Did you know that North Carolina has a FREE resource that can help you stop forclosure. The N.C. Housing Finance Agency manages the Home Protection Program that could help you with a bridge loan that could help you if you’ve lost your job. You must be eligible for this program, but a phone call to find out if you are is always a great place to start. They can help you with the process including helping you apply for the program and possibly secure a stay-of- forclosure while your application is being reviewed.

The Agency also supports local counceling agencies that can help no matter the reason for forclosure. They can work with your mortgage company at no cost on a possible repayment plan or loan motification.

So take advantage of this great program. Below are the phone numbers for regional counseling agencies who provide assistance at NO COST to NC homeowners who might be facing forclosure:

NORTH CAROLINA COUNSELING AGENCIES  The following counseling agencies provide assistance at no cost to North Carolina homeowners who are facing foreclosure.

Eastern Region

Blue Spring-Hoke County Community Development Corp.    910-904-0312    Serves Hoke, Robeson, & Scotland Counties.

Choanoke Area Development Association    252-539-4155    Serves Bertie, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Northampton, Tyrell, & Washington Counties.

Cumberland Community Action Programs, Inc.,   and  Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Fayatteville    910-323-3192    Serves Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Greene, Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Montgomery, Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Sampson, Scotland, Wayne & Wilson Counties. 

Kingdom Community Development Corporation    910-484-2722    Serves Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Robeson & Sampson Counties.

Northeastern Community Development Corporation    252-338-5466    Serves Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank & Perquimans Counties

River City Community Development Corporation    252-331-2925    Serves Camden, Chowan, Gates, Pasquotank & Perquimans Counties. 

Rocky Mount-Edgecombe Community Development Corporation    252-442-5178    Serves Edgecombe & Nash Counties

Twin Rivers Opportunities, Inc.    252-637-3599    Serves Carteret, Craven, Jones & Pamlico Counties.

Wilmington AME Zion Housing Development Corporation    910-815-3826    Serves Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover & Pender Counties.

Wilson Community Improvement Association    252-243-4855    Serves Wilson County.

Central Region

Alliance Credit Counseling, Inc.     704-943-0391       Serves Anson, Cabarrus, Gaston, Mecklenburg & Union Counties.

Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Durham   919-688-3381     Serves Durham County.

Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Forsyth County     336-896-1191    Serves Alleghany, Ashe, Davie, Forsyth, Iredell, Stokes, Surry, & Yadkin Counties.

Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Gaston County    704-864-7704    Serves Cleveland, Gaston & Lincoln Counties.

Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Greater Greensboro    336-373-8882   Serves Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham, & Rowan Counties.

Davidson Community Action, Inc.    336-249-0234    Serves Ashe, Davidson, Forsyth, Rowan, & Yadkin Counties.

Durham Affordable Housing Coalition    919-683-1185    Serves Durham County.

Durham Regional Community Development Group    919-688-3381    Serves Durham, Granville, & Orange Counties

Franklin-Vance-Warren Opportunity Inc    252-492-0161    Serves Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance & Warren Counties.

Housing Authority of the City of High Point    336-878-2300    Serves Guilford County

Monroe/Union County CDC    704-283-8804    Serves Union County

Prosperity Unlimited    704-933-7405    Serves Cabarrus, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Rowan & Stanly Counties.

Salisbury Community Development Corporation    704-638-2154    Serves Davidson, Iredell & Rowan Counties.

Sandhills Community Action Program, Inc.    910-947-5675    Serves Anson, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond & Scotland Counties.

Triangle Family Services    919-821-0790 / 800-283-6904    Serves Chatham, Durham, Johnston, Orange, & Wake Counties.

United Family Services    704-332-9034    Serves Cabarrus, Mecklenburg and Union Counties

Western Region

Cleveland County Community Development Center    704-480-7701    Serves Cleveland County.

Consumer Credit Counseling Services of the Carolina Foothills    828-286-7062    Serves Polk and Rutherford Counties.

Northwestern Regional Housing Authority    828-264-6683    Serves Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, & Yancey Counties.

Olive Hill Community-Economic Development Corporation    828-439-8893    Serves Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, and McDowell Counties.

On Track Financial Education & Counseling Services    828-255-5166 / 800-737-5485    Serves Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga & Yancey Counties.

