I want to buy a foreclosure property, but don’t know where to start my search. Help!

There seems to be a ton of foreclosure search sites popping up everywhere, so it’s understandable that starting a foreclosure search can be a bit overwhelming. If you’re looking for property in Southeastern NC, we’ve made it easy to find foreclosure homes and land in our area.

To browse foreclosure properties, our foreclosure properties list is a great place to start. Sorted by price, you can view all foreclosure properties on the market at any given moment in real time.

To search foreclosure properties, use our advanced search tool. Select “Foreclosure” under Property Types, then select your other criteria. If you’re looking for a foreclosure property in a particular price range or school district, for instance, this is an excellent place to start.

Once you’ve narrowed down a few properties of interest, contact one of our real estate experts for a personal preview. You agent can be a wealth of information and a great resource to have on your side during your search, so doing this in the beginning can also help save you valuable time.

Flooring: An Overview

When perusing the real estate market, buyers should be picky, thorough and informed on every aspect of their purchase.  Exterior foundation, insurance, floor plan, etc. are components of home-buying that should not be overlooked.  Even flooring plays an important role in the longevity of your home as well as the quality.

There are tons of flooring options—granite, wood, stone, linoleum, bamboo, tile, carpet, vinyl, etc. — and it can be overwhelming if you’re remodeling. Ultimately the decision will depend on what your budget is as well as what ‘look’ you’re going for. Let’s investigate hardwood, carpet, vinyl and more.

Carpet has its advantages.  It’s less expensive than some other flooring options and it absorbs noises. Don’t get me wrong—it’s soft, warm, and quiet but when you have enough spills to give BP a run for their money, carpet can become your enemy. You can try to remove the stains but unfortunately soiled carpet can make a home look and feel dirty. It’s also costly and difficult to have carpets professionally cleaned and the dirty water can get beneath the surface of the carpet.  Also, carpet can hold onto dust and pollen, making it a bad choice for someone with allergies. If you’re replacing carpet, the cost ranges and additional fees for labor—pulling up old carpet, moving furniture, etc.—also factor in to the overall cost.  Also, it depends on the type of carpet and the retailer or installer you choose. Keeping these issues in mind, it’s important to now look at other options if carpet doesn’t seem like the right fit for your lifestyle.

Hardwood floors are a completely different look.  Hardwoods look smooth, clean and chic. They are a great investment because they last forever and actually look better with time. They are natural and non-allergenic and won’t absorb spills as bad as carpets. However, they are also more expensive to install, can become costly to maintain and can be noisy.

If hardwoods are too expensive, laminate might be a good alternative since it can provide the realistic look of wood.  Like hardwoods, laminate is extremely durable and will last 15-30 years. It’s easier to install because interlocking floating pieces can attach to each other without glue. It’s also environmentally responsible since it can imitate wood without cutting down all the trees needed for production.  Since it is an imitation, it doesn’t have the same perceived value as other natural flooring materials and therefore will run slightly cheaper.

Vinyl, a flooring option with the broadest range of colors and designs, can be a definite value-buy if you’re on a budget. Like laminate, it can also imitate the look of hardwoods and other flooring products.  Vinyl can be great because it’s pretty low-maintenance, resistant to water and easier to stand on because of its cushy construction. However, also like laminate, it lowers the value of your home.

Green building is an important trend that has many home-buyers and renovators considering environmentally-friendly building materials and appliances. Bamboo is the ultimate choice for a wood floor that won’t damage the environment. Not only is bamboo sustainable and eco-friendly, it can enhance the look and feel of your home. It can add a classic, rustic or modern style to your home. While bamboo is a great option, it can also be easily damaged by furniture or high heels and it may not last as long as hardwoods or be as easy to maintain as hardwoods.

Between finding an installer, choosing the type of floor, considering all the costs and finally making a decision, it definitely helps to do the research and decide on a budget.  Decide what look you’re going for and then consider costs. You’ll be much happier with the finished result if you know that you explored all of your options.

Valerie Carr is the Marketing Coordinator at CENTURY 21® Sweyer & Associates. Most of the time you will find Valerie laying on the beach with a good book and soaking up the rays. She freelance writes for several local magazines and finds it exciting to research the latest trends in home décor as well as just about any other topic you can imagine.

8 Sources of Inspiration for your Next Home Decor Project

b8f1a7e06ca91d9049cb5b6df9f6b011wix_mpIn just a few weeks, I’ll be moving into a bigger, brighter home and my mind is just twirling with ideas on how I can dress up the space. I tend to favor a more hands-on, crafty approach to decor so these sites have been eye-candy for me lately. If you prefer a handmade approach to decorating, you’ll enjoy these resources!

