Without clear-cut financial goals, your bank account is more likely to be empty than brimming. If you let this habit slide too far, you may even find yourself in debt.

In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the average personal savings rate in America was -1.2 percent in February 2007, meaning more people are borrowing than saving.

However, it doesn’t have to be that way if you make the commitment to pay yourself 1st and truly commit to a savings plan. Click the icon to the right for resources on how to start saving in a planned and consistent manner. In particular, I have found the goal-setting worksheet useful. It will help you set realistic, attainable savings goals.

The end result? You’ll enjoy greater financial freedom. You’ll make progress toward getting out of debt. Big dreams like owning a home, paying for your children’s higher education or funding your retirement now become possible. I hope you find this helpful.

Tired of waiting around on the market for something to happen with your home? Has it been six months and still no offer? The truth of the matter is there’s one common denominator in real estate that causes houses to sell: PRICE!

Price will cure ANY condition in real estate, whether it’s a hole in the roof or a poor location. According to the National Association of Realtors, if a house has had over 10 showings with no offers, it’s overpriced. Additionally, if a house has not been shown in two weeks, it’s overpriced.

Is marketing important? ABSOLUTELY- but not more than price. As an example, if milk is $12 per gallon at Harris Teeter and $2 per gallon at Wal Mart, where would you buy it? Wal Mart! What if Harris Teeter put a dancing bear in front of its store and had paratroopers sky dive into your backyard advertising the milk for sale at $12 per gallon, where would you buy your milk then? WAL MART! At least that should be the right answer. If its not your answer, IM me for a discussion on economics.

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The current ocean water temperature in Wilmington is 75 °F, and it feels great! I should know- I took a dip yesterday after jogging the loop at Wrightsville. The ocean water was warm and relaxing. This is what living on the coast is all about! After all, the beach and our port are the main reasons why Wilmington is here and why people keep coming. What would we be without our waterways?

No seriously. What would we be without our waterways??

Many residents don’t realize that our beaches, inlets and harbors are in a state of crisis. As the ocean moves sand down the coast, it wiggles into inlets and clogs the waterways. Previously, the Corp of Engineers has kept an eye on this. But recently, the budget and maintenance for it were cut. And not just for Wilmington… funding was abandoned all over the US with no advanced notice.

So what do we do from here?

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Many Americans set a goal to own their own house and feel a great sense of accomplishment when they achieve that objective.

However, did you know that owning your own house can be much more than an important milestone in your life?

Along with the pride of ownership, homeowners are often more financially stable and can even earn more money in time through home equity. Studies show that homeowners are more stress-free and healthy as a result of having fewer financial worries and more money to provide for medical coverage.

Please click here the icon to the right to learn more about how advantageous homeownership can be.

At a government briefing today, I caught a glimpse of proposed plans (featured below) for Wilmington’s riverfront district. The highlight of the plans is a performing arts center - a venue many Wilmingtonians have long been longing for. With a 1500-2000 person capacity, the proposed center would be capable of hosting a plethora of cultural attractions including symphony, opera, concerts, dance performances and more.

Of course, at this point nothing is set in stone.

ARCH is currently working with architects to weigh the pluses and minuses and make sure downtown is the most suitable area for the project.

If approved, the plans would also include an extended riverwalk, marina, residential condos, hotels, and retail. The hope is that the center and surrounding improvements would help Wilmington become a hot spot for the “creative class” and draw in more prominent industry attracted to culture.

It would be an understatement to say this all makes me very thrilled about the future of our Port City. Please check back often for updates regarding this exciting project!

Above: proposed plan for Wilmington’s northern riverfront district. Click for larger view. Please note we are waiting to receive a more recent rendering. In the above image, the hotel between the marina and condos is the site considered for the performing arts center.