WAKE COUNTY, N.C.
Raleigh, NC—October 14, 2010—CESI Debt Solutions, a Raleigh-based, national nonprofit association helping Americans manage debt and buy and keep their homes, is hosting a VIP, invitation-only Open House Celebration on October 19, 2010 in their new headquarters.

The organization employs over 125 Triangle residents, and is hiring another 30 people this month alone. Due to this tremendous growth over the last three years, the organization relocated its headquarters to 3700 Barrett Drive in Raleigh.

Guests will paint a “Wall of Hope”, a mural that will adorn the new space. The mural symbolizes the hope that CESI has installed in the local economy, and hundreds of thousands of people nationwide who have been helped by the organization.

In attendance will be local residents, who with the help of CESI counselors, have dug themselves out of mounds of debt to start a new debt-free life and residents who have learned money management skills from local CESI counselors, enabling them to prevent foreclosures and buy houses. Local dignitaries, politicians, bankers, realtors, and other CESI partners will attend as well.

“It’s a great feeling for our employees to know that they have helped more than 120,000 people—300 of them Triangle residents—in dire straits turn it around, learn how to live debt free and keep their homes during this recession,” says founder and CEO of CESI Debt Solutions, Dr. Diane Chen.

Dr. Chen, will also announce a special partnership with the City of Durham and local nonprofit homebuilder, Builders of Hope, that is helping dozens Durham residents buy new homes.

She adds, “We’re excited to keep the momentum going and about the community joining us in our housewarming celebration.”

Event Schedule:

5:00—6:00 – Mural Painting and Private Tours6:00 – Speakers: Dr. Diane Chen, Founder and CEO of CESI Debt Solutions; Michelle Grant, City of Raleigh; Juanita Massenburg, City of Durham; Nancy Murray, Founder and CEO of Builders of Hope6:30—7:00—Mural Painting and Private Tours
October 19 is also the organization’s 12-year anniversary.

CESI Debt Solutions provides local and national debt management programs, homebuyer education workshops, revere mortgage counseling, budgeting education, foreclosure prevention and loan modification assistance, credit report review and analysis, and community outreach programs.

For more information on the event, please call 919-459-8158. For more information on CESI Debt Solutions, please visit www.cesidebtsolutions.org.
Source: MyNC

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Steps that make building onto your home simpler and safer

(ARA) – It’s the time of year to finish all the projects around the house that you put off all summer to go to the lake. Regardless if it is finishing a new deck, renovating the kitchen or building a new garage, it needs to be finished before winter hits. You will need to take a few easy steps in order to start – and  finish – the job.

Rules and regulations: Check with your city building inspector to find out whether your project needs a permit within city limits. In most cases, if it is something minor, such as renovating the kitchen or building a deck, you might not need a permit. But if you are putting an addition on the house or adding a new garage, a permit is usually required. In general, the law states that you do not need a permit unless you are changing your old foundation or pouring a new one. So before you start building, make sure you contact city officials to ensure that what you are doing is allowed or that you have a permit for the project. Otherwise you could be in big trouble with the law.

Have a plan: When you start to build, make sure you have a plan and blueprints. Have a checklist of what needs to be done before you start your task. It is an easy reminder and helps you keep track of what you need and what is going on. Blueprints are also needed if you are planning on renovating. The blueprints are your step-by-step guide for building your project. Without good blueprints, the work may not be up to code, could be unsafe or will be a huge hassle to build because everything won’t fit together properly.

Proper equipment: When you are working on a project, you need to make sure that you are using the proper equipment. You can’t use a waffle-headed hammer on trim work and you can’t use pin nails on frame work. You even need the proper equipment for transporting your lumber and ladders home from your local hardware store. For example, you will not be able to fit 16-foot boards into the bed of your pickup. But don’t worry – there are tools for that too.

Access, a division of Agri-Cover, Inc., makes the Adarac truck bed rack system for your pickup for those extra long loads. This truck bed rack has trouble-free stake pocket installation, fits inside the rail tonneau cover and can be easily removed. The Adarac sits neatly behind the cab, and is capable of carrying a 500-pound load with ease. Eyelets secure your load so you don’t lose it while going down the road.

