Recently, I have been thinking about the different stages of life, infancy, childhood, adolescence, early, middle and late adulthood. As humans we are either growing or dying. There may also be times in all of our lives where we plateau and don't do anything to cause us to become better or improve. We stop pushing ourselves to become better and we become stagnant. We just coast along and don't do anything to stretch ourselves.
When you don't set goals, you become stagnant. It reminds me of looking at a Petri dish in science class that is filled with water that has not been able to circulate. It is stagnant and has the appearance of mold and algae growing in it. Definitely not a pretty picture and definitely not where you want to be, I am sure.
Several years ago, I realized that I needed to start setting goals and experienced the great feeling of happiness when I achieved my goals. When you reach your goals you are growing and maturing and bearing fruit that, otherwise , you would not bear.
I encourage you to take some time and examine your life and your work. Where are you in the growth cycle? Choose to move towards growth. If you want to own a brand new custom home, but need to sell your existing one and can't bear the thought of getting your home ready to put on the market, take one small step in that direction. Then tomorrow set another goal and another one the day after that. Before you know it, you will be living in your dream home.
At the Julie LaTerra Homes Design Center, our trained staff of professionals can help you in setting those goals to get your home market ready as well as assisting you in the ideal design for your Made from Scratch custom home. Please visit our web site at www.JulieLaTerraHomes.com today or call us at 704.875.3980.

Blood Drive

The staff at Julie LaTerra Homes, Charlotte’s premier custom home builder, had the opportunity to participate with the Huntersville, North Carolina American Red Cross in their “Give a Pint Get a Pint” Blood Drive on Thursday, July 9, 2009. Ben and Jerry’s gave a pint of free ice cream to all who donated a pint of blood and the turnout was excellent! It was such a great opportunity to meet and get to know the staff and volunteers of the Huntersville, North Carolina American Red Cross. It was also a great opportunity to meet so many people from all different walks of life who donate not only their blood, but take the time out of their busy schedules to help with such a worthy cause.
It had been quite a while since I donated blood and I was a little nervous at first because of the prick of the needle. Fortunately, there was nothing to it and for 15 minutes of my time; I got a free T-Shirt, a free pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, free tickets to a Charlotte Knight’s baseball game and a coupon at Dick’s Sporting Goods. I haven’t even mentioned the great snacks they served afterwards. This was a first class and well run blood drive and I would encourage anyone who hasn’t donated to think about coming to the Huntersville American Red Cross which is located at 9800 Kincey Ave. Suite 110, Huntersville, NC 28078.
After you have donated your blood, please stop by the Julie LaTerra Homes Design Center which is located in the same business park at 13801 Reese Blvd. Ste 110, Huntersville, NC 28078 or visit our web site at http://www.julielaterra/homes.com

Run like a Girl

This morning on my way into work at Julie LaTerra Homes, a woman and boomer focused Charlotte, NC custom home builder, I stopped in at Starbucks to get a coffee and on their bulletin board, and I noticed an ad for an 8K race in Charlotte that will be held on September 19, 2009. It is called “Run like a Girl 8K”, a women’s only event that will be held at the National Whitewater Complex. You have the opportunity to join up to 1,000 women in this race and help change the lives of women who have been affected by ovarian cancer. This 5 mile women’s only run, jog, or walk is and easy and fun way to help raise money for the HERA Women’s Cancer Foundation and to encourage you to take power of your own health. As women we are constantly taking care of others and often put taking care of ourselves last. I encourage you to put yourself first, at least for a few minutes, and visit their web site to learn more about this disease and what this organization does to help raise awareness.
This could be a great opportunity to get a group of your friends or co-workers together and do this as an event to help raise awareness and money for a very worthy cause. They are also going to have a kid’s mile (girls only) event. What a great way for you, mom, to participate in a fun event with your daughter. Who knows, it also might be a great way to start getting into shape and achieve that fitness goal that so many of us made at the beginning of the year. It is not too late.
To get all of the details of the races, go to http://www.runlikeagirl8k.com/ and register for the event. You can also set up your own fundraising page and help raise awareness and find a cure for ovarian cancer. If you would like to have additional information about the organization that is sponsoring the event, please visit http://www.herafoundation.org/ .
The team from Julie LaTerra Homes is going to participate and we look forward to seeing you at the finish line!

