Blog

January 16, 2022

Do’s and Don’t of a Kitchen Remodel

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Raleigh Triangle area Realtor Kitchen remodels are the most popular project among homeowners. Who hasn’t dreamed of […]
December 25, 2021

What Stays with the Home??

Community First Realty is a local Fuquay Varina/Raleigh/Triangle Real Estate Brokerage helping buyers, sellers, and builders. More than one seller has been surprised to find that […]
October 14, 2021

Tips for Buying a Home Unseen

Community First Realty – Fuquay Varina Tips for Buying a Home Unseen It may come as a shock that many people purchase a home before ever […]
April 8, 2021

Questions To Ask When Buying New Construction

Community First Realty Tracy Cook – Broker/Owner – Fuquay Varina – Raleigh – Holly Springs – Apex – Willow Springs – Angier Buying new construction is […]
April 2, 2021

Is Your Home Ready To Show? Here’s Some Quick Tips To Get It There!

Community First Realty – Your Home Realtors serving Wake, Harnett, Lee, and Johnston Counties While it might be your goal to keep your home show-ready at […]
February 26, 2021

Due Diligence in North Carolina – what is it and what does it mean for you

In 2011 the NC real estate commission revised our Offer to Purchase Contract and with that came the introduction of the term Due Diligence.  Since then […]
February 19, 2021

Moving with Pets

Community First Realty – Your Triangle Realtors – Raliegh – Fuquay Varina – Lillington – Clayton Are you preparing to move with your fury family?  Here […]
February 9, 2021

Tips for the First-Time Home Seller

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Triangle Realtor – Fuquay Varina – Raleigh – Holly Springs – Clayton There is a lot of attention paid to […]
February 4, 2021

Best Materials for Refinishing Stairs

Community First Realty – Triangle/Raleigh/Fayetteville Realtors Staircases tend to capture the eye because of the way they transcend from one level to the next. If your […]
January 18, 2021

Siding…What’s Right for Your House

Tracy Cook – Broker/Owner – Community First Realty Triangle Realtor – Raleigh – Fuquay Varina – Holly Springs – Clayton   Homes both old and new […]
January 12, 2021

How to Make and KEEP New Years Resolutions

Tracy Cook – Realtor – Fuquay Varina – Raleigh – Triangle Community First Realty Do you find yourself making resolutions, and then a month in, you […]
January 2, 2021

9 New Year’s Resolutions That Will Boost Your Home’s Value

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Clayton – Holly Springs – Triangle Realtor When we think of New Year’s resolutions, we normally think […]
December 17, 2020

2021 Colors of the Year Unveiled!

By Tracy Cook – Broker Fuquay Varina – Holly Springs – Clayton – Raleigh – Triangle Realtor Everything has its season, and for paint, winter is […]
November 2, 2020

Hot Flooring Trends for Homeowners

Very few things in a home can make such a difference to both form and function as new floors. Flooring reflects not only your style and […]
October 22, 2020

Favorite Local Pumpkin Patch

Fall is here – and most of us are looking for some great fall fun ideas! We’ve done our homework, and put together our list of […]
August 27, 2020

Painters Mask: A Primer

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Triangle Area Realtor – Fuquay Varina – Raleigh – Apex – Cary – Clayton   One of the best things […]
July 15, 2020

PRESS RELEASE – 2020 Enterprising Women Award

Prestigious Awards Program Recognizes Tracy Cook, Broker Community First Realty as an Enterprising Women Award Winner for 2020 RALEIGH, NC July 15, 2020 – Monica Smiley, publisher […]
June 17, 2020

Latest Construction Trends

June 17, 2020 By Tracy Cook, Broker- Community First Realty – Your Hometown Realtor Fuquay Varina – Raleigh – Triangle – Apex – Holly Springs Throughout […]
May 31, 2020

PCSing with Children

Tracy Cook – Broker – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina/Raleigh/Holly Springs/Triangle – Voted best of Fuquay Varina and Wake County 2018, 2019 and 2020 PCS is […]
April 20, 2020

DIY – Raised Bed Garden

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Holly Springs – Raleigh – Triangle Area Even though everything seems to have ground to a halt, […]
April 14, 2020

Strawberry Fields Forever

The weather is getting nice and it’s that time of year…Strawberry time!  U-pick farms are allowed to operate, as they’re classified as food providers, an essential business. […]
April 3, 2020

5 Questions Buyers Have During the Coronavirus Outbreak Answered

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Raleigh – Fuquay Varina – Holly Springs – Triangle Area Realtor                   […]
March 30, 2020

New to Working From Home? Our Top Tips

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty – Triangle Area Leading Realtor Best of Fuquay Varina and Wake County Working from home can be a challenge, especially […]
March 17, 2020

Is Wallpaper Make a Comeback

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Your Hometown Realtor serving Wake, Johnston and Harnett Counties  Raleigh – RTP – Fuquay Varina – Holly Springs – Apex […]
March 14, 2020

How I Help My Clients Stand Out in a Competitive Market

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Holly Springs – Triangle – Apex – Cary Realtor   There is nothing harder than making an […]
March 12, 2020

