Four Craven County Elementary Schools Recognized for Outstanding Nutrition Environment NEW BERN, N.C. (November 20, 2008) - USDA Food and Nutrition Service Regional Administrator Don Arnette presented Gold Certificates to School Board Officials in Craven County, N.C. today for four of their elementary schools meeting USDA's HealthierUS School Challenge at the highest level.  The winning schools are:  Ben D. Quinn Elementary, 4275 Clarendon Boulevard, New Bern, N.C.  28562; Bridgeton Elementary, 230 Branch Canal Road, New Bern, N.C.  28560; Havelock Elementary, 201 Cunningham Boulevard, Havelock, N.C.  28532; and Oaks Road Elementary, 2811 Oaks Road, New Bern, N.C.  28560. These schools' achievements are very significant because obesity is a growing concern for school children in the Uni... 12/06/2008

  Christmas season in New Bern has so much to offer and here are some of the this years activity as I hope to see you there. Here in New Bern we try to keep Christmas traditional and you will be able to see and experience lots of traditional decoration as well as to get in to Historic New Bern sprite as we are celebrating up coming holidays. Don't forget to bring your children as they can experience some unforgettable time with Santa and so much more.   December 2008 in New Bern North Cariolina 11/7-12/24 International Annual Juried Sculpture Exhibit - Take a look at more than 30 works of sculpture on display at the Bank of the Arts and another 10 at the adjacent Sculpture Park. Admission is free. For more information please contact the Bank of the Arts at (252) 638-2577 11/28, 11/29, 1... 12/06/2008

             Tis season make sure to plan to attend The Tryon Palace Christmas Candlelight Tours The Tryon Palace Christmas Candlelight Tours have been recognized as one of the Top 20 Holiday Events in the southeastern United States by the Southeast Tourism Society since 2004.  This year's festivities offer visitors an opportunity to experience the holiday traditions that make the Tryon Palace holiday celebrations so very special.  The 2008 holiday season celebration begins the Friday after Thanksgiving, and runs through the end of December. Of course, the spectacular nature-inspired decorations that are the hallmarks of the Tryon Palace holiday season will once again beautifully complement each historic building. In addition to the Palace and the site's three historic homes, the Museum... 11/24/2008

Know what I like most about my company?  They give.  And give.  And give.  Between nationwide charity projects like KW Cares (check out kwcares.org) and our local branches of charities like The American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity, Keller Williams Realty is a company that just gives back, no questions, no excuses.  That ROCKS! This Saturday, November 22 beginning at 6:00pm the Keller Williams Realty New Bern Market Center will be hosting The Keller Williams Masquerade Charity Ball and Silent Auction to benefit Habitat for Humanity.  The event will be held downtown at the New Bern Farmer's Market on Front Street.  ALL proceeds from this event will go to Habitat for Humanity.  For the low, low price of $25.00 per ticket (or 2 for $40) you get unlimited heavy appetizers and desserts... 11/17/2008

OPEN HOUSE    WATERWAYS TO FAIRWAYS   10 Homes Open for you in River Bend Sat 11/08/2008 from 10 AM to 1 PM    151 Quarterdeck New Bern RIVER BEND $116,900         302 Carriage House Court New Bern RIVER BEND $159,900         904 Plantation Dr. New Bern RIVER BEND $179,900         287 Shoreline River Bend RIVER BEND $200,000         119 Randomwood Lane New Bern RIVER BEND $249,000         110 SAILORS CT. New Bern RIVER BEND $279,900         437 Gatewood Dr. New Bern RIVER BEND $284,876         103 Captains Cove New Bern RIVER BEND $300,000         106 Teakwood Dr. New Bern RIVER BEND $239,000         316 Shoreline Drive New Bern RIVER BEND $334,900 Please come out and visit us! We will have 10 of our listings open for you to see and there will be a licensed agent in every house to help ... 11/07/2008

Hi Folks, -- This column is customized each month so that I can share with you, the current monthly statistics. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions! HOMES SOLD (Closed), October 1 through October 31. (From NB Board of Realtors MLS System) Under $100K = 15$100K-$159,999 = 26$160K-$199,999 = 23$200K-$249,999 = 13$250K-$299,999 = 6$300K-$399,999 = 3$400K - $499,999 = 4Over $500,000 = 4 Total October 2008 = 94 Total October 2007 = 128 NEIGHBORHOOD PROPERTIES "SOLD" NEIGHBORHOOD PROPERTIES "FOR SALE" For the BEST Internet Marketing, and the Most Responsive Service in New Bern, Contact DIANNE! Email Dianne (252) 636-3301 or Toll Free: (888) 781-8800 11/06/2008

