Airborne and Special Operation Museum Cutting Hours Due to sequestration budget cuts, the Airborne and Special Operations Museum located in downtown Fayetteville, NC will be closing four days a week. Beginning April 1st, 2013, the museum will be closed Monday through Thursday. It will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. It will be open 12:00 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. It is a beautiful museum teaching and preserving American Army History. Admission to the museum is free. And donations are graciously accepted. If you haven’t been to the Airborne and Special Operations Museum, visit their website to see what they have to offer.  http://www.asomf.org/ Tanya Ramos Keller Williams Realty 910-286-1508 www.FortBraggHomeConnection.com 03/27/2013

Fort Bragg Cleland Ice Rink Closing for Summer My daughter asked me if we could go ice skating during their spring break next week. We haven’t been to Cleland Ice Rink in a while. My children have enjoyed going there for a few birthday parties and unit events in the past. If you are thinking about taking the children ice skating on Fort Bragg, you may want to go soon. Cleland Ice Rink will be closing for the summer! It will be closed from April 27th, 2013 to September 15, 2013. The decision to close the Cleland Ice Rink for the summer is said to be a result of a drop off in patronage and revenue during the summer.   Tanya Ramos Keller Williams Realty 910-286-1508 www.FortBraggHomeConnection.com 03/27/2013

Moving to Fort Bragg Area with Pets? ~ Some Things You Should Know If you are moving to the Fort Bragg area and have pets in your family, here are few things that you should know. Cumberland County Code allows for no more than a total of three dogs or cats or any combination. (over five months of age) in any single-family residential lot. Or no more than two dogs or cats in a multifamily residential housing. You are required to apply for an annual Privilege license for each dog or cat over four months of age, from the Cumberland County Tax Administrator. Failure to obtain a privilege license for your pet could result in a civil penalty in the amount of $100.00 per dog or cat. Each privilege license issued shall be for a calendar year. County residents who are sixty-five years of age  or... 03/27/2013

I’m going to use my VA benefit, why do I have to talk to a mortgage person?   This is one of the most asked questions here in the Fayetteville/Ft Bragg area so I thought I would help explain the process.   This type of loan is for people who are either currently serving or have served in our military (and National Guard). However, there are still certain requirements to using a VA loan. Just serving does not mean you can use a VA loan to buy a home.   The VA does not actually “give” you the loan. The VA only guarantees a portion of the loan, (up to 25%). Since the home is guaranteed, you do not have to put any money down towards the loan like on other loans. This also means you still have to qualify with a bank or lending institution. Your mortgage lender will look at several different ... 03/22/2013

Would you rent your home if you were relocating? I'm sure we have all heard horror stories of when someone rented out their home and the tenant destroyed it or was consistently late with their rent payment. Living in a military community, here by Fort Bragg, we have quite a bit of relocating going on. Many soldiers who believe they will be here for a few years and buy a home, only to find out they are relocating. They have to decide to sell their home or put it on the rental market. Many are not in a position to sell their home.  When I bought my home in a new subdivision, 8 years ago, all my neighbors were military families. Most are now renters. My neighbor, who is stationed out of the country, had to rent out their home because they weren't in a position to sell when they had to leav... 03/18/2013

 Orders to Ft. Bragg, when can I start looking for a home?Congratulations on your orders for Ft. Bragg! We are one of the largest military installations and you will find there is a lot to do here!Your first step towards buying a home would be to find a Realtor to help you through the process! You should find someone who is familiar with the area and hopefully someone who has some experience in dealing with the military so they know some of the challenges you might face during your move.Once you find an agent they will start you on a path to finding your home. Usually the next step is getting your financing strategy set up so you know exactly what you want to spend and what type of loan will you be using. This is a crucial step to the home buying process and should be done as quickly as... 03/17/2013

Spring has sprung in Fayetteville, North Carolina! While the calender doesn't have it happening officially for few more days you can certainly tell its here in other ways. The trees are blooming, the crocus and daffodils are in bloom, other flowers are starting to pop their heads up above the ground. The birds are more chipper than usual and are out singing their songs. It stays light later in the evenings.Another sign is all the activity with real estate. The last couple of weeks have had an increase in activity from more showings, more buyers, and more contracts. This is very typical for the Ft Bragg area. Most military members tend to move in the summer time, so this is when buyers are out looking and sellers are having agents come out. This is a great time of the year for agents, bu... 03/16/2013

