Shutters add dimension and definition to existing architecture. Measure each window for exact dimensions. Size decorative shutters as if they were functional, and make sure the gap between functional shutters and the windowsill is no more than 1/16 of an inch. Cutout designs add a little punch to traditional options.

Create an eye-catching border garden or container garden. Look for plantings that will thrive in your environment (native varieties will most likely be easier to maintain). For color: Phlox subulata (creeping Phlox) in colder regions, Phlox carolina (Miss Lingaard) in warmer climates, or tickseed varieties such as Coreopsis grandiflora (Mayfield Giant) and Coreopsis lanceolata (Lanceleaf).

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The entire development also features underground utilities. The lots are clustered around a “dead-end” cul-de-sac on a private road. Currently, the owner is offering $10,000 cash rebate to buyer!

Driving directions are 421 North from Wilkesboro NC towards Boone, turn left on South Recreation Rd., then right on Rocky Point Rd. Look for the sign at Nicole Ln., then turn right on Jacob’s Way.

W. Kerr Scott Lake is 1500 acres with 50 miles of shoreline and is controlled by the US Army Corps of Engineers. It is clean water with good fishing and is excellent for boating, kayaking, skiing, and swimming. The property is surrounded by National Parks. Wilkesboro NC is a beautiful community and town with friendly people. It is located just 40 miles east of Boone NC and Blowing Rock NC and one and a half hours northwest of Charlotte.

Contact Elizabeth Carter, 336.973.5594 or Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247 or email eacarter@charter.net

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search for : Jacob’s Ridge, W. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir, W. Kerr Scott Lake, Wilkesboro NC, Boone NC, Blowing Rock NC

The housing rescue package that Congress scrambled to pass in July was aimed primarily at stemming foreclosures and shoring up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But it also contains provisions that make reverse mortgages a better deal for older homeowners who want to turn their equity into cash.

Lawmakers are paying attention to reverse mortgages because these once-marginal products have exploded over the past decade, thanks to low interest rates and rising home values. The federal government, which backs more than 90% of all such loans through the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program, guaranteed 107,400 reverse mortgages last year, up from 7,900 in 1998. What’s more, an industry group estimates that even after the drop in housing prices, seniors’ equity in their homes was worth $4.2 trillion at the end of 2007.

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MLS Number: 50913

City: Valle Crucis, NC
Stories: 2
Bedrooms: 4 Baths: 4.5
Area: Boone-Blowing Rock, NC
Year Built: 1990
Plus Five fully furnished 1,400 sq. ft. Rental Cottages. Each built in 1996 on approx. 1/2 acre sites. Current cottage average annual rental income $150,000.

39.4 acres with 360 degree view of Blue Ridge Mountains.

5,200 sq. ft. main house built in 1990 on 1.24 acres.

No restrictions and no zoning offer many other options:

* Family compound
* Corporate retreat
* Religous retreat
* Horse farm / Dude ranch
* Recording studio
* Cottages can be sold separately
* Land can be further subdivided if desired

Contact Elizabeth Carter, 336.973.5594 or Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247 or email eacarter@charter.net

click here for more information

search for : Valle Crucis, NC, Blowing Rock, NC, Blue Ridge Mountains

The housing bill signed by President Bush on July 30 raises the amount seniors can borrow using federally backed reverse mortgages and lowers the cost of getting the cash. But aging experts say you should still be cautious before spending down your home equity.

A reverse mortgage is a loan against your home if you’re generally age 62 and over that doesn’t have to be paid back as long as you live in that house. Tapping home equity to finance your golden years is growing in popularity, with 107,367 reverse-mortgage loans made in fiscal year 2007, up from 6,600 loans in 2000, but they still account for only about 1 percent of older households, according to the AARP. After you pay a variety of fees on the loan, you can get a lump sum, monthly payments, a credit line, or a combination of these options based on the value of your house. If the home is sold, the loan must be repaid with the proceeds, and any equity that remains after that is distributed to the borrower.

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87.5 +/- Acres Available For Residential Subdivision Mountain Development, 7 miles from West Jefferson, NC

Paved Road and Bridge Built To State Specifications.

Average of $23,000 per acre.

This Property Should Retail For Approximately $50,000 to $60,000 per acre.

ALL PROPERTY HAS LONG RANGE MOUNTAIN VIEWS

Contact Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247

or

email Greg at grstike@charter.net

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Prime mortgages are starting to default at disturbingly high rates - a development that threatens to slow any potential housing recovery.

The delinquency rate for prime mortgages worth less than $417,000 was 2.44% in May, compared with 1.38% a year earlier, according to LoanPerformance, a unit of First American (FAF, Fortune 500) CoreLogic that compiles and analyzes residential mortgage statistics.

Delinquencies jumped even more for prime loans of more than $417,000, so-called jumbo loans. They rose to 4.03% of outstanding loans in May, compared with 1.11% a year earlier.

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The beautiful water front home is located in a private community with spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It has a double deck boat dock, an enclosed boat garage and a private ramp to launch your own watercraft. The home was built originally in 1972 and totally renovated in 2002. A four car detached garage was built in 2002.

There is a total of 264 ft. of water front. Beautiful three tier sea walls accent this elegant home. Hard wood and tile floors, modern appliances and vaulted ceilings are only a few of the amenities that capture you with this home.

Private dock permit.

