May Gardening Tips

Grow your own dried flowers. Raise statice, globe amaranth, straw flowers and other everlastings to provide flowers for this year's arrangements.
* Plant gladioli bulbs in late May.
*Set out marigold, petunia, ageratum and fibrous begonia transplants. All are good border plants.
*To grow annuals in containers on the patio, use a light weight soil mixture. Keep the plants well-watered, because the soil dries out fast. Apply a water soluble fertilizer according to package directions every two weeks.
*Watering roses with soaker hoses or drip irrigation will reduce the spread of black spot disease.
*Plant ground covers under shade trees that do not allow enough sunlight to grow grass. Vinca minor or English ivy are ground cover plants that grow well in shade.
*Mulch around newly planted trees and shrubs. This practice reduces weeds, controls fluctuations in soil temperature, retains moisture, prevents damage from lawn mowers and looks attractive.
*When you visit botanical gardens and arboretums, take your camera and note pad with you. Plan now for changes you will make in your landscape.
*For maximum landscape interest in a small, vertical space, try annual vines. They can disguise ugly walls and fences. When trellised, they can create shade and privacy while hiding undesirable views. Try morning glory, nasturtium vine and scarlet runner bean.
*Plan a landscaping project on paper first. Do not over plant. Be sure you know the mature size of each plant and allow for growth.
*Lawns maintained at the correct height are less likely to have disease and weed infestation. Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue should be mowed at two or three inches in height. Mow frequently, removing no more than one third of the blade at each cutting.
*Grass clippings can be used as a mulch in flower beds and vegetable gardens if allowed to dry well before use. Never use clippings from a lawn that has been treated with a herbicide.
*Cabbage loopers and imported cabbage worms are green worms. They leave large holes in the leaves of plants in the cabbage family. For control, caterpillars can be picked off by hand or sprayed with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), a natural, non-toxic preparation available by various trade names.
*Newly transplanted vegetable plants should be protected from cutworms with collars. Cut strips of cardboard two inches wide by eight inches long, staple them into circles and place them around the plants. Press the collar about one inch into the soil. These collars will fence out the cutworms and protect the stems of the vegetable plants.
*Stay out of the garden when the vegetable plant leaves are wet. Walking through a wet garden spreads disease from one plant to another.
* Four or five layers of newspaper will serve as an effective mulch in the garden. Cover it with grass clippings or straw to prevent it from blowing away.
*Put tools away at the end of the day. Clean them and hang them up so they are ready to use and easy to find when you need them.
*To better evaluate your gardening successes, keep weather records along with garden records. The most important items to report are daily minimum and maximum temperatures, precipitation, cloud cover and frost occurrences.

More good news in Winston Salem!!

While much of the housing market is struggling, mid-priced, middle-class housing in some cities is on the rise. Affordability has kept these communities strong, say analysts from Forbes magazine, which examined data from Zillow.com to identify these healthy markets. Most of these markets never experienced a boom. That in conjunction with rising wages and employment has meant that increasing numbers of residents can afford to buy a home. Here are the markets where prices for mid-priced housing have risen most in the past year.* Ithaca, N.Y., median home price, $179,500; increased 5.9 percent in 2008* Winston-Salem, N.C., $136,845, 3.4 percent* Utica, N.Y., $112,737, 3.3 percent* Spartanburg, S.C., $103,437, 3 percent* Little Rock, Ark., $122,439, 2.5 percent* Pueblo, Colo., $118,877, 2.4 percent* Augusta, Ga., $109,815, 2 percent* Oklahoma City, Okla., $113,417, 2 percent* Des Moines, Iowa, $147,427, 1.7 percent* Dallas, Texas, $132,312, 1.2 percentSource: Forbes, Matt Woolsey (12/04/2008)

Winston Salem housing market is GOOD!!

Research conducted by Zillow, a company that provides online real estate values and other information, found that U.S. home values will plunge a total of $2 trillion this year.
Home values dropped 8.4 percent year-over-year in the first three quarters of 2008 compared to the same period last year, Zillow reported today, for a total nationwide home-value loss of $1.9 trillion.
One in seven (14.3 percent) of all homeowners were underwater by the end of the third quarter, owing more on their mortgage than their homes are worth.
Out of 163 metro areas tracked in Zillow's market report, 30 had gains during the first three quarters of the year compared to the same three quarters in 2007.
The values are based on the company's estimated values of individual homes, which are calculated with a proprietary formula. The company's value index calculates the median value of all single-family homes, condos and cooperatives in a given area using this formula, regardless of whether the properties are for sale.
All of the top-five worst-performing markets for home-value changes during the first three quarters (compared to the same period last year) are in California, while three of the five best-performing markets are in North Carolina.
The Stockton, Calif., metro area was the worst-performing housing market in the country during the study period, with values diving 32.3 percent in the first three quarters of 2008 compared to the same period last year. Next on the list was Merced, Calif. (down 31.2 percent); followed by Modesto, Calif. (down 30.4 percent); Salinas, Calif. (down 30 percent); and Vallejo-Fairfield, Calif. (down 27.8 percent).
And the best-performing housing markets during the same period were Jacksonville, N.C. (up 4.9 percent); Winston-Salem, N.C. (up 4.1 percent); Anderson, S.C. (up 3.5 percent); State College, Pa. (up 3.4 percent); and Burlington, N.C., up 3.1 percent.
The latest quarterly University of California, Los Angeles, Anderson Forecast noted that declines in U.S. home prices since a record peak in 2006 amount to an estimated $4.5 trillion loss in wealth. And that is coupled with a stock-price slide valued at about $7.4 trillion since December 2007 (see Inman News).
And the Federal Reserve reported this month that the combination of falling prices and stock-market declines amounted to a U.S. household loss in wealth of about $2.8 trillion during the third quarter alone (see Inman News).
***

Making the Right Real Estate Choices: Landscaping: Fall checklist

Fall is the perfect time for landscaping. It is also perhaps the most important time. As the summer heat breaks and the plants prepare for winter, you can prepare your landscaping so that it’s ready for the spring.