Safety: Safety is key when you are doing any kind of handiwork. Make sure you go through all precautions and safety issues before you start. Even when you are just digging in the ground, make sure you know where your gas lines and any buried electrical wires are located. Always be mindful when other people are around you to ensure that you do not harm anyone. Make sure you know how the tool you are using works and what you need to do to be alert when using that particular tool. Make sure you tie yourself off when you are higher than 6 feet off the ground to prevent a fall.

Enjoy: You will get a great sense of accomplishment when you build something with your own hands. After you are finished with your project, and you know everyone is safe and the project is built to code, sit back and enjoy what you have created.

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WAKE COUNTY, N.C.
Coastal Federal Credit Union has offered a unique challenge to Habitat for Humanity of Wake County via a 1,000 Fans Campaign. The local credit union will donated a $1,000 grant to Habitat Wake’s affordable housing mission if the organization can reach 1,000 Fans on their Facebook page by the end of the year. Both organizations will promote the campaign using social media tools—status updates, e-mail newsletters, and Facebook messages asking their contacts to spread the word to their Facebook connections.

“We’re trying to share information about the need for affordable housing in every way that we can,” said Habitat Wake’s Executive Director Kevin Campbell. “Facebook gives us access to a unique and diverse audience and helps us talk to people who may not be otherwise involved in the Habitat mission.” 630 people have become “Fans” of the Habitat Wake Facebook page to date. These fans receive updates about affordable housing, home dedications, and Habitat Wake events on their own Facebook pages.

“The real hope,” said Coastal’s Joe Mecca, “is that the mission of Habitat becomes viral online, and that then translates into affordable houses for families and healthy neighborhoods in our community.”
Source:MyNC.com

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MANAGING YOUR MONEY Is It The Right Time To Buy A Home?

(NAPSI)-If you’re thinking about buying a home, now might be the right time. Mortgage rates remain at historically low levels, and housing prices have yet to rebound from their recent declines. As those conditions aren’t expected to last, smart homebuyers need to consider their options, especially if they are making low down payments. There are two main options for first-time buyers and others putting less than 20 percent down: loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and loans insured by private mortgage insurance (PMI). Premiums are tax deductible, and the insurance may be cancelable when equity in the home reaches 20 percent. Both programs have changed in the past year, and more changes may be ahead. While FHA pricing has often been more favorable compared to PMI, rates are going up. Earlier this year, the up-front premium required on FHA loans jumped from 1.75 percent to 2.25 percent of the base loan amount, adding $1,000 to a $200,000 mortgage. Now the FHA wants to raise its maximum mortgage insurance premium, a change that could take the monthly premium on a $200,000 mortgage from $92 to $125. PMI offers many premium plan structures that now make pricing very competitive. In general, PMI pricing is more affordable than FHA’s for borrowers putting down 10?15 percent and can match FHA on loans with 5 percent down. The minimum required FHA down payment is 3.5 percent, but new credit guidelines require a credit score of 580 to qualify for the 3.5 percent program. Borrowers with less than a 580 credit score must put at least 10 percent down. PMI mortgages with 5 percent down are available nationwide, with 3 percent down for some loans that meet Affordable Housing Guidelines. PMI can also offer extra benefits at no extra cost to the borrower. Genworth Financial, for example, purchases job loss protection that helps make a borrower’s mortgage payment (principal, interest, taxes and insurance) in the event of involuntary unemployment up to $2,000 a month for up to six months during the benefit period, with a maximum of three monthly payments per job loss occurrence. Genworth also provides free homeowner assistance to borrowers in financial difficulty as long as they have mortgage insurance with the company. In 2009, it completed nearly 20,000 mortgage workouts, saving over $2.6 billion of mortgages from foreclosure. More information is available at www.SmarterMI.com/MI-vs-FHA.aspx. Understanding your mortgage financing options can save you money and could even save your home.

