We are fickle people. Something we love one day will be forgotten for something new the next. Our tastes change, our styles change, our opinions and ideals change. It's hard to make decisions these days. That's especially true with real estate purchases. How do you know when to get off the fence? We watch the national news and hear their constant coverage of the "housing crisis" in America. That can be scary enough to make a cat abandon their litter box. But most buyers know by now that the Raleigh area is still a safe investment, so they are overcoming that fear. But then there is the excess of inventory on the market. How do you choose what type of housing, what style, what features will make the best investment?  How do you know that what you like one day will still be desirable the next? Well at Palladium Plaza that decision does not have to be a leap of faith.

I have already written a blog post about the interiors of most downtown Raleigh condos. The major finishes are similar in all of them - maple and cherry cabinets, oak hardwoods, ceramic tile, granite, stainless appliances, etc. These are all fairly "safe" options for finishes and should stay relatively in vogue for the foreseeable future. And should your style change, you can fairly easily make alterations to these finishes. It's the exterior of condos that you are pretty much stuck with.

So, what will your ideal condo building look like in 5, 10, 15 years? Will it still be in style? Will it fit in with its surrounding? Or will it be the eyesore that every future buyer wants to avoid? Will its shiny and new amenities look then how they look now? Or will they be worn down, outdated, or broken, making them undesirable? These are important things to ask yourself when something shiny and new catches your attention.

But we have a pretty good idea of what Palladium Plaza will look like in 5, 10, 15 years. How do we know? Because the developer, White Oak Properties, has been developing condos for over 25 years all over the Triangle. So we can go back to older condo buildings and verify that they were built soundly and with quality materials that will withstand both time and trends. We can see how the areas around these older condos may have changed, may even be newer and shinier. But these condos still stand the test of time and are still very desirable. Even in downtown Raleigh. White Oak pioneered the downtown Raleigh condo scene in 1996 with the retrofit of the Cotton Mill. They followed that up in 1997 with Martin Place, in the Warehouse District, and then in 1999 with Governor's Square in Mordecai. In 2000 White Oak built Park Devereux, followed by Palladium Plaza in 2007. These downtown Raleigh condos look as comfortable in their locations now as they did 5, 10, 15 years ago. White Oak takes pains to develop what they call "100 year buildings". These are buildings built to complement their surroundings now, while still being desirable in 100 years. They may not look shiny and new, sometimes even when they are shiny and new. They may not jump out at you as you walk by or tower over you as you drive by. They may blend in to the buildings around them. But they will never go out of style. At least not for 100 years.

If you would like a tour of these downtown Raleigh condos, or other condos developed by White Oak Properties, please contact me. From the outside to the inside you will see site-built, quality construction, done by seasoned developers.

This blog has been a great way for me to voice my opinions and love of Palladium Plaza, as both the listing agent and a resident. But, just in case you are tired of hearing only from me, I have asked some other Palladium homeowners to tell us about their experience at Palladium.

I asked Jason Renzaglia and Keith Lunday because of their active participation in the Palladium. Jason is on the HOA board and you will often find he and Keith doing some of the maintenance work in the building on their own. Talk about dedication! Here is what they had to say:

1) Tell us about your household make-up. Who lives with you at Palladium (include pets)?
I live with my husband Keith.

2) Where did you move from when you moved to Palladium?
We moved from Apex where we owned a house.

3) What prompted your move to downtown Raleigh?
Keith was more inclined to leave the suburbs than I, but overall we both wanted to live closer to downtown.  We sing with the NC Master Chorale that rehearses and performs downtown, and we have several friends who live in the city; so we were always doing a lot of driving from Apex to Raleigh. And on some weekends we would end up paying $50 cab fares for a ride back to Apex.

