Apr. 28, 2007 - Apex NC Real Estate - Where do you shop in Apex? What's new in Apex?

I get a lot of ideas from my clients for my blog.  Today, I had a client ask me about shopping in Apex, the Apex downtown area, and what's going on in the area.  Here's my advice: 

Apex offers a variety of shopping experiences from large retail centers to its quaint historic downtown located on Salem Street. 

Beaver Creek Commons shopping complex, located in the Southeast quadrant of US Highway 64 and NC Highway 55, is the first completed phase of its largest retail center in Apex.  Anchored by a SuperTarget and Lowes Home Improvement, there is an additional shopping that includes Linens N Things, Office Max and PetSmart. 

Beaver Creek Crossing, the second phase of this mega-center, opened in November 2006. Consolidated Beaver Creek Cinemas is one of the anchors in this neighboring section to Beaver Creek Commons and is joined by Circuit City, Dick's Sporting Goods, Old Navy, TJMaxx/Homegoods, Ulta Cosmetics, Borders Books, Kohl's and Pier 1 imports are coming soon.  A number of different restaurants and food establishments can be found, such as Chick-Fil-A, Panera Bread, Qdoba, Chili's, Firehouse Subs, Red Robin Burgers and Longhorn Steakhouse. Both phases combined have a total of 600,000 Square Feet of retail shopping.  Some of the local small business owners include a children's haircuttery called Snip-Its, Subway, Hibachi Express, General Nutrition Center, EB Games, Beverly Nails, J. Andrew Salon, Cold Stone Creamery, Cingular Wireless and A Dinner Affair (which is one of those meal preparation businesses) which are either opened or will open soon.

Several other retail centers are just a quick drive down NC Highway 55 from Beaver Creek Commons.  Haddon Hall Commons and Olive Chapel Village, both anchored by major grocery stores (Harris Teeter and Lowes), have a vast array of business types ranging from service industries to unique specialty shops to restaurants.  While out and about shopping, more restaurants and service industries can be found at the adjacent Peakway Market Square.

Historic Downtown Apex offers a glimpse of the past with the amenities of today.  Shoppers in the downtown historic district can enjoy an eclectic mix of antique, home décor, and specialty gift stores intermixed with a variety of dining options, like my new favorite Peak City Bar & Grill.  Enhancing the shopping experience are free concerts offered on Friday nights in the Spring and Fall.  Additionally, "First Friday" nights, which occur the first Friday night of each month, will allow for later shopping hours at the downtown stores. 

The Town of Apex offers a variety of passive and active leisure opportunities to Apex Citizens and residents of Southwestern Wake County. With passage of a $13,000,000 bond referendum in November 2004, the Town currently has several exciting projects underway. They include expansion of the Apex Community Center, Phase 1A of the Beaver Creek Greenway, Phase 1 of the Beckett Crossing Greenway and the restoration of the Towns original Town Hall into a Performing and Cultural Arts Center. Future bond projects will be the completion of the Beaver Creek Greenway, completion of the Beckett Crossing Greenway, Renovation and Completion of the Haddon Hall Greenway, a 160 acre Nature and Environmental Education Park, and land acquisition for a future Athletic Complex. We are proud to offer this variety of leisure opportunities for Youth, Adults, and Sr. Citizens alike.

If you are looking to move to Apex, don't overlook the Town of Apex.  

Apr. 27, 2007 - Top 10 Active 55+ Communities in the Triangle

In my previous blogs I have mentioned that I work with Seniors looking to relocate to the Triangle.  Specifically, I help Seniors that are looking for reasonably priced ranch/villa style homes in neighborhoods that include Senior activities and an affordable lifestyle.  There aren't many specialists in the area and only a handful of communities. 

After Del Webb sold 700 homes in just under 2 years in a down real estate market builders have finally recognized the demand for this type of housing in the Triangle.  Here is my list for 2009 with links to the communities for your reference.

