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Mar. 2011

May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow, And may trouble avoid you wherever you go.

~Irish Blessing

Hickory News….Be “in the know”!

Paramount Motors – Grand opening May 5. They will sell Volkswagon,

Porche and Volvo cars.

Senior Citizens Apartments - Grayson Apartments being built near

Argule Pl. on 29th Ave. Pl. NE

New Playground to honor Zahra - Kiwanis Clubs of Catawba

County are raising money to honor the late Zahra Baker.Funds will be used to

purchase playground equipment that children of all abilities will enjoy.The

playground will be part of Kiwanis Park, which is located 805 6th Street, SE,

Hickory.Make payment to: Kiwanis Playground Fund for Zahra. Donations will

be accepted until June 30, 2011. Send donations to:

Kiwanis Playground Fund for Zahra

PO Box 9572

Hickory, NC 28603

Art Smart – great exhibits you shouldn’t miss!

SCENE UNSEEN:Fanjoy Labrenz Installation - Scene includes close details of our

immediate environment seen while walking or looking through a window, Unseen will be present

through music, spoken word and dance as the art forms convey and give life to the things we miss.

Coe Gallery through April 15, 2011

LOST HICKORY :A Compendium of Vanished Landmarks - a compilation of

architecturally and historically significant buildings that are no longer standing. Entrance

Gallery through April 10, 2011

What You Can Do to Improve Your Credit

Credit scores, along with your overall income and debt, are big factors in determining whether you’ll qualify for a loan and what your loan terms will be. So, keep your credit score high by doing the following:

1. Check for and correct any errors in your credit report. Mistakes happen, and you could be paying for someone else’s poor financial management.

2. Pay down credit card bills. If possible, pay off the entire balance every month. Transferring credit card debt from one card to another could lower your score.

3. Don’t charge your credit cards to the maximum limit.

4. Wait 12 months after credit difficulties to apply for a mortgage. You’re penalized less for problems after a

year.

5. Don’t order items for your new home on credit — such as appliances and furniture — until after the loan is approved. The amounts will add to your debt.

6. Don’t open new credit card accounts before applying for a mortgage. Too much available credit can lower your score.

7. Shop for mortgage rates all at once. Too many credit applications can lower your score, but multiple inquiries from the same type of lender are counted as one inquiry if submitted over a short period of time.

8. Avoid finance companies. Even if you pay the loan on time, the interest is high and it will probably be considered a sign of poor credit management.

This information is copyrighted by the Fannie Mae Foundation and is used with permission of the Fannie Mae Foundation.

―No matter whether you’re moving

across country, or across town,

I can help. Ask me how!‖

A Thought For The Month…

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.

Live the life you have imagined.”

Henry David Thoreau

Recipe – Irish Corned Beef & Cabbage

o 5 to 6 pounds corned brisket of beef

o 5 cups water

o 1 tablespoon pickling spices

o 1 pound turnips

o 1 pound carrots

o 2 large onions

o 2 pounds small red potatoes o 2 pounds cabbage

For Horseradish Cream:

½ cup sour cream, ¼ cup jarred horseradish- drained¼

cup fresh dill

Directions

Place brisket into a large heavy pot with water and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and

cover pot. Simmer until brisket is tender, about 3 hours.

Cut turnips, carrots, onions, and potatoes in chunks,

then scatter vegetables in a pot around beef. Slice

cabbage into 1-inch-thick wedges, then layer over beef

and vegetables in pot. Cover pot and continue to simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 1 hour

more.

Just before serving stir together sour cream,

horseradish, dill, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Gardening tip of the month

Color your garden

Stick to a simple color scheme for flowers and blooming shrubs in your garden. Your landscaping will look more

cohesive and professional.

Massing plants of coordinated colors creates a sense of

luxury and order. If you like pinks, add lavenders and blue-

hued plants. If hot red is your color, mix with yellows and

oranges.

Keeping to a single color family in your garden also

narrows your focus when roaming plant center aisles. If

you are a gardening newbie and can’t tell a tea rose from a

trumpet vine, ask the store’s plant expert for help. Most

will be glad to exchange their knowledge for a sale.

Also, gardening catalogs and websites often group

complementary colors together. Some even provide a complete landscape plan, which you can faithfully recreate.

