RealEXiT: Real Estate Blog for Southeastern North Carolina

How long will the appliances last?

2011-01-21T11:55:00.003-05:00

Here's a terrific article that tells how long one should expect a variety of appliances to last. Useful info!

Kitchen Tech:

Compactor: 6 years
Dishwasher: 9 years
Food Waste ("Garbage") Disposer: 12 years
Microwave Oven: 9 years
Electric Range: 13 years
Gas Range:15 years
Range/Oven Hoods: 14 years
Compact Refrigerator: 9 years
Standard Refrigerator: 13 years
Freezer: 11 years

Laundry Appliances:

Washer: 10 years
Electric Dryer: 11 years
Gas Dryer: 10 years

Home Technology:

Built-In Audio System: 20 years
Security Systems: 5 to 10 years
Heat/Smoke Detectors: 5 to 10 years
Wireless Home Networks: 50+ years
Home Automation Systems: 50+ years

Heating and Cooling:

Thermostats: 35 years
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Systems: 15 to 25 years
Air Conditioning Units: 10-15 years
Furnaces: 15 to 20 years
Tankless Water Heater: 20+ years
Electric Water Heater: 11 years
Gas Water Heater: 10 years

W. Freemont Commercial Property For Sale

2010-10-28T09:11:00.002-04:00

Commercial Listing by Debra Futch, EXIT Realty in Burgaw, NC

Pre-fab metal building currently a resale shop for antiques, etc. Open space can be remodeled into anything. Front office space available with bathroom. Open onto Fremont street...easy access to inside of building by large garage door. Cement flooring,HVAC's:2 units are 3 years old. Many possibilities.

Listing Price: $139,000

Oaks Plantation in Rocky Point, NC

2010-10-21T10:08:00.002-04:00

Beautiful brand new home in Rocky Point, NC. Call Rick Goza, Broker, EXIT Realty, 910-471-8325

It's Gettin' Hot Out Here!

2010-07-10T23:41:00.001-04:00

2010-07-07 14.56.36j, originally uploaded by Watts4.

2010 Blueberry Festival Fun!

2010-06-29T09:17:00.003-04:00

We all had a great time at the Blueberry Festival in Burgaw again this year. Thanks to everyone for making it such a special day for our community. Click on the picture to see 3D pictures from the big day. If you need some 3D glasses, please send a request and I'll have a pair right out to you.

Rick Goza and Debra Futch ready for the crowds and the heat!

The Census, a Realtor's Obligation?

2010-03-26T11:20:00.006-04:00

ActiveRain, a website for Realtors, has an open forum where we discuss various subjects, and recently there has been an uproar over the Census. Incredibly, not only are some Realtors openly telling people that they are not filling out their own forms correctly, they are encouraging others to do the same. Really?
As an American, I can understand a right to privacy, but the Census is part of the Constitution. Realtor Bob Willis gives a good history lesson:

"The first census was in 1790. The information required was
Name of Head of Household
# of Free White Males and if they were age 1-15 or 16 & over
# of Free White Females (age not required)
Other Free Persons
Slaves

The 1810 census required females' age ranges also.

By 1850, the census required the age of all residents.

The 1860 census required the full names of all residents, age, sex, color, profession, value of real estate, value of personal estate, Place of Birth, and some states had a special category: "Whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, pauper or convict".

The 1880 census required Name, Relation, Marital Status, Gender, Race, Age, Birthplace, Occupation, Father's Birthplace, Mother's Birthplace.

Note that all of the above censuses were taken by someone going from house to house and actually interviewing the people who lived there. I'm not sure when the census was first mailed out.

The census has been a part of our American responsibility from day one. And, yes, the information about individual households is sealed for 72 years, after it is tabulated for tax and representation purposes. The Constitution gave Congress the power to make laws in regard to how the Census is taken, and so, the census laws are also Constitutional. It has been upheld by the courts since 1790. If you don't complete the information, a census taker will indeed ask your neighbors. It is the law. If you don't like the law, petition your congressperson."