1. Ivy Hall.  East Raleigh, NC  Active 55+ community.  Growing area due to I-540 completion.  New 2 Bedroom Ranches w/2-Car Garage.  Homes From the $220s.  WKB Properties, Inc. is the builder. 
2. Carolina Preserve by Del Webb. Cary, NC.  Active 55+ community w/incredible amenities including an $8M clubhouse called Bradford Hall that has an indoor/outdoor pool, bocci ball, clay court tennis, putting green, and workout facility second to none.  Single Family Homes by Pulte start in the mid- $200s.  Villas start in the $220s.  Gorgeous ranch plans w/covered porches and 2 Car Garages. Pre-sale of new homes now available for delivery at the end of Q12009.   Take a virtual tour of the clubhouse here.  To view resale and current homes for sale click here.  To view floorplans of the community click here.   
3. Heritage Pines.  Cary, NC. Built by K. Hovanian & Westminister Homes.  Heritage Pines is the most established Active 55 community in the Triangle.  Homes built in 2000 with the neighborhood completed in 2007.  The location is fantastic!!  Amenities include a community clubhouse, swimming, tennis, bocci ball,  and  other activities.  Villas start in the low $200s. Single Family Homes start in the mid-200s.  To view homes for sale click here. 
4. The Village at Aversboro Garner, NC.  New  Homes From the $250s. 1,650-2,600 sq. ft.   147 Total Homesites.  All brick ranch homes w/2 Car Garages & Screened Porches.  Community Clubhouse in the neighborhood. 
5. Johnson's Landing.  Fuquay Varina/Angier, NC.  New Villas from the $220s w/2-Car Garages.  2,050-2,600 sq.ft. 
6. Heritage Spring  Wake Forest, NC.  From the $220s.  1,372 -2,225 sq. ft. Not an actual Active Adult community but marketed as one.  Close to your friends in Wakefield Plantation.
7. Summerwind Plantation Clayton, 55+ Single family, cluster homes, condominium, townhome starting in the $120s.   The community will have be a wellness center on 3 acres overlooking a pond,  SummerWind Plantation will have a 4 acre stocked fishing pond, and fishing pier for use by the owners and their guests, and a large gazebo and fountain.
8. Fearrington Village-Millcroft  Low maintenance single family homes.  One and Two level floorplans available.  Pittsboro, NC Homes 1,600 - 2,500 square feet. One or two car garage.  $60k and $80k for lot.  $138/square foot average price.  $350k-$450k.  
9. The Villas at Wake Forest The Villas of Wake Forest features 144 ranch style luxury condominium homes where all exterior maintenance is provided. Prices from the $200s.  Builder is Cornerstone Homes. 
10. Four Seasons at Renaissance - Coming Soon to Durham, NC.  Located just minutes from  Research Triangle Park the new K. Hovnanian Active 55 community is sure to be a hit. 

If you are thinking of moving to the Triangle I'd love to help you find the perfect active adult living community. 

Apr. 26, 2007 - Raleigh NC Real Estate >>Triangle Tops in Forbes Metro List

Apr. 18, 2007 - Raleigh NC Real Estate >>Luxury Home Trends in the Triangle

I think I've mentioned this previously, but I grew up in Dallas, TX in a real estate family.  I learned a lot about homes as I was growing up.  One of the things I realized is that, in Texas, everyone thinks bigger is better!!  Joking aside, Dallas is a trend setter in terms of the latest custom features for single family homes.  In my market, the Triangle market, we do things a bit slower. 

Details that showed up in homes in Dallas and Chicago a couple of years ago are now starting to make their way to the Triangle.  A couple of trends that are making it include:

• 4" recessed lights vs. the standard 6" recessed lights
• Wine Cellars- People are spending more time collecting wines and aging them not only as a hobby, but for family occasions.  We've seen an increase in the number of basements built in new homes and this provides the adequate space and temperature controls required for a wine cellar.
• Media Rooms-Movie Theatres right in your own home with "stadium seating".  This is another popular feature with luxury basement homes.
• Rubbed Bronze Fixtures-I know these have gone in and out in other areas but this is just now making it our way over the past year or so.   
• Furniture for Master Bath countertops and 1/2 Baths- The developer at Wakefield had special furniture imported from Italy used for his countertops in his personal home. 
• Travertine Floors.  Homes in the Triangle are more traditional than those seen in the mid-west, California, and Florida so most of the flooing you will see in this area is hardwood.  These floors are more "southern" and typical for the area.  In addition, the labor expense for stone floors is our market is much higher than other parts of the country. 

