Biz Briefs: Google trends show Easter M&Ms favorite NC Easter candy
Published 12:00 am Sunday, April 12, 2020
Though there won’t be a lot of Easter gatherings this Sunday, people are still interested in Easter candy.
A map put together by cooking and barbecue site seriouslysmoked.com used Google trends and data from the last 30 days to determine what Easter candy was each state’s favorite. The site conducts food and cooking-related food maps every month.
North Carolina, and eight other states, seemed most interested in Easter M&Ms, according to the map. Chocolate foil eggs, chocolate bunnies, Peeps and Reese’s peanut butter eggs were other top favorites.
Easter candy preference is all over the place, although there does seem to be some small regional pockets of like-minded taste. For example, a cluster of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia, all prefer Reese’s peanut butter eggs.
Eight different candies dominated the map, while some popular treats such as Lindt Chocolate Carrots, did not win any states.
The breakdown was as follows:
Easter M&M’s – 9 states
Chocolate Foil Eggs – 8 states
Chocolate Bunnies – 8 states
Peeps – 7 states (by far the most polarizing of the Easter candies)
Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs – 7 states
Cadbury Eggs – 5 states
Jelly Beans – 4 states
Robin Eggs – 2 states
SECU and SECU Foundation Join Efforts to Provide $10 Million for COVID-19 Disaster Relief
RALEIGH — The State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) and SECU Foundation Boards of Directors announced on Thursday a commitment of up to $10 million to assist with COVID-19 disaster relief efforts across North Carolina. The combined funding – $5 million each from the Credit Union and the Foundation – will help multiple non-profit organizations meet basic food, clothing, shelter and financial assistance needs statewide.The donations will also support front-line medical providers and others as they carry out their missions to help the most vulnerable North Carolinians during this pandemic crisis.
“COVID-19 has presented a huge economic challenge for many North Carolinians,” said SECU Board Chair Bob Brinson in a press release. “We understand the financial struggles many of our members, families, friends and neighbors are facing — the needs are tremendous. SECU cares deeply about the financial and physical welfare of our 2.5 million members and the people of North Carolina. We are confident that these donations will not only help provide essential needs and services in our local communities, but will provide North Carolinians with the hope that, together, we will make it through this difficult time.”
Jo Anne Sanford, SECU Foundation Board Chair added, “Like the Credit Union, the (SECU) Foundation was founded on the philosophy of ‘People Helping People’. Through these donations, more North Carolinians will receive needed care and support during this coronavirus pandemic. We deeply appreciate the front-line medical and other essential service providers who courageously serve the residents and communities of our state, and we are grateful for the opportunity to lend a helping hand to these efforts.”
“With such a sizeable commitment, we will be able to partner with many top-notch service providers who make a difference in the lives of North Carolinians every day,” added Mike Lord, President and CEO of State Employees’ Credit Union. “We will distribute funds where the need is immediate using structures already in place to provide the assistance. The Credit Union and Foundation are united in aiding our communities. We are here to help during this challenging time.”
March and first quarter home sales across the Charlotte region still positive; impact of COVID-19 on housing market remains to be seen
CHARLOTTE — As COVID-19 and an impending economic crisis began impacting the U.S. housing market, the 16-county Charlotte housing market continued its run of positive gains in both home sales and prices in March. According to data from Canopy MLS, year-over-year home sales rose 5.5% with 4,254 homes sold in March 2020. Compared to sales in February 2020, sales rose 35.3% with 1,110 more properties sold in March than February.
Pending contract activity declined 2.8% year-over-year with 4,798 contracts written this past month. Contract activity, which signifies buyer demand, also fell 1.8% compared to pending contract activity in February. However, when looking at first quarter 2020 contract activity compared to first quarter 2019, pending contracts increased 7.3%.
The average list price in March fell slightly and was down 1.3% year-over-year to $350,430. Compared to February, it was down 1.2%. Both the average sales price ($315,243) and median sales price ($271,500) saw gains of 8.7% and 11.3%, respectively. Compared to the previous month, the average sales price was up 3.5%, while the median sales price rose 3.4%. Sellers are still getting most of their original asking price, as the original list price to sales price ratio increased 0.6% to 97.3% in March.
“First quarter housing activity showed that the Charlotte region was poised for a strong start to the spring selling season,” said 2020 Canopy Realtor Association/Canopy MLS President John Kindbom. “Unfortunately, we will not know the impact of COVID-19 on the local housing market until April’s data is available. We are hopeful that this crisis will not linger long into the summer months, as there are buyers still trying to purchase homes and sellers interested in selling.”
New listings rose modestly in March and were up 1.8% over last year with 5,933 properties listed. Compared to the previous month, new listings were up 26.6%. Inventory continued to fall and was down 25.3% year-over-year, and the region continues to experience strong seller’s market conditions with 7,454 homes available for sale at report time. The 16-county region currently has 1.7 months of supply, compared to 2.5 months of supply last March.
Days on Market, the metric that accrues for “Active” and “Under Contract-Show” statuses, average 45 days in March 2020 compared to 51 days in March 2019. The average number of days a property was on the market from the time it was listed until it closed (list to close) was 95 days.
The Canopy Realtor Association provides monthly reports on residential real estate market activity for the Charlotte Metro region based on data from Canopy MLS. The Charlotte Metro region, which this report is based on, includes 12 counties in North Carolina and four counties in South Carolina.
For more residential-housing market statistics, visit www.CarolinaHome.com and click on “Market Data.”
About Natalie Anderson
Natalie Anderson covers the city of Salisbury, politics and more for the Salisbury Post. She joined the staff in January 2020 after graduating from Louisiana State University, where she was editor of The Reveille newspaper. Email her at natalie.anderson@salisburypost.com or call her at 704-797-4246.
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