Driven from land in Zimbabwe, couple in their 50s seize opportunity in N.C.
AYDEN - In Zimbabwe, Wally Herbst would’ve left this kind of hard and dirty work to his hired hands. But in North Carolina, stripped of his vast African ranch and starting over at 58, his only hands are his own. So he bends to his filthy task, the removal of a bloated, dead pig that weighs more than 200 pounds, its stink thickening in the humidity of the July afternoon. He ties a simple knot with a piece of rope — a “bit of African technology,” he says — and pulls a loop tight around the pig’s hind legs. Using a 4-foot board as a ramp, Herbst yanks the carcass into the bed of a pickup.
In Africa, Herbst worked a 13,000-acre farm, part of which had been in his family for generations. He grew paprika that was exported to Spain, ran a successful safari business, raised cattle and employed more than 150 people during the busy harvest seasons.
That life ended in 2002 when men armed with automatic weapons evicted the Herbst family from its farm. In a land redistribution campaign overseen by President Robert Mugabe, political loyalists seized thousands of white-owned farms in Zimbabwe and turned them over to impoverished blacks.
The seizures wrecked the country’s agricultural infrastructure, leading to extensive food shortages and stratospheric inflation. The United Nations estimates that 1 million people have lost their livelihoods and homes as a result of the redistribution.
Herbst and his wife, Helen, are among them.
Theirs is a refugee story turned upside down. They were not poor political dissidents, but successful farmers whose skin color and economic achievement made them vulnerable in a violent, hostile environment.
At an age when most couples are spoiling their grandchildren and mapping retirement plans, the Herbsts packed four suitcases for a chance at the American dream. In Africa, the couple lived among giraffes and elephants, and hunters from overseas paid big money for the right to hunt sable antelope on their land.
In Ayden, south of Greenville, their first home was a one-bedroom apartment across the street from a Piggly Wiggly.
Nearly broke when they arrived a year ago, the Herbsts need to save money so they can eventually retire. Wally secured a visa and a job with a large hog operation near Greenville. It’s grunt work, but he does not complain.
As if to prove this, he finishes his gruesome chore, pulling another pig that has succumbed to natural causes into the back of the pickup. It will be taken to a compost bin.
Wally smiles.
“It keeps me young.”
Dispossessed
Wally is built like a middle linebacker, with a strong-willed attitude to match. Helen, 53, has the red hair and fair complexion of her Irish ancestors, and she is the chatty one. In an African accent that exudes its British ancestry, she shares their story:
Wally and Helen, both born in Africa, were married in 1977 and have three children. They lived and worked in rural Matabeleland, a region in southwestern Zimbabwe.
Wally employed about 30 permanent workers, who lived in traditional African huts on the property. Their homestead was a three-bedroom, two-bath house that, until 15 years ago, depended on generators for electricity.
Chaos and violence has defined Mugabe’s 28-year presidential reign. In the 1980s, he dispatched troops to attack a rival tribe in a campaign that became known as the Matabeleland atrocities.
It was during this time that Wally found a mass grave on the farm. The police removed about 20 skulls, including those of children.
By 1997, Mugabe announced his plan to seize white farms and redistribute the land. Five years later, Helen was home eating lunch when an employee rushed to tell her that police were parked at the gate and wanted to speak with her.
Read More:News & Observer
Make Smart Spending, Saving a Family Resolution
(ARA) – With the economic crisis hitting everyone in the pocketbook, it’s more important than ever for parents to talk to their children about how to manage money. New Year’s — a prime resolution time for millions of Americans — is a great time for children and their parents to learn better spending and savings practices together.
Forty-six percent of American families hold a credit card balance according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2004 statistics. And in 2007, more than 800,000 bankruptcy cases were filed in the United States.
Managing money is a family affair. By resolving to set financial goals and working together to practice management, families can enjoy independence and security. “Parents and their children can learn from and challenge each other to plan better ways to use the money they earn and save,” says Scott Oberkrom, director of Community Investments at American Century Investments.
As families sit down to discuss their financial resolution, they need to determine how the changes will affect each member. Once the resolution is finalized, post it in a public place so all members can see it every day. Visit www.YesYouCanOnline.info to learn more on how to make sure resolutions stick.
