October Edition
Get Ready to Fall Into our SWELL Blog!
Inspirational Quote of the Month
“Listen! the wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves, we have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!”
We love it when the leaves change colors, but why?
Did you know that fall’s vivid colors are actually hidden underneath all that green?
The main reason for the color change is not only chilly weather but light—or rather, the lack of it.
This month’s edition of SWELL Living has:
Fun Fact: October!
Homeowner tips
SWELL Streaming
Interest Rate Rundown: On the Rise
Exciting Area Events!
Cool-weather herbs & veggies
Spooky cocktails recipes
Market Report: “Is this the beginning of the end?”
Lochlan Patterson
At Dead Crow Comedy Club
Lachlan has been entertaining audiences with his unique brand of stand-up comedy for over 20 years. This avid surfer, transplanted from Vancouver to Venice Beach, has unique views of American life and the experience of becoming a father that is filled with jokes that appeal to all ages.
Friday, October 8 at 7:00 pm
511 N Third Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
WBLA Longboard Pro-Am
Wrightsville Beach is excited to host an awesome surf competition!
Contestants compete in the Longboard Classic Pro-Am heats, semi-finals and finals to win an amazing prize.
Price is free!
Saturday, October 16 at 7:30 am
Beach Access #27
Wrightsville Beach, NC
Hocus Pocus Movie in the Park
Enjoy this hilarious tale featuring the antics of two teenagers and an eight year old from Salem, MA who team-up against three Sister Witches who have come back to life in this cult classic. Bring your picnic blankets and lawn chairs and enjoy an evening of family fun, food, and entertainment under the stars.
Congratulations Kerri!
Our first SWELL Raffle winner.
Kerri does amazing work at N.C. Coastal Federation and we are so happy she won!
Here’s how our raffle works:
Subscribe to SWELL Living: your source for area events, interviews, gardening tips, & a whole lot more!
Once subscribed you will be automatically entered to win the next raffle.
You will also be entered to win every raffle going forward, pretty sweet!
So be sure to register using the form below
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Here’s what Kerri won:
September SWELL Prize List
~ $100 gift certificate at Anne Bonny’s
~ 2 tickets to Wilmington Water Tours Sunset Cruise along the Cape Fear River
~ 2 tickets to a Haunted Pub Crawl by the Ghost Walk Tour of Wilmington
~ $30 gift certificate to Kilwins of Wilmington
That’s a $250 value!
Cooler weather is here!
There’s lots of ways to keep your garden thriving, keep reading to check them all out…
Garlic
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a bulbous flowering plant that is delicious and used in almost every culinary dish.
China produces 76% of the world’s garlic, and when it travels across the sea, it is subject to bleaching, x-rays, and pesticides.
Stop buying garlic at the grocery store and grow your own!
To grow your own, simply take an organic bulb, break it up into cloves or ‘toes’. Plant the biggest cloves in the ground in October 3” deep and 6” apart. Wait 8-9 months, or until the leaves begin to die, and your garlic is ready to harvest!
Spinach
This leafy green vegetable is packed full of vitamins and nutrients. It is delicious both raw and cooked!
Like broccoli, spinach plants enjoy full sun with plenty of water!
Direct sow seeds in rows 12 inches apart, and barely wait a month for your first harvest!
Potatoes
Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), is a starchy tuber and root vegetable.
Did you know? Potatoes are a rich source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C.
Potatoes need lots of sunlight and light, fluffy soil. The roots that begin to grow on a potato that’s been left too long are called ‘eyes’.
Plant the ‘eyes’ of the potato facing upward 4” deep and 8” apart. About 3 months to harvest.
Want more help? Check out the North Carolina Cooperative Extension for details.
October is here…
Ready to get a little spooky with your cocktails?
Halloween can be fun for all ages!
Poison Apple Martini
1.5 oz. your favorite Vodka
1 ounces Cranberry-Apple Juice
1.5 oz Pomegranate Juice
Garnish with apple slice.