Western Piedmont Council of Governments    828-322-9191    Serves Alexander, Burke, Caldwell & Catawba Counties.

For more information visit their website at www.ncforeclosurehelp.org

Please contact me, Lisa Corrente, for more information at 704.773.9058 or email me at Lcorrente@c21hecht.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

For more information on this Estate styled, gated community or for a list of homes for sale in Stillwell please contact me directly at 704.773.9058 or via email lcorrente@c21hecht.com.

Market Analysis:

• Neighborhood Knowledge
  Research everything about a neighborhood: its residents, nearby schools and environmental statistics.
• Recent Home Sales Report
  View information about recently sold properties in your neighborhood.

Please contact me, Lisa Corrente for more information.

NEWS FROM CENTURY 21 MORTGAGE

Conventional Products:

·        30 year Fixed Rates:    around 4.940%                      

·        15 year Fixed Rates:     around 4.780%

We also have several adjustable rate products available.

VA/FHA Fixed Rates:  around 5.420%

Jumbo (Loan Amounts of $417,000 and up)

·        30 year Fixed Rates:  around 6.375%

·        15 year Fixed Rates:   around 6.000%                                                                                                        

Kim Peschock

Mortgage Advisor

Cell. # (704) 500-9087

I promise to treat customers like family while providing financing for the American dream.  The experience will be smooth, easy and at times fun.  I will do this with unequalled passion and expertise.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly at 704.773.9058 or email me at Lcorrente@c21hecht.com.

Lisa Corrente

Broker/REALTOR®

CENTURY 21 Hecht Realty, Inc.

467 River Highway

Mooresville, NC 28117

Secluded Lake Norman living at its best! Enjoy amazing sunset views with over 300 feet of waterfront footage. Unique weeping mortar brick work, century old heart of pine floors, and sun filled kitchen. Entire upper level master suite features two private balconies, a fire place and an oversized bath. Private dock, deep water with double boat slips/lifts and room for your jet ski. Home sits on 1.05 acres and is on a very level lot- hard to find on the lake for this price!!

Questions? Please call Lisa Corrente at 704.773.9058 or Warren Greenlee at 704.576.4800.

          The following is a quick guide to help you recognize and use the professional terms for many of the most prevalent house styles:

·        Ranch:  these long, low houses rank among the most popular types in the country.  The ranch, which developed from early homes in the West and Southwest, is one-story with a low pitched room.  The raised ranch, which is also common is the U.S.. has two levels, each accessible from the home’s entry foyer, which features staircases to both upper and lower levels.

·        Cape Cod:  this compact story-and-a-half house is small and symmetrical with a central entrance and a step, gable roof.  Brick, wood or aluminum siding are the materials most commonly seen.

·        Georgian:  Popular in New England, the Georgian has a very formal appearance with tow or three stories and classic lines. Usually built of red brick, the rectangular house has thin columns alongside the entry, and multi-paned windows above the door and throughout the house.  Two large chimneys rise high above the roof at each end.

·        Tudor:   modeled after the English country cottage.  Tudor styling features trademark dark-wood timbering set against light-colored stucco that highlights the top half of the house and frames the numerous windows.  The bottom half of the house is often made of brick.

·        Queen Anne/Victorian:  Developed from styles originated in Great Britain, these homes are usually two-story frame with large rooms, high ceilings and porches along the front and sometimes sides of the house.  Peaked roofs and ornamental wood trim, many times referred to as “gingerbread,” decorate these elaborate homes.

·        Pueblo/Santa Fe Style – Popular in the Southwest, these homes are either frame or adobe brick with a stucco exterior.  The flat rood has protruding, rounded beams called vigas.  One or two story, the homes feature covered/enclosed patios and an abundance of tile.

·        Dutch Colonial – the Dutch Colonial has two or tow-and-one-half stories covered by a gambrel roof (having two lopes on each side, with the lower slope steeper than the upper, flatter slope) and eaves that flare outward.  This style is traditionally make of brick or shingles.

·        New England Colonial – This two-and-one-half story early American style is box like with a gable roof.  The traditional material is narrow clapboard siding and a shingle roof.  The small-pane, double-hung windows usually have working wood shutters.

·        Southern Colonial –this large, two-to-three-story frame house is world famous for its large front columns and wide porches.