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NAPSI)-The right deck can offer hours of enjoyment to you and your family-and add value to your property. In fact, some say adding a deck is a proven way to add value to a home in an uncertain market.

According to the recent Cost Vs. Value Report completed by the collaboration of Remodeling magazine and Realtor Magazine, homeowners can expect to recoup a national average of more than 70 percent of the value of adding a new deck when they go to resell the house. In some areas of the country, that recoup value is more than 82 percent of the original cost.

However, great decks don’t just happen. They require imagination, planning and the right materials. If you are thinking of adding a deck to your property, here are some tips:

• Start by checking with your homeowners’ association or local authorities to determine specific rules, zoning or building codes. These may affect the size, height and safety features of your deck.

• How you plan to use the deck can play a big part in the design. Entertaining, dining, family activities and relaxing can all place different demands on the design.

• When you’ll be using your deck is also a factor to consider. You’ll want to position the deck in an area that will receive the appropriate amount of sun and/or shade.

• Do you want your deck to adjoin the kitchen, living room, family room or your master bedroom? Accessibility will influence both design and location.

• Decide what size deck you want. Many builders suggest the deck be the same size as the largest room in your home. Be sure you have enough room to comfortably fit your deck furniture.

• Keep the physical features of your yard in mind, including trees, gardens and hilly areas. Some items may need to be moved or removed before you start building.

• Be sure to consider your privacy, traffic noise and the local climate. Often, you can add screens and landscaping to solve problems in these areas.

• When it comes to selecting materials, your lifestyle, as well as your budget, can have a lot to do with deciding which materials work best for your deck.

For example, many homeowners are turning to composite deck materials made from plastic and wood fiber–such as EverGrain from TAMKO Building Products–because the decking is low maintenance in that it requires no staining or painting, just periodic cleaning.

Plus, this compression-molded decking features true-to-life lasting grains with no rotting or termites. It also offers coordinating railing systems.

To learn more, visit www.tamko.com or call (800) 641-4691.

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Three tips to make your utility meter run backward

(ARA) – What would you do with an extra $2,200 per year? That is the annual energy bill for a typical American home, according to the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE). Dramatically reducing that cost, or even selling power back to the utility company, could mean having enough money for a vacation, a down payment on a car or a boost to your child’s college savings.

If you are wondering how this can be done, a trend emerging in new home construction, “net-zero energy,” is helping homeowners keep energy dollars in their pockets. Builders construct such homes with highly energy-efficient materials, and with the means to generate their own power. The goal is to reduce the yearly total energy bill to zero, and perhaps make the meter run backwards at times.

Lowering heating and cooling costs is critical to achieving net-zero energy, since these typically account for nearly half of a home’s energy use. Keeping warm air in during the winter and cool air in during the summer is key, along with adding on-site power systems. Steps can include new construction methods for greatly improved insulation, using energy-efficient windows, and installing solar panels or other renewable ways to heat water or create electricity.

1. Build with SIPs

Most homebuyers are familiar with “stick framing” – construction using numerous individual sticks (boards) with the insulation added between them. Yet an increasingly popular building method for high energy efficiency involves a different approach.

Known as structural insulated panels  - or SIPs – the body of the house is made of large-size prefabricated wall, ceiling and floor sections with built-in insulation. SIPs work like a giant insulated cooler. They are made of wood panels sandwiching a rigid insulating foam core. The result is fewer gaps in the home and more continuous insulation. Homes built with SIPs are 15 times less leaky and have 47 percent greater insulating capacity than conventional construction, according to DOE.

“SIPs can be used to build any style of home, and are generally stronger than stick framing,” says James Hodgson of Premier Building Systems, North America’s largest SIPs manufacturer. “They can cut heating and cooling costs up to 50 percent, and can even help save money by speeding construction and allowing for smaller furnaces and air conditioners.” SIPs also contribute to healthy indoor air by sealing out pollutants, and create up to two-thirds less waste during construction. (For more information on SIPs, visit www.pbssips.com or call (800) 275-7086 to speak with Premier Building Systems).

