• Is a member of the National Association of Realtors (not just a licensed agent)
• Is your ‘flavor’ of person and is trustworthy, ethical and able to translate your vision of your future home
• Communicates via media that works for you - by email or by phone, whichever you prefer
• Is experienced with the type of transaction you envision (has represented buyers of bank-owned foreclosures, if you think you might buy such a place)
• Is a great problem-solver, and can give you examples of transactions where she had to come up with novel solutions to get a derailed transaction back on track
• Has a team of trusted mortgage, inspection and escrow providers she can refer you to and help you manage.
Find the right fit: a REALTOR with a high level of competence and who has worked in the general geographic area you are looking in, to be the advocate and representative you need.

If you are thinking of buying real estate in Chapel Hill or in the surrounding area - have Experience on your side! Through proven performance since 1986, REALTOR Connie Shuping, MBA successfully delivers results you want by catering to your specific real estate needs. Visit her website at www.GreatTriangleHomes.com!

Many would-be sellers are struggling to make their properties stand out in today’s real estate market. While the economic headwinds are beyond property owners’ control, you can dramatically improve the chances of making a sale by devoting attention to Home Staging.

Get them inside. The first thing a prospective buyer notices about a home is not the living room but the front yard. Cut the grass, trim hedges, rake leaves, sweep the sidewalks, and power-wash the driveway. Make sure you don’t have any dead plants in the yard or an over abundance of yard ornaments and potted plants around the property. Decluttering a home’s outdoor spaces is as important as decluttering the interior.

Decide from the doorway. Since would-be buyers will get their first impression of each room from the doorway, homeowners should use that perspective to judge their staging work. Do your work, go back to the doorway. Do some more work then go back to the doorway and look at the room to ensure that each room appeals to buyers.

Clutter eats equity. A cluttered room will appear too small to buyers. Go through each room of the house and divide belongings into two piles: “keep” and “let go”. Items in the “keep” pile will be used to stage the room, while those in the “let go” pile should be stored elsewhere.

Decluttered rooms may appear bare to the seller, but the buyer won’t think so. Remember, you are not selling your things, you are selling the space. Buyers cannot visualize how their belongings may be arranged when there is too much stuff in the room.

Balance hard and soft surfaces. When staging a particular room, it’s essential to have a good balance of hard surfaces, such as a coffee-table top, and soft surfaces, like a carpet. For example, a room with a cushy, 7-foot-long sofa, a love seat, and four La-Z-Boy recliners has too many soft surfaces and not enough hard surfaces. Instead, consider getting rid of the La-Z-Boys and the love seat, replacing them with two wingback chairs. If you have hardwood floors but no rugs, it’s too hard, so you want to add a rug.

Make your place “white-glove clean”. A properly staged home should be immaculate. Beyond dusting surfaces, get the dead bugs out of your windowsill and go around the bottom of your toilet on the floor. The purpose of ensuring the house is spotless is more than simply making it presentable. If a home is unkempt, a buyer will wonder what other less visible problems may come with the property.

Work in ones or threes. Arrange items on top of hard surfaces in ones or threes. You would place three items—say, a lamp, a plant, and a book—on top of a larger hard surface, like an end table. Take away the plant and the book, it’s too bare; putting 10 items on it, it’s overdone. The three items should be closely grouped together in a triangle shape. For hard surfaces with less area, however, a single item will do.

If you are considering buying or selling in real estate in Chapel Hill, REALTOR, Connie Shuping, MBA can give you the edge! Since 1986 Connie’s proven performance exceeds her clients’ expectations, which is why she is a leader of area real estate. With a passion for her work, knowledge, and love for her home community, Connie knows local properties in Chapel Hill & Carrboro as well as Orange, Durham and Chatham Counties. Historic to modern homes, farms, land, investment or commercial property, Put EXPERIENCE on your side! Visit Connie Shuping and her team online at: Great Triangle Homes to learn more.

Enjoy seasonal festivities, and fun for the whole family on Carolina Inn’s 12 Days events page.

The Carolina Inn, established in 1924 on the UNC campus of Chapel Hill, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The southern charm of it’s beautiful Georgian architecture provides University Alumni and University visitors with elegant accommodations, four star & four diamond dining, and well appointed banquet facilites.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real easte in Chapel Hill or surrounding areas – have Experience on your side. Through proven performance since 1986, REALTOR Connie Shuping, MBA will successfully deliver the results you want! Visit her online today at www.GreatTrianglehomes.com

The 15th Annual Carrboro Music Festival will be held Sunday, September 30th, 2012 starting at 1pm. This day long free festival will feature over 180 acts at 25 venues in Carrboro - all for FREE! The Carrboro Recreation & Parks Department and the Carrboro Music Festival planning committee will once again bring on Triangle Area Musicians of a variety of genres who will be donating their talents for this community festival. Within a few blocks you can experience Classical, Country, Bluegrass, Folk, Jazz, Rock, and World Music. To learn more, visit: http://carrboromusicfestival.com/

If you are interested in buying or selling real estate in Carrboro, Orange, Durham & Chatham Counties and the Triangle area, Connie Shuping offers unparalleled personal service with the results you want. Since 1986 Connie Shuping, MBA, has been a market leader in area Real Estate. Have Experience on your side to buy or sell property in the most beneficial way to meet your specific needs. Visit Great Triangle Homes to find out more.

