Why Now is the Perfect Time to Sell Your House!

Renee Hillman on February 11, 2019

Upgrade to a new home

 

Thinking of selling your house this spring? It is common knowledge that spring is the most popular time of year to buy and sell a home. For that reason, many homeowners wait to put their homes on the market until then. The question is whether or not that is a good strategy this year.

The other listings that come out in the spring mean increased competition to any seller. Do a greater number of homes actually come to the market during the spring in comparison to the rest of the year? The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently revealed the months during which most people listed their homes for sale in 2018. This graphic shows the results:

Prime selling months

The second quarter of the year (represented in red) are consistently the most popular months for sellers to list their homes on the market. Last year, the number of homes available for sale in January was 1,520,000.

That number jumped to 1,870,000 by May!

 

What does this mean to you?

With the national job market improving and mortgage interest rates projected to rise later in the year, buyers are not waiting until the spring; they are out looking for homes right now.

Bottom Line

If you are looking to sell this year, waiting until the spring to list your home means you will have the greatest competition amongst buyers. Beat the rush and list your home today!

Selling Your House on Your Own Could Cost You

Renee Hillman on February 4, 2019

For Sale By Owners Net Less Money

In this fast moving, hot real estate market, some homeowners might consider selling their homes on their own or For Sale by Owner (FSBO). They believe that they don’t need a real estate agent and that they can save the commission for the services a real estate agent offers.

However, a study by Collateral Analytics reveals that FSBOs don’t actually save anything, and in many cases may be costing themselves more, by not using the services of an experienced agent.

In the study, they analyzed home sales in a variety of markets. The data showed that:

“FSBOs tend to sell for lower prices than comparable home sales, and in many cases below the average differential represented by the prevailing commission rate.” 

Why would FSBOs net less money than if they had used an agent?

The study makes several suggestions:
“There could be systematic bias on the buyer side, particularly buyers who rationalize lower-priced bids with the logic that the seller is “saving” on commission. Such buyers might specifically target sellers who are not being represented by a skilled agent.” In other words, ‘bargain lookers’ might shop FSBOs in hopes of getting a deal.
“Experienced agents are experts at ‘staging’ homes for sale” which could bring more money for the home.”
“Properties listed with a broker will be listed online with all other participating broker websites, marketing the home to a much larger buyer population. And those MLS properties generally offer compensation to agents who represent buyers, incentivizing them to show and sell the property and potentially enlarging the buyer pool.” If more buyers see a home, the greater the chances are that there could be a bidding war for the property.

Conclusions from the study:

FSBOs achieve prices significantly lower than those from similar properties sold by Realtors using the MLS.
The data suggests the average price was near 6% lower for FSBO sales of similar properties.

Bottom Line

As Dave Ramsey, America’s trusted voice on money, explains:

“Research has shown that, between mistakes, lack of negotiating skills, pricing errors and general exposure on the market, you’ll cost yourself more than the real estate commission…You’ll come out slightly better and with a lot less hassle if you use a top-shelf agent.”

What Clients Say About Renee: The Kafels

Renee Hillman on March 29, 2016

I cannot say enough words of gratitute to the Kafels for this great review they wrote this month – I’m so proud of our team for delivering great service and expertise that fellow industry professionals can say this many nice things about. Thank you, again, Kafel Family!

“My wife and I had met with a few different realtors when starting our search for a home. When we met Renee we hit it off immediately and knew she was the one to move forward with. She was very responsive, which is one characteristic we really appreciated. Once we found a home and were under contract, the system that Renee had setup was smooth, easy, and very clear on the steps to be taken. Additionally, as an architecture and construction duo ourselves, we can attest to the fact that Renee was very knowledgeable in matters concerning architecture and construction. She quickly pointed out items needing attention. We’ll definitely use Renee again and highly recommend her services.” – The Kafels

For more five-star Zillow reviews, check out http://www.zillow.com/profile/reneesells/.

Ask Renee: What Are the Differences in Exterior Materials for a Home?

Renee Hillman on December 2, 2015

I get these questions a lot: what are the different types of exterior finishes available for houses – and which one should I choose for my home?

Types of Exterior Materials Available for Houses

To keep things simple, there are six basic categories: brick, vinyl siding, wood siding, stucco, fiber-cement, and stone (or stone-veneer). Here in the Triangle area, brick, vinyl siding, and wood siding are the most common choices you’ll find in existing homes on the market, as well as new home construction – although, the others do pop up occasionally.

