New Homes and Office Space in Swansboro NC »

We are delighted to announce that we are working with Ward Shore Realty on a new real estate project in Swansboro, NC to be called Ward’s Farm. This project will fill several of our area’s greatest needs.

This is not going to be simply a residential neighborhood. No, Ward’s Farm is going to be developed with historic Swansboro in mind. The architecture will be styled after the buildings that stood here more than one hundred years ago. The streets will be lined with trees and the houses will have the inviting front porches of that period to foster a feeling of community.

At the entrance to the development, there will be property set aside for office and retail space available for lease. And, in keeping with the historic theme, even these buildings will reflect Swansboro architecture of the late 1800s.

We are very excited about this project and working with the developers on their goals. Swansboro has a real need for office space and the commercial offering of Ward’s Farm will certainly fill that need. In addition, the historically themed architecture will certainly make a beautiful contribution to the area’s nostalgia.

Stay tuned for progress reports and if you are interested in leasing office space or retail space, make sure to contact Ward Shore Realty for all the details.

Wal-Mart Coming to Cedar Point NC »

The rumors have been flying for the past year or so. Well, now it is official: Wal-Mart is coming to Cedar Point. It will be constructed behind the BB&T on Highway 24 just before you get to the Highway 58 intersection.

Click the image for a larger map showing where the Wal-Mart Supercenter will be constructed and what the site layout will look like.

There are several online appraiser sites that will give you an idea of your property’s value, Electronic Appraiser ? Instant Results! is one such site. If you would like to get an idea of your property’s value, depending on where you live, take a look at their Click here to read more »

Green Building Quickly Moving Mainstream »

from builderonline.com

Preliminary results of a McGraw-Hill Construction/National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) survey indicated that there was a 20% increase in 2005 among those in the home building community who are focusing their attention on green, environmentally- responsible building, which is expected to increase by another 30% this year. The research findings will be issued May 15 in the Residential Green Building edition of McGraw-Hill Construction’s series of SmartMarket Reports.

After several years of slow but steady growth across the country, the green home building movement — which applies innovative and environmentally sensitive construction techniques and products to reduce energy and water consumption and improve residential comfort and safety — is rapidly moving into the mainstream. By 2010, residential green building is expected to grow to $19 – $38 billion.

“Green home building is at a tipping point among the builder population,” said Harvey Bernstein, vice president of Industry Analytics and Alliances for McGraw-Hill Construction. “The data we recently collected indicates 2006 to 2007 is the time frame from which the builder population moves from a majority less involved to more involved with green building.”

To serve the growing green building market, Bernstein also noted that McGraw-Hill Construction in May will publish its first issue of GreenSource, a new magazine dedicated to the growing market for environmentally-responsible green buildings. GreenSource, with content developed in collaboration with BuildingGreen, Inc., will present news, features, case studies of important projects, and green product information to more than 40,000 architects, interior designers, building owners, and members of the U.S. Green Building Council.

A new Web site dedicated to the green building industry has already been launched, at http://www.greensource.construction.com/ .

Ray Tonjes, chairman of the NAHB Green Building Subcommittee, noted that the study opens new ground and new business opportunities for NAHB members. “NAHB has been in the vanguard of Click here to read more »

Economists: Fed to Raise Interest Rates »

from USAToday

The Federal Reserve will raise interest rates slightly more than expected, in response to brisk economic growth and continued inflation pressures, according to USA TODAY’s quarterly survey of top economists.

All 51 economists surveyed April 20-25 expect the Fed to raise its target for short-term interest rates by a quarter-point to 5% at its May 10 meeting. That’s a change from a January survey in which the economists predicted the Fed would pause after its March 28 meeting. Still, only about a fourth of the economists expect another rate increase at the following meeting, in June.

“All the data is pointing to a lot of momentum, and if (the Fed) wants to slow down the economy, why stop in May?” says Rajeev Dhawan, director of the Economic Forecasting Center at Georgia State University, who expects the Fed to raise rates in May and June.

The central bank, as expected, raised rates in March to 4.75% from 4.5% to keep inflation under wraps.

Fully 62% of the economists termed Fed interest rate policy “just right,” 22% said it was too loose, and 16% said it was too restrictive.

A run-up in energy prices was seen as the biggest threat to the Click here to read more »

Mortgage Rates at 4 Yr. High »

from AP Online

Rates on 30-year mortgages climbed this week to their highest point in nearly four years, a development that could put a further crimp in housing activity.Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, reported Thursday that rates on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.49 percent for the week ending April 13. That was up from 6.43 percent last week and was the highest since mid-July of 2002.

Mortgage rates rose as Wall Street investors fretted that an improving jobs climate could drive up wages and thus inflation, analysts said. Those fears were fanned by a government report last week showing the unemployment rate dropped to 4.7 percent in March.

“The threat of higher inflation, as we all know, invariably leads to higher mortgage rates,” said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

Some economists believe rates on 30-year mortgages could reach 7 percent by the end of this year.

There are signs that rising mortgage rates are slowing the housing market, which registered record-high sales for five years in a row.

“If the past is any guide, the effect of rising interest rates is likely to be felt most visibly in housing markets,” Federal Reserve Governor Donald Kohn said in a speech Thursday.

Sales of existing homes are expected to fall by 6 percent this year compared with last year, while new-home sales are expected to drop by 10.9 percent, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Home prices, which have posted double-digit gains in past years, aren’t expected Click here to read more »