City:  Cary

Location:  Off of Cary Parkway & Old Weatherstone

I know this neighborhood all to well.  I mentioned earlier this year that  I moved to this beautiful neighborhood in my post Tracy Santrock's Moved On & Checking In w/Activerain.  My family has loved every minute of our transition to the new neighborhood (ok, except unpacking the boxes). 

I was a little concerned about being one of the last families to move to the neighborhood.  To the contrary I've met so many of the neighbors and their children and everyone has been just spectacular.  It's so nice to be a part of a community that has that warm, inviting appeal where everyone knows everyone's name.  Since I've finally finished unpacking all of the boxes I thought it is time for me to write about the neighborhood.  

Neighborhood Facts:

• Price range is from  the low $600s to over $1 Million
• Fantastic location in the heart of Cary just 1 mile from Prestonwood Country Club 
• Master Planned Community
• Two sections:  Newest homes are in the back section; Other homes built in 2006
• Approximately 100+ Executive Homes
• Several basement homesites
• Jogging trail, sidewalks, and bike trail
• One mile from Bond Park and the Cary Community Center
• Traditional Schools
• Minutes from the grocery stores, Preston Walk, Inside Out Sports, restaurants, and convenience stores

 

Builder

John Wieland Homes is an established and renowned builder in the Southeast that has received several awards including: 

• National Builder of the Year by Professional Builder Magazine

• National Housing Quality Award presented by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center

Key Neighborhood Highlights:

Glenkirk Club House & Swimming Pool

I'm lucky to live across from the Glenkirk Club House where there is plenty to do.  We have a group of girls that gets together for Pokino.   Other amenities include a pool with a childrens' play area, children's playground, picnic area, and a Basketball court too!

 Preston Walk Shopping Center

Just around the corner from the neighborhood and a 10 minute walk is Preston Walk Shopping Center - Some of my favorite restaurants in town including Panera Bread, Stonewood, Biaggis, and Henrys Gelato.  La Therapie Day Spa and Inside Out Sports and more....

Preston Corners Shopping Center

Just about all of the banks have a branch at Preston Corners.  Other notable highlights include Fedora, Suncom, Preston Flowers, Lowes Grocery, a Mexican restaurant, coffee shop, and others.  Across the street is La Farm Bakery, one of my personal favorites.

For more information go to the Glenkirk website or contact me directly for this neighborhood.  

Please consider my Lisiting at 2009 Killearn Mill as your next home!

Directions:  Located just off of Cary Parkway North of Cary Parkway and High House Rd.  Turn Right on Olde Weatherstone Way.    

Here is some additional information on the Cary NC Real Estate and Cary Real Estate Market Conditions you may want to check out:

If you are moving to the Triangle from another area of the country you may not have heard of the company I work for Fonville Morisey.  Most of the time prospective clients have heard of Remax, Keller Williams, and Prudential, but not Fonville Morisey.  My clients come from all over the US and ask me, "Why did you choose to work for Fonville Morisey?"  I say, "I wouldn't even think of working for any other real estate company in the Triangle and I think you'll see why once we view a view properties".  Here is the way I see it-there is power to inventory and Fonville Morisey agents have more listings & are more productive than any of the other companies in the area.  In essence, strong inventory naturally creates a If you haven't made it to the Triangle yet, and you're still debating on an agent or a company to work with, I'd like to tell you why my company is the real estate agency of choice in the Triangle! strong pool of buyers.  Fonville Morisey's  market share and real estate philosophy are why I decided to work for Fonville Morisey.     

 For starters, where in the world did the name Fonville Morisey come from?  Back in the early ‘70s a couple of fraternity brothers saw the Triangle growing at a fast paced and decided to start a new firm in the area. The gentlemen that founded the company were Tommy Fonville, Johnny Morisey, and Frank Roebuck. Their vision was to create a "boutique" real estate organization that would specialize in the Triangle area and provide differentiated services unlike those of their competitors across the country. The vision, the integrity, and the reputation created by the founders led the company from a small privately held organization to the #41 ranked real estate firm in the country in 2006.  And, in 2007, Long and Foster purchased Fonville Morisey as a wholey owned subsidiary making our firm party to the #3 largest real estate company in the US.  As those from the Northeast know, Long & Foster is also privately held which was an important decision making factor for the companies' founders when selling the firm. 

