raleigh durham chapel hill real estate: North Carolina says "NO!!!" to the Property Transfer Tax
- 11/26/07 09:13 AM
The collective voice of North Carolina voters rang out loud, clear and in perfect harmony..."Don't tax the American Dream!" The proposed increase in The Property Transfer Tax was overwhelmingly rejected in 16 counties across North Carolina...including Wake, Durham, Orange, Chatham and Johnston. According to Tim Kent, Executive Vice President of The North Carolina Association of Realtors..."People sent a message that they absolutely, positively do not want to have a targeted tax on home ownership." The defeat of the proposed tax is largely due to the tremendous support from The North Carolina Association of Realtors and Home Builders...whose combined contribution totalled … (10 comments)
Well...apparently...there are some listing agents (in my neck of the woods) who skipped elementary school. (OR...they fell asleep on the reading carpet.) I know this must be true...because all too often, I show their listings.
Not too long ago, I was working with a single mom (I'll call her Barbara)...a referral from another satisfied … (24 comments)
raleigh durham chapel hill real estate: THANKSGIVING DINNER...with a Native American Twist (Hey!! We WERE there for the first one!!)
- 11/22/07 12:45 AM
EVERYONE loves Thanksgiving Day! It is THE DAY that has been designated to 'count our blessings'. It is THE DAY that we give thanks for the many gifts that God has given to us...our homes, jobs, friends and family. It is THE DAY that we should remember that there are many who are less fortunate than we...and share our blessings. It is THE DAY that most of us sit before at a beautiful and bountiful table and eat...eat until we are stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey!
On this glorious Thanksgiving Day...and in honor of my Native American heritage...I wish to share with you a few recipes that may have been … (25 comments)
raleigh durham chapel hill real estate: Please won't you be my NEIGHBOR??
- 11/20/07 07:45 AM
Do you remember when a 'neighborhood' was a neighborly place? If you are over 30 and have children, you have probably thought back to your carefree, childhood years...riding your bike (unaccompanied) through your neighborhood...going to friends' homes for sleepovers...playing until dark and realizing that you better rush home for dinner...and wondered what happened to the good old days. Even as you think back now...I imagine that you have a sense of loss...that something special is gone forever. Let's face it. There is NO WAY that you would allow your children to have the kind of freedom that you had as a child. Not because … (26 comments)
1. YOU CAN sponsor a desperately poor child. We've all seen the commercials on tv and turned our heads...not wanting to look into their eyes. It is so easy to make a difference. For less than the cost of an average restaurant meal, you can care for a child for one MONTH! (YOUR COST: $35)
Three of my favorite child sponsorship organizations are Compassion International, World Vision and Christian Childrens … (18 comments)
Imagine if your children were hungry...and you could not give them food. Imagine if your children were cold...and you could not provide them shelter. Imagine if your children were sad...and you could not give them hope. I know you do not wish to … (20 comments)
raleigh durham chapel hill real estate: THANK YOU, Mommy...YOU taught me HOW to REALLY LIVE!
- 11/16/07 01:18 AM
Quiet and unassuming...NOT the type of person who commands attention when she walks into a room...my mother often jokes with me that I certainly did not get my personality from her...that I'm ‘just like' my father. Although it is obvious that my father's genetic blueprint is responsible for HOW I am...it was my mother's unconditional love and uncompromising faith that most influenced WHO I am. NOT only did my mother give me life...she taught me how to live.
Through my mother's living example, I learned the most important things I know. I learned... THAT regardless of what I have...there is … (20 comments)
raleigh durham chapel hill real estate: PLEASE look at this photograph before Thanksgiving Day... (EDIT: IF you have not seen it YET...PLEASE look NOW!)
- 11/15/07 03:59 PM
In 1994, Kevin Carter won the Pulitzer Prize for this photograph...depicting a starving child crawling toward a United Nation's food camp...located one kilometer away. When Carter happened upon the child, he waited quietly to get the best shot of the vulture that was waiting for the child to die. After taking the photo, he scared the vulture away and left the scene. He did not help the child...did not go for help...did not do anything except take his photo.
As I began planning and preparing for Thanksgiving, I was reminded of this photograph. Though this picture was taken in the Sudan in 1993, it … (44 comments)
raleigh durham chapel hill real estate: Fruit Cocktail or Sauerkraut...
- 11/15/07 07:16 AM
Over the past week, my days...my hours...EVEN my minutes have been completely consumed by work. Running from client-to-client and showing-to-showing...I've had little time to write (or even think, for that matter). However, I've caught myself 'grabbing' little moments here and there...thinking about blog-worthy childhood memories. I would smile as I thought about sharing those memories with you...my ActiveRain family. So...who wants to splash around in the 'rain' with me and take a little trip down memory lane? READY? Let's go!!! On several occasions, I've shared memories of my childhood...of growing up on Quail Roost Farm in Durham, NC. Those of you who read … (36 comments)
I don't know Linda Stein...had never even heard of her until this afternoon...but I am deeply disturbed by the circumstances surrounding her death. On October 30th, 62 year-old Stein was found dead in her New York City apartment...a victim of 'blunt impact injuries of the head and neck'.
Today, her personal assistant of four months, Natavia Lowery, was arrested and charged with her murder. According to Lowery's confession, Stein had been verbally … (34 comments)
raleigh durham chapel hill real estate: Professional Con Artist Attempts to Frame REALTORS®...Gets Caught in Her Own Trap!
