Christmas Toy Give-A-Way     On December 23rd, the Durham Rescue Mission hosts its annual Christmas Toy Give-Away. Guests to the event will enjoy a free traditional, christmas meal with all the trimmings and will receive free clothing and free groceries. There will be games and activities for the children, and EVERY CHILD in attendance will receive toys...the only Christmas gifts that some of these children will receive this year.      Want to help? If you would like to help provide Christmas toys for the needy children of our community, please call 919-688-9641 for more details. You can also visit their website at http://www.durhamrescuemission.org.            Written and Posted by: Elizabeth Nieves - Broker, REALTOR® The Elizabeth Nieves Realty Group @ Keller Williams (A Bilingual Re... 12/20/2008

'Drive Thru Christmas' Christian Assembly Church in Durham presents 'Drive-Thru Christmas', December 10th - 13th. Load up your family and friends and drive through the Christmas story, each evening from 6:30 until 9:00PM. Five beautiful scenes are presented with live actors, sets, lights, costumes, music and narration. A free CD or tape is provided. The presentation is absolutely free and open to the public.   For More Information:Phone: 919-471-0220Email: cach@cadurham.orgLocation: Christian Assembly Church Address: 5516 N. Roxboro Road (across the street from Northern High School)Christian Assembly Church Website:       ***Photo courtesy of freefoto.com*** 12/13/2008

Perfectly located in Durham, NC…just minutes from Raleigh and The Research Triangle Park…Grove Park is a wonderful neighborhood in which to live. Neighborhood amenities include a pool, clubhouse, tennis courts, childrens’ playground, volleyball court and beautiful lake. Grove Park is surrounded by The Crossings Golf Course and Club.                                               There are currently 30 homes for sale in Grove Park... priced from $142,600 to $269,900.   The average home on the market is a 4 bedroom/2.5 bath with 2035 square feet...priced at $106/sq.ft. Based on those numbers...   This is Elizabeth's pick for BEST DEAL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD! With 5 bedrooms and 2776 square feet...this home is priced at ONLY $60/sq.ft. This home is a foreclosure, but it is appears to be in ver... 12/12/2008

After several years of high anticipation by the Durham and Chapel Hill communities, the Durham Performing Arts Center, DPAC,  is finally open. The state of the art facility held it's official ribbon cutting/opening ceremony on Monday night.  At the event the public was invited to browse through the venue and also was given a chance to speak with the City and County of Durham officials as well as the architect, builders, sponsors and management company officials.   Thousands of area residents turned out for what was a high energy, fact and fun filled evening. The venue,which seats 2800 people, is located in downtown Durham near the American Tobacco Campus and next door to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The facility is the largest in North Carolina and will host many touring companys of... 12/03/2008

Durham, North Carolina...The City of Medicine...is a great place to live!   BusinessWeek recently named Durham, NC the third best city in the USA to ride out the recession. Durham, which is part of the Research Triangle area, is home to Duke University and Duke University Medical Center. It is also home to North Carolina Central University. The world-famous Research Triangle Park is located on the southern side of Durham County...between Chapel Hill and Raleigh...forming the Triangle area.     While the national real estate market is continuing to suffer, the Durham market is holding strong. The following charts show important statistics regarding the third quarter real estate sales for Durham County. This first chart indicates the average closed prices for Durham County homes through O... 12/01/2008

If you are looking for a fun-yet-different family event to jumpstart the holiday season, I’ve got just the thing for you. On December 5th, come enjoy the fourth annual Tower Lighting on the American Tobacco Campus.   One of Durham’s most recognizable landmarks, the 134 year-old Lucky Strike Tower, will be decorated with thousands of feet of lights and garland. Although this celebration is a relatively new one, the organizers hope that it will become a much-anticipated, family tradition for Durham residents and visitors.     Attendees to this holiday ‘LIGHT’ event will enjoy Christmas music by local churches and schools…including a performance by a special brass ensemble from Durham School of the Arts. The first 500 people on the lawn will receive a FREE light wand, and the evening will ... 11/22/2008

