Sep. 26, 2007 - Sunset Ridge Neighborhood Profile in Holly Springs, NC

City: Holly Springs, NC

Location: Off of Kildaire Farm Rd. South to Right on Holly Springs Rd. Lt.at Second Entrance to Sunset Ridge.

Neighborhood Facts:

• Price range is from the low $300's to the high $700s
• Located in the fast growing Holly Springs area.
• Homes include the Shires and the Manors

Sunset Ridge is situated on 1100 plus acres with large lot sizes in most sections and gorgeous tree lined streets. Homes in Sunset Ridge are custom built by local builders in the area from the mid $300's - $700's. Sunset Ridge is home of Devils Ridge Golf Club, an 18 hole John Lafoy designed golf course. The Sunset Ridge Racquet and Swim Club features 6 pools, including 2 competition sized pools, 2 baby pools, a spray ground with umbrella jets and a 165 foot water slide. The club also features 6 lighted tennis courts with a professional staff, including an on-site USPTA pro.

• 17 local custom builders throughout 7 sections of Sunset Ridge

2007 New Construction Builders:

• Barnes Builders & Realty
• DJF Builders
• Future Homes by Odell Thompson
• J. Scott Builders
• Timberline Builders

Key Neighborhood Highlights:

Sunset Ridge has something for everyone!! My clients love this neighborhood. I didn't have a chance to take a picture of the incredible pool facilities. The pools shut down for the winter season so the pictures wouldn't do them justice. However, tennis, golf, hiking, biking, and other activities are going strong. Once you visit Sunset Ridge you won't have to look anywhere else!!

Year-Round Tennis Program

• Six Lighted, Professionally Designed Tennis Courts - I know Ted Reese the head pro-great guy
• Leagues & Special Events for All Ages
• Junior Development Program

Active Summer Swim Program

• Junior Olympic Pool w/Six Lanes & Diving Area
• Swim Team for Ages 3 to 18
• Swim Lessons for all ages

Aquatic Center

• Ten Lane Junior Olympic Pool
• 165' Waterslide
• Kid's 40'x40' Sprayground
• Wading Pool & L-Shaped Recreational Pool
• Covered Pavillion & Snack Areas

Optional Devils Ridge Golf Club Membership

• Championship John LaFoy Golf Course
• 4 star Golf Digest Rating
• Gracious clubhouse w/grill and upscale dining

New Holly Springs High School

Fantastic new public Wake County High School in the heart of Sunset Ridge off of Holly springs Road opened in 2006. The new high school added 1,690 new classroom seats. Holly Springs High is a prototype (re-used) three-story design and has a football field with a track and stadium, baseball field, softball field, two practice fields and tennis courts. The new high school houses Freshman & Sophmores and will soon be expanded to include Juniors & Seniors.

Plenty of Shopping Nearby

There is plenty of shopping in this growing area including Holly Crossing, Sunset Lake Commons Shopping Center, Mill Pond village, Oak Hall Shopping Center, the US Post Office, and the Southern Wake County State-of-the-Art YMCA is under construction and coming soon.

For more information go to the Sunset Ridge website, or for more community photos visit this link, or contact me directly for this neighborhood.

BUILDERS

Sep. 22, 2007 - Salem Street Arts Festival Coming Soon

I just found out today that Apex is adding a new art festival to its lineup. Apex is really trying to beef up the cultural activities. This is an event you won't want to miss!!

What? Salem Street Arts Festival

When:  Saturday October 6, 2007

Time:  9am-4pm

Where:  Downtown Apex

Free to the Public

The Salem Street Arts Festival is an exciting addition to the yearly activities in Apex.  The arts festival will feature local artists from around Apex and the Triangle.  The Firehouse Gallery will feature displays of local professional artwork as well as children's art.  There will be lots of hands on art related activities - Fun for the whole family.  Let's not stop there - the festival will also feature educational informatioin on the arts and caareer in the arts, performances, and food too!!

This is a creative twist: In addition to the hundreds of local professional artists they will also present the Kids Market where children ages 16 and under can rent a booth space to sell items they have made.

This event is sponsored by the Apex Arts Council.   

Sep. 22, 2007 - Raleigh NC Real Estate>>Best Place to Flip a House in 2007

Forbes Magazine just loves the Raleigh NC Real Estate market!!  They are endlessly ranking our community as the best to live, best for jobs, best for singles, etc.  However, this ranking is a new one!! I wasn't sure I read the text correctly. 

Best Place to Flip A Home ???? Your kidding me, right? Forbes ranked the Raleigh Market the #3 Market in the County To Flip Homes!! #2.  The irony of this story is that the Raleigh NC Real Estate Market has never been a flippers dream.  There have been so many markets in the country appreciating at a much faster pace than the Raleigh Market which made "Flipping" a non-starter in this area.