More than just market share, Fonville Morisey has been the recipient of several awards that have been voted on by buyers and sellers in the community.  For example,  2006, 2008 Independent Awards for Best Real Estate Company in the Triangle.  And, Metro Magazine's 2006 Award for Best Real Estate Company in the Triangle.   

Clients choose agents for different reasons, usually based on interests, personal preferences,agent specialization,  and the need to work with an experienced/established agent.  The following links give you a glimpse about me and why clients have chosen Fonville Morisey & me as their agent: 

 

My website

About Tracy Santrock

Testimonials for Tracy Santrock

Fonville Morisey Buyer Agency - The Advantages of Using a Buyers Agent

Cary NC Real Estate>>1st Time Homebuyer's Online Toolkit

Listings & My Commitment to Internet Marketing - Updated

Why choose Cary NC for your next home? Letter to my prospective clients...

 

I hit my 1 Year Anniversary in Blogging about a week ago.  I decided I'd write a post about my experiences over the past year.  One year seems like a short time and the time past quickly I must admit. However,  I look back at all of the mistakes I made at the beginning.  I really didn't have a voice.   Here's what I do know:

• Blogging takes time and effort
• Due dillegence pays off - I promise
• Less than 4% of all Real Estate Agents are Bloggers
• I didn't have a clue what I was doing a year ago-but have come a long way since then
• There is a lot to learn and the learning curve is steep
• Write action packed posts with lots of pictures to keep your audience's attention
• Study the greats- there are a handful and they really know what they are doing
• As a newbie-find a mentor

I'm thankful to have plenty of real estate experience behind me.  On the other hand I truly believe it is critical to blend the old world of real estate with the new world of real estate.  On-line Marketing is essential to all real estate agents. 

 

 Stone Creek Village is now open and located at the intersection of Davis Drive and High House Road.  Stone Creek Village includes townhomes by Centex starting in the $300s,  a Harris Teeter, Walgreens, and other stores continuing to open.  The retail at Stone Creek has higher end boutiques and shops as well as several restaurants from casual to fine dining. 

Searstone Retirement Community.  This is a not-for profit, age targeted 62+ retirement Community in the heart of Northwest Cary that's just getting underway.  Members of this community will have the convenience and vibrancy of city living, plus the ambiance of countryside living. The community choices will include Estate and Plaza Homes (211 when completed), an amenity-filled Clubhouse, and a Specialty Village of shops and services centered around the community's lake.  A couple of unique features include maintenance free living,  a home warranty while living in the community, and it will have personal health services available onsite at Brittany Place. 

Crosland is the latest to target the booming section of Wake County. Developers have flocked to land near the future intersection of N.C. 55 and Interstate 540. It is considered to be some of the best real estate in the Triangle because of its central location in the expanding region and proximity to Research Triangle Park.

The John Crosland Project will be an exciting new $100M retail establishment with a boutique hotel, movie theater, hospital, up scale restaurants, office space, and apartments. Recent infrastructure improvements to support the growth have prompted builders to plan thousands of homes. With critical mass already forming, commercial developers also are pushing west.  In northwest Cary, planners anticipate as many as 15 million square feet of shops, restaurants, offices, schools, churches and warehouses. It's going to be the next frontier.

What do you get in Raleigh for $1,000,000?  One new million dollar home gives you 3-4 bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, 4000 finished square feet, Dining room, Family room, Office/Study, Kitchen, Breakfast room, Hearth Room, a 3 car garage and a .25 Acre lot if it's inside the beltline or very close to it. 

