What's Good about September in the Sandhills-wrote this yesterday--got the rain!

Days don't get any better than the one we enjoyed today.  Bright Carolina Blue sky, the occasional puffy white cloud, non-existent humidity, skies streets, and yards washed clean by a recent rain and temps that almost, but not quite reach 80 degrees at the hottest moment of the day.  Absolutely gorgeous, and generally September, October and half of November bring us more days like this than either hotter or colder ones.

PERFECT golf weather, don't you think?  or almost anything you want to do outside--take a hike, ride a bike, jog, run, play some tennis, play hopscotch or hide-n-seek--your kids will love you for it. 

Rumor has it there is some more "make-up rain" in our near future, so grab some outdoor time while you can!

the season's last First Friday

Ah, the last First Friday of the season, happening this Friday in downtown Southern Pines.  What a wonderful way to kick off the weekend, and the month of October.  This week music is provided by the Holy Ghost Tent Revival, with Tim Wilson as the opening act.  Get in on the fun, c'mon to downtown Southern Pines this Friday--you've got to store up a whole bunch of First Friday energy to get you through
the rest of the year until spring.  Check this link to see the fun you'll be missing if you don't show up!
http://www.facebook.com/Pinehurst.real.estate#!/media/set/?o.50966199262&ref=mf

What's good. . .about a world without June in it?

I have to take a few moments this morning to mourn the loss of a very special friend. The friend who among other things is responsible for the title of this blog. If you're looking for real estate wisdom or advice today, I guess you will have to look elsewhere.

Among the most remarkable people I have met is the one who inspired the name of this blog. June Salander, who died peacefully, surrounded by family yesterday afternoon about a month shy of her 102nd birthday never that I can remember, started a conversation any other way. "What's good?" or occasionally "Tell me something good." She never stopped inspiring me with her wisdom, her sense of humor, her need to nurture (and feed!) those around her. She was older than I am today when she began a successful real estate career, and at 72 she took up tennis and enjoyed it for many years. She continued to follow the pros for years after she was sidelined at 89 with a rotator cuff injury, and loved watching it on tv. When Lou, her beloved husband passed several years ago, June embarked on a journey that became a passion. At the age of 89 she celebrated her Bat Mitzvah, and continued to study Hebrew with the Rabbi for many years.

There is no denying she was a remarkable woman, an extraordinary human being. I miss her terribly and cannot envision the world without her in it. I love this picture of June, taken sometime around her 100th birthday I believe. I will keep this lovely image of a lovely woman in my head and heart.

For me a consideration when I left Vermont was that June was unlikely to outlive me, (she was 95 when I left) and that I was going to be limiting my time with her by being so far apart. I never went home without a visit, and made it home for many of her birthdays including the enormous celebration of her 100th at the Rutland synagogue.

What's good. . .that June touched so many lives in her nearly 102 years on this planet, and that she is again with Lou, and George, a son she lost many years ago. I am glad she touched mine.

What's good. . . about Moore County Residents?

Wow, our Red Day food drive was a rousing success! Tomorrow we will deliver some serious amount of grocery products to the Food Bank. We had groups of red shirted Keller Williams agents at Lowe's in Pinehurst and Food Lion in 7 Lakes from 10 to 6 today, soliticing donations from the
remarkably generous residents of both communities. Watch for pictures tomorrow.

What's Good. . .about RED Day

Hey, Welcome to RED Day, a day to Renew, Energize, and Donate. Watch for Keller Williams agents across the country and Canada today honoring Mo Anderson, our Vice Chairman, by giving back to their communities. Our RED Day project at Keller Williams Pinehurst is a food drive. We will be asking patrons to help us restock the shelves of the Central and Eastern North Carolina Food Bank today at Lowe's in Pinehurst and Food Lion in 7 Lakes.

Some items that the Food Bank is always looking for can be found here:
http://content.foodbankcenc.org/getinvolved/mostneededitems.pdf

Look forward to seeing you there!

What's Good. . .about acronyms?

Initially speaking, I couldn't resist ripping off Greg Fous of Market America Realty and Investments in Fort Myers, FL
Directly from Greg's newsletter this morning, designed to keep you completely in the know about real estate related acronyms:

AIREA - American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers
ALTA - American Land Title Association
ANSI - American National Standards Institute
AOR - Association of Realtors
APOD - Annual Property Operating Data
APR - Annual Percentage Rate
ARES - American Real Estate Society
ASA - American Society of Appraisers
ASHI - American Society of Home Inspectors
BD - Book Depreciation
BOM - Back on Market
BPO - Broker Price Opinion
BFP - Bona Fide Purchaser
BRR - Book Rate of Return
CAM - Common Area Maintenance (charges related to commercial leases)
CC - Civil Code
CCIM - Certified Commercial Investment Member
CFK - Cash for Keys
CGT - Capital Gains Tax
CH/BW - Chain Link/Barbed Wire
CO - Certificate of Occupancy
COC - Cash on Cash Return Rate
COE - Cost of Equity
CUV - Current Use Value
DCR - Debt Coverage
DIM - Deferred-Interest Mortgage
DOM - Days on Market
DRC - Depreciated Replacement Cost
DS - Due on Sale (clause)
EAL - Exclusive Agency Listing
EMD - Earnest Money Deposit
ERS - Exclusive Right to Sell
ERV - Estimated Rental Value
FDIC - Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
FDR - Formal Dining Room
FFE - Furniture Fixtures and Equipment
FHA - Federal Housing Administration
FSBO - For Sale by Owner
FMV - Fair Market Value
FNMA - Federal national Mortgage Association ( Fannie Mae)
FP - Fireplace
FPM - Flexible-Payment Mortgage
FRM - Fixed-Rate Mortgage
FRV - Full Rental Value
FSBO - For Sale By Owners
GLA - Gross Leasable Area
GPM - Graduated Payment Mortgage
GRM - Gross Rent Multiplier
HDW - Hardwood Floors
HECM - Home Equity Conversion Mortgage
HELOC - Home Equity Loan Line of Credit
HOA - Home Owners' Association
HUD - (Department of) Housing and Urban Development
H/W - Husband and Wife
HWF - Hardwood Floors
HVAC - Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
ICA - Independent Contactor Agreement
IRR - Internal Rate of Return
LA - Listing Agreement
LIBOR - London Interbank Offered Rate
LOI - Letter of Intent
LTV - Loan To Value (Ratio)
LUI - Land Use Intensity
MBA - Mortgage Bankers Association of America
MBB - Mortgage-Backed Bond
MBO - Mortgage-Backed Obligation
MBS - Mortgage-Backed Security
MGIC - Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation
MLS - Multiple Listing Service
MMI - Mutual Mortgage Insurance
MMR - Monthly Marketing Report
MPC - Master Planned Community
MRA - Master Residential Appraiser
MSA - Master Senior Appraiser
MSR - Monthly Status Report
NHBC - National House Building Council
NIA - Net Internal Area
NIM - Net Income Multiplier
NLA - Net Leasable Area
NNN - Triple Net (Lease)
NOI - Net Operating Income
NPV - Net Present Value
NRV - Net Realizable Value
OBO - Or Best OfferOER -
Operating Expense Ratio
OIRO - Offers In the Region Of...
OSR - Occupancy Status Report
PCD - Planned Commercial Development
PEPS - Political, Economic, Physical, Social (forces that drive value)
PHA - Public Housing Administration
PID - Planned Industrial Development
PITI - Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance
PMDT - Purchase Money Deed of Trust
PMI - Private Mortgage Insurance
PO - Principal Only
POA - Power of Attorney
POF - Proof of Funds
PSF - Per Square Foot
PV - Present Value
PW - Present Worth
RAM - Reverse Annuity Mortgage
REA - Reciprocal Easement Agreement
REIT - Real Estate Investment Trust
REC - Real Estate Commission
REO - Real Estate Owned
RK - Re-Key
ROM - Roll-Over Mortgage
SAM - Shared-Appreciation Mortgage
SEM - Shared-Equity Mortgage
SF - Square feetSFD - Single Family Detached
TPL - Third Party Liability
TI - Tenant Improvement
TIC - Tenants In Common
TIP - Treasury Investment Program
TRA - Tax Reform Act
VA - Veterans Administration (Loan)
VAP - Variable Payment (Mortgage)
VAT - Value Added Tax
VPM - Variable-Payment Mortgage
VRE - Virtual Real Estate
VRM - Variable-Rate Mortgage

and if you have stayed with me this long--
Some Fun Acronyms for Buyers
DINKWAD- Double Income No Kids with a Dog
DINKY - Double Income No Kids Yet
YUPPIES - Young Urban Prosperous Professionals
MUPPIES - Middle-age Urban Prosperous Professionals
NOKs - No Kids Couples
DEWKS - Double Employed With Kids S
INKs - Single Income Numerous Kids
ORCHID - One Recent Child; Heavily In Debt
SINBADs - Single Income No Boyfriend and Desperate
YAVIs - Young Attractive Verbal Intelligent (So many of us!

What's Good. . .about this current explosion?

Pictures from a little spin around Whispering Pines and Southern Pines yesterday!

'nuff said.

