January 2017 Petit Home Team Newsletter

January 2017 Petit Home Team Newsletter

1. Petit Home Team NEWS

2. New Year’s Resolutions for Real Estate Clients

3. Just Listed/Sold properties

4. Davidson College Was Ranked The #1 Best School In The South by Forbes Magazine

1. Petit Home Team NEWS

Santa Clause was very good to the Petit Jr family this year as he surprised us with a week long trip to Walt Disney and Sea World! What a wonderful gift, especially because it was a complete surprise for our 3 children. We spent the days adventuring to each of the Disney parks and taking in all the spectacular sites. We also found out that our kids are not scared of roller coasters...at all! The trip was topped off with a New Years Eve celebration featuring fire works that lite up the entire sky! God Bless you and your family in 2017.

2.New Year’s Resolutions for Real Estate Clients

1. Declutter Your Home – Your clients might want to save this for spring, but why not start their efforts in January? This is an especially great time after the slue of Christmas gifts that they have received. Plus, if they plan to sell their home, it will make selling the house and moving that much easier. Let them know to start small and go room by room, designating areas for donations, things to be fixed and things to sell. The sooner they start, the better they’ll feel!
2. Create a Safe Home – If your clients have kids (or even if they don’t!), then making their homes safer all around is a great resolution to make. Have them commit to a regular safety maintenance schedule by checking smoke and carbon monoxide alarms monthly, ensuring they have fire extinguishers and preparing the family for emergencies such as weather disasters and fire. They should replenish emergency kits, bottled water and non-perishable food items throughout the year, too.
3. Invest in Smart Technology – Some clients may have just missed the boat on making their homes safe when they bought their homes, but it’s never too late. Some ways to make homes “smarter”? Smart home hubs like Amazon Echo, security video monitors like Ring and smart thermostats like Nest.
4. Consider Refinancing – Encourage clients to decrease their payments or lock in a low fixed mortgage rate through refinancing. Shopping around for the best rates is a great way to find the lowest one that works for you.
5. Make Your Home Greener – Change bulbs to energy-efficient ones. This will also help your clients save money. Another way to be greener is to clean the house with reusable cloths or old, clean rags versus wasteful paper towels (which they can use for especially dirty messes).

These five tips can help us be better homeowners and prepared sellers when the time comes!

3. Just Listed/Sold Properties

115 Tilton Drive, Mooresville NC 28115

$240,000

SOLD

1088 Paddock Circle, Rockwell NC 28138

$293,000

SOLD

4. Davidson College Was Ranked The #1 Best School In The South by Forbes Magazine

Davidson College was named the best school in the south and the 25th best college in America – narrowly losing to Boston College (#22).Located 20 miles north of Charlotte, NC, Davidson College is a small, private liberal arts college. Founded by the Presbyterians of North Carolina in 1837, Davidson has produced 23 Rhodes Scholars, four governors and reigning NBA MVP Steph Curry. The school offers 26 majors and 17 minors with interdisciplinary studies and six pre-professional programs. The Davidson Honor Code, which celebrated its 100th birthday in 2010, is highly valued at the college, and the entire freshman class gathers at the beginning of each school year to sign the Honor Code, which enables students to have take-home tests and un-proctored final exams. The Davidson Trust enabled Davidson to become the first liberal arts college to become loan-free, replacing loans with grants in all of its financial aid packages. International programs are prevalent at Davidson, as 80% of students engage in some sort of program abroad before graduating. The Davidson Wildcats compete in Division I athletics, and its club croquet team has three national championships since 2007.

Davidson College

At a Glance

Student Population: 1,770

Undergraduate Population: 1,770

Student to Faculty Ratio^a: 10

Total Annual Cost^c: $62,894

In-State Tuition^c: $46,966

Out-of-State Tuition^c: $46,966

Percent on Financial Aid^d: 64%

Average Grant Aid Received (FT/First-Time): $33,308

Percent Admitted^e: 22%

SAT Composite Range^f: 1230-1440

ACT Composite Range^f: 2

       

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December 2016 Petit Home Team Newsletter

December 2016 Petit Home Team Newsletter

1. Petit Home Team NEWS

2. Seven Ways to Save Energy Costs During Winter

3. Just Listed/Sold properties

4. Christmas Traditions 

1. Petit Home Team NEWS

Merry Christmas to all of our family, friends and clients! Thank you all for your continued support and love. We truly appreciate our Keller Williams family and look forward to another awesome year in 2017.

