Chapel Hill NC Home Blog

There is a big debate as to whether we should lower the drinking age.  I’m not sure how I feel about this one.  When I was a teen, the drinking age was 18.  We also drank before we turned 18. As always, there are pros and cons.  I understand the debate if you are old enough to fight in a war, you should be old enough to drink but it goes beyond that.  I dont think the drinking age should be lowered for that reason alone.

High Schoolers and College students will find a way to drink regardless of what the legal drinking age is. A big factor is if the legal age were 18, will that make it easier for 16 and 17 year olds to obtain alcohol?  Unfortunately, yes.

A negative about the drinking age being 21 is that college kids are still drinking but they are more secretive about it; closed parties, binge drinking, etc…  If the drinking age were 18, would that make drinking at college safer? I’m not sure. 

How do we keep the teenage drinkers off the roads?  I know since the drinking age has been 21, traffic fatalilities have been reduced by 13% involving 18-20 year old drivers.  As a mom of 2 teenagers in high school, that is an important factor for me.

Age does not always measure someone’s maturity level.  As with raising the driving age, this will be an ongoing debate and I’m not sure what the outcome will be.

Stay tuned….

Staci

There are many top Colleges and Universities in North Carolina. Year after year, North Carolina continues to attract more and more students.  Raleigh was ranked in 2nd place for the most educated city in the nation.  Raleigh also has almost double the national college graduation rate.  It’s important to live in a state that keeps its population educated.

North Carolina Colleges have alot to offer.  Our private colleges and universities have over 75,000 students.  There are sixteen campuses in the University of North Carolina State School system.  There are over 50 community colleges that have over 800,000 students.  North Carolina ranks in the top 10 for the number of students between the ages of 18 to 24 who are enrolled in college.

Once accepted into college, its important to get the most of your education.  Learn for the sake of learning, not just to get good grades.  One article I read recently spoke about 25 Ways to Make College Pay Off.  Another good article I read in Parenting Magazine provided many tips and also included a detailed College Guide for Parents.  

Before sending your children off to college, do your homework.  A 4 year education is a huge investment.  Make sure you get the most out of it.

Credit Cards, Debit Cards or Cash for Teens?  How do we educate our kids about credit and finances? My kids are 14.  I dont think they need a credit card just yet, although at times it would be easier.  When they start driving at around 16, that is probably the right time, mostly in case of an emergency.  When my daughter goes to the mall with her friends, she always asks for food and shopping money.  Cash is fine for food however I prefer to purchase clothes by credit card.  I earn points, I pay my bill at the end of each month and I always have a proof of purchase even if the receipt gets lost. This is where the credit card dilemna comes into play.  She has to ask each store employee to hold clothing items for her, then I meet her at the mall to decide what we will purchase and then I pay by credit card.  If she uses her own earned money, she uses cash.

I applied and was accepted for my first credit card when I went to college at 17.  I had balanced my own savings and checking account for years.  I received a $200 credit limit.  Thankfully, I was financially responsible.  I hope my kids will be too.  

Teens think they know the meaning of money but they really havent had enough life experience yet to be financially responsible, protect themselves and stay out of financial trouble.  We receive credit card applications in their names all the time.  We must protect our children from applying for these cards on their own, borrowing against them and not realizing the consequences.  They must understand you cant just charge and figure out how to pay the bill later.

Debit cards are another option that eliminate the need to carry cash.The money is immediately taken out of your bank account so debit cards eliminate the worry of paying later.  Always check the terms and conditions of your debit card to make sure your bank is not charging you any fees. 

Cash is obviously the most ‘realistic’ for teens.  It provides a sense of spending. You use it, its gone. When its gone, you cant charge anymore and you dont have 30 days to pay it off.  The downside is that it can be lost easily.

Whether you choose a debit card or credit card, always check for annual fees, balance transfer fees and if a cosigner if required.  Compare various credit and debit cards.  Most offer cash back or points for every dollar you spend.

I think teens are capable of learning how to balance a checkbook and how to review a credit card statement.  Once they have mastered these skills and have shown some financial responsibiilty, then its time for the next step of slowly building their credit history and applying for a credit card with a low credit limit.

Chapel Hill High School will host College Financial Aid Night on Thursday November 29th at 7pm in the Hanes Auditorium.  Students as well as their parents may attend.  Information will be given on how to apply for financial aid for college.  Representatives from a university financial aid office, the College Foundation of North Carolina and the Equal Opportunity Center will be there as presenters.

With the rising cost of a college education, this is one meeting you may not want to miss.

Many parents are buying real estate for their college aged student.  For students, a house or condo allows them to pick their roommates and offers more services.  For parents, it may help to lower the cost of a very expensive college education.  If you do your homework, sometimes a house or condo may be less expensive than paying for dorm fees or apartment rent.

In addition to providing a place for your child to live, you also want a property that you can keep fully occupied and that will produce rental income to at least cover some of your mortgage, tax and insurance costs.

Before investing you must weigh the pros and cons of purchasing residential rental property.  You want property that is affordable and that wont be too difficult to sell after graduation.

Another advantage is that you may be able to deduct your mortgage interest, property tax and some other expenses.

First you should look into the real estate market in your target area.  Is it a growing community?  Will the house/condo appreciate in value over a short period of time or at least maintain its value?  An experienced real estate broker should be able to help you and provide you with this information.

Another idea is to put your childs name on the title.  It will help them to create a credit history.

Even in a slow market, over a reasonable period of time, most real estate tends to increase in value, so this idea may be just what you are looking for.

The last time John and Elizabeth Edwards lived in Chapel Hill, North Carolina was 30 years ago.  Recently they just purchased a home on over 100 acres in the south Chapel Hill area.   They chose the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School System because of its predictabilty, its stabilty and the high quality of education it provides.  Many of their friends live in Raleigh but the Wake County School System is undergoing alot of change and redistricting right now.  Many of the Raleigh schools have been converted to year round schools.  Since last living in Chapel Hill, one of the changes they noticed was the development of Franklin Street. 

 In addition, the one thing they really like most is Carolina Basketball and that the University of North Carolina will always be the center of gravity in Chapel Hill.