4) What were your concerns about living in downtown Raleigh? And how did you address those concerns?
My biggest concern was regretting the move (i.e. missing having a house and everything that comes with one).  I tend to not like change so this was a big deal for me.  I embraced the move with lots of excitement; we did numerous upgrades to our condo prior to moving in which helped me get through the transition.  We sold lots of things, or donated things we didn't really need (e.g. a lawnmower). 
Another concern for both of us was noise.  This still is something we continually have to adjust to; Lincoln Theater can be loud (but usually doesn't last for too long), and sometimes we hear our adjacent neighbors who share walls with us (but this is rare). We have a "white noise" maker in our bedroom which is fantastic for drowning out Lincoln Theater.  We have tried to embrace the downtown noise as it reminds us that we are alive!

5) Why did you choose Palladium Plaza?
Best size and location for the money.  Great floorplan(s).  Lowest HOA dues.  Somewhat away from the heavy and loud hustle-and-bustle of the late night crowd (i.e. the Palladium is not directly located on Fayetteville or Glenwood, but it is close enough to walk to anything).

6) What is your favorite part about living in downtown Raleigh?
Being part of the city and able to enjoy all it has to offer. Living in Downtown Raleigh is fantastic!  There is SO much to do!  Just to name a few, over the past two years (since we have lived here) we did Raleigh Wide Open (a street fair); Hopscotch Music Festival (an entire weekend filled with >100  live concerts); Raleigh Beer Festival; Sparkcon (a creative potluck fair); Artsplosure (an art fair); Raleigh Antique Carshow; Concerts at  the new amphitheater; Concerts at Lincoln Theater (located just across the street from us); Raleigh Cuegrass Festival (a bbq and bluegrass street fair); First Fridays (wine tastings and art displays every month); St. Patrick's Day Parade; and the Christmas Parade.  All of these events are within walking distance of our place!  Oh, and for those events happening on the other side of town, there is a free "circulator" bus (cleverly called the R-line) that we often take advantage of as there is a stop less than a block away from the Palladium.

7) What is your favorite part about living at the Palladium?
It is hip and owners care. The HOA is very involved.

I can tell I am going to really like doing these spotlights because of the things I will learn about my neighbors. I had no idea Keith and Jason were in the NC Master Chorale! That's wonderful!

If you would like to ask Jason and Keith a direct question, please put it in the comments section below and they will be quick to respond.

I think the seller of our 5 remaining condos at Palladium might do double duty as Santa Claus. And his gift this year to the girls and boys on his *nice* list? Seller paid closing costs for all contracts signed by the end of the year! So this year you can put (an average of) $3500 back under your tree. Or better yet, use it to buy new furniture for your new condo!

*Contracts must be completely ratified by Dec. 31, 2011. Closing to occur on or before Jan. 31, 2012.

And remember that Palladium Plaza is FHA approved, so you can put as little as 3.5% down. Contact Mark Wooten with Suntrust to discuss loan options.

I recently came across these condo buying tips on-line from the Canadian magazine Style at Home. The online version of this magazine is wonderful and I am directed to it often from Twitter, usually to an article having to do with decorating or some fantastic recipes. But I enjoyed reading this helpful article that listed 25 tips to condo buying, and was thrilled that Palladium had already covered most of their advice. Below is the list and my responses to their tips.

Before you start
1 Hire a professional realtor to help with the buying process. It costs you nothing, since the seller pays the commission.  At your service...

2 Make sure you have a good lawyer. I highly recommend John Silverstein from Satisky & Silverstein, LLP. He will even discount your attorney's fees for our remaining condos.

3 Seek financial qualification, to determine how much mortgage you can afford. Mark Wooten from Suntrust is the MAN when it comes to lending. You should actually make this call before you even start looking so you can determine how much you are comfortable paying each month, and look at condos within your price range. He will also let you know how much cash you need on hand to bring to closing.

4 Crunch the numbers with your financial backer; you’ll need extra money for closing costs, moving, land transfer tax and lawyers’ fees.  If anyone is helping you with financial assistance - down payment, closing costs, etc. - make sure you are all in agreement on your expenses and your obligations to one another. You will also need to let your lender know about this assistance early on.

On the hunt
5 Be prepared to see a variety of styles: low-rise, high-rise, with or without amenities such as doormen or gym facilities. Palladium is a low-rise, 5-story condo building. Since we only have 65 condos there is no need for a doorman. We do have a secured entry system though, which prevents unwarranted access to the building.