What do you get for $4,000,000?  How about 6 Bedrooms, 6 Full Bathrooms, 1 Half Bath, 10000 finished square feet above grade, Living room, Dining room, Family room, Office/Study, Kitchen, Breakfast room, Bonus room, Theatre, Exercise room, Billard room, Nanny Suite, 2 wet bars, elevator and situated on a 1.32 acre lot in the heart of the Inner Beltline.

What do you get for $32,000,000?  How about a 20,000 square feet main home and a 3,500 square foot 3 bedroom guest home.  The main home has a 40-foot-high-ceilings, 10 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, 5 half baths, a 1930s style movie theater, built-in cigar humidor on a 14 acre tract.  In addition there are approximately 57 more acres that have been divided into 27 smaller lots for high end home development - should the buyer wish. This Raleigh home is owned by Peter Loftin, founder of the former BTI telecommunications company, who purchased the Florida home of Gianni Versace called Casa Casuarina and now spends most of his time there.

 

If you find such homes to be of interest let me know.  However, to view the second and third homes, verified ability to purchase is required.  Obviously, it would be my pleasure to show them to you. 

Buyer's market? Seller's market? Get a snapshot of current conditions in your area from a local real estate professional. Click on your state or province below. Top > North Carolina > Cary Market Conditions for Cary, North Carolina Reported by Tracy Santrock, REALTOR, ePRO As of February 27, 2007. Current Market Rating: 3 1 2 3 4 5 Buyer's Seller's Current Price Trend: 4 1 2 3 4 5 Falling Rising In many regions across the United States home prices have been rising sharply, and media coverage has predicted a burst in the "so-called" housing market bubble. Are you are concerned about a possible real estate bubble in Cary? " The National Association of Realtors Research Division recently conducted a home price analysis in the Raleigh-Cary MSA. The reports concluded that there was very little danger of a housing market bust in this region. In fact, the reports stated that local housing markets were in excellent shape with a potential for significant housing equity gains, particularly for homebuyers who plan to remain in their house for the long run. Additionally, local markets had very favorable home price-to-income ratios and even better mortgage servicing cost-to-income ratios. The latter ratio is currently below the local historical average implying no widespread financial overstretching to purchase a home in the region. Any respectable gains in the Raleigh-Cary job market could translate into substantial home price gains. As of February 2007 Forbes Magazine just named the Triangle area the #1 area for job growth. This will have a tremendous impact on inventory availability and appreciation rates going into the hot spring market. Keep this mind as you contemplate investing in this market. Year-End Summary for 2006: -Average price resale home in the area is $252,000 -Average price of a new home is $363,000. -House price appreciation isn this area is uperior to the average rate for housing located in Wake County. -Decline in inventory shot up the appreciation rate to 10.46% in 2006 vs. 4.5% in 2005. -Overal inventory is between 2-3 months. -Price categories with the smallest inventory include single family homes under $400,000. -Price categories with the largest inventory include the $1M+ price range with over 21 months of inventory. More Information view my blog at http://TracySantrock.Realtownblogs.com or email for the detailed NAR report @ Tracy@TracySantrock.com ZIP Codes: 27513, 27511, 27519 Location Characteristics: Named for Prohibition leader Sen. Samuel Fenton Cary (1814-1900) of Ohio, the once-sleepy railroad town of Cary has attracted - and continues to attract - many newcomers. In fact, Cary is the third-largest city in the Triangle. A large part of its appeal is not only its close proximity to Research Triangle Park, but also its neat fit into the American dream of suburbia. Money magazine recently named Cary the Hottest Town in the East and one of the six best places to live in the country. It has the highest median household income in Wake County ($75,122), and more than two-thirds of Cary residents hold a college degree. Planning, planning and more planning is Cary's adage. It takes but one drive around Maynard Road, which circles Cary, to understand the vision: planned neighborhoods with large homes, two-car garages and well-groomed lawns as far as the eye can see. On the business front, Cary is home to such leading companies as SAS Institute, American Airlines and John Deere. However, unlike many towns, commercial development is regulated much the same as residential development. While other Triangle towns have rules governing residential neighborhoods, Cary insists on tasteful