As an agent here in the Ft. Bragg area, I deal with a lot of buyers who are not familiar with the area when they start their home search. They will usually start with something like, I want to be no more than 15 miles from post, or I want to be able to go home after PT. I always try to dig deeper like which part of Ft. Bragg will you be working at, what kind of drive time do you want, and is going home after PT a must or a wish? I have found once my clients get here, the are surprised at how spread out Fayetteville and Ft. Bragg actually are as well as the traffic flow around some areas. Google may tell you its a 10 minute drive but with traffic at some of the gates and major roadways, it can be more like a 20 minute drive. This can be a deal breaker for some buyers. So many agents put ... 03/05/2013

There is a wonderful resource for you folks in the military and making that dreaded PCS move, maybe to Ft. Bragg, NC.  It’s called the Ultimate PCS Guide, it has fantastic information to help guide you through the process.  This guide has information provided by the best experts, military spouses; so you know that you are getting the correct information for the folks that have been there, done that!  There are checklists, ideas to make it smoother and so much more that is too much to list.  There is even a section on whether to buy or rent in your new location.  If it makes sense for you to buy and you are coming to Fort Bragg, Hope Mills, Fayetteville, Raeford or Spring Lake you need to go to my website http://www.fortbraggagent.com/search/ to find your next home. Call me and let's tal... 02/28/2013

I truly enjoy working with First Time Home Buyers in the Fort Bragg area! From the very beginning, when explaining the home buying process to a young military family, knowing that they are putting all of their trust in you to lead them in the right direction. I feel their excitement when showing them new homes and they are picturing their family living there. The children running around the home picking out their new rooms and hiding in all the closets. The wife is planning where she will put their furniture and what colors to paint the rooms. The husband’s excitement when he finds out the home is prewired for surround sound and  a flat screen television. When they finally choose a home and put in an offer, you know they are waiting by the phone for you to call with good news on one of ... 02/27/2013

  Where should you start when considering buying a home? Prior to searching for that perfect home, you may want to start by reviewing your finances and credit report. Don’t underestimate the importance of your credit report when you are considering buying a new home! Reviewing this early will give you time to correct any deficiencies and focus on paying down any debts before applying with a mortgage lender. It is also important to know ahead of time your budget and what would be a comfortable monthly mortgage payment for you. This will help your real estate agent ensure that they are only showing you homes that you can afford. When you apply for a mortgage loan, your lender looks at several things...Your credit report and scoreYour Income to Debt RatioHow long you have been employed at ... 02/27/2013

When I found out I would be relocating to Germany from Fort Bragg, NC, I went through every emotion possible from excited, to sad, to scared, to back to excited again.   What will it be like to live in another country?  Will I be able to understand anyone ?  How often will I be able to come back to the states to visit my family ?  Hey..how far away is Paris anyway...and who's gonna shop with me ?    Just when I got used to the idea,  I was reminded that making a military move has a lot of moving parts and sometimes those parts aren’t moving in the same direction as you. International moves can be a tricky thing, but with a few tips you can minimize the stress and make it a smooth transition.⭆ Make sure you have all your important documents handy ie., Birth  Certificates, Marriage Licens... 02/26/2013

When you shop for a stereo, you go to the store an look at stereos. If you want to buy new shoes, you head to a shoe store. But when you start thinking about Buying a Home, if your first stop is viewing homes, you're setting yourself up for a less than ideal situation. Here's why. The real Step 1 of Buying a Home is to consider what you want and need in a home. Consider the shoe example again. If you set out looking for shoes, it's likely you've already considered what color and style you need. Is there an outfit you're trying to coordinate with? What purpose will these shoes play in your wardrobe? It's alright once in awhile to buy shoes on a whim then realize later it wasn't a smart buy. But buyer's remorse for a house is something altogether different. Think soberly about what your n... 10/11/2011

Independence Place is a $15.6 million apartment project set to serve needs of soldiers from the impending BRAC boom.  Building permits have been were issued for this development on 21 acres at Morganton and Reilly roads near Fort Bragg. With the 300 apartments planned for this project, the  total number of units approved so far this year in Cumberland County to more than 1,500. This is more than twice the total for 2009. Sounds like it’s the beginning of a new housing boom. 11/24/2010

