Tips for Reviving Your Lawn After Winter

Waking up your lawn can be challenging, and there is added pressure if you want to put a home on the market.

Early spring is one of the best times of the year to make your home look great. This busy season coincides with an uptick in activity in the real estate market, making it that much more critical for you to get your lawn back in great shape.

Here are a few helpful tips for reviving your lawn after the beating it likely took this winter:

Feed It Well

Spring is the most critical time to give your lawn a boost. Winter drags on in many areas of the country, which can deplete a yard come spring. If you find yourself in this situation, try applying a quick-release fertilizer to prepare your lawn for spring. This fertilizer will get to the roots and green up your yard in a few days. However, be cautious when applying a quick-release fertilizer, as putting too much in one spot can kill your grass.

Other fertilizer options include slow-release fertilizers that'll feed your lawn over time. This kind of fertilizer usually comes in granules or pellets that sit on top of your soil. They dissolve over time and provide the best long-lasting energy option for lawns.

Water in the Morning

Fertilizer applications need moisture to work best. Watering your lawn in the spring may seem counterintuitive given the rainfall that some climates receive, but watering your lawn regularly is essential to help the grass grow strong. Consider watering your yard in the morning before 10 a.m., as this will allow the lawn time to soak up the water and dry out under the afternoon sun. Watering in the evening or at night may seem smart, but it can actually cause lawn care problems such as disease and fungi.

Ease Into Mowing

While your lawn may have grown a little throughout the winter depending on your location, lawns need some time to ease into the spring. Refrain from mowing your lawn on a low setting as temperatures go up. Short lawns expose the root system, which can create a stressful situation for the grass. Consider doing a light mow early on in the season to take off the tips of the blades. Doing so will ease your lawn back into the growing season and will help keep it looking great.

Start Fighting Weeds

Homeowners looking to put their home on the market should combat any weeds in their lawn. There are many weed and feed chemicals to help prevent weeds. These mixes often include different fertilizers, so be sure to read the directions so that you don't give your lawn too much. Locate any problem areas in your yard and consider applying weed control to those areas, as well.

Seed Thin Spots

It's common for bare spots to appear after a long winter. Immediately care for areas of the lawn that have thinned or are completely bare. These spots can cause problems, not only with weed growth, but also in presenting a beautiful lawn to a prospective buyer. Rake out these spots in your yard and apply a good amount of seed. Give these spots extra water a few weeks after you seed them to encourage new grass roots to take hold.

There are many ways to help your lawn come back after a long winter. Mow the grass on a high setting until it has had time to recover, fertilize and water the lawn to boost growth, and be sure to keep weeds away by using preventive measures. Follow all the tips listed above and your lawn will be back to its former glory in no time.

Learn more on RISMedia.

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• The 10 Most Pet-Friendly Cities in America for Dog and Cat Lovers

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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The 10 Most Pet-Friendly Cities in America for Dog and Cat Lovers

Americans are obsessed—with their pets.

Regardless of whether you’re a dog lover, a cat fanatic, or an exotic-animal enthusiast, there are certain cities that are more pet-friendly than others. That matters a lot to pet parents who are increasingly focusing on their animals’ happiness when choosing a place to live.

And it’s why pet owners might want to consider living in Tucson, AZ.

Tucson tops the list as the best place for pet parents and their furry, feathered, and scaly babies, according to a recent Forbes Advisor report. The city boasts good access to low-cost veterinary care and plenty of pet stores. There are also plenty of dog-friendly businesses, including many restaurants with patios that allow diners to eat outside with their pups.

“Pet ownership is on the rise nationwide, making pet-friendly amenities and pet-related costs top of mind for many Americans who are looking to relocate,” says Forbes Advisor spokesperson Zoi Galarraga.

About two-thirds of Americans are pet owners, according to Forbes Advisor. Roughly 4 in 5 pet owners considered their animals’ needs before renting or buying a home, according to a recent Realtor.com® survey. And about 87% of homebuyers with animals take their pets’ needs into consideration when choosing a neighborhood.

To come up with its findings, Forbes Advisor analyzed the availability of pet-friendly apartments, veterinary costs and access, pet-friendly spaces, and the concentration of pet stores in the 91 largest cities.

