Cary Real Estate Blog

Last weekend our son Ryan and daughter- in- law Dani took their baby Sadie for a trail walk to see a Lake in Cary.  I was curious about the path and Lake since they live in a North Cary neighborhood called Weston Manor.  Well upon further investigation, I found the Black Creek Greenway near their home and starting in North Cary Park. 

Black Creek Greenway is one of 27 different greenway trails in the town of Cary.  It is 1.8 miles long and meanders from the park down along Black Creek to Crabtree Lake. 

 The Town of Cary describes a greenway on it’s website as a “Corridor of protected open space managed for conservation, recreation and non-motorized transportation”.  Black Creek Greenway links several Cary neighborhoods to Crabtree Lake and North Cary Park. 

 Greenways are linear parks that from a real estate standpoint enhance the beauty and value of the Cary neighborhoods they connect.  Here are some of the advantages of greenways the town of Cary lists:

•  Providing a recreational amenity for walking, jogging, and bicycling in a natural setting remote from traffic;
• Preserving pristine open space to enhance Cary’s quality of life;
• Linking our neighborhoods with parks, schools, community centers, and other neighborhoods;
• Helping control storm water runoff, curb erosion, and minimize flooding which can damage our property;
• Improving Cary’s water quality by buffering streams, filtering pollutants, and recharging our groundwater;
• Adding value to our property by merit of proximity.

A convenient map of the town of Cary’s greenway and trail system is illustrated on the town’s website.  The greenway trails in Cary total 34 miles in length and are open from sunrise to sunset.

I invite you to plan a Cary greenway or trail outing – pack a picnic, grab your bikes or hiking shoes, and enjoy the simplicity and beauty of this wonderful system.

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Cary Homeowners waiting for the right time to move up to a larger home, here is some very good news. 

The Senate voted Wednesday to renew the government’s $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers and to expand the tax credit program enabling many homeowners who buy a new primary residence to receive a $6,500 refund.

The bill, which passed 98 to 0 in the Senate, should reach the House floor by Thursday, November 5th.  Assuming the bill passes in the House, the legislation would then go to the White House for the president’s signature.

Here are the highlights of the Tax Credit Program:

• Buyers who have owned their current homes at least five years        would be eligible for tax credits of up to $6,500.
• First-time homebuyers or anyone who hasn’t owned a home in the last three years would still get up to $8,000.
• To qualify, buyers in both groups have to sign a purchase agreement by April 30, 2010, and close by June 30.
• The credit is available for the purchase of principal homes costing $800,000 or less, meaning vacation homes are ineligible.
• The credit would be phased out for individuals with annual incomes above $125,000 and for joint filers with incomes above $225,000.

Cary currently has a great inventory of both new homes and resale homes.  To view the homes for sale and the Cary Neighborhoods, visit our website at CaryHomesNc.com.

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If you are looking for a few HAUNTING ideas for Halloween, here are some of my favorites in the area:

At the Cary Koka Booth Amphitheatre, scary Halloween moves such as Frankenstein and Night of the Living Dead will be shown the week of October 26^th through October 30^th.  The price is a mere $3.00 and children under 12 are free.  Check out http://www.boothamphitheatre.com/ for the schedule.

Just down the road from our office, we have a corn maze, hay ride and more this year.  It’s called the Green Acres Corn Maze and is located on one of the few remaining local farms.  More info can be found at www.greenacrescary.com.  You can also find a dollar off coupon at http://greenhopehigh.wcpss.net

And, if you have teenagers or love haunted tours as an adult, we took my son Dakota and a few of his friends to Greensboro for the 1 hour 10 minute outdoor haunted tour called Woods of Terror.  It’s all outside and quite the experience.  It was so cool!  Check it out at http://woodsofterror.com

Let me know if you have any favorites…

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For assistance in finding a home that qualifies for the credit, Call LG Real Estate at 919-653-2647.

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Yes, downtown Raleigh is only 20 minutes from Cary and we at LG Real Estate highly recommend this culinary journey:

 Saturday Afternoon Walking Food Tour To Raleigh’s Global Gastronomy

 Experience a culinary journey of sight and taste that spans a cross-section of Downtown Raleigh’s undiscovered international restaurant venues, blended together with some forgotten historical tidbits of the city to create a unique global perspective that readily replaces preconceived notions about Raleigh.  It’s fun, informative and delicious.

