Twelve Days of Christmas - Carolina Style! Day 4

Wow - we received some MUCH NEEDED rain last night! Hopefully it will continue through today. While it won't make my Open House easier (later this afternoon) we desparately need the rain!

Here are some pics from last night. I am surprised that they turned out at all given the rain, darkness (lot's of subdivision without street lights) and general operator shakiness trying to take pics, keep my assistant (8 yr old) involved, shift gears and avoid accidents because I am sitting awkwardly in the middle of an intersection! HAHA

Enjoy the pictures and I will try and get to Brier Creek Country Club area tonight. If not, it will be another area along the I-540 corridor as I make my way back from the airport to Wake Forest!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Twelve Days of Christmas - Carolina Style! Day 2

Well, folks......here are the pictures from last night! Absolutely gorgeous homes!

Santa's helper? Well, I lay claim to him - the best assistant I ever had!

Enjoy.....

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

So many events, so little time!!!!!

Happy Holidays, everyone!!!

The season is definately upon us - that is blatantly clear as I see the shoppers in the stores (ya'll need to be a little nicer to your fellow shopper!), the jammed parking lots (ya'll need to have a little more patience!), the houses trimmed with lights (yes, there is a Griswald in my neighborhood!) and the reindeer antlers on the cars (okay - that one is kinda cute!).

There are so many events happening in Wake Forest and Raleigh that I thought I would be sure to list a few for you in case you don't have the time to research them yourself! Yes, I know that baking cookies, stringing lights, buying presents and singing Carols (yes, the city is rampant with "Carols" singing....watch for them!) takes time!!

• The Nutcracker - A stunning performance by The Carolina Ballet.
• Wake Forest Farmers' Holiday Market - downtown Wake Forest
• Tinsel Town - Koka Booth Amphitheatre
• North Pole Party - Marbles Kids Museum
• An Evening With Elves - Marbles Kids Museum
• The Raleigh Ringers Holiday Show - Meymandi Concert Hall

Well, those are just a few! Please be sure to click on the links above for more information and ticket information. I hope that you take the time to explore a little more of what Raleigh and the surrounding area has to offer - we are so lucky!!!

Back to baking cookies....

Flour covered shucking......

Wake Forest Christmas Parade, Dec. 8th!

Don't forget - The Wake Forest Christmas Parade is this Saturday (Dec 8th) starting at 1:00pm!!! Get there early and scope out your prime seat for what I am sure will be the best Christmas Parade yet! My family never misses this. Load up the thermos' with hot chocolate and enjoy the festivites.

While downtown don't forget to explore all the shops in the downtown area. Great gift shops and delicious restaurants abound - have fun!

I hope to see you there this year - just remember, bundle up and take blankets or chairs to sit on.

Festive shucking....

Ah, The Holidays...A Good Time To Sell Your Home?

I received my first phone call today from a seller that is contemplating taking their home off the market over the Holidays and re-listing after the New Year. She asked me what I thought......In addition to what I told her I also have some thought from other agents and thought I would share all of them with you.

• Homes are at their cleanest at this time of year. With all of the families visiting and festivities around us the homes are decorated beautifully! Every sense a buyer has is touched in some way from the sights of homes lit up with lights, to the sounds of Holiday music, to the smells of baking cookies and fresh cut pine trees, to the tastes of warm cider and the feel of crisp, clean air.
• Buyers that are intending to relocate to the area are most likely to use this time of year to visit the area and research schools, homes for sale, the city, the amenities and the overall atmosphere. Why miss that opportunity?
• If other sellers are taking their homes off the market because "it's the thing to do" than that certainly gives you LESS competition! Take advantage of the situation.
• The holidays are the biggest spending time of the year. Why miss out on buyers ready to make that purchase? If you home is previewed during December (early) there is a good chance that you can close by the end of the year. If closer to Christmas you can look forward to a sale shortly after the New Year.

I don't know about you but I think the Holidays are a great time of the year to try and sell your home. Sure, there might be slightly less buyers out there but the chances of the ones that ARE out there are serious and have the money is higher.

For those of you sellers out there that are thinking of taking your home off of the market - Talk with your agent first. If they don't mention the above I hope that you at least think about them.

Festive shucking.....