by Kelly Nurge | Mar 6, 2017 | March 2017, Retreat, Stuff
Between hiring and transferring in the Research Triangle Park, the local universities and the sought-after healthcare systems, Raleigh experiences a fairly steady flow of new residents, and not everyone is ready to buy right away. Many would prefer to rent first and get to know the city; however, finding a rental property, especially from outside the state, can be a frustrating experience.
Unlike major markets like New York and Los Angeles, the constant interest in rentals is of little benefit to North Carolina realtors. Luxury rental markets can lead to luxury paychecks for agents, some even equaling the first month’s rent. Rentals around here? Not so much.
Raleigh resident and renter Oriana Yost knows the struggle of finding a rental all too well. “I have moved several times in the last few years, and each time it was a challenge finding a clean, affordable rental that allowed pets,” she says. “You have to be on the lookout for rental scams. One [rental] company wanted us to hand over a security deposit and first month’s rent before even viewing the property. A different agency tried to engage us in a bidding war and wouldn’t return our application fee until we threatened them with legal action.”
With so much potential for headaches, what’s a renter to do? Buying a home can be a major investment, especially when you’re not confident it’s the forever location for you and your family. If you’re new to the area or looking where to start, a realtor may still be able to point you in the right direction.
With a little research and the right connections, new residents who aren’t ready to jump into homeownership can find the right agent for their circumstances. Where other agents may see wasted time, Victoria Riddell, with Coldwell Banker Howard, Perry & Walston, sees wasted opportunities. She has been in the Raleigh real estate business for 14 years and will gladly help newcomers find a home in the area, buyer or not.
“Agents can make a lot of judgments about rentals when many can be executive renters,” Riddell says. “A lot of agents think that if people can’t a afford house or don’t want to buy a house right away, that means that they don’t have any money, which is simply not true.”
And it’s not all about finding future high-dollar clients for Victoria. “I’m proud to highlight the local area while giving tours. I want to build a personal relationship to find out their long-term goals,” she says. “To me, it’s not just about the home, it’s about the lifestyle. It’s rewarding for me to show how fantastic the Triangle is.”
“While I don’t always work with renters, I am happy to help supplement information for their search, especially for clients looking to form long-term relationships,” says Keller Williams Realty agent Maia Lee Brooks. “Drive around areas to narrow down what you may like and keep an eye out, as many owners only advertise rentals with a sign in the yard. Also, be sure to factor in your commute, daily activities and hobbies. Once you’ve narrowed down a few locations, I can gather information on rental companies or set you up on a search for the area.”
by Kelly Nurge | Feb 20, 2017 | Buzz, February 2017
The Raleigh-Durham area was ranked the No. 4 Start-up Hub in the US, according to startup incubator 1776, citing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce foundation report that 291 new companies were founded here in the past year. And getting out of the garage and into a professional space without breaking the bank is easier than ever. Multiple co-working spaces have popped up around the Triangle, including HQ Raleigh, Industrious, American Underground and Loading Dock. But what makes the collaborative space Loading Dock different from the rest? It’s all in the name.
“Our space includes 1,000 square feet of offices and 1,000 square feet of loading dock space,” says Carter Ellis, Community Manager of Loading Dock, a non-profit company. The loading dock can be an important amenity for small businesses that rely on receiving or sending shipments, an often overlooked business convenience.
The company’s story began when Philip Freeman, CEO and Founder of Murphy’s Naturals, needed more space and required a loading dock area that was larger than his garage. He soon discovered that others in the area had similar needs: the collaborative offices and warehouse space was born.
“With our offices and shared warehouse, we offer a clean and dirty workspace,” adds Ellis. The company is also a B-Corp, providing ethical living throughout, from the top down.
“For a nonprofit, [Loading Dock is] great because we don’t have to pay overhead,” says Erica Porter, Development and Events Manager for the Jamie Kirk Hahn Foundation, one of the members. “We’re not paying for the building and the power. We share the printers and paper. Our expenses are a lot lower so our money can go towards our programs.”
Since opening in May, many businesses have rented different tiers of offices spaces. From start-ups to seasoned businesses, the office is filled with designers, architects, lawyers, realtors, nonprofits, and many other mobile professionals.