I took the point of view that it is our duty not only as Americans, but as Realtors, to fill out the forms correctly:

"The Constitution calls for a Census. But I see a deeper philosophical question for our profession here. If we, as Realtors, oppose Census questions about race and ethnicity, does that mean we oppose Fair Housing laws as well? Aren't some Fair Housing laws based on Census data?

How could a Realtor legally be accused of 'steering', if not for Census data? Don't we have a duty to see that the data is as accurate as we can make it?

One could take this a step further and say that, as Realtors, by refusing to answer these Census questions about race & ethnicity, we are violating our duty, by 'skewing' the Census results.

Just something to chew on...."

Take a look at the article and especially the comments, and think about it for yourself...

YouTube Video Tours

2010-03-25T10:12:00.003-04:00

Check out video tours of some of our listings on the wattsnoline YouTube Channel

Our Homes for Rent

2010-02-18T10:35:00.001-05:00

EXIT does property management. See our available rental homes online here. We have rental applications at our office, come see us!

Thorough MLS Search

2010-01-25T11:16:00.004-05:00

Click on over for this comprehensive home search of WRAR listings:

Search for Homes

Search by a wide variety of parameters including MLS #. Rock on!

Looking to Rent?

2010-01-18T12:07:00.004-05:00

We have several rental homes in Burgaw and throughout Pender County. Check our available rentals here. Here's an article with questions smart renters will ask, like this one:

2. Upgrade appliances.Check out the appliances and if the fridge still doesn't have a separate freezer see if they're willing to upgrade it. Pitch the idea of energy efficiency.

Read through the comments to see more real world experiences....

Working With Agents Video

2009-11-25T11:15:00.001-05:00

Perhaps the most important form to know is "Working With Agents". This video details the form and what it means for buyers & sellers:

Burgaw’s Osgood Canal Greenway and Urban Trail

2009-11-07T11:03:00.003-05:00

From the Star-News:

"About a year ago, the town was awarded a grant from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund of $423,500, provided the town match that in cash or in-kind contributions to the project. The project is supposed to be completed within three years, but Chad McEwen, the town’s planning administrator, said extensions can be sought if funds aren’t available.
The 8-foot-wide greenway path stretching three-quarters of a mile was finished last month.
The greenway starts at Wallace Street, runs south beside the canal, crosses roadways and connects with the sidewalk at Fremont Street.
“It’s going to be limited to nonmotorized recreation – bikes and pedestrians,” McEwen said.
When completed, the project will encompass a two-mile network of greenways and sidewalks, along with a minimum of six parks, including one on Wilmington Street with a picnic shelter and playground equipment."

See Our Listings

2009-10-28T10:54:00.001-04:00

Click here to see our current listings.

$8000 Home Buyer Tax Credit extension?

2009-10-14T16:24:00.004-04:00

It looks like the $8000 Home Buyer Tax Credit is likely to be extended. From Realty Times:

Quick passage by the House last week of a bill extending the $8,000 home buyer tax credit next year for military, diplomatic and intelligence personnel serving overseas increases the odds that Congress will agree to an extension, maybe even an expansion, of the entire credit program well into 2010.

The White House is also signaling that it sees the overall tax credit program -- currently set to expire November 30 -- as an important element in cutting the unemployment rolls and stimulating new jobs next year.
After an economic policy strategy meeting last week in the Oval Office involving President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, congressional aides said Democrats generally support an extension of the housing credit.
Reid already has made clear he wants an extension. He is co-sponsoring a Senate bill that would do so for six months.

EXIT Burgaw Class Photo

2009-09-16T08:55:00.002-04:00

exitburgawseptember2009sm, originally uploaded by Watts4.

Like our kids, it's time for the new school class picture!

