NC Highway Patrol Placing Troopers Every 20 Miles Along I-40 During Thanksgiving Holiday

Charlotte Stories
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NC Highway Patrol Placing Troopers Every 20 Miles Along I-40 During Thanksgiving Holiday

North Carolina Highway Patrol has just announced they will be joining the ‘Thanksgiving I-40 Challenge’ for 2020.

According to a press release from the American Automobile Association (AAA), the North Carolina State Highway Patrol will be peppering the major interstate during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Starting on Thursday, Nov. 26th, State Troopers will be placed every 20 miles along I-40 to monitor for speeding, DWIs, DUIs, occupant protection, and texting.

“Ninety percent of those traveling this Thanksgiving to visit with family and friends will be doing so with a road trip,” said Tiffany Wright, AAA Carolinas Traffic Safety Foundation President. “The sheer volume of vehicles on the road make this holiday such a dangerous time to travel that’s why we can’t stress enough how important it is to practice safety behind the wheel. Buckle up, don’t speed, never drive distracted or impaired.”

I-40 is the third longest highway in America, stretching all the way from Wilmington, NC to Barstow, CA. It takes 37 hours to drive the entire 2,558 mile length (and about 854 hours to walk it);

Law enforcement agencies in all of the states I-40 touches have now committed to the campaign, including; Arizona, Arkansas, California, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.

The collaborative Interstate 40 Challenge has an overall goal of seeing zero traffic fatalities during the Thanksgiving holiday week.

Last year, the NC Highway Patrol reported the campaign as a success – 0 recorded traffic deaths on I-40.

Things To Consider Before Purchasing a Condo

Sandra Young
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Things To Consider Before Purchasing a Condo

Whether you plan to live in a beach house full-time or buy a property, there are a few aspects you need to know before purchasing it. So, let’s get started!

Before beginning your search, make sure you understand your budget and requirements carefully, and you are fully aware of financial and weather risks. 

Making the right purchase is critical because this life-changing decision will affect your future. To better help you, get the proper guidance from local real estates brokers like Chatburn Living and others in the area.

You also need to hire a qualified real estate agent with extensive experience buying and selling coastal property. When you start looking for a beach house, always remember to put these ten things first when you buy a home.

If you are trying to find an oceanfront beach home, you should consider the Myrtle Beach Homes for Sale Oceanfront.

Construction and Foundation

Whether it is a hurricane or an Oriental threatening a coastal town, the number one priority is to make coastal homes as resistant to the weather as possible. 

If the risk of flooding in your area is high, and there are likely to be a large number of storm surges, consider purchasing a beach house on stilts. 

The component must also be heat and storm-tolerant and sturdy enough to survive heavy rain and extreme heat. 

Usually, the best construction materials for coastline residences are concrete and reasonably strong material. Concrete is commonly considered to be a safe and most reliable building material for condos. 

Compared to most wooden dwellings, these types of homes are more resistant to strong winds and heavy rain.

Property Management or HOA Fees

Suppose the oceanfront house is not your primary residence. In that case, you might want a property maintenance service to ensure taking care of the home when you are away.

It means that someone has to coordinate all pest control services, landscaping, maintenance needs, and rental agreements. These services’ costs can be high and should be considered when planning your budget for a beach house.

Roof

The last thing you would want is to purchase a home to discover later that the roof needs a replacement. 

Due to the harsh weather in many coastal areas, beach houses’ roofs will certainly have more wear and tear than regular homes. 

The cost of repairing the roof is about $25,000, so it is better to select a condo with a completely new top built of sturdy, weatherproof components.

Proximity to Water

For example, while living close to the water is certainly comfortable and the resale value is high, it will increase the flood risk and insurance factor. 

If your home is built with top-class building materials and you can afford any possible repair costs, living near water may be more suitable.

Outdoor Living Area

Another factor due to which you are renting a condo is to spend more time outside. 

Therefore, the outdoor living space of the beach house should be assessed. 

Do you have a terrace or a veranda? What about the sea view? Is the neighborhood calm or crowded? Does the home have a swimming pool or an outdoor recreation area? 

Flood Risk

Besides the damage due to the wind, the properties are also affected by hurricanes and storms. It would be best if you consider the risk of floods while purchasing a condo. 

The first thing to do is to make sure your home is built with flood protection materials. Then, investigate whether the house is in a high-risk zone. 

It is also worth considering whether the house is located on a higher elevation or on a slightly higher slope to prevent flooding during heavy rain.