These are the top cities for pet owners:

1. Tucson, AZ
   Median home list price*: $384,500

2. Raleigh, NC
   Median home list price: $498,000

3. Nashville, TN
   Median home list price: $659,900

4. Wichita, KS
   Median home list price: $319,600

5. Cincinnati, OH
   Median home list price: $322,500

6. Plano, TX
   Median home list price: $560,000

7. Albuquerque, NM
   Median home list price: $391,500

8. Kansas City, MO
   Median home list price: $337,500

9. Louisville, KY
   Median home list price: $250,000

10. Glendale, AZ
    Median home list price: $449,950

The least pet-friendly cities were also the most expensive for real estate, veterinary care, and just about everything else.

Los Angeles was deemed the worst for animal lovers. It was followed by New York City; Silicon Valley’s San Jose, CA; San Francisco; and Boston.

* The median home list prices in the city are as of March using Realtor.com data.

Learn more on Realtor.com

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If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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5 Remodeling Trends to Watch as More Owners Upgrade

Home improvement remains a hot trend as people update their spaces to be more functional for the long-term.

Facing lean housing inventory, more would-be move-up home buyers may be feeling stuck in place. As they wait out the market, many continue to tackle remodeling projects on their current home. In fact, remodeling activity surged to a record high last year, according to the 2023 U.S. Houzz & Home Study(link is external), a survey that reflects responses from about 46,000 homeowners. The trend is likely to continue, as more than half of homeowners surveyed say they intend to renovate this year, too, consistent with 2022 levels.

“Faced with shortages of housing stock and high interest rates, we’re seeing homeowners update their current home to make the space more functional for the long term,” says Liza Hausman, vice president of industry marketing at Houzz, a home remodeling resource. “We’re also seeing an uptick in additions, with the vast majority of homeowners hiring professionals to achieve their goals.”

Many renovating homeowners may not have intentions of reselling immediately, but they’re eyeing how much their home could be worth as the housing market pendulum swings. Sixty-two percent of owners say their main motivation for tackling a renovation is to increase their home’s value, according to a separate survey(link is external) from Cinch Home Services, a home warranty company.

Homeowners expressed concerns about selling their home in its current state, expressing fears that their home was in need of too many repairs (65%); has an outdated interior (60%); lacks trendy fixtures (38%); or lacks curb appeal (33%), according to the Cinch Home Services survey.

To combat home dissatisfaction, Houzz uncovered some recent home improvement trends that emerged from the 2022 boom.

1. Expanded living spaces. The number of renovating homeowners who are adding square footage is on the rise. The rooms most popular for expansions are kitchens, bathrooms and living rooms, the Houzz survey shows.

2. Remodeling budgets are rising. The median expense for home renovations in 2022 was $22,000—up 22% from 2021. Ten percent of owners were willing to spend six figures: $140,000 or more. Expenditures are likely rising because materials and products are getting pricier. Kitchen and bathroom renovations were the most expensive projects homeowners took on; in 2022, the median spend on a kitchen remodel reached $20,000, and $13,500 for primary bathrooms, up 33% and 50% year over year, respectively, according to Houzz.

3. Aging homes are getting upgraded. The median age of a home in the U.S. continues to rise as homeowners try to keep their properties current. Nearly 30% of homeowners upgraded plumbing, followed by electrical and home automation, the Houzz survey shows. Among home system updates, cooling and heating systems were the two largest expenditures at $5,500 and $5,000, respectively. Check out the most popular home updates based on a home’s age.

4. Contractors remain in demand. The long wait for contractors may linger in some markets because of overheated demand. Homeowners hired specialty service providers and construction professionals, such as general contractors and bathroom or kitchen remodelers, more often in 2022, the Houzz survey finds. Homeowners continue to cite “finding the right service providers” as their biggest challenge for home renovations, followed by finding the right projects and staying on budget.

5. Owners turn to loans for pricier projects. Eighty-two percent of homeowners paid for their projects using cash from their savings while 28% who used credit cards. But one trend to watch is that in 2022, the percentage of homeowners financing their renovation projects with secured home loans rose to 16% from 14% in 2021. Homeowners tackling pricier projects—from $50,000 to $200,000—are more likely to take out a loan than those with lower price tags, the study finds.

Get more like this from NAR.