Is there a giant echoing canyon where your savings account/retirement account/college fund used to be?  You bet your dollar store there is!  As Americans, we watch and wait with bated breath to see what the next national monetary move is, only to gasp as the move shows lateral, with no real jump in either positive or negative direction.  As a Realtor® (and an American) I began to do the same thing. Hold breath...wait...gasp.  Hold breath...wait...gasp.  Starts to sound a little like Lamaze, doesn't it? You hear in the media headlines such as: "Housing Market in Crisis as Foreclosures Hit all Time High." or "Lenders Make it Harder Than Ever to Buy Your First Home.", and my formerly smooth 34 year old forehead cries out for a Botox injection.  Why?! How can this be? I know for a fact peop... 10/06/2008

This column is customized each month so that I can share with you, the current monthly statistics. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions! Or, visit my website at http://www.newbernhomes.com/ HOMES SOLD (Closed), August 1 through August 31. (From NB Board of Realtors MLS System)Under $100K = 13$100K-$159,999 = 32$160K-$199,999 = 26$200K-$249,999 = 17$250K-$299,999 = 18$300K-$399,999 = 12$400K - $499,999 = 5Over $500,000 = 8 Total August 2008 = 131 Total August 2007 = 191 NEIGHBORHOOD PROPERTIES "SOLD" NEIGHBORHOOD PROPERTIES "FOR SALE"For the BEST Internet Marketing, and the Most Responsive Service in New Bern, Contact DIANNE!Email Dianne(252) 636-3301 or Toll Free: (888) 781-8800 10/06/2008

                    NEW DATE  due to inclement weather date changed to Nov. 1st.! Please come!                                     New Bern is kicking off Halloween Season in a grand style! This years first annual Pet parade is being organized by Colonial Society! Great event, great cause please come out and support it! Saturday, October 25th11:00AM - 2:00PMLawson Creek Park (REGISTRATION BEGINS AT 10:30AM)    •·      Howl'oween pet parade •·      Prizes and gift certificates •·      Costume contests and games •·      Snacks and drinks •·      Meet adoptable pets •·      Tricks for treats •·      And more!!!!     For more information please visit www.colonialcapital.org or call 633-0146 Your North Carolina Broker  Sonja Babic 252-617-0861 www.SonjaBabic.com 09/29/2008

Why am I a buyers' agent? Today was an example of why.  I have a young marine couple closing and moving in tomorrow.  We stored their car at the new house for safekeeping.  (It was full of their stuff and they didn't want it broken into at the motel where they were staying.)  While we were there, we did our final walk through.  As we visited each room, they would talk about what furniture would go where and how it would look.  Most of their furniture wouldn't be there for another 2 weeks.  But that was okay. They would be in their new house.  The longer we were there, the more their excitement grew. Another reason I like being a buyers' agent is things can happen quicker.  Once a buyer has taken the step to buy, things are starting to happen.  When first meeting the buyer, I visit with ... 09/23/2008

                                        Historical society celebrates 85 years    On Sunday, society members held a birthday celebration. More than 200 people gathered for a garden party at the Attmore-Oliver House downtown, the society's history hub. Sunday's event also allowed for a tour of the Attmore-Oliver House Garden, a project that society director Lynne Harakal said came from the work of volunteers.   The society began in 1923 in the home of Minnette Duffy, its "lead organizer." Duffy lived on Johnson Street and never abandoned the preservation mission.   The society owns four properties in New Bern: three historic houses and the land that was the site of the Battle of New Bern during the Civil War. The society is a caretaker of the Rawls-Stancil History Center, an educational ... 09/15/2008

This column is customized each month so that I can share with you, the current monthly statistics. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions! Or, visit my website at http://www.newbernhomes.com/ HOMES SOLD (Closed), August 1 through August 31. (From NB Board of Realtors MLS System)Under $100K = 13$100K-$159,999 = 32$160K-$199,999 = 26$200K-$249,999 = 17$250K-$299,999 = 18$300K-$399,999 = 12$400K - $499,999 = 5Over $500,000 = 8 Total August 2008 = 131 Total August 2007 = 191 NEIGHBORHOOD PROPERTIES "SOLD" NEIGHBORHOOD PROPERTIES "FOR SALE"For the BEST Internet Marketing, and the Most Responsive Service in New Bern, Contact DIANNE!Email Dianne(252) 636-3301 or Toll Free: (888) 781-8800 09/05/2008

As part of the constant revamping of downtown New Bern, NC the work we have been waiting to see has started.        Workers started "craving out' the center of Broad Street with the protective orange and white  barrels to get us to remember it's a work zone.  In a few days work will begin really craving the median and center out of the road to be replaced with a raised "green median" with plantings and shrubbery. Currently Broad Street is 4 laned with turning lanes. when this project is complete it will return to the look of days gone by,  a 2 laned divided roadway with 14 foot sidewalks. Parking will be permitted on both sides of the road. This morning I saw where they had removed about a foot of road surface and uncovered a brick road at the bottom of the grade.  It should be interest... 09/05/2008