Potential Rental Income

Are you planning to rent a beach house? If so, be sure to evaluate if the homes on the coast produce a good return on investment. Suppose the monthly rental charges, upkeep requirements, and initial costs are excessive. 

In this scenario, a house on the beach is not a reasonable short-term bet. Also, it is always cheaper to rent beach houses with more than one suite. So aim to resist owning a one-bedroom beach house if you intend to rent one. 

Make sure to consider all the HOA rules before you purchase. Also, we recommend that you research nearby rentals to find out about the competition.

Check out these Luxurious Condos you can rent by night!

Insurance Rates

It is not surprising that you can expect an increase in homeowner’s insurance when you buy a beach house. Also, people living near the coast may require flood insurance, which is an additional expense. 

When purchasing a beach house, talk to your insurance agent about insurance rates. Always shop around for the best price. 

You will be surprised that one insurance company’s rates differ significantly from others.

Neighbors

The last thing you have to do if you are searching for a peaceful holiday home is purchasing a property beside a vibrant household. Also, do surveys on the road and in the community while you buy a beach condo. 

It is also a vital question of whether the beach house has friendly neighbors willing to pay attention to your location when you leave.

Conclusion

Ultimately, whether it is a good idea to buy a waterfront property is up to you. For some, sand, fees, and tourists are a small price to pay for a slice of private paradise. 

For others, these very things can turn heaven into hell. Living in a condo has both benefits and drawbacks. Now it’s up to you what’s more important to you!

Check out the reasons why owning oceanfront properties is a great idea!

Buying Lakeside Vacation Home in Iowa

Sandra Young
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Buying Lakeside Vacation Home in Iowa

It’s time you knew you deserve it. There cannot be a better retreat, a better place to relax. 

Iowa— a state with 34 natural lakes and numerous others, man-made. The deepest and some of the most spectacular of them is called the Iowa Great Lakes which surround the east, south, and west edges of the town of Okoboji.

Owning a vacation home overlooking a lake has always been a dream for so many peace-seeking persons and families. And Iowa appears to be the best place to get a home like that. There are several waterfront real estates with cozy and dazzling houses around most of the lakes built only for vacation and recreation.

Tips Before you Buy a Vacation Home

Before you dive into action you need to consider the following tips listed here just to make you watchful:

Stay Within Your Budget

With the vast ocean of information buzzing around the internet, there is no reason for you to be in the dark without doing some ‘homework’ with your chosen area.

You need to calculate what your estimated mortgage payment would be if you are not paying cash. When it comes to the mortgage payment you want to be smart and realistic about what you can shell out for a down payment, closing cost, and the continuing monthly payment. 

Additional Cost

These costs include property insurance, property taxes, condo or homeowners fee, additional maintenance (lawn care, power washing the property, painting and cleaning gutters, etc.), some one-time expenses like the breakage of your dishwasher or air conditioner, some annual carrier and utility costs like phone and internet.

Remember, maintenance runs about 1% per year of the purchase price.

Condo or Single Family Residence

Well, there are pros and cons to each of the options. You sit down with a piece of paper and compare the pros and cons of each of them. There shouldn’t be much problem deciding which one is suitable for you. One of the main considerations for you will be to decide, whether it is going to be a vacation home that you will sell someday or it will be a retirement home for you.

Rental Restrictions

Whether it is a condominium or a single-family home, all communities are going to have rules. Rules that pertain to renting the property out. Most of them are going to have a minimum amount of time on the lease like 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, or even a year.

Sometimes there are rules like a waiting period before you can rent it out. Some communities even have a three-year waiting period.

There are many other rules like that which you need to study carefully before you buy your property.

Property Management

Most people buy properties which they will not use round the year and therefore leave the responsibility of caretaking to a property manager. He can charge from 8% to 10% of the rent to handle advertising the property, writing the leases, collecting the rent, or paying the taxes. 

Location

We will be discussing this part shortly. But for now, you need to consider what you are going to do most of the time when you are not at home. If you want to play golf there are some good places like Rice Lake Golf and Country Club or Lakeview Country Club. If you are fond of walking along the lakeside you have more options.  

Here are some of the best places to search for:

The Great Lakes of Iowa, around Okoboji

This is one of the most attractive and most visited vacation resorts in Iowa. Surrounded by the great lakes from three sides the town of Okoboji has got an extraordinary identity. The whole shoreline is teeming with hundreds of vacation spots, leisure homes, and parks. But the western side is fabulous. Archaeologists confirmed that more than 14000 years ago a glacier made its snaking way through this place and gradually created the lakes.

The west lake is the deepest among all the lakes of Iowa, going down a maximum depth of 136 feet and making it the 3rd most visited lake in the entire USA.