This article from DIYNetwork.com compares the pros, cons, and costs of each type of material: Buyer’s Guide for Exterior Siding. According to the article, costs can range from $2.00 per square foot (for the cheapest vinyl siding) to $25.00 per square foot (for synthetic stone, installed).

I asked my friend, and professional contractor, Paul Caporale from Caporale Remodeling to weigh in with his expert opinion. The first question as I asked Paul was, “what are some of the cost differences consumers can expect – including materials and installation?”

Paul answered, “installation costs will always vary from contractor to contractor. The low estimates are always going to be poor quality most of the time – contractors who come in rushing through the job to get to their next job. Anytime contractors are rushing to get things done quality suffers.” He continued, “details matter and they are overlooked. It takes time to do the detailed required for quality and a good-looking job.”

Hiring the Right Installer: Look for Licensed Contractors

Paul shared a word of caution: “You have to be careful as well when recruiting Craigslist contractors. Some contractors sub out their work entirely by placing ads in Craigslist looking for carpenters and paintings. They show up with the homeowner thinking these are the people he has been passing off as his crew. But the truth is he’s never seen their work. And thus owner’s expectation are crushed sometimes. I’m just saying be aware .There are good contractors on Craigslist. Look for licensed contractors.”

The Difference In Licensed Contractors

Paul reminded us that “the only difference between a licensed contractor and unlicensed is that the licensed contractor gives the homeowner a little bit of assurance they know what they are doing per code. That’s it. Because a non-licensed contractor may know the codes as well but hasn’t taken the time to take the contractor’s exam. Bottom line, both the licensed and unlicensed contractor have to have their work pass inspection, if required.The only real protection the home owner has is if the contractor has to pull permits for the work, the City or County inspection teams come to inspect. When it comes to plumbing and electrical you want to make sure your house doesn’t flood and burn down. And that’s why inspections & permits are important.”

So Which Exterior Should I Choose for My Home?

A lot of variables go into selecting the right exterior siding for your home, like aesthetics, durability, cost of materials and installation, and even the local climate.

According to HGTV.com, the “low cost, versatility and easy maintenance of vinyl siding has helped it become the most popular siding choice in the United States.”

Paul’s expertise from earlier didn’t end with contractor selection, either. He weighed in with suggestions on materials selection for us: “In general, higher cost materials have long life spans, durability and overall quality. Fiber Cement siding is much more durable than compressed siding and won’t rot with a slight increase in cost difference. With less maintenance than compressed siding because of rot resistance in cement products. But you still have to paint it regularly. I would say compressed board siding is at the bottom, next to vinyl, but it can fade after awhile. Next – fiber cement, but you have to paint that regularly. Brick is the most durable with lowest maintenance – you’ll pressure wash only occasionally on the lower half. When purchasing an existing house take into consideration that any home with wood windows has high costly maintenance. If not yearly attended to, bare wood areas left unpainted starts the rot process and costly molding and window repairs. Try to buy homes with vinyl or clad windows.”

Fringe Options

Want to go with something completely out of the ordinary? This Ideabook from Houzz.com features homes with exterior finishes of shingles and even a super contemporary look made with metal. Take a look at http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/1537973/list/9-top-siding-materials!

Thanks again to Paul Caporale, owner of Caporale Remodeling, for his help with this article! And if you want to talk more about exterior finishes, leave me a comment below.

Ask Renee: What the Heck Do I Do with Old Paint?!

Renee Hillman on October 9, 2015

I know this is a burning question in many of your minds, so I decided to figure out what the heck to do with old paint in the Triangle area!

For those of you that don’t know: you aren’t allowed to put paint cans in the trash in Wake County and other surrounding areas. I literally had about 40 gallons to get rid of, so I decided to figure out the responsible solution. (And yes, I will admit I have a color obsession and constantly change the wall colors in my house! Not to mention, I like trying new colors on a chair outside or a barstool inside or painting something metallic like a mirror!)

Over the years, my obsession with trying new paint colors has left a graveyard of old paint cans taking up valuable storage space, collecting dust, and cobwebs in my garage, so here are just a few of the options I found as alternatives to throwing away old buckets of paint in the curbside trash collection.

