Oct. 27, 2006 - Outdoor Ice Rink Coming To Koka Booth Amphitheatre In Cary This November

....Click Here For Details!

Koka Booth Ampitheatre is located in the heart of Cary at Symphony Lake.  It has been recently ranked in the Top 10 Ampitheatres in the US.  The creative minds at the ampitheatre are bringing a special treat for the holidays!! An outdoor skating rink.  Here are all of the details:

Oct. 21, 2006 - Raleigh NC Real Estate >>Parade of Homes Winners Announced

Oct. 21, 2006 - Chatham County NC Real Estate Continues to Boom

Chatham County Real Estate Development Continues to Boom Jim Goodnight, Tim Smith and “Bubba” Rawl are at it again. Preston Development has purchased 2,000 acres South of Pittsboro and have an eagle eye on 1,000 more. About all Tim and “Bubba” will say about their plans for the acreage is that it will have 2 golf courses.

As you know Tim and “Bubba”, with the backing of SAS Institute found Jim Goodnight, developed Preston in Cary and put together the acreage package that is now Wakefield. Jim Goodnight, the wealthiest member of our community, is backing them in this venture as well. If you haven’t been keeping up with what is going on in Pittsboro it’s time you did. Newland Communities, a developer out of San Diego, has an approved subdivision called Briar Chapel which will have 2,389 homes on 1,589 acres five miles South of Chapel Hill off of U.S. 15-501. There will also be two schools and more than 500,000 square feet of commercial space.

Oct. 21, 2006 - Cary NC Real Estate >> Renaissance at Regency

Oct. 18, 2006 - Apex NC Real Estate >>YMCA Breaks Ground In Apex

For those of you who love working out in Cary at the YMCA and have been waiting for years for the new YMCA your day is almost here.  The YMCA of the Triangle enters an exciting new eara with the groundbreaking of the Southwest Wake YMCA.  Volunteers and community leaders gathered at the property at 8951 Holly Springs Road in Apex on Tuesday. 

The main building will be nearly 45,000 square feet and will include an indoor track,gymnasium, wellness center and nursery.  Other amenities include steam and sauna rooms for men and women.  The new YMCA will have a variety of popular programs similar to the other YMCAs in the area like after school, track-out programs and summer day camps. 

In addition to the new amenities, the YMCA will have a big impact on the local economy.  The YMCA will employ over 800 people and operate with a $7.5 Milion dollar annual budget. 

Oct. 17, 2006 - Wake County School Bond-The importance to our community

As you have seen from several of my previous posts the Triangle area is growing in leaps and bounds.  As a part of the growth our schools are seeing a large influx of students as well. 

In order to support this growth we will need new schools.  There is currently a proposed bond amendment for $980 million that will need to be passed in order for our school system to support the projected growth over the next five years.  There has been a lot of information passing back and forth.  Here are the main reasons you should support the bond vote in November.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO YOU AS A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY?
A strong and well-recognized public school system plays an integral role in recruiting the best and brightest minds to our companies. Take a look at these accolades--important validation as individuals and families consider Wake County:
 August 2006 - #3 Top Metro Overall
-- Expansion Management 
June 2006 - #2 Highest Graduation Rate in the Country (82.2%)
 -- Education Week 
May 2006 - #2 Best Place for Business
-- Forbes 
January 2006 - #3 Most Educated City
 -- US Census Bureau 
December 2005 - #1 Best Public Education System in the Country
 -- Expansion Mgmt, "2006 Education Quotient" 
Nov. 2005 - Top 20 Best Places to Live, Work & Play 
-- Homebuilder.com
May 2005 - #2 Best Places for Business & Careers
-- Forbes
April 2005 - #2 Best Public Education System in the Country
-- Expansion Management

 * To stay competitive over the long haul, our businesses will be highly dependent upon the next generation of knowledge workers-innovative thought leaders in math, science and technology. Other countries, such as India and China, are moving ahead of us in this realm, and we must not allow a lack of funding to prevent us from taking responsible measures to prepare our children for the future. Before we can focus on technology advancement, we have to have the bricks, mortar and seats in place.

