Tag Archive for: ncrealtors

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Salem College Ranked 24th Among U.S. Liberal Arts Colleges

 

In its annual review of college and universities, “Washington Monthly 2023 College Rankings” included Salem College among the Top 25 Liberal Arts Colleges in the United States, one of only two North Carolina colleges in the top 25. Ranked 24th overall, Salem College was also ranked 4th in the nation for graduation rate performance and 8th for the earning performance of its graduates. In its ranking of institutions providing the “Best Bang for the Buck,” Salem College placed 14th among all colleges and universities in the Southeast.

In addition, Washington Monthly awarded Salem the No. 1 Earning Performance ranking in North Carolina among all Southeast colleges and universities, and Salem leads all North Carolina liberal arts colleges in the Top 25 for AmeriCorps and Peace Corps service, indicating both the civic and economic benefits that come from a Salem education. Washington Monthly also noted that 20% of Salem College graduates pursued service-oriented majors, the largest percentage of any of the Top 25 liberal arts colleges in the ranking.

1,485 four-year institutions were evaluated in the rankings for 2023, which integrate several publicly available data components. Washington Monthly has published its annual ranking of colleges and universities since 2005, which it says are based on what colleges “do for our country,” and which have three broad areas of emphasis: social mobility, research, and promotion of public service.

Founded in 1772, Salem Academy and College is the nation’s oldest educational institution for girls and women in the United States.

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Poll: Housing Affordability & Availability a Concern in North Carolina

Housing affordability and availability are seen as major issues in North Carolina, according to a recent poll undertaken by the state’s real estate association. While awareness is rising, the challenge remains in finding ways to deal with the problems.

In 2021, 52% of poll respondents saw housing affordability as a problem. That number increased to 65% in 2022. There also was a significant increase in identifying housing availability as another key concern. In 2021, 39% of respondents saw this as a problem with that number increasing to 50% in 2022.

Interestingly, poll participants were evenly split on whether building additional housing will help decrease the cost of housing, and whether there are too many local rules and regulations that inhibit building.

Density Versus Increased Supply

Reflecting the continuing dilemma for supporters of increased density and more residential building, 61% of poll respondents preferred to maintain the character and quality of life in their communities to increasing housing options. This includes limiting the construction of new housing and protecting existing neighborhoods. In response to advocating for denser developments, most respondents were more concerned with the strain on traffic (59%) rather than pressure on public services.

Short-Term Rental Remains a Dividing Issue

In a revealing disparity, there was strong support (77%) when asked if “property owners should be able to rent out their private property without government interference as long as the property meets all safety standards.” However, only a slight majority (52%) favored local governments being able to “set some limits or restrictions on private property rentals.” Such attitudes have been widely demonstrated in areas where the rise in short-term rentals has created issues for neighborhoods and governing bodies, and conflict between neighbors.

The survey, undertaken by NC REALTORS®, reached 827 adults, age 18 or older, who indicated they were registered to vote in North Carolina and were almost certain or probably will vote in the November midterm elections.

For more information or questions, please contact the Bluebird team. We’re always available and happy to share data and provide anything you need to better assess our local market.

MLS Internet Data Exchange (IDX) information is provided exclusively for consumers’ personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing, and that the data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by Triad MLS®.