The food tour stops numerous times for sample tastings at 6-8 local restaurants. For example,

• A local contemporary American restaurant that received top honors recognition, or
• A local venue that features many original NOLA recipes, or
• An Asian restaurant that will have you dreaming of dumplings, or
• A Euro-gastro pub that raises the bar on culinary excellence

When: Saturdays- 2:30 pm (don’t be late)

Who:  Able-bodied adults, no more than 10

How Much:  $ 28 per person (+$2.50 svc chg), includes all tastings at 7- 9 restaurants

Weather:  Tours are rescheduled if there is a cancellation due to severe weather

What’s it like:  Delicious, fun and informative (but remember we’ll be walking approx. half of the 3 hours)

What to wear:  Comfortable clothes & walking shoes

Where to meet:  Former Capital City Grocery Porch, 10 minutes before departure, 10 West Franklin St, Raleigh. Free Parking for our customers            

Where to buy tickets:  Check tour dates, reserve and pay a minimum of 24 hours in advance of tour date. Click here for available dates and tickets

Please sign up for a tour and let us know how you liked it. 

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It’s this weekend!   I’ve got my friend lined up to go with me, my special little purse for easy access to cash (no more credit cards) and I am ready.  When I look around my home, I have quite a few accessories that originated at the Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival.  I’ve been going for years.  I  always early (near 8:30) to get that good parking space and beat the August heat!  I’d have to say that my favorite artist sells the glass beads and the cool birdhouses.  One of my favorite vendors to check out is Cat Glass Fever.

Do you have any favorites?  I hope to see you there!

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At LG Real Estate, we strive to keep our clients and neighbors advised of current events and current information about our Cary community.   Green Hope High School is a prominent school located in the heart of our Cary neighborhoods and we are pleased to be able to provide this letter from Principal Jim Hedrick.  My oldest son attends Green Hope High and I was impressed with this candid letter.

July 13, 2009

Dear parents and students:

I hope each of you has had an enjoyable and relaxing summer and that you have been able to get away to recharge your batteries for the 2009-2010 school year.

I know everyone is concerned about the budget and the ramifications that it will have on class sizes and course offerings at Green Hope High School. However, even with all of the turmoil of these reductions, we are excited about the upcoming school year, and we expect it to be our best ever.

There are some things you need to know about the budget reductions and their impact on Green Hope High School:

In the 2008-2009 school year, we had an enrollment of 2007 students. This number of students gave us an allocation of 853 classroom teacher months of employment (about 85 teachers) from the state and the county.  For the 2009-2010 school year, they are projecting us to have a student enrollment of about 2020 students. This will afford us an allotment of 772 classroom teacher months of employment (about 77 teachers).  That represents a reduction of 81 months of employment.  This is 8 teaching positions and the equivalent of 48 sections of classes.

 Faced with this reduction in teaching positions and sections, we attempted to spread this impact across all of the core areas.  While no one wants classes cut that they want, as we made these decisions, we looked at the overall numbers in these programs, we sought advice from Human Resources, and we talked with teachers and department chairs who would be directly impacted and sought their input.

 Using this input and their recommendations, we made preliminary decisions about our staffing and class needs. In the latter part of the spring semester, once some of these decisions were made, we published them on the website so that students who were directly impacted could come to student services and make changes in their class choices as needed.

Everyone associated with the scheduling process; assistant principals, department chairs, and the director of guidance, have worked as hard as they could to make the schedule work for the greatest number of students given the constraints.  None of the above reflects on the instructional and operational funds that we have lost. We are going to be asked to operate the school on a percentage of last years budget (about ½). This might change depending on the allocation of Federal stimulus money to the schools.

 There have been no Staff Development funds allocated to the school. This money is used to help subsidize teachers and their professional development pursuits and to pay for substitutes so that teachers can attend trainings outside of school.  Our textbook allocations have been given to us, but there is a freeze on spending this money until the state passes a budget. Based on part of the budget process it is likely the per student allocation will be reduced from $67 to $41. Based on our student enrollment projections, this will result in a loss of about $50,000.  Allocation of support staff has been reduced as well.

 I don’t share the above information with you for sympathy or to inspire a vigilante storming of the State Legislature. It is simply for your knowledge and for your edification. We are all suffering from the economic downturn in the state and nationally; but, we are Green Hope High School and we will make the best of it, but things will not be the same…they can’t be.

If you are returning to GHHS, you already know it, if you are new, you will soon come to realize that we have one of the greatest, no, the greatest high school in Wake County and in North Carolina. Some of our accolades and accomplishments include:

• We have been an Honor School of Excellence for 5 consecutive years. This is the highest recognition that a school can receive.
•  We have been recognized by various organizations as the Top Public High School in North Carolina and one of the top high schools nationally.
•  Our students are recognized yearly for their prowess in the areas of academics, fine arts, athletics, and their civic commitment.
•  Our students are accepted to the finest colleges and universities in North Carolina and nationally.
•  We have teachers who are Nationally Board certified and who are recognized by their professional organizations as being among the finest teachers in their disciplines in the state of North Carolina.
•  We have active parents who participate in a number of booster groups and organizations that enhance student involvement and learning.
•  We have a student services program that was among the first in Wake County to be recognized nationally by their professional organization.
•  This year, while unofficial at this time, over 94% of our students passed the End-of-Course tests in Math, English, Science, and Social Studies.
•  In our Career and Technical Education classes, over 96% of our students passed their VOCAT exams.