If you are planning a move to the Triangle and are interested in Luxury property you may want to keep this in mind.

Apr. 15, 2007 - History of RTP

 Research Triangle Park in the Triangle development and history are a big part of why the Triangle has grown and why so many are relocating to the area. So, how did RTP become what it is today?  What is the premise behind the park? In this area commuters don't travel into the city, they travel into the park.  RTP is home to the heavy hitters like IBM,CISCO, RED HAT, NORTEL, ERICSSON, GLAXO SMITHKLINE WELLCOME, and others.  It's the who's who of Corporate America.  Each company has  a beautiful "campus" with greenway trails and gorgeous settings vs. the downtown corner office syndrome.  It was quite visionary, especially in the '50s. 

Here is the tale about the founding of RTP and the progress since the '50s.  Research Triangle Park (RTP) is a public/private, planned research park, created in 1959 by leaders from business, academia and industry. But the idea of creating a research park started many years before.

Many people in the 1950s started thinking about the concept of a research park including Howard Odum, professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1952, Odum proposed several research center formats that incorporated the idea of cooperation among research organizations. Romeo Guest was another person who was extremely involved with the idea of forming a research park. Guest was one of the first people to use the phrase "Research Triangle Park."

The Research Triangle Committee was formed in September, 1956 to explore the idea of creating a research park to be located between Duke University in Durham, N.C. State University in Raleigh, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Members of the non-profit Committee included leaders from across the State of North Carolina in government, business and the universities.

In April, 1957, an investor, Karl Robbins, was found who agreed to provide funds to acquire options on land. By the end of 1957, 3,559 acres had been optioned or purchased (441 acres were pending) at a cost of approximately $700,000.   In September, 1957, a for-profit company called "Pinelands" was formed with Robbins as the sole stockholder.  

In August, 1958, the chairman of the Research Triangle Committee, Robert Hanes, asked Archie Davis of Wachovia Bank to find other possible investors from North Carolina for the Pinelands Corporation. Davis made two important suggestions: that the non-profit Research Triangle Committee be re-named the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina (RTF), and that his effort would be to solicit contributions for RTF rather than to sell stock for Pinelands.

By December 31, 1958, Davis had raised $1.25 million in contributions from individuals and businesses from all across the State of North Carolina. This amount would enable the non-profit entity to purchase all of the shares of Pinelands stock, and create a separate non-profit RTI International (to perform independent contract research).

On January 9, 1959, Governor Luther Hodges formally announced that Davis' fund-raising drive had raised $1.425 million. He also announced the establishment of RTI International, the construction of the Robert M. Hanes Building (to house the Foundation and RTI), and the acquisition of land assembled by Karl Robbins which would pass control of his venture to the non-profit Research Triangle Foundation. RTI International was the Park's first tenant and served as a focal point for companies interested in the Park, as it still does today -- RTI International is now the nation's second largest independent nonprofit research organization, dedicated to conducting research and development that improves the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. RTI has more than 2,500 staff members who work in Research Triangle Park or one of the eight regional offices in the United States, and five international offices. These dedicated professionals offer innovative research and technical services to governments and businesses worldwide in the areas of health and pharmaceuticals, education and training, surveys and statistics, advanced technology, governance, economic and social development, energy, and the environment.

The Park overall grew slowly through the early 1960's. Then, in 1965, with the advent of both International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Park concept took off. By 1969, 21 companies had located in RTP. From 1970 to 1979, 17 additional companies located here. By 1989, 28 more companies chose locations in the Park.  

