tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44253667596542459842011-07-30T12:10:55.201-04:00Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.comBlogger291100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-35079568511192439852011-05-09T20:53:00.020-04:002011-05-10T09:06:16.333-04:00

Condos offer a carefree lifestyle that many of you find especially appealing. However, if you have been pre-qualified for an FHA loan, you need to be sure that the community you’re interested in is approved under your loan requirements. At one time, condominium developments that were FHA approved were approved for “life”. Thanks to the 2007 housing meltdown, that is no longer the case. In order

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-29947996254374052322011-04-04T12:32:00.002-04:002011-04-20T12:43:28.038-04:00

With soaring prices at the gas pump, the appeal of walkable neighborhoods will certainly get an extra boost this year. Builders, non-profit organizations, and city governments have been working to slow urban sprawl for years and as a result, lots of live/work/play and higher-density communities have been developed or revitalized throughout the country. That iconic image of the American home -

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-20546392236529530862010-06-28T20:02:00.005-04:002010-06-29T00:52:00.673-04:00

I’ve just listed a charming, all brick, Tudor ranch in downtown Greensboro. It is in the vibrant, historic College Hill neighborhood. Many recent and near-recent updates give this home added youth but its gorgeous 1930's charm remains its most outstanding feature. There is a remodeled kitchen, new heat pump, and the roof is approximately 6 years old. It also has beautiful hardwood floors

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-52377278897422561552010-06-15T12:16:00.003-04:002010-06-15T12:19:37.509-04:00

Several Guilford County high schools made Newsweek’s list of America’s Best High Schools this year. This list highlights public high schools who work hard to promote an overall rigorous academic school culture to help their students prepare for a successful college career. These schools represent the top 6% of all public high schools in the nation. Grimsley High #78 Northwest Guilford High

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-58221855038336314412010-04-22T12:56:00.003-04:002010-04-22T13:02:16.926-04:00

“The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life…it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another and to preserve and cherish the Pale Blue Dot, the only home we’ve ever known.” ~Carl Sagan

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-60904323275331196452010-04-12T22:28:00.001-04:002010-04-12T22:31:01.758-04:00

I just recently attended an HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) inspection for one of my buyer-clients. While talking to the technician about everything HVAC, he filled me in on the EPA regulations on Freon that went into effect in January.Freon 22 is probably the coolant in use in your HVAC system. Well, it just so happens that this type of coolant is damaging to the atmosphere and is

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-45982292312514473602010-01-06T13:50:00.002-05:002010-04-12T22:27:28.067-04:00

It is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. It poses a danger to you and your family even at low or medium dose exposure. It is a world-wide health risk. You could be living with it in your home and not even know it. You can’t see it. You can’t smell it. You can’t taste it. Are you at risk?Radon gas is a toxic, radioactive gas that results from decaying uranium. It is

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-66147995907348170612010-01-01T13:11:00.000-05:002010-01-02T23:14:54.363-05:00

The Decade in HousingDo you remember the dot.com bomb of 2000?  Well, here we are, starting a new decade in the aftermath of another bomb...housing.  CNBC's Diana Olick takes look back at what happened.

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-47063260663440820222009-01-20T13:21:00.001-05:002009-01-20T13:28:50.251-05:00

@BarackObama Congratulations President Obama; to you, your family, to us all. Happy Jan 20th. We did it and we'll work hard to do it again!

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-81664886524739092372009-01-08T16:02:00.006-05:002010-04-12T22:43:49.129-04:00

It was sometime during 2007 when I first "resolved" to run a paperless office. Now, this latest declaration for 2009 is not some renewed effort at a previously failed attempt! I've actually been generating less and less paper in my office since I set out on this mission. Just how paperless it could become, however, was up for debate. Nonetheless, I was convinced the potential was there thanks

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-26495753821707757802009-01-01T01:09:00.001-05:002009-01-01T01:09:01.268-05:00

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-20594004307009027352008-11-24T00:22:00.036-05:002010-04-09T00:18:06.204-04:00

As always, real estate is local. Freshman lawmakers are not having an easy time locating affordable housing on Capitol Hill. CNN's Samantha Hayes gives an inside look at what it's been like for some of them. Embedded video from CNN VideoWhile the housing market has deteriorated tremendously for the nation as a whole, there are specific areas where unique local market conditions continue to

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-46875182081781226822008-11-20T00:07:00.004-05:002008-11-20T11:14:04.240-05:00

The median home price, as of 3rd qtr 2008, is now $200,500. This is a 9% drop from the same period last year. Foreclosures are mostly to blame, but of course, the bad state of the economy, stricter lending standards, and the high number of unsold homes have also contributed to the price decline. So, what can you buy for $200,500? Sushil Cheema at the Wall Street Journal took a look to find out. I

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-19839998266037656972008-11-19T00:22:00.002-05:002010-04-09T00:18:54.402-04:00

Just recently, I received a call from John, a prospective homebuyer, who found a few homes on my website that interested him. Wanting to learn more about these homes, he gave me a call to discuss them and his plans to buy. This call was unlike most I receive. Instead of focusing all attention on the homes themselves, his first questions centered on how I give representation and how I would work

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-73864548273499865782008-11-18T00:16:00.003-05:002010-04-09T00:29:26.956-04:00

Perhaps the most popular item on the wish-list of any homebuyer today is "character". This wish-list item is often difficult to describe except to say "I'll know it when I see it"! There really is no one specific thing that a home must have in order to have character, but among the homebuyers I've worked with, all agree that the home should have that je nais se quoi - that thing that pulls them

