Thought you may be interested in knowing which Wake County neighborhoods have sold the most homes this fall of 2011. Interesting information, but to be more informative we need to know the number of homes in the neighborhood! If you want stats on YOUR neighborhood just ask me!
I’ve wasted plenty of money buying books that I did not like; so thought it would be helpful to share with you books that were worth the time and money! I am lucky enough to be in a book club with a group of fantastic friends for about 12 years now. We’ve read tons of books and enjoyed discussing them over gallons of wine. I’ve listed below some of the books most of our group really liked (plus a few of my guilty pleasures). Feel free to comment and add books you’ve enjoyed…it is a work in progress.
| Book Name | Description | All Time Favs |
| The Help | About the black maids in Alabama | |
| Someone Knows my Name | Composite character of young black woman’s life as a slave in 1770’s | x |
| The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks | non fiction. Where did the famous HELA cell line come from? What happened to her family? | |
| Memoirs of a Geisha | Follows young girl as she learns to be a geisha | x |
| Secret Life of Bees | Young girl in the South escaping her past | |
| Girl with the Pearl Earring | Poor English maid’s story | |
| Life of Pi | Indian boy’s travels – | |
| The Hours | ||
| The Kite Runner | Two boys growing up in Afghanistan | x |
| 2000 Sunrises (or Sunsets?) | Two Afghan women’s lives | |
| Devil in The White City | Non fiction. 1893 Chicago World’s fair incredible feats contrasted to a Serial Killer who also was there | x |
| Middlesex | Non fiction follows young transsexual and his issues | |
| Reading Lolita in Tehran | Teacher Defies Iranian Law | |
| Growing up Fast | Studies Teen Pregnancy in small town | |
| Rainey | Small town southern girl marries big City boy…live in small town- funny | |
| Pope Joan | First Woman Pope | |
| The Other Boleyn Girl | Anne Boleyn’s sister as well as Anne’s fate with Henry | |
| Running with Scissors | boy grows up in super crazy family. Supposed to be funny but mainly disturbing | |
| To Kill a Mockingbird | classic…you know | x |
| Fast Food Nation | ||
| The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night | Autistic boy tries to figure out a who-done-it . Warm book | |
| 13 Moons | almost biographical life of fronteersman in the Tenn/NC region | x |
| The Glass Castle | Helped show me I’m NOT the worst parent in the world. Super book | x |
| Unbroke Horses | Prequel to The Glass Castle. Her grand mom’s life | x |
| Snowflower and the Secret Fan | follows two Chinese girls through their friendship to old age | x |
| Omnivore’s Delima | Follows the actual source of 4 meals. Very powerful read | x |
| Water for Elephants | ||
| Wicked | I love books that turn our ideas on end. | |
| Confessions of an Ugle Stepsister | same as above…save author | |
| Angela’s Ashes | Biographical of the hard life endured by an Irish boy – yet funny, too | x |
| Naked | I love David Sedaris..all his books about growing up in Raleigh are funny | |
| The Lovely Bones | Sister tries to learn the fate of her dead sister | |
| Angels and Demons | guilty pleasure | |
| Divinci Code | guilty pleasure | |
| Pillars of the Earth | follows the Evil clergy vs the good in building a Cathedral | |
| Where the Heart Is | Young mother lives in Walmart | |
| Omnivore’s Delima | Author investigates the source an contents of 4 meals. SUPER book | x |
| Jesus Land | Two kids living in a cult-like Christian camp. Biographical | |
| Under the Banner of Heaven | A girl’s experience growing up Mormon (not very pro) | |
| Come Back | Mom tries to bring her daughter back from drug filled life. Both real mom and daughter alternate chapters | |
| The Golden Compass (Series) | guilty pleasure | |
| Harry Potter Series | guilty pleasure | x |
| Twilight Series | guilty pleasure |
A proposal is in the works that FOR FREE, will help millions of Americans Improve their credit score. It is called the Medical Debt Responsibility act 2011, or HR 2086.
IF you have had problems with medical bills (and most of us will at some point!) this bill should pique your interest. Did you know that over 40% of credit reports have collections reported for medical bills?
Here is why the bill is great: for any medical collections that is under $2,500…if it is paid or satisfied the collection would be required to come off the credit report… it would DISAPPEAR from the credit report completely within 45 days!! POOF…your credit will improve immediately
If this Bill passes, it will provide an opportunity for literally millions could improve their credit over night…well actually within 45 days.
Here is more information: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h112-2086. Please review it and let your Congressman know your support HR 2086 (contact your congressperson at http://www.contactingthecongress.org
Identity theft creates havoc with their victim’s finances and is one of the top consumer complaints. There are a number of things you can do to help prevent identity theft, but a credit freeze is one of the best ways to prevent the bad guys from being able to obtain credit in your name. I’ve had my credit frozen with the 3 credit bureaus for about 4 years now. It is an easy, free process in N.C. that virtually shuts down identity theft by sealing your credit reports to anyone who does not have your secret PIN number. If you want to obtain a new credit card or need your credit verified for a new home loan, you can easily “thaw” your credit with in minutes by giving the credit bureau your PIN number. There is a fee for thawing the report…usually around $10.
To freeze your credit, you will need to contact the three credit bureaus:
You can get your credit report for free once a year from each bureau at this site: www.annualcreditreport.com Warning!! They will try to sell you all kinds of stuff…don’t buy a THING! Just get the free report and move on.
If you don’t want to do a freeze, one strategy for keeping tabs on your credit is to only order a report from one bureau at a time; spreading out your inquiries throughout the year (to total one inquiry by each bureau).
It is very important to price your property at competitive market value when we finalize the listing agreement. Who determines the value of your home?
The value of your property is determined by what a buyer is willing to pay and a seller is willing to accept in today’s market.
Buyers make their pricing decision based on comparing your property to other properties CURRENTLY for sale and SOLD in your area. Historically, your first offer is usually your best.
When purchasing a home, if you plan to finance, your lending company will evaluate your credit. Based on your credit rating, they will offer you an interest rate and terms (hopefully!). Many buyers do the following things during the loan application process and accidentally sabotage themselves! So my friends:
Duke Power and Progress Energy are in the process of Merging. Will Cary, Holly Springs, Raleigh NC Home owners see savings from this merger? Duplicate positions will be cut, efficiencies found, but it will be at least a year before we see any benefits in our energy bills. Meanwhile, a quick way to save money on your energy bills is to simply install a programmable thermostat. It is estimated that home owner wills save 20% on their heating and cooling bills by adjusting the temperatures 5 to 10 degrees at night and when you are away from the home at work. We replaced the three thermostats in our house this year and I discovered they are also a time saver for me. In the spring and fall I was forever having to go to the thermostat and flip the setting from “heat” to “cool” as the outdoor temps fluctuated from day to night. Our new thermostats automatically flip the cycles for me so no more involuntary exercise for me running up the stairs (that is saved for the gym so I can pay for it!). I checked Home Depot in Cary and the average cost for the programmable Thermostats they carry is $80. My husband was able to do the replacement in 15 minutes. (He is a wonderful husband, father and friend, but not known as Mr Fix it…most “installations” take about 3 extra trips to the hardware store and some colorful language…if that helps you gauge the level of difficulty). Take a look at Energy Star’s Information about Thermostats and settings.
Wake Real Estate Tips 