What You Need to Know About Cleaning for Coronavirus

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Your Hometown Realtor serving Raleigh, Apex, Fuquay Varina, Cary, Willow Spring and Holly Spring among others There has been a […]
March 1, 2020

5 Tips for Starting Your Home Search

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Your Hometown Realtor – Fuquay Varina – Holly Springs – Raleigh – Triangle Area 5 Tips for Star-ng Your Home […]
February 26, 2020

5 Maintenance Skills All Homeowners Should Know

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Raleigh – Holly Springs – Triangle Area Realtor 5 Maintenance Skills All Homeowners Should Know Owning a […]
February 24, 2020

Top Repairs to Make Before Listing

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Raleigh – Holly Springs – Triangle Area Realtor When you put your home on the market, you […]
February 17, 2020

What Buyers Can Expect For Real Estate in 2020

Tracy Cook  Broker/Agent – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Raleigh – Triangle – Holly Springs – Apex Predicting the housing market should be an Olympic […]
February 15, 2020

Decorating vs Staging, there is a difference

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Raleigh – Triangle – Apex – Holly Springs Realtor Staging your home for an open house is […]
February 6, 2020

Staging Your Home for the 2020 Market

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Raleigh – Apex – Cary – Triangle – Your Hometown Realtor If you’re planning to sell your […]
January 30, 2020

Are You Thinking About Selling Your Home?

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Raleigh – Holly Springs – Apex – Triangle Are you thinking about selling your home?  It’s not […]
January 27, 2020

Investing In Your Home – Which Will Return the Best Value

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Holly Springs – Raleigh – Triangle Best Realtor of Wake County You’ve lived in your home a […]
January 17, 2020

Year Round Schools… What the Heck??

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Triangle – Apex – Holly Springs – Raleigh   Year Round School.  What the heck is it? […]
January 17, 2020

What Color Should I Paint?

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Raleigh – Triangle – Apex – Holly Springs leading Realtor Painting your home is a great way […]
January 13, 2020

Home Insulation 101

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Raleigh – Fuquay Varina – Apex –  Holly Springs Insulation is an essential part of your home. Not only does […]
January 9, 2020

Are Smart Homes Here to Stay

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Apex – Raleigh – Holly Springs There’s been quite a bit of hype about smart homes in […]
January 6, 2020

Financing Outside of Single Family Homes

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Holly Springs – Apex If your goal is to buy income property or multi-family property like mine […]
January 2, 2020

Are You Sure You Own That Fence

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Apex – Holly Springs – Raleigh – Triangle area Realtor As Robert Frost (somewhat facetiously) said, “Good […]
December 30, 2019

Keeping Your Stuff Safe While Your Home Is For Sale

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Raleigh – Apex – Holly Springs When preparing to put your house on the market, usually your […]
December 19, 2019

Bargain Buying 101: Things to Look for in a Deal

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty / Fuquay Varina – Apex – Holly Springs – Clayton – Raleigh When you’re shopping for a new home, it’s […]
December 13, 2019

Things to Know Before Going Solar

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Holly Springs – Apex – Raleigh   Home solar may be the energy solution of the future, […]
December 9, 2019

Care and Feeding of Your Homes Roof

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina/Holly Springs/Raleigh/Apex/Willow Spring – Your Hometown Realtor While the roof is one of the most important parts of your […]
November 30, 2019

What is the ETJ and How Does it Effect You?

Tracy Cook Community First Realty – Broker What is the ETJ and how will it affect you? ETJ stands for Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction.  Most cities have these […]
November 22, 2019

Outdoor Turkey Frying – Tips and Tricks

Tracy Cook – Community First Realty Fuquay Varina – Holly Springs – Raleigh Thanksgiving is on its way, and for most of us, that means turkey. […]
November 19, 2019

Programs Vet Should Know About

Tracy Cook Community First Realty – Fuquay Varina, Raleigh, Holly Springs Your Hometown Realtor Veterans sacrifice a lot for this country. To help honor these sacrifices, […]
October 28, 2019

What is Mischief Night?

By Tracy Cook – Broker, Community First Realty Fuquay Varina/Holly Springs/Apex/Raleigh If you haven’t heard of Mischief Night, it’s possible that you’ve lived in an area […]
October 11, 2019

Quick Ways to Improve Your Homes Marketability

Selling your home isn’t always easy. While there’s always a buyer out there somewhere, connecting with that buyer and agreeing on a price sometimes takes a […]
October 4, 2019

Fall Clean Up

Periodic home maintenance is essential, both to keep your house looking its best and to prevent problems that could worsen over time. One of the best […]
October 2, 2019

Heating Sources Explained

There are a lot of different options available when it comes to heating your home. Some of them, you’re likely really familiar with, while others are […]
September 22, 2019

Tips for Surviving a Home Remodel

Remodeling your home is a major project. Most people don’t realize just HOW major of a project it is until they’re deep into it, however. If […]
September 20, 2019

Is Your House Ready For An Electric Car?

