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Cliarlotte
THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2006
4D REAL ESTATE
Put that
tax
refund
to use
Many of ua have already
received an income tax
reftind If you dOTi*t own a
hcxne, you are probably giving
Uncle Sam a good portion of
your earnings this year Are
you tired of giving too much
liard earned money away?
flcHnebuilders are offering
incentives for
m
R(Xj\NI)
Hawkins
prospective
home buyers
this tax sea
son. Builders
will work
hard to entice
you to invest
your tax
refund in one
of their sub
divisions
If you desire a new home,
this may be one of your best
times to get a great deal Ask
your Realtor to get copies of
your local builders’ Homes
Inventory List, Builders are
more motivated to make deals
to move inventory homes,
especially during this time of
the year
In the current real estate
market, it is quite conmion for
homebuilders to pay closing
costs. A builder, however,
might require buyers to use
one of the builder’s preferred
lenders in exchange for this
consideration.
During the next 30 days.
s(Mne new construction incen
tives will become even more
attractive. One local builder is
ofTering to pay down interest
in aiklition to paying closing
costs at most of tlieir Char
lotte new home sites. Where
else can a person purchase a
new construction home and
move in with little or no
money down and a below
market mortgage rate
Most new homebuilders
offer 100 percent financing to
attract potential buyers.
Some of these plans will allow
a seller/builder to provide a
gift to a buyer for the required
down payment. This plan
helps potential homebuyers
who are woridng with little or
limited cash In addition to
providing a gift for the down
pa>ment. builders can also
pay closing costs.
Some of these entry-level
homes are priced so inexpeii-
sively that it appears that
they are giving them away.
Entry-level home builders
offer several promotions that
give honiebuyers' down pay
ment and closing costs assis
tance in addition to other
monetary allowances.
Again, most homebuilders
require you to use one of their
preferred lenders in order to
take advantage of incentives.
When builders and lenders
compete for your business,
you win
This is a great time to be a
qualified homebu>er Most
hom^uilders recognize the
buyers’ agency* relationship.
Builders understand that
every buyer is entitled to
employ a buyers’ agent to rep
resent their home bu>’ing
interest It’s your buyer’s
agent responsibility to look
out for your interest in the
hcsue bu>’ing process
Builders and real estate
agents woric closely to help
homebuyers A builder’s busi
ness is not only limited to
leads generated by represen
tatives sitting in their model
hemes waiting for qualified
buyers to walk in. Builders
also rely on their relation
ships with buyers’ agents to
bring qualified customers to
their home sites.
Most of the new heme incen
tives may only be available for
a limited time, so dont miss
out on this o{:f)ortvmity Your
Please see TURNybD
PHOTO DECKORATORS
Springtime projects that bring families together
.Man IS, nmoi 'rck.\ss(xiati()s
Now that spring has arrived, peo
ple everywhere are reintroducing
themselves to the great outdcxDrs.
Whether you’re into sports, garden
ing or just socializing, there’s some
thing for everyone, even the little
ones, to do at this time of yeai*.
After months of being cooped up
inside, who wouldn’t eqjoy a family
bike ride, working together to plant
a garden, or starting a project that
will pay dividends for years to come
- building a playgroimd set for the
kids in your backyard.
Over the years, numerous studies
have shown that play, particulariy
on playground equipment, is ftmda-
mental to a child’s physical and
mental development It teaches
them
fine motor skills and problem serv
ing; and as they swing fix)m the
monkey bars and climb up and
down the ladders, gix'es them a
workout as well.
Having read all the studies about
a plajground’s benefits, when his
kids were young, Karl Jessen of
New Jersey went on a journey a lot
of parents find themselves oh every
year around this time. ‘T really
wanted to get a play set for my boys,
but was scared off by the hefty price
tag, he says, “so I decided to build
one mys^.”