Disposing of Old Paint

If cans of paint are full, unopened, and not rusted, you can donate them to the various Triangle-area Habitat for Humanity ReStore locations (Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Fuquay-Varina, and Wake Forest). This would have been a great option, but most of my cans didn’t fit that criteria. Here is a helpful link to items that ReStore will take if you happen to be doing lots of cleaning out in general: http://wakerestore.org/donate/donations-needed/. There are lots of advantages in donating, including helping your community and you may be able to get a charitable tax write off… be sure to consult your CPA.
Old, already opened cans of paint are considered household hazardous waste, so the South Wake Landfill is the place to go. The South Wake Landfill is located at 6130 Old Smithfield Road in Apex. For you North Raleigh folks, there is a location on your side of town at 9037 Deponie Drive in Raleigh, but the WakeGov Household Hazardous Waste website warns that the North Wake location is currently under construction and may have service delays (as of December 2015 – check again online before you plan a trip!

Other Ideas for Old Paint

If you’ve found a good amount of paint that might be reusable for future projects, don’t throw it away just yet! Household expert Bob Vila recommends combining colors you may not use again by themselves for other purposes, like “mixing leftovers of the same paint type (latex with latex, acrylic with acrylic, oil with oil) to use as an undercoat primer”.

Holding onto that paint for a while? Lowes.com recommends sealing the paint promptly and properly to avoid it drying up and storing in a cool, dry area to preserve it as long as possible for future projects – a basement is a great place – but make sure to put it on a shelf so any moisture on the floor doesn’t rust the can.

More “Ask Renee” Coming Soon!

Got other burning questions for my next “Ask Renee” post? Send me an email at Renee@HREGSells.com and I’ll tackle it ASAP here on the blog for you!

Make Your Spring Move a Breeze with These Free and Low-Cost Moving Tips

Renee Hillman on January 5, 2015

Spring is a popular time for home buying and the resulting move that comes along with it. Although the winter weather we’ve had in the Triangle this week doesn’t make it feel too much like spring is coming soon, it’ll be here before you know it. So if you’re planning a spring move, read through these tips now and get to work early to make quick work of your next big move.

Spring Clean – Six Weeks Out: Before you pack a single thing for your move, clean up and clean out what you can first. Linen/hall closets, bedroom closets, attics, pantries, outdoor storage units and garages – in you’re being honest, they could probably all use a good purging. Trash what’s become unusable, donate what you no longer need that is still in good to great condition, and neatly put away the things you plan to take to your next home with you.

Keep an Eye out for Sales on Things You’ll Need to Buy – Four Weeks Out: Start watching for sales of Rubbermaid (and the like) storage containers at retailers like Lowe’s, Home Depot, Target, etc. These not only make packing for a move easy, but are still useful for outdoor and attic storage once you’ve moved into your new digs. Buy them once for less than $10 each, keep them for life.

Get Quotes From Movers – Four to Three Weeks Out: If you’re considering hiring a moving company, now is the time to start getting quotes. Be sure to have all costs included in the quote, including any fees outside of labor like truck rental, packaging materials, travel costs, etc.

Collect Boxes & Moving Supplies – Three Weeks Out: Thanks to sites like Craigslist and Freecycle, one of the things you shouldn’t have to budget for if you plan accordingly is boxes. Businesses regularly allow pick-up of free boxes (ABC stores here in NC!) and many residents offer up boxes from recent moves rather than sending them out for trash and recycling. Spending money on packing peanuts and other materials also isn’t necessary if you consider what can pull double-duty in your move: dish towels, bedding, etc. all make for great buffer material between breakable items and the best part is you won’t have to send them to a landfill after unpacking.

Make An Inventory – Two Weeks Out: Will you need to rent a moving truck? Put it on the list. Got a friend who will let you borrow their truck — and maybe help lift those heavy items? Call to ask for their help early. Thinking about what pieces of furniture and which boxes will go in each room? Write it down now and label boxes you’ve already begun to pack.

Take It One Day at a Time – One Week Out: Who wants to spend the entire weekend before their move packing up the entire house or apartment? Nix the evening commitments and spend an hour or two each evening the week before your planned move-in date packing up one room at a time.

Those are my tips for making your next move as painless as possible. Got your own tips? Share them in the comments below – I can’t wait to read them!

Seller Says on 1003 Tamora Court, Apex, NC

Renee Hillman on December 1, 2014

We always love to hear our sellers story behind their home & what better way to share it with you!  Here is what they had to say about their home in Apex:

Things you love about Apex: It is the Peak of Good Living! Named in the top 10 places to live, it has parks, trails, shopping, restaurants – everything you could want within a short drive. And despite all it has to offer, Apex has maintained its hometown feel with an awesome downtown area filled with unique stores and restaurants you’ll love exploring.