The space features a full-service kitchen, private conference rooms, collaborative work spaces, printing, mail services locker rooms with showers, a quiet library space, and full office suites. On top of the indoor features, the warehouse is located around the corner from Lynnwood Brewing Concern, where you’ll see the collaborators grabbing a pint after work.
by Kelly Nurge | Dec 2, 2016 | December 2016 / January 2017, Do
After the turkey has been carved and the pants have been loosened, it’s time to focus on our next holiday, which revolves around tasty treats in imaginative shapes. Move over, Pumpkin Pie, it’s time for Gingerbread. Triangle residents will be able to feel the holiday spirit and knock off a “must do” by visiting this year’s Ipreo Raleigh Winterfest and Gingerbread House competition.
This two-month long festival draws thousands of people to downtown Raleigh to view the tree lighting ceremony and to skate on the Fayetteville Street ice rink. One of the newest events of the festival is the Gingerbread House Competition, and this year it’s moving from the Fairgrounds to Downtown, as well as upping the stakes.
Previously the participants were limited to adults 15 years and up, but this year they have added a children’s category. “This is a great competition that teenagers and adults clearly had a lot of fun participating in, so why not extend that fun to children?” says Kimberly Jones with the Downtown Raleigh Alliance. “It’s exciting to see the creativity of a child. We want to give them an opportunity to show it off and have some fun too during the holidays.”
Showing off is easy especially since the contest is not limited to house-like structures. The only requirement for an entry is that the entire structure be edible, excluding the base. The platform can (and should) be decorated with non-edible materials to add flair to the house but otherwise the designer’s imagination can run wild from the ground up.
“You’d never expect to see someone make the Dorton Arena or State Capital out of gingerbread. Last year, a contestant made Saving Grace Animal Rescue,” says Jones. “We’ve seen it all when it comes to gingerbread house designs. There will be a few standard gingerbread houses that you can tell people put a lot of work into but our favorites are the Raleigh icons.”
Declan Halos crafted the gingerbread replica of Saving Grace last year. Halos, an 8th grader at Thales Academy, is ready for this year’s event and has been preparing his plans and materials for two months. “It was an honor to show off inspirational work,” says Declan. Inspiration for their gingerbread house came naturally: Declan’s mother, Kim Halos, has been volunteering for Saving Grace for five years, and Declan adopted their dog, Pocket, three years ago.
Last year’s Gingerbread House competition included 10 competitors and they’re expecting double the entries for this year’s showdown. Judging criteria will be based on overall appearance, creativity and difficulty with winners placing as Best in Show, People’s Choice (voted on by attendees), as well as first and second place.
If you don’t have the craftiness or the patience to compete, mark your calendars to check out all of the gingerbread displays on Dec. 3 from noon to 6 p.m. at 401 Fayetteville Street.
by Kelly Nurge | Oct 17, 2016 | Buzz, October 2016
The days of circling classified ads in the newspaper are long gone, and online job boards may be the next employment tool to disappear with the changing times.
Allen Wooten, Business Development Manager for Personify, knows the benefits and the pitfalls to the modern era of technology and job hunting. Personify is a highly specialized, Raleigh-based recruitment agency that focuses on providing businesses with top-notch recruits.
“If you were to go to one of our social media outlets—whether it’s LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter—you can get a very strong sense of the type of company that we are, our value system, our culture,” says Wooten. “We believe the next generation of the work force is using these tools to get a feel for the company and if it’s where they want to work.”
While businesses are using social media sites to draw future employees in to apply, job seekers are finding benefits to having a web presence. LinkedIn and About Me (also with their jobs app Intro) allow users to create a personalized page to draw in employers and link to profiles on other social platforms. Plus, there are dozens of apps tailored to make the job-hunting process not only easier, but more efficient and effective both for candidates and businesses.
“It empowers job seekers with an easier way to find a job,” says Yarden Tadmor, Founder and CEO of Switch. Tadmor says they catered the app to jobseekers who are employed but looking for something else. Personal information is kept confidential until a match is made. “Seventy-five percent of our matches set up an interview in 48 hours,” says Tadmor of the app’s success rate.
While Switch is focused on professionals in tech, media and digital divisions, another new app, JobSnap was developed with Generation Z in mind, serving candidates with little or no job experience. Most of the positions are in hospitality, restaurants or retail. Applicants and companies upload 30-second videos replacing traditional profiles. Similar to Tinder, the app allows you to swipe through various employment opportunities.
Crafting a custom website or filming a video resume showcases creativity and a knowledge of your skillset, and it’s becoming an increasingly popular way to promote and differentiate oneself. Andrew Harrison, an Art Director with SFW, did a twist on the traditional video resume: he asked former co-workers to send a selfie recommending him for future employment opportunities. Harrison spliced the testimonial footage together and posted on his website.
“I think it made an impression in some ways,” says Harrison, “At the end of the day, it didn’t cost anything to make and didn’t take much time so it was worth executing.”