- 11/09/07 06:07 AM
For years...a North Carolina woman successfully set up REALTORS® all over the country...making false accusations of racial discrimination and 'steering'. Unbelievably, she made $90,000 - $120,000 a year from settlements resulting from her bogus claims. I imagine, as I did, you are asking yourself..."How did she get away with this for so long?" Sadly...she met with little resistance...until she made accusations against the wrong person...my friend, Mike.
One sunny afternoon, Mike checked his mail and found a notice of a certified letter. He immediately went to the post office to retrieve his letter. The return address indicated the letter was from The Department of … (69 comments)
raleigh durham chapel hill real estate: Three Kinds of Givers...Which One Are YOU?
- 11/09/07 04:55 AM
Over the past month, I have witnessed firsthand...with my very own eyes...some pretty miraculous examples of unselfish giving...AND...mind-boggling generosity! Some of the situations I have seen are SO AMAZING, in fact, that I will have to write a separate post about them. Right now...just sitting here at my computer...I had a thought that I want to share with you.
From my observations, I have determined that there are three types of givers:
The 'GREEDY GIVER'...gives because they want something in return...recognition, admiration, followers, favors...or even blessings from God. They KNOW that IF they GIVE...they will GET. Ummm...isn't that kinda like buying friendship … (10 comments)
raleigh durham chapel hill real estate: Will You DARE to DREAM?
- 11/05/07 12:11 AM
I am the glowingly proud mother of four AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL GIRLS. When my oldest daughter, Avery, was six years old, she participated in a girls' club at church. Her sister, Michelle, three at the time, wanted so badly to be a part of the club also...but she was too young (according to the club rules). Given that the church was small, the club leader decided that Michelle could participate as the club mascot. I'll never forget how proud Michelle was and how seriously she took her new responsibility.
Shortly after becoming the club mascot, Michelle participated in a group performance. The club members practiced several … (14 comments)
Last night, we had a wonderful dinner (room service)...watched a funny movie...and ACTUALLY turned off our cell phones. (I can't remember the last time we did that!) We went to bed much too late, but it was okay...we're on vacation!
This morning, I woke up early (habit) and leisurely read some of my … (17 comments)
raleigh durham chapel hill real estate: Is There a 'COPYRIGHT' on Inspiration!
- 11/04/07 01:59 AM
Like many of you, I joined ActiveRain for the primary purpose of gaining greater exposure in the search engines. However, within a few, short weeks, I began to understand that there is so much more to ActiveRain than just 'google juice'.
Here at ActiveRain, I've met real estate professionals from all over the country...unselfish and caring people who give freely and openly of themselves everyday...sharing their wisdom and experience through their blog posts. I've connected with AMAZING people who live hundreds of miles away...people I most likely would have never met outside of this arena...who I now call 'friend'.
… (20 comments)
raleigh durham chapel hill real estate: Do YOU have the DETERMINATION of a PANSY?
- 11/01/07 09:32 AM
Three weeks ago, my wonderful husband planted lovely pansies in a little garden just outside our front porch. They were the prettiest shades of purple and yellow...burgundy and colors for which I have no name. He spent the day creating the beautiful garden for me...because he knows how much pleasure I take in being surrounded by flowers.
Just a week after he planted my flower garden, we awoke one morning to find that MY pansies had been an all-night buffet to some local deer. There were NO pretty blooms remaining...NOTHING but sad, little leaves. Many of the plants that remained were dislocated from their dirtbed and thrown … (20 comments)
Three hours later, she was still in my office. Through her tears, she shared her … (44 comments)
raleigh durham chapel hill real estate: 'The Cleaning Woman' (This Made Me REALLY Think!)
- 10/30/07 08:50 AM
The Cleaning Woman There was a little, old cleaning woman that went to the local church. When the invitation was given at the end of the service, she went forward wanting to become a member. The pastor listened as she told him how she had accepted Jesus and wanted to be baptized and become a member of the church. The pastor thought to himself, "oh my, she is so unkempt, even smells a little, and her fingernails are not clean. She picks up garbage, cleans toilets - what would the members think of her." He told her that she needed to … (32 comments)
raleigh durham chapel hill real estate: Thank YOU, Tom! (ANOTHER ActiveRain ANGEL!)
- 10/27/07 05:19 AM
Yesterday, I came across a blog by Tom Plant that had a hilarioius video. After watching, I simply commented to him that I enjoyed the video and wished to learn how to incorporate video into my blogs. Less than an hour later, Tom called me and left me the nicest message. He told me that he would love to 'walk me through' the process by phone...to just give him a call back whenever I was in front of my computer and ready to learn. When I finished with my client, I gave Tom a call. In five minutes on the phone, he … (26 comments)
raleigh durham chapel hill real estate: (This is a TRUE STORY) "They Done Shot Bobby!!!"
- 10/26/07 10:26 AM
SINCE today is Friday...and SINCE Friday comes at the end of the week...and SINCE I want a good excuse to tell this story...I'm going to USE today being FRIDAY as my EXCUSE! ::LOOKING AROUND TO SEE IF THAT FLEW...AND MOVING ON:: (Just a few short years ago...) When I was sixteen years old, I had a summer job at Wendy's. (It was a horrible job, but that has nothing to do with this post.) One afternoon...listening to music and daydreaming about what I would do with the rest of my day...I was driving happily along after finishing my shift. I had a white … (18 comments)
The collective voice of North Carolina voters rang out loud, clear and in perfect harmony..."Don't tax the American Dream!" The proposed increase in The Property Transfer Tax was overwhelmingly rejected in 16 counties across North Carolina...including Wake, Durham, Orange, Chatham and Johnston. 
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