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-29505021211455901022008-11-17T00:00:00.015-05:002008-11-17T22:21:23.830-05:00

President-Elect Obama sat down with Steve Kroft for his first interview since November 4th. The interview covered a wide range of topics - from politics to family, and of course the transition to life in the White House. Michelle Obama joined her husband for the latter part of the conversation and the playful banter between the two made for quite a charming interview.When asked about where his

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-25902735821677025572008-11-13T00:33:00.001-05:002010-04-12T22:40:38.262-04:00

Amenities - The qualities or state of being attractive and comfortable.When applied to real estate, this term refers to the benefits that are attached to a property. For example, a home may have state-of-the-art appliances in the kitchen or a well-appointed home office with its own private entrance. Others may have a neighborhood pool & tennis club or have proximity to city parks and

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-79352396462055099962008-11-10T00:02:00.004-05:002008-11-10T00:13:42.489-05:00

Associated Press writer, Joe Milicia, submitted a rather interesting story over the weekend. A contractor discovered $182k cash in the bathroom wall of his friend's home. That's a nice chunk of money to come into - talk about hidden value!Too bad the story doesn't have a happy ending, though. Greed, as always, has a way of complicating things. Read the full story.

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-84130411511145811682008-11-06T00:53:00.010-05:002010-04-09T00:21:05.236-04:00

If you knew that you could not - in fact - afford the home loan you were pre-approved for, would you convince yourself otherwise? Would you go for it anyway? Of course not!No well-meaning person would accept a mortgage that would guarantee a path to foreclosure. Unfortunately, there are many homeowners out there who have found themselves completely blindsided by the true costs of their home loan.

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-60408388015751185532008-11-05T02:00:00.002-05:002008-11-10T11:12:25.143-05:00

America has undergone a remarkable sea change and will soon embark on a different journey, one that faces a brighter future, with President-elect Barack Obama at her helm. Phenomenal! Phenomenal.

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-35693865969541368002008-11-04T16:42:00.003-05:002008-11-05T02:42:36.640-05:00

Before too long, voting lines will draw down and polling will come to a close. Soon, I will take my favorite spot on the sofa, turn on my television, and begin some serious deep breathing exercises.What an incredible experience it has been to both witness and participate in this election season. It was historic on many fronts. One being the enormous role technology and, more specifically, the

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-55794048070794546822008-11-04T00:15:00.007-05:002008-11-11T13:48:55.160-05:00

by Bruce Beattie via SLATE

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-10581747867926209512008-11-03T17:23:00.004-05:002008-11-03T19:05:39.658-05:00

Just hours shy of the election season's biggest day, Barack Obama's grandmother lost her battle with cancer. She was 86 years old. Through his profound words and dignified character, Barack Obama has helped us become just a little better acquainted with who Madelyn Dunham was. We appreciate the invaluable role she has played in his life. Barack Obama is a great inspiration and source of hope to

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-45762749414725554822008-11-03T00:02:00.022-05:002010-04-09T00:21:47.536-04:00

Last Tuesday (Oct 28th), President Bush's first Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill put forth the proposal that Congress forget about the new economic stimulus package idea and instead concentrate their efforts to push through a law that will mandate a minimum downpayment threshold for prospective homebuyers. In other words, if a homebuyer does not have downpayment funds at least equal to 20% of the

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-52017705921886362992008-10-29T00:08:00.003-04:002010-04-12T22:48:10.498-04:00

Here is a great piece from HGTV's My First Place. It is a wonderful illustration of how everything really is negotiable in real estate transactions. It is very common for corporate or bank-owned homes to be sold "as is - where is". These corporations and banks do not live in these home of course, and do not make any representations as to the condition of the home. The buyer is expected to rely on

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-35034674201433462492008-10-28T17:08:00.014-04:002008-10-28T18:12:04.907-04:00

Embedded video from CNN VideoHave you seen this video? If not, you must! These are the students of Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, GA. Their teachers are obviously doing a fantastic job in nurturing a strong love of learning. Ron Clark's mission to prepare his students to hold the highest office in the land is sure to be realized one day. In the meantime, what a way to participate this historic

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-35273973428467209302008-10-28T00:05:00.006-04:002010-04-12T22:41:13.022-04:00

When a homeowner wishes to sell their home, they may opt to hire a real estate agent to market their home to attract a qualified buyer as quickly as possible. When a person is in the market to buy a home, they too may opt to hire a real estate agent to help them to find a good house and help them with the negotiations and the final purchase. In the first scenario, the real estate agent serves as

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-17655250854578060082008-10-27T00:32:00.002-04:002008-11-07T20:55:49.537-05:00

Every now and then, someone engages in an act of kindness that surprises and amazes the rest of us. CNN reported on the story of a foreclosure angel who opened up her heart and provided a woman with a second chance. I am looking forward to CNN's follow-up story. I want to learn a little bit more about these two women and the paths that led them to meet at this crossroad. I especially want to know

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425366759654245984.post-36310094870485921332008-10-23T00:52:00.006-04:002008-11-03T10:57:13.716-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, I headed out to the Board of Elections to cast my vote early. Considering the fact that we are in the midst of an historic election, I did not want to be faced with long lines and overworked computer systems on Election Day. I brought a magazine with me to keep my mind occupied and help me pass the time while waiting for my turn to vote.As I found the back of the line, I took

Nandi-Amarisnoreply@blogger.com0