Rainbow Soccer has announced an extended registration for the 2012 fall soccer season. Many teams are full but they still have teams in all age groups with a few roster spots. Please register today so they can finalize their rosters.

Rainbow Soccer was established in Chapel Hill in 1972 and is the oldest soccer club in Chapel Hill. Offered soccer programs at the recreational level start from age 3 and up to adult. Rainbow Soccer serves more than 1,300 children each season and over 300 adults from Chapel Hill, Durham, Carrboro, Hillsborough, and other surrounding communities.

Rainbow Soccer uses fields throughout the Chapel Hill area for both games and practices. Most commonly used fields are the Rainbow Soccer Complex, Southern Community Park, Homestead, and Triangle Church fields.

Don’t wait, register now for the 2012 Fall season as spots are filling up quickly!

Whether buying or selling real estate in Orange, Durham & Chatham Counties and the Triangle area, Connie Shuping offers the results you want with unparalleled personal service - the kind that comes only through proven performance - since 1986. Connie Shuping and Great Triangle Homes will help you buy or sell property in the most beneficial way that meets your specific needs. Visit Great Triangle Homes to find out more!

With a Local Moving & Storage Company it’s Easy to Say “Welcome Home”
No matter what your income, whether your family is large and boisterous or small and serene, the diverse neighborhoods that make up the Triangle have something for everyone. With some of the East Coast’s finest real estate, Chapel Hill is a perfect college town, and Durham boasts an eclectic downtown with a vibrant cultural scene. Both are surrounded by the picturesque, rolling hills of the suburbs.

Whether you’re new to the area or have been here for generations, you’ve grown to appreciate all the well-rounded offerings that make this area unique; from the thriving arts scene in Durham to the rolling hills of Orange County, from Research Triangle Park, to the world class healthcare offered by Duke and UNC.

With such a wide range of things to see and do in the area, it’s not a surprise that more and more people are moving to neighborhoods in the Triangle each year.

Staging Your Durham/Chapel Hill Home: Using Self Storage to Declutter
No matter where you live in Triangle, many of us wind us with overstuffed attics and cluttered basements filled with way too much…stuff. Not only can these valuable items wind up damaged or destroyed due to improper storage or extreme temperatures, but they can wreak havoc when trying to sell a home for a move.

Many Durham and Chapel Hill realtors recommend consolidating in an effort to help homeowners avoid the pitfalls of accumulating large quantities of items that can make selling a home difficult. Securing storage space can be an invaluable tool in this process…allowing you to streamline not only your move but your life as well. Real estate agents are experts in bringing your house to market and they can provide home staging ideas and tips that will help sell your house faster and at the price you want. Work with your local agent to find out what can stay and what needs to go.

Pack for Your Move with a Plan
So if you are planning a move and are looking to consolidate and de-clutter, Zippy Shell Moving & Storage of Durham/Chapel Hill is the smart, easy way to move and store all your belongings. With their pristine mobile storage containers in a variety of sizes, you choose the size that works best for your storage needs and have it conveniently delivered directly to your door when you’re ready to pack. Take as little or as much time as you need…their sturdy, steel-construction containers will endure any weather condition and any timeframe. When you’re ready, simply give them a call and they’ll pick up your Zippy Shell and will hand deliver it to their secure, climate-controlled storage facility. When you want it back, one phone call will have it back in your driveway.

Real estate agents understand the value of convenient storage solutions and Zippy Shell can deliver that convenience right to the front door of your old and new home. Best of luck in your sale and move!

The Carolina Basketball Museum is a basketball lovers paradise with displays for Dean Smith, Roy Williams, Bill Guthridge, James Worthy, Michael Jordan, and Tyler Hansbrough. They have all 5 of UNC’s National Championship trophies, rings, and an impressive collection of memorabilia showcasing all eras of Carolina basketball. Michael Jordan’s acceptance letter from UNC. Players game worn shoes and uniforms. A half-court replica of the Smith Center floor with a basket, and plenty of videos. You don’t have to be a UNC fan to appreciate this museum! Plan to take 1-3 hours for your visit.

The Carolina Basketball Museum is open to the general public Tuesday - Friday from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm and 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturday. Located on the campus of the University of North Carolina, it is just around the corner from the baseball and football stadium at 450 Skipper Bowles Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. Visit The Carolina Basketball Museum website for directions and more details.

If you are considering buying or selling in real estate in Chapel Hill, REALTOR, Connie Shuping, MBA can give you the edge! Since 1986 Connie’s proven performance exceeds her clients’ expectations, which is why she is a leader of area real estate. With a passion for her work, knowledge, and love for her home community, Connie knows local properties in Chapel Hill & Carrboro as well as Orange, Durham and Chatham Counties. Historic to modern homes, farms, land, investment or commercial property, Put EXPERIENCE on your side! Visit Connie Shuping and her team online at: Great Triangle Homes to learn more.