The book that started it all: The Nest Home Design Handbook. For a novice like me, this book helped me tie many interior design concepts together to create a cohesive look. Plus, it’s just an all-around great book for decor inspiration. If you’re not familiar with how the terms harmony, rhythm, scale, emphasis and balance apply to interior design, this is the book for you. (Hint: Our local New Hanover County library has it in stock!)

The Queen herself: Martha Stewart. Come on craftinistas! When you’re revamping your space, Martha’s website is the place to start looking for ideas and inspiration.

Hands-on projects for interiors and exteriors: ReadyMade Magazine. I started reading ReadyMade way back when the very first issue came out. I remember a project for a brick BBQ featured inside and I’ve been an avid reader ever since.

Home projects from the DIY fashion trend-setters: Threadbanger Decor It Yourself. If you like Threadbanger for clothes, you’ll love Threadbanger for homes.

When living at the beach is not enough: Completely Coastal. Sure, you’re the envy of all your out-of-town friends because you get to live at the beach, but that’s no excuse for not bringing the beach home with you! I love Completely Coastal’s interior design ideas. It inspires me to hunt the beach for driftwood and seashells.

When the backyard leaves you longing for more: WindowFarms.org. I’m moving from one townhouse to another, which essentially means I’m leaving a place with no backyard space and moving to one with a tiny bit of dirt. I enjoy gardening so this year I’ll be planting my very own window farm. Fresh veggies and herbs year-round? You can’t beat that!

Color for the color-challenged: The ColorSnap app. Brought to you by Sherwin-Williams, this app will pull colors in from your favorite photos and suggest to you the nearest paint color match. For the color-challenged like me, it’s completely awesome.

And just because: Color Me Katie. This blog has absolutely nothing to do with home decor, but I love Katie’s sense of whimsy and if I can capture just a smidgen of her colorful taste in my decor, I will have succeeded.

Image Credit: Morgan Bradley Interior Design

lisa_ashbyLisa Ashby is the Digital Marketing Coordinator for CENTURY® 21 Sweyer & Associates. When she’s offline, she enjoys spending time with her family, knitting & crafting, and riding her bike around town.

Water World Part II

Remember the film Water World?  Kevin Costner played a mutant called “Mariner” in a post-apocalyptic world where the polar ice caps have melted and most of Earth is under water.   I remember wondering why our antihero was so distressed.   An eternal life at sea seemed like a pretty good deal to me.

Jamie's nephew Riley

Growing up on the Connecticut shore I had a row boat called “Pe Pie Woo.”  When I was  twelve my grandfather and I split the cost of a  1.5 horsepower British Seagull outboard which we mounted to the back of Pe Pie Woo with drywall screws.  The next day I got up before the sun and I took her out around the gray lighthouse, past the rocks with the white seagulls crying, all the way to an island called Cucchini.  When I returned the next day my grandfather was waiting for me on the beach with a screwdriver.  That was the last powered vessel I owned until last summer when I purchased a bay boat with a four stroke Yamaha.

Having grown up in boating bliss I didn’t expect to be super impressed with eastern NC’s water world but I was blown away.  If you haven’t explored the many islands and hidden beaches that Wilmington and the surrounding area offers, jump on something that floats and go.  To live here and not explore the waterways and rivers is like buying a home with a view and never looking out the window. There are plenty of great boating days left in the year so plan to take one and create a keepsake, a place you can go to on a rainy day.  Using your hand as a visor look into the distance, Captain.  Somewhere out there, as the sun is just a sliver of fire rising from the ocean or as the moon is shimmering down on sea oats and sand, you will think of Kevin Costner and you won’t feel so bad for the mutant called Mariner.

Wilmington NC real estate agent Jamie CookJamie Cook is a real estate professional with CENTURY 21® Sweyer & Associates. When he’s not helping his clients buy and sell homes in the area, you can find him navigating the waters with his wife April and his two golden retrievers, Fisher King and Captain Cook. Find out more about Jamie at CaptainCookProperties.com.

Raw products show their inner beauty

I’m always on the lookout for sustainable products that are visually appealing so I decided to share just a few of my favorites.  When you are considering a remodel or building a new home, consider some of the products below to make your house materials more durable and beautiful.

Slate

A natural stone with a virtually endless life span.  It is often used for roofing shingles, flooring and countertops.  It’s durable  and beautiful.  What’s not to love!

slate flooring

slate flooring

Recycled Glass

100% post-consumer recycled glass that’s heated and compressed to create a solid surface.  This can give a dramatic effect to any type of décor.

recycled glass

recycled glass

Bamboo

This material is naturally durable and is eco-friendly.  And it’s just nice to know that it doesn’t require chemical fertilizers to grow.  I have it in the bathroom, kitchen and even have clothes made out of it.  Now that’s what I call a versatile material.

bamboo flooring

bamboo flooring

sydney_jonesSydney Jones is the Advertising Director for CENTURY® 21 Sweyer & Associates.

For Wilmington NC real estate, visit Century21Sweyer.com.