2. Seven Ways to Save Energy Costs During Winter

1. Adjust Thermostat Controls. This is one of the easiest ways to help control wasteful

energy expenses. Recommended heating settings during the winter is 68 degrees F

during the day. You can save as much as 10 percent a year on heating and cooling costs by simply turning your thermostat back 7 - 10 degrees for 8 hours a day from its normal setting. Programmable thermostats can make this extremely easy and effective. Program the daily settings at the start of the cold season and let the thermostat do the work. 

2. Sealing Air Leaks.  Air leaks are probably the No.1 cause for energy loss in a home. The sealing of air leaks around windows, doors, wall penetrations, cracks and roofs helps to prevent cold air from creating drafts or cold spots in your home during the winter months. It also helps to control unwanted moisture problems inside the home. Expected energy savings can range from 5 to 30 percent depending on the amount of air leaks present in a home. Remember to only use sealants and weather stripping that are compatible with your home materials. Non-combustible sealants should be used when sealing gaps around chimneys and heat producing devices. 

3. Crawl Space Protection. Maintaining the insulation below the flooring and around pipes and plumbing within unconditioned crawl spaces exposed to the exterior reduces the potential for freezing pipes and cold spots within the home. Large amounts of moisture can reduce the effectiveness of insulation, generate air quality issues within the home and promote structural damage; therefore, controlling moisture by the installation of a vapor barrier over the ground and having good ventilation is also essential. 

4. Replace or Supplement Old Attic/Wall Insulation. Insulation in your attic and walls (if installed) is your best line of defense for keeping cold and warm air from escaping or intruding your home. Depending on the installation, type, age, thickness and condition, your insulation could be less effective in its performance than you think, especially in older homes. Replacing or supplementing insulation can see significant improvements in the energy performance of a home, reduce the impact on your HVAC systems and add value. If the attic hatch is located above conditioned space, ensure it is also well insulated, sealed with weather stripping and closed tightly. In addition, adding insulation to your home could qualify for tax credits come tax season. 

5. HVAC Equipment. To optimize performance of your home's HVAC system, regular inspection, cleaning and filter replacement every one to two months is suggested. A more comprehensive check prior to the heating or cooling season could pay dividends in the dead of winter or summer. If your unit is more than 15 years old, you should consider replacing your system with a newer, more energy efficient unit to help reduce energy consumption in your home. All ductwork should also be well sealed and be properly insulated. 

6. Lighting. Energy from lighting accounts for about 10 percent of your electric bill. Replacing light bulbs in your home with more energy-efficient bulbs, such as energy-saving incandescent, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is not very expensive. Your electric utility company may even offer rebates, free replacement bulbs or other incentives for purchasing energy-efficient lighting. 

7. Window Repairs/Replacement. Many windows on the market are now designed to be energy efficient to help reduce thermal bridging between the interior and exterior air. If it is time for replacement in your home, energy-efficient windows are your best bet. If window replacement is not on your horizon, consider adding storm windows and/or replacing the gaskets around the glass and perimeter sealant joints to help prevent air and moisture leaks in the window units. 

3. Just Listed/Sold Properties

132 Mangum Cir., Mooresville NC 28117

$118,000

Beautiful, move-in-ready townhome in great Mooresville location. Convenient to shops, restaurants, Lowe's corp. and Lake Norman. Unit features spacious living area with wood floors, tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms. Upstairs 2 bedrooms with Jack and Jill bathroom. Enjoy private back patio with outdoor storage. Community pool and walking trails.

http://www.tourfactory.com/1685626

4. Christmas Traditions 

 When Christmas is Celebrated 

Many people think Christmas is on December the 25th and that's all there is to Christmas. However, for many people around the world, in different countries and in different Christian traditions, Christmas lasts for a lot longer than that - and it's even celebrated at different times!

Although December 25th is the date when most people celebrate Christmas, there are some other dates as well!

Some churches (mainly Orthodox churches) use a different calendars for their religious celebrations. Orthodox Churches in Russia, Serbia, Jerusalem, Ukraine, Ethiopia and other countries use the old 'Julian' calendar and people in those churches celebrate Christmas on January 7th.

Advent - The Time Before Christmas

Before Christmas, many Christians use the time of Advent to prepare themselves and get ready to celebrate the joy of Christmas, when Christians celebrate of the birth of Jesus, who they believe is the Son of God.

Advent is normally a period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas. In many Orthodox and Eastern Catholics Churches Advent lasts for 40 days, starting on November 15th.

After Christmas - The 12 Days of Christmas and Epiphany

After Advent, traditionally, Christmas celebrations (and often a feast!) started on Christmas Day and lasted for 12 Days - so they were known as The 12 Days of Christmas! The celebrations finished on the evening of 5th January, which is better known as Twelfth Night.

