Hillsborough - Hillsborough NC real estate - North Carolina Homes for Sale

Chapel Hill NC was named for the New Hope Chapel, which stood upon a hill in what is now the center of the 21 square miles of Chapel Hill NC real estate. Town lots were auctioned in 1793 when work began on the first building of the university. Many of those original lots are now in the Chapel Hill Historic District.

Today, Chapel Hill is anything but a typical southern town. In fact, some say it's really not southern at all, with so many residents coming from other parts of the country and around the world. The population of just over 50,000 is diverse, consisting of professors, students, business people and retirees from all over the world. Some describe Chapel Hill as having the best of small town living in a unique cosmopolitan environment.

In addition to the prominence of the nation's first state university, another attractive feature of downtown Chapel Hill is Franklin Street, named after Benjamin Franklin. This is the most vibrant downtown in the state. Day and night, the streets are filled with people enjoying a multitude of shopping, dining and entertainment options.

Vicky Olive of Piedmont Preferred Realty, Inc. is an independent real estate broker serving individuals who value expert representation in their search for a distinctive home and North Carolina lifestyle. Vicky will be pleased to introduce you to the communities around Chapel Hill, Jordan Lake and Chatham County.

Tips for Lighting your Hillsborough home to increase its real estate value

¨ Decorate with pale colors on walls, ceilings and floors. Soft tones reflect more light, so you can use lower wattage bulbs and delay turning on lights until later in the day. Using high-gloss paint can help as well.

¨ Keep lamps away from thermostats; the heat produced can cause your furnace to run less than needed or your air conditioner more than needed.

¨ Replace an incandescent outdoor light or high-intensity floodlight with a high-pressure sodium fixture. The bulbs will last longer, use less energy, and handle temperature extremes better.

¨ Use low-voltage lighting kits to light walkways, patios and decks. The soft light will also attract fewer annoying insects.

¨ Read light bulb packages carefully. Watts measure the amount of energy needed; lumens measure how much light a bulb produces. Energy-saving bulbs produce more lumens per watt of electricity used.