commercial buildings that match the surroundings. That attention to detail has proved very beneficial when dealing with the population explosion in Cary. In fact, Cary has doubled its population every decade since 1960. As the seventh-largest municipality in the state, Cary has grown from 43,000 in 1990 to more than 110,000 today. Forecasters predict that by 2020, Cary will add another 60,000 residents. To handle the expansion, city leaders and developers carefully control development and have built an infrastructure to absorb the growth. In fact, it wasn't until recently that the voice to slow down Cary's growth was heard. Lately, Cary officials have been developing innovative growth controls. Some of these include requiring developers to prove there are enough roads and classrooms to accommodate the newcomers, as well a $70 million expansion of the water treatment plant that serves Cary and nearby Apex, a project that has won national awards. In addition, Cary's land-acquisition ordinance requires builders to donate land to the city's Parks and Recreation Department based on the number of houses that will be built. Currently, Cary has 20 city parks, including the Fred G. Bond Metro Park and Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve. There's also the Kids Together Park with a large playground. In addition to community swimming pools, tennis courts and some of the finest golf courses in the area, these green spaces are what make people from all over the country want to call Cary home. WakeMed Cary Hospital near Tryon Road and Kildaire Farm Road has helped to serve the growing population's need for, and access to, convenient medical care. Walk around downtown Cary where Chatham and Academy streets meet, and you feel like you're in a small town. This is where Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival, considered one of the finest festivals in the state, is held annually. Also downtown is the Page-Walker Arts and History Center, formerly the Page-Walker Hotel, which was built in 1868 to serve train passengers. Homes in and around downtown were mostly built during the 1950s. Once considered the outskirts of town, the Greenwood Forest subdivision is now in the middle. Built during the 1950s and '60s, it is bordered by Walnut Street and East Maynard. Close by are Cary High School, Cary Village Square shopping center and Cary Towne Center Mall. Cary first began growing southward with the MacGregor Downs subdivision - the first prestigious development in Cary. Built in the 1960s with large lots and homes off U.S. 64, MacGregor Downs defines Cary's southernmost point. In fact, many claim that Cary's reputation for upscale residential living is due to this subdivision. Condominiums and homes command good prices, especially in the MacGregor West neighborhood, adjacent to MacGregor Downs Country Club, where you can find estate-size homesites of one to five acres. Kildaire Farms, North Carolina's first planned unit development (PUD) with various style homes in different price ranges, was developed along Kildaire Farm Road and Cary Parkway during the 1970s and '80s. This community has more than 2,500 residential units throughout its neighborhoods, a greenway system with jogging trails and bike paths, the Kildaire Farms Racquet and Swim Club and the Cary Athletic Club located within its boundaries. Regency Park, a PUD developed during the 1980s, includes commercial as well as residential buildings. It's located off the intersection of U.S. 1 South and U.S. 64. Regency Park Estates, tucked away in Regency Park adjacent to Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve, is a neighborhood where every homesite is an acre or larger. Lochmere, a PUD not far from Regency Park on the southern end of Kildaire Farm Road east of U.S. 1, also was developed in the 1980s. With a lake, miles of nature and jogging trails, swim and tennis clubs, golf and several different neighborhoods in all price ranges, Lochmere has been a very successful community. Due west, the community of Preston is credited for reshaping Cary. Preston, located off High House Road, offers houses ranging from $250,000 to $1 million. Traditional, transitional and contemporary homes are found throughout this PUD. As in other developments of its kind, Preston has golf (54 holes), swimming, tennis, an exercise facility, playgrounds and picnic shelters, as well as the Prestonwood Country Club. Other communities developed during the '80s and '90s pulled Cary northward up Harrison Avenue. Some of these neighborhoods include Wessex, an upscale community with a swimming pool and tennis courts; North Harrison Trace, a single-family community with a number of home designs; and Beechtree, which includes townhomes, cluster homes and single-family homes. This area of Cary offers easy access to I-40, Lake Crabtree and Umstead Park.