Major court cases in an ongoing Chinese manufactured drywall situation have yet to deal with medical or health-related claims. Neverthless in the the past month there has been a several news stories about Chinese drywall-related health fears. In one instance, the U.S. Army is looking into the possibility that drywall may have contributed to the death of an infant child at Fort Bragg, N.C., according to Raleigh-Durham television station WTVD "Fort Bragg investigating infant deaths. Army investigators are examining ten infant deaths in Fort Bragg base housing, all classified as "sudden infant death syndrome" (SIDS) fatalities, and are trying to determine whether any aspect of base housing may have been a contributing factor in the deaths. Parents of three of the infants told the station t... 09/17/2010

When you are faced with the very important decision of buying or selling your home, knowing that you have a trusted and knowledgeable agent  there by your side to assist you with every step in the buying or selling process will guarantee you a greater peace of mind. As your agent that is my goal, ensuring that all is carried out  smoothly from beginning to the end. I like to take a personalized approach to each client’s needs. If you are buying a home, you can expect that I will educate you and provide resources to help you make the best home purchase for you and your family. If you are selling a home, you can expect me to provide you with a comprehensive marketing plan, assist you with staging your home, and spending the necessary time with you the seller to price your home correctly t... 05/27/2010

Raleigh Relocation Package Military Support Groups Know a military family or veteran?  Want to help?  Here are just a few of the great military support organizations in the area.  If you're going to be stationed at Fort Bragg or Seymour-Johnson, check these out.  Or consider volunteering, and making a difference. Armed Services YMCA - YMCA Military Outreach Initiative-Respite Child Care Services The YMCA Military Outreach Initiative offers respite child care services for children whose parent or guardian needs temporary respite from their role as primary caregiver in the absence of a deployed spouse. The care is intended for children who are infants (or youngest age permitted at the participating YMCA) up to 12 years of age (or oldest age permitted at the participating YMCA). Eligible m... 03/16/2010

Airborne and Special Operations Museum | The Army's most modern and newest museum, the $22.5 million facility features film and video productions, interactive displays, rare artifacts and dramatic life-size exhibits about the history and adventures of airborne and special operations units. Hours: 10am-5pm, Tuesday through Saturday, and Noon-5pm on Sunday. Free. (910) 483-3003 Website 100 Bragg Boulevard (corner of Bragg Blvd. & Hay St.), Fayetteville, NC Cumberland County, located between Southern Pines and Fayetteville, NC | This Army/Air Force duo comprise one of the world's largest military complexes. Ft. Bragg (largest Army base east of the Mississippi) is open to the public. Before you go, call about self or guided tours, (910) 396-5401 or 396-8015. Tours available 9am-4pm weekday... 02/07/2010

For many renters, the first step in buying a home is becoming educated about the process.  If you’re like many people considering a home purchase, you’ve spent nights and weekends poring over your local real estate section.  You’ve talked to friends and relatives about their experiences.  Maybe you’ve even purchased a book or two to help you become more familiar with real estate terminology and the various types of mortgages commonly used today. Coming up with a down payment and finding a loan that meets your needs are the greatest hurdles faced by first-time homebuyers.  So, you may even have leafed through stacks of brochures and flyers from lenders offering down payments that are far less than the 20 percent you’d always thought you’d need to save before you could buy.  With so many... 12/26/2009

I had the opportunity to visit the new living accommodations called Randolph Pointe on Ft. Bragg today and let me just emphatically say, "IT IS AWESOME!!!" to sum it up in 3 words or less.  There are over 300 one or two bedroom units with full-sized appliances, computer stations and large closets (Ladies).  The complex even comes with a pool, a media/theater room with kitchen, exercise equipment, and garages for rent.  The only criteria to move into one of these great apartments is to be active duty military E-6 and above, receive BAH and be unaccompanied.  If you're concerned about furnishings, the wonderful staff has teamed up with a furniture company that reasonably rents top of the line furnishings....it's beautiful too. In my 20+ years in the Army, I have NEVER seen such housing pr... 10/30/2009