Ladies and gentleman- the tide has turned!! The slow down in the real estate market across the country has lead to FLIPPERS starved for new business opportunities.  Just last week I met with a team of 4 investors from the Bay area looking for a strong real estate market that is now experiencing appreciation rates almost double what they were in the past 5 years!!  Forbes calculated whether a market is ripe for flipping by using data from Moody's Economy.com to come up with the rankings using the following criteria as a benchmark:

• Market appreciation rate vs.  current inventory
• Supply & Demand in the market
• Current new-home construction numbers through the end of 2008

The Raleigh NC Market is now posed, in certain optimal price ranges(less than $250k) as indicated by Forbes, to be a profitable market for flip properties.  More information can be found at Realtor.com Magazine Online or you may visit me at my website at www.TriangleNCHomes4Sale.com.  

Sep. 21, 2007 - Retirement in Wake County NC – Triangle Active 55+ Communities help older adults stay active & involved.

Did you know that North Carolina surpassed Florida as the #1 Retirement State in the country several years back?  And, to add to that, that Raleigh ranked as the #4 "Best Place to Retire" and the # 3 "Best Place to Reinvent Yourself?"  To view the complete article from AARP click here.  

So what makes the Triangle area so appealing for Active 55+ Seniors? 

• Great housing
• Nice weather
• Low crime rate
• High standard of living
• Great hospitals
• Excellent transportation to the airport w/little congestion
• Interstate Highways
• Amtrack railway system that connects the East Coast
• Location, Location, Location - We are an our and a half to the beach and the mountains are about three hours away
• **Photo of Seniors in the Park courtesy of Flicker**

One overlooked resource that helps keep Seniors active in this area and is a huge benefit to the community is the Cary Senior Center.  The goal of the Cary Senior Center is to provide quality leisure activities and serves to all adult ages 55 and older.  The activities are designed to enrich, inform, entertain, and educate the lives of the Town of Cary citizens. 

The Cary Senior Center is located within Bond Park on High House Road. The facility is a 17,000 square foot building with a ballroom, courtyard gazebo, conference room, classroom, an arts and crafts room an exercise room, and a media room.  This facility offers more than 1,500 programs for seniors!!!

If you're still interested read more about some of the local communities geared toward Active 55+ Seniors in Cary:

• Carolina Preserve at Amberly - The amenity rich community opened up just last Spring and has sold over 400 homes with over 200 closed.   Clients that I've taken to this community are really excited about the sense of community.  The club house will be the central gathering place for the neighborhood and is scheduled to open in late November.  When complete, the community will have about 1,200 homes.  A Del Webb community, they are now pre-selling for delivery in October 2008. 
• Searstone - This community is located in the heart of Cary across the street from my office!!  This neighborhood will offer the New Urbanist lifestyle that allows residents to be able to walk to restaurants, shopping, health care, and more.  The community is scheduled to be completed between late 2009 and 2010. 
• Glenaire - This retirement community is well established and offers independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing to its residents.  This facility offers a more traditional retirement arrangement.  However, Gleanaire offers lots of activities and outings for its residents and even has an activities director onsite. 

For more information visit my "Top 10 List for Active Adult Communities in the Triangle"

Here are some additional Senior Resources that you might enjoy:

Links to Seniors Resources for Your Reference:

• Seniors Resource Guide
• SAREC
• Long Term Care Planning - Price Quotes
• Medicaire
• AARP
• Talking w/Parents about Health Coverage
• Kiplinger's Your Family Records Organizer
• Area Agencies on Aging
• The Five Wishes
• Reverse Mortgage
• Helpful Seniors Links - Nationwide

Sep. 21, 2007 - The Village at Aversboro - Active 55+ Custom Homes in Garner

The Village at Aversboro is an approved Active 55+ community in Garner.  Developer Douglas Ball has received approval for a new subdivision in Garner near the corner of Aversboro and Timber Rd.

Sep. 16, 2007 - Two Fantastic Wine Tastings Scheduled for the Triangle

For all of you wine officianados out there I've got two great events that will be held in the Triangle in the next few weeks. 

OVER 500 of the hottest,  newest and most up-and-coming wines from around the world will be poured. Great wines from Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Chile, Argentina, California, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington State and more!

 

One way to keep up with all of the great events in your area is to visit the website www.localwineevents.com.  They have tons of details for events not only in my area but in your area too!!

Sep. 8, 2007 - 2007 Wake County HBA Parade of Homes

It's my favorite time of year the Wake County Parade of Homes.  I wrote about it last year and this years is setting the stage to be the best yet and is scheduled for three weeks this fall. 

Dates for the 2007 Parade of Homes are:  September 29-30, October 5-7, and October 12-14 from 12:00pm - 5:00pm.

This year there are over 400 entries by top local builders in the area ranging in price from $119k to $3M and a record 29 homes priced at over $1M.  As in years past its one of the least expensive forms of entertainment (it's free) and you get some great ideas for your home too.  I've included pictures of several homes for sale ranging in price during the parade for your reference.   

Please contact me if you would like anymore information on these or other Triangle Parade of Homes entries or visit my website at www.TriangleNCHomes4Sale.com

Sep. 6, 2007 - Update on the Hasentree Community in N. Raleigh

Tom Fazio Golf Course/Pro Shop Cottage Grand Opening

A Grand Opening Celebration of the only Tom Fazio golf course in the Raleigh area will be held on October 17, 2007, where Tom Fazio himself will make an appearance. This celebration will also commemorate the opening of the Pro Shop Cottage overlooking the starting and finishing holes. The Pro Shop will ultimately connect to the Hasentree Clubhouse.

