StarnewsMedia is hosting the 2012 Concience Fair again this year at the Cape Fear Community College North Campus.  If you have not selected a New Years resolution, may you find one here at the fair.  Over 100 Non- Profits will be there with a whole list of needs.  A great time to scratch that “Volunteer” itch you have been having.  Wilmington NC is an awesome city and it is mainly because of it’s great people and giving attitude.  Join in, you will not be sorry.

The 2012 StarNews Media Conscience Fair is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, in the McKeithan Center at Cape Fear Community College’s North Campus, 4500 Blue Clay Road.

Nonprofit organizations present information about volunteer opportunities. To reserve a space – it’s free – visit StarNewsOnline.com/ConscienceFairand fill out the signup form.
The following nonprofits have signed up as of 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20.

ORGANIZATION NAME:   CONTACT PERSON   PHONE NUMBER   E-MAIL ADDRESS

International Seamen’s Center Ron Casterline 910-681-1603 rgcasterline@yahoo.com
St. Mary Health Center Laura Vinson-Garvey (910) 279-0643 lvinsongarvey@yahoo.com
Armor of God Ministries Debi Tucker 910-259-5062 debineedstime@yahoo.com
Love Is Bald Kelli N. Russell 910-264-6097 kellineese@hotmail.com
CUE Center for Missing Persons Melissa Neu 910.541.1626 cmneu@marketingflotsam.com
Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry, Inc. JC Skane 910.399.7563 info@warmnc.org
disAbility Resource Center Gloria Garton 910-815-6618 gloria.garton@drcwilmington.org
Moores Creek Conservation Alliance Nancy Keith 910-540-0179 moorescreekconservation@gmail.com
Cameron Art Museum Bo Dean 910-599-3995 ext 1010 bodean@cameronartmuseum.com
WHQR Public Radio Laura Hunsberger (910) 343-1640 laura@whqr.org
Church World Service/ CROP Walk Janet Magelli 910-616-1342 jmagelli@gmail.com
Arts Council of Wilmington and N.H.Co. Owen Wexler 910.790.3989 mowexler@aol.com
Foreign Exchange Student Program -PAX /STEP Tracy Bickel 910-632-4293 hostexchangestudent@gmail.com
PILOT CLUB OF WILMINGTON RAMONA ANDREWS, PRESIDENT 791-2733 – BUSINESS  612-0834  – CELL randrews@biz.ec.rr.com
Greater Porters Neck Area Foundation Yona Bar-Zeev 910n 686-5191 pnccyona@yahoo.com
The Arc of NC-Benefit Bank/ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site Brian Moeller (9100 538-9421 bmoeller@arcnc.org
The Full Belly Project Daniel Ling (910) 452-0975 fullbellyproject@gmail.com
WINGS MINISTRY Missy Settlemyre 910-512-7643 missy@wingsministriesinc.com
Religion News Wilmington Amanda Greene, local editor and community manager 910-471-9152 or 910-520-3958 Amanda.Greene@ReligionNews.com
Wilmington Health Access for Teens Emily Henley 910-202-4605 emilyhenley@whatswhat.org
Lifeguide  ( We will be sharing a booth with Guardian ad LItem as in the past two years.) Denny Smith 793-3472 densmi@bellsouth.net
ACCESS of Wilmington Inc. Dan Johnson, Chair  AND/OR  David Morrison, Vice Chair 910-962-3659 Johnsonde@uncw.edu  david.morrison87@yahoo.com
League of Women Voters of Lower Cape Fear Carole Ellis 910-791-0922 cellis13@ec.rr.com
OLD BRIDGE PRESERVATION SOCIETY Karen Dombrowski 910.579.9021 Rkd389@hotmail.com
First Book – New Hanover Co. Carol Barre 910-200-1441 cbarre1250@ec.rr.com
First Book New Hanover County John Osinski 910-962-4271 osinskij@uncw.edu
The Affordable Housing Coalition ofSoutheastern NC Toni Melvin Whitaker  Acting Executive Director (910) 599-0348 toniwhit@ec.rr.com
Buy Local ILM Gayle Tabor 910.471.7627 hello@buylocalilm.com
S.H.A.R.E. Briana Kelly 910-431-6418 Brianamkelly@hotmail.com
Trinity Grove Ms. Noel Schuler 910-442-3016 nschuler@trinitygrove.net
MADGRL  Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League Arlene Hubner 910-845-5143 ahubner@ec.rr.com
The Warrior Ride Debra/Bob Racine 910-278-4612 teamracine@thewarriorride.org
Elderhaus PACE Amy Derck (910) 338-2757 amy.derck@elderhaus.com
KAIROS Prison Ministries Intl. Gordon Keifer 256-5781 gordonkeifer@hotmail.com
Wilmington Prostate Cancer Support Group, Us TOO George Gardner 792-9953 wproscasupportgp@aol.com
Bellamy Mansion Museum Gareth Evans 910.251.3700 gareth@bellamymansion.org