 Based on the above, I fully expect that we will be an Honor School of Excellence for the 6^th consecutive year.

We are in a tough, economic time in the state of North Carolina and nationally. We have been and will be faced with tough decisions. We, as a school community, can do one of two things: We can all bemoan our situation and react vituperatively and in a manner that neither helps nor brings a resolution; or, we can band together to ensure that the student achievement we are accustomed to will continue through this economic recession and into the future.

We are a strong, resilient community and I am sure that through our joint efforts our reputation will continue to be enhanced by the greatest parents, students, and teachers that any school could have. I hope that the remainder of your summer goes well, and I look forward to seeing you in August.

Sincerely yours,

Jim Hedrick

Principal

Green Hope High School

Cary, NC

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Meet the LG Real Estate Swat Team

One of the things I am most proud of is that our LG Real Estate listings have the reputation of showing in top condition. In today’s highly competitive market, agents can typically present a buyer with as many as 30 to 50 homes that fit their price point and location. That’s why I place a priority on ensuring our homes stand out; when they do, they get the showings and ultimately the offer and contract. As an agent, I work very hard educating and guiding my new clients about the expectations of their homes as resales in a heavily saturated market.

 HGTV has done wonders to educate and inspire homeowners to be creative and tackle many projects to make their homes special, comfortable and personal. Yet, when a home is on the market and needs to appeal to a broadcross-section of potential buyers, neutral is actually best. To give the best advice to our clients, my supporting staff-Lee Ann Crowder and Jennifer Grinter-are specially trained and equipped to help our sellers. Once I have all of the paperwork signed to market a home, Jennifer Grinter makes an appointment with our new clients for the SWAT Team visit.

Swat Team Visit

 Jennifer and Lee Ann arrive at your Cary home with notebook and pad in hand and a very keen eye for all of those things we each overlook as we are busy just living our lives. Not even a spider web is too small to be

Jennifer & Lee Ann

overlooked, but don’t worry: we don’t suggest more than is necessary. Our goal is to ensure the home’s exterior and interior is as clean as possible and all the features show in their best light. This may mean anything from suggesting that you repaint a bath to “pop,” trim those shrubs blocking the front of the house or move the sofa from upstairs in the bonus to downstairs in the family room to enhance the scale of the room.

Helpful Suggestions

 Both team members are very detailed and have experience and training in design placement and style. Jennifer takes the lead on documenting all of the home’s features and creating our executive home brochures. Lee Ann focuses on placing the furniture and ensuring the client’s home looks as neat and as peaceful as possible for potential buyers. It helps for clients to have somewhere they can store personal belongings until they move. Friends’ homes, donation locations and even recycling sites can be of assistance.

 Our SWAT team takes this job seriously, and we are always sensitive to each seller. As we say, no one really lives the way you need to while you are selling your home. You may have to live lightly for a while, but it will get YOUR HOME SOLD. If you are serious about selling your home, call us at 919-653-2647.

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Cary NC is a great place to raise a family and of course be a grandparent. Cary is a vibrant community of 132,000 (2008 count) located between The City of Raleigh and the Research Triangle Park.  The average age in Cary is 33.7 which means families, children, and of course lots of grandchildren.  There are wonderful parks, great schools, beautiful neighborhoods, and plenty of activities for children and grandchildren.

Allie & Ashley

We (Dave & Lenda Goulding) have 2 married sons that live in Cary and 3 precious little granddaughters.  Our oldest son Rex and his wife Lora live in the Preston area of Cary and have 2 daughters – Ashley age 6 and Allie age 4.  They love swimming at the Prestonwood CC pool and fishing in their backyard which is located on one of the Preston Lakes. 

Sadie

Our 2^nd son Ryan and his wife Dani live in the Weston Manor subdivision of Cary. They have a daughter, Sadie Claire, who will celebrate her 1^st birthday in a couple of weeks.  Sadie is now walking and loves to explore and play games with GG (Lenda) and G-POP (Dave).

Normally, we as parents follow and locate close to our children so that the grandkids are nearby.  We are very fortunate to run a business- LG Real Estate- in a town so inviting and conducive to young families.  Our oldest son Rex moved to Cary from Boston in 2003 and Ryan moved here from California in 2007. 

Cary Senior Center

So not only is Cary a terrific place to raise a family, it’s also a great place for grandparents to reside.  The parks, recreational, and cultural department of the Town of Cary operates the Cary Senior Center.  The Cary Senior Center is a 17,000 square foot recreation and education facility designed by and for the adults 55 and older in Cary.  The center sponsors such activities as the Senior/Teen Wii Bowling Challenge, Ice Cream Socials, Annual Evening Concert (free), Tai Chi and other exercise classes. 

 So grandparents come to Cary – the kids and grandchildren will follow!

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