2. Install energy-efficient windows

In addition to well-insulated walls, ceilings and floors, another key consideration for net-zero energy homes is efficient windows. Such windows may have double or triple panes with gas fillings and special coatings to help resist heat gain or loss. Specially constructed frames help seal against air leaks.

How the windows are installed in the wall is also important, since much of the heat loss can occur around the window rather than through it. Proper mounting and sealing of the window in the wall can help protect against air leaks.

“Installing windows for high energy efficiency can be tricky,” says Jim Crowley, owner of Crowley Builders in Grass Valley, Calif. “If the window opening isn’t right, it’s like putting a round peg in a square hole; there are going to be gaps.”

Crowley addresses this by using SIPs for the walls. “In addition to providing insulation, SIPs have pre-cut window openings that are straight, square and properly sized. Combine this with proper sealing of the window and it’s the best way we’ve found to get a tight fit.”

3. Generate your own power

More new homes are using environmentally responsible, renewable energy sources on-site to further reduce reliance on utility companies. These systems can include geothermal heat pumps that obtain warmth from the ground, solar panels for electricity or heating water, and windmills that convert wind to energy. When combined with home construction methods like SIPs and energy-efficient windows, such systems can help the home achieve net-zero energy use. In some cases, homeowners have even reduced their consumption enough and generated sufficient power to make the meter run backwards – in essence selling electricity back to the power company.

“Achieving energy self-sufficiency in homes and other buildings seemed pretty radical not too long ago,” says Hodgson. “But building methods have advanced greatly in recent years, saving energy without homeowners having to sacrifice comfort or style. Why build with methods that have been around for a hundred years, when newer, proven methods are available that will outperform what can be done with conventional framing?”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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RALEIGH — On Saturday, May 1, Habitat Wake will donadonated 25% of ReStore revenue to the Habitat for Humanity International Haiti earthquake Response.

Habitat for Humanity of Wake County is one of approximately 100 affiliates that have pledged to help raise money for the Haitian recovery.

The Habitat Wake ReStore sells new and used donated, discounted building materials to the public. The ReStore is located at 2420 Raleigh Blvd. in Raleigh and is open Tuesday-Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm. The ReStore is closed on Sunday and Monday. To make a direct donation for Haiti, call (800) HABITAT

Read More:CarolinaNewsWire

CARY — WSP SELLS announced today that Brian D. Dehler, P.E. will manage the firm’s Cary, NC office, as well as direct the firm’s transportation engineering practice throughout the Carolinas. This promotion was to further the company’s commitment to the state and local transportation marketplace. Dehler joined WSP SELLS in 2007.

Dehler has 25+ years of experience in the planning and design of transportation facilities for state Departments of Transportations (DOTs), local municipalities and private clients throughout the Southeast. He has been involved in all phases of projects from initial studies through design and construction. He has managed traffic studies, prepared environmental compliance documents including public involvement programs, design plan preparation and construction activities. His expertise includes managing multi-disciplined transportation projects, including planning, cost estimates, public involvement, traffic analyses, hydraulics, roadway, rail and bridge design concepts, and construction documents, while compiling monthly progress reports on all active transportation projects.

As Office Manager for Cary, he will be responsible for business development in the Raleigh-Durham area, maintaining and building client relationships, project presentations, managing group assignments to meet and exceed project and client objectives, monitoring workload to balance and assess staff resources and serving as a mentor to younger staff.

Dehler received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Mr. Dehler is also active in the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) and serves as the Vice President of the North Carolina American Public Works Association (NCAPWA).

Read More:CarolinaNewsWire

RALEIGH – After decades of hosting and producing home and garden television programs, Pat Simpson has earned the reputation as “Television’s Most Genuine and Trusted Home Improvement Expert.” Show guests visiting this year’s Southern Ideal Home Show, which runs April 9-11 at the NC State Fairgrounds, can enjoy that expertise firsthand.

