Greensboro Area Homes

Homes sales drop in Greensboro

greensborohomes — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:57:46 +0000

GREENSBORO — The number of existing single-family homes sold in Greensboro continued to drop in the first quarter of 2008, marking another dip in the local housing market.

There were 737 homes sold from January through March, down from the 741 homes sold in the fourth quarter of last year, and 22.5 percent below the number sold in the first quarter of 2007, according to data from the Greensboro Regional Realtors Association.

The slowdown puts the pace of home selling back to the levels found in 2003 and 2004, before the record highs of 2005 and 2006.

“Although it may seem like a dramatic drop, we’re actually getting back to normal levels. We are actually where we were about three years ago before our record level of homes sold in Greensboro,” association President Ann Buffington, in a news release said.

At First Banks Ignored Mitigation and now

greensborohomes — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 01:50:25 +0000

It was February ’95 when I first got started in foreclosure counseling or loan mitigation as some prefer. At the time most banks had a damn the homeowner attitude when it came to helping an owner avoid foreclosure and the eventual loss of their home. The majority just dismissed the owner’s pleas and took the house. Sadly most lenders were unaware of mitigation practices.

Then a milestone came when FHA got tired of taking back so many homes from the lenders. FHA stood up and told lenders you will do everything you can to avoid foreclosure. Oh and for doing this we will pay you a fee for every home you save. Of course this made the job of a foreclosure consultant easier for the most part.

Now due to lenders’ own greed and in the majority of cases outright fraud they have created a mortgage meth lab that is exploding. Where does foreclosure mitigation sit in all this? Well the lawmakers have come up with some housing relief and here in North Carolina foreclosure counselors may be getting some help. That is to the tune of $3 million in a grant to North Carolina Housing Finance Agency and 20 other counseling agencies. You can read the $3 million grant story here.

Bring your tires, paint, chemicals and electronics Friday April 4 2008

greensborohomes — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:23:19 +0000

Are old tires, appliances, outdated computers and unused paint and household chemicals cluttering up your property?

Spring is a popular time for trash pickups and collections. Several Guilford County agencies again will sponsor a special free disposal day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at the County Agricultural Center, 3309 Burlington Road, Greensboro. The spring cleanup allows residents to dispose of household hazardous waste, pesticides and electronic equipment, tires and appliances with one easy stop.

Business waste will not be accepted.

The Guilford County Planning and Economic Development department has partnered with Greensboro Environmental Services, the County Cooperative Extension and the County Prison Farm to offer the safe, freeand environmentally sound way for residents to dispose of many types of hazardous waste they have in their homes, said Susan Heim, county environmental services coordinator.

The event is part of the “Guilford County — How Do You MEASURE UP?” awareness campaign.

“By participating in SpringCleanup 2008, residents keep valuable commodities and toxic materials out of our landfills, ensuring they will be reused or recycled instead,” Heim said.

Residents can drop-off the following items:

Automotive: tires with the rims removed; antifreeze, motor oil, air cleaners, batteries.
Appliances: stoves, refrigerators, washers, air conditioners.
Chemicals: pesticides and containers that have been tripled-rinsed; paint and supplies; household and garden chemicals and other types of household hazardous waste.
E-waste: computers, televisions, electronic games, cell phones and any other household items with an electronic chip. Electronic waste will be recycled through the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center’s E-Waste Recycling Program, sponsored by Guilford County and the City of Greensboro.

Source Information:

To see more of the High Point Enterprise, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.hpe.com. Copyright (c) 2008, High Point Enterprise, N.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

New Loop is Driving Anger in Greensboro

greensborohomes — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:14:54 +0000

Steve Gladson is an angry man, but he isn’t alone in his outrage about Greensboro’s new western loop.

Gladson lives in a neighborhood where a lot of the men — and women, too — are angered by the massive interstate that splits their Kings Mill subdivision in two.

They believe state government deceived them about the size, proximity and noise of the road, which winds from Interstate 85 near Groometown Road north to Piedmont Triad International Airport.

“If you talk to enough people, you’ll hear it said you can’t fight government,” Gladson says. “But you have to fight. It’s the only way things will change.”