Clear Lake

Lying 30 miles south of the Minnesota border, the lakeside town and the lake itself, named the Clear Lake, are fantastic places to visit. You can visit the legendary surf ballroom and museum, see the plane crash site, eat at Starboard Market, enjoy endless watersports on Clear Lake, do fishing, visit the Central Gardens of North Iowa, fly a kite on the frozen lake in the annually held Wind Kite festival, hop on a bicycle or cruise the lake on the classic paddlewheel boat in the first weekend of August. There are so many things to do here in the lake and the town. 

Also, the waterfront homes and condominiums are quite reasonable in price and style. The average condos are around $2,600,000 and single-family homes are around $6,000,000— much more ‘within the reach’ for an average vacation lover. The ones closely overlooking the lake are a bit high in price and the more you push eastward or northward inside the town the less the price is.

For more information, you can visit the informative site featuring Clear Lake homes for sale. 

Being a less visited lake than the west lake Okoboji, you can have a comparatively peaceful and tranquil life here.

Lake Panorama

Stretching from northeast to southwest of this lake, when viewed by zooming in, gets a spectacular look of a legendary dragon. And the views around the whole lake are simply awesome. It is an hour away from Des Moines. This is the largest private lake in the state and all along its shores, there are more than a thousand condos and single-family homes. 

Lake panorama resort is a magnificent place to visit and a great get-away destination. 

The simple and smooth life around the lake makes it a unique place to spend your vacation time.

There are so many other places to visit that you can decide for yourself. But these three places have got some extraordinary characteristics that make them stand out from others.

Charlotte Company Launches LoveStream – A New Virtual Wedding Platform

Steve
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Charlotte Company Launches LoveStream – A New Virtual Wedding Platform

2020 has been a whirlwind year for engaged couples who are navigating ever-changing COVID restrictions, rescheduling, and replanning their special day. And that’s not even including the annual stressors that the holiday season brings.

This is why the Charlotte-based company, Bustld, launched LoveStream, a virtual wedding platform, in April 2020. Since its launch, the one-way streaming platform has enabled hundreds of couples to celebrate their big day virtually with their loved ones from all around the world, in a safe way.

On their wedding day, LoveStream enables couples to live stream their wedding from any personal device with a webcam while handling the complicated tech. For guests, they simply click a URL to watch. With no app to download, no logging in and no admitting guests, LoveStreram is so easy grandma can do it.

With the theme of this year being virtual, they are offering a special deal each day of Thanksgiving weekend:

  • Black Friday – Purchase any LoveStream package, receive an additional 30 minutes of stream time and custom virtual invitation for free ($150 value)
  • Small Business Saturday – Purchase a LoveStream Plus or Premium package, receive an additional stream (more angles to capture the big day!) and custom virtual invitation for free ($250 value)
  • Sunday Special – Purchase any LoveStream package, receive a free website rush and custom virtual invitation ($100 value)
  • Cyber Monday – Purchase the LoveStream Premium package, receive $200 off

For more information, you can visit their website here or purchase here.

How Has Charlotte Weathered Economic Strain Caused by COVID-19

Samantha jeorge
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How Has Charlotte Weathered Economic Strain Caused by COVID-19

Charlotte has been one of the Eastern hot spots for growing commerce and suburban living for years. Amid the ongoing pandemic, this part of the state has seen a major shift in consumer and local activity.

The pandemic has changed the way many around the country live, and Charlotte is no different. Read on to learn more about key ways this city has been impacted socially, financially, and infrastructurally during the ongoing health crisis.

Financial Instability for Homeowners

Charlotte is a growing real estate sphere, but there are significant costs and regulations that impact homeowners on all levels of the income scale.

Homes are selling like hotcakes in the Greater Charlotte area, spending an average of just 35 days on the market before sale. But, social distancing measures have completely changed the real estate transaction. The process can take longer to close, and this has caused issues with short sales and emergency transactions.

Although low interest rates are coaxing more new investors to make the jump into the real estate sphere, stringent regulations surrounding e-notaries and virtual services can make it tricky to get started. Even among investors, foreclosures are climbing in the Charlotte area.

Consequently, economic strain has bled onto the renter pool. Homeowners might be struggling to cover their living costs, because renters have faced the same struggles with job loss, pay cuts, and medical expenses.

As renters across the greater area have fallen unable to pay rent, property owners are on the hook for the difference. The pandemic has caused a high level of unemployment across the country, which has reached a level of 3.9% in Charlotte alone.