Oceana Zachary Keith 321-356-6603 zkeith@oceana.org
Junior Achievement of the Cape Fear Region Courtney Hickman 910-462-3690 chickman@jacarolinas.org
Project Linus Sharon Black 910-681-0452 slhblack@bellsouth.net
Guardian ad Litem Program of the 5th Judicial District Lynne Fender or Liz Kachris-Jones 910-616-8960 or 910-520-4035 lfender@ec.rr.com or  liz.k.jones@nccourts.org
Wilmington Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Support Group Burt Masters, Co-Leader, Wilmington MS Spt Gp (910) 383-1368 happyheim@peoplepc.com
Interfaith Refugee Ministry Sarah Kingsley 910-538-0714 skingsley@helpingrefugees.org
Carolina Vocal Arts Ensemble Beverly Cree 910.799.9977 bjcree@gmail.com
Occupy Wilmington NC Roxanne Kirtright 910 380 1690 araweggandastorm@gmail.com
The Friends of the New Hanover County Public Library Ruth M. Brown 910-256-5482 ruthbrown@bellsouth.net
Cape Fear Coalition for a Drug-Free Tomorrow Diane Edwards 962-7432 edwardsd@uncw.edu
The Carousel Center Tira Hanrahan (910) 254 – 9898 ext. 218 tira.hanrahan@carouselcenter.org
Monty’s Home Barb Raab 910-259-7911 info@montyshome.org
Cape Fear Clinic, Inc.  (Formerly Tileston Health Clinic) John Devaney, Executive Director 910-343-8736 jdevaney@capefearclinic.org
American Red Cross- Cape Fear Chapter Wendy Flynn (910) 762-2683 ext 328 flynnw@usa.redcross.org
Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina at Wilmington Jeff Rose 910-251-1465 ext 2205 jrose@foodbankcenc.org
(WRAAP) Wilmington’s Residential Adolescent Achievement Place, Inc. Daryl Dockery 910.392.6007 daryldock@aol.com
Airlie Gardens Flo Berry 910-798-7566 Fberry@nhcgov.com
NC Coastal Federation Ted Wilgis 910-509-2838 tedw@nccoast.org
Phoenix Employment Ministry Don Skinner 910-343-8469 phoenixesw@bellsouth.net
Lower Cape Fear Hospice & LifeCareCenter Tracy Register / Jason Clamme 910-512-7559 or 910-796-7981 tracy.register@lcfh.org or jason.clamme@lcfh.org
Domestic Violence Shelter and Services, Inc. Andrea Stough 910-343-0703 dvoutreach@earthlink.net
Wrightsville Beach Museum of History Madeline Flagler 910-256-2569 wbmuseum@bizec.rr.com
Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Melissa Clary 910-763-3114 mclary@mdausa.org
Wilmington SCORE Sara Raleigh 910-409-9865 sraleigh@ec.rr.com
Coastal Horizons Center, Inc.  Crisis Intervention Services Julie Ozier, LCSW or   Celine Adair, LMFT (910) 392-6936 jozier@coastalhorizons.org
American Red Cross – Cape Fear Chapter Wendy Flynn 910-762-2683 ext.328 flynnw@usa.redcross.org
Brunswick County Volunteer Center Jayne W. Mathews 910-253-2574 jmathews@brunswickes.com
YWCA Lower Cape Fear Katie Nelson 910-799-6820 ext 104 volunteers@ywca-lowercapefear.org
New Hanover High School Army JROTC LTC James M. Chaffins (910) 520 – 7244 james.chaffins@nhcs.net
Comfort Socks Theresa Tese 9102698577 theresa@comfortsocksonline.org
CHILD ADVOCACY & PARENTING PLACE (CAPP CENTER) ELIZABETH K. MANDEL 910-791-1057 MANDELL@CAPPCENTER.ORG
SEACC (Southeastern Alliance for Community Change) Steve Lee 910-791-4877 seacc1@gmail.com
Brunswick Christian Recovery Center Ouida Hewett 910-842-6017 ouida@atmc.net
OPTIMIST CLUB OF WINTER PARK CHUCK KUEBLER 910-392-7760 charleskuebler@gmail.com
Elderhaus Adult Day Care Trudy Tann (910)251-0660 trudy.tann@elderhaus.com
Brunswick Family Assistance Agency Lora Moree 910-754-4777x 103 lorabfa@gmail.com
Amercan Radio Relay League Glenn Cox 910 431 3875 ke4bmy@hotmail.com
“Bread for Life….” Ministry Claudette Fiskin, MSW 910-343-5276 Bread4life.ministry@gmail.com
Cape Fear Literacy Council Rachel LaCoe 910-251-0911 rlacoe@cfliteracy.org
Canines for Service (formerly Carolina Canines for Service) Laura Kranchalk 910-362-8181 lkranchalk@caninesforservice.org
Pretty In Pink Foundation Joy Wade 910-620-9871 jwade@prettyinpinkfoundation.org
Paws Place Inc.  3701 E. Boiling Spring Rd.  Winnabow, NC 28479 Peggy Durso 910-253-9258 peggydurso@ec.rr.com
New Hanover Regional Medical Center Eileen McConville 815.5317 eileen.mcconville@nhrmc.org
A.R.R.L. The Amercican Radio Relay League Glenn Cox 910 431 3875 ke4bmy@hotmail.com
Cape Fear Volunteer Center Annie Anthony 910-392-8180 cfvcdirector@gmail.com