Dana and Watts in the Greater Wilmington Business Journal

2009-08-24T16:38:00.006-04:00

The latest issue of the Greater Wilmington Business Journal has a nice mention about Dana Scalisi and Watts Carr taking new Broker-in-Charge positions:

Burgaw Depot

2009-08-22T18:37:00.001-04:00

The Star-News has a good read and links to info about the Burgaw Train Depot and its renovation:

The last train left this station in 1986, but it’s poised to become a community hub once again.
Besides the warehouse, now being readied for use as an event and meeting space, work is under way for a commercial incubator kitchen, where entrepreneurs can rent space to concoct new products for sale.
The depot’s renovation is 75 percent complete.
In 1986, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and it’s also part of the state’s Civil War trail system.
The project’s renovation has an estimated price tag of $1 million, and $740,000 has been spent so far. Retired architect Johnny Westbrook, who spend his childhood in Burgaw and now owns Burgaw Antique Place, has been overseeing the project.
The Burgaw Area Chamber of Commerce has relocated to the former baggage room, and in lieu of rent, Donna Best-Klingel, the chamber’s executive director, will oversee the depot’s day-to-day operation. Any inquiries about renting the facility should be made to the chamber at 259-9817.

Landscaping on the Cheap

2009-08-17T11:41:00.003-04:00

Tired of paying for landscapers or tired from doing it yourself? CNNMoney.com has some tips to help the home landscaper DIY on the cheap. And be sure to read through the Lifehacker comments for this article as well, the ever-vigilant commenters put in their $.02 and go into more detail. Like abhowell:

"Cheaper than putting landscaping paper under the mulch is to lay down thick layers of wet newspapers. Fill up a wheelbarrow with water and put in newspapers in whole sections. After they've soaked up some water, lay them down on your flower bed and then cover with mulch. The newspaper will keep new weeds from sprouting up and it will break down over the course of the season. Works like a charm!"

photo by ArtemFinland

EXIT Realty Billboard

2009-08-09T22:48:00.001-04:00

exitrealtybillboard, originally uploaded by Watts4.

I've been driving all over Brunswick County taking real estate photos, and I really dig our billboard on HWY 17 near the intersection with HWY 87. It's Growing!

The Edge's Malibu Development

2009-05-05T08:36:00.003-04:00

As a huge fan of the band U2, I have taken an interest in The Edge's new real estate development in Malibu. He has come under fire from one of the owners of an adjacent property, so The Edge has countered this loudmouth with a website detailing the development and its impact on the environment.

Check out this modern design, and you decide. I think it looks like a well-balanced development that fits with the land better than most homes you'll see on those hills. Frank Lloyd Wright comes to mind. I'd love to go take pictures on this beautiful property... maybe I'll get an invite one day.

Energy Saving Ideas for your Home

2009-05-02T21:09:00.002-04:00

Gizmodo has a new article covering various ways to save and create energy in your home:

"...if you want to go the extra mile and make upgrades that could increase the value of your home, here are some products to consider:"

Solar & Wind are covered, and there are numerous other energy-saving ideas, some of which will add value to your home as well. Win-Win!

Facing Foreclosure: Help from NC

2009-01-26T13:45:00.002-05:00

The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency has a great site with loads of information for those possibly facing foreclosure. Some terrific advice here.

Broadband for Home Buyers

2008-11-11T08:15:00.003-05:00

How about high speed broadband internet? That has become an important factor for many home buyers:

"In less than a decade, broadband has gone from a luxury to a must for many people, and for some of them, it's started to influence their real estate decisions. Homes that have broadband are winning out over more remote ones that don't. Areas with better and faster broadband are becoming more desirable than ones with slower access.
Edward Redpath, a real estate broker in Hanover, N.H., said he has seen deals fall through once the buyer realizes a home doesn't get broadband. Across the Connecticut River in Norwich, Vt., only the center of the village has cable.
"We have a lot of people that don't go into the rural neighborhoods or consider the rural neighborhoods because they need the broadband," Redpath said. "Our lifestyle demands speed.""

Rural Southeastern North Carolina has better access than many would expect. I live 40 minutes outside Wilmington, out in the country, and I get my broadband from the cable company. It's blazing fast.

Pike Crossing 3D

2008-10-24T21:56:00.001-04:00

Break out the red/cyan glasses for this slideshow featuring a couple of listings in Pike Crossing in Rocky Point, NC.

Pike Crossing

2008-10-19T01:24:00.003-04:00

First virtual tour, photos from Debra Futch

Pike Crossing is a new neighborhood in Rocky Point, NC