New Bern Preservation Foundation annual Antique Show

Come check it out, and support this great cause or bring your treasures to be evaluated who knows.....

The New Bern Preservation Foundation will hold its annual Antique Show at the New Riverfront Convention Center Feb. 11 to 13 2011. More than 45 professional dealers will offer 18th through 20th century furniture, decorative items and memorabilia — literally something for everyone of every age. Come enjoy the largest antique show east of Raleigh featuring a variety of antique dealers selling quality goods such as furniture, linens, silver, toys, glassware and much more! Daily verbal evaluations of your treasures are also available. On Feb. 12 and 13 2011, identifiers will be available to evaluate personal items brought to the show. Tickets are $7.50 at the door and good for admission each of the three days. The preservation group was chartered in August of 1972 and began saving buildings and upgrading neighborhoods. A small group of volunteers worked alone until 1981 when they hired the first professional executive director. Nearly 60 structures have been directly saved by the foundation. On the Web: newbernpf.org For information, call 252-633-6448.

NAR consumer profile report

NAR consumer profile report has been for years great indicator of Real Estate market conditions and trends. 2010 report has some great great points for professionals but also for general public. Take a few minutes and check it out.
To highlight some:
Even with several years of price declines, the typical seller who purchased a home eight years ago experienced a median equity gain of $33,000, a 24 percent increase, while sellers who were in their homes for 11 to 15 years saw a median gain of 40 percent
(OMG has it been 7 years?!)
The number of first-time home buyers rose to a record high 50 percent of all home sales from 47 percent in the 2009 study, building on success of the home buyer tax credit which began in 2009. The previous cyclical high for first-time buyers was 44 percent in 1991; records date back to 1981
Eighty-five percent of home buyers who used the Internet to search for a home purchased through a real estate agent, while 70 percent of non-Internet users were more likely to purchase directly from a builder or from an owner they already knew in a private transaction.
Not surprisingly, for-sale-by-owner transactions reached a record low, accounting for 9 percent of sales in the 2010 study, down from 11 percent in 2009. The share of homes sold without professional representation has trended down since reaching a cyclical peak of 18 percent in 1997. "In a market as challenging as today, it's clear most home sellers need professional assistance.
Use this link to view entire repot
http://www.realtor.org/press_room/news_releases/2010/11/survey