“It’s a powerful tool,” says Tadmor, but pictures can come with a cost. “It comes with discrimination and bias.” Many large corporations have implemented protocols to avoid discrimination based upon race, age or sex. For these businesses, online tools such as Switch, will refrain from showing images of the candidates until they are matched up with a job.
“Technology has gotten us to a point where we begin to forget some of our roots as it relates to interviewing,” says Ryan Carfley, President of Personify. “That’s everything from interview preparation, to follow-up notes that are handwritten, to dressing professionally for the interview, even if it’s a casual office setting.”
“This seems so simple to previous generations of job seekers,” adds Wooten, “but Millennials are often falling by the wayside with these types of differentiators.”
Moreover, social media can be both helpful and hurtful, especially since online impressions are made earlier and earlier. “Networking via social media is a great tool but it is just one way to make connections or find information about organizations,” says Scott Orvis, Director of College Counseling at Saint Mary’s School. “It is valuable to have a presence, though being mindful of what appears there and the impression it could leave on a potential connection or employer is important.”
What’s a job seeker to do? How do you balance being tech savvy with the traditional aspects of finding a job? How can you be unique without being overwhelming? “Just be you,” Harrison suggests. “Be persistent but not annoying. Figure out your brand and sell it. Beyond credentials, people hire personality.”
NO! Employers like to get a feel for your web presence. Your social media is the best way to display your real personality. What do you like? What do you do in your spare time? Do you have a lot of connections? Pictures of friends and family? The larger your online social sphere, the more your future boss will get to know about you.
But… Monitor what your current posts and your previous ones too. Older (more embarrassing) posts might best be deleted or hidden with privacy filters. Don’t wipe your whole slate clean but be cognizant of how your posts will portray you as. Overly personal information and public drama can be off-putting to employers (and maybe even to your friends).
Job Hunting Apps You Need to Know About
Switch
Keep your information private! Looking for a new job can compromise your current position. This app allows your to browse and apply to tech jobs anonymously
JobSnap
Geared towards Generation Z, this app focuses on part-time or seasonal work in hospitality, retail and restaurants.
Jobaware
Sync all of your job search platforms into one easy-to-use application. Browse jobs in one location. View company and salary information from other users.
JobCompass
Is commute the biggest factor in your job search? Use this GPS based app to apply to jobs located near where you want to work.
City Hour
Avoid the additional steps to land that interview. Connect your Linked-In account to browse nearby employers and positions and set up a meeting directly to their phone.
Snagajob
Don’t need a full time job? Use this app to browse part time, contract, and seasonal positions available near you.
by Kelly Nurge | Oct 10, 2016 | October 2016, Retreat, Stuff
Families aren’t the only ones benefitting from Raleigh’s hot real estate market. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), in 2015, women accounted for 15 percent of real estate purchases, compared to 11 percent in 1981. Their male counterparts were only 9 percent of the market share in 2015, down from 10 percent in 1981. So why are women outbuying men? According to the NAR survey, the top three driving factors for home buying is the need to nest, the need for more space, and relocation for family or career.
“We no longer want to wait to get married to do something that we used to think we would only do as a couple,” says Justine Wayne, who purchased her home in Chapel Hill two years ago through the Orange County Community Home Trust. “I was renting a small place after separating from my ex-husband. We had owned previously ,and paying the rent [now] felt like I was throwing money away.”
Nancy Johnson, a loan officer for Movement Mortgage, knows the benefits of single homeownership well. She has purchased 10 homes throughout her life, the three most recent as a single woman living in the Triangle. From her side of the mortgage desk, Johnson has noticed the trend increasing as women are buying on their own now more than ever.
“Many women are realizing they can do it on their own,” says Johnson, “I’m not seeing a lot of women right out of college buying homes but mid-20s to early 30s women, young professionals, are buying more than ever.” The largest group of women Johnson is working with is baby boomers: “Women in their 50s may be finding themselves single, and they’re more confident to get into that arena of being a homeowner,” she says.
With rates remaining low on mortgages, the incentive to buy has never been greater. “Personal advantages to home buying include tax write-offs, you don’t have to worry about someone raising the rent on you, and there’s more control of your life,” says Johnson. “If you’re going to be paying for someone’s mortgage, it might as well be yours.”
Builders have noticed the girl power trend, too. More interior designs and layouts are customized to what most women buyers are looking for: Chef’s kitchens with plenty of storage, green living, advanced security systems and low maintenance living are all hot selling features geared to entice female buyers.