What's Good in Moore County Real Estate

Things are brisk in our market this spring, and one can feel a momentum that hopefully is not all about the home buyer tax credits. Pinehurst area residential real estate is selling at a stronger pace than last year, in some market segments MUCH stronger. Each month of 2010 has seen stronger sales numbers than the same month of 2009, and with 41 homes already closed this month and 206 properties currently under contract in MLS, April is sure to exceed 2009's number of 78. Our office alone has enough April closings scheduled to get us past 78! I suppose we should note that in April of 2006, 156 homes sold in Moore County, so while the current market seems brisk compared to last year, it still has a ways to go to catch up with the 2006 figures.

Where the action is: As you no doubt can imagine, the greatest activity is happening between $100,000 and $300,000, with 72% of the 82 homes sold falling in that range. That leaves 23 homes in the sales below $100,000 and above $300,000. It remains to be seen what happens when buyers aren't under contract by April 30, as that tax credit deadline passes.

The military extension of the home buyer tax credit should help to sustain our momentum. Active military who have been served any period of extended duty outside of the United States for at least 90 days during the period beginning after December 31, 2008 and ending before May 1, 2010 qualify for the extension, which gives until April 30, 2011 to get a home under contract and until June 30, 2011 to close.

The action in higher price points seems to have heated up during April--we will watch for the stats to bear this out in the next couple of months.

What's good. . .about my day at the Masters?

I promised pictures and thoughts about our day at the Masters. We acquired Tuesday practice round tickets from Bill Saylor in Whispering Pines. Bill's first year winning the ticket lottery happened to coincide with the spring he was getting knee replacement. That turned out to be a good piece of luck for us and we headed over Monday night, stopping in a sport's bar in Columbia to watch the Duke-Butler game, then checked into our hotel. Up early the next morning, we headed for Augusta National. I am posting a random assortment of pictures from our day, including some nice ones of a few of our favorite players, especially Freddie Couples and Tom Watson. Love those old guys!

The first picture is of the menu board in the concession stands--we visited the concession stands four times, for snacks and lunch and snacks a couple more times, and didn't spend $25 on food. Dudley was paying for lunch and turned to me and said "why don't we eat here more often?"

The place is a sanctuary to golf, a church, amazing, beautiful, magnificently manicured. Apparently the pine trees there don't produce cones, or at least they don't drop them--not a pine cone anywhere. The azaleas were a little behind schedule, but even without flowers, Amen Corner was breathtaking. It is hard not to feel the years of history and tradition. It oozes from
everywhere.

We spoke to a volunteer at one hole crossway. Fourteen volunteers were manning that hole that day, at crossways, tees, greens, and the lines along the fairways. The crowds are nothing if not respectful.

We spent much of the day looking for shady vantage points because it was unseasonably HOT and sunny. But in the shade it was perfect, always a little breeze, just right.

Ok, time for the pics:

What's good. . .in Whispering Pines tonight?

Well the 2010 Master's is history. A wonderfully emotional win for Phil Mickelson. Can't help but note the contrast between the Woods' marriage and Phil and Amy's. Don't get me wrong, I am completely in support of Tiger's effort to change, and I believe if anyone has the discipline and the capabilities to lick any addiction, it would be Tiger. But the unmistakable depth of love, devotion, and caring between the Mickelsons is more than a breath of fresh air, it is a gale.

After watching the ceremony in Butler Cabin, I walked out to the back yard to find a pair of Mute Swans in the cove in Lake Thagard. You have to look closely, because my little Coolpix telephoto can only do so much and by the time I got back to the house to get the camera, they had headed for the far end of the cove, but here they are:

What's good. . . about Pinehurst on April 10th?

A high temperature in the low 70's, a clear Carolina Blue sky, a soft murmuring breeze and the pine pollen has been washed away by Friday's early (I mean EARLY) morning rain. This day is designed for golf, or tennis, or hiking, or biking, or equestrian activities, or gardening or most anything you might want to do outside. You might consider visiting any of dozens of open houses
today as it day one of the REALTOR Nationwide Open House days this weekend. If that's on your agenda, I hope you will consider visiting me at 21 Village Green in Southern Pines, a really handsome 3 bedroom, 3 bath townhome in the Village Green complex. If you can't make it, or want to have an idea what's in store for you if you do, click here for a preview.

Yesterday was a beauty too, after a couple unseasonably hot days, (one of which we spent at the Masters--I know I promised an update and pictures, watch for them shortly). I spent the day with my brother Geoff and his wife on their first visit to Pinehurst. My brother, the golfer in the family, had been here with 'the guys' 20 years ago, but he was seriously sick and doesn't remember much of his round on #2, or much else about the trip. Geoff's been playing golf since he was about 8 or 9, played in high school and college, and carries a single digit handicap. I mention all that because it is all about completely opposite of my golf experience. I pretty much never picked up a club until I was 50. And I have golf course Alzheimer's, cannot for the life of me remember my strokes from tee to green if there's more than three of 'em (and trust me, there's never less than more than three of 'em) so I don't even HAVE a handicap except maybe that I get out there in the first place!