Hey there!  How ya doing?  How was your Sunday? Mine was wonderful.  Had a lazy morning, drank a pot of coffee and decided that today was the day to go into Durham and putter around for a while.  See something different.  Do something different. So off we go, my husband and I.    First stop ... Tiger Direct Computer Warehouse.  Now, let me tell ya, if you are a 'toy' person that just loves all those little add-ons for your computer or sound system, then you need to find a Tiger Direct store immediately - if not sooner.  My hubby thought he had died and gone to electronic heaven!   After our time at Tiger Direct we headed on over to the Warehouse District and Brightleaf Square.  I just love that place!  So quaint, so charming and so eclectic.    There's a little something for everyone in... 11/16/2008

Avoid Making Serious Home Buying Mistakes...   Before you start actually looking for the home that you want to buy, you should get educated about the process, learn.... What the market trends are for the area your looking for How to "select" a Buyers Agent How to get a full pre-approval for a mortgage... and then start actually viewing potential houses or condominiums to buy!     "I'm Brian M. Summers and I'd like to personally invite you to my next Home- Buyer Seminar!   Brian M. Summers Lending Manager 919-641-9151 -cell brian.summers@alerafinacial.com www.alerafinancial.com Alera Financial Home-Buyer Seminar HOW TO BUY A HOUSE IN TODAY'S MARKET Details. Date: Wednesday, Nov 19th 08   Time: 12:00 Noon-1:30P.M.   Location: Coldwell Banker Real Estate 7011 Fayetteville Rd Suite 200 Durh... 11/12/2008

Even if you have never been to my hometown of Durham, NC…you have probably heard of it. In 1988, Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon starred in ‘Bull Durham’...a love story wrapped in a baseball package. The movie was partially filmed on location in Durham, and Kevin Costner even visited the comedy club that I managed several times while he was in town.     If you have seen the movie, you know that ‘Bull Durham’ depicts the players and fans of The Durham Bulls…our minor league baseball team. ‘Bull Durham’ was filmed at the original Durham Bulls stadium (pictured on the right). On April 6, 1995, the new Durham Bulls Athletic Park opened with a seating capacity of 10,000. Visit DurhamBulls.com for a complete game schedule and ticket prices.     Now that you know that the movie, ‘Bull Durham’... 11/12/2008

  Durham, North Carolina…the ‘City of Medicine’…is a city with big plans for the future. It is also a culturally diverse city rich in history and tradition… WHERE EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN!   This afternoon, my husband and I took a long walk down Historic Main Street in Downtown Durham. The weather was absolutely gorgeous…with sunny skies and a gentle breeze. It is our desire that our photos communicate the beauty of today and the hope that Durham, NC has for tomorrow. If you look closely enough, you may even feel the sun shining on your face. ENJOY!   Our tour began here…across the street from the Ford Building. Today, the building is home to The Housing Authority of the City of Durham. The building next to it is currently available for sale. One of my favorite buildings on the tour ... 11/10/2008

As Home Prices Fall, Costs of Financing Continue to Rise Can we talk about risk based pricing?  In the simplest of terms, risk based pricing is a system where the interest rate and/or fees paid for a mortgage vary based on the characteristics of both the borrower and the loan itself. Some borrowers are more likely to default.  Some loan types, such as those with lower down payments, cost the lender more when they go bad. It really is a straightforward system designed to equitably align the costs and rewards for banks and borrowers by assigning a rate that, as accurately as possible, reflects the risk of default. It's a nearly universal practice in mortgage lending, and whether you know it or not, the rate you are carrying right now probably included at least one adjustment to the rate o... 11/03/2008

Location: Southwest Durham Hope Valley comprises about 930 households in a roughly triangular area extending from Chapel Hill Road south between Hope Valley and Garrett roads to Swarthmore Road. Significance: This neighborhood has the most historical significance in Durham and is a prominent address for the elite society in Durham. Pricing: Townhomes start in the mid-$150s and go up to $1M Directions: From I-40, exit 751(Hope Valley Road)to Dover. Left onto Westover at Club House. Neighborhood Facts: Developer: Mebane & Sharpe, Inc. Durham's first full-fledged country club suburb, developed around an 18-hole golf course in the late 1920s. Fastest growing area in Durham-Southwest Durham Just minutes from Streets of Southpoint shopping area Landscape Architecture was created by renowned ... 11/01/2008