List Price: $1,800,000
Flexibility: Willing to finance
Acreage: .75 acres
Type: Waterfront

Floors: 2
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 4
Sq. Footage: 3700
Garage Size: 4.0
Year Built: 1972, totally renovated in 2002
School District: Nebo

Suitable Use: Residential

Topography: Rolling
Road Frontage: Private Road
Location: Lake James, Burke County, NC

Amenities: Waterfront, Fireplace, Central AC, Alarm, Wood Floors, Gas Range, Patio, Wheelchair Accessible, Nature/Bike Paths, Boating, Controlled Access, Spa/Jacuzzi

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search for : Lake James waterfront home, Blue Ridge Mountains, Lake James, Burke County, NC

City officials and community activists can’t wait to get their hands on nearly $4 billion the federal government is about to inject into blighted neighborhoods suffering from record foreclosures.

Opponents of the measure say the paltry sum won’t do much good considering the number of vacant homes on the market - one million families are expected to lose their homes this year - and will more likely turn into a political boondoggle.

It remains to be seen which side is right. But the program - part of the massive housing rescue bill Bush enacted last month despite his own misgivings - will serve as one test of Washington’s ability to mitigate the foreclosure crisis.

At over 3,000 feet elevation, this community is famous for it’s abundance of North Carolina Christmas Tree farms. Laurel Springs is a vacation and retirement paradise with motorcycle riding, hiking, canoeing, fishing, swimming, mountain biking, horseback riding, skiing, golf and much more.

With both the the New River and Mt. Jefferson State Parks nearby, visitors to Laurel Springs come to experience cool summer breezes, spectacular mountain scenery and outdoor recreation.

Contact Elizabeth Carter, 336.973.5594 or Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247 or email eacarter@charter.net

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A reverse mortgage can offer an unbeatable proposition for the right person: the cash-poor but house-rich senior. The loan allows homeowners over 62 years old to tap equity without selling the home, giving up title, or taking on new monthly payments. Instead of paying off a loan every month (as with an equity line) — the homeowner collects a check.

Even if the homeowner outlives their equity, the checks keep coming and they still don’t lose their home. When the homeowner moves off the property, the loan finally gets repaid, typically through selling the house.

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The entire development also features underground utilities. The lots are clustered around a “dead-end” cul-de-sac on a private road. Currently, the owner is offering $10,000 cash rebate to buyer!

Driving directions are 421 North from Wilkesboro NC towards Boone, turn left on South Recreation Rd., then right on Rocky Point Rd. Look for the sign at Nicole Ln., then turn right on Jacob’s Way.

W. Kerr Scott Lake is 1500 acres with 50 miles of shoreline and is controlled by the US Army Corps of Engineers. It is clean water with good fishing and is excellent for boating, kayaking, skiing, and swimming. The property is surrounded by National Parks. Wilkesboro NC is a beautiful community and town with friendly people. It is located just 40 miles east of Boone NC and Blowing Rock NC and one and a half hours northwest of Charlotte.

Contact Elizabeth Carter, 336.973.5594 or Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247 or email eacarter@charter.net

click here for more information

search for : Jacob’s Ridge, W. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir, W. Kerr Scott Lake, Wilkesboro NC, Boone NC, Blowing Rock NC

We usually define a “conventional” mortgage as financing with 20 percent down. Since most people don’t happen to have 20 down much less 20 percent plus closing costs, there has always been a market for mortgages that somehow require fewer dollars up front. The way you get loans with less down is to find a financially-strong co-signer, someone or something that will bail out the lender if you can’t repay your mortgage. Loans guaranteed by the VA, FHA or private-mortgage insurance (MI) all allow borrowers to buy with little or nothing down.

But — and you knew this was coming — insurance requires an insurance premium, so to buy with little down AND without the cost of insurance, borrowers and lenders during the past few years increasingly turned to “piggyback” financing. With piggyback financing (commonly known as piggyback loans) you get a first loan for 80 percent of the purchase price and a second loan for 10-, 15- or 20-percent of the home’s value. The result is little or nothing down, plus no cost for mortgage insurance.

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search for : piggyback loans

MLS Number: 50913

City: Valle Crucis, NC
Stories: 2
Bedrooms: 4 Baths: 4.5
Area: Boone-Blowing Rock, NC
Year Built: 1990
Plus Five fully furnished 1,400 sq. ft. Rental Cottages. Each built in 1996 on approx. 1/2 acre sites. Current cottage average annual rental income $150,000.

39.4 acres with 360 degree view of Blue Ridge Mountains.

5,200 sq. ft. main house built in 1990 on 1.24 acres.

No restrictions and no zoning offer many other options:

* Family compound
* Corporate retreat
* Religous retreat
* Horse farm / Dude ranch
* Recording studio
* Cottages can be sold separately
* Land can be further subdivided if desired

Contact Elizabeth Carter, 336.973.5594 or Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247 or email eacarter@charter.net

click here for more information

search for : Valle Crucis, NC, Blowing Rock, NC, Blue Ridge Mountains

Mortgage giant Freddie Mac — emboldened by emergency regulatory actions that have triggered a two-day rebound in its battered stock — is considering raising capital by selling as much as $10 billion in new shares to investors, according to people familiar with the matter.

The high-stakes maneuver would have the potential to avoid a full-blown government rescue for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, twin keystones of the U.S. housing market. The publicly traded, government-sponsored companies own or guarantee about $5.2 trillion of home mortgages, or nearly half the total outstanding, and are at the center of government efforts to prop up the sagging housing market.

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