While they aren’t quite dominating the automotive market just yet, electric vehicles are definitely seeing a rise in popularity. More and more consumers are embracing the […]
September 14, 2019

Selling Your Home In the Off Season

Spring and summer are traditionally seen as the best times to sell your house. Research has actually shown that homes sold during the first half of […]
September 1, 2019

Are You a First Time Homebuyer?

Are you a FIRST TIME HOME BUYER? Types of Loans Conventional Loan – First-time homebuyers can get a conventional home loan with as little as 3% down if the […]
August 31, 2019

Care and Feeding of Your Brick Home

Having brick siding installed on your house gives it a classic look. Unfortunately, a lot of people view brick as an install-it-and-forget-it option and allow that […]
August 28, 2019

Are There Benefits to Prepaying Your Mortgage

A mortgage is one of the biggest single debts you’re likely to willingly take on. As such, being able to properly manage your mortgage is very […]
August 24, 2019

Outdoor Fireplaces. What you need to know

Fuquay Varina/Holly Springs/Raleigh Adding an outdoor fireplace can be a great way to liven up your backyard or patio area. Not only do outdoor fireplaces provide […]
August 22, 2019

Smart Appliances 101

It seems like everything is getting smart these days. First the phones were smart, then the thermostats. Now you can buy smart lighting, smart locks, smart […]
August 22, 2019

Foundation Crack? They don’t have to be disasters

Cracks in the foundation of your house can be signs of a problem. This doesn’t mean that you should automatically worry if you see a few […]
August 19, 2019

The Dirt on Septic Tanks

Septic tanks are common in rural areas, though depending on where you live, you might have a septic system, even close to town. So long as […]
August 17, 2019

Drywall Anchors…why you care what they are and what they do!

Whether you’re hanging a picture or mounting a television, anything that goes on your wall needs something to anchor it in place. If there’s a stud […]
August 15, 2019

Eliminate Pet Odors In Your Home

Odors in your home is one of the main things that will turn a buyer off. Eliminating bad odors from your home is incredibly important, you […]
August 8, 2019

Garbage Disposal Care

The modern world has so much to offer, from microwaves that can talk to your favorite smart home assistant to refrigerators that can remind you you’re […]
August 4, 2019

Have You Made Any of These 5 Credit Mistakes As a Homebuyer?

You’ve been renting for a while now and it feels like the timing is right to make the leap to homeownership. After all, your friends are […]
July 20, 2019

Smarter Climate Control

Summer is here! Great article about climate control for your home. Do you need a vendor to review your unit or give it an update… Give […]
July 19, 2019

Is FHA loan for you?

While you’re dreaming about your Starter Home, don’t forget that you’re going to need a Starter Mortgage to pay for it. The mortgage programs offered through […]
July 15, 2019

Water Filters and You

There’s something you should know about your water: it’s not as clean as you might think. In fact, depending on where it comes from, you could […]
July 14, 2019

What is an HOA??

For everyone out there looking at homes right now, there are three little letters that could make or break your purchase decision. They are “H,” “O” […]
July 13, 2019

What is Mortgage Insurance

Likely your monthly mortgage payment includes something called Mortgage Insurance.  Read on to find out what exactly it is AND if you have to pay it […]
July 12, 2019

What is the ETJ and how will it affect you?

ETJ stands for Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction.  Most cities have these areas and they are very common. An ETJ and an Annexation of land are two different things.   Under an […]
July 10, 2019

Year Round School. What the heck is it?

If you are new to the Wake County area first of all WELCOME!  You are in an awesome area with great business opportunities and also some great […]
July 8, 2019

Smart Buyer’s Guide to Choosing the Perfect Property

Daydreaming about owning your own home is one of the most intoxicating practices known to modern man, especially now that HGTV and all the house flipping […]
July 7, 2019

Why Working With a Real Estate Professional is the Best Decision You’ll Ever Make

Most people don’t buy a home every day — it’s a once-or-twice-a-decade activity for many of us as opposed to a day-in-day-out activity. So when you […]
July 6, 2019

The 5 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Your First Home

Buying a home can be an anxiety-ridden process, and that potential anxiety gets amplified for anyone who’s embarking on homeownership for the very first time. There’s […]
July 5, 2019

5 Home Seller Strategies for Staging Your Home Perfectly

There’s a reason why people love looking at photos of homes for sale — it’s rare that we get to see a place look it’s very […]
July 4, 2019

The 4 Most Important Questions You Need to Ask Before Selling Your Home

There comes a time in every home owner’s life when he or she realizes: “I am not the same person I was when I bought this […]
June 10, 2019

Garbage Disposal Care

Dated: 05/14/2019 Views: 15 The modern world has so much to offer, from microwaves that can talk to your favorite smart home assistant to refrigerators that […]
June 10, 2019

I love Popcorn — How About You?

Popcorn is great for lots of stuff. You can enjoy a big bucket with family and friends while at the movies, string it on a thread […]
June 10, 2019

Water Filters and You

There’s something you should know about your water: it’s not as clean as you might think. In fact, depending on where it comes from, you could […]
June 10, 2019

What Can Smart Switches and Light Plugs Do for your Home

“Siri, how much water did I drink today?” “Alexa, what’s on TV tonight?” “Google, turn off the lights!” You know the drill. We’re all starting to […]