The term “ZIP” actually is an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan. Back in 1963 ZIP codes, a 5 digit number, was created by the US Postal Service to help insure that mail travels more efficiently. In the 1980’s the ZIP+Four was created to determine more precise locations.

There is also a Zip Code Finder and Boundary Map website to view the United States’ ZIP codes which you may find useful.

If you are considering buying or selling Real Estate in Orange, Durham or Chatham County, choose a REALTOR with EXPERIENCE and knows the area! Connie Shuping, MBA, REALTOR, has been a leading agent in the area since 1986. Connie and her Team will personalize your specific real estate needs to exceed your expectations! Visit the Great Triangle Homes website to learn more!

Ayr Mount in Hillsborough is just another reason why I love living in Orange County, North Carolina. This afternoon my children and I took a casual stroll along “Poet’s Walk” - a one mile gravel path around the historic plantation home built in 1815. My children were so excited to see what was ahead on the trail. Beautiful landscaping, peaceful rolling meadows, delightful shaded portions of the trail along the Eno River, ruins of an old Tavern, an Old Native American Indian trading Path, and breathtaking flora & fauna throughout the 265 acre estate. The best part - Poet’s Walk is a free activity in the sunshine at an amazing place!

The Alliance of Historic Hillsborough has information for guided tours available and $10 admission to the home which is lovingly restored and boasts antiques and fine art.

As a lover of classical architecture and historic homes, the feeling of setting foot on such historic grounds makes me appreciate the ways of life our ancestors once lived. Hillsborough, North Carolina has beautiful historical architecture in its downtown area and surrounding community of mostly Colonial wood-framed houses.

Ayr Mount is listed as a Historic Property on the Classical American Homes Preservation Trust. At the time of construction it was considered the finest residential structure in this Central Carolina area. Ary Mount was the first major residence constructed of brick; the simple design of the exterior does not reveal the grand interior with 14 foot ceilings - an unusually high height for this period, and elaborate Federal period woodwork detail throughout the house.

It’s worth seeing!
~~Tyla

If you are considering Buying or Selling Real Estate in Orange County, NC, turn to the experts at Great Triangle Homes - serving the area since 1986. Have experience on your side!

The National Kitchen & Bath Association results of a 2011 Marketplace design trend survey - and here’s what they saw. (More than 100 kitchen and bath designers responded.)

Keep It Simple!
The traditional style remains the most popular kitchen cabinet style, but Shaker style cabinets came in second for the first time after rising in popularity in 2009. Contemporary cabinets have moved back to third place. Cottage style cabinets were the only other style to register over 20%.

Dark and Mysterious Kitchen Cabinetry
Dark finishes leaped over medium natural, glazed and white painted finishes to become the most requested finish style by the end of 2010.

Dark finishes were used by 51% of designers, medium used by 48% of designers, white painted by 47% of designers, and glazed by 42% of designers polled. Colored paints were used by 29% of designers, while light natural finishes were used by 25% of designers. Glazed finishes took the biggest hit - falling 11 points. (This may be because glazes are generally the highest cost of finish.)

Entertaining with a Great Bottle of Wine
Wine cabinets and storage options are abounding but wine refrigerators are declining. In 2009, only 39% of surveyed designers included a wine storage area in the kitchen. At the end of 2010, 51% of designers were focusing on wine storage.

Other cabinetry options are changing too, but many are on the decline. Tall pantries were used by 84% of designers, versus 89% in 2009. Lazy susans fell from 90% to 78%. Pull out racks/shelving fell from 81% to 71%. Appliance garages also saw reduced popularity by 36% of designers in 2009, but only 29% of designers at the end of 2010.

Refrigerators
French door refrigerators is specified most often leaping from 67% to 78%. Freezer-top refrigerators fell to just 8% of designers.

Cooking with Induction Heat
While not prevalent, induction heat cooking is growing. Gas cooktops were specified by 76% of NKBA designers in 2009, but fell to 70% in late 2010. Electric cooktops rose from 38% to 41%. Induction cooktops took some of the gas cooktop share, moving from 26% to 34%. Double wall ovens increased as well, specified in designs by 74% of designers, versus 68% in 2009.

Lighting Up the Kitchen
Halogen lighting has reduced from 46% to 40% by this group of kitchen designers. Incandescent lighting fell from 50% to 35%. Halogen lighting moved from 46% to 40%. LED (light-emitting diode) is the only lighting type that saw an increase, from 47% to 54%. CFL’s were flat.

Taking Out the Trash
NKBA members put a greater emphasis on trash and recycling solutions - 89% of kitchens designed during the final months of 2010 include trash and/or recycling pull-outs.

Before updating your kitchen to sell your home, consult with a realtor with EXPERIENCE! Connie Shuping, MBA of Great Triangle Homes has been a market leader in area real estate since 1986. Visit her website at www.GreatTriangleHomes.com to learn more about selling your property or to search for homes specific to your needs.