6 Purchase the largest suite you can afford. Studios and one-bedrooms are more difficult to re-sell. I don't completely agree with this tip, preferring that you buy what best suits your needs, as opposed to buying in a certain price bracket. Also, the studios and one-bedrooms at Palladium are quite spacious and well-appointed, so they may provide all the space you need.

7 Visit the neighbourhood at different times of the day and evening. Does it suit you? This is very important and wonderful advice! There are a few things you want to check during different times of the day and night. How does the sun enter the condo? Do you get any sunlight? Do you get too much sunlight? Will you have to close your blinds every day? Do you feel safe - day and night - walking alone around the neighborhood? Is it loud? Is there a train track nearby? If the condo building has offices, restaurants, retail, make sure you visit around closing time for all of those - even at 2am. Heck, especially at 2am! The residents' comfort should be the priority of the entire building, since they have the largest investment.

8 Choose a handsome view. Not only will it make day-to-day life more appealing, but it helps with resale later. While I agree with this in theory, it's harder to find in practice. Remember that Raleigh's downtown is very young, and revitalization efforts are only about 15 years along. In the life of a city, that's hardly a drop in the bucket. A so-so view today might have the most desired view 7 years from now because of the on-going construction. So instead, for now, I recommend making sure that your view has "potential".

9 Bear in mind that a southern exposure, although bright and sunny, may also be hot in the summer. As yes, southern sun. It can be a bear to deal with. Palladium has some southern-facing condos - I actually live in one. But that brings up another benefit of living in a low-rise building, the lower the better. It's those high rise condos, closer to the sun, that take the brunt of that heat.

10 Avoid a layout that looks out over the garbage pick-up area. Just some straight-up sound advice here. Not only is the view a turn-off, but it's also very noisy.

11 Avoid a suite that overlooks the garage entrance and the coming and going of vehicle traffic. See #10.

12 Avoid a suite beside or across from the elevator. I always ask for this in a hotel. At Palladium the elevators are actually on a propellant system instead of a pulley system, so when the elevator is called it is pushed up instead of lowered down. This significantly decreases the noise. (I told you we thought of everything!)

13 A parking space is highly recommended. Even if you don’t drive, you can always rent it out. This is still, unfortunately, unavoidable in downtown Raleigh. So Palladium is going to go ahead and give you two spaces!

14 A locker is also highly recommended. There is rarely if ever enough storage space in a condo. Locker=storage. Have you seen our closets at Palladium? First of all, there's a lot of them. Secondly, they're very spacious. Thirdly, the whole point of moving to a condo is to simplify your life so that you can spend time focusing on the things you enjoy the most. So leave all the superfluous stuff behind.

Home Suite Home
15 Find out about visitor parking. How many spaces are available? While Palladium does not have designated visitor parking, there is street parking available on both sides of Blount St. in front of the building. The City Center Parking Deck is also just behind our building - practically connected - and there is plenty of parking in there. It's even free from 7pm-7am M-Th.

16 With a resale condo, examine the appliances and wear and tear on the suite closely. With a resale you can expect to have to do a little bit of work once you close on the property, so don't get overwhelmed in the details. Notice structural things, the ages on the systems (HVAC, plumbing, appliances, etc.), and if any finishes are outdated. If there is something near the end of its lifespan, you need to be financially prepared to fix or replace it. Of course, in condos like Palladium Plaza the roof repairs, exterior maintenance, exterior painting, etc. are all escrowed out of your monthly HOA dues.

17 Note the condition -- and aroma -- of the lobby and common areas such as hallways and stairwells. Odd advice, but relevant none-the-less. You especially want to pay attention to this if there is retail or restaurants in your building that might produce odors. But also check for any musty or mildewy smells that could indicate water damage or an inefficiency by the HOA. However, if you like the building, double check with the HOA to see if might have been an isolated incident.

