http://cbadvantage.com/blog/categoryname_uncategorized/sort_entrydatetime-desc/ (RISMedia-Norwalk, CT) – Coldwell Banker Advantage, headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina recently announced its ranking as the number 2 real estate firm in North Carolina in transactions, according to RISMedia’s 27th Annual Power Broker Report. Coldwell Banker Advantage reported 11,077 closed residential transactions in 2014, and a total sales volume of $2,174,873,339.This year’s Power Broker Report is based on responses to RISMedia’s 2015 Power Broker Survey, distributed in early January. More than 1,000 real estate firms from across the country completed the Power Broker Survey, reporting a collective 3,203,736 closed residential transactions in 2014, accounting for a total $973,976,005,312 in sales volume. Now in its 27th year, the Power Broker Report has long honored the incredible business feats of remarkable real estate leaders-and brokerage firms-who continue to shape our industry. Each April, RISMedia’s Real Estate magazine highlights the Top 500 Power Broker firms according to sales volume and transactions.RISMedia President & CEO John Featherston congratulated Coldwell Banker Advantage for their prestigious ranking in this year’s Power Broker Report. “The firms represented are the nation’s most elite brokerage firms serving literally millions of consumers with their real estate needs,” Featherston said. “2014 was a growth year for many real estate firms across the country, as low inventory created a ripe environment for home sellers and move-up buyers, and continued low interest rates and rising rents enticed more new buyers to take action. As market dynamics continue to fluctuate, today’s more knowledgeable, more tech-savvy real estate consumers will look to proven real estate firms and their agents to help guide them toward the best real estate decision. Being ranked in the Power Broker Report validates your firm’s reputation as a trusted resource for today’s homebuyers and sellers.”RISMedia’s Annual Power Broker Report ranks firms by closed transactions and sales volume for the prior year. The Top 500 rankings appear in the April issue of Real Estate magazine and online at rismedia.com. The complete ranking of all firms that meet the criteria will be available in the 2015 Power Broker Report publication, available both digitally and in print this summer.RISMedia’s 27th Annual Power Broker Report & Survey is based on results garnered from a survey distributed via email and available online at rismedia.com. The survey ranks residential real estate brokerage firms according to closed transaction numbers and closed sales volume for the year 2014. All sales and transaction data is submitted directly by brokerage firms and verified by the firm’s financial executives, outside accounting firms and /or corporate franchise headquarters. http://cbadvantage.com/blog/2/coldwell-banker-advantage-ranks-as-one-of-north-carolina’s-top-producing-brokerage-firms/ Fri, 04 Sep 2015 12:00:00 -0500 To make the most of your home’s outward appearance, it’s important to implement seasonal curb appeal. With autumn approaching, consider sprucing up your home’s exterior with these fall touches:• Replace your front door with an ENERGY STAR® alternative, complete with decorative glass accents or sidelights to keep cool weather out and natural light in. For entry door inspiration, check out Pinterest, your resident showroom or your local home improvement store.• If a door replacement is out the budget, swap out door hardware instead for an instant facelift. Select finishes that compliment features like outdoor light fixtures, the mailbox or house numbers.• Before cold weather sets in, consider repainting the exterior trim framing your home. This will refresh the look without costing as much as an entire exterior paint job. Choose a color that coordinates with the home’s primary exterior color.• Fall plantings add beauty and life to your home’s exterior. Arrange pots filled with hardy plants, like mums, sedum or asters around your front door, porch or deck. Incorporate planters or containers of varied sizes, shapes and colors.• Add exterior accent lighting to the front of your home for more lighting as the days get shorter. Consider illuminating a walking path with ground-insert solar lights, using solar spotlights to bring out landscaping, or installing matching light fixtures outside your front door, garage door or patio door to provide well-lit entrances. http://cbadvantage.com/blog/3/how-can-we-add-instant-fall-curb-appeal?