Where do you love to eat (think date nights, quick bites, upscale, the hole in the wall place): We love the Salem Street Pub downtown for a fun, family-friendly outing – this is also where we always go whenever we have guests in town. The Peak on Salem is the perfect date night (or lunch!) spot – also fun for girls’ nights out. You can’t go wrong with a slice of Namoli’s pizza. If you’re looking for delicious Mexican food, Tacos Mexico is the place to go. It looks like a hole in the wall, but trust us, it’s amazing. And Buttercream’s Bakery has the BEST cupcakes!

Where do you do your grocery shopping & other conveniences (bulk items, pedicure, etc): We shop at theHarris Teeter in Haddon Place or the Target in Beaver Creek. For special steak nights, we’ll take the short drive to the Meat House close-by in Cary. For coffee, we get fresh beans roasted to order from Muddy Dog Roasting Company in Cary. The Beer Dispensary in downtown Apex has a wide selection of choices. Jay Andrews salon is reasonably priced and has an awesome staff of hair stylists. If you’re into antiques, Sunflowers on Highway 751 (just north of 64) has amazing finds at great prices! And if you’re looking for a unique gift, you can’t beat the selection you’ll find at all the stores in downtown Apex.

What were you drawn to when you bought your home: With all the accolades Apex is getting, there are a lot of new homes being built on small lots with little privacy. We fell in love with the backyard. We’ve had lots of fun gatherings like birthdays, dinner parties, and holiday gatherings, and the backyard has been the perfect place to host and entertain. We also loved the flow of the house – the connection between the kitchen and family room areas means you never miss a thing. To top it all off, the kitchen is wonderful, complete with granite countertops, and stainless appliances, including a gas range that cooks like a dream.

What do you love/enjoy about the area: We love the small town feel with the conveniences of suburban living. Apex takes a lot of pride in maintaining its uniqueness with annual events like the Christmas parade (complete with tree lighting, sleigh rides, and pancake breakfast with Santa meet-and-greet), Peak City Fest, Pig City Fest, and Jazz Festival to name a few. There is an amazing cultural arts center downtown that provides a variety of fun events for every age. Free concerts and movies are offered at the Apex Nature Park. You can’t beat the hometown feel of Apex! You are minutes from the American Tobacco Trail in Woodridge. And, if you need to get toRDU, RTP, Durham, or Chapel Hill – 540 is minutes away and will get you there in no time.

Tell us something about your neighborhood: Woodridge does neighborhood gatherings and activities like meet-and-greets at the pool, a Halloween “parade,” and neighborhood yard sales. Being an established neighborhood with sidewalks, it is a great neighborhood for walks or short runs. And, the neighbors on Tamora Court are awesome!:)

Improvements we made –

-Stainless steel appliances

-Fence

-New faucets

-New lighting in kitchen and bathroom

-Added grass to the back yard

-Privacy trees; other landscaping around house

-Added dual zone heating/air

-New carpet upstairs and in stairwell in 2010 (except for bonus room); new carpet in master bedroom in 2014

-New hot water heater

What do I do with old electronics?

Renee Hillman on November 17, 2014

My printer, my photo frame, and several small electronic items have been piling up. More so because I didn’t know what to do with them and knew I couldn’t just put them in the trash can. You all know I love rules!!! I guess after passing the pile in the garage multiple times along with my early spring cleaning bug, I FINALLY got motivated to figure out what the heck I should do with all of these things. It was like navigating thru a maze. And I realized several of you are probably wondering the same thing, so will help you out & save you some time on the research!

If you are in the City of Raleigh you can schedule on certain days a free of charge pick up but there has to be a TV or computer involved and no more than 4 items. (Check out this page for pick up dates, scheduling & instructions.)