My daughter Jordan, 15, goes to Cary Academy in Cary.  This school is the brainchild of Dr. Jim Goodnight that owns SAS institute in Cary.  SAS is actually the largest privately held software company in the world!!  In past years the Goodnights have spearheaded projects like Cary Academy, the development of Prestonwood and Prestonwood Country Club.  They have now expanded their efforts with the first FIVE STAR hotel in North Carolina.  Truly, with the exception of the trees, you will feel you have been transplanted to Chicago or New York!!

Some key features of the new development include:

150-room hotel features 27 suites with a 14,000-square-foot full-service spa and original artwork throughout to be built beside a three-acre lake as an independent hotel locally owned and developed by Ann Goodnight, wife of SAS Institute co-founder Jim Goodnight

$75 million project with 4 and a half or 5 star quality and built by Hunt Construction Group, nation's premier builder of hospitality facilities

Six-story luxury hotel will feature 150 oversized lavish guestrooms and suites, 16,000 square feet of flexible indoor/outdoor meeting space, sculpture garden, first class restaurant, concierge service, 24 hour room service and original artwork throughout the property

Design by Three Architecture of Dallas (using extensive glass and limestone exterior for 86 foot tall building); interior by Frank Nicholson Inc of Boston

SAS Institute is located across Interstate 40 from 5,577-acre William B. Umstead State Park. One exit from RDU Airport

Opened January 15, 2007

There has been a tremendous amount of detail that has gone into designing the hotel and spa.  With only 150 rooms starting at $400/night the corporate traveler will find this indulgence a must!! 

 

 

Waverly Place might look a lot more like North Hills Mall in a couple of years thanks to plans to revamp the shopping center.  We've always loved the location but we've struggled with the current design.  Durham developer Zapolski and Rudd, which has owned the aging center since January 2005, is hoping to turn Waverly into a mixed-use project containing retail, residential and office space. 

BIG PLANS FOR WAVERLY

The developer has filed tentative plans with the town of Cary for the re-devlopment of Waverly Place.  Among the updates are:

* More retail space, from 205,570 square feet to 237,770.

* That includes a new Whole Foods store, which will be almost twice the size of the existing one and in a stand-alone building at the corner of the site.

* Demolishing about half of the existing buildings and renovating the rest.

* 165,225 square feet of office space.

* A 24,170-square-foot entertainment venue, such as a movie theater or music hall.

* More than 200 homes, including apartments and condos.

* A 150-room hotel.

* A 600-car underground parking ramp where the lower level of the center is today

This is exciting news for the community!!   Grand opening is scheduled for 2009!!

Named for Prohibition leader Sen. Samuel Fenton Cary (1814-1900) of Ohio, the once-sleepy railroad town of Cary has attracted - and continues to attract - many newcomers.

In fact, Cary is the third-largest city in the Triangle. A large part of its appeal is not only its close proximity to Research Triangle Park, but also its neat fit into the American dream of suburbia. Money magazine recently named Cary the Hottest Town in the East and one of the six best places to live in the country. It has the highest median household income in Wake County ($75,122), and more than two-thirds of Cary residents hold a college degree.

Planning, planning and more planning is Cary's adage. It takes but one drive around Maynard Road, which circles Cary, to understand the vision: planned neighborhoods with large homes, two-car garages and well-groomed lawns as far as the eye can see.

On the business front, Cary is home to such leading companies as SAS Institute, American Airlines and John Deere. However, unlike many towns, commercial development is regulated much the same as residential development. While other Triangle towns have rules governing residential neighborhoods, Cary insists on tasteful commercial buildings that match the surroundings.

