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December 2011

7 -- Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
21 -- Winter Solstice
25 -- Christmas Day
31 -- New Year's Eve

Holiday Blessings & Events!

I always enjoy the month of December as it is filled with many social events providing time to catch up with friends and to celebrate the spirit of Christmas. One of my favorite events of course is the Annual Customer Appreciation Party happening on Sunday, December 11th at Fairview Gardens from 2-4pm…please join us for refreshments and take home a beautiful (FREE) poinsettia. We are also including a link to our Linda Trevor & Co. blog filled with many wonderful area events during the holiday season. There is something for everyone!

As for local accolades, according to a new ranking from American City Business Journals, Cary is the smartest city in North Carolina and the seventh smartest community in the country.  In North Carolina, Raleigh came in at number two and Durham followed at number 24. And for those of you who enjoy the latest real estate news, be sure to check out the current Market Trends report.

Have a blessed holiday season filled with the joys of Christmas and a time to celebrate to birth of our Savior.

Warmest Regards,
Linda Trevor & Co.

New Listing: Ranch with Cathedral Ceilings!

• 121 Cabana Dr, Apex (Sunset Hills)
• 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, 1260 SF, .14 Acre
• Open Living & Dining with Fireplace
• Master with Cathedral Ceiling & Walk-in Closet
• Community Clubhouse & Pool
• Priced at $140,000      MLS#1809892

New Listing: Beautiful Country Home with Pond Views!

• 1600 Kendall Hill Rd, Willow Spring (Kendall Hills)
• 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, 2270 SF, .61 Acre
• Kitchen has New Granite Counters & Butlers Pantry
• 1st Fl Master with His & Her Closets
• Spacious Bonus, Loft, & Walk-in Attic
• Priced at $219,900      MLS#1809908

Under Contract: End Unit Townhome with New Bamboo Floors!

• 200 Canyon Lake Circle, Morrisville (Breckenridge)
• 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, 1415 SF, .05 Acre
• Kitchen has New Bamboo Floors & New Counters
• Master has a Cathedral Ceiling & Walk-in Closet
• Community Pool, Tennis, & Playgrounds
• Priced at $139,500      MLS#1787862

Featured Neighborhood: Highland Creek

Highland Creek in Raleigh is one of the Top Selling New Home Developments according to the Triangle Residential Realty Report.  This resort style neighborhood offers both townhomes and single family homes priced from $104K to $220K.  Amenities include an 11,000 square foot Resident's Lodge, State-of-the-art fitness center, a Junior-size olympic pool and zero entry kids pool, game room, sports court, hiking/biking trails, soccer field, and a playground.  Contact Us Today for a list of available homes.

God gave us memory that we might have roses in December.
~ James Matthew Barrie

Home Sales Rise, Inventory Continues to Decline

Existing-home sales improved in October while the number of homes on the market continued to decline, according to a recent report from the National Association of Realtors®.

Total existing-home sales rose 1.4 percent to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 4.97 million in October from a downwardly revised 4.90 million in September, and are 13.5 percent above the 4.38 million unit level in October 2010.

“Home sales have been stuck in a narrow range despite several improving factors that generally lead to higher home sales such as job creation, rising rents and high affordability conditions," said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. "Many people who are attempting to buy homes are thwarted in the process.

“A higher rate of contract failures has held back a sales recovery. Contract failures reported by NAR members jumped to 33 percent in October from 18 percent in September, and were only 8 percent a year ago, so we should be seeing stronger sales,” said Yun.

Contract failures are cancellations caused by declined mortgage applications, failures in loan underwriting from appraised values coming in below the negotiated price, or other problems including home inspections and employment losses.

“Other recent factors include disruption in the National Flood Insurance Program, and lower loan limits for conventional mortgages, which paradoxically force some of the most creditworthy consumers to pay unnecessarily higher interest rates,” said Yun.

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to a record low 4.07 percent in October from 4.11 percent in September; the rate was 4.23 percent in October 2010.

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We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world.
~ Helen Keller

Give Your Children the Gift of Giving

Tis the season to be jolly -- and help out a family less fortunate than yours. This is a good opportunity for you and your family to re-discover the joy that comes from giving. Follow are some steps you can take to get involved.

1. Check with your church, temple or local civic groups like the Knights of Columbus, Elks, Boys & Girls Club, Lions Club or homeless shelters to find families in need.
2. Prepare a gift basket with traditional foods, such as turkey, ham, stuffing and canned vegetables.
3. Donate canned goods to an organization that is collecting items from the community to give to families.
4. Buy gifts for children who otherwise might not receive any. Remember, children like new, popular toys.
5. Check with civic groups to find a holiday exchange program, in which you invite a family to come to your home and participate in your holiday festivities. Check with the military too as some men and women can't get back home.
6. Collect blankets, coats, boots and other clothing that a family may need.
7. Buy necessities such as diapers, soap, cereal, shampoo and other things you can give to a help out a family.
8. Buy a Christmas tree and ornaments for a family to help make their home more festive.

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A committee is a cul-de-sac down which ideas are lured and then quietly strangled.
~ Sir Barnett Cocks

All Home Warranties Are Not the Same

Whether you're buying or selling a home, chances are good that a home warranty will be discussed at some point. So, what is it?

In short, a home warranty is a service contract -- similar to an insurance policy -- that protects the new home owner against the cost of unexpected repairs or replacement on major systems and appliances that may break down due to normal use. Of course, the coverage is only for systems and appliances in good working condition at the start of the warranty period.

All home warranty plans are not the same, so be sure to check to see which items are covered, and whether or not it covers full replacement value. Common items covered include plumbing, electrical, furnace, refrigerator, dishwasher, garbage disposal, stove, microwave, water pump, washer and dryer, heating ducts and water heater. Swimming pool equipment, hot tubs, saunas, and landscaping items are usually available with a surcharge.

A home warranty is not a requirement to sell your home, but is frequently offered by the seller up front to ease the buyer's mind both during and after the sale. If the home owner is not offering a home warranty, it is usually negotiated into the offer at some point by either the buyer or seller. A good home warranty plan costs around $400 and normally covers items for one year.

Character is what you have left when you've lost everything you can lose.
~ Evan Esar

Do You Have a Home Improvement Savings Account?

Do you have a home improvement savings account? Many people don’t, yet it could really help out if something were to go wrong in your home. If your furnace breaks down, do you have the money to fix it? What about a leak in your roof? Do you like hot water when you shower? A hot water heater can easily cost $1,000 or more to replace.

These are just a few of the things that can go wrong after years of normal wear and tear. Some problems are more expensive than others -- and in some cases -- you need to be able to make and pay for repairs immediately if you don’t want additional problems. A savings account dedicated to home improvements can prepare you for many unforeseen problems.

You can basically set up any savings account and dedicate it as your "home improvement account." Each month save what you can. Saving even a little money each month is better than nothing. It all adds up and by the time something needs updating or repairing you will have the money you need. Make sure the account you choose allows you to make withdrawals whenever you want without heavy penalties or fees.

If you normally can't afford large repairs outright, then it makes sense to have a home improvement savings account. Plus, being able to repair something immediately causes much less stress than dealing with a problem for months on end while saving up for the repairs.

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Intimacy is being seen and known as the person you truly are.
~ Amy Bloom

Wine 101: A Bit About Champagne

While Champagne is enjoyed year-round, it seems the holidays, and especially New Year's Eve, it plays a special role. But, even though most of us have heard of it -- or maybe enjoyed a glass or two at a wedding or other special event -- there's more to it than the bubbles. Following are some interesting facts about Champagne:

• Many consumers continue to regard champagne as a generic term for white sparkling wines; however, to be a true "Champagne," the sparkling wine must have been produced in the Champagne region (France).
• Champagne is a single Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée. As a general rule, grapes used must be the white Chardonnay, or the black Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier.
• Most Champagne produced today is non-vintage, meaning producers blend several vintages to achieve consistent quality. Non-vintage Champagne can be drunk young; though further aging will give it more roundness and color.
• Vintage Champagne is made only in years when growing conditions were optimal. As 85 percent of the grapes come from one year, vintage Champagne is concentrated in flavor and best aged several years before drinking.
• Champagne is classified by its levels of sweetness: brut natural is the driest; extra brut is very dry; brut is the most common, not too dry, not too sweet; sec is quite sweet; demi-sec and doux are very sweet.
• More than 100 houses and 15,000 smaller vignerons (vine-growing producers) produce Champagne.
• Dom Perignon is the tête de cuvée, or top of the line, champagne of Moët et Chandon. Cristal is the cuvée de prestige of Louis Roederer.
• Blanc de Blanc is used to designate Champagnes made solely from Chardonnay grapes.
• Blanc de Noir is used to designate Champagnes made solely with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
• Champagne is usually served cold in a champagne flute, whose characteristics include a long stem with a tall, narrow bowl, thin sides and an etched bottom.

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Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important.
~ Natalie Goldberg

December Movie Releases

• Dec. 2
  • Answers to Nothing
  • Coriolanus
  • Outrage
  • Knuckle
  • Pastorela
• Dec. 9
  • New Year's Eve
  • The Sitter
  • Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
  • I Melt With You
  • Young Adult
• Dec. 16
  • Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
  • Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows
  • Carnage
  • Corman's World
• Dec. 21
  • The Adventures of Tintin
  • The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
  • Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol
• Dec. 23
  • In the Land of Blood and Honey
  • We Bought a Zoo
• Dec. 25
  • The Darkest Hour
  • War Horse
  • Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
• Dec. 30
  • The Iron Lady
  • A Separation

*Opening dates may vary depending on where you live.

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The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced.
~ Frank Zappa

9 Holiday Travel Tips

It seems the holidays have become synonymous with travel. With families living more spread out geographically than ever before, a holiday without at least some travel is extremely rare. Following are some tips to lessen the stress:

1. Peak Travel Dates -- Don't travel on the busiest travel days; extend your stay a day or two so you can avoid the madness.
2. Book Early -- Fares rarely get cheaper as the holiday approaches, plus, your stress level only increases if you can't find a flight to your destination.
3. Check First -- Check your flight for delays and cancellations before you leave to the airport.
4. Give Yourself Time -- Allow at least 90 minutes to find parking, check in and pass through security.
5. Kiosks -- Use the self-check kiosks to save time.
6. Don't Wrap Your Gifts -- you may be asked to unwrap them at the security gate (nobody wants to wrap a gift twice).
7. Shuttle Service -- Leave the stress of driving to the airport in traffic to someone else and save on airport parking fees.
8. Entertainment -- If the bulk of your traveling will be done in the car this holiday season, be sure to pack some entertainment for the kids. A few movies and snacks will keep the kids happily occupied for hours at a time.
9. Spring Break -- Now is the time to plan for Spring Break to get the best deals.

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Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
~ Franklin P. Jones

Windows 8: The Anticipated New Addition to the Microsoft Family

In 2012, Windows 8 is due to be released. It is a widely anticipated addition to the Microsoft family and already there have been many rumors regarding its features and release date.

As of yet, there is no information on when the software will be available. All that is known is that Windows 8 will be released in early-to-mid 2012. One thing that is known about the software is the fact that it will also be available on PC Tablets.

The Known Features
The features that are known about Windows 8 include:

• It will contain a new user interface
• Windows Explorer has ribbon interface
• It will feature USB 3.0 support
• User accounts can be linked to Windows ID
• A new welcome screen

These are some of the main changes to the software in comparison to Windows 7. The new user interface is going to be based on the Microsoft design language. It is to be known as Metro and the start menu has been replaced by a simpler start screen. It will be very similar to the screen of a Smartphone where icon tiles take you to an application.

The ribbon interface used in Windows Explorer is identical to the ones used in the applications of Microsoft Office. As well as featuring USB 3.0 support, users can also access Windows 8 through a device that has been connected through USB. It is to be known as Windows to Go.

One exciting feature that wasn’t mentioned above is the fact that Windows 8 will come with a store. You will be able to buy applications through the store. This is very similar to a Smartphone such as the iPhone where you can access the app store.

Windows 8 is going to be one of the main highlights in the computer world for 2012 -- and from some early reviews, it will be a positive game-changer for PC users.

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RE/MAX United
51 Kilmayne Drive Suite 100
Cary, NC 27511

This eNewsletter contains information, facts and opinions from various individuals and organizations. This eNewsletter is provided on an "as-is" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. I/We are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Consult with your doctor, fitness consultant, attorney, accountant, or other professional advisor when necessary. © 2011 eNewsletterSolutions.