Merry Christmas from Our House to Yours.

Spend time with family and friends, enjoy them richly.  Along the way find a way to help new friends.  This is the time of year that we must remember that it is the giving that is so rewarding.  Giving of your time, crafts, good deeds and helping others.

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. 

~Charles Dickens

Christmas is a necessity.  There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.  ~Eric Sevareid

Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree.  In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.  ~Larry Wilde

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.  ~Washington Irving

Remember
This December,
That love weighs more than gold!
~Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon

INVENTORY:

How Do You Prove You Had It………

When You Don’t Have It Anymore?

Have you counted your silverware lately? Cataloged your coin collection? Inventoried your attic treasures? If you lost them, would you be able to prove to your insurance company you actually possessed what you say you owned? Could you prove how much those lost items were worth? There are lots of ways you could lose some or all of your possessions–flood, fire or other natural disaster, moving, burglary. In attempting to recover your losses, having a comprehensive inventory on hand could be worth many thousands of dollars.

Here are some suggestions for compiling and storing a household inventory.

• Ask your insurance company for a room-by-room form to help you make your inventory or use a computer software program designed for the same purpose.
• Do your counting while you’re in the process of spring or fall cleaning–or as you move from one home to another.
• Work in small doses, one room at a time.
• Be as specific as possible in your listing. Note the date of purchase and the purchase price. Describe the item in detail, including serial number.
• Some items increase in value over time. Be sure to get updated appraisals on antiques, jewelry and other valuables periodically.
• If you’ve kept purchase receipts–always a good idea, especially for big-ticket items–keep them with your inventory.
• To supplement your description, make photographs or a video of your things.
• Update your inventory at least annually and when you purchase more-expensive items.
• Make a copy of your inventory, keeping one at home and placing the other one in a safe place elsewhere–perhaps in a safe deposit box or with a relative.

TIPS
Check with your insurance company about getting replacement-cost coverage if you don’t already have it. Rather than giving you the depreciated value of a lost or damaged item, for a slightly higher premium replacement-cost coverage will give you the full amount necessary to buy a similar new item at current prices.

Also, note the limits on your policy for various types of items. If, for example, you own jewelry worth in excess of the policy’s limit for jewelry, talk with your agent about picking up a rider policy to cover the full worth.

You have spent your lifetime making your home a home.  Keep it that way.  For all the latest Wilmington NC real estate trends, please visit www.cbbaker.com

5 Basics for Building Wealth

Through Investing in Rental  Property

There are some people that have decided to rent instead of purchase until they find exactly the right house and price for them.  The flip side of this coin is that there are renters out looking.  There are homes and investor properties that are priced right, that could produce a positive cash flow.  If you have been thinking about becoming an investor, now might be the time. 

