http://irenakohler.com/blog/archive_201402/sort_entrydatetime-desc/ Jessica Edwards, a 32-year-old REALTOR with Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage, keeps pinching herself to make sure it’s real. She’s going to this weekend’s Oscar awards in Los Angeles, courtesy of Coldwell Banker Corporate!Since 2011, Edwards has served as an ambassador for the corporate office as the Coldwell Banker Real Estate Consumer Specialist. In this position, she has spoken at seminars and conferences throughout the US about her maverick marketing strategies that utilize video blogs, social media and other technologies. In addition, Edwards is often interviewed by national media outlets such as CNBC, USA Today, Fox Business and the Wall Street Journal on real estate trends and marketing.“Jessica is an extraordinary agent with a tireless enthusiasm for creative marketing” said Tim Milam, president of Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage. “She and her team closed $23 million in sales in 2013 and we credit her success to her professionalism, dedication and marketing strategies. We are very proud of Jessica and thrilled she is being honored with this opportunity to represent our office and the entire Coldwell Banker brand at the Oscars.”Coldwell Banker Corporate is airing a :30 commercial during the Oscars telecast and as an advertiser perk, was given two tickets to the ceremony. Rather than send an executive, Coldwell Banker has taken a page from Edward’s own playbook and decided to use this as a unique marketing opportunity, with Jessica as the star. Edwards and Coldwell Banker will create a series of five behind-the-scenes videos and release them to the media throughout the day and evening on Sunday, March 2.“I first caught the attention of the corporate office with my use of video blogs to generate attention for my listings and for my own personal brand,” said Edwards. “In 2009, I started creating video blogs from a dash cam in my car on a wide variety of real estate topics and then in 2012, I created a couple of music videos that generated a great deal of attention both online and off. I’m honored to represent Coldwell Banker at the Oscars and very grateful for the opportunity.”Edwards, who will be accompanied by her sister-in-law Harriett Mills of Raleigh, will enjoy the entire red carpet treatment in Tinsel Town from Friday, February 28 through Monday, March 3, including pre- and post-Oscar parties, dressing fittings with personal stylist, hair, makeup, jewelry – the works.To prepare her wardrobe, Edwards has teamed up with Monkees at Lumina Station, a women’s retailer widely know for its extraordinary fashions and luxury brands. Monkees has created a weekend wardrobe for Edwards worthy of an Oscar award in costume design. And much like fashion designers cater to celebrities, Monkees has styled Edwards with multiple looks that will take her from morning to night, including shoes and accessories. In addition to Monkees, Reeds Jewelers of Wilmington is supplying a variety of fine jewelry for Edward’s use on the red carpet and throughout the weekend.The dress Edwards will wear to the Oscar ceremony itself is to be determined. She will meet with a private stylist in Los Angeles on Saturday, who will have a variety of designer dresses for her to choose from.The dress selection process, of course, will be videotaped and is one of five planned for the series. Other videos will include a visit to the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame; getting the day started on Sunday morning; styling of hair and makeup; and the limo ride to the Oscars ceremony, complete with champagne toast.During the trip, Edwards will use the hashtag #yourhome to send updates on the company’s Twitter feed (@Coldwell Banker) and Facebook page.Meghan Riley http://irenakohler.com/blog/1341/realtor-jessica-edwards-to-walk-the-red-carpet-at-this-weekend's-oscars/ Wed, 26 Feb 2014 12:00:00 -0500 In North Carolina, home sellers aren’t required to be present at the attorney’s office on the day of closing. Most of their paperwork is done ahead of time. However, on the day of closing or the day before, they need to sign-off on the HUD form, which shows all the details of how the funds are being paid. They can stop by the attorney’s office once the form is prepared or sign the required documents remotely (depending on transaction requirements). Even though they aren’t required to be at closing, sellers still need to prepare some items for the buyers to receive the day of closing.If you’re selling your North Carolina home, it’s important to make note to put the following items aside before you move out of the property.House Keys. Make sure you collect all of your extra house keys, including those for the front door, back door, garage door, and any interior doors that may have locks.Garage Door Openers. Don’t drive off without leaving the garage door opener that’s in your vehicle in the home. These can be difficult to replace, especially on older devices.Mail Box Key. If you live in a condo complex, you have a key for accessing the mail box assigned to your unit. These can be very expensive to replace - $60 to $80. If you don’t provide a key, you’ll likely be asked to pay for a new one.Pool Card. Communities with swimming pools often give residents access cards to prevent unauthorized individuals from entering the club house and pool. If you have one, make sure the new owners get it.Prior to closing, you need to make arrangements with your Sea Coast agent on where to leave these items. You don't want to be scrambling to find them the day of closing. The keys need to be given to the buyers after the purchase papers are signed. Items such as garage door openers and pool cards can be left in the home, but the agents need to be made aware of this so there’s no confusion or hold-up on the day of closing.Have questions about the day of closing? Ask your Sea Coast Agent. Don’t have an agent? Find one today!Meghan Riley http://irenakohler.com/blog/1342/seller-tip:-don’t-forget-these-items-for-the-day-of-closing/ Sun, 23 Feb 2014 12:00:00 -0500 There are some exciting things planned for Brunswick Forest in Leland, North Carolina, in 2014! We wanted to share some that are happening right now, so you have the most recent information for your home search, as well as the opportunity