If you’re a parent relocating to Raleigh NC, you’ll pleased to know that there are lots of fun family-friendly activities throughout the Triangle area.

Exploris Hands On Interactive Museum
Exploris offers fun ways for kids (and adults) to learn more about the world around them. From different forms of communication, to understanding the global marketplace, to learning about Earth’s natural resources, kids will gain a deeper sense of understanding of their environment while having a great time. Hands on exhibits, summer camps, and after school programs make Exploris a fun place to visit throughout the year.

Gypsy Divers Aquatic Center
Swim lessons, swim camp, diving, birthday pool parties, swim scuba – it’s all here at the Gypsy Diver’s 12,800 square feet of indoor pool in Raleigh.

North Carolina Museum of Art
Kids are natural artists and exposing them to art early at this incredible art museum can help establish a life-long appreciation for art. Throughout the year there are different exhibitions, collections, events and activities, creating a fresh and exciting experience each time you visit.

Fishing Classes
How fun! Kids and adults alike can learn the basics of bass fishing, fly fishing, and saltwater fishing in a variety of fishing programs throughout the year.

For a great list of things to do in Raleigh and throughout the Triangle area visit the City of Raleigh website.

For more information about relocating to Raleigh, visit Buyer’s Advantage Group.

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Most people assume that if you’re buying a new home that you don’t need a home inspection. You might be surprised. We’ve seen a lot of occurrences lately with people finding problems with new homes that they assumed they didn’t need to have inspected.

If you find problems before you buy the home, you have the right to ask the builder to fix them. Once the builder is gone, it is extremely difficult to motivate the builder to return once they’ve been paid. A lot of times, the homeowner ends up footing the bill.

Though new homes are inspected by the municipalities, the municipalities simply don’t have the time to do a thorough inspection. Further, they do not get on the roof, which is where most of the damages are reported. Think about how many contractors are in an out and on top of a new house during its construction process. With all of this activity, the probability of damage occurring is quite high.

If you’re buying a new home, seriously consider bringing in a home inspection specialist! Don’t rely on your eyesight alone. Major problems can be hiding in places you can’t see of where you’d never expect to look.

To help homebuyers understand more about what home inspectors do and where common problems occur, we’ve created a 20 minute Flash presentation where you see a home inspection in Raleigh NC from the perspective of a home inspector.

Whether you’re buying a new or used home, this is definitely a video you’ll want to check out. If you do find problems, you have all the rights. Ask the seller to fix the problem or reduce the price. Waiting to find problems later usually gives them time to get worse and means that you’ll end up paying it out of pocket!

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What is the difference between an exclusive buyers agent and other real estate agents? An exclusive buyer’s agent is one that ONLY works with buyers, not sellers – buy why does this matter? The most important reason is that there is no conflict of interest.

When the agent selling your home works is the seller for or works in the same office with the agent selling the home, bias can set in. Whether it’s the price of the house or the condition of the home, when you are buying, having an agent that is unbiased can make a world of difference.

As a home buyer, you’ve got to do your homework. Some agents call themselves buyer’s agents, but if they work for an agency that also sells homes, they have a fiduciary obligation to try and sell the homes they have listed first. As you can imagine, this does not give you the most unbiased approach to home buying. There may be another home listed by another agency that is just right for you, but an agent working for an agency that sells homes will normally show you their listing first.

Here’s a link to a good list of items that we as exclusive buyer’s agent perform for our Raleigh real estate clients. Even if you’re not in Raleigh you can use this checklist as a guide for interviewing potential agents to sell your home.

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One of the biggest hassles of moving is packing – and one of the biggest hassles of packing is finding boxes! For a commodity that is disposable, the cost of cardboard boxes sure is expensive.Â

Getting boxes from local retailers can be a major pain. Most retailers today send their boxes straight to the compactor. Others get shipments on certain days and you’ve got to get there at just the right time to get a few. The only other option for getting free boxes is to scrounge around in dumpsters, feeling less than respectable while poking around through disgusting garbage.Â

If you’re looking for an easier route, don’t overlook the internet! Instead of paying high prices as rental truck and storage facilities, the internet allows you to find the most competitive prices without even leaving home.Â

Here are a couple of interesting places we found online with good deals on packing supplies:

Moving Day Boxes.com

When you go to the store to buy boxes and supplies, it’s almost guaranteed that you won’t get the right amount for the job. Moving Day Boxes offers “kits” with boxes, tape, and markers that you can select based on the number of rooms you’re moving. The kit shown below of 36 boxes (you get two of what you see pictured) costs $93 and is recommended for a 2-3 room home.

Box Kits.com

Box Kits.com uses a quick online calculator tool that allows you to select the number of rooms in your house and then recommends a kit that includes boxes, tape, bubble wrap, and markers. The best part – shipping is free!

The price for 48 boxes from BoxKit.com (recommended for 3 room home) plus 110 yards of packing tape, 80 feet of bubble wrap and 2 markers costs $129.95.

ULine Boxes

Need odd shaped boxes? ULine has boxes for all sorts of odd shaped items like floor lamps, bicycles, golf clubs, mattresses, and art.Â

The cost to pack a 2-4 bedroom home with ULine which includes 60 boxes, 6 tape rolls, 1 bubble wrap roll, newsprint bundle, 1 knife and 1 marker is $149.

If you’re facing the moving blues, we hope this helps relieve some of the frustration that packing can bring on. When you’re organized the entire process from packing up your old place to starting fresh in your new home can be a much more pleasant experience!

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