From 1990 to 2000, more than 42 new companies established facilities in RTP. New construction and expansion has totaled over 5 million square feet. A research business incubator was formed to provide interim laboratory facilities for early-stage companies. And Park Research Center, a campus of about 12 buildings that was formerly occupied by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, was established to provide wet lab space to smaller and mid-sized research companies.

Also located in the Park is the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, a state-supported initiative that provides grants and creative services to support biotech companies. MCNC offers advanced resources in microfabrication and telecommunications and houses the North Carolina Supercomputing Center . Together, they provide unparalleled resources to North Carolina companies, the universities, and area entrepreneurs. All of these institutions work together with the Park companies, reflecting a special spirit of cooperation and learning within the scientific and technological community, just as Odum once envisioned back in the 1950's.

For further information about the area or if you are thinking of relocating to the area please contact me directly for additional information.

Related Posts:

Raleigh NC Relocation>> Thinking of relocating to Raleigh NC?

Relocating to Cary, NC?

Cary NC Real Estate --->Why I love Cary NC!

Apr. 14, 2007 - Road work continues across the Triangle in Cary, Durham, and Raleigh

Apr. 11, 2007 - Charleston Village in Apex, NC Neighborhood Profile

City:  N. Apex, North Carolina

Address:  Just off of Jenks Carpenter and Holt Rd. 

Neighborhood Facts:

• Established in 1995
• Price range is $200k-mid $300ks 
• Over 300 Single Family Homes on the border of Cary/Apex 

This community, established in 1995 has over 300 Single Family Lots. There is a combination of Drees Homes and custom builders in the neighborhood. Amenities include a pool and greenways. Priced primarily below $300k it's a good value for North Apex.

For more information visit the Charleston Village HOA page which has a lot more information on the neighborhood including a neighborhood newsletter and community board.

Apr. 8, 2007 - Durham NC Real Estate >>ALL About Durham, NC

Of the three major cities in the Triangle, Durham perhaps is the one that carries the most paradoxical images. The city has its origins in tobacco and textiles, yet today it's home to some of the most acclaimed medical institutions and high-tech businesses in the Triangle - indeed, the nation.

The city was named for Dr. Bartlett Durham, who donated four acres of land for a train station in what is now downtown Durham. It took little time for Durham to become a boomtown. Returning home from the Civil War, Washington Duke and his sons established their lucrative cigarette manufacturing facilities here, serving as the foundation of a vast family fortune that funded the Duke Endowment. The financial impact on Durham (in fact, the entire state) made by the Duke family endowment is immeasurable.

The most notable testament to the Duke family's contributions in Durham is Duke University and its world-renowned Medical Center and Health System. Together with Durham Regional Hospital, the VA Medical Center and other health institutions, about one-fourth of Durham's workforce is in a health care-related field. Nearby North Carolina Central University (NCCU) - a historically black institution that offers an array of liberal arts courses - contributes to the academic environment and college atmosphere within the city.

The last of the Durham cigarette manufacturers - Liggett & Myers - relocated to nearby Mebane in 1999. Gone also are the textile and hosiery mills that helped fuel the local economy. So Durham has moved from a blue-collar tobacco town to a city that proudly proclaims itself as the "City of Medicine." Most of the other well-paying jobs in Durham are found in Research Triangle Park (RTP), America's largest research park that is home to corporate giants like IBM, Cisco Systems and GlaxoSmithKline.

The southern half of Durham County, near RTP, has experienced a fast-paced bonanza of new construction in both the residential and commercial arenas. Within the last few years, the N.C. 751/Hope Valley Road corridor between University Drive and Jordan Lake has experienced tremendous growth, with new-home communities springing up seemingly overnight. On I-40 between N.C. 751 and the Fayetteville Road interchanges, development is booming with offices, hotels and even a huge mall - The Streets at Southpoint - which opened in 2002. The mall is anchored by Macys, Hudson Belk, Sears, JCPenney and Nordstrom. Easy access to The Streets at Southpoint via I-40 draws shoppers from other Triangle cities.