Geoff on the other hand is on the Golf Digest rater's panel and plays golf at the MOST amazing courses (Shadow Creek, Cascata, etc) all over the country. He and Margaret spent Weds and Thursday at Augusta and then headed over here Thursday night. We had only a day, as they were driving and afraid of Easter Week traffic heading home. We started out after breakfast at the BEST men's golf shirt outlet store on the planet (on Midland Road in Pinehurst). Les Sladkus of Royal Threads has an extraordinary collection of great shirts and pretty much nothing in the store is over $20. There is a $5 room, a $7 room, one for $10 shirts and one with $20 beauties. My brother bought 6 shirts for a friend, about 8 for himself and a beautiful pink v neck sweater that he wore yesterday. I think he spent 230 buck for all of it. Every one of those shirts would have at least an $80 price tag on it in a real store. Did I mention that my brother spent his entire life, almost as long as he has been playing golf, in the men's clothing business? After nearly two hours in this little concrete block building my sister-in-law and I finally went out and started the car. We could not DRAG him out of that place! From there a quick spin through the village, a loop thru the Carolina and by the PCC clubhouses. We drove thru National, then lunch at Whispering Woods and finished up with a 1:40 tee time on the North course at Forest Creek. Thanks to Chuck Cordell, Marketing Director at Forest Creek, and the Golf Digest rater's panel we had a wonderful afternoon, on a glorious course, on a near perfect Carolina spring day. Finished off the day at the Bell Tree Tavern on Broad Street in Southern Pines, so we could watch the late afternoon Master's coverage (and I could enjoy THE BEST shrimp and grits in several counties) and put them on the road home.

By the way, Dogwoods are at their glorious best and the azaleas have begun their show too--so get outside today!

What's good. . .about Pinehurst

Just a quick note this morning. . .it's 5:57 am and what's good about Pinehurst is it is only about
a 4 hour drive to Augusta, GA! We have tickets to the Masters, Tuesday practice round. Stayed outside of Columbia last night, watched that squeaker of a National Championship basketball game in the hotel bar/breakfast room/lobby with a bunch of Masters bound guys, and heading out shortly for some Tiger-watching. Wow, this is a drive I would have never made from Vermont!!

More later, with pictures.

What's good. . .in Southern Pines

Starting tonight and running thru Sunday, the Sunrise Theater on Broad Street in Southern Pines is providing eight, count 'em, eight opportunities to see "A Single Man", the acclaimed drama and directorial debut of Tom Ford, legendary fashion designer best known for his turnaround of Gucci.

Apparently his legend as a director is growing as I type this as this film has garnered 23 nominations and 14 awards including Critic's Choice and Golden Globes and several from various Film Critics Societies. For a list click here. Among the honors this film has snagged is an Oscar nomination for Colin Firth, and Golden Globes for both Firth and Julianna Moore as Best Supporting Actress.

The Sunrise is a wonderful example of what's good in Moore County. An extraordinary contributor to the vibrancy of downtown Southern Pines, from Blues to Shakespeare to Opera, you are going to want to know what is going on at the Sunrise! Don't miss First Fridays, an event that assures perfect weather the First Friday of every month from May to October. I promise, I have not seen one yet get rained out!!

Bookmark the Sunrise Calendar for things you won't want to miss.

What's good April 1st

April 1, 2010
I saw my first dogwoods of the year yesterday . First one I noticed was in Aberdeen and by the time I got home last night I had seen dozens, in Southern Pines, Whispering Pines, everywhere--as if nature blew the dogwood whistle and they all snapped to!

They are right on time, and now begins a show I look forward to every year. As much as I used to await the fall and frost setting Vermont's hillsides to flame. From now until the middle of May we will enjoy a progression of spring blooming flowers and trees that is breathtaking and for me at least, every bit as beautiful as that autumnal display in the Green Mountains.

For the past two weeks we have enjoyed the Bradford Pear trees in full bloom and several other
species of tree and shrub-Flowering Quince and forsythia, tulip trees, and ornamental fruit trees, but for me, nothing can compare with the one-two punch of the dogwood and azaleas. The different varieties of azalea begin their long-running show soon. The late bloomers that mark one of my property lines are probably over a month away from their pale pink turn. Others, earlier varieties, should start to display their "true colors" any day now.

What's good in Moore County today is the beginning of a great spring show. Get ready Sandhills, it's about to get GORGEOUS!