With a relatively modest amount of capital and income, you can profit from real estate investing – once you recognize the chief elements of the rental-property marketplace:

• Taxes may be inevitable, but they are also controllable. In rental properties, you currently benefit from cash deductions for financing, management and operating costs as well as non-cash deductions for depreciation. You also benefit from possible lower long-term capital gains tax rates or tax deferral.
• Leverage involves multiplying your profits by financing as much of your investment as possible and reducing your down payment, thereby limiting the amount of cash tied up and increasing your tax deductions.
• “Positive cash flow” means income either before or after taxes. A savvy investor knows how to turn “negative cash flow” into positive, by maximizing rent through various strategies and through depreciation deductions.
• Appreciation, the result of selling at a higher price than you bought, appears to be a trend that shows no signs of abating. In investing, the important thing is to choose property in a location where prices are rising more than in other areas.
• Equity, the difference between the property value and the remaining loan balance, brings a profit either through refinancing or sale. Timing is a key consideration in maximizing equity profits, since the longer you own property, the fewer tax breaks available to you.

If you’re thinking about investing in your future through real estate, call or e-mail us for professional assistance in finding the right property for your situation.  Please feel free to visit www.cbbaker.com.  You can view properties by price, neighborhood, map and zip code.  If you have a question, do not hesitate to contact us.

jimrlong.us

September 11, 2001 will stay in our minds and hearts forever.  We have not forgotten.  Take time this weekend to reflect on the 10 year anniversary, either quietly by yourself or with others in your community.   Reach out to those that were directly affected by the events.  Keep in your thoughts the first responders who help keep us safe, and the service men and women who are continuing to fight to keep our freedom.  If you would like to know where events are in our area these are some of the memorial services in Wilmington NC on Saturday September 11, 2011 to recognize the 10th anniversary of 9/11/01.

9/11 “We Remember” Commemorative Service

 Sun, September 11th 2011 – Candlelight Vigil    7 pm – 8pm
Wilmington Convention Center

9/11 Memorial  Service

- Cape Fear Community College - \ Safety Training Center at the North Campus in Castle Hayne beginning at 8:30 a.m

http://cfcc.edu/blogs/news/

9/11 Rememberance Ceremony

UNCW Kenan Auditorium – 6: 00 pm – Mayor Bill Saffo and other speakers.  Music by UNCW Dept. of Music

Theater Performance: Remembrance Monologues, 7:30 p.m., Kenan Auditorium

9/11 10th Anniversary Memorial Sunday

9 a.m. near the POW Memorial at 30 Government Center Dr., Bolivia

9/11 Memorial Cruise

Wilmington Water Tours – Downtown Wilmington (910)338-3134

1:30pm – Live music featuring Lindsay Bennet and a complimentary toast to remember those we have lost.

4:00pm – Live music featuring Jamie Michelle and a memorial Wreath laying to Honor those we have lost.

Pray for peace.

A piece of American History arrived in Wilmington NC today.  Two Steel beams that collapsed in the September 11 attacks were picked up by Wilmington firefighters and escorted to Wilmington.  One of the beams will be placed at the new Empie Park fire station and the other will be placed at the safety training area at Cape Fear Community College.  The ceremony was attended by those who September 11 had touched personally and by active firefighters who were working at the site.  Memorial Gardens and reflecting ponds are going to be erected to surround the beams.  They will be kept in storage unit the gardens are completed, then moved to their final resting place.

There is talk of a minor league baseball stadium being built on the riverfront in downtown Wilmington NC.  There has not been a baseball team in Wilmington NC since the Port City Roosters, a Southern League minor team which was a Double A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners Major Club in 1995.  Some of the players that wore the Roosters Uniform you might recognize : Red Sox captain Jason Varitek, pitchers Derek Lowe and Ryan Franklin, infielder Desi Relaford and outfielders José Cruz, Jr. and Raul Ibanez.

Chuck Schoninger, the CEO of USA InvestCo owns property on the riverfront, 35 acres which he hopes to develop into a marina, a hotel,  condos, restaurants and to top it  off a Minor League Baseball Stadium.  Schoninger will travel to China to present his plan to Chinese investors with a Federal Program called Employment Based Program Number 5, or EB5, that was started by George Bush in 1990 to entice foreign investment.  With the opening of the Wilmington NC Convention Center, this will make an addition to the growing and thriving downtown area. For a complete story from the Greater Wilmington Business Journal, read more here….