Throughout history, the 12 Days of Christmas were a time of feasting and fun.

Following Twelfth Night, on 6th January, is Epiphany, when people remember the Wise Men (also sometimes called the Three Kings) who visited Jesus and/or the Baptism of Jesus.

Epiphany/Twelfth Night is also the time when it was traditional to take your Christmas decorations down - although some people leave them up until Candlemas.

Candlemas - The End of Christmas

You might think that Christmas ends when you take the Christmas Decorations down - but it doesn't! After both Christmas and the season of Epiphany, the end of the Christmas celebrations come on February 2nd, 40 days after Christmas, with Candlemas.

Candlemas, also known as the 'Presentation of Jesus at the Temple' or the 'Feast of the Purification of the Virgin (or Mary)' is the when some Christians remember the time when Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem to give thanks to God for giving them a son.

Christmas Eve

In many European countries including Germany, Serbia and Slovakia, Christmas Eve is the day when the Christmas Tree is brought into the house and decorated.

Christmas Eve is also the day when people in some countries, like Germany, Sweden and Portugal exchange their presents. 

Tradition also said that any greenery such as Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe should only be taken into the house on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas from Petit Home Team!

       

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November 2016 Petit Home Team Newsletter

November 2016 Petit Home Team Newsletter

1. Petit Home Team NEWS

2. Seven Reasons to Own A Home

3. Just Listed/Sold properties

4. Payment Assistance Program

1. Petit Home Team NEWS

The new golf course in Mooresville has completed their renovation and is now open! Featuring a new name: Mooresville Golf Club. I have been lucky enough to play on this course a few times with my father and would like to give my review.

The first hole is a par 5 that gets you in the swing of things right from the very start! The fairways are long and narrow with several sand bunkers throughout. This makes each shot challenging as you must think ahead and prepare for your next shot.

The greens are extremely well kept and fast. Be prepared to see balls keep on rolling! The 7th hole is the courses signature hole, a par 3. Don't miss right, left, back or front! This course really test your patience and is very important to hit the ball straight. The back 9  has several holes that are a long distance and challenging. A good mixture of par 3,4 and 5's.

Overall I really love this course! A fun and challenging course for players of all levels. See you on the links!

http://ci.mooresville.nc.us/616/Golf-Club-Memberships

2. Seven Reasons to Own A Home 

7 Reasons to Own A Home

1. Tax benefits. The U.S. Tax Code lets you deduct the interest you pay on your mortgage, your property taxes, and some of the costs involved in buying a home.
2. Appreciation. Historically, real estate has had a long-term, stable growth in value. In fact, median single-family existing-home sale prices have increased on average 5.2 percent each year from 1972 through 2014, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.  The recent housing crisis has caused some to question the long-term value of real estate, but even in the most recent 10 years, which included quite a few very bad years for housing, values are still up 7.0 percent on a cumulative basis. In addition, the number of U.S. households is expected to rise 10 to15 percent over the next decade, creating continued high demand for housing.
3. Equity. Money paid for rent is money that you’ll never see again, but mortgage payments let you build equity ownership interest in your home.
4. Savings. Building equity in your home is a ready-made savings plan. And when you sell, you can generally take up to $250,000 ($500,000 for a married couple) as gain without owing any federal income tax.
5. Predictability. Unlike rent, your fixed-rate mortgage payments don’t rise over the years so your housing costs may actually decline as you own the home longer. However, keep in mind that property taxes and insurance costs will likely increase.
6. Freedom. The home is yours. You can decorate any way you want and choose the types of upgrades and new amenities that appeal to your lifestyle.
7. Stability. Remaining in one neighborhood for several years allows you and your family time to build long-lasting relationships within the community. It also offers children the benefit of educational and social continuity.

3. Just Listed/Sold Properties

115 Tilton Drive, Mooresville NC 28115

$247,500

Under Contract

 Spectacular 4 bedroom (5th bonus) 2.5 bath home located in desirable Bennington subdivision in Mooresville. Brand NEW carpets (installed 10/2016) cover the entire second floor. Grand foyer entrance leads into open layout, main level with granite kitchen and dining area. Living room boasts built in cabinets and gas fireplace. French doors open up to office/den. Hardwood floors are on the entire first floor. Large, private back yard w/huge patio area for outdoor entertaining and 2 car garage. Great location!!

http://www.tourfactory.com/1659556

Pintail Road, Mooresville NC 28117

$55,000

SOLD

173 Altondale Drive, Statesville NC 28625

$152,000

SOLD

4. Payment Assistance Program

       

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