Looking for a home in Durham, NC or Chapel Hill, NC near the UNC-Chapel Hill or Duke campus? Maybe you’re a retiree relocating to Raleigh, Durham, or Chapel Hill. Consider the Villas at Culp Arbor. On a day like today, when the sun is shining and the outside temp is rising, in spite of it being the middle of winter, homeowners in the Villas at Culp Arbor are outside enjoying the neighborhood, so ride through and see if it’s a good match for you. About thirty of the anticipated 135 homes are finished and it’s a friendly place where neighbors in this 55+ neighborhood are out-and-about, strolling over to see horses in the nearby pastures. Yet, shopping, dining, and the local universities are nearby, too. The beautifully decorated clubhouse with a cozy fireplace, includes a pool and the clubhouse is equipped with exercise equipment. For more information, the Healeys at www.VickieHealey.com would love to introduce you to Culp Arbor by taking you over to meet the onsite agents and to see beautiful model homes. Call us at 919-357-5058 for lots of information about one of the best new neighborhoods around!
A relaxed meeting place, plain conversation, and inclusive conversation lead by an expert, sum-up Science Cafe. On Feb 8th, at 7 pm, Science Cafe at Broad Street Cafe will put a spin on the topic of Molecular Electronics. Don’t let the topic scare you away. Remember, the conversation is in plain language and the settting is relaxed and inclusive. Join David Shultz, NCSU, for an interesting look into the fundamental elements of spin, magnetism and the future of spintronic devices, but come early for good food at Broad Street Cafe. I like to be there an hour or so before the program begins at 7 pm, because there’s always someone interesting at the next table who’s ready to talk, too.
If you relish an evening out for a good meal at Raleigh’s Irregardless Cafe and you also enjoy science updates from time-to-time, I hope to see you during Science Cafe! The next ”big one” is February 15th and the topic is Prevention of Heart Disease: Managing Risk Factors. Here’s how it goes. Katey Ahman, with the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, will introduce the speaker, Dr. Deepak Pasi who has been practicing as a cardiologist for more than 25 years. Starting at 7:00 pm, Dr. Pasi will talk about how our hearts work, what keeps our vascular systems healthy, the role of exercise, diet, statins, genetics - and then open the floor for questions from the group of attendees enjoying dinner at Irregardless Cafe. I like to arrive at Irregarless Cafe with plenty of time to relax and enjoy conversation over dinner, so I arrive before 6 pm. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women, so don’t miss this evening!
There’s no better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than with friends, enjoying wonderful chocolates and bidding on auction items to support the Cornucopia Cancer Support Center. On Feb 13th, from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm, the 12th annual A Chocolate Affaire will be held at the Carolina Club. It’s the largest fundraiser of the year for the cancer support center and with the support of the community, it promises to be a great success. Tickets can be purchased online and they’ll be held for you at the door. Take a friend or two and have a wonderful time!
Leaving Home Fast – Getting Dressed in a Hurry
Join the Chapel Hill Chapter of the American Association of University Women for a live model presentation of how women dressed during the 19th Century. See what was worn and how it was worn, as a live model gets dressed for the day. The presentation by a mother-daughter duo, scheduled for 10 am in the Carol Woods Social lounge, is free and open to the public. While taken primarily from the middle-class woman’s perspective, information on children’s and men’s clothing will also be presented.
Carolina Science Cafe – The Biology of Love
Ever wonder if love is all in your head? Join an inquisitive group for a discussion of the biology of love with Sarah Williams, UNC doctoral candidate in neurobiology, during Carolina Science Cafe. The plain conversation in a relaxed setting takes place February 10th at 7:00 pm at Top of the Hill.
If you’ve been wondering what it’s like to plan your living space with the assistance of an architect, read about the experience the Smiths had when planning their year-long renovation in Charlotte, NC. Enjoy the beautiful pictures the Smiths share – pictures sure to spark ideas! Whenever planning to purchase a new home in the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area of North Carolina or if you’re planning to renovate and make changes you’ve been thinking about for awhile, this article is one I think you’ll enjoy. The Realtors at Realty World Southern Style are ready to help you find a new space to call home. Check us out at www.VickieHealey.com
Cool by the Pool at Culp Arbor
Just a hop, skip, and a jump from the UNC campus, Southpoint mall, and Duke University, Villas at Culp Arbor offers a convenient and beautiful way of life. As a 55+ community the neighborhood has been designed to provide a relaxing and fun lifestyle for it’s residents. With many different floor plans to choose from and personalization and customization options galore, it’s almost like designing your own custom home. The spacious units, each featuring a 2.5 car garage and one level living space, are sold as condominiums and no exterior maintenance is required of the individual homeowners and is instead covered by the HOA. A large welcoming clubhouse, a cool refreshing pool, and wide sidewalks through the arbor are a beautiful entrance to come home to each day. The convenient location, close to I-40, 15-501, and Highway 54, make living at Villas at Culp Arbor seem like a permanent vacation.
The Importance of Preapproval
Often times when buyers approach a real estate agent and ask for help finding a home they are told “first things first, get preapproved.” This can be confusing and surprising to a buyer, especially when they are excited to get started looking at homes. Preapproval is debatably the most important step in the home buying process.
Buyers sometimes confuse prequalification and preapproval, and the difference is great. Prequalification can be done quickly over the phone or via the Internet and is based on a superficial assessment of income, assets and debts. It does not take into consideration a person’s credit score or ability to purchase a home. That’s where loan preapproval differs. Loan preapproval is a more in-depth analysis of a persons financial picture. The preapproval process includes actually making loan application, which can offer the chance to lock into a preferential interest rate, and provide a more pinpointed price range for the buyer and agent to work with.
When a buyer has preapproval from a lender and a definite price point to work with they are already ahead of the game. Knowing a specific price point means that attention and be focused on looking at the right homes, not the pie in the sky. One of the worst feelings is to fall in love with a home, begin to picture you’r life in it, and then realize you can’t afford it. A brand new Toyota will always pale in comparison to a Ferrari. Avoid disapointment.
When looking at a group of homes that are all in the same price point and offer similar ammenities it is easier to pay more attention to the small details of a home that make a big difference while it’s being lived in. For example, does your shiny new Toyota fit in the garage?
Arming your real estate agent with a preapproval letter gives her/him an extra round of negotiating amunition. In some markets, it is common place for a seller to require a preapproval letter to be presented with any offer. Presenting an offer with a preapproval letter shows the seller that the buyer is serious and has the means to move forward in the purchase of a home.
Accross the country markets are seen as “buyer’s markets” at the moment. This is to say that the buyers are in a better negotiating position than the sellers. However, the most aggressivly priced and most desirable homes, even in a buyer’s market, will move quickly! this means that if a buyer finds themselves competing with another offer, they are much better off with a preapproval letter in hand.