Ice
Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake!!
Strain into a martini glass, and garnish.
2. Pumpkin Spiced Punch
2 oz Rumchata
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
Ginger beer
Ice
Shake the Rumchata with nutmeg in a shaker with ice. Strain into rocks glass.
Top with ginger beer and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
3. Holy Wood Old-Fashioned
2 oz. your favorite Mezcal
3 dashes Apple Spiced Bitters
3 dashes Orange bitters
Palo Santo Sticks (Holy Wood)
Torch
On a non-flammable surface, set alight your Palo Santo sticks and cover with a rocks glass to catch the lovely smoke.
In a mixing glass, add bitters and mezcal, add ice, and stir till very cold. Add ice ball to smoked rocks glass and strain mezcal from mixing glass over top.
Palo santo’s aroma is said to “clear misfortune, negative thought prints, and evil spirits.” Perfect for Halloween!
Now it’s time to sip and enjoy!
Do you know why October is such a cool month?
You might already know that octo- means 8, like Octopus.
Well, in the early Roman calendar, it was the 8th month. After the 12 month calendar became a thing in 713 B.C., the name just stuck!
There’s also so much more than Halloween going on in October.
In fact, there are 226 things to celebrate, check them all out here.
Selling a home doesn’t have to be hard.
We believe selling a home should be simple, easy, and even a little fun too.
Make your next move a smooth one and move confidently with SWELL!
We also offer industry leading rates for home-sellers. Many firms charge as much as 3% of the sales price to sell your home. The most we ever charge is 2.5% and for qualified clients, we only charge 2%! To save thousands of dollars as well as time and energy, click the button below.
Home Owning In October…
Tips, tricks, and things to be aware of, courtesy of:
SWELL home & living
Did You Know?
There are proactive steps you can take to make sure your HVAC unit is functioning properly before the really chilly weather hits?
Well, there is!
Here’s a really SWELL list of things to do now so you don’t freeze later!
•Change/check your air filters
A clogged filter can lead to your furnace over-heating, plus you really want to be breathing clean air in your own home!
•Clean & Check Interior Air Vents
Clean air vents and registers can get pollen, dust, and mold build up on them.
•Check the outside unit for debris
It’s fall and everything and anything that can be falling from the sky right now is! Make sure there’s not too many leaves, sticks, or dirt build up around your operating unit.
•Check the drain lines, find out how here.
• Have the system inspected and tuned by the Pros
An HVAC tune up doesn’t cost much and can save you from having to pay for emergency work later. They will make sure your unit is ready for winter and can handle the occasional cold snap or polar vortex!
These are some of the main ways to make your home cool weather ready. For questions or more information contact us anytime. We’re here to help!
Discover New TV, Movies, Music, & More
Ty covers the TV & Movie recommendations, here are his picks this month:
For light-hearted TV to binge: Ted Lasso
This is the story of a man who will not quit, who’s spirit raises everyone around him. Even after he’s been hired to coach an English soccer team and knows nothing of the sport. Ted’s disarming manner and southern charm turn lemon situations into lemonade. Except for in his own life, where it’s falling apart.
Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Juno Temple, & Hannah Waddingham. Ted Lasso will have you laughing, crying, and everywhere in between. Available on Apple TV.
For a raunchy good time: Sex Education
Follow Otis and Maeve (May-Vv) as they navigate the rigors of life at an English high school. Things get interesting when the pair team up to counsel their classmates… about their sex lives.
Hilarity and drama unfold in interesting ways in this quirky series. The show is more Adult than Teen. It reminds me of my high school years, the awkwardness of growing up, and what it was like waiting to start my life. Lots of nostalgia here and I can’t recommend this show enough.
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Emma Mackey, and Gillian Anderson. The newest season is the third so binging is an option and highly encouraged! Available on Netflix.