I was on my way to work this morning and decided to drive by Lawson Creek Park on the Trent River and watch the fisherman go out before work and enjoy the crisp morning.  The nights this week have cooled off, giving us a glimmer of the crisp fall weather that's not too far away. I went past the docks and ended up at Jack's Island, when I noticed a young lady and two dogs playing at the edge of the river.  I think they were from Massachusetts. As I came up, camera in hand, one of the dogs happily approached and gave me the wet dog glad to see you shake.  He then proceeded to hit the water again chasing a stick his owner had thrown into the river for him to retrieve. It was easy to see how much she loved her two companions, and the pleasure everyone was having.  The dogs were swimming, an... 08/23/2008

Memorial for war dead to be unveiled this Friday Craven County residents who were killed on active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan will be honored with a monument to be unveiled at the courthouse Friday. A 3 p.m. ceremony will recognize three Craven County men Sgt. Leonard D. Simmons, Specialist Steven R. Jewell and Specialist Christopher S. Honaker. All served in the Army. The names of these men are engraved on a stone that attaches to a memorial on the left lawn of Craven County Courthouse that was "Erected in honor and memory of the men and women who served in defense of our nation." It already lists the names of nine killed in Korea, 11 killed in Vietnam and two killed in the Persian Gulf. Sharron Bryant with the Havelock Community Band is scheduled to sing the "Star Spangled Banner" a... 08/11/2008

 New Bern Area offers some great golfing. With our moderate climate you can be out there improving your game 10 months a year.             New Bern Golf & Country Club 4301 Country Club Rd.  252/637-2413,  Private, 18 hole, 6045 yds. Par 70, CR-68.5,S-113                Taberna Country Club 401 Taberna Way,  252/634-1600, private, 18 hole, 6917 yds, Par72, CR-72.6, S-134                 River Bend Golf & Country Club 94 Shoreline Dr. 252/638-2819, Semi-private, 18 hole,6404 yds, Par 71, CR-70.5, S-117                  Emerald Golf Club (Greenbriar) 5000 Clubhouse Dr.  252/633-4440, semi-private, 18 hole, 6924 yds, Par 72,CR-74.5, S-125                   Carolina Pines Golf & Country Club 390 Carolina Pines Blvd,  252/444-1000, semi-private, 18 hole, 6270 yds, Par 72, CR-69.5, S-115    ... 08/10/2008

  Craven County 2008/2009 school year is starting on 25th of August this year and here is just a brief look at our school system.   Craven County School District consists of 22 schools. 14 elementary 5 middle and 3 high schools that are attend by aprox.  15,000 students today. With 1,900 employees craven County Schools is the second larges employer in the county. Over the past 10 years average reading and math scores have increased for more then 20% and proficiency goals for reading math and writing are 80%.  Middle school drop out rate is 0% and high school drop out rate is less then 4%.     School safety is a shared responsibility of the parents, educators, community as well as students and it is ensured with everyone's participation and open dialogue.   Use link below to visit Craven... 08/08/2008

Here in New Bern North Carolina with all of the beautiful water ways you have to get in to boating, sooner or late.  Safety's a big thing in boating and a good inspection simply makes your chances of having a problem a lot less. Members of a New Bern group hope they can reduce the number of accidents in area waters by providing free boat inspections Aug. 16 and 17. The Cape Lookout Sail and Power Squadron, a part of the U.S. Power Squadron that formed out of the Boston Yacht Club in 1914 to help stranded vessels off the New England coast, offers courses in public boating, sailing, engine maintenance, navigation, marine electronics, seamanship, safety and other subjects. The organization has about 13 certified inspectors who will check boats at the Lawson Creek Park boat ramp. The squadr... 08/07/2008

This column is customized each month so that I can share with you, the current monthly statistics. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions! Or, visit my website at http://www.newbernhomes.com/ HOMES SOLD (Closed), July 1 through July 31. (From NB Board of Realtors MLS System) Under $100K = 14 $100K-$159,999 = 36 $160K-$199,999 = 26 $200K-$249,999 = 28 $250K-$299,999 = 12 $300K-$399,999 = 9 $400K - $499,999 = 2 Over $500,000 = 4 Total = 131 NEIGHBORHOOD PROPERTIES "SOLD"NEIGHBORHOOD PROPERTIES "FOR SALE"For the BEST Internet Marketing, and the Most Responsive Service in New Bern, Contact DIANNE!Email Dianne(252) 636-3301 or Toll Free: (888) 781-8800 08/06/2008

The amount of housing for sale in the area around New Bern NC has not started to decline yet.  The present run up in inventory started in late 2006.  The highest number of homes for sale occurred in July of 2008 at 1577.  The largest amount of inventory prior to July 2008 was October 2007 with 1575 units for sale. With that being said, I think we are beginning to see some stabilization in the local market.  June numbers were 1569 and July 1577 an increase of +8.  This is the smallest monthly increase in 12 months. Sales while trending below 2007 all year, seem to indicate a 1600+ unit sales year. Absorption rates stand at a 11.97 months supply of houses for sale, the lowest in 5  months.  08/05/2008