Kate Betterton Kate Betterton's new novel, Where the Lake Becomes the River, is now available in bookstores.  I helped Kate and family find their home in Colony Woods East several years back. Kate's novel --about "growing up southern, secrets and ghosts, and The Truth About Life After Death," won the 2008 Novello Literary Award, underwritten by Charles and Katherine Frazier's Cold Mountain Foundation. Please join Kate as she reads from and signs her novel at the Regulator Bookshop in Durham on Thursday, November 6th, at 7 p.m. For more about the book and author, with blurbs, reviews and an interview with Pam Kelley of the Charlotte Observer, please see Kate's website at www.katebetterton.com. Event details: The Regulator Bookshop  A fine independent known for supporting local authors 7... 10/30/2008

  This is Part One of a series of 2008 third quarter market reports that details the performance of the residential real estate market in Durham County, NC. The data was obtained from the Triangle MLS and is used with permission. Here are the answers to your most important questions pertaining to market performance:   Is anyone looking at Durham County housing? There were 4,525 showings as logged through the CSS system during September of 2008. This is a 30% decrease compared to 9/07 showings.   What is happening with inventory? Overall inventory decreased 6%; re-sale inventory decreased 2% and new home inventory decreased 8% compared to inventory levels at the end of 3Q/07. The average days on market for the active listings is 110, as compared to the 99 day average at the end of 3Q/07.... 10/27/2008

      The Watts Hospital...which opened its doors in 1895...was the first hospital in Durham, NC. The land was donated  by George Watts with an endowment of $50,000.   By 1908, the private, 22-bed facility was no longer sufficient to serve the growing Durham community. A new, larger facility was built on the 25 acre site at the intersection of Club Boulevard and Broad Street. The Watts Hospital became public in 1953 and continued to serve Durham's citizens until it closed in 1976.     In 1980, The abandoned Watts  Hospital became the home of The North Carolina School of Science and Math..."a public, residential high school where students study a specialized curriculum emphasizing science and mathematics." It was the first school of its kind.     Fast Facts from The NCSSM website: Histo... 10/22/2008

  Forest Hills is a beautifully wooded neighborhood close to downtown Durham. Many of these older homes have been beautifully updated.  The homes were built from the 1920's up to the present.  Some of the homes are quite stately.  Schools:   E - George Watts / E.K. Powe / Lakewood    M - Githens   H - Jordan To search from homes in the Forest Hills neighborhood or surrounding areas, click here. To view homes currently available in Forest Hills, click here. 10/21/2008

  Fieldstone by the Eno is located in North Durham and backs to Eno State Park.  These are nice houses on good sized mature lots.  This neighborhood is approximately fifteen to twenty minutes to the Duke Medical Center.    Schools:    E - Easley    M - Brogden    H - Riverside To search for homes in the Fieldstone by the Eno neighborhood or surrounding areas, click here. To view homes currently available in Fieldstone by the Eno, Click here. 10/21/2008

  Duke Forest is located about ten minutes to Duke University.  This is a lovely, wooded neighborhood with a range of house types, sizes, and styles on nice wooded lots.  Duke Forest features miles of hiking and nature trails to enjoy.   Schools:   E - Lakewood   M - Githens   H - Jordan To search for homes in the Duke Forest neighborhood or surrounding areas, click here. 10/21/2008

  Country Club Heights is located in North Durham.  These houses were built by Beazer homes during the early to mid 2000's.  The neighborhood is located off of Umstead Road near the Willowhaven Country Club.    Schools:    E - Eno Valley    M - Carrington   H - Riverside To search for homes in the Country Club Heights neighborhood or surrounding areas, click here. To view homes currently available in Country Club Heights, click here. 10/21/2008

  The Buckwater Creek Neighborhood in northwest Durham has an idyllic setting near Riverside High School off Rose of Sharon Rd.  The neighborhood features homes built in the 1990's and has a wide range of floorplans & styles.  The neighborhood features mature landscaping and trees and it's location makes it convenient to I-85, Hwy 147, Duke University and Research Triangle Park. Schools:  E - Easley                M - Brogden    H - Riverside To search for homes located in the Buckwater Creek neighborhood - Durham, NC or surrounding areas, click here. To view homes currently available in Buckwater Creek, click here. 10/21/2008