Average home price down $10,000 in Greensboro

greensborohomes — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:51:22 +0000

Greensboro, NC — If you’re in the market for a home, now is a good time to buy.

Last month, the average sale price for a Greensboro home fell by more than $10,000 compared to last year.

The average sale price is now about $163,000.

Wrenchel Stokes with Your Community Real Estate blames a growing number of foreclosures and creative financing.

“Some people would refinance and they’ll actually refinance for more than the home is typically worth. When that happens it’s going to cause particularly in some neighborhoods it’s going to cause kind of a downward spiral,” Stokes said.

Stokes says Greensboro has not been seriously affected by the housing crunch.

He says cities with bigger problems suffered from severely inflated home prices.

Source:WFMY News 2

Presidential Campaigners are hitting North Carolina

greensborohomes — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:44:29 +0000

NORTH CAROLINA — Those wishing to stay on top of all the political news they can get their hands on likely had a tough week keeping up throughout the state, as both Democratic presidential candidates, and two family members, hit the speaking circuit.

The N.C. primary isn’t until May 6, 2008, but the candidates are waging a battle for those undecided votes still lingering between campaigns. If you’re still trying to catch up on all that was said, News 14 Carolina has the speeches, one-on-one interviews and in-depth articles to help you out. Take a look:

Happy 200th Birthday Greensboro North Carolina

greensborohomes — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:58:06 +0000

Greensboro, NC — Greensboro’s 200th birthday party kicked off on Tuesday with the first leg of the bicentennial torch relay.

Runners and walkers spent the early evening looping through Greensboro, among them were several of your friends from WFMY.

Sandra Hughes was one of the first to carry and pass the torch along the nearly 12 mile route.

Erica Taylor, accompanied by Maila Rible, Eric Chilton and Rosemary Plybon were also among the dozens of representatives from the community participating in the run.

Is Your Home Walk Distance Friendly?

greensborohomes — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:34:07 +0000

With the ever rising price of fuel and the growing concern with better health and physical fitness, isn’t it about time this has caught up to your choice in buying or selling a home?

Have you ever wondered just how “walk distance friendly” your home is?

Potential buyers are looking at conveniences not only in the home itself, they are now extending that to the surrounding areas.

Questions like how close is the grocery store? What about the library or someplace for a quick bite or cup of joe?

Well now there is a site to answer these questions. Just click on walkscore.com

Type in an address and the program will determine your Walkscore out of a possible 100.

They then rate your score as follows:

90 – 100 = Walkers’ Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.
70 – 90 = Very Walkable: It’s possible to get by without owning a car.
50 – 70 = Some Walkable Locations: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.
25 – 50 = Not Walkable: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must.
0 – 25 = Driving Only: Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!

So if you are a seller you may want to include this information in your listing packet.

Buyers can use this as a way to eliminate homes off of their list of potentials.

Green building is finally coming to the Triad

greensborohomes — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:51:51 +0000

Mount Airy, NC – The move to green and sustainable commercial and residential building in the Piedmont Triad is slowly gaining ground, but still has a way to go, says Greg Savage LEED AP, the Director of Sustainable Construction at John S. Clark Company and Chair of the Triad’s new N.C. Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.On Friday, March 15, Savage was joined by Rence Callahan, the Vice President of Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce Architects in Winston-Salem, to address green and sustainable building and commercial-residential development at a meeting of the Piedmont Real Estate Council at the Piedmont Club. Walter Robbs recently moved into their new offices in downtown Winston-Salem, soon to receive certification as Forsyth County’s first LEED project (LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a national benchmark for sustainable green building and development)

.Read the full story here.

Economy up in the Greensboro Triad area

greensborohomes — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:18:09 +0000

The overall economy in the Triad inched upward in January, according to a review of indicators by UNC-Greensboro.

The Piedmont Triad Business Index was up by 0.1 percent in January, according UNCG’s Bryan School of Business and Economics. Leading national economic indicators declined by that same amount in January.

Employment figures held steady overall in the Triad, the study found. Goods-producing jobs were off slightly, while service-sector jobs were higher.

Read the full story here.