Contractors generally agree that cost-per-square-foot is a terrible way to budget for a home, because there are so many variables involved. Do you insist on top-of-the-line cabinets and appliances for your gourmet kitchen, or will mid-range ones do? Are you planning to side the house with cheap vinyl or expensive stone brick? Is the house going to be one story, or two? (The latter is generally cheaper because the foundation is smaller.) Will you have simple, rectangular rooms that minimize the materials and the labor required for framing, or unusual shapes like octagons with vaulted ceilings? (more…)

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The National Association of Homebuilders, a trade group whose members build about 80% of the country’s new homes each year, say the Green Building Council’s criteria for a “green” label are too impractical and costly. They are developing their own standards, which they say are flexible depending on the region and include easier-to-achieve green home certification in order to appeal to first-time buyers. A new draft will be available for public comment next month, and the standards should be finalized by February.

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When you purchased your home, you should have been given a small map, typically just a photocopy of one portion of a larger map, that showed the size of your lot. Known as a plat map, it typically shows the length of each side of your lot, the name of the streets that border it, the tax lot number, and perhaps the legal description. If you were not given a map, or if you no longer know what became of it, you’ll want to obtain a new one. Most title companies can provide you with one, or you can get one through your city or county assessor’s or surveyor’s office — it’s something you really should have a copy of for your records. (more…)

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Beautiful Wilkes County NC Log Home and Mountain Property.

MLS Number: 50863, List Price: $359,900

Bedrooms: 3, Full Baths: 2, Half Baths: 0, Est Total SqFt: 2600, Type/Style: Log Home, Area: Area 6, Middle School: Cntrl Wlks, High School: Wlks Cntrl, Construction: Log

Foundation: Combination, Roof: Metal Roof, Floors: Carpet/Hardwood/Tile, Garage/Carport: None-Garage, None-Carport, Interior Features: Master Bedroom, Main Level, Large Master Bedroom, Walk-In Closet(s), Hardwood Floors, Fireplace(s), Great Room, Exterior Features: Double Pane Windows, Wooded Lot, 1-5 Acres, Hot Tub, Subdivision: N/A, Lot Size: 2.47, Apx SqFt: 2600 - 2800 SF, Basement: None

Contact Elizabeth Carter, 336.973.5594 or Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247 or email eacarter@charter.net

click here for more information

It would be emotionally draining to have your home on the market for more than 10 months. But it probably wouldn’t be a financial disaster, so long as you’re still in the house and you can comfortably cover the mortgage. However, maybe you have an adjustable rate loan that’s no longer affordable. Maybe you’re trying to sell a vacation home. Maybe you moved cross-country for a new job, but your old house still hasn’t sold. Sellers are sometimes loath to cut their asking price, which is the reason prices have barely budged. People focus on what their home was worth two years ago, or how much they’ve sunk into it, or on their desire not to bring a check to the closing,” notes financial adviser Bert Whitehead, author of “Why Smart People Do Stupid Things With Money.”

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The NIMBY movement is a force to be reckoned with. Not Republican nor Democrat, not much more liberal than moderate or conservative, and with no single staunch geographic base, the NIMBY (the acronym for the controversial “not-in-my-backyard” movement) crowd is comprised of people from all walks of life who have a common goal — to send virtually all developers packing. Apparently, when all is said and done, the sentiment is largely bottom-line oriented. NIMBYs have been criticized as an I’ve-got-mine gang of elites, but the 2007 Saint Index found that 78 percent of Americans want to zero out all new development in their hometown. That’s up from 73 percent last year. What’s more, one in four say they actually took part in some action against a project.

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Many homeowners are expressing outrage to subprime mortgage bailouts, whether they involved tax dollars or not, after Countrywide announced good deals for bad loans. Countrywide said it will refinance or restructure loans or reduce interest for hybrid ARM borrowers whose rates are scheduled to reset. And no one will have to pony up prepayment penalties for retiring loans early. Countrywide then announced it will rework loans, prime and subprime alike, for any troubled borrower, adjusting payments to reflect what individuals can afford. The company will administer the program with non-profit community advocate, the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA). Some troubled borrowers will escape with refinanced loans as low as 5.25 percent. Why should help be given, and possible taxpayer money spent, to home owners in trouble? (more…)

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According to a report released Thursday, foreclosure filings climbed during the third quarter of 2007 with no relief in sight. RealtyTrac, an online marketer of foreclosure properties, filed a report showing that the number of filings rose 30 percent from the previous quarter and nearly doubled from a year earlier. With the number of loans due to reset through the middle of 2008, and the continuing weakness in home sales, experts are expecting foreclosure activity to remain high and even increase over the next year in many markets.

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Lightning safety experts, endorsing common sense, have long advised that indoors is the safest place to be during an electrical storm. The National Weather Service recently adopted the slogan, “When thunder roars, go indoors.” But the spread of high-tech devices, including laptops and videogames, means there are new ways in which people can suffer injuries or property losses, even in the relative safety of their homes. A division of Sony Corp., Sony Computer Entertainment America, the maker of PlayStation products, says it hadn’t heard of incidents like this and says its devices come with safety instructions about lightning. Activision Inc., which makes the Guitar Hero game, advocates staying off electronics during storms. (more…)