·        Split-levels: Split-level houses have one living level about half a floor above the other living level.  When this type of home is built on three different levels, it is called a tri-level.

These are just a few of the many styles of homes available across the country – some are more prominent in different areas than others.  Knowing home style terms will help you zero in on the type of house that will fill your needs and suit your taste.

Enjoy this charming and affordable peaceful lake front retreat. Mature landscaping and private pier (24′ Pontoon boat included!). Very well maintained home with 2 year old roof.  Windows and vinyl siding less than five years old, and new heat pump in 2008. Open floor plan with fireplace in living room. Spacious master suite with dual vanity sinks and garden tub. Lots of natural light and ample room for entertaining!

Begin by evaluating your closet/storage space, determine which areas can cut-down in clutter.  Go through old clothes, shoes, etc., and get rid of anything that will not be used and in turn create more space.  Consider organizing shelves and other areas to make better use of your storage space, including your garage and basement.  Also, try to throw out or give away any old furniture that is no longer of use.  All of the discarded items can be given to Good Will, Salvation Army or even sold at a yard sale.

Once you’ve eliminated the unwanted items and furniture, begin the ‘renovation’ process.  For non-storage spaces that could use a little more decor, consider adding a small bookshelf complemented with a cozy reading chair.  Always be sure you’re filtering as much light into your property as possible.  Open or replace curtains.  For example, light from a window overlooking the backyard offers a room more color, a great view and the illusion of more space.

Always maximize the potential of existing decor; wash old curtains, re-stain old wood casings, anything that refreshes and emphasizes all the potential of the space and decor of the home.

Prospective buyers are often more drawn to homes with features that they don’t have, those with clutter-free closets, open sunny rooms, and cozy little corners.  To ensure you’ve realized all of the above characteristics the last step should be to bring in a friend and observe their reaction.  Make sure it’s an honest friend, who will offer suggestions as well as notice the improvements.  Seeing your own home through someone else’s eyes is a great way to make a home optimally attractive and more sellable to prospective buyers.

Be diligent in your efforts and be sure the renovations improve the aesthetic appeal of the home.  All the hard work will be worth the reward of a successful sale. 

    In many parts of the country, selling a home during the winter months can be a challenge. Dreary, cold weather and the end-of-the-year holidays can keep buyers away and heighten fears of your home staying on the market longer than expected.  However, there are a few things you can do to enhance “curb appeal.”  And when that happens, buyers will take notice.

      For example, if your home has been on the market for more than six months, its probably time to change the sales approach.  There are several factors that could be reviewed with your real estate agent to determine improvements that can be made.  Ask for a reassessment of the sales price; it may be too high for the current market.  Also, ask the agent for a new or updated marketing plan and ask for a specific explanation of each activity.  Marketing your home goes beyond a few ads in the newspaper and a listing on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS); a good agent will do more to get your home sold.

      If your current agent doesn’t respond to your satisfaction, you should contact the real estate broker (the owner of the office) and ask for a different sales agent – or, if you’re no longer under any contractual obligation to the firm, it might be time to change real estate offices entirely.

      When setting the asking price through a comparative marketing analysis, compare similar homes sold in the winter months.  Many owners set their asking price too high because of comparisons with sales prices during peak seasons.  Always try to compare like properties sold at the same time of year.

      Once you’ve settled on an asking price, its time to spruce up the interior and exterior of your home.  Many real estate agents recommend opening as many curtains as possible to add light and color to rooms.  Also, it’s suggested that you keep spring and summer pictures of your home out on tables and in clear view.  Photos of your front yard flowers or the backyard shade tree in full summer bloom can help swing many buyers in favor of a purchase.

      Staying on top of winter maintenance and chores is another sure-fire way of adding value to your home.  A neatly shoveled driveway and cleared walkway can add a nice touch.  Make sure the furnace is in good working condition and that the room temperature is kept at a comfortable level.  Also, check to see that the basement if dry and sealed from any drafts.

      Take yourself on a tour of your home.  Start in the basement and work you way through the house.  More than likely you’ll see many previously undiscovered cluttered spaces and needed repairs that can turn off potential buyers.

Don’t overload your home with holiday decorations, either.  The buyer should have a chance to see you home in its everyday condition.