Act fast to get this special financing rate on our new homes in the Raleigh area! E-mail Leslie Loveless (lloveless@stanpac.com) or call 1-800-787-0414 to learn more about this financing offer…or, of course, drop us a line on Twitter, Facebook or ActiveRain.

Click here to learn more about our Triangle communities.

This week’s featured Standard Pacific Home is an Ashley plan in our Brightleaf Crossing neighborhood.

About the home
An Ashley plan, this ranch home has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. It features a finished basement, exterior stone accents, a fireplace, a luxury master bathroom, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and more. Comes in at 2713 sq. ft. and is listed for $288,170. Located at 2811 Prospect Parkway in Durham, NC.

About the community
Brightleaf Crossing is a Durham new home community featuring single-family homes ranging from 1,734 – 3,228 sq. ft. Brightleaf Crossing is a part of the larger Brightleaf community, a master-planned neighborhood with pools, tennis courts, a lake, park, trails and tons of green space.

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.

• Segway tours around downtown Raleigh: http://bit.ly/bWKY7L #
• First-timer's guide to mortgage shopping: http://bit.ly/9S5GD5 #
• ActiveRain is giving me a lot of trouble today – anyone else having problems logging in, posting, etc.? #
• NC authors host book release, panel discussion of NC literary legend at NCSU campus in Raleigh tonight: http://bit.ly/9ZK1EA #
• Spring cleaning time! Here are some smart tips to prepare your yard for warm weather: http://bit.ly/cOnnaF #
• NCSU's Art to Wear fashion show starts tonight at 7:30 – http://bit.ly/bCF7fD #
• 72 hassle-free steps to a healthier home: http://bit.ly/bADmts #
• RT @andy_waldrop: Raleigh ranked 3rd for current business climate according to Forbes http://bit.ly/9ThlxA #
• Big Builder magazine featured StanPac CEO Ken Campbell on the cover of their April issue! Check it out: http://bit.ly/cKUUxa #
• Thanks for the RT @championacctg! #
• Like beer, BBQ & live music? Check out the Cuegrass Festival, happening in downtown Raleigh this Saturday: http://bit.ly/b3gUR7 #
• Raleigh's Bark Around the Park this Saturday: http://bit.ly/dxfdEf #
• Wake County offering free landfill tours this weekend in honor of Earth Day: http://bit.ly/cgo7uU #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

On April 5, Yahoo! published an insightful article detailing four things that mean big savings on real estate. Because these deals won’t last forever, there’s no time like the present to take advantage of a real estate steal!

Here’s what Yahoo! Real Estate called “4 Great Real Estate Deals That Won’t Last”:

• Lower home prices: It’s still a buyer’s market out there! Some real estate experts think prices will start to rise again this summer.
• Low interest rates: The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) believes that the rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage will increase to 6.1% by December. Buying a home before the mortgage rates increase could mean thousands of dollars saved over the life of the loan.
• First-time home buyer tax credit: The $8,000 tax credit will expire at the end of April.
• Repeat home buyer tax credit: The $6,500 tax credit will expire at the end of April.

To read the full article, click here.

• Buying a home? Check out this article about home inspections: http://bit.ly/aTtAhq #
• Good news! Pending home sales rose 8.2% in February: http://bit.ly/c1R2AW #
• Tim running out to use homebuyer tax credit (via @msnbc): http://bit.ly/9yh2X2 #
• With caution, Americans still want a house (via @CNNMoney): http://bit.ly/a10u5L #
• So cool! Photos: World's Unusual Treehouses (via @forbeslife) http://bit.ly/dCH7NJ #
• 10 worst home decor trends: http://bit.ly/aivgvO #
• The Southern Ideal Home Show is this weekend in Raleigh! Will you be there? http://bit.ly/dqIOxJ #
• @JimJCramer of Mad Money has good things to say about Standard Pacific Homes (SPF)! Video from his show on Tuesday: http://bit.ly/drFPz6 #
• One key to a peaceful, relaxing home? Clutter control. Here are some tips for managing the mess: http://bit.ly/c0PV9G #
• Art After Dark tonight in Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina: http://bit.ly/dcbSpt #
• Green Frame Exhibit opens tonight at the Raleigh City Museum: http://bit.ly/cBQ9wy #
• Full Frame documentary film festival in Durham this weekend! Details: http://www.fullframefest.org/ #
• Mmmm… RT @RaleighNews: Strawberry Season Almost Here http://bit.ly/9nXzOw #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

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:

• Home buyer tax credit expires soon! Hear the story of one Wake County home buyer: http://mync.com/site/49760/ #
• Raleigh Metro Area Among Top 50 Most Populated U.S. Cities: http://bit.ly/ajudqZ #
• Home prices showing signs of strength (via @msnbc): http://bit.ly/afABYm #
• 10 ways to brighten up your home for spring: http://bit.ly/cbSYLt #
• Prepare your home for warm weather with tips from this seasonal guide to home maintenance: http://bit.ly/9bXMgK #
• Two new Charlotte-Raleigh trains to begin service June 5: http://bit.ly/aiEvBq #
• Tips from @CNNMoney on how to claim the first-time home buyer tax credit: http://bit.ly/cbztXc #
• Check your home financing smarts with this quick home mortgage quiz: http://bit.ly/cAZ4TD #
• Going green at home? Try these tips for eco-friendly home furnishing: http://bit.ly/aSotHI #

Powered by Twitter Tools.