Raleigh Memorial Day CelebrationsMemorial Day is a time to remember men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice while protecting our country. There are many events to attend around the Raleigh area that are family friendly and free.   Raleigh & Zebulon - Freedom Balloon Fest DATE: Friday May 22nd - Monday May 25thTIME: Friday 3-9pm, Saturday and Sunday 6am-10am & 3pm - 9pm, Monday 6am - 10amLOCATION: Spring Forest Road Park in Raleigh and Bennett Bunn Plantation in Zebulon This is the first festival in this area in 25 years, bringing pilots from around the nation. More than 40 balloons will light up the sky at Spring Forest Park in Raleigh and Bennett Bunn Plantation in Zebulon for free viewings and $15-$20 tethered rides.There will be a mass ascension at Bennett Bunn Plantation on Fr... 05/19/2015

Our backyard is getting a face lift! Construction has begun on renovating Market Plaza in our backyard.  The City of Raleigh is redesigning both Exchange and Market plazas to create more flexible and modern spaces. The improvements include new concrete paving, benches and seat walls, updated planter, improved site lighting, shade structures, and screen enclosures. There will be new storm water drainage system, irrigation system and water and electrical service added as well. The Construction Management Division of the City's Public Works Department is overseeing the project; Hold Brothers is the general contractor. The construction is expected to last five months. During this period, pedestrian use of Exchange and Market plazas will be restricted. Located at 15 E. Martin St. Raleigh, NC... 05/13/2015

Relive the 80s at Downtown Raleigh's hottest summer event, PNC Downtown Raleigh Movie Series! Every Friday from May 22nd thru June 26th, Downtown Raleigh's City Plaza will be transformed to an outdoor cinema center featuring classic films from the 80s on a huge 60 foot screen! Bring your blanket and friends and have a blast at this Flashback Friday themed event! There will be dancing, food trucks and a beer tent. This event is open to the public and is admission free!Downtown Raleigh Movie Series 2015 Lineup                  Event Festivities DANCE (6pm - 8pm): Before the movie begins, dance to yoru favorite 80s tunes from DJ Alex Choi of Vox DJ.DINE (6pm - 10pm): Indulge in the best in-street eats. Select from a variety of local food truck fare.REFRESH (6pm - 10PM): The Beer Tent will ... 05/06/2015

Need another reason to move to Raleigh or Durham, N.C.?  How about Google Fiber?  Google Fiber has set its sites on Raleigh and Durham, N.C.  Google is just in the beginning stages of figuring out how to bring gigabit networks to the masses.  Many details have to be worked out such as can Google use existing municipal fiber optic networks, where to park its Fiber huts and to make sure that that low income people are not the last to receive the service.  Google says they are looking at a price of about $70 a month for cable speeds that are hundreds of times faster then typical cable and television for an extra $60 a month.  Google feels they should be able to service about 160,000 residents in Raleigh alone.  Don't want to miss out on Google Fiber, give me a call and lets get you moving ... 05/06/2015

Raleigh's Farmers Market in the 400 block of Fayetteville St now have a choice of Vegan products as well as gluten free products.  The season starts this Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with barbecue pig picking, festivities for the whole family and a chance to connect with over 30 North Carolina growers and bakers.  Don't forget your "Q" from the Pitt Barbecue.   05/05/2015

Homeowners Insurance in North Carolina is a big item in Raleigh this year.  There are several bills being introduced that deal with homeowners insurance.  The bills are there to try and help homeowners especially along the coast in flood zones.  The problem is that if the legislation is too harsh on rates the insurance companies can choose to not write policies in those areas.  Fewer companies is less competition which is higher prices.  The state regulates insurance rates now but insurance companies can get by this by having a homeowner sign a waiver agreeing to the higher cost.  The insurance company just sends a letter and hopes the homeowner signs it and sends it back.  If he doesn't then the insurance company cancels his insurance and he has to find a new policy.  It looks like at ... 04/27/2015