18 Find out who the occupants of the building are: mostly owners or tenants? Owners are preferable. Not only is this good info to know and to continually keep tabs on, but your lender will absolutely need to know this prior to approving your loan, and the answer can and will affect your ability to get a loan. In a condo building, the buyer is not the only entity that has to qualify for a loan; the building and HOA do as well. Palladium Plaza is FHA approved and the HOA is determined to keep that designation for all eternity. FHA strictly regulates the amount of tenants that can be in a building, and the amount of property one entity can own in the building. FHA is ideal, so look for those buildings first in your search.

19 Find out the monthly condo maintenance fees and what exactly they include (and don’t include). Another hugely important tip. At Palladium you are looking at about $233/month. That includes water, trash, sewer, building insurance, building maintenance, common area maintenance, HOA management, and a whole host of other things. Let's discuss what it does not cover - electric, contents insurance (about the same price as renter's insurance), and whatever phone/cable/internet you elect to have. Note that all HOA dues are subject to rise, so make sure to ask if there are any known upcoming increases.

20 What are the property taxes? Are they included in the maintenance fees? Taxes are not included in your HOA dues, as they are assessed individually to each condo on an annual basis. You can elect to escrow them monthly, which means they would be added to your total mortgage each month and paid by your lender. Or you can pay one lump sum annually. You will want to check with your lender and your accountant on what is the best option for you. You can check for local tax bill amounts here.

21 Chat with other owners and ask about their experience in the building. People feel uncomfortable doing this, but I encourage it of everyone who is even considering living at Palladium. Stop people in the hallways and the common areas - most people are happy to help and eager to talk about their experience in the building. If you would like to talk to someone who owns a condo at Palladium, just let me know and I am happy to arrange it for you.

Make me an offer
22 Visit the suite at least twice, if you can, before making your offer. Yes, at least twice. This references back to #7 as well. Make sure you are comfortable in the space. Go at different times of day. Go in the rain and go in the sunshine. At Palladium we understand the importance of this and we will accommodate you.

23 Know what comparable suites in the building and in the area have sold for. At an average of $180/sq foot, Palladium is the most affordable new construction in the downtown market. I've got spreadsheets to prove it.

24 As for offer price, listen to and discuss with your agent. Please note that the "listen to" is just as important as the "discuss". Remember that you hired this agent because you trust their professional opinion. Offers and counter-offers are a very delicate matter to everyone involved in the process and must be treated as such. Buyers and sellers often have too much emotion caught up in the purchase, which is why an agent's professionalism and distance from the transaction is so important.

25 When you are ready to make an offer, make it conditional on your lawyer reviewing the Condominium Documents and Status Certificate.  These documents should be made available at your request from any condo developer or association. I can email any of these in reference to Palladium, so just ask. It's lovely bedtime reading.

It is easy to get overwhelmed when you are looking at condos in downtown Raleigh. You owe it to yourself to look at all of them before making your decision. And from first glance, they may all look to be essentially the same on the interior. Maple and cherry cabinets, hardwoods or stained concrete floors, granite countertops, stainless appliances, walk-in showers and walk-in closets - these things used to be upgrades, but are now all standard.

But trust me, just because you have seen one, you have not seen them all. The differences in these condos lie in the small details, the thoughtfulness of the developer and builder, the quality of materials used.

A few examples:
1) Blinds - At Palladium we include blinds on all windows and doors. And not just your basic vinyl blinds. We installed white 2" wood blinds on all the windows and single doors, and full length vertical blinds on the sliding doors. The difference is noticeable. And with Palladium's Eastern and Southern facing windows, you will be glad we took the initiative to upgrade those for you!
2) Refrigerators - Many condos do not come with the fridge included, but we went ahead and added them to all of our condos. They are the same quality - GE Profile - as the stove, dishwasher, and microwave, which are also included. And, we went one step further and installed counter-depth refrigerators! So we will not judge if the first thing you move from your old place to the Palladium is a 6-pack.
3) Cable outlets - Developers have to decide cable jack locations very early on in the planning phase of a condo building. All of the locations within a condo have to "homerun" to one place inside the condo that the cable guy can access, and then the main cable line has to run to a central cable box for the whole building. (Stay with me here, I'm getting to the point.) But, cable outlet location is not necessarily something you notice when looking at new homes. No, instead, you wait until moving day, place your couch or bed where you always imagined it, then try to set your TV only to discover that the cable jack is in the odd shaped corner on the other side of the room. Realizing that you are not still in college and therefore it is no longer acceptable to run a 60' cable wire around your entire ceiling, your only option is to rearrange. Our goal when building Palladium was to allow the owner to have many options for configuring their spaces, so we added cable outlets to both of the long walls in the living room and the bedroom. We put cable outlets in all bedrooms, the living room, AND the kitchen! (It's the same with phone outlets too, BTW.)