Some tips families can incorporate into their smart money management resolution include:
1. Financial responsibility starts with examples from home.
Parents need to evaluate their budgets and make wise spending choices — don’t buy a new speed boat if you just told the kids you couldn’t afford to get them a new iPod. Share the family budget with your children to demonstrate how money doesn’t grow on trees and the family has regular expenses that must be paid.
2. Set up allowances for children.
Once your children are old enough to understand basic math, an allowance can help them learn how to budget, spend and save. Parents can also set up allowances for themselves. Showing the children that Mom and Dad fit haircuts, buying lunch or shopping for new clothes for themselves within a weekly cash budget gives children the best example of wise money management.
3. Take a trip to the bank and organize savings accounts.
Children — and many adults, it seems — need to be taught how to save money. Take the whole family to the bank to set up savings accounts. Decide as a team what goal you’re saving toward. Parents should consider saving to help secure the family in case of a financial crisis. Kids’ accounts could be earmarked for college tuition or to buy their first car.
4. Teach kids creative ways to earn money.
A hobby could become an income-generator for all members of the family. Perhaps you have a tremendous green thumb. And maybe you have your children help tend the vegetables and pull the weeds in the garden. The entire family can turn this hobby into a small income by taking the produce to farmers markets or setting up a neighborhood stand.
All New Year’s resolutions take work, but they can be accomplished if all family members share in the effort. Having all family members work together, giving encouragement and little reminders, also can help you stay on track.
“Setting goals, both at New Year’s and throughout the year, is one way people can achieve their dreams,” says James Stowers, founder of American Century Investments. “As I reflect on what I have learned through the years, I am convinced that anyone — and I mean anyone — can become what they are absolutely determined to be.”
Make 2009 the year your family resolves to take charge of your money management together. Visit www.YesYouCanOnline.info for additional tips.
Courtesy of ARAcontent.com
(NewsUSA) - Maintenance costs are up, home values are falling and states are seeing more foreclosures than sales. But terrible times for homeowners make for terrific investment opportunities.
Why? The market sees constant ups and downs. Buying when the market’s high means greater upfront costs. And because the market cannot rise indefinitely, property investors must constantly watch for the bubble to pop.
In a down market, the question is not “if,” but “when” the market will improve. If investors can buy properties at rock-bottom prices, they can afford to maintain the home until the market improves. At that point, the investor can sell the home both to recoup their buying and operating costs and to make a profit.
Some companies are looking to profit on the down housing market. Deer Park Development Corporation, a Nevada-based company, is purchasing foreclosed homes in Arizona, Nevada, California and Florida, some of the areas most affected by the down market. Nevada, for example, sees more foreclosures than any other state -; million-dollar properties can be bought for half their building costs. Between May and June, Californian banks foreclosed on 40 percent of the homes on the market.
Deer Park Development Corporation’s agents and brokers draw on 35 years of experience -; they have seen down markets before, so they can easily identify promising properties.
When Deer Park Development Corporation finds a home that it wants to acquire as an investment, it works with the homeowner or bank to purchase the home at a 50 percent discount.
But the company does not profit at homeowner’s expense. It negotiates with homeowners so that people can rent their homes after the sale. When the original homeowner’s lease expires, Deer Park Development Corporation allows former homeowners to repurchase their properties for a predetermined price. In this way, the company invests in the down market while also helping down-and-out homeowners.
Currently, the company is searching for investors. For more information, visit deerparkdevelopmentcorp.com.
ARA) - Helping a parent move to senior housing can seem more intimidating than orchestrating a rocket launch.
The death of a spouse, declining health or safety concerns can trigger the need to move. The first phase comes with the realization that what has been home is no longer suitable.
Emotional ties to a place are hard to overcome. Finding a new home that is appealing and appropriate is no easy task, and neither is culling through a lifetime’s accumulation of “stuff.”
It may not take a rocket scientist to work through this multi-phase life change. But finding a professional who knows the ropes can make it easier for the more than 29 percent of home sellers age 65 and older who move into an active-adult community or senior-related housing each year.