to enjoy all that Brunswick Forest has to offer.Meadow ParkConstruction has begun on the newest phase of Meadow Park in Brunswick Forest. The new single-family homes are coastal inspired bungalows and feature cool, breezy exterior color palettes, two-car garages, and shingle and metal roofs. Their designs reflect the growing social trend of front porch living with relaxing sitting areas overlooking the front yard. Additionally, there’s green spaces for neighborhood enjoyment throughout Meadow Park, which also has trails, a Bark Park (for your furry friends), a rain garden, and picnic table area. The new homes start around $300k.Spring 2014 Ideal HomesIdeal-Living Magazine is the go-to resource for resort and retirement living. They provide information to help retirees locate the best communities for their ideal lifestyle. Each season, they feature what they have determined to be an “Ideal Home” in an “Ideal Community”. For this spring, they have selected, not one, but two homes in Brunswick Forest as their Ideal Home citing a “wealth of amenities” and “diverse real estate offerings” as some of their reasons for choosing the community.Brunswick Forest will be hosting tours of these homes, as well as joining Logan Homes and Bill Clark Homes as seminar hosts at the Winter 2014 Ideal-Living Resort & Retirement Expos. You can see the chosen homes at the Ideal-Living website.New Swimming PoolConstruction has started on the newest amenity located in Brunswick Forest – Hammock Pool. This new swimming pool is located next to Hammock Lake in the Shelmore neighborhood. It is scheduled to be swimmable in 2014.Have questions about Brunswick Forest? Make sure you ask your Sea Coast agent. Don’t have an agent? Find one today!Meghan Riley  http://irenakohler.com/blog/1343/exciting-things-are-happening-at-brunswick-forest!/ Sun, 23 Feb 2014 12:00:00 -0500 After months of looking at homes in Southeastern North Carolina, making an offer on your favorite, doing your due diligence, and (finally!) signing the purchase papers at the closing table, you have a new home! Now, you’re ready to move in and make it all your own! You’ve got paint colors in mind, new furniture to assemble, pictures to hang, dishes to unpack…But don’t let your excitement get away from you. You still have one very important thing to do – change the locks!It’s very important that you install all new locks on your new home. Most sellers won’t try to enter a home after they’ve sold it, but not everyone can be trusted. You have to take into consideration that they may have given a key to someone else at some point during their ownership – a neighbor, a contractor, babysitter, etc. You just never know who might have ill-intentions. So, it’s best to change the locks the day of move-in. After all, you don’t want to be always wondering, “what if?”If changing the locks is one hassle you don’t want to have to deal with on the day of move-in, hire a locksmith. Your Sea Coast agent can refer you to a reputable one. Don’t have an agent? Find one today!Meghan Riley http://irenakohler.com/blog/1344/buyer-tip:-change-the-locks-after-closing/ Sun, 16 Feb 2014 12:00:00 -0500 When Southeastern North Carolina is hit by a tropical storm, hurricane, or ice storm, like we saw this past week, there can be a lot of debris left over, especially when there hasn’t been a storm in the past few years to help clean out the trees. It’s important this debris is cleaned up, because it can block water drainage and attract unwelcome animals, like rats and raccoons. The county and/or city will send out crews to clean up roadways and public areas, but it’s the responsibility of property owners to clean up their debris. Depending on the location of the property, owners have different options for getting rid of yard waste, like limbs and leaves.If the property is located in a rural area, it’s likely that the county or town will not provide a pick-up. Pender County, Brunswick County and the Town of Leland are not currently planning to provide curb-side pick-up. However, the landfills located in each county will accept deliveries of yard waste within their posted hours. They will only accept yard waste from properties located in the selective county.Burning the debris is also an option for rural areas, but it should always be done according to local and community guidelines and avoided if there is a burn ban in place. The county government offices can help owners learn how, when, and if they can burn. Instructions may also be found on their websites.Some counties provide pick-up for more urban areas, especially when they’re located near larger cities. Onslow County is working with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to remove debris from certain areas within county limits. New Hanover County will be picking up storm debris in the areas not incorporated into the City of Wilmington. They have not posted the pick-up schedule yet, but it will be available on their website this coming week.When communities are located within the city limits of larger cities like Wilmington or Jacksonville, the city will usually provide pick-up. The City of Wilmington is currently focusing on public roadways and suspending regular yard waste pick-up for a week to make sure everyone can travel safely and give homeowners time to clean up their yards. Yard waste is picked-up the same day as trash. Smaller waste, like pine cones and leaves, need to be bagged, but limbs can be loose. Limbs should be no longer than 4 feet long and 6 inches thick. Large piles will be flagged for pick-up at another time.If a community has a homeowners association (HOA), they may have an additional plan for debris disposal in the neighborhood. If it’s not addressed in the restrictive covenants, it’s important homeowners contact the HOA prior to making other arrangements. Debris removal may already be included in the monthly HOA fees and owners could save themselves some time, money, and energy.Property owners can find out more information about storm debris removal by contacting their city, town, and county offices. Have general questions about the weather in Southeastern North Carolina? Ask your Sea Coast agent. Don’t have an agent? Find one today.Meghan Riley http://irenakohler.com/blog/1345/how-do-i-dispose-of-storm-debris-in-southeastern-nc?/ Sun, 16 Feb 2014 12:00:00 -0500