allows its residents to benefit from great museums.  Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University is just one of those museums and I had to share with you all this opportunity to learn more about JAZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Jazz Then and Now

“Housing is at its most affordable level in decades. Record-low mortgage rates and a strong inventory
of homes in all price ranges will benefit those who are willing and able to take advantage of this
market. Whether you’re a first timer, move-up buyer or hoping to invest in foreclosures or a short sale,
the 18th Annual Home Buyers Fair offers a free, one-day primer on the home-buying process.” For more info click here

Congrats to the State of North Carolina as we were selected as one of the nine state winners to receive 400 million from the U.S. Department of Education.

Race To The Top Education Grant Winner

The funds are to be used to improve teacher quality, student performance and career preparation. Durham school officials would like to use funds to purchase I Pads for some schools, teacher development and to improve low performance schools.  With these funds schools should improve.  Want local school information?

Durham Real Estate | Amy Reed | Real Estate Agent | Real Estate Broker

If you are considering relocating to Durham North Carolina and want to know more about the schools contact Amy Reed today!