This method didn’t work for me so kept persevering on to rid myself of this mounting pile, which led me to these facilities that will recycle your old electronic items. This requires me traveling to these facilities but again it is FREE. Any Wake County resident may make use of these facilities:
SWS Yard Waste Recycling Center
900 N. New Hope Road Mon-Sat
7am-3pm only No TVs over 36″
Raleigh Public Works Administrative Office
400 W. Peace Street Mon-Fri
7am-4pm only No TVs over 36″
North Wake Multi-Material Recycling Facility
9029 Deponie Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614 Open Mon-Sat
8am-4pm only Large screen
TVs accepted
South Wake Multi-Material Recycling Facility
6130 Old Smithfield Road, Apex, NC 27502 Open Mon-Sat
7am-4pm Large screen
TVs accepted

If you are feeling especially lazy in Raleigh you can schedule a Special Load Pick Up for a minimum fee of $50.

If you are an Apex resident, you can drop off at Public Works facility located at 105 Upchurch Street between the hours of 7:30am – 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. But they do not take TV’s so head to the South Wake Landfill.

If you are a Cary resident, you can call to schedule a pickup of a computer for FREE, for other items there is a small charge. You can also go to Citizen’s Convenience Center located at 313 N. Dixon Ave. for no charge to drop off. Check out this page for more information.

If you are in Fuquay, the Electronic Recycling Convenience Center located at 820 S. Main Street behind the Fuquay-Varina Community Center and South Park is open for business. Citizens can dispose of televisions, computers, monitors, scanners, printers and other electronic waste for free.

Electronic waste curbside pick-up service is available for a $10 fee. Make the request and pay for the fee at the Finance Office located at 401 Old Honeycutt Road. Finance office hours on Mon.-Fri. 8 am – 5 pm

If you are a Holly Springs, Morrisville, or a Wake Forest resident, best I can find is go to one of the landfill facilities that recycles electronics.

If you specifically want to get rid of old mobile devices/cell phones, Verizon Wireless has a program that helps the environment by providing a safe way to dispose of unwanted electronic devices – and they even accept non-working devices and the parts will be recycled and used to generate funds for non-profit domestic violence advocacy and prevention agencies. Additionally, there is an incentive to receive a gift card with each donation. A great explanation of the program can be found here: http://www.verizonwireless.com/landingpages/device-trade-in/.

Hope that helps you navigate the maze of recycling your electronics! I am off to the Raleigh Public Works and taking back my garage!

Have a great week & as always if I can help you with anything real estate related give me a call!

What do you do with used cooking oil and grease?!

Renee Hillman on November 1, 2014

As we are getting into the holiday season of turkey fryers I thought this would be relevant!

Well I asked myself this same question after needing to dispose of 15 gallons of peanut oil!!! We fry turkeys every once in a while for NC State tailgates and family gatherings over the holidays.

Easiest option: City of Raleigh has a curbside collection service during November 1st thru January 15th. There are certain guidelines you do have to follow but MOST importantly you have to call to schedule a pick up!!! The number is 919-996-6890. I missed this one little detail thus making my life a bit more difficult and you guessed it I missed this collection window.

So on to the next option (and useful information to have for other items too!)…Wake County has two multi-material recycling facilities. One is located in Apex off HWY 55 just after 540 at 6130 Old Smithfield Road, the other is in North Raleigh off of Durant Rd by Falls River subdivision at 9037 Deponie Drive. There is also one Convenience Center that accepts cooking oil that is the one located at 5051 Wendell Blvd./Business 64, Wendell. For a full list of what you can dispose and/or recycle at these sites check out this handy dandy brochure from Wake County.

I always enjoy trying/finding new things to do in the area so here I am lugging 15 gallons of peanut oil in my trunk down to Apex. I backed up into this bay after following signs to get there & you literally dump the oil into a vat. Kind of gross and an interesting learning experience.

All in all the research took longer than trying to dispose of the cooking oil correctly. Hope this helps make your life just a bit easier!

Carbon Monoxide…The “Silent Killer”

Renee Hillman on November 1, 2014

Carbon Monoxide gas is a colorless, odorless, tasteless & highly toxic. Why am I telling you this? It is the silent killer and could be an issue in your home.

Got your attention now? Well good.

I want to tell a story about a great family I worked with several years ago maybe around 2004 that had two small children. The parents had not been feeling great, the kids weren’t either and had been to the doctors a few times but no one could seem to figure out the reason why they weren’t feeling well. Their symptoms would come and go. The parents were frustrated and kept scratching their heads. During all of this we had listed their home for sale, put it under contract & it was then time for the buyers inspections. During the home inspection the inspector found high readings of carbon monoxide enough where I was called immediately. I of course called the sellers after, they were shocked, but a light bulb also went off as to why their entire family wasn’t feeling 100%, I didn’t learn until this point that they hadn’t been feeling well and they relayed the story above. They had a cracked heat exchanger on their gas furnace whether that was the cause or something else I am not sure. Heating systems make up the largest percentage of deaths from CO poisoning. Even during the recent storm Sandy, carbon monoxide deaths surged because of the use of generators as noted in a USA Today article!