 WHY DO WE NEED MORE SCHOOLS?
 * The Wake County School System is growing faster than any other system in the state, with 5,099 additional students in 2004, 6,436 added in 2005, and 7,566 added in 2006. This year Durham County added only 262 students, Orange County added 301 students and Johnston added 1,568.
 * Using our forecasting software, the school board is predicting Wake County will add an additional 8,348 students next year, 9,231 in 2008 and 10,227 in 2009, so the growth will continue for many years to come.
* It is Wake County's legal obligation to provide adequate learning accommodations for every student. With crowded classrooms and more than 1,000 mobile units already in place, we have no choice but to add more new schools. This is why Wake County Commissioners put the bond issue on the Nov. 7 ballot.

 WHAT WILL WE GET IN THE $970 MILLION BOND PLAN?
 * 17 new schools
 * 13 comprehensive renovation projects
* Repairs and maintenance projects at nearly 100 other schools
* Funding for land and startup design of 13 future schools (7 elementary, 4 middle, 2 high)
* 5-year technology replacement and upgrade program
 
WHAT WILL IT MEAN TO VOTE "YES"/"NO" TO THE BONDS?
I believe this is possibly one of the most misunderstood aspects of the bond proposal issue. The bonds are about financing, pure and simple. Bonds are the only way we will cover the cost of growth, and a "no" vote does not mean there will be no bonds. It simply changes the type of bonds Wake County is able to secure, and most likely the amount of the bonds.
* A "yes" vote on Nov. 7 will allow Wake County to secure funds through the issuance of general obligation bonds. These bonds carry the lowest interest rates for local governments, especially when sought by a county like Wake with its AAA bond rating. (Wake County is one of only 22 counties in the country to hold this rating). $970 million will be available for the projects listed above.
* A "no" vote sends the School Board and Wake County Commissioners back to the drawing board. It will cost valuable planning and construction time (it takes an average of 34 months to build an elementary school from site acquisition to completion, and 50 months for a high school). Commissioners are likely to focus first on new construction and can borrow about $625 million without increasing taxes. That means they will likely delay projects such as renovations, repairs, maintenance and technology upgrades. Bonds issued by the County Commissioners are called certificates of participation, and they will carry a higher interest rate (about 0.2% higher) than general obligation bonds.

WILL THE BOND RAISE PROPERTY TAXES?
Yes. You will pay 4.7 cents more for each $100 of your home's assessed value. For example, if your home is assessed at $200,000, you would pay $94 more in property tax per year. It's important to point out, however, that Wake County property tax rates are currently below the state average of .6520 and significantly lower than those of neighboring and comparable counties. Consider the 2006-07 rates for each of these counties: 
* Orange: $0.9030
* Mecklenburg: 0.8189
* Durham 0.8090
* Johnston: 0.7800
* Wake: 0.6340
Adding the proposed 4.7 cents still keeps Wake County well below our neighbors at $0.6810.

You can learn more at www.WakeBonds2006.com or www.wcpss.net/bond/. If you are interested in viewing my slides from Wednesday's press conference , those are also available.  I encourage you to learn all you can about the 2006 Wake County School Bond Referendum, share what you learn with your families and neighbors, and vote on Nov. 7.

Oct. 17, 2006 - Monet Exhibit Comes To Raleigh-10/15/2006-1/14/2007

A couple of years ago my husband and I spent a couple of weeks in Europe.  One of my fondest memories included a visit to Claude Monet's home in Giverny, France.  I actually got to see the actual Lily Pond that inspired the Monet paintings. 

I'm so excited that they have taken Claude Monet's paintings on the road.  Over 50 paintings by this beloved impressionist are here in Raleigh.  This exhibit is a must see!!  His paintings include that  of Normandy's fields and coast, the garden and water lily pond at Giverny, and Rouen's cathedral.   For more details Visit the Monet in Normandy Web site!