For an action movie: The Tomorrow War
An alien invasion in the future forces scientists to look to the past for help, literally. The action is intense in this sci-fi war movie and the themes mostly new and novel. People are transported into the future to help fight against an alien army that seems unstoppable.
Starring Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, & J. K. Simmons. If you’re looking for a fun evening this is a great choice. Available on Amazon Prime.
Music on Repeat: Anthony's Monthly Picks for Featured Tunes
This month, for Music on Repeat, I have something old-that's-new-again along with a brand new release, and both albums hit the shelves on the same day, which is pretty neat. Let's take a listen:
Just released on September 17th is the new album A Southern Gothic from Adia Victoria. Born in South Carolina and based in Nashville, TN, Victoria has a smooth-slow-burn kind of feel in her work. This album is a relaxing yet poignant road trip through the South – the South between the Old South and today – William Faulkner would want you to love this record. "I would say that the philosophy behind this record is, 'Necessity is the mother of invention,'" Victoria says. "It's also, 'When you don't have excess, when that's all stripped away, what you gon' do with that?' What art can you make from walking through your mother's garden?" One of the many gems grown from mother's garden is the pre-released single and first track on the album, “Magnolia Blues.” There is deep truth in this track, tucked between myth, romanticism, and a need to face the old stories of the South head-on.
Re-released on September 17th : Buena Vista Social Club 25th Anniversary Edition
That's right! After 25 years, a Grammy, and over 8 million copies sold, we're getting an upgrade! Basically, I see 2 options:
Option #1: You don't have this album or never gave it much of a listen, and now you have a fresh opportunity to hear something awesome! If you don't know, the Buena Vista Social Club was a collection of Cuban master musicians who were assembled in 1996 in Havana under the direction of Juan de Marcos González and American guitarist Ry Cooder and the entire project was recorded in just 7 days. It's festive, full of horns and cowbell, and a foundation for most modern salsa music. Check it out!
Option #2: You already know and love this album and it brings immense joy to your life. In that case, check out the new edition! The album has been remastered by Bernie Grundman, has been reissued in a 2 CD (or 2 Vinyl) set encased in a 64-page book with new sleeve notes, photos, lyrics, and 12 previously unreleased tracks. If you're fancy and prefer to listen to your classics the futuristic way, you can stream the new album on most services, or you can buy directly from the Project on their website and get a t-shirt for good measure: https://shop.buenavistasocialclub.com/?affcode=superdelux
For the love of Podcasts: Marisa’s favorite this month
Criminal: is an award-winning podcast about true crime. Stories of people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle.
Criminal launched January of 2014, and new episodes come out twice a month, always on Fridays. They are always wildly different and the outcome is almost always unexpected.
“One of the most expansive, compassionate portraits of the lives of real people caught up in crime.”
-The New York Times
Is it the beginning of the end?
Last quarter we predicted the market would start levelling off and prices would continue to rise, which happened.
So what’s next for our market?
Interest Rates are still at historic lows!
Thanks to Daniel Pedroni from North State Bank for sharing his interest rate information with us.
•Conventional 30 Year Fixed, 20% Down Payment:
Rate: 3.125%, APR: 3.192%
Conventional 15 Year Fixed, 20% Down Payment:
Rate: 2.49%, APR: 2.587%
FHA 30 Year Fixed, 3.5% Down Payment:
Rate: 2.625%, APR: 3.636%
VA 30 Year Fixed, $0 Down Payment:
Rate: 2.625%, APR: 3.186%
We love working with Daniel!
He’s a hardworking lender who will do what it takes to get you the home you deserve.
Contact Daniel today to see how he can work for you, click the button below for more information.
Every lender has their own rates for the loan types above, if offered. This is meant to show generally where interest rates are currently. Talk to Daniel Pedroni or your preferred lender to see what rates you can qualify for. All Rate Quotes assume top tier credit, 30 Rate Lock, Single Family Dwelling, Rates effective 9/30/2021:
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