From 20-acre horse farms in Bahama and Rougemont north of Durham to lavish mansions in Hope Valley, the city offers a wide variety of neighborhoods to its 198,000 residents. Bounded by Duke University's east campus, Main Street, Northgate Mall and Duke Street is Trinity Park, Durham's first historic neighborhood. Covering 40 square blocks, most homes in Trinity Park were built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During the last 25 years, this active community has experienced a renaissance that has set the precedent for historic renovations in other sectors of the city. Other neighborhoods near the Duke University campus - Watts-Hillandale, Duke Park and Trinity Heights - have experienced similar revivals. The demand for homes along the tree-lined streets near Duke remains greater than the supply, resulting in sale prices that escalate each year.

Another desirable in-town neighborhood is Forest Hills, located just south of downtown. There you'll find massive estates with colonial mansions alongside more streamlined Cape Cod designs that surround Forest Hill Park. On most any sunny Saturday afternoon, the park serves as the venue for Frisbee contests, softball and soccer games.

Hope Valley is in the fast-growing southwest Durham area and is Durham's oldest country club community. Homes here date back to the late 1920s and you'll find an eclectic mix of renovated brick ranches to sprawling French country and English Tudor mansions whose values approach $3 million.

Continuing down Hope Valley Road are two newer, very popular (and more affordable) planned communities, Hope Valley Farms and Woodcroft, which offer access to the Research Triangle Park. Hope Valley Farms offers homes from the $190s to more than $300,000 as well as a townhome community. The development also includes walking trails, tennis courts, a playground, pool and clubhouse.

With a variety of housing options, Woodcroft preserves its tall pine and oak trees and also offers Woodcroft Shopping Center, with a grocery store, specialty shops and some of the Triangle's best restaurants.

If golf is your passion, Croasdaile, Willowhaven and Treyburn country clubs (all located north of I-85) each offer 18 holes of championship golf, as do several public golf courses. Previously a family-owned farm, Croasdaile continues to expand its 1,500-acre residential development with a sister community of custom homes, Croasdaile Farms. Encompassing more than 5,300 acres that was once part of North Carolina's largest antebellum plantation, Treyburn is a planned, mixed-use community with 10 residential districts surrounding the Fazio-designed golf course.

Other popular communities include Hardscrabble Plantation (off I-85 at Guess Road) and Tyndrum (off Kerley Road and N.C. 751).

Durham residents can pursue a variety of recreational and cultural attractions. The Durham Bulls, a Triple A International League baseball team, became famous after the hit movie "Bull Durham," starring Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon. The Durham Bulls Athletic Park, patterned after Camden Yards, is easily accessible in downtown off N.C. 147 (Durham Freeway). The park received a facelift in 2003 with new topsoil and Bermuda grass.

Another team synonymous with Durham is the Duke basketball team, which has consistently finished as one of the top teams in the nation since the early '80s. Cameron Indoor Stadium is known for its avid, creative fans.

Page Auditorium on the Duke campus is home to the celebrated American Dance Festival, as well as a Broadway on Tour series. Several plays, including some by Neil Simon, actually debut at Duke before going on to Broadway.

Downtown entertainment offerings include CenterFest, a street arts celebration that attracts 60,000 citizens downtown each September, and live performances in the venerable Carolina Theatre, a beneficiary of a magnificent multimillion-dollar renovation. Complete with an elegant ballroom that's available for private functions, the Carolina Theatre offers concerts and dramatic productions, as well as art films.

With arts and the Bulls as the major drawing cards for a downtown renaissance, many unique specialty shops and restaurants have joined the urban center's list of attractions. Largely centered on the renovated tobacco warehouses known as Brightleaf Square, the area boasts delightful boutiques and restaurants, such as Tavern Nikos, whose chefs have won critical acclaim in a number of national publications.

Mixed-use projects bringing retail and office space downtown makes use of existing buildings through renovation. The former American Tobacco buildings and the old Liggett & Myers buildings are two good examples of this.