Thanks to James Hardie Building Products, Simpson will appear Sunday, April 11 at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the Jim Graham Building.

At 12:30 p.m., Simpson will present his entertaining and educational program entitled “Name that Tool.” Using an interactive game show approach, he’ll test audience knowledge, award prizes and use fun and humor to teach the best application of various tools and building gadgets.

Simpson’s 2:30 p.m. talk called “Little Projects … Big Impacts” is another popular offering, which he says especially resonates with audiences in the current economy because so many are choosing to keep their homes. “Everyone is interested in learning about projects they can complete on their own in a reasonable amount of time and with a reasonable amount of money,” he said. “The home projects we’ll talk about are all under $1,000, will go a long way toward making a big difference – and most anyone can do these upgrades and improvements,” he said. When Simpson is not on stage, show guests are invited to meet him between presentations at the James Hardie exhibition area nearby.

Read More:CarolinaNewsWire

Design a dream kitchen without breaking your budget

(ARA) – Looking to build your ideal kitchen, but not sure if you can afford it? It may seem like a difficult task, but it is possible to design a space that will fulfill your needs, while leaving room (and funds) for your dreams. Here’s how you can combine sacrificing and spending to find the perfect new product mix.

Spend Here
Find your passion. When deciding on which areas of your kitchen to spend your dollars, first think about your personal passions. Iron Chefs may sink money into professional-grade appliances, bakers may prefer granite countertops to roll out delicate dough, while entertainers may focus on wine coolers or island seating. Making your kitchen work for you is always worth the investment.

Focus on the future. While style is an important consideration, function is essential in the kitchen. For workhorse items, like faucets or appliances, invest in a quality brand.  Manufacturers, such as Moen, offer lifetime guarantees on their products, ensuring you won’t need to replace your faucet a few years down the line. And, with stylish, “green” products, like the new Anabelle and Dorsey Eco-Performance kitchen faucets available at Lowe’s, your kitchen faucet will look great and save up to 32 percent on water, while standing the test of time.

Set the stage with storage. Did you know that nearly half the world’s kitchens have a junk drawer? With the insurmountable number of household items and cooking utensils accumulating in the kitchen, adding quality cabinets to store it all away is always a safe bet. To maximize your investment, choose a finish that will meet your style needs today and in the future. According to the “Real Deal” Survey, conducted by Decora Cabinets and Kitchen and Bath Design News, white/cream or natural oak, maple and cherry are the most widely accepted cabinet finishes. Additionally, the survey revealed that pull-out garbage bins, pot and pan drawers and tray organizers are the most popular ways to keep your cabinets organized.

Save There
Get the look for less. When it comes to flooring and countertops, laminates offer the look of high-end options, but without the expense and required maintenance. For countertops, manufacturers, such as VT Fine Laminate Countertops, offer a variety of options that emulate the look of natural granite or quartz. Similarly, today’s laminate flooring is available in patterns and textures to achieve the look of wood, ceramic tile or stone – but all at a fraction of the price.

Do it yourself. When it comes to remodeling, labor can often be a majority of the cost. If you are handy – or have some handy friends or family – doing it yourself can save quite a bit of cash. Not so comfortable with a tool belt? Don’t fret. Hire a professional to do the major renovation, but ask for a discount if you assist with demolition, clean-up or the finish work and painting.

Reuse or recycle. Designing your ideal kitchen doesn’t always mean starting from scratch. Assess your current kitchen and determine what works. If your cabinets meet your storage needs, but not your aesthetic wants – try refinishing or painting them. Additionally, use online sites, such as craigslist.com, or organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity ReStore to sell or donate kitchen items you don’t want (like appliances, furniture, lighting and cabinets) – or to purchase new ones. It’ll save your wallet and help the environment by keeping them out of landfills.

With just a bit of planning upfront on where to save and where to spend, you can easily achieve the kitchen of your dreams. For more information about Moen faucets, visit moen.com, or call (800) BUY-MOEN.

Courtesy of ARAcontent