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If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Atlantic Beach nears application for state grant to help pay for boardwalk redevelopment

Atlantic Beach inched closer Monday night to applying for a $500,000 N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant to pay roughly half the cost of the first phase of the redevelopment of the historic boardwalk area along the oceanfront in the Circle Development District.

The council met in the town hall off West Fort Macon Road and online via Zoom and reviewed but took no action on a formal resolution necessary to apply for the grant.

Mayor Trace Cooper said the plan is for the board to adopt the resolution at its next regular meeting on Monday, April 24 at 6 p.m. in the town hall. No council member objected to the staff-prepared language of the resolution Monday night.

The resolution states that if the town receives the grant, it agrees to provide $574,618 in matching funds, reflecting a 53.5% cost share.

It adds that since the 1920s, the Circle Development District boardwalk and surrounding area “have been the social and entertainment center of Atlantic Beach, allowing public access and recreational use. Over the next few years, the town desires to upgrade the existing aging wooden boardwalk, bathhouse, parking and gathering spaces with a more resilient raised boardwalk, multi-use pavilion, handicap-accessible beach accesses, public art, shade structures and restrooms.”

The project is to be done in three phases to significantly improve the existing circle public beach access. Phase one includes construction of the new upper and lower boardwalks, shade structures, plantings, seating, and lighting and connecting walkways to Atlantic Boulevard.

The N.C. General Assembly established the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) in July 1994 to fund improvements in the state’s park system through grants for local governments. The assembly funds PARTF each year at different levels.

Phase II will likely consist of a new bathhouse and adjacent improvements, and Phase III would consist of improvements to the park area at the center of the boardwalk, which will likely include a pavilion structure, plaza areas and seating.

Mayor Cooper said he believes the town has a good chance of getting the grant, as coastal towns such as Emerald Isle and Kure Beach have received PARTF funds for major recreation projects. Emerald Isle used PARTF funds to help pay for the land along Archers Creek that became the McLean-Spell Park, a natural area behind the recreation center.

In addition, Cedar Point got PARTF money to help buy the land for its waterfront Boathouse Creek Park at the end of Masonic Avenue.

“I think it’s really complete,” Mayor Cooper said of the resolution prepared by the staff. “I think we can do a really good project and hopefully we will get a grant.”

The town council voted unanimously in June to award a $174,000 contract for the design of the new boardwalk to KUTONOTUK of Charlottesville, Va.

KUTONOTUK presented a boardwalk design incorporating features of the existing boardwalk, such as the existing seawall and the boardwalk’s concrete foundation.

Learn more on Carolina Coast Online.

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If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

Carteret County Real Estate Market Report from March 2023

The spring market is here!

Interest rates began their steep upward climb last May, with the real estate market feeling the slowdown acutely by fall. Heading into the New Year, expectations were conservative with the prediction that the spring selling season would be calmer than in years past with slower appreciation and longer days on market.

Sellers who jumped into the market are reaping the rewards with the return of multiple offers and more seller-friendly terms. New listings were down, lowering the number of available options for buyers to view and place offers. For perspective, inventory year-to-date is lower with 78 closed sales in March 2023 compared to 94 in 2022. Interestingly enough, new listings in single family homes rose from 83 listings in February to 98 in March showcasing more inventory is hitting the market. Pending homes were also down year-over-year; however, they rose 24 percent month-over-month. Sellers are advised to continue to price their properties thoughtfully to elicit strong offers as properties are still falling out of contract due to inspection items or issues arising from buyer financing.

Buyers are not down and out in this market. They know the game and are coming prepared. The average sales price was up 15 percent from $518,524 last year to $605,388, and average days in MLS increased from 45 last year to 59 days for single family homes. Even though bidding wars have subsided from last spring, they are on the rise again for turnkey homes that are new to the market. Buyers may not have as many homes to view, but they do have the option of balancing the pros and cons of jumping into a competitive situation. Or, they can take a different approach by targeting properties that are either overpriced, have been sitting on the market or have fallen out of contract by negotiating more buyer-friendly terms. Either way, buyers understand that appreciation is down and days in MLS are up. They are doing their research and crafting thoughtful offers. They are also keenly aware of Carteret County’s seasonality with the knowledge that more homes will hit the market month-over-month as we head into summer.

Time will tell how the rest of the year shapes up, but based on the current activity, April's numbers are forecasted to be strong.

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If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.