Driving west on Main Street past Brightleaf and Duke's east campus, stop for a visit along Ninth Street, home of more specialty shops and restaurants. Magnolia Grill features the culinary delights of chefs Ben and Karen Barker, who have won national awards for their exquisite food and pastries. Directly behind the west side of Ninth Street is Erwin Square, a huge textile mill that's been converted to New York-style loft apartments. Nearby Erwin Square is home to Parizade restaurant and the Mad Hatter, a bakery shop displaying an impressive collection of hats of every description. And nearby Jewelsmith has garnered a substantial local clientele and national recognition for its outstanding jewelry designs.

Once done with lunch, take a drive out Duke Street to the N.C. Museum of Life and Science, a popular destination for families and school groups all over North Carolina. The museum boasts a unique, live butterfly house that entertains hundreds of children and adults alike.

If fresh air and the outdoors are more to your liking, visit the 55-acre Sarah P. Duke Memorial Gardens on Duke's west campus or Eno River State Park, a 2,600-acre park bordering the Eno River. With several access areas to the Eno River, the park is the perfect place for a rafting excursion, and it also offers camping and picnic sites.

A buzzword in Durham seems to be "sustainable growth." That translates to mean maintaining all the desirable qualities that make Durham so attractive, while at the same time encouraging the kind of growth that provides the well-paying jobs, state-of-the-art schools and clean environment that have brought newcomers here all along.

I hope you have enjoyed your tour.  If you are thinking of relocating to Durham please feel free to call me or visit my website at www.TracySantrock.com

Apr. 7, 2007 - Wake Co. Buys 270 Acres Of Green Space

The land is valued at $4.96 million and with both Wake County and the city of Raleigh each paying half.  However, because of the purchase, Wake and Raleigh may be eligible for a grant for approximately $1.5 million from the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund.  Wake County says it has already filed an application to try and receive the funds.

Apr. 7, 2007 - NC Museum of Art Starts Expansion

The giant gaping hole in front of the NC Museum of Art is not some new modern art exhibit.  The massive construction area is the location of a new 127,000 facility that will house permanent collections of art.

Crews with backhoes and other excavation equipment can be seen digging down into the ground about 20 feet to prepare for pouring foundations and underground utilities.

The new facility was originally planned to be located next to the wooded art park area of the 164 acre art museum complex but according to one worker at the museum, there were concerns about soil composition in that area. 

As such, the expansion was relocated to the front of themuseum near Blue Ridge Road. 

The new area will not be able to take advantage of the existing natural landscape, but trees and other landscaping will be added after construction is finished.

The circle drive in front of the Museum has been removed to make way for the new additions.

According to the NC Museum of Art, the new facilities will house some well known works of art that will be on display permanently including sculptures by Auguste Rodin.

When finished in late 2008, the facility will include 65,000 square feet of exhibit space, a central gallery of around 11,500 square feet, amenities such as a gallery shop and cafe with 9,242 square feet of space, and an entry courtyard with 5,650 square feet of space.

The building will be uniquely designed and will feature glass walls and stainless steel panels when finished, says the museum.  The new addition will be a flowing single story structure, but the building will be 26 feet high with interior ceilings at 16 feet.

The main architects for the project are Thomas Phifer and Partners of New York.

According to the museum, the entire project will cost around $138 million and will include a refurbishment of the original art galleries as well in the Stone building, the main building for the art museum.

The museum says it has raised $78 million to date toward this financial goal, including an appropriation of $52.2 million from the North Carolina State Legislature and $15 million in funding from the City of Raleigh and Wake County.

In December 2006 the museum officially broke ground for the project, and the new building is scheduled to open to the public in 2009. 

The NC Museum of Art was created by the State of North Carolina.

Apr. 6, 2007 - Town of Apex Home Improvement Holiday

Apr. 6, 2007 - New Tenants To Join Beaver Creek Commons In Apex

The Town has recently issued building permits for Ulta, Jay Andrews Salon & Spa, Subway, and Hibachi Xpress.