That attention to detail has proved very beneficial when dealing with the population explosion in Cary. In fact, Cary has doubled its population every decade since 1960. As the seventh-largest municipality in the state, Cary has grown from 43,000 in 1990 to more than 110,000 today. Forecasters predict that by 2020, Cary will add another 60,000 residents.

To handle the expansion, city leaders and developers carefully control development and have built an infrastructure to absorb the growth. In fact, it wasn't until recently that the voice to slow down Cary's growth was heard. Lately, Cary officials have been developing innovative growth controls. Some of these include requiring developers to prove there are enough roads and classrooms to accommodate the newcomers, as well a $70 million expansion of the water treatment plant that serves Cary and nearby Apex, a project that has won national awards.

In addition, Cary's land-acquisition ordinance requires builders to donate land to the city's Parks and Recreation Department based on the number of houses that will be built. Currently, Cary has 20 city parks, including the Fred G. Bond Metro Park and Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve. There's also the Kids Together Park with a large playground. In addition to community swimming pools, tennis courts and some of the finest golf courses in the area, these green spaces are what make people from all over the country want to call Cary home.

WakeMed Cary Hospital near Tryon Road and Kildaire Farm Road has helped to serve the growing population's need for, and access to, convenient medical care.

Walk around downtown Cary where Chatham and Academy streets meet, and you feel like you're in a small town. This is where Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival, considered one of the finest festivals in the state, is held annually. Also downtown is the Page-Walker Arts and History Center, formerly the Page-Walker Hotel, which was built in 1868 to serve train passengers. Homes in and around downtown were mostly built during the 1950s.

Once considered the outskirts of town, the Greenwood Forest subdivision is now in the middle. Built during the 1950s and '60s, it is bordered by Walnut Street and East Maynard. Close by are Cary High School, Cary Village Square shopping center and Cary Towne Center Mall.

Cary first began growing southward with the MacGregor Downs subdivision - the first prestigious development in Cary. Built in the 1960s with large lots and homes off U.S. 64, MacGregor Downs defines Cary's southernmost point. In fact, many claim that Cary's reputation for upscale residential living is due to this subdivision. Condominiums and homes command good prices, especially in the MacGregor West neighborhood, adjacent to MacGregor Downs Country Club, where you can find estate-size homesites of one to five acres.

Kildaire Farms, North Carolina's first planned unit development (PUD) with various style homes in different price ranges, was developed along Kildaire Farm Road and Cary Parkway during the 1970s and '80s. This community has more than 2,500 residential units throughout its neighborhoods, a greenway system with jogging trails and bike paths, the Kildaire Farms Racquet and Swim Club and the Cary Athletic Club located within its boundaries.

Regency Park, a PUD developed during the 1980s, includes commercial as well as residential buildings. It's located off the intersection of U.S. 1 South and U.S. 64. Regency Park Estates, tucked away in Regency Park adjacent to Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve, is a neighborhood where every homesite is an acre or larger.

Lochmere, a PUD not far from Regency Park on the southern end of Kildaire Farm Road east of U.S. 1, also was developed in the 1980s. With a lake, miles of nature and jogging trails, swim and tennis clubs, golf and several different neighborhoods in all price ranges, Lochmere has been a very successful community.

Due west, the community of Preston is credited for reshaping Cary. Preston, located off High House Road, offers houses ranging from $250,000 to $1 million. Traditional, transitional and contemporary homes are found throughout this PUD.

As in other developments of its kind, Preston has golf (54 holes), swimming, tennis, an exercise facility, playgrounds and picnic shelters, as well as the Prestonwood Country Club.

Other communities developed during the '80s and '90s pulled Cary northward up Harrison Avenue. Some of these neighborhoods include Wessex, an upscale community with a swimming pool and tennis courts; North Harrison Trace, a single-family community with a number of home designs; and Beechtree, which includes townhomes, cluster homes and single-family homes. This area of Cary offers easy access to I-40, Lake Crabtree and Umstead Park.