That professional may be a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), an agent who receives special training and demonstrates the expertise to navigate the unique housing needs of clients age 50 and older. “Services to seniors are changing to meet the lifestyles we live. Senior communities are changing to meet the expectations of baby boomers and today’s retirees, too,” says Carol Kairis, managing director, SRES Council and Specialties, National Association of Realtors.
“The range of senior housing options is diverse and would surprise many Americans who often think of senior housing as only nursing homes. Assisted living facilities address the needs of those who need support services, and continuing care retirement communities are wonderful options for those who wish to age in place.”
Nationwide, more than 16,000 realtors have attained the SRES designation. In the same way a real estate agent recommends a plumber or landscaper to a client, an SRES agent assembles a team to address client needs — repair companies, professional organizers, estate sales agents, and senior move managers who pack, transport and unpack in the new location.
“An SRES agent can help you develop a strategy, then bring in a team to help take one room at a time to organize and dispose of goods. They can help you decide where you’re going to go, and recommend a mover,” says Armand Christopher, a seasoned SRES real estate broker and member of the SRES National Advisory Board of the National Association of Realtors.
Christopher has an active practice in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and offers these tips no matter where seniors live:
1. Plan ahead. Don’t wait for a health crisis to start the process. The smoothest transitions occur when the person moving is in the driver’s seat.
2. Engage professionals. SRES agents understand the dynamics of a senior move. They are trained about the benefits and drawbacks of reverse mortgages and can help you understand how to use pensions, 401K accounts and IRAs in real estate transactions. They also know how Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will affect your real estate decisions.
3. Get a full assessment of the current situation. Physical care needs and financial resources are where to start. Consider the costs of staying in place, including renovation and ongoing maintenance. Add the cost of rising utility bills and taxes, and don’t forget transportation and food. Make a list and decide whether it’s cheaper to stay or move to a community designed for seniors.
4. Take a multi-phase approach. Christopher says his customers often take longer than a year to actually make the move. An SRES agent can connect the senior with professionals to help walk through the process.
5. Fully explore new housing options. Senior living offers a broader range of options than ever before. SRES agents have an understanding of the services each type of community can provide and can best match the client with the right place.
Christopher and other SRES professionals use SNAPforSeniors (www.snapforseniors.com), an online search tool that is akin to the Multiple Listing Service for senior housing. The SNAPforSeniors database includes more than 60,000 licensed senior housing facilities in the country and is available at no charge.
“It’s a great tool,” Christopher says. “Especially when adult children live out of state and are working with their parents on a move, I tell them about options I find on SNAPforSeniors. Typically seniors want to relocate close to their children, and the online search allows adult children and their parents to search research options and start the search together.”
(ARA) - Now, more than ever, families are looking at creative ways to stretch their dollars. With higher prices for household items from food to clothing, consumers are repairing items instead of automatically buying new. To minimize budgets and time, frugality takes on new meaning.
“Families from all walks of life are looking for ways to save dollars and time but not lose the lifestyle they’ve grown accustomed to,” says Mary Beth Cowardin, Instant Krazy Glue senior marketing manager. “We’re seeing households take on more of a ‘fix it before you replace it’ attitude when it comes to do-it-yourself and common repairs.”
To incorporate the repair know-how into your household, try these ingenious, inexpensive ideas:
Sole Sister
To save money, more and more women are choosing to repair shoes instead of buying a new pair. Simple, at-home shoe fixes can be achieved using Instant Krazy Glue Single-Use Tubes. The one-time applications are a handy instant fix that dries clear – simply apply the adhesive to a broken heel or strap. For shoes that need resoling, find a local repair shop. The cost of resoling a pair of shoes is typically 50 to 60 percent less than the cost of buying new shoes.
Tidy up the Toy Box
Children’s toys withstand a tremendous amount of wear and tear, especially during the summer months when children are at home for extended periods of time. For some toys, it’s best to use instant glue to bond broken pieces back together. The benefit of repairing, rather than replacing well-loved toys is two-fold — you’ve extended the life of your children’s toys and you’ll save yourself a trip to the toy store.
