According to a Yahoo! news report published last week, Charlotte NC, Rock Hill SC’s larger neighbor, was named as the 19th best place for business and careers.
As published in the Yahoo! Real Estate news report:
“[Yahoo's] rankings looked at the 200 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., which range from the New York metro and its 11.7 million people to Olympia, Wash., with a population of 241,000. We examined each on 11 different criteria. Economic research firm Moody’s Economy.com supplied data on job growth over the past five years and projections through 2011. Economy.com also provided business and living cost data as well as income growth and migration trends.
We also turned to Bert T. Sperling, city researcher and co-author of Cities Ranked & Rated for some labor supply and quality of life information. Sperling furnished data on college attainment, crime rates, local colleges and cultural and recreational opportunities in the area.”
So even though our area has been hit with numerous after-effects of our flagging economy, it still looks as though Rock Hill SC, Fort Mill SC, and all the surrounding areas are positioned quite nicely. And once things start turning around, we’ll be that much better off!
Filed under Carolina Business News, Charlotte NC, Fort Mill SC, News Reports, Rock Hill SC by 
The first thing you, your guests or a prospective buyer sees when arriving at your house is your front yard. If your front yard is slovenly and unkempt, the first impression your home gives is one of carelessness, no matter how nice the rest of your house is, inside or out.
Creating an appealing front yard through the use of landscaping can alter the overall impression given by your home, making it more inviting and comfortable for your visitors and your family. Even in tough economic conditions, a pretty, well-tended front yard can push the price of your house upwards. When prospective buyers arrive at your home for a viewing, the sight of a delightful front yard will automatically set them to thinking about ‘coming home’ to your house.
Check the internet and bookshops to get ideas for your front yard. If you want to talk to someone who knows about landscaping, you can go to your local garden center to speak to a knowledgeable member of staff or ask a professional gardener or landscaper to help.
Things you need to bear in mind are the amount of space available, the height of walls or fences and keeping pathways and window areas clear, as well as the time of year, weather conditions and color combinations.
No matter what plants or flower you decide to put in, whether it is flowers to cover ground, foliage to fill space or vines to climb walls, it will almost certainly increase the value of your home by far more than the cost of the landscaping itself.
Whether you’re planning on selling your house or not, everybody loves plants and flowers, so let them add value to your home and your life.
This article is courtesy of EzineArticles.com and Castle Rock Landscaping
Let us help you plan your front yard!
Filed under Capital Improvements, Home Decorating by
As with any crisis that occurrs, whether it be a natural disaster or the current economic turmoil we’re experiencing, we’re going to see unscrupulous people come out of the woodwork trying to prey on the hardships of others. Well, it’s no different with the current mortgage and housing crisis we’re seeing across the country.
However, the Federal Government is taking steps to cut down on the number of victims of mortgage modification scams. As reported by CNBC today:
“Top federal and state officials on Monday announced a broad crackdown on mortgage modification scams, accusing “criminal actors” of preying on desperate borrowers caught up in the nation’s housing crisis.
Government officials say scammers are seeking to take advantage of borrowers in danger of default by charging them upfront fees of $1,000 to $3,000 for help with loan modifications that rarely, if ever, pay off.
“These predatory scams callously rob Americans of their savings and potentially their homes,” Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said. “We will shut down fraudulent companies more quickly than before. We will target companies that otherwise would have gone unnoticed under the radar.”
The Federal Trade Commission has sent warning letters to 71 companies it says were running suspicious advertisements.”
Now, are there viable, legitimate organizations that can help people in need of help? Definitely. However, it’s important that you do your homework and investigate any such organization offering to help. Check with the Better Business Bureau, ask for references, and don’t hand over any money until you’ve checked multiple sources.
In this case, help is available for free from government-approved housing counselors. You can find a list of them here: www.makinghomeaffordable.gov
Filed under News Reports by
According to an AP report, AAA is reporting that gas prices in the Carolinas have stabilized and aren’t likely to increase too much over the upcoming Easter weekend.
The average price for a gallon of unleaded self-serve gasoline in North Carolina on Wednesday was $2.01 and $1.899 in South Carolina.
Charleston had South Carolina’s most expensive gasoline at $1.92, while some Fort Mill and Rock gas stations have hovered around $1.81 this week.
Source: Rock Hill Herald
Filed under Carolina Real Estate by
“South Carolina lawmakers say they’re likely to review penalties for numerous speeding convictions after three people died in a wreck that police say involved street racing.
Carlene Carol Atkinson, 44, of Lake Wylie, S.C., last week was being investigated for what role she might have played in an April 4 wreck that police say was triggered by two cars racing along N.C. 49 near the S.C. line. She has been convicted of speeding 14 times since 1999, state records show.”
It’s certainly a tragedy that these 3 people lost their lives to such senselessness and hopefully the SC lawmakers will take the time to review the current guidelines for speeding violations.
In NC, a driver can lose his license for racking up 12 points in a three year period. In addition, you could have your driver’s license is suspended for 30 days for driving at least 15 mph above a 55 mph speed limit.
In SC however, a person’s license isn’t suspended until it shows 12 points against it at one time, PLUS a driver gets half the points removed from his license each year, AND if a driver gets close to 12 points, he can take a driving class and get four points removed.
So the laws in SC are considerably different and it’s not to say the change would have prevented these unfortunate deaths, but it certainly could have!
Filed under News Reports, Random Thoughts by