If you are new to the Triangle or Raleigh area then there is no doubt that you have asked yourself "Where is The Historic Oakwood Neighborhood in Raleigh"?  When I moved here, it took months to figure out where everything was.  I would intentionally get myself lost, just to try to find areas.  Hopefully, my neighborhood blogs will help you learn the area much faster than I did.  So, where is the historic Oakwood neighborhood in Raleigh?   Roughly bordered by Oakwood Cemetery on the East, Jones St. on the south, N. Boundary St. on the north and Person St. to the west.  The Historic Oakwood Neighborhood has found itself on the prestigeous National Register Of Historic PlacesThe architectural styles in The Historic Oakwood Neighborhood are traditionally of Victorian design and range stylis... 04/21/2015

The July 2015 Market Report for Raleigh is out, and the numbers are looking strong. View Bruce Hill's Market Videos Market VideosIf you are thinking of selling your home, market times are low and values are climbing.  If you are thinking of buying, prices are climbing!  Most experts predict that this trend will continue for 3 to 5 years.  View Bruce Hill's Market VideosIf you have been looking for the July 2015 Market Report For Raleigh, this is the place.  Follow my blog or follow my Triangle Area Market Report for your chance to stay on top of the local market at all times.View all homes for sale in the Raleigh Market at www.BruceHillGroup.com. If you need to sell your home, you can view my plans at www.29guarantee.com 04/20/2015

Raleigh's Five Points neighborhood is one of the more trendy and desirable areas in the city.  With an eclectic mixture of old town charm and a progressive trends of up and coming eateries and bars, the Five Points neighborhood is certain to give everyone something to enjoy.    What to do in Raleigh's Five Points1.  Take in a movie at The Rialto2.  Visit a park like Roanoke Park3.  Grab a coffee at Third Place Coffee Shop4.  On your tour around Five Points in Raleigh, grab lunch at Hayes Barton Cafe5.  After a full day exploring Raleigh's Five Points Neighborhood - Grab a drink at Proof Bar or Crafty Beer Shop on Fairview Rd. As you can see, Raleigh's Five Points Neighborhood offers plenty to do.  I will be updating this blog post and the parent Best Raleigh Neighborhoods blog over time... 04/17/2015

Welcome To The Raleigh Neighborhood GuideOver the next several blogs we are going to dive into some of the most popular neighborhoods in Raleigh.  My objective here is to lay out a guide for those of you who are moving to the area, or those who are existing residents  wanting to learn more about some of these great areas and what Raleigh has to offer.  This is the first blog in the series of Best Raleigh Neighborhoods, and will be updated with links to specific neighborhood posts as I progress in the series.  There are five major (Popular) neighbhoods in Raleigh, and several other charming and desirable neighborhoods throughout.  For Now, we are going to focus on the major neighborhoods and link them to detailed blogs as they become available.  Those are: Oakwood - Neighborhood Guide St... 04/16/2015

What is the fastest way to sell a home in Raleigh, NC? This is a question that real estate agents in Raleigh North Carolina get all the time.  The average person in Raleigh knows several real estate agents, and naturally you would think that all agents would be able to answer that question.  It sounds simple, RIGHT?  What is the fastest way to sell a home in Raleigh?  Did you know that most Real Estate agents in Raleigh, NC can't answer that question for you?  There are three key factors that drive a fast home sale for top dollar in Raleigh.  They are simple, but hard to acheive without the right agent. Pricing must be right.                  Does the agent you are talking to know how to accurately value a home?  Not give the lowest value for a fast sale, but also avoid giving a high va... 04/16/2015

Raleigh collection trucks will continue to pick up debris from the last few ice storms for the next couple of weeks.  They will also contract with CrowderGulf for extra collection people and equipment.   The heavy snowfall and freezing weather has kept city collection trucks off the streets as well as caused the heavy damage to trees in the region.  The warm weather during the snowfall made the snow wet and heavy which bent and broke tree branches.  The city I just moved from, Virginia Beach does the same type work but others in the region don't.  I haven't heard anything from Durham or Cary yet so I don't know how those cities are handling the situation.  03/22/2015

While home prices are rising in Raleigh, NC, lower interest rates and an increase in the national family income improved how affordable homes are by 10% at the end of 2104. The National Association of Realtors (NAR), examines home prices in 10 metro areas over a two year period and the average income needed to purchase a home with a 10 percent down payment.  Lisa Southern Real Estate, located at 15 E. Martin St, Raleigh, NC 27601 specializes in the Raleigh real estate market. If you are interested in buying or selling a home in the Raleigh area, visit our website today!    03/19/2015

