In North Carolina we don’t wait until summer to get our festival season started! If you live in Clemmons or spend time in nearby cities like Winston-Salem and Greensboro, springtime is filled with wonderful festivals devoted to the arts, sampling local wines and craft beer, and eating delicious food. To learn about some of these must-see events this May and June, check out our festival guide below:

Arts on Sunday Series

Every Sunday in  May from 1pm to 5pm

Organized by Art for Art’s Sake (AFAS), the Arts on Sunday Festival Series is a thrilling showcase of 60 artists in Winston-Salem, where participants of all ages are invited to join in the fun with crafts and live music. The theme changes every week and ranges from spicy Latin rhythms to mellow jazz. Entry is free to the public. Find out more on AFAS’s website: www.theafasgroup.com/artsonsunday.

Liberty Street Between 6th Street and 7th Street, Winston-Salem, NC

18th Annual North Carolina Wine Festival
Saturday, May 26 from Noon to 6pm

Welcome to the biggest and longest-running wine festival in North Carolina! Held in Clemmons’ own Tanglewood Park, this all-day event serves up over 100 wines, beers, and liquors for guests to sample, along with scrumptious food from local vendors and shopping at artisan stalls. Ticket prices range from $25 to $65 each. Reserve your ticket and discover the details of this exciting festival at www.ncwinefestival.com/clemmons.

Tanglewood Park, 4061 Clemmons Road, Clemmons, NC

Salem Smiles Twin City RibFest

Thursday, June 7 to Sunday, June 10

Four days and nights of juicy ribs, cold beer, and live music? Sign us up! Ever since 2005, legions of rib fans have gathered on the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds to enjoy delicious BBQ and dance to the all-day shows on the main stage. All ages are welcome! Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and military members, and kids under 12 are free.

View the schedule at TwinCityRibFest.com

Winston Salem Fairgrounds, 421 27th Street Northwest, Winston-Salem, NC    

by David T. Kasper, Partner

Kasper and Payne Associates

The weather’s not the only thing getting warmer—the busy springtime real estate market is also heating up. If you’re in the market for a new home, it’s important to remember a few key steps you should take when it’s time to make that purchase. 

Homebuyers, especially first-time homebuyers, may be overwhelmed by the prospect of making such a major purchase. For the great majority of buyers, their home is their largest financial investment. Home buying is a complex process, with huge potential financial risks if not professionally handled. From hiring a real estate agent to help you find the right home and negotiate the terms of a contract, to working with an experienced attorney to represent you when you complete the purchase, it’s important to work with competent professionals retained to look after your best interests. Realtors and real estate attorneys assist you from start to finish, not only easing your mind, but, importantly, avoiding costly mistakes down the road.

As an attorney who regularly represents clients in both commercial and residential real estate transactions, I am often asked what exactly it is that I do for my clients in a residential real estate transaction. 

The short answer is I work to make sure a buyer is purchasing what they think they’re purchasing under the terms they agreed upon with the seller. 

Clients often think of the hour or so spent sitting in the lawyer’s office as the bulk of the attorney’s work related to the closing. However, reviewing the documents is really just a small portion of the closing from an attorney’s standpoint. Other duties include performing a title search and helping acquire title insurance, to accurately disbursing the closing funds to the appropriate parties. 

An experienced real estate attorney will also be able to advise a buyer on the legal consequences of certain decisions that the buyer may make during the process, including the need to have a survey done, how the buyer should take title to the property, what effect certain provisions of the contract or other documents have on the buyer, and many other questions that arise throughout the course of a transaction.

The importance of a professional title search can’t be overstated. When I perform a title search, I’m making sure the seller actually has the ability to sell the property by making sure there are not any defects in the chain of title that would diminish the value of the buyer’s new property, or their ability to sell it in the future.

It’s typically not that the seller is trying to hoodwink the buyer—many sellers are totally unaware that there are defects in the chain of title, so even if you know the seller, it’s important to have an experienced real estate attorney check the title thoroughly. An experienced real estate attorney can help to find defects and frequently will be able to assist in curing the defect. Sometimes it may not be feasible to cure a title defect and an experienced real estate attorney may be able to work with a title insurance company to insure the property in spite of the defect. 

As an approved attorney with several North Carolina-approved title insurance companies, I can work to secure insurance for both the lender and the purchaser. An owner’s policy is not usually required by your lender so it is important that you, as a buyer, ask your closing attorney to obtain an owner’s title insurance policy for you to make sure your interests are being protected.

The North Carolina General Assembly has determined that performing many of the required tasks as part of a residential real estate closing are only properly performed by a person licensed to practice law in this state. Be sure you seek out an experienced real estate attorney who can work with  you and your real estate agent to help you close on the purchase of your next property.

Making the biggest investment of your life shouldn’t be left to amateurs or internet research. When you purchase your next property, be sure to rely on the expertise of professional real estate agents and real estate attorneys to make your buying experience a great one!  

Click here to read the April edition of the Newsom Home Post.