ANNOUNCEMENT! Charlotte's Growth Is Moving North and So Have We

Home builder Julie LaTerra Homes, expands business north to Huntersville

Known for our woman-focused fresh approach to custom home building, Julie LaTerra Homes opened its Lake Norman New Home Design Center to better align ourselves with Charlotte’s growth.

“Charlotte's growth is moving north and so have we! We see our move to Huntersville as being beneficial to our company as a whole,” said Julie LaTerra. “Our biggest new home markets are located near metro areas where there is an abundance of readily affordable land and the Lake Norman/Statesville area will provide significant growth for our company in the years to come.”

As Charlotte’s premier custom home builder, Julie LaTerra Homes currently builds on your lot and in communities as well.

“The new Julie LaTerra Homes Lake Norman Design Center allows for easy access from I-77, only 14 miles from downtown Charlotte, and 29 miles from Statesville, and remains a key strategy in our company’s plans for future growth,” Julie said.

The move comes on the heels of our successful 2007 launch in the Charlotte market. We've seen the Charlotte real estate market embrace our Made from Scratch™ philosophy of providing custom homes affordably. In June, Julie LaTerra Homes will unveil our newest small home designs, Julie’s Jewel Box Collection; along with The Recipe Builder, an interactive custom home design experience.

“Our move north positions us in an area of growth that aligns with the demographics of our buyers. We are already starting to see the fruit of that effort.”

Julie LaTerra Homes offers exceptional personalized service and a streamlined building process that enables our buyers to build their dream home in 100 days or less. Julie LaTerra Homes Made from Scratch™ approach to custom homebuilding has gained great popularity with buyers and Realtors in the Carolinas.

Julie LaTerra, CEO, Wife, Mother, Designer and experienced Homebuilder, is a Connecticut native with over twenty-five years of homebuilding experience. As a woman-focused custom homebuilder, our inspired creative designs will grow with any life stage. Julie LaTerra Homes, as a woman owned business, has a “Build On Your Lot” program letting you decide where you want to live.

Directions: From I-77 North, take Exit 23 Gilead Rd. At the end of the exit, turn left onto Gilead Rd. At the next traffic light, turn left onto Reese Boulevard. Follow 3/10th of a mile and bear right. Take an immediate left in The Park’s ‘Kemp Building’, Suite 110, on the first floor for your convenience.

Julie LaTerra Homes Design Center Hours
Monday thru Friday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Sundays by appointment

For more information, visit http://www.julielaterrahomes.com/ or call 704.875.3980

How To Design the Perfect Room in your Brand New Home

After years of working in the new home industry there are a few things that have become very apparent to me. The best homes seem to have a room where everyone gathers and enjoys each other’s company. This room has enough space for everyone to get comfortable, yet it keeps people close enough to each other so that no one has to raise the volume of their voice to be heard. This “Perfect Room” has windows that allow in natural light and provides serene views of the great outdoors! The big question seems to be, “How do I design this perfect room?”

Answer: The perfect room isn’t exactly a set of dimensions and window sizes that create the perfect space. In fact, when I refer to “The Perfect Room” I do not think of a definition or exact set of rules that make this happen. “The Perfect Room” is not universal; it is something that needs to be custom tailored to suit the needs of those enjoying it. The only way for you to truly get the perfect space is to sit with a design consultant who can help you design this room in your new home. Julie LaTerra Homes has been helping our highly valued customer’s design rooms like this for over 24 years.

The only way to get your perfect room is by considering the number of people that you envision enjoying this room. Then consider the type of furniture that you like, is it a couch? Is it a reclining sofa seat? Then consider where the home is located and how you want to position it on your land so that the sun is shining through the windows at the perfect angle for you to enjoy those relaxing evenings. Finally consider what rooms come within reach of this special space, it could be that you want the kitchen near-by for snacks, or a wet bar area to serve drinks and snacks. Perhaps a crackling fireplace would be a great way to bring in that warm cozy feeling, or even doors that open up to a large covered patio?

Whoever you are, however you live your life, and no matter what your unique needs are; Julie LaTerra Homes is the builder who can help you have the home of your dreams. For over 24 years we have been building homes that enhance people’s lives and it is because we pay close attention to every detail in the new home building process to ensure that you get the exact home that you deserve. Contact us today to begin designing your brand new Made From Scratch™ Custom Home! Call 704-979-1188 or visit us online at http://www.julielaterrahomes.com/