This dip means that more and more people are having trouble making ends meet, including paying for living costs that cut into the budgets’ of their landlords.

For homeowners who don’t manage renters, refinancing a mortgage can serve as a small respite to help investors save money by taking advantage of low federal interest rates.

Small Businesses Struggle through Lockdown

The “Queen City” might be a bustling national epicenter for growing businesses, but this part of the country is just as vulnerable as any other.

Since many businesses were forced to shut their doors, talks of another impending lockdown has sent a wave of uncertainty through the Charlotte area. For non-essential companies that can’t easily move online, more downtime can make or break business in Q4.

For small business owners who need a little push to get through this time, there are a few short-term financial solutions that have gained popularity during the pandemic. Fast money loans, which can be found simply by typing “loans or title pawn near me” in any search bar.

To find out if borrowers are eligible for title loans, personal loans, or even private business loans, many services offer online rate calculators to speed up the process. Users simply need to enter some indendigying and financial information about the nature of their loan, and they can obtain liquid cash in just a few days – or minutes.

Social and Commercial Changes

As one of the largest cities in the local area, Charlotte has seen a major shift in how locals and tourists can experience the metro.

Limited indoor gatherings means no clubbing or bar hopping, and music venues have all but been eradicated for the time being. Entertainment businesses and venues continue to navigate through the ongoing changes in rules and regulations.

This has prompted restaurants, bars, and other venues to move outdoors to be able to accommodate social distancing and safety measures.

Masking is more heavily enforced compared to earlier in the pandemic, but many eateries and retail shops have found ways to stay open regardless.

Although the pandemic has changed the world of commerce as we’ve known it, Charlotte is one of the cities with the highest potential to bounce back. As a leading tech and cultural hub, businesses are quickly adapting to distancing measures and a growing dependency on digitization.

It’s seen a significant hit in recent months, but this city is withstanding the economic strain caused by COVID-19.

Charlotte Restaurant Builds ‘Dining Igloos’ To Keep Patrons Safe, Warm, and Fed During Winter

Charlotte Stories
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Charlotte Restaurant Builds ‘Dining Igloos’ To Keep Patrons Safe, Warm, and Fed During Winter

With COVID numbers continuing to spike, and new mask and social distancing restrictions being placed on all North Carolinians, once Charlotte restaurant has developed a creative way to keep patrons safe, warm, and well fed.

The Goodyear House has just constructed several isolated “igloos” with personal heaters and sanitized interiors in their outdoor dining area.

According to the restaurant, they are now taking “very limited reservations” for the igloos at a $25 upcharge (which will go directly toward their 501-c3 Goodyear Giving program).

To reserve your own Igloo, you can call The Goodyear House at (704)910-0132 or visit their website here.

What do you think about the new concept?

South Carolina Has The 2nd Quickest Weekly Unemployment Claims Recovery

Charlotte Stories
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South Carolina Has The 2nd Quickest Weekly Unemployment Claims Recovery

With COVID-19’s continued grip on the U.S. and an uptick in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, new unemployment claims increased slightly week-over-week on November 16, but were still 89% below the peak during the COVID-19 pandemic. To help add some context to these statistics, WalletHub just released updated rankings for the States Whose Weekly Unemployment Claims Are Recovering the Quickest.

To identify which states’ workforces are experiencing the quickest recovery from COVID-19, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across three metrics based on changes in unemployment claims.

States Whose Unemployment Claims Are Recovering the Quickest

State Recovered Most Since Last Week  Recovered Most Since Start of COVID-19 Crisis 
New Jersey 1 3
South Carolina 2 36
West Virginia 3 9
Pennsylvania 4 8
Wyoming 5 4
Oregon 6 1
Connecticut 7 2
District of Columbia 8 25
South Dakota 9 39
Arkansas 10 12
Wisconsin 11 10
Maine 12 40
New York 13 22
Missouri 14 18
Utah 15 14
Oklahoma 16 46
North Carolina 17 43
Vermont 18 6
Nebraska 19 30
Iowa 20 5
Montana 21 7
North Dakota 22 23
Texas 23 20
Delaware 24 19
Arizona 25 11
Tennessee 26 35
Mississippi 27 42
Idaho 28 21
Kentucky 29 45
Michigan 30 31
Minnesota 31 32
Nevada 32 27
Rhode Island 33 17
Hawaii 34 33
Ohio 35 24
Washington 36 28
Georgia 37 51
California 38 15
New Hampshire 39 49
Maryland 40 26
Alabama 41 38
Massachusetts 42 29
Alaska 43 16
Florida 44 50
Louisiana 45 48
Illinois 46 13
Virginia 47 47
Indiana 48 44
Colorado 49 34
Kansas 50 41
New Mexico 51 37

Rank 1 = Most Recovered

To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-unemployment-claims/72730/.

