Auston Woods Apartment Homes Blog

You have probably heard by now that gas prices will only be going up and as we approach summer they may be as high as $5.00/gallon! If you live in an apartment in Charlotte, NC and you like to drive around the North Carolina countryside on your summer weekend, gas mileage is very important.

You can improve your car’s gas mileage. If you do them all, you can increase your gas mileage by 50%. When you bought your car you had a specified number of miles per gallon, but you may not be seeing that mileage today. Why?

Stop neglecting regular car maintenance.  If it has been awhile since you have had a tune up on your car, schedule one! Be sure to keep up on your car’s regular maintenance. Regularly maintained cars get the best gas mileage. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Check your tire air pressure. Your tires can directly affect your gas mileage. As the temperature changes, so does the pressure in your tires. Regularly check that your tires have the required PSI. When the pressure in your tires is too low, your tires no longer work efficiently, they work like water balloons. With too much surface on the road, there is too much friction causing your car to work harder. Your gas mileage can be dramatically affected by poor tire pressure.

Believe it or not, changing your driving habits can affect your gas mileage. The way you drive affects how much gas you burn. Not planning to stop, revving up and slowing down and driving over the speed limit all use too much gas.  By changing your behavior behind the wheel, you can increase the gas mileage in your car.

Enjoy the summer and enjoy the ride. Keep money in your pocket as gas prices rise, follow these tips to increase your gas mileage.

Over 60,000 spectators watched Charlotte’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade last year as it marched through Charlotte. Between the bag pipes and the cheers of the spectators lining the streets along with the flags, floats, kids, and pipe band music, everyone was happy to be Irish for a day. This year, the 16th  Annual Parade promises to be even bigger and better! Get out of your apartment in Charlotte and join the festivities.

This year’s parade Grand Marshal will be Bill Duffy, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer for Bobcat Sports & Entertainment.

The Charlotte Goes Green Festival, on S. Tryon St. between 1st St & 3rd is from 10am – 6:30pm and features Irish music, Irish dancers, bagpipers, food, vendors and plenty of beverages. There is no admission fee to attend.

Enjoy Irish music, performances by Irish dancers, the Celtic Kids Zone, and have lots to eat while perusing the great Irish/Celtic vendors that attend the festival from around the U.S. It is expected that the 2012 Charlotte Goes Green Festival will be the biggest and most attended yet.

Charlottepatsday.com

Susan B. Komen for a Cure, Charlotte is fighting to raise money to help find a cure for cancer. Auston Woods Apartment Homes, apartments in Charlotte, NC would like to share some fund raising events with you.

March 8 - Beautiful Bling from Perry's of South Park, Sassy Via Spiga Wedge Boots, Private Dance Lessons at Piper Glen Ballroom are just some of the fabulous auction items awaiting your bid at Laugh for the Cure! Seats are limited - don't miss out on food from area restaurants, silent & live auctions, and a hysterical PG-13 comedy show!

April 29 – Pink Sunday. Provide life-saving tips to your family and friends at church. Free breast health educational materials provided to churches registered before March 30th. Did You Know: Breast Cancer is the most common cancer among African American women?

Did you know that in 2010-11 Komen Charlotte Grantees from our nine-county service area:

• Provided:  3,500+ mammograms  ~ 1,500+ diagnostic services  and 1,400+ clinical breast exams
• Distributed 40,000+ breast health education materials
• Served 220 lymphedema patients
• Diagnosed more than 40 women with breast cancer
• Assisted approximately: 2,000 Caucasians, 2,000 African-Americans, 1,400 Hispanic-Latinas, 270 Asians

Go to komencharlotte.org to help.

This weekend will be the perfect time to get out of the apartment in Charlotte and take a little road trip. Enjoy the scenery as you drive to Albemarle to enjoy the Stanly County Winter Wine Festival.
 
The Stanly County Winter Wine Festival, an hour East of Charlotte,  will feature several of North Carolina’s finest wineries and vineyards. North Carolina has great wine, and here you can taste the best vintages. An excellent chance for learning about  North Carolina's Wine or just a great afternoon with Wine & Friends!