To search all Wilmington NC downtown properties, please visit www.cbbaker.com

January 2011 Wilmington NC MLS Report

Based on the winter weather we have had it is obvious that our real estate market still has the Winter Blues. Our average sales price has dropped 17% from December 2010; that is quite a fall. Most of the transactions that closed in January we put under contract in December. When you break down the sales that took place in January 2011 there is only 1 transaction that closed above $700,000. While in December 2010 there were 14 sold transactions over $700,000 and January 2010 there were 5 sold transactions over $700,000. This greatly affects our monthly average sales price, our current monthly average sold price is $194,425 for the month of January. This is the first time that the monthly average sold price has dipped under $200,000 in a looooong time.

January’s average sales price has managed to show a decrease of 17% from December. Sold units are down 119 units over last month (about 31%) and even with last January. In the month of January we saw a increase of 71 homes in our listing inventory, we have 4,718 homes on the market as of February 1^st. This continues to put us in a strong buyer’s market with a listing inventory of just over a 17.8 month supply. With the low sales in January this affects our month supply with an increase of 5 months from last month with 12.6. Our average list price has started the year under $350,000 range; we are currently at $343,053. In January sellers paid concessions in about 30.6% of all the month’s transactions.  Our average days on the market are at 132 days. The list to sold ratio has improved some to 94.4% this number needs to continue to get better. The number of homes that sold in 15 days or less continues to remain very low, 11.3% of January sold homes. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.05% with an average 0.7 points for the week ending February 10, 2011. We have already hit the historic lows in mortgage rates and they are now on the rebound. Call me so I can show you or your clients how they can get the benefit of these rates. Have a great week and let me know what I can do to help you and your clients.

Despite all the media comments about our markets we are still lending money for residential mortgages. If a client has income and credit and some sort of down payment; they can get a mortgage. It goes to the basic three C’s – Capacity, Collateral and Character.

Listing Inventory

In January we saw a increase in listing inventory of 71 units. We are about 496 units under February 1, 2010 and 687 units under February 1, 2009. We have 4,718 single family homes for sale in our MLS. The average list price of $343,053 is down by $5,950 from last month. Please note the consistent winter dip in listings – see chart below.

Monthly Average Sold Price – this is not a pretty section

Our monthly average sold price is down by 17% from last month and down 9.7% from January 2010. Our average sold price is down by $39,939 from last month. January average sold price ($194,425) shows a decrease of 15.9% from year end 2010.

Monthly Sold Units

We are 2 units shy of matching January 2010 sold homes of 267, while this January we have sold 265 homes. I am sure as January gets closed out we will see the numbers increase over last year’s production. The number of sold homes is up 68 homes from January 2010.

Average Sold Price Year to Date

Year over year our year to date numbers have dipped a little.

2003 year end average sale price $ 186,137

2004 year end average sale price $ 210,048

2005 year end average sale price $ 254,080

2006 year end average sale price $ 264,498

2007 year end average sale price $ 273,408

2008 year end average sale price $256,498

2009 year end average sale price $234,379

2010 year to date average sale price $231,141

While our 2010 year end numbers are lower than year end 2009 they do show promising signs that our sales are on the upswing. Looks like we have a setback with January’s average sold price – $194,425

Rolling 12 months

Our rolling 12 months gives us a better look at our production. It helps to smooth out a month that jumps up and down. When we look at February 1^st, 2010 to January 31^st, 2011 we have 4,526 sold units and when we compare the year prior February 1^st, 2009 to January 31^st, 2010 we have a 87 unit gain (4,439 sold units). When we look at the same rolling 12 months for average sold price we see that we are only down by 2.0%. So the dates of 2/1/2010 to 1/31/2011 we have an average sold price of $229,930 while from 2/1/2009 to 1/31/2010 we had an average sold price $233,436.

Median Sold Price

Our Median sold price decreased this month by 12.5% from last month. Our national numbers lag by one month. Our median sales price continues its jagged path – up then down then up and now down. I am hoping that our January dip in median sold price is a onetime event. I am hoping we can see the national median sales price reverse its downward trend as well as WRAR’s.