Johnson C. Smith Named Best Small College for Job Placement in North Carolina

Charlotte Stories
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Johnson C. Smith Named Best Small College for Job Placement in North Carolina

Ahead of the fall 2020 semester, Johnson C. Smith University is taking top honors in a new survey released by Zippia.  According to the career expert site, Charlotte’s HBCU is the best small college in the state when it comes to job placement for students.

Using information found on the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Zippia searched for the college in each state with an enrollment level between 1,000 to 5,000. From there, they cross-referenced the small colleges with data from College Scorecard to find the highest listed job placement ratings, looking at employment levels 10 years after students have graduated.

JCSU topped the list in North Carolina with a 93% rating.

Choice Between Painted and Stained Coated Wooden Kitchen Cabinets Can be a Personal Preference

Rico Mckinney
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Choice Between Painted and Stained Coated Wooden Kitchen Cabinets Can be a Personal Preference

Cabinets in a kitchen require to be finished to suit the decor that you have, and this will require you to choose between having painted cabinets or those that are stained. There can be no right or wrong choice and both the options are excellent and can provide your kitchen with cabinets that can give you long years of service. It is ultimately the personal preference that will decide whether you will have your cabinets painted or stained. 

Painted cabinets will present a smooth and unvarying appearance, other than any color variations of the color scheme you have adopted for its different parts. Paint adheres to the surface and will show only the color that is used. It is a finish that can be used on wood or particle fibreboard, a material that many kitchen cabinets are often made of. Once a cabinet is painted, it is not possible to know what material has been used for making it. Stain provides a thinner coat, and this will allow the grain in the wood to show through and highlight the unique features of the wood that has been used. Staining is possible only on cabinets made with natural wood, which can be found at https://woodwhiz.com/best-clear-coat-for-kitchen-cabinets. 

Even where kitchen cabinets are carefully used, they will suffer some scratches and nicks during their use, especially in households where there are many users. It is easy to touch up cabinets that have a stained finish, as there is a wide variety of touch up markers available in the market. It is difficult to touch up these defects on a painted cabinet, especially on surfaces that have been sprayed and not brushed. Repairing nicks or scratches with a brush will never give you the original smooth surface. When these defects are many, the only solution may be to completely repaint the entire surface.    

Painted surfaces of kitchen cabinets may require a higher expenditure than stained cabinets, and the difficulty in touching up makes them still more expensive in the long run, if surfaces have to be repainted. Painting gives you a wider choice of colors for your decor, and even makes it easy to change the looks of a kitchen completely with a change in color. Stained coat cabinets will always look the same, though they do have a timeless and traditional look that is  hard to beat.  

The exact type of paint used in painted cabinets can decide how they will finally look, and here there is wide choice from those that are water based, oil based, or in the form of varnishes. Spraying of paint on cabinets will produce a far smoother finish than paint that is brushed on. Brushed on paint is easier to touch up. Stain requires the wood used to be flat and free of knots and heavy grains. Paint is a  modern way of finishing that is more widely used.  The range of colors that you can have are virtually unlimited, allowing you to create a kitchen that is unique. Painted cabinets will hid dust easily, especially if the colors are lighter. Paint can be expensive and can show the signs of cracks, especially those cabinets that are close to cooking ranges and stoves. 

Stained cabinets will never go out of style and will give the kitchen a classic look. They have a high resale value and will fetch your house a better price if and when you decide to sell it. It is cheaper than paint, and is easy to touch up so that it always looks fresh and refreshing. It is important that the wood on which stain is used must have attractive grain. The only design options that you can exercise with stain is the addition of beading and other features to the wooden surface.

America’s Longest Pedestrian Bridge Lit Up For Christmas Just A Few Hours West of Charlotte

Charlotte Stories
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America’s Longest Pedestrian Bridge Lit Up For Christmas Just A Few Hours West of Charlotte

The longest pedestrian bridge in North America is just lit up over 40,000 Christmas lights 140 feet in the air to cap off one of the Charlotte region’s most impressive Christmas displays.

The 680-foot-long bridge now includes a 300-foot-long lighted tunnel that pedestrians can walk through while dangling above the clouds.

The new display is called “Lights Over Gatinburg” and is now open at the recently constructed SkyBridge and SkyDeck, just a few hours west of Charlotte.

To find out more about the SkyBridge or to reserver your slot to walk across, you can visit their website here.

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