Trivia Contest – Winner receives FREE XL Pizza from Dante’s

Q: Which major American city dyes a river green for St. Patrick’s Day?

Be the first to call, text or e-mail me! 828-238-0947, suzannewilliams@cbbh.com.

Real Estate Corner…. I invite you to email me your questions and I

will address them in the newsletter.

Q: What is Appraised Value?

A: Appraisals provide an objective opinion of value, but it’s not an exact science, so

opinions may differ. For buying and selling purposes, appraisals are usually based on

market value – what the property could probably be sold for. Other types of value include

insurance value, replacement value, and assessed value for property tax purposes.

Appraised value is not a constant number. Changes in market conditions can dramatically

alter appraised value. It doesn’t take into account special considerations, like the need to

sell rapidly. Lenders usually use either the appraised value or the sale price, whichever is

less, to determine the amount of the mortgage they will offer.

Hickory Market Conditions – YTD Statistics

what sold, for how much, in what length of time?

BOM – back on mkt., PND – pending, EXP – expired, WTH – withdrawn, DOM – days on market

What Buyers Want in Homes Today Buyers have a long list of what they want when home shopping, but one of their biggest

desires: A good deal. "And no matter where a seller prices their property, they're looking to

negotiate," says Patricia Szot, president of the MetroTex Association of REALTORS®. But

that’s not all they want. Bankrate.com recently asked real estate professionals to chime in on

the top desires of their buyers when home shopping. Here are four things that made the list of

top home buyer preferences:

1. Homes that are in good condition. "There's not a lot of flexibility in that," says Ron

Phipps, president of the National Association of REALTORS®. Many buyers now take the

attitude: "I'd rather spend the money getting into the house" and not have to spend more

money later, Phipps says. One of the major reasons is that "buyers have limited amounts of

cash," he adds. "Even if they want to do a fixer-upper, they don't have the money to do it."

2. A bargain with incentives. Buyers are looking for a good deal, even when considering

bank-owned properties, says Joan Pratt, real estate broker with RE/MAX Professionals in

Castle Pines, Colo. "They want the short sales and the foreclosures and they want them to look

like they're owner-occupied," she says. "They don't want to paint. They don't want to put

carpet in. They don't want to clean." And they aren’t only asking for a low price but they also

want incentives to buy too. As such, sellers are offering everything from gift cards for new

furniture to paint to financial assistance at closing.

3. Outdoor living areas. Homes with screen porches, outdoor kitchens, two-way fireplaces

are becoming increasingly competitive in the marketplace as more buyers say they want more outdoor living space.

4. Open kitchens. "The wall between the kitchen and the family room is evaporating," Phipps

says. "The kitchen is becoming part of the gathering space.‖

Thanks for Thinking of Me! Did you know I can help you or any of

your friends, family or acquaintances save

time and money when buying or selling a

home? Thanks for keeping me in mind

with your referrals…and spreading the

word! 828-238-0947

How much is your home

worth?

If you are thinking of selling your home, you'll

need to know exactly what it is worth before

putting it on the market. As a Hickory area real

estate professional, I analyze home values and

determine market prices every day. By

comparing your home to recent sales and other,

similar homes on the market I can quickly tell

you what your home is worth. This analysis is

known as "Comparative Market Analysis", or

CMA. I'll be glad to perform a CMA for your

home and provide you the results for FREE –

no strings attached; no pressure!

The Funnies

A grandson's coffee

A Grandmother was surprised by her 7

year old grandson one morning when he

had made her coffee.

She drank what was the worst cup of

coffee in her life. When she got to the

bottom there were three of those little

green army men in the cup. She said,

"Honey, what are the army men doing in

my coffee?"

Her grandson said, "Grandma, it says on

TV-'The best part of waking up is soldiers

in your cup!'"

Energy Tax Credit

Don’t forget to claim your tax

credit if you replaced an old

HVAC system, water heater,

garage door or windows with

energy efficient models. To get

the complete list of included

upgrades, along with the amount

of the credit, go to

http://www.energystar.gov/index.

cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index

Suzanne Williams

Coldwell Banker Boyd & Hassell

828-238-0947,

suzannewilliams@cbbh.com

INTEREST RATES courtesy of Wells Fargo

30-Year Fixed 4.875%

30-Year Fixed

FHA 4.750%

15-Year Fixed 4.125%