Pending

Pending Sales – A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not yet closed. Sales are typically finalized within one to two months from signing. With the new sales contract I am also counting Active Due Diligence and pending contracts. I look at the total pending units on a regular basis and this is how they chart out. Our pending index is dropping to our winter lows. In December we bottomed out about 575 units, we have since rebounded and have over 663 units that are pending – this is a 15% increase since the end of 2010.  With the new contract in place this is a good start to 2011.

Market Absorption rate – The number of homes sold in January, 265 divided by the current listing inventory, 4,718 gives us a 17.8 month supply of single family homes. This increased by 5 months from last month. We need to get this inventory back under 12 months supply. With a large inventory and the low sales in January this affects our market absorption. With rates where they are and plenty of inventory; we can get this number down.

List to Sold price ratio – the average list price of the sold properties is $206,188 and the average sold price is $194,425 for January which gives us a 94.4% list to sold price ratio – a good increase from last month. We have now managed to stay under 95% for over a year and several months. I want to quit counting the number of months and get this trend reversed.

Seller Concessions – We had 30.6% of sold properties report a sales concession for January, a increase of 4.2%. We want this number to go lower.

Days on Market – The average days on market for the sold properties is now at 132 for January. That is about 4.5 months to keep a property on the market. Only 11.3% of the properties were placed under contract in less than 15 days for the month of January.

Carolina & Kure Beach

There are currently 387 single family homes for sale and this represents little change from January 1, 2011 and 8.2% of our total WRAR inventory. The average list price is $390,006 and decrease of about $12,624 from January. In January there were 21 homes sold, divide that by the homes available and you have a 18.4 monthly supply of homes in Carolina and Kure Beach. The average sold price for the month of January was $230,953 and is down $37,893 from last month. When we look at a rolling 12 months for Carolina & Kure Beach we are up by 61 units and our sold prices are down 7.1% from the previous rolling 12 months.

This data was pulled on February 12, 2011, based on information from the Wilmington Regional Association of REALTORS Incorporated, for the period Jan. 1, 2005 through January 31, 2011.

The Market

Primary Mortgage Market Survey Press Release

30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage Rates Rise to 5.05 Percent Highest Level since April 2010

Freddie Mac released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey®  which shows long- and short-term rates rising this week.

News Facts

30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.05 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending February 10, 2011, up from last week when it averaged 4.81 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.97 percent.

15-year FRM this week averaged 4.29 percent with an average 0.7 point, up from last week when it averaged 4.08 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 4.34 percent.

Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total cost of obtaining the mortgage.

Quotes

Attributed to Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac.

“Long-term bond yields jumped on positive economic data reports, which placed upward pressure on mortgage rates this week.

“For all of 2010, nonfarm productivity rose 3.6 percent, the most since 2002, while January’s unemployment rate unexpectedly fell from 9.4 percent to 9.0 percent. Moreover, the service industry expanded in January at the fastest pace since August 2005.

“As a result, interest rates on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to the highest level since the last week in April 2010.”

Freddie Mac

Source:  Wilmington MLS and David Flory Cunningham Mortgage

view Wilmington NC real estate on www.cbbaker.com

Photo from DariusRucker.com

The party is getting started…. The 64th annual Azalea Festival will be held April 6- 10, 2011 in Wilmington NC.  Darius Rucker has been announced as the the headliner for the concert on April 6 at Trask Coliseum to open up the festivities.  Rucker was previously with Hootie and the Blowfish, before he set out on his own.  Deep voiced country music is what you will enjoy at the concert.  The other celebrities are Wilmington’s own  Tampa Bay Buccaneers place kicker and John T. Hoggard High School graduate Connor Barth; Miss North Carolina 2010 Adrienne Leigh Core; Emmy Award-winning actress and soap opera star Leann Hunley, who played the cougar-ish Tamara Jacobs on filmed-in-Wilmington TV series “Dawson’s Creek”; USS Gravely Commander Douglas Kunzman, making his second festival appearance; and Chris Lambton, who appeared on the ABC reality show “The Bachelorette.” The Avett Brothers are headlining a concert on April 8, and that show is sold out.

To listen to a hit “Come Back” song from Darius, click here.

The Azalea Festival is one of the biggest festivals in Wilmington NC and has for 64 years drawn many celebrities including headmaster Ronald Reagan.  Please join us in a great tradition.  Tickets for the concert are avaliable starting Saturday Feb. 12 at http://www.ncazaleafestival.org

While you are in town text 14059 to 44133 to search Wilmington NC real estate, or visit www.cbbaker.com.