The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may resemble other types of poisonings and infections, including symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, and a feeling of weakness. Affected families often believe they are victims of food poisoning. Infants may be irritable and feed poorly. Neurological signs include confusion, disorientation, visual disturbance, syncope and seizures. -J R Soc Med (The Royal Society of Medicine)

Many people (I was one of them) operate gas appliances (furnace, stove, gas logs etc.) without the proper equipment in their homes. A quick fix is simply a carbon monoxide detector that you can purchase at your local hardware or box store for ~$25. Here is full page of options on Amazon! In this area, code didn’t start requiring these until around 2011 (a lot depends on when the permit was pulled for construction). These work like a fire alarm, if high levels of CO are detected they emit an ear piercing, wake you up out of a sound sleep alarm! There are hard wired varieties, plug in with battery backups & wall amounted ones. Here is the photo of the style I use, pretty inconspicuous and I don’t even notice it really!
This article is a great Q&A on residential homes & additions from the NC Department of Insurance.

Here is detail on the State statue when it comes to Residential Rental Properties:

N.C. Gen Stat. § 143-138 – North Carolina State Building Code
N.C. Gen Stat. § 42-42 to 42-44 – Landlord and Tenant Articles – Residential Rental Agreements

Authorizes adoption of provisions requiring the installation of either battery-operated or electrical carbon monoxide detectors in every dwelling unit having a fossil-fuel burning heater or appliance, fireplace, or an attached garage.Requires landlords to provide one operable carbon monoxide detector per rental unit per level. A landlord that installs one carbon monoxide detector per rental unit per level shall be deemed to be in compliance with standards under this subdivision covering the location and number of detectors. The landlord shall replace or repair the carbon monoxide detectors within 15 days of receipt of notification if the landlord is notified of needed replacement or repairs in writing by the tenant. The landlord shall ensure that a carbon monoxide detector is operable and in good repair at the beginning of each tenancy. Unless the landlord and the tenant have a written agreement to the contrary, the landlord shall place new batteries in a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector at the beginning of a tenancy, and the tenant shall replace the batteries as needed during the tenancy. Failure of the tenant to replace the batteries as needed shall not be considered as negligence on the part of the tenant or the landlord. This subdivision applies only to dwelling units having a fossil-fuel burning heater or appliance, fireplace, or an attached garage. Provides for penalties.

It’s a small world after all…not just in Real Estate!

Renee Hillman on October 29, 2014

So here it is world…my inaugural blog post! It is amazing what you learn at a young age, it molds who you are today. You are probably wondering why I chose the title “It’s a small world after all.” That just happens to be one of the first rides I remember riding at the age of 5 in Disney World. It left an impression on me though and it seems to correlate to everyday life. We meet so many different people from all different backgrounds. Each of my clients has brought something a little different to each transaction over the past 13 years. I love seeing the updated photos of the families, attending the house warming parties and sharing dinner together! I say it’s a small world so much at this point as every client seems to have some connection to another client, the SAS security guard recognizes me without having to introduce myself, sitting worlds away in the Greek Isles at Mykonos I run into clients there and even while eating breakfast at St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands! My clients are everywhere, but it makes me proud in a sense that each one of them becomes part of who I am. A part of what has made my career so successful & that I am thankful for! We learn on a daily basis but one premise always seems to hold true…your integrity is one of your most important traits. It really is a small world after all & I want to make sure that my legacy is my integrity.

I am excited about NC Renée and plan to do an entry each week whether it be about real estate, a concert coming to town, a new restaurant in the area, you name it. Your ideas are appreciated too! I want this to be a place to share thought/ideas and a blog that you want to keep coming back to over & over again for years to come!

Lyrics in case you’re having a hard time remembering:

it’s a world of laughter, a world or tears
its a world of hopes, its a world of fear
theres so much that we share
that its time we’re aware
its a small world after all

CHORUS:
its a small world after all
its a small world after all
its a small world after all
its a small, small world

There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship to everyone.
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It’s a small small world

And for those of you that hate me for getting this song stuck in your head here is the sing along version!