Oct. 10, 2006 - New Details Surrounding Hidden Lake In North Raleigh

I attended a luncheon at Hidden Lake North of Raleigh a week ago.  The agents onsite had a lot of information about what a wonderful, gated community it will be. It's just a 20-minute drive northeast of cosmopolitan Raleigh, near the quaint town of Wake Forest. This planned community of only 124 homes will feature heavily wooded, rolling topography with generous homesites ranging from 1 to 6 acres, dubbed "Private Preserves" due to their size. When the nearly 600-acre community opens, the first phase will offer more than 40 homesites bordering a 75-acre private lake. In addition to the lake, Hidden Lake residents will enjoy an array of amenities ideal for those who love the outdoors. Audubon International recently approved the site plan for Hidden Lake, which is the first step in achieving Audubon’s Three Diamond designation. Audubon International’s Three Diamond designation is its highest level of certification within its Gold Signature Program and indicates a superlative project based on protection of wildlife, water quality, and native flora and fauna, as well as green-building practices and site design.
	Acreage: 600 acres (240 hectares)
	Recreation: 227 acres of open space, including a 100-acre park and an outdoor pavilion for community and family events
	Biking Trails: Seven miles of bike paths
	Walking Trails: More than six miles of paved and soft-surface trails
	The Lake House: Will serve as the community amenities center. With a large gathering room with two fireplaces and a spacious lakeside veranda, The Lake House is ideal for both small and large parties.
	The Boat House: Includes canoes, kayaks and paddle boat launches. A few electric boats will be available for communal use. The Boat House also features a fishing pier, allowing residents to cast their lines in the clear, spring-fed lake with large fish.
	Lots: Homesites range between one and six acres and are expected to start in the $200,000's
	Homes: Homes are expected to start in the $900,000's

Oct. 8, 2006 - East West Partners and Beacon Street Devpmt. Planned New Community In Apex

Chapel Hill developers East West Partners and Beacon Street Development of Raleigh are planning an upscale, mixed use project similar to Meadowmont for approximately 76.3 acres near downtown Apex. According to Apex town records, plans were originally submitted October 3, 2005 and were endorsed by the planning commision on September 11 of this year. The town council will vote on the project next month. Read the September 11 notes from Apex Planning Board Meeting.

The development, known as Trackside South is across Hunter Street and the Apex town hall and is bordered to the west by CSX Railroadtracks. Plans filed with the town of Apex include 470 residential units, 87,000 square feet of retail space and 43,000 square feet of office space.

The planning board meets the second Monday of each month at 4:30PM in the Apex Town Hall Board Room. Meeting agenda is typically available the week before and posted for the public to the town website.

See the recently updated Development, Growth and Population Status Report from September 12, 2006.
 

Oct. 8, 2006 - In my market, pools aren't worth it!!

In some parts of the country (Florida and Arizona), a swimming pool is a must have. However, in the Triangle, a pool does nothing to increase the value of your home and can potentially drive away potential buyers.

I have had several clients in town recently from Florida, Texas, and Arizona. They are all used to having pools.  I thought I'd write about the drawbacks of having a pool in North Carolina.

A small pool in the Raleigh/Durham area is going to run you a minimum of $10,000 to install. However, comparitavely, there is little value that is added to the home as a result of this "improvement."

In addition, if the potential buyer of your home has small children, the pool becomes a liability. Parents of young children consider swimming pools a risk. At the same time, the insurance companies consider them a risk and the rates will be higher.

Put that on top of the costs associated with operating a private pool, and the monetary impact is just too much to consider building one in the back yard.

To add a little more fuel to the fire, keep in mind that many communities these days have their own swimming pool. Also, there is an abundance of "members only" pools where a family can purchase a membership, so the need for a pool in the back yard is not as great as it once was.

For information on your particular market, consult your Realtor.

Oct. 8, 2006 - Latest & Greatest Wake County Public School Info