House Beautiful
Decorating with flair doesn’t need to take a backseat to the family budget. Instead of throwing away broken picture frames or decorative ceramics, use instant glue in a clear gel formula to delicately fix any type of home decor item. Once those frames are repaired, explore savvy decorating options as an alternative to expensive works of art. Adorning your walls with family images or the custom artwork of a loved one is an inexpensive way to produce priceless memories.
Brilliance on a Budget
Baubles and stones can be re-affixed to necklaces, rings or any costume jewelry for a brand new look. Instant glue is a great option for resurrecting vintage items or family heirlooms from your jewelry box. By replacing old stones or embellishments with a dab of glue, voila — you’ve got a brand new look.
When new items need to be purchased, be on the lookout for brands that offer added incentives. Brands in every category from food to clothing and home decor are offering coupons, discounts, sweepstakes and contests. Products like Instant Krazy Glue are offering consumers a chance to win a Hawaiian vacation. Visit http://www.commercialsgonekrazy.com to learn more about the contest.
“The sky is the limit for families who want to be stylish and budget-conscious,” says Cowardin. “There are resources out there for every lifestyle.”
Rising prices, depreciating property values and stagnant salaries are forcing many American homeowners to sell their homes.
(NewsUSA) - For many Americans, good credit isn’t here to stay -; rising costs are putting many formerly well-to-do homeowners behind on their mortgage payments.
In April 2008, delinquencies on prime loans, a $12 million dollar market, doubled. And the economy doesn’t look to have an upswing anytime soon. Home prices continue to drop. In July, the unemployment rate reached a four-year high. Homeowners face higher bills but make less money.
Adjustable mortgages, which were appealing when property values were on the increase and interest rates were low, now mire many Americans in financial danger zones. Some borrowers will see their interest and principal payments more than double even as their homes lose value. Many homeowners will not be able to cover their debts even if they sell their homes.
At the same time, banks feel more reluctant to approve or refinance loans. In this environment, default and bankruptcy rates look likely to increase. Between April and July, California alone reported 121,000 notices of default on loans.
Some companies are looking to navigate the down housing market, not only to turn a profit, but also to help homeowners recover their homes. For example, Deer Park Development Corporation, a Nevada-based company, buys foreclosed homes in Arizona, Nevada, California and Florida. With over 35 years of experience in real estate, the corporation’s brokers and agents know how to identify the homes that will turn a profit.
When the company finds a promising home, it works with the homeowner or bank to purchase the home at a 50 percent discount. The company negotiates with homeowners so that people can rent their homes after the sale. When the lease expires, Deer Park Development Corporation allows former homeowners to repurchase their properties at a predetermined price.
Currently, the company is searching for investors looking to profit from the down housing market. For more information, visit http://www.deerparkdevelopmentcorp.com .
Contact: Maggie O’Neill; Ed Johnson
919. 772.4688
Wood from Old Home Site will be Salvaged for New Garner Nature Center
On Friday, July 18, wood from a farmhouse in Garner’s White Deer Park will be salvaged for reuse in the new Nature Center to be built there. Slated for demolition when the park is built, the dilapidated 1930’s farmhouse will contribute first as part of the new building, and also as part of the interpretive program for the park. Staff from Garner’s Parks and Recreation and Public Works Departments and volunteers from the park design team will carefully remove the boards with hand tools. The 3/4” tongue and groove heart pine boards will be used as flooring in the new Nature Center.
The Nature Center will be the Town of Garner’s first LEED Accredited building. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a measurement tool used internationally to evaluate performance in site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
Removing the boards is just one of the many environmentally sustainable initiatives the project is undertaking to achieve a LEED rating from the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
“The Nature Center will have many environmentally friendly systems and features,” said Tom Maynard, Director of Garner Parks and Recreation Department. “It will include exhibits about protecting the environment. We believe the building itself will be a tool for use in teaching about how to care for and sustain the environment. The reclaimed wood is one example of how we can show people what they can do at home.”
“Reclaiming the wood is also a nice way to remember the people who once lived in the area and the history of Garner as a farming community,” said architect Louis Cherry of Cherry Huffman Architects.
The Town will store the boards until they are refinished and installed in the new Nature Center. The wood that cannot be salvaged will be recycled. The building begins construction in Fall of 2008 with expected completion in June 2009.