    Downtown Raleigh's 2015 St. Patrick's Day is filled with events and celebrations. This map gives you locations and details for all events and celebrations in Downtown Raleigh!   St. Patrick's Day Parade & Wearin' 'O The Green FestivalThe Parade is on Saturday, March 14th from 10am - 11:30am. After the Parade is over, the Festival begins in City Plaza. There will be live music, dancing, kids activities, vendors, craft booths and great food.St. Patrick's Day at The Architect Bar & Social HouseOn March 17th from 5pm - 2am, The Architect Bar & Social House will have a special menu and drinks for St. Patrick's Day.St. Patrick's Day Parade CelebrationBolt Bistro & Bar will have a special St. Patrick's Day Parade Menu on March 14th from 11:30 am - 2am.St. Patrick's Day Crawl DowntownStarti... 03/13/2015

    Here's an event you won't want to miss! Raleigh's annual Tour D'Coop is a fundraiser for Urban Ministries.  Chicken coops around the city will be open to visitors from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, May 16.   Once you purchase a ticket -- and one ticket is all you need for your group -- you'll receive an email with the addresses of all the coops.  The website says you won't have time to see them all, so read the descriptions and plan ahead. Recommended donation is $10 per individual or $20 per family. More information at the Tour D'Coop website.  03/10/2015

I've had several people ask recently... Do you really GUARANTEE that you can sell my home in 29 days or less in Raleigh North Carolina?  The answer to that is quite simple.  YES!The Bruce Hill 29 day guarantee in Raleigh isn't like a lot of these other "Agent Guarantees" that are out there.  Most agents float a "Your Home Sold Guaranteed or I'll buy it", loaded with pages of catches and stipulations.  My 29 day guarantee in Raleigh North Carolina is pretty straight forward.  If I don't have your home sold in 29 days or less, I'll sell it for free.  That's right, I'll sell your home in Raleigh, NC for free.  So don't wait to sell your home in Raleigh North Carolina, Call me and ask about the Bruce Hill 29 day guarantee.  Learn more about local market trends here.  Looking to buy or sell ... 02/18/2015

I have recently moved here from the Norfolk area and was pleased to see a redevelopment being done in Raleigh without the benefit of federal funding.  It is very surprising that Walnut Terrace has been developed strictly with local funds.  The costs of redevelopments like Walnut Terrace are staggering and this one costs around fifty million.   There are 292 townhouses, houses and apartments that were built.  Half of those will be reserved for low income families and the rest will be rented at fair market value.  I have not been to the area but plan to make a trip to Walnut Terrace to check it out.   I think Raleigh should be commended for its forward thinking on Walnut Terrace. 02/03/2015

I moved to the Raleigh area a few months ago as a residential real estate expert.  I had thought about going into commercial real estate in Raleigh but after reading about the complexities and time involved it wasn't for me.  Raleigh is grappling with letting new hotels be built downtown.  One such hotel that finally received approval was a Marriott Residence Inn.  This was three years after it was first proposed.  You know there was probably a few years before that in planning stages and probably another two or three before it is built. So if you are looking for a residential real estate agent in the Raleigh area please look me up.  If you are looking for commercial real estate in the area look me and I will refer you to an outstanding commercial real estate agent. 01/23/2015

I was honored to be asked to be a guest on Joe Fairless's "Best Real Estate Investing Advice Ever" podcast.  He has a daily show that features guests from all different real estate avenues.  He mostly focuses on in investing, and he is an investor himself.  He offers investment coaching, which if you have clients who are interested in getting into real estate investing, he's a great resource.  Check out the podcast here! 01/13/2015

Sellers in Raleigh, NC all want to know.  WHAT do buyers want?! CLEAN! - Clean your house and then go over it with a magnifying glass. Clean the cobwebs out of the corners. Wipe down the cabinets.  Get the mildew off the grout in the shower.  Clean the dust off the windowsills and blinds.  Have the carpets professionally cleaned.  The cleaner your home looks, the more it will attract a buyer.  I can not tell you how many homes I've showed buyers where the second they walked in, they had that "ew" face on because the home wasn't sparkling.  These homes were clean by your everyday standards, but they were not "selling a product" clean.  Well maintained. Put a fresh coat of paint on the inside and outside.  Keep the lawn mowed and the beds weeded. Make sure the roof is clean.  Make sure th... 01/04/2015