Flowers:
Fall is the time to plant. If your landscaping includes spring bulbs, you need to plant them in the fall. Have a vision for what you want in the spring. Map out where you want the flowers to bloom once winter is over, and plant your spring bulbs there.
Another part of your fall landscaping should be to take care of any rose bushes. Stop fertilizing them in the fall, but do spray them with fungicide when their leaves drop. Also, cover your rose bushes with at least eight inches of loose soil or mulch and prune them back to 36 inches. A little landscaping help with them now helps them to bloom in the spring.

Trees and shrubs:
Pruning the trees and shrubs is a part of fall landscaping. Now is the time to cut back dead or diseased branches. Also, your trees and shrubs should be heavily watered before the cold weather hits.

Lawns:
Fall is also a busy time for lawn landscaping. This is the time for the lawn to be aerated to loosen compacted soil. The next step is to seed and fertilize. Doing this landscaping maintenance in the fall prepares your lawn for the spring.

Potted plants:
Your landscaping probably includes several potted plants, but these cannot stay outside once the nights get colder. Bring in the houseplants once the nighttime temperature starts reaching 50 degrees. Also, if you have a Christmas cactus, it requires a bit of work now. Three months before you want it to bloom, stop feeding it and reduce its water. Make sure that it has complete darkness from sundown to sunrise and sunlight all day. When buds start to appear, you can start feeding and watering it again.

Miscellaneous:
Don’t forget the non-living aspects to your landscaping. Water hoses need to be drained and stored. Any debris cluttering the lawn or flower beds needs to be removed to prevent damage or disease.
Fall landscaping is almost as if you are tucking your plants and flowers into bed. You are getting them all settled for the winter so that they can wake up in the spring when you can enjoy your landscaping to the fullest.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day weekend is very special time for our veterans and our country. I enjoy putting out American flags at mailboxes in various neighborhoods during this time. It really looks GREAT. Makes one proud to see our flag when it is seen at every home on the street. I was shocked and quite proud to say that one of our neighbors wrote the following to our local news paper.

"I would like to thank John Hersome of Coldwell Banker for the American flags that were put at each of our mailboxes. This was such a wonderful gesture of love for America. To me it showed the love he showed for America. God bless him and all...."

Business Milestone

John Hersome, a real estate broker and sales associate in the Coldwell Banker Triad, Realtors, Clemmons and Davie office, was recognized as the company’s top producing sales agent in the Triad for 2007.

Winston Salem Real Estate Market

Winston-Salem, NC Real Estate Market The Winston-Salem real estate market is presently and has been a relatively even market between buyers and sellers. There has been no sharp spike upward nor severe downturn in many years. The market has enjoyed steady growth coupled with moderately extended time between first market appearance and sale of houses. Investment in the Winston-Salem real estate market has been a safe albeit expensive bet for novices and professionals alike. However it can prove lucrative as the recent introduction of a new Dell Computers Facility has boosted the job market. This provided a two-fold benefit. Entry-level homeowners were attracted to the area and move up buyers were encouraged to spend a little more for larger houses. Rising prices have done nothing drastic to the even correlation between buyers and sellers. Neither has risen to claim the sole title of the market as of yet and, if trends continue, neither will. Investment strategies differ according to a variety of factors, most importantly is locational trends. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is no exception. With an average closing price of $188,000 and an average of 78 days on the market for a house for sale, it has proved wise for would-be investors as well as seasoned professionals to enter transactions cautiously and with a carefully planned out exit strategy. Although “getting stuck” with a property with a price of over $150,000 is an unpleasant occurrence for some, it would not be as detrimental to an investor in the Winston-Salem real estate market. For example, instead of trying to make a profit by selling the house, income can be generated by renting out the property. The Winston-Salem real estate market is one that is overlooked by hungry investors. Overshadowed by higher profile locations such as Florida and Nevada, the first-time homebuyer as well as previous homeowner have enjoyed a market relatively free from fluctuation. The steady flow of buying and selling has kept everything stable and free from most surprises. Most real estate investment training courses offer advice on places to target for strategic purchase but the Winston-Salem market has remained under the radar for reasons that only speculation could provide. A simple market at best, Winston-Salem has not provided many a good enough reason to be drawn to its ample charm and easy to discern market patterns. This market has survived the housing boom as well as the bursting of “the real estate bubble” and has remained virtually unchanged. The Winston-Salem real estate market is definitely one that should be considered by savvy investors. It does not give evidence of a get-rich-quick area but one that could offer great dividends to the patient but cautious house hunter. In conclusion, the Winston-Salem real estate market joins quite a few others on the list of markets that are not being watched as closely as they should be by potential investors. This is compensated by the ever-faithful homebuyer who is drawn to the Winston-Salem market for personal as well as professional reasons. The phrase remains, “Let the Buyer Beware” and in this case it applies to both homebuyers as well as investors.