About the Project
White Deer Park is a 96 acre nature park located on Buffaloe and Aversboro Roads in Garner that is slated for construction this Fall. In addition to the nature center, the Park will feature 2.5 miles of paved walking trails, five picnic shelters, two new playgrounds, wildflower meadows and an arboretum. The Nature Center will also permanently house the white deer that the park is named for. The 2500 square foot Nature Center will achieve a LEED Silver Rating from the US Green Building Council for its many environmentally sustainable features.
The design team for the park includes Garner Parks and Recreation Department, obs Landscape Architects, Cherry Huffman Architects, Design Dimension, Stewart Engineering and ConsiderDesign.
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TOWN OF GARNER
(919) 772?4688
www.garnernc.gov
moneill@garnernc.gov
MEDIA ADVISORY
July 17, 2008
Town of Garner to Salvage The Homestead
The best photo opportunities related to this project will be Friday, July 18 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. or 12:45 to 2:00 p.m.
The address of the facility is 2400 Aversboro Road. It is located approximately .5 miles from the Aversboro Road and Timber Drive intersection. Please contact CB McDonald at 919?772?4688 if you plan to visit the site so we can arrange an escort to get you from the parking lot to the site.
Town Of Garner NC website
Garner NC City Guide
City5NC.blog
(ARA) - Times are tight for Americans. Around every corner lurks more news about rising fuel prices, expensive food and families forced to leave their homes to make ends meet. According to RealtyTrac, home foreclosures in the first quarter of 2008 increased 23 percent from the previous quarter and jumped 112 percent from the first quarter of 2007. These increases in foreclosures have given rise to an unexpected problem: pet abandonment.
There are no figures to estimate the number of animals being abandoned or surrendered due to current economic hardships, but animal shelters across the country are taking in more animals every day as families find themselves without other options. Some families are taking advantage of shelters to temporarily board their pets with the hope of picking them up in a few days or weeks. Meanwhile, local authorities are seeing an increase in the number of pets being abandoned by their owners.
In Arkansas, three dogs were found starved to death in their kennels. The homeowners had left the dogs behind when they moved. Two dogs in San Diego were left at a vacant home for several months, but survived. In Downy, Calif., four birds were found abandoned in their cages.
But abandonment is never the answer, animal welfare experts say. “Whether it’s asking a friend to pet sit, finding an apartment that accepts animals, finding a local shelter that can help or asking your veterinarian for low-cost boarding, there’s always a humane option,” says Allie Phillips, director of public policy for the American Humane Association, the 130-year-old child and animal welfare organization.
To help struggling families find options, American Humane has put together a list of tips to help homeowners either relocate with their pets or find other safe placement options for them. Some of those tips include:
* Look for apartments and rental homes that will take pets.
* If you cannot take your pet, ask your veterinarian if you can receive low-cost boarding for your pet or set up a payment plan.
* Check www.petfinder.com for a list of shelters and rescue organizations in your area that can help board your animal or will accept it for adoption.
* Strongly consider taking your pet with you. The comfort and companionship of pets can help ease the strain of a move.
“There’s a lot of news about the stock market and a struggling economy lately, but it’s not the economy that’s struggling. It’s you, us, our friends and neighbors,” says Marie Belew Wheatley, president and CEO of American Humane. “It’s a tough place for any family to find themselves. Bills need to be paid and in order to make ends meet, sometimes sacrifices have to be made. It’s not easy, but pet abandonment isn’t the answer.”
Tip sheets for homeowners looking for ways to keep or care for their pets during a foreclosure can be found at www.americanhumane.org. Also available online are tip sheets for bank and mortgage companies that may find abandoned pets in vacated homes. In addition, local animal shelters may be eligible for grants from American Humane to help families stay with their pets.
Neighbors Can Help, Too
Often a neighbor can help authorities and animal welfare groups spot an abandoned animal before it’s too late. Neighbors should listen for animal sounds, look in windows, check with other neighbors and be on the lookout for signs that the previous homeowners had pets. If pets are known or suspected to be on the property, animal control should be called immediately. With a neighbor’s help, animal control can get a search warrant to enter the home and check for pets that are abandoned or neglected.
