Earlier this year, in March, I attended the Grand Opening of the Villages of Apex. Other than the townhomes there really wasn't a whole lot to see. The custom home section had yet to get started and the project was just getting underway. The neighborhood has really progressed since then and it is shaping up to be one of the most charming neighborhoods in Apex. As a result, this planned community received a well deserved award as the 2008 North Carolina Homebuilders Association Parade of Homes Community of the Year.

The Villages of Apex won first place in the following categories:

• Best Master-Planned Community
• Best Logo
• Best Brochure
• Best Television Commercial

There really is something for everyone in this neighborhood where prices start in the low 200s for condos/townhomes and peak in the upper $400s.

City: Apex, North Carolina

Directions:

From Raleigh:  Head East on I-40 to HWY1/54 Exit.  Exit 64 West towards Ashboro.  Approximately 3 miles West, take a left into the Villages of Apex.

Planned Amenities Include:

• a private elementary school
• a 13-acre park
• 35 miles of walkways
• 220,000 square feet retail shops
• 80,000 square feet of office space

One of the neat aspects about the Villages of Apex is its walk-ability aspect. Walkscore.com has done a study of the different aspects of a neighborhood to see how close amenities are to the neighborhood. I'm certain the Villages of Apex will score well in terms of a central location near the library, grocery stores, coffee shops, gas stations, and downtown Apex!

Here is an idea of the custom builder team that will be building at The Villages of Apex:

• Apex First Development
• Cattano Construction, Inc.
• Cotton Custom Homes
• Horizon Homes, Inc.
• Jerry Smith Builders
• Kerr-Smith Homes & Land, Inc.
• North Hills Homes
• Oak City Homes
• Phelan Building, Inc.

Developer:

• Apex First Development Inc.

Sections Under Development:

• Sterling at Old Mill Village - Condos over retail
• The Regents at Old Mill Village - Luxury Townhomes
• The Villas at Old Mill Village - Luxury Patio Villas
• Live Works - Townhomes over Commercial
• Village Walk- Townehomes over Commercial
• The Georgetownes- Georgetown style Townhomes (Other than Amberly Georgetowns this is unique to our area)
• The Brownstones - Brownstone style Townhomes (Another unique project to the Triangle)
• Carriage Walk - Carriage Townhomes
• Village Station - Class A Offices over Retail
• Windrose - Custom built Single Family Homes by the Builder Team above
• Luxury Townhomes

Check out The Village of Apex's Interactive Neighborhood Website for more information, the sitemap, video, or view my slideshow tour below.

Related Posts:

Why should your family choose Apex, NC for your next home?

Apex NC Real Estate - It's a Great Time to Buy in Apex, NC

I recently sponsored Apex, NC with Localism.com.  As a part of my sponsorship I think it's important to provide a few distinct elements for the community:

1. Area profile
2. Why should you choose Apex, NC for your next home?
3. A look at what's currently going on in the real estate market in that area.

I've taken care of the 1^st two items so now it's time to take a look at the real estate market in Apex. 

It's a great time to buy a home in Apex!  Homes are selling in Apex.  The current crop of sellers that are motivated have been more flexible on price.  Not like in other parts of the country but we are starting to see some wiggle room.  With the current level of inventory sellers that are eager to sell really have to have their homes in tip top condition and be prepared to negotiate a bit. What might be shocking to families coming from other areas is that our average List/Sales Price Ratio is still ~ 98%. 

That said, let's take a look at the current numbers in the area for Q22008:   

*The data above is based on market data for Q22008. 

The higher price ranges have really been hit with the slowdown in the market and the current mortgage crisis.  As you can see from the table above the current supply in the $500k plus range starts at 10+ months.

The market dynamics have shifted from a strong sellers market in 2007 to a buyers market in 2008.  The average supply of homes in Apex is 6 months and DOM at 86.  Although the inventory is up and sales are down (23% in Q22008) pricing is still holding to the current values.  The reason this is holding true is due to the fact that our area did not have the wild price fluctuations that other areas in the country have experienced. 

In general the Triangle area market is seasonal.  Many families interested in locating to the area move to the Triangle before school starts.  After that, the market slows down until the end of December and then we pick up again around the 1st of the year heading into the Spring Market. 

Besides the fact that the market has shifted there are a number of other reasons you should consider buying a home in today's market:

•  Great selection
•  Interest rates are at historic lows
•  Tax benefits of owning a home
•  Home Equity benefits
•  In a buyers market you are the driver
•  FHA financing programs available
•  By using an experienced Realtor you have the added benefit that can negotiate on your behalf.

For more information visit my website or contact me directly for more information. 

On your left is a photo of my dog Maggie.  I call her my "Goofie Girl".  She has allergies and a fettish for shoes, pants, underwear, and "people food".   Regardless of the challenges posed by Maggie, she adores us and we adore her - at least most of the time. 

I thought I have a ton of energy but Maggie has even more.  That is why Maggie's vet told us about Town & Country in Apex.  Town & Country's website talks about the services they provide for dogs that have special needs.  That's my dog. 

Just as I want the best for my child I also want the best for my Maggie.   Town & Country offers a variety of services including boarding, grooming, training, and daycare.  Maggie has been to the Town & Country obedience classes several times but somehow she has succeeded in failing the beginner training class on more than one occassion. 

Besides the training Town & Country offers a drop off service for dogs that they call doggie daycare.  Doggie daycare seems to cure Maggie.  There's nothing like dropping your dog off to play with several other hyper labs for up to 8 hours.  When Maggie gets home from daycare all she wants to do is hang out!!  Watch a video of the daycare "playtime" service here.  During the spring and summer months the dogs have an opportunity to go to the beach, Paw Beach that is.  The link above is a link to of the doggies playing at the beach.

If you decide to board your dog at Town & Country book ahead especially during the holidays. Town & Country offers luxury pet services like sofa time, tv time, and playtime.  I'm not kidding!!

If you live in the Triangle this facility is the best in the area, in my opinion.  If you don't check around with a few of your friends.  You may be lucky and they will have a facility in your area. 

P.S.  I clicked on the video links and good 'ol Maggie had to get in a couple of barks to let me know she really likes Town & Country and that she hasn't been back in a while.  Time to take Maggie back to her hold stomping ground to catch up with her pals.   It's too late to drop Maggie off today.   Maybe I'll just settle for the dog park instead since my Maggie deserves the best. 

Christmas on Salem Street - November 30 & December 1, 2007

• Friday November 30^th will feature several fun filled events including horse-drawn Sleigh Rides, a tree lighting ceremony at the Chamber of Commerce, and a Scrooge scavenger hunt. Let's not forget the Christmas Carolers too!
• Saturday December 1^st will definitely be a fun time for the kids - A pancake breakfast at the fire station and pictures with Santa. Top it all off with a Christmas Parade at 5pm.

Apex Historical Home Tour - December 2^nd 1-5pm

Take a look into Christmas past during Apex Historical Society's Home tour. It will feature three homes, one cabin, the Depot, and the Maynard-Pearson House. A reception with refreshments will be held at the Maynard-Pearson House along with an Old Fashion Sweet Shoppe during the tour. I attend this event every year. It's one of my favorite. A lot of folks don't realize the rich history in Apex. This is your chance to learn more.

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.   

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.