Update on Community Activities

Family Activity Center

The Family Activity Center is under construction with an opening scheduled for Spring 2008. The Family Activity Center features 3 pools, a waterslide, 6 lighted clay tennis courts, an adult fitness program and a Kids Club. The Activities Director will offer a variety of programs each month providing a place where kids of all ages can explore, create, and thrive in a stimulating and encouraging environment.

New Club Staff

The new General Manager for Hasentree is Jeff Peak and Golf Pro Patrick Seither. Jeff Peak came from the Ballantyne Club in Charlotte and Patrick Seither from Kinloch Club in Virginia.

Parade of Homes Update

Hasentree will have 12 homes ranging in price from $936,135 to $4,445,000 entered in the Parade.

The Parade of Homes dates and times are:

.

Sep. 5, 2007 - 1st Time Homebuyer's Online Toolkit

I have the pleasure of working with 1^st time homebuyers this weekend.  My clients are relocating from out of state where home prices are astronomical and they are excited about buying the affordability of homes here in North Carolina.  1^st time homebuyers are my favorite - they listen closely to the advice of professional agents and are full of energy, excitement, enthusiasm, and questions.  That's when the wheels started turning and I started thinking....

What can I provide to my clients that will help simplify the home buying process?  They are young, tech savvy, have their own personal blogs, use my space, realtor.com, etc, etc.  That said, I read a post this morning by Karen Krushka entitled Homebuyer's Guide.  Karen strikes me as a very traditional agent and she indicated that she has several homebuyer guides- one in Powerpoint, brochure format, and even a bound version.  That's when the wheels started turning again and I started thinking......

What about an online reference guide from none other than the powerful gurus from Active Rain?  Ken Stampe just started a new group called First Time Homebuyer  on 8/23/2007.  What a great idea.  Since this group is new and my clients will be in town this weekend I'm going to pull together a few reference topics and member posts that my clients might enjoy reading through while they are going through the homebuying process.  Feel free to add any links in your comments - I won't be offended.    

1.  Find a Qualified Buyer's Representative

• The Advantages of Using a Buyer's Agent by Tracy Santrock
• Best of Buyer Agency by Tracy Santrock w/links to several AR contributors
• Buyer Agents, Should I work with one? by Matt Ratcliffe

2.  What to expect with the buying process

• Buying your first home can be intense....... by Jeff Belonger
• The Real Estate Buyer's Guide To The Home Buying Process - Part One by Danilo Bogdanovic
• The Process of Buying a Home by Lawerence Yerkes
• 10 Steps to Buying a Home by Ramsey Yount

3.  Assess Your Credit and Finances

• Prequalification & Preapproval by Valerie Archer Belardo
• Buying a home? How much can I afford? by Jonathan Saffiedine
• Fees on a mortgage by Hank Parmenter
• Seven steps of the loan process by Ki Gray

4.  Find the right home

• Find The Right Home For You by Jeff Flower

5. Negotiating the contract

• YOU WIN SOME, YOU LOSE SOME. ALL IN A BUYERS AGENT'S DAY by Lynn Harley
• Top Negotiating Skills Are A Must For Success by Laurie Furem
• Real Estate and Poker: The dynamics of adjusting to the situation. by Edward Mehnert
• How much is the right amount of Earnest Money? by Paul Renton

• 6. "Seller Market" Issues
• Bidding in a Hot Market by Tracy Santrock
• Evaluating Multiple Bids  by Scott Gerami
• Raleigh NC Real Estate - #1 Sellers Market in the Country by Tracy Santrock

7.  Inspections & Repairs

• An Inspection of Home Inspections - Do They Matter? by Donna Yates
• Questions and Answers regarding Home Inspections by Donna Yates
• REQUESTING REPAIRS ~ It's not a blank check to create a dream home! by Glen Huxtable

8.  Closing with an attorney

In some states across the US Title Companies are used for closing.  In North Carolina Attornies handle the Title search on the property and the closing details. 

• Buying Your Home: Settlement Costs and Information At this site you can receive a free guide to closing and cost details.
• OVERVIEW OF CLOSING A PURCHASE TRANSACTION by Michael Hamar  

9.  Agency Law in North Carolina

The North Carolina Real Estate Commission requires, by law, that all real estate agents educate their clients on their rights and options as a buyer or seller in the State of North Carolina.  This link provides, in detail, agency law in the state of North Carolina.

10.  Special 1^st Time Homebuyer Program in North Carolina

The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) has special programs for 1^st Time Homebuyers.  There are specific requirements that met including income restrictions, not having owned a home in the past three years, and the price of the home.  For those that are eligible this is a great option. 

This should get any online savvy buyer a start and a reference as they muddle through the buying process.  You don't have to be Einstein to figure out how to buy a home but being educated and going into the process armed with knowledge will be a blessing.