Get ready for Service Raleigh

Whether you’re looking for a way to give back to our community, or your neighborhood or church needs some volunteer assistance, the 13th Annual Service Raleigh citywide day of service on Saturday, March 27, provides the perfect opportunity for both.

NC State’s Student Government and Park Scholars started Service Raleigh in 1998. The event is organized, planned, and executed by students. It is the largest student-run service organization in the Triangle area, involving over 2,000 volunteers annually. Past projects have included planting trees, landscaping, and site restoration.

The event begins at 7:30am on the NC State campus with breakfast and a short presentation, then volunteers go to their worksites at 9am and finish up by 1pm (bring your own transportation). Learn more about Service Raleigh and how to get involved as an individual or group volunteer, or how to receive volunteer assistance by becoming a partner.

Still wondering why you should consider participating? Here’s the short answer from the Service Raleigh team:

What do I get for participating in Service Raleigh?
A warm, fuzzy feeling that lasts a lifetime and a totally sweet t-shirt.

The deadline for signing up to volunteer is this Friday, March 5. The deadline for neighborhoods, churches, and other nonprofit organizations to sign up as a partner is next Wednesday, March 10.

Going without the flow

I’ve been reading this great book, “Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth (and Get Rich Trying)” by David Bach.

It’s got tons of great tips about saving the earth while saving money. Tip #17 is about conserving water use in your home. You could save up to 9,200 gallons of water per year and put $72 back in your wallet just by making a couple of simple changes in your water use.

In addition to installing low-flow showerheads and turning off the tap when you brush your teeth–two very obvious and easy ways to conserve water–the number one way you can save water in your home is to replace your toilet. It’s the biggest water hog in your house, especially an older model with a slow-flush, 6- or 7-gallon tank. The newer, more efficient models only use less than 2 gallons per flush. Your best bet for saving water and money is a dual-flush model, where you can choose whether you need less (0.9 gallons) or more water (1.6 gallons) when the time comes.

How much does one of these fancy-schmancy toilets cost? Anywhere from $230 to $400–not that much more than a traditional water-hogging model (around $175), and it will pay for itself in lower water bills throughout the year. And honestly, don’t you think it’s worth a hundred bucks to help save the planet? Yep, I think so too.

While you’re at it, take a home water audit. There’s always room for improvement!

Calm and confident beats panicked and unsure any day

There’s an April tax deadline looming… (No, not THAT deadline!)

I’m talking about April 30, the contract deadline to qualify for either of the two government tax credits for home buyers (first-time or move-up/move-down). If you’re hoping to take advantage of one of these tax credits by buying a home this year, then you have 64 days left to get a house under contract (and go to closing before the end of June).

If deadlines like this give you the shakes, you’re not alone. Finding your inner calm is one way to make those jitters go away. And the best way to get calm during a time crunch, like a tax deadline for buying a house, is to work with a professional–someone to help you get to that place where you feel fully informed, completely prepared, and ready to act confidently.

Here are some great tips on how to get calm from the Calm and Sense blog by Susan Bray:

• Indulge in something you love every day
• Get a gratitude journal “credit” report
• Stop and smell the roses
• Pet a dog or cat
• Smile and say hi to a total stranger
• Do something for others
• Get a good night’s sleep
• Breathe 4-2-8
• Stretch
• Sing!

Cinderella comes to Raleigh

Looking for a little fairy godmother magic this weekend? Carolina Ballet–our very own professional ballet troupe–has tickets available for Saturday and Sunday matinee and Saturday evening performances of the classic story “Cinderella” for the next two weekends.

For as little as $18 (matinee), you can be dazzled by the original choreography of the immortal George Ballanchine. The ballet also features brand new choreography and a new short ballet by the Carolina Ballet artistic director Robert Weiss as part of the performance.

If you haven’t been to the Fletcher Opera Theater in the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, this is a great opportunity to check out the world-class facility in downtown Raleigh. Grab some dinner before the show and make a night of it!

Be well in Raleigh

Did you know that the Raleigh/Cary area has the highest well-being of any metro area in the South? It’s true, according to the most recent Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey.

Raleigh/Cary comes in third nationwide among the nation’s most populous cities, right after San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara in northern California and the Washington, DC/northern Virginia area.

The Index measures life evaluation, emotional health, work environment, physical health, healthy behaviors, and access to basic necessities. The most impressive result from the survey is that Raleigh got the top score for work environment–meaning it’s considered one of the best places to work in the country.

“Citizens in Raleigh were much more likely than those in Cleveland to say they were satisfied with their jobs, they had a positive relationship with their supervisor, they were able to use their strengths at work, and they found their workplaces to be trusting environments.”

We already knew how great Raleigh is for living and working, but this just adds some scientific evidence to back it up! Read the complete results for North Carolina here.

Eco-kitchen design

Check out this great video about designing an eco-friendly kitchen, courtesy of REALTOR® TV! When you’re ready to start designing your own green kitchen, check the list of shopping tips posted here recently.

Mobile updates on downtown buses

Navigating downtown Raleigh by bus is easier than ever. Just power up your phone.

There are two websites you can access by your mobile or smartphone to get real-time automated vehicle locations, projected arrival times, and live service area maps with bus stop locations.

The websites are updated every few seconds and are tied to a GPS feed, so you’ll always be in the know about when that next bus is coming. (And why worry about driving when the bus system is so reliable?)

• You can get CAT bus info at RaleighRides.org. Look up individual bus routes or glance at the whole system.
• You can get R-LINE bus info at YouRHere.com/mobile. Click on “R-LINE” from the top navigation.
• There’s also good info on all the bus lines at raleighnc.gov/transit.

25th Anniversary Triangle Heart Ball

In honor of Valentine’s Day, this weekend I’m volunteering at the 25th Anniversary Triangle Heart Ball for the American Heart Association. The annual ball, one of the oldest and largest black tie events in the region, will be held at the new Raleigh Convention Center at 500 S. Salisbury Street on Saturday night, 2/13, from 6:30 till midnight.

Here’s some more details about this important fundraiser from the event organizers:

The evening celebrates our work and mission; our donors and volunteers; and—most importantly—the lives saved and improved because of everyone’s effort. The Triangle Heart Ball promises to be an engaging evening of fun and passion, bringing community and philanthropic leaders together. Last year, our Heart Ball campaign raised just over $51 million nationwide, allowing us to fund over $123 millon of research and programs across the country and in your community.

I’ll be helping out with the live silent auction, and my friend and colleague Janet Kennedy also will be there as a volunteer. If you’ve got $200 to donate to a worthy cause, you can attend the ball. Just remember to wear your fancy party duds… but leave the glass slippers at home!

Green home staging makes the list

HomeGain (of which I am a member) surveyed real estate agents around the country to see what green home improvements they would recommend to home sellers. Of the top 9 green DIY projects that increase home value, “green home staging”–keeping environmental sustainability in mind when staging a home for sale–is number 3 on the list.

So let’s say I’m doing a green home staging in your home. The first step is a green staging assessment. This is where I help you find the most effective ways to “green market” your home. I would suggest areas in the home that would benefit from repairs or upgrades to better conserve resources, be more energy and water efficient, and increase recycling while reducing waste.

Next comes the actual home staging, usually in preparation for a photo shoot, followed by an open house. This is where your belongings are reorganized and enhanced by “props” or decorative items strategically placed around your home to enhance its appearance.

For a green home staging, I would…

• reuse items from other home stagings
• create new items by using recycled materials
• borrow items from business partnerships
• recycle old and worn-out items by donating them to charity

If you’re interested in learning more about green home staging, email me or give me a call at 919.796.3470. In the meantime, take a look at the top 9 DIY green home improvements list below. Lots of great ideas here!

Neighborhood focus: University Park

What makes a neighborhood special? The people who live there, certainly. But here in Raleigh, our neighborhoods offer an eclectic mix of beautiful architecture, intriguing history, charm, and funkiness that make each one unique. One of the best parts of my job as a real estate agent is introducing people to the various neighborhoods of Raleigh. Starting today, the Breeze Blog will feature virtual walking tours of some of these neighborhoods.

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University Park

This is my neighborhood, where I’ve lived since 2005. Vibrant University Park–in west central Raleigh and bordering Wade Avenue, Hillsborough Street, Faircloth Street, and Oberlin Road–offers the perfect combination of tree-lined streets and retail convenience. From its central location, residents have easy access to I-40, I-440, downtown Raleigh, and all kinds of shopping and restaurants. Let me show you what I like best about my neighborhood!

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Hillsborough Street

On diverse Hillsborough Street, on the north edge of the NC State campus, you can dine your way from the Mediterranian to Mexico and enjoy funky great local spots such as Cup A Joe and the classic music establishment Sadlacks.

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Sculpture Walk

University Park draws a talented mix of artists, including sculptor Joel Haas, whose unusual and enjoyable sculptures form the neighborhood sculpture walk. I just attended a party hosted by an 89-year-old University Park artist whose home is a veritable art gallery of her dynamic work.

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Little Theatre

Located at 301 Pogue Street, the Raleigh Little Theatre is one of the oldest continuously operating community theatres in the country, with more than 150 performances annually–that’s more than any other theatre in North Carolina. It’s amazing to have such high-quality community theatre right here in my own backyard.

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Rose Garden

One of three accredited gardens in the Carolinas, the beautiful Raleigh Rose Garden (at the Raleigh Little Theatre) shows off its parade of roses from late May until the first fall frost. With a lovely fountain and a small stone shelter at either end of the garden, it’s a perfect setting for weddings and small outdoor events.

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Great Shopping and Entertainment

I’m a regular at the Whole Foods on Wade Avenue, with the venerable Quail Ridge Books & Music next door. A variety of convenient shopping venues can be found along the other neighborhood border streets, Hillsborough Street and Oberlin Road (Cameron Village). Check out The Alley for retro-cool bowling and a great date-night scene.

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Interesting History

University Park gets its name from bordering on two schools: Meredith College and NC State University, and from once being the home of the Latta House University. As part of the West Raleigh Historic District, the neighborhood has “park” in its name from being developed during the “City Beautiful” movement in the early 20th century. In addition to the two bigger parks, Jaycee Park and the Raleigh Rose Garden, you can find small, informal parks along Gardner Street, Kilgore Avenue, Logan Court, Merriman Avenue, and Clark Avenue.

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Active Neighborhood Association

The volunteer-run University Park Homeowners Association hosts many events throughout the year and supports and promotes local businesses. They post event photos online, as well as neighborhood news. I’ll be at the annual meeting tomorrow night, Feburary 8, at Church of Christ on Brooks Road. Dinner starts at 6pm.