So, you see, it is about the small stuff. At Palladium, we took care of the fine details, things you have not even thought of yet, to ensure that your life there is easy like Sunday morning every morning. Come by and see us and let me show you these differences in person - 444 S. Blount St. in downtown Raleigh - or contact me here.

I have recently been told by a few people that they actually read this blog! So I'm way past due for a new post.

I don't think I have to tell you how much I love living downtown, and specifically at Palladium. That would just be redundant if you have ever met me or you follow me on Twitter. But for those still considering downtown living there are a lot of questions. So in this post I thought I'd address some of those. The answers I give below are my answers and my opinions based on my own experiences.

Q: Do you feel safe living downtown?
A: This is, by far, the most common question I get. And my answer is always an unabashed YES. I can honestly say that I feel safer in my downtown condo then I did in my house in a well-established ITB Raleigh neighborhood, where I lived before I moved downtown. Maybe it's having neighbors in such close proximity or knowing the business owners across the street. I know I could call on any of them for assistance if I needed it. Thankfully though I have never needed it. I am careful and I am always aware of my surroundings, which is sound advice no matter where you live. I have found that most of the drifters in downtown Raleigh just want to borrow a few minutes of your time and maybe some spare change. You begin to recognize their faces and they yours. It's a community we all share and we all look out for one another.

Q: I have dogs. Can they live there? And where do I walk them?
A: Me too! As do a lot of other Palladium residents, and downtown residents in general. Palladium does not have any pet restrictions. Before you purchase, you will want to check with the HOA of other condo buildings to make sure your pet's size and breed are accepted. As for walking dogs, I will be the first to say that I think the City could do a better job of making downtown more dog friendly. But for responsible pet owners there are quite a few options. If you are a dog park fan, the Oakwood Dog Park is 2 miles from Palladium. But for shorter walks downtown Raleigh residents are lucky in that the City maintains quite a bit of green space. Moore Square and Nash Square are two green parks within easy walking distance of everything downtown. My dogs also like to stroll by Memorial Hall and people watch. The dogs get treats and lots of attention when they go to my bank! And most restaurants and bars allow dogs outside on patios. Just remember to take your own pick-up bags, as they are not provided in many places downtown.

Q: Where is it safe to exercise outside?
A: Well for starters, there are quite a few running clubs downtown. On Monday nights at 6pm you can meet at Tir-na-nog, just 2 blocks from Palladium, for their nOg Run Club. For women, there is the Downtown Raleigh Womens' Running Group that meets at various hot spots in downtown. You can also pick up the Martin St. connector to access the Greenway. If you are by yourself and looking for a quick work-out, Halifax Mall is well lit and you can run on grass or on the wide sidewalks.

Q: Where do you grocery shop?
A: Personally I'm a Kroger fan so that's where I go if I need a traditional grocery store. However I buy most of my food at our local farmers' markets. The NC State Farmers' Market is about 2 miles from Palladium. On Thursday, Friday, Saturday City Market Produce produce is open - a stones throw from Palladium. And on Wednesdays there is the Downtown Raleigh Farmers' Market on Fayetteville St. - which could be a stones throw from Palladium if you continue to eat locally sourced fruits and veggies. Additionally, downtown Raleigh now has a compost option!

Q: Where can my guests park?
A: Most folks have preconceived notions that parking in downtown Raleigh is hard to find. That could not be further from the truth. There are tons of public parking decks that almost always have space, and many are free from 7pm-7am. Palladium residents have it even better. There is metered parking on the street just outside of our building, and from 5pm-8am parking is free, and free all day on weekends. The Blount St. parking deck is right behind Palladium and is free from 7pm-7am. So carry on with that dinner party!