The event will be full of entertainment, food and wine sampling and 1,500 attendees are expected to be there! Saturday, Feb 25 12:00 to 6:00p at Market Station, Albemarle, NC.

Charlotte is the Queen City. For residents of apartments in Charlotte who are foodies, this is a great week to live in Charlotte. Queen's Feast: Charlotte Restaurant Week is for you. There are over 100 restaurants participating all over the Charlotte area from Lake Norman to Fort Mill and everywhere in between for the bargain price of $30 per person.

But don’t let the frugal price fool you. There are plenty of fine dining options too, from Thai food to tasty tapas. The restaurants are offering, three course menus to satisfy everyone’s taste. Area restaurants are also offering extras ranging from wine specials to complimentary signature appetizers.
 
This week you can discover the best of the ever-evolving restaurant scene in Charlotte where top chefs, new hot spots, and popular favorites show off their wares during this 10-day event.

Over 100 upscale restaurants will offer 3 courses (or more) at dinner for only $30 per person.

If you live in an apartment in Charlotte, NC and you are looking for something exciting and different to do this weekend, here is the answer; Monster Trucks.

Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® is the world’s premier monster truck series. Monster Jam events in the Time Warner Arena are affordably priced for the whole family with seats starting at $25. Tickets are available at the Time Warner Cable Arena Box Office, Ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000. Be there this weekend, January 20 and 21.
 
The Charlotte favorite, Grave Digger will be there celebrating its 30th Anniversary! Here is a great clip that celebrates 30 years of Grave Digger the monster truck that became a legend! Showing off why he is one of the best of all time, see this video of Grave Digger!



The show will also feature Monster Mutt, High Education, War Wizard, Bad News, Stone Crusher, Instigator and Virginia Giant.

Many people are told when they are younger that renting is only for college graduates or people who cannot afford to buy.  Many parents hammer these ideas into their children and tell them that renting is equivalent to throwing money away every month.  Fortunately, today people are beginning to finally think for themselves and challenge these ideas.  Here are 4 reasons to pat yourself on the back for deciding to rent an apartment in Charlotte, NC home at an HHHunt Community!
 
1.  Renting can save money

At the very minimum you’ll be shelling out PITI for your home. That is:

1. Principal
2. Interest
3. Tax
4. Insurance

The PITI doesn’t include property maintenance like maintaining the yard, paint, plumbing, repairs, decorating, etc… When you rent an apartment in Charlotte at an HHHunt community, the monthly payment is almost always quite a bit less than the PITI in your area and there are no maintenance expenses!

2. Homeowners’ tax deductions are overstated

According to research quoted by MSN, “… half of homeowners don’t get a break, because even with mortgage interest and property taxes, their total deductions do not exceed the standard federal tax deduction ($11,900 for couples and $5,450 for singles)”.

For these folks, it’s like spending $100 to save $20. They’re better off saving the difference and investing it.   Even if there is a “break” on your taxes, you typically had to spend more than you would have spent to rent to get back that $20 for every $100 spent in interest payments.

3. Renting gives you flexibility

For the up and coming young professional, you’re better off renting and saving for a few years than to buy a small condo. Who knows how fast you will outgrow it?  When you own a home, you can’t always sell it when you need to sell it at the price you want to sell it for in order to accept a new employment opportunity.  If you have owned a home and don’t want the constant maintenance responsibility, renting gives you the opportunity to enjoy your weekends instead of completing that “to do” list.

4.  Our superb service teams!

Most apartment communities offer 24 hour emergency maintenance and technicians who are skilled in HVAC, plumbing, and electrical.  At an HHHunt Community, our service teams take great pride in offering prompt and professional service to you.  Whether you need a light bulb changed or a new compressor for your AC unit, we are there to take care of you as fast and efficient as possible.  We are always a phone call or email away and most service requests are performed on the same day or within 24 hours!

If you are searching for an apartment in Charlotte, NC and you are on the go, take advantage of mobile technology to make your apartment search more efficient and more effective. Mobile search is available literally at your fingertips.

