Had to share this one! As the country comes out of the recession, jobs and business are on everyone’s mind. Well, in North Carolina, we’ve got it covered.

Yesterday, CNBC shared its much-anticipated Top States For Business list for 2010. NC not only ranked in the top 5, but was also recognized for its surge from 9th to 4th place. This year’s list also marks the fourth year in a row that North Carolina has made CNBC’s top 10.

Welcome to the newly redesigned Raleigh New Homes Blog! If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll probably notice most of the changes immediately. There are a few new features, however, that we’d like to draw your attention to:

• The handy-dandy social network icons at the top. Click one to connect with Standard Pacific Homes – Raleigh on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and ActiveRain.
• The “tweet” and “Like” buttons above the text in each blog post. We’ve added these to make sharing and connecting easier.
• The new site pages. Scroll over “Communities” in the navigation bar to see a list of Triangle-area cities where we have available new homes and homesites. On each city page, you’ll find a list of StanPac’s communities in that area. Our “Quick Move-In Homes” page has a link to a complete list of our Raleigh-area homes that are ready or will be ready to move in soon.
• The search feature. Under the photo to the right, you’ll see a new search bar to help you find the information you need fast.

Triangle Realtor Guest Posts
And more big news: Raleigh New Homes Blog will now also be featuring guest posts from local real estate pros in the Raleigh area! We have a few guest bloggers ready to roll, but the more the merrier! If you’re a local real estate professional who’d be interested in writing a guest post on the (related) topic of your choosing, let us know by dropping us a comment here or through Facebook, Twitter or ActiveRain.

Jim Cramer’s show Mad Money offers up stock advice and a little hilarity.  Needless to say, we’re ecstatic that Jim featured StanPac in his show on Tuesday, April 6! After discussing other homebuilders including Lennar and KB Home, Cramer choose Standard Pacific (SPF) as his pick and called our stock a “Buy Buy Buy!” So, without further ado, here’s the clip:

The Today Show called Durham one of the nation’s five most affordable cities in the nation in their segment titled “Real estate steals in fun, affordable cities.”

Criteria for inclusion in their list included:

• Cost of living
• Average household income
• Average home price
• Quality of life

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

We’re pleased to announce another recent addition to our new home communities in the Raleigh market: Mulberry Park. We’ll be beginning construction in the community late this spring.

Mulberry Park benefits from an awesome location, being close to Alexander Place Promenade and the Brier Creek area. The community is located off Mount Herman Road and Shady Grove Road on the border between Raleigh and Durham. Plus, Mulberry Park is just a short drive from RTP and Duke and Rex Hospitals.

Of the 200 Mulberry Park homesites, Standard Pacific has acquired 106. We’ll be building two-story townhomes with four different floorplans to choose from. More about the new townhomes:

• Priced from the $160s – $200s
• 1,570 – 1,785 sq. ft.
• 2 car garages
• Brick exteriors

Standard Pacific Homes of the Carolinas has begun development in our newest community, The Enclave at Stone Creek Village in Cary. We’re excited to add to Stone Creek Village, an already well established neighborhood with a major retail area.

The Enclave will feature 32 new townhomes that offer a truly urban living experience. Features of each new luxury townhome will include:

• 3 bedrooms / 2 stories
• 2.5 – 3.5 baths
• Tuck-under basement
• 2 car garage
• Porch overlooking Cary Greenway Trails
• Optional elevator on end units
• Dual master suite options
• Full bath option on lower level
• Full brick exteriors

The first model townhomes will be ready late this summer. Until then, we’d love you to stop by and check out the existing neighborhood to see the urban lifestyle The Enclave at Stone Creek Village has to offer.

Big things are happening for Standard Pacific Homes Carolinas! Just a couple weeks ago, we announced that our Charlotte division had acquired the Glenmore community in South Charlotte. Today, we have more news: our Raleigh division has acquired the remaining 110 homesites in Northampton, our first community in the Wake Forest market!

Northampton was formerly owned by St. Lawrence Homes, which launched the community in 2003. We couldn’t be more excited to develop the remaining homesites and create beautiful, high-quality Wake Forest homes that we know you will love.

A few details about Northampton:

• Our new homesites range from 69 to 75 feet wide and will feature single family homes
• We’ll offer 10 different floor plans, including two ranch plans
• Three-car garages, carriage garages and 3rd floor attic are optional on select plans
• 170 residents currently live in the Northampton neighborhood
• The community already has a fully functional swim and recreation center
• Jones Dairy Elementary is within walking distance

Standard Pacific has already begun construction in Northampton, starting with the 3,644 sq. ft. Ashford model. The planned opening of this home is set for early spring of this year — we hope you’ll stop by and take a look!

Thanks to Leslie Murr, the Standard Pacific Homes Raleigh Design Galleria Manager, for contributing this post:

Standard Pacific Homes in Raleigh is excited to announce that we are now offering window coverings!

Blinds and shutters can be an essential part of any home for both privacy and aesthetic reasons; both options are now available to be purchased right along with your home through the Standard Pacific Design Galleria. We offer several different styles and colors, from the basic 2″ faux wood blind to plantation shutters.

Our blinds are offered in white as well as several stylish wood tones to compliment your furniture and hardwood. Standard Pacific home buyers are finding that the opportunity to include these in their home can save them a lot of time and stress upon move-in.

Please visit the Standard Pacific Design Galleria to see our new window treatment display!