Q: Is it loud?
A: I can only speak for Palladium when I answer this question. Typically, no, it's not loud. Occasionally, yes, you are reminded that you live in a metro area. There are the occasional sirens, trains, and late night revelers. Make sure to check proximity to train tracks, fire stations, bars and clubs when deciding where to live. Perhaps one of Palladium's best features, in my opinion, is that we are close to restaurants, bars, and live music, but there are none in our actual building. So while I can easily and quickly walk there, I can also come home to a quiet building that does not stay open until 2am!

Q: Where is your favorite place to go out to dinner/drinks?
A: This answer varies with my mood swings - so, often. The variety of what downtown Raleigh has to offer is truly amazing. If I have friends in from out of town I always take them to dinner at Poole's for an authentic Raleigh experience. If I'm eating alone I'll head to the bar at Sitti, Dos Taquitos, Mecca, or Capital Club 16 where the bartenders are good at keeping me company and the people watching is fantastic. Breakfast at Big Ed's or Oakwood Cafe. Coffee, hands down, at Benelux Cafe (try the chai tea). Pizza from Vic's in City Market. Sunday's during football season are spent at Woody's eating delicious wings and drinking bloody Mary's. Take-out from Spize on a weeknight. Drinks are a whole other category. Raleigh Times and Slim's are favorites.

Feel free to submit any other questions you may have about day to day life in downtown Raleigh. I always love to share my thoughts and opinions. I do love living here - the convenience, the sense of community, the connection I have to the city and the streets and the businesses. Life is happening everywhere down here and I love being a part of it!

Palladium Plaza is pleased to host "Hopscotch & Sparkcon Present: Moment’s Note, photographs of North Carolina music". Moment's Note is a photography exhibit and collaboration between two large, upcoming festivals in Downtown Raleigh: Hopscotch (9/8-9/10) and SparkCon (9/15-9/18). For more info and hours visit here. Palladium will have open houses on Saturdays from 1-3 in conjunction with these festivals. If you are too busy enjoying the fests to stop by then but wish to check out Palladium another time, please complete our Contact Form. We look forward to having you in our neighborhood!

Forget planes, trains and automobiles. Palladium Plaza homeowners travel in much better style. When we first began selling the Palladium there were some obvious highlights to the building that I knew would make it stand out from the rest. Like the large size and square footage of the condos. And the low prices. And the FHA financing that allows buyers to put only 3.5% down. The closet space, the exposed concrete, and the low HOA dues would help as well. But there have been a few selling points that have surprised me.

Bicycle access - Almost everyone who lives downtown has a bike. It might be a cruiser or a "beater", something to just get them to the bar and back home again. It could be a road bike that commuters use to get to work or take out on the Greenway. Or perhaps even a mountain bike for the local trails and for mountain weekend excursions. But whatever your use for your bike, you want to have regular and easy access to it. Let's face it, hauling a bike up and down stairwells or elevators just takes some of the fun out of it. But with Palladium's ground floor brownstone condos, getting your bike in and out of your condo is a breeze.  Three or four outside steps up to your own front door - easy breezy. And with these spacious condos and closet spaces there is plenty of room for your bike(s). You simply have no excuse not to ride.

Kayaks and paddle boards - Even though downtown Raleigh is two hours from the closest coastline, there are plenty of local places to get on the water. And some Palladium homeowners go regularly. So much so that they need high sturdy ceilings and wall space to mount their vessels. Our concrete ceilings work perfectly for the mounts and hooks and pulleys needed for easy access and storage. Kayaks and paddle boards, when pulled tight to the ceiling, are completely out of the way, leaving floor space open and unencumbered. Also, Palladium's wide hallways and same level parking make getting these crafts to your car essentially effortless, so you can save the work-out for the water.

Motorcycle and scooter parking - Each remaining Palladium condo comes with two covered parking spaces. Owners with motorized and additional recreational vehicles are finding this to be particularly beneficial. So you don't have to give up your inner "Easy Rider" when you move to downtown Raleigh.