Check your toolbox
You may currently use mobile technology for everything from checking the weather to downloading movies, but have you thought about how you can go mobile with your apartment search? GPS and mapping tools simplify your search by pinpointing apartment locations that are located in Charlotte or in a desired area. And many apartment communities and apartment search guides have Facebook pages where you can get a quick overview of what tenants are saying and what a community has to offer.

After find a potential apartment, use mobile technology to instantly go online where you can read reviews and compare apartment communities to others nearby. Use your mobile device to jot down notes electronically and take pictures. Then you can e-mail pictures and thoughts directly to your partner, roommate or friends.

No apartment search would be complete without submitting an application, which you can also quickly do from your mobile device once you find your dream apartment. That way other renters won’t beat you to the punch!

Socialize your search
Taking advantage of mobile technology can help you locate, preview and contact apartment communities. Before you sign the contract, you may want to go mobile to get opinions on your decision. Logging in to Facebook on your smartphone gives you quick access to your friends so you can post questions about your apartment choice and get immediate feedback.

Making a move and choosing a new apartment in Charlotte can be challenging, so maximize your mobile technology to make decisions faster and get a jump on the hottest apartments on the market.

Original article – Moving Today

Celebrate the 'Hallidays' at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  Grab your skates for the "Holiday on Ice "skating rink which has a new home on the Hall's Ceremonial Plaza. You can even take one NASCAR-themed item from the Christmas trees in the Great Hall. You can also get gifts for the NASCAR enthusiast.
 
Holiday on Ice is back for the 2011 holiday season! As you feel the air get cold, you will feel the chill in the air from the ice rink....in a NEW LOCATION, now located at the corner of MLK Blvd and Brevard on The NASCAR Hall of Fame Plaza. And the ice is 30% larger. That means more skating room for you and your friends and family!

Holiday on Ice has started this great tradition bringing Charlotte an outdoor ice skating rink in the heart of Uptown. It's a holiday tradition for us to continue with you, your family and your friends from your apartment in Charlotte. And we hope to see you there!

Around Charlotte, everyone is getting ready for their annual Thanksgiving feast is approaching, and the desserts are just as good as the meal. Thanksgiving dessert always means the classic array of pies. Apple, mince, pumpkin and a variety of other sweet delights bring the Thanksgiving dinner to a glorious close.

Are you doing your Thanksgiving cooking in your apartment in Charlotte, NC? Want an alternative to classic Thanksgiving pies?  Gingersnap pumpkin pie, rustic apple tart and pumpkin bread pudding are new twists on old favorites. They travel well, or they can be prepared the night before. Certainly, they will be enjoyed by friends and family.

Gingersnap Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups finely crushed gingersnaps (about 32 cookies)
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 cups whipped topping
1 cup cold milk
2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant butterscotch pudding mix
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over crust.

In a small bowl, beat milk and pudding mixes for 1 minute. Stir in the pumpkin, pie spice, vanilla and cinnamon. Spread over cream cheese layer. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Garnish with additional whipped topping if desired.
 
Rustic Caramel Apple Tart

Ingredients
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
6 teaspoons ice cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
1-1/2 cups chopped peeled tart apples
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Topping
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping, warmed for drizzling

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add water and vanilla, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
 
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 10-inch circle. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Combine the filling ingredients; spoon over pastry to within 2 inches of the edges. Fold up edges of pastry over filling, leaving center uncovered. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over filling.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Using parchment paper, slide tart onto a wire rack. Drizzle with caramel topping. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Ingredients
8 ounces crusty bread, torn into small pieces, about 5 cups
2 cups half-and-half, or half milk and half cream
3 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
1 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla
cinnamon sugar, optional

Preparation
Butter an 11x7-inch baking dish. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, cover the torn bread with the half-and-half; set aside.

In another bowl, combine eggs, sugars, pumpkin, cranberries, melted butter, spices, and vanilla; blend well. Pour pumpkin mixture over soaked bread and stir to blend.

Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle top with cinnamon-sugar, if desired. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until set.

Serve with a vanilla dessert sauce or brown sugar sauce, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.