But the task wasn’t as easy as he
expected it to be He had to go one
place for the wood, another for the
play equipment, and yet another for
the hardware he’d need to put the
set together. “B^ore long, I realized
I had tripp)ed onto a niche that need
ed to be filled and went into the
playground building business,” he
says.
Jessen’s company, Detailed Play
Systems, went into business in
1998, and has been so popular, that
thousands of playground building
kits have been sold to date. Each
one provides parents with the
Detailed Plans needed to put a qual
ity set together, along with the hard
ware, swings, slides and safety
equipment. The only thing parents
have to go out and get on their own
is the wood - herein lies the savings
and opportunity for consumers to
control quality
“Building a play set for your kids
instead of buying one not only saves
you monejijt offgjj^ a great opportu
nity to bond,” says Jessen. When he
built the original set, his older son,
who was 4 at the time, decided what
kinds of activities it would have,
and learned what a ruler was for by
helping to measure the holes for the
hardware. Once he started build
ing, Jessen’s younger son, who was
just a toddler at the time, pitched in
by bringing him the parts he could
safely carry
Eight years have passed since
that Spring when the original play
set was built, and it has evolved
over the years. Monkey bars have
been added, so have tunnels, climb
ing waUs, and a number of other
items, all of which are available
throu^ Detailed Play Systems.
Tb order a catalog, call (800) 398-
7565 or log on to www.detailed-
playcom. Shipping is available in
the 48 contiguous United States.
Deck out your home with some
advanced living space creativity
ARVni. RESOL RCE.ASSOCiWOS
PHOTO/ARA CONTENT
Home improvement has become
one erf* the nation’s favorite pas
times. Every day millions tune in
to watch TV gurus work their
magic - sometimes to extremes.
But when it comes to real life,
most Americans operate within a
budget and evaluate their home
improvements based on cost-
effectiveness. One growing trend
is an emphasis on outdoor living
spaces, where families find usaHe
space and a new venue for deco
rating and design.
“A nice deck c*r patio doesn't cost
neariy as much as adding indoor
space and yet it’s a great addition
to a home,” says CTielsea Gardner,
a landscape designer who writes
about outdoor decorating and
entertaining.
‘T’m seeing more homeowners
who want improvements that
enhance their lifestyle, and decks
give you great options for enter
taining, relaxing, and spreading
out. With today’s wide range of
deck and patio janducts you can
add on a signature environment
using creative design and inter
esting accessories,” says Dave
Bielidd, owner of Decks Atlanta
Bielicki notes that today's decks
have become much more than
wooden platforms attached to the
back of a house They are design
er-inspired living spaces, where
comfortable furniture, functional
lighting, and decorative balusters
make them an attractive, multi
purpose area for families
Kelly Jones, founder of Deckora-
tors, a leader in deck rail options
and accessories, says their newest
items appeal to the homeowner
who wants more than just place
to plop the charcoal grill and lawn
chairs.
Included on his list of best sell-
Please see DECK/5D
Find the key to landscaping
without the maintenance
ARIICLERESLH RC'E ASSOC lATIO.S
Soon the barren land
scape we’ve been locating at
for months will cxice again
give way to green grass,
flowering bulbs, and bud
ding trees and shrubs Tl>e
first day of spring (March
20) is almost iqxm us.
WTiile most pe^e loc^
fcx’ward to the return of ail
the greeny; it’s sotnething
a large portkxi of the pc^-
lation dreads WTiy?
Because it will also mean
the return of weeds.
A weed is defined as any
plant you dcoi't want in
your garden co* landscape.
Some common ones are
dandelions, thistle and dc^-
lar weed Once estab
lished. they are almost
impossible to get rid c^.
whidi is why early in the
season, you should take
steps to eradicate them for
good.
Tliere are three effective
meeins of achie\*ing this
goal. You can use herlx-
dde. pull them 'py hand or
put down landscape fabric
A lot of peofJe shy away
fix)m the idea of using
diemicals in their gardens,
which leaves jiist two
options.
Please see KEY/5D
PHOTO/ARA CONTENT