HAPPY Spring to my Clemmons community and everyone.  I hope you are enjoying the warmer weather and taking some time to get out and have some fun. Take a break, relax and enjoy the April 2018 edition of the Newsom Home Post. This month, the front page story reminds us that it's time to "think spring" and get going on that spring cleaning. We offer you some helpful tips. Look to page 8 for a yummy recipe for pork medallions on apple compote with black pepper cider sauce. WOW! Also, read an article by David Kasper of Kasper and Payne Associates on springing into action and calling a lawyer if you're in the market to buy or sell a home. Are you without a laundry room? Read how to convert a closet into a laundry room.  As always, we thoroughly enjoy putting this newspaper together for our you! We appreciate your interest and ENJOY!

If you ask anyone who is thinking about selling their home when they expect to have it on the market, they will inevitably say “in the spring”. Everyone waits until spring to sell their homes.

Spring brings to mind warmer weather, sunshine, flowers and fresh air. The windows can be opened and the cobwebs can be cleared out. In addition to spring cleaning, this seems to be the ideal time to bring in painters and landscapers to spruce up the outside of the house. Yes, spring is a great time to fix up the house and get it ready to sell.

It also makes a lot of sense to sell your house in the spring because of the school year. If you list the house in the spring and it takes three months to sell, plus an “in contract” period of about a month, theoretically you’ll be able to move your kids into their new school district just in time for the first day of school.

Unfortunately, most people wait too long to start this process. If they begin cleaning out the basement and throwing out 25 years of possessions in April, it could be June before they have it all done and have the “For Sale” sign in the front yard. They may have missed a big portion of the spring market.

Last year, we had many clients who intended to put their homes on the market in the spring, but couldn’t seem to get everything done quickly enough to get it in the Multiple Listing Service until May or June. It turned out that there were an unusually large number of buyers in March and April and a low inventory of properties to show them. By the time many of these clients were ready to sell, many of these buyers were gone and it became more difficult to sell their homes.

The message is this: The spring market is now. Begin your cleaning today and take next week end to clear closets and discard clutter. Call the painter and the handyman and get them scheduled before they get really busy. Call us and we will offer suggestions on preparing your home for sale. We will also put together a comparative market analysis to give you an idea of pricing. In a few weeks, you will
be ready to act quickly and take advantage of what we hope will be the best spring market yet!    

by Delana Newsom

     The new year is an excellent time to create fresh expectations for yourself. But sometimes setting a resolution and sticking to it is easier said than done. According to the New York Times, the best way to create resolutions you'll keep is to create achievable, measurable, goals that you can follow step by step. That means instead of resolving to sell your house in 2018, you'll set multiple smaller goals and incorporate them into a timeline.

     Another struggle in creating new goals can be picking them out among the multiple possibilities. To get you started, here are five broad resolutions that you can personalize for yourself and your lifestyle in 2018.

1. DO ONE THING EACH DAY THAT SCARES YOU

     One of the biggest challenges that can keep us from achieving our goals is a fear of failure. But what if you discover that what scares you isn't so scary after all? To achieve this goal, you don't have to do anything major - just choose a small, nerve-wracking hurdle that you can overcome each day.

2. TALK TO SOMEONE YOU DON'T KNOW EACH WEEK

     It's easy to get into the same old routines of speaking to the same people at work, at the gym and around town. But what would happen if you struck up a conversation with someone you didn't know? Having a pleasant chat with a stranger can brighten their day - and yours.

3. INCORPORATE SOME EXERCISE INTO YOUR DAILY LIFE

     This is a common resolution, but people often fail at it because they make grandiose exercise goals to which they simply cannot commit. Instead, doctors suggest that even some added physical exertion - like taking the stairs, walking around the block or chopping wood - can get you on the road to better health.

4. EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

     Another way to improve your health is by adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Most people don't get enough of the vitamins and minerals from these healthful food options, so make this year the time to commit to incorporating more of these in your snacks and meals. Specifically, try to add more nights of cooking at home to your routine. For instance, cancel a typical night of takeout, and replace it with a dinner filled with healthy greens.

5. EMBRACE BOREDOM

     With so many distractions, like television and smartphones, most of us don't give our brains much downtime. But it turns out that boredom can give us some of our best ideas; this kind of mindless downtime can help your brain connect ideas and create solutions. So, schedule some time in your busy schedule to do nothing - not even scrolling through your phone.

Click here to read the February edition of the Newsom Home Post

HAPPY February to my Clemmons community and everyone.  I hope you are faring the winter well and taking some time to get out and have some fun. Take a break, relax and enjoy the February 2018 edition of the Newsom Home Post. This month, the front page story reminds us that it's not too early to "think spring". Look to page 8 for an easy and yummy recipe for whole wheat bread with dark chocolate and cherries, a great treat while reading your Newsom Home Post. Also, read about the pros and cons of investing with friends or family when retired. Are you happy with your current bathroom? Read about how to make it more sellable and enjoyable at the same time.  As always, we thoroughly enjoy putting this newspaper together for our you! We appreciate your interest and ENJOY!