American Humane is quick to point out that animals left behind or simply set free will probably not survive. It can be weeks or months before a bank or mortgage company will visit an abandoned home to make an assessment or a neighbor notices that pets are trapped in a house. That’s too long for any animal to go without food and water. If abandoned, there is also a chance that the state criminal animal-cruelty laws might apply, even if arrangements are made for somebody to feed and water the animals after the home has been vacated.
“It’s a terrible situation for any family to find themselves in, but to leave an animal behind only makes it worse,” says Belew Wheatley. “It seems when times are tough we find the best in our friends, family and neighbors. If they’re unable to help there are always other options, from a vet to a local animal shelter. These are our family pets, and they count on us to take care of them.”
Visit http://www.americanhumane.org for more information.
Aspiring real estate “flippers” should plan their selling strategy before they start renovations.
(NewsUSA) - Buy a run-down building in a nice area. Gut the rooms and rebuild state-of-the-art kitchens and bathrooms. Then sell the home for hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit.
The idea of “flipping” homes appeals to Americans. But for many aspiring flippers, reality does not live up to the expectations created by reality television and get-rich books.
Flippers buy distressed properties in nice neighborhoods. They often run into trouble with contractors to stay on budget for the home repairs or improvements. People attempt to make lavish improvements and don’t realize how much time and money the ambitious renovations will really cost. By the time they sell their real estate project, many flippers barely break even. In some cases, flippers lose money. Sometimes people create a dream property, put it on the market, then watch the home sit for months without exciting buyers’ interests. In the meantime, mortgage costs eat into flippers’ profits.
When it comes to flipping homes, profits depend on quick sales. Before buying properties, people should learn how to sell them. Californian real-estate professionals have created a step-by-step system for homeowners looking to quickly sell properties.
The “Fast Action Homes Sales System” teaches homeowners how to create bidding wars with or without a real estate agent. Homeowners using the guide learn how to attract buyers’ interest with signs, printed ads and custom-built Web sites. The advertisements lead to a frenzied weekend bidding war, giving sellers the advantage.
The whole process, from first step to exit, takes two or three weeks. Before potential real estate moguls invest in a property, they should start planning its final sale -; selling a newly renovated home quickly is key to making a profit-earning flip.
To access a quick-start guide to the Fast Action Home Sales System, either visit www.RealEstateKit.com or call 1-800-669-1038.
Repairing concrete surfaces can help properties make better first impressions.
(NewsUSA) - In today’s highly competitive housing market, every advantage counts when attracting potential buyers to your home.
Traditional home upgrades, like bathroom and kitchen remodels, return less than 70 percent of their cost, so homeowners are looking elsewhere for project ideas.
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 50 percent of the time a home is sold before a buyer even gets out of their car. Improving a home’s exterior, or curb appeal, can give buyers better first impressions.
For exteriors, the Quikrete Companies offer a line of inexpensive, easy-to-use products whose impact can mean the difference between another week on the market or making a deal:
Spruce Up Driveways
If a potential buyer pulls into your driveway and sees small cracks and mystery stains, they’re probably walking away with a bad first impression.
Quikrete Concrete Resurfacer offers an economical alternative to replacing old concrete. Following a thorough pressure washing, homeowners just mix, pour and squeegee. The resurfacer results in a durable, wear-resistant surface that can be driven on after 24 hours.
Quick Patching
Patching unsightly cracked or pitted concrete surfaces such as steps, driveways and sidewalks can be an easy improvement using the Quikrete Vinyl Concrete Patcher. The versatile, vinyl-infused compound bonds to the concrete surface for a smooth repair. The patcher has a high resistance to ultraviolet light and heat, and it is self-curing, so no additives are needed.
Fix Small Cracks
For minor concrete repairs, like cracks less than half an inch in width, Quikrete Gray Concrete Crack Seal offers a easy solution -; simply shake the ready-to-use product and pour it directly from its bottle. Once applied, the material blends with the natural color of concrete for a uniform finish, becomes dry to the touch in 30 minutes and maintains adhesion throughout freeze-thaw temperature cycles.
For more information, visit www.quikrete.com .
