Get The Most Bang for Your Buck

How does an unlimited fund dedicated towards remodeling your home sound? Most of us would gladly accept such an offer; however, the reality is that most of us are on a budget of some kind. The good news is that home improvement projects don't have to break the bank to yield effective results. Here are some helpful hints to point you in the right direction (towards improving your home for as little $ as possible that is):

1. Give your kitchen cabinets a makeover! ($1000)
- Give your cabinetry a new look with a fresh coat of paint (or wood stain)
- Automatically improve their appearance by installing new hardware
- Get professional help for about $540 or do it yourself for the bargain
price of about $200

2. Create an office nook! ($250)
- If you don't have an empty room to use for an office, try making room for
a nook in a room corner or unused closet
- Closet kits, shelves, hanging hardware, and rolling file carts are all
perfect igredients to create an office nook that maximizes utility and
minimizes cost

3. Organize and de-clutter your garage! ($1000)
- Invest in slatwall systems to organize your garage
- Look for systems that allow you to hang hooks, shelves, and baskets so you
can increase space
- A garage organization project is an extremely low cost, high yield project
- Learn more about storeWALL units and how to order them here and here

4. Give your closet structure! ($500)
- Empty your closet and decide what to keep, what to trash, and what to
donate
- Go online at Rubber Maid and choose an organization system that fit's your
closet's measurements

If it is value that you are trying to add to your home, try these helpful hints:
1. Replace a window! ($500)
- If you have a window that is leaky or extremely difficult to open or
close, replace it and add value to your home in the process
- Tip: If you purchase an Energy Star-qualified window before December 30,
2011, you can claim a tax credit for %10 of the cost!

2. Hard-wire a room! ($1000)
- A hard-wired system is a small prject that will payoff when selling
- Hard-wired system will provide faster data transmission and more security
and reliability

If you are not planning to sell, and are looking to add style to your home, read below:
1. Remodel an entrance! ($250)
- Brighten up your home';s front entrance by paiting the front door with an
accent color
- Install new hardware on your front door for even more style
- Replace your old, beat up mailbox
- Make your house unique and personal by adding customized house numbers to
the front exterior

2. Update your lighting! ($500)
- Get rid of outdated light fixtures and put fashionable fixtures in their
place
- If you don't have the budget to update all of your light fixtures, start
with the fixtures in the most noticeable spots (Ex. Dining-room table)

We hope our tips help and we wish you happy home re-modeling!

Maitland Law Rocking the House- Tar Heel Style!

Maitland Law congratulates the Tar Heel Men's and Ladies' Basketball Teams for their berths in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA National Championships. GO HEELS! We are also celebrating our own "March Madness" by hitting our 3,000th real estate closing this month!

Can't make it to the basketball games this weekend? How about UNC baseball's home series vs. Dook? Game times have been adjusted as to not conflict with the basketball games, Friday now at 3:00, Saturday at 2:00, and Sunday at 1:00. GO HEELS!

No More Warnings!

As of November 30, 2010, there will be no more warnings given out by North Carolina State police/authorities for obscured license plates and illegal license plate covers. Those unlucky enough to be caught with an obscured license plate will be subject to a $100 fine and court costs. This new law, which applies only to vehicles that are registered in North Carolina, has been implemented to ensure law enforcement safety. It may seem unimportant, but in reality, there are several states that use the same license plate color schemes as North Carolina. It is a safety issue if police officers and state troopers cannot see the state name or registration information on license plates, because it could mean that the tags are falsified. In order to avoid being stopped and fined, be sure to take a second look at your own vehicle. If any information is obscured by a license plate frame, do yourself a favor and remove the frame! Find more detailed information about the new law here.

Example of what NOT to have on your vehicle:



Example of an APPROVED license plate: