The American economy is a walking contradiction that can not endure in its current state. Today, even as the Case Shiller index reported the eighth successive month of home-price declines, the Dow is posting a multi-year high of 12,600.

Large companies, such as Caterpillar, Cisco and Microsoft, are posting huge earnings, as homeowners, the consumers, are losing equity in their homes. The fact is that, somehow, the same people who are in danger of being underwater on their mortgages are temporarily finding the means to spend, or are optimistic enough about finding the means to spend to drive up stock prices.

At first glance, one might reckon that consumer optimism is being driven by an improvement in the jobs market, as the national unemployment rate has improved from 9.8 percent in November to 8.8 percent in March; but those numbers are meaningless. The one-point decline in the percentage of Americans who file jobless claims can be attributed mostly to people leaving the job market ... Read More

For many, selling property marks the end of an age. It's a physical representation of the changing dynamics within your family, your relationship, or your career. A change of this magnitude isn't easy. Leaving memories behind can be incredibly difficult. Take photographs, host a moving party, but before you put that For Sale sign in your yard, make sure you and your home have said your goodbyes.

It may sound harsh, but once it goes on the market, you are open for business and the customer thinks he's always right. If you're still emotionally attached to your home, it's much harder to hear a stranger's criticism and respond objectively. Aside from getting your head, heart and nerves in order, it's crucial to get your home in order before opening it to the world.

Chances are, if there are more than a couple red flags, it won't sell. And, if your house isn't selling, you're wasting time. Wasting time can drag the price of your property to its grave. The longer it sits on the market, the... Read More

Gateway to the United State's Second Largest Estuary, The Pamlico Sound, Washington, North Carolina is Gaining on its Past.

Washington, North Carolina is my town. I have lived other places, but Washington, as the western most incorporated municipality, sitting at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 17 and U.S. Hwy. 264, in my home county of Beaufort, is my home. It is the county seat of Beaufort, which is one of the oldest counties in North Carolina, established in 1712; with the village of Bath as the county's oldest town, as it is also the oldest town in all of North Carolina, which was one of the original 13 colonies in the United States of America.

That makes this area, at least by United States standards, a region that has been a viable entity for some time, with traditions that exist today as they existed over 200 years before our time here - and I've been here a good while.

Click on map to reveal an expanded view of central northeastern North Carolina.

The City of Washington... Read More