/ Fri, 04 Sep 2015 12:00:00 -0500 As summer winds down and frost threatens, even avid gardeners may be tempted to pack up their trowels and call it a season. You may think it’s better to leave the victory garden gracefully than risk the disappointment of watching crops wither in chilly temperatures. But fear of frost and failure don’t have to stop you from enjoying a fruitful fall garden. With the right plant choices and a few tricks, producing a hefty harvest can be easy.Frost occurs when temperatures drop enough to condense and freeze the moisture in the air. In fall, when air temperatures sink, it’s common to find frost layering the ground, leaves and crops. Frost may occur frequently in the fall before the ground really becomes frozen. This is known as a hard freeze.While a hard freeze generally heralds the end of the growing season and frost can harm warm weather crops like oranges, some veggies actually do very well – and taste better – when nipped by frost. By stocking your fall garden with frost-loving varieties, you can ensure your garden remains victorious and bountiful right up to the first hard freeze. Not sure when the hard freeze will occur in your region? Check out the USDA’s Freeze Map.When you consider the many advantages of fall gardening, frost shouldn’t be feared. Cooler temperatures mean you’ll have a more comfortable experience while working in the garden, and you’ll have fewer insect pests and weeds to deal with.To start, clear out the remnants of summer plantings and debris and get the ground ready for fall favorites like spinach, cabbage, collards and kale. These hearty, leafy vegetables actually like the chill weather and can stand up to some frost. Certain root veggies, such as radishes and turnips, also do well in cooler temperatures.When planning your fall garden, time is of the essence. Start with well-established, vigorous plants, which not only see faster growth, but ensure strength during unexpected or extreme temperature variations. Remember to choose short-season varieties that will produce quicker in fall’s shorter growing season.Even though your fall vegetables might be able to handle the cold, you may want an extra layer of protection for unseasonably cool nights. Choose a location for your garden that gets plenty of sun, especially in the morning when you’ll want plants to quickly shake off overnight chill. Planting in a raised bed also helps insulate plants and their tender roots from ground freezes. Container gardens are also great for fall; when a severe frost or hard freeze threatens, you can bring plants inside overnight for protection.Sometimes you may want to cover plants against extreme cold. One option is a cold frame. Typically constructed of wood and glass or plastic, the frame sits over plants like a portable mini greenhouse. You can build your own – an online search will yield plenty of how-to plans – or purchase a prefabricated one. For less severe situations, simply turning a pot or bucket upside down over tender young plants can be enough to shield them from cold. http://cbadvantage.com/blog/4/gardeners:-don’t-fear-fall-frost/ Fri, 04 Sep 2015 12:00:00 -0500 (Family Features) Updating your kitchen doesn’t have to be expensive. Draw inspiration from these ideas, offered up by the experts at Lowe’s (Lowes.com), purveyor of the Frigidaire Professional line, among other housewares.

• Incorporate the farm-to-table trend with a farmhouse sink, which will work in kitchens with existing farmhouse or transitional styles. Go for classic white or a darker metal finish, such as an antique copper single-basin, to make a vintage statement.
• Don’t get voted off the island – install one instead. Create a warm and inviting space with a large, distressed-finish island, or, if space doesn’t permit, an industrial-style kitchen cart. Both will serve triple duty as a prep area, storage and space for guests.• Though not traditionally considered an appealing color in kitchens, gray actually generates a bright, clean, calming effect, and gray walls beautifully compliment stainless steel appliances. Contrasting cabinetry and doors will make the color stand out even more, bringing the once muted shade front and center.Source: Lowe’s http://cbadvantage.com/blog/7/3-inspiring-ideas-for-a-kitchen-redo/ Fri, 04 Sep 2015 12:00:00 -0500 Sure, we would all like to live like we do when we are at that fancy hotel, but http://cbadvantage.com/blog/9/how-can-we-make-our-house-like-that-vacation-spot?/ Fri, 12 Jun 2015 12:00:00 -0500