Raleigh Real Estate

Clayton NC Houses Shrink, But Some 'Must Haves' Remain

Houses are getting smaller, according to data released last week by the National Association of Home Builders.

The association said that the average size of a new home in 2009 was 2,480 square feet, down from 2,520 square feet in 2008.

"The era of easy money is over. You really have to think before you go out and decide you need that five-bedroom, five-bath home," said Rose Quint, the organization's assistant vice president for survey research.

Despite smaller home sizes and tightening credits, there are still some features that are expected in new houses. Builders say the following are most likely to be standard in homes built in 2010:

• Walk-in closets in the master bedroom.
• Laundry rooms.
• Insulated front doors.
• Great rooms.
• Energy-efficient windows.
• Linen closets.
• Programmable thermostats.
• Energy-efficient appliances and lighting.
• Separate shower and tub in master bathrooms.
• Nine-foot ceilings on the first floor.

Source: MarketWatch, Steve Kerch (10/22/2009)

HomeTowne Realty Launches Builder/Developer Services Division and Procures LionsGate Community

HomeTowne Realty has launched a Builder/Developer Services (BDS)/New Homes Division and has struck a deal with the Fred Smith Company to market the LionsGate Community. Cassondra Liles of HomeTowne Realty will head the division and states that, "this is an exciting time for our company. With this new division we can offer a much stronger marketing presence to our current builders and are better positioned to support those with whom we have not yet developed a relationship. With this new partnership with the Fred Smith Company we feel we have the credibility to approach other builders in our community to propose our marketing plan to them."

"Cassondra is a seasoned real estate professional that concentrates her services on the Clayton/Garner area. As a top producer in our community and a certified e-Pro Realtor she is dedicated to providing high-tech/ high touch professional service to our clients" according to Pandora Pearson, Broker-In-Charge/Partner, HomeTowne Realty Garner.
LionsGate is a planned urban development in the heart of Clayton offering many onsite amenities including a fitness center, pool with a beach entry area and spray ground for children, a waterslide and lazy river. Likewise, there is an onsite child development center and future plans for a shopping area. All yard maintenance is taken care of by the home owners association and is part of the monthly dues. Homes range from the $150's to the $250's with many ranch and first floor master plans. Onsite office hours are 10 am - 6 pm on Saturdays and 1 pm - 6pm on Sundays.

Barry Woodard, co- founder and co-owner of HomeTowne Realty comments that, "" We look forward to this unique opportunity to represent LionsGate. It is such a diverse, yet custom, community. Our staff and Agents are up to the challenge of making this a rewarding experience for both HomeTowne Realty and Fred Smith Company."

$6500 Exisiting Home Owner Tax Credit

With the enactment of the new Tax Credit for existing homeowners, buyers want to understand how they can take advantage of the credit.

We had Daniel Nunes of Suntrust Mortgage provide us with specific details for our clients. 

You can go to our page Move Up / Repeat Home Buyer Tax Credit for specific details.

If you wish to take advantage of this tax credit, the market is starting to pick up so contact us to get started.

Hometowne Realty, Clayton NC gives back to their community through the Me Fine Foundation

Hometowne Realty each year for the past three years has supported the Me Fine Foundation.  Barry Woodard and James Lipscomb, co-owners of HomeTowne Realty strongly believe in this organization's goals and work, as well as giving back to their community.

Me Fine Foundation, Inc. is a local, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing financial assistance to parents and caregivers sacrificing their livelihoods in order to provide their children with state-of-the-art, or even last-chance medical treatment at Duke and UNC Children's Hospitals.  Me Fine Foundation is committed to ensuring families with children facing a devastating medical crisis are able to receive financial assistance to sustain the loss of income from the dramatic lifestyle changes they face during the treatment process.  Please visit us online at http://www.mefinefoundation.org/ to learn more about Me Fine, our families, upcoming events, and more ways to support us.

NC Horse Property Lots Available for Sale

Portofino Subdivision in Clayton North Carolina has several large lots available for sale.  These lots can be purchased with no building timeline.  Bring your own builder and your house plans. 

Some of the lots overlook the Neuse River.  You can even build your own dock for canoe access directly onto the Neuse River. 

These special lots are part of the Mountain to Sea Trail which runs along the Neuse River.

For a complete list of available lots and prices of each lot, visit us at Portofino.myHTR.com

New Construction Homes in Willow Spring North Carolina has lots available

Summer Ridge is completing phase two and opening phase three for future homeowners to select lots for a presale. 

Take a country drive to the Wake/Johnston County line and find Willow Spring, NC.  This quiet neighborhood is nestled around farmland and convenient to I40, Hwy 50, Hwy 42, Old Stage Road and Hwy 401.
Select a lot and then a house plan at SummerRidgeNC.com.  One of our custom builders can build you your dream home for this spring.
Summer Ridge's quaint pond sits on the open space and makes a beautiful view for homeowners.
The homeowner's association is for maintaining the front entrance and open space.  The cost is only $10 a month and the convenants can be found on our website SummerRidgeNC.com.
Visit our website to learn more about this new construction neighborhood.

Summer Ridge Subdivision in Willow Springs NC marketed by HomeTowne Realty

HomeTowne Realty was recently retained by Perry Brothers Development to market Summer Ridge, a new construction neighborhood in Willow Spring, NC located at the intersection of Mt. Pleasant and Jackson King Rd. near the Hwy 42W and Hwy 50 area.  .

Summer Ridge, located in quiet, yet convenient, southwest Johnston County.  Located 20 minutes to Fuquay Varina, Clayton, Garner, Garner, Raleigh, and Holly Springs, Summer Ridge is an ideal rural location you can call home.

Home prices for Summer Ridge will start from the low $200s.  Currently phase 2 is selling with Phase 3 starting around Summer of 2010.  There are 34 lots available to select from, ranging in size from 1/2 to 1 acre.  To learn more about our builder team, visit us at Builders.myHTR.com. 

To see the availability of lots, floorplans, current inventory of homes for sale, visit www.SummerRidgeNC.com. To learn more about HomeTowne Realty, including information on all its real estate listings, please visit www.MyHTR.com

Portofino Clayton NC offering Pine Hollow Golf Course Membership

Portofino is offering a One Year Golf Membership to Pine Hollow Golf Course Clayton, NC.  When you purchase a home, lot, or contract on a presale home to be built, the developer is sweetening the deal with a golf membership absolutely free for one year.

Pine Hollow's rolling hills and lakes offer players of all skill levels an exciting and fun golf experience.  Architect, Bob Moore, redesigned the course in 2001 and is noted for having the finest greens in the Triangle.

Pine Hollow's practice area includes a 7,000 sq. ft. putting green, a practice green and bunker for chipping and sand lots, and a driving range with target greens.  The clubhouse features a fully stocked golf shop, a full service grill and dining room, members' locker room and lounge and covered scoring pavilion used for golf outings and tournaments.

If you are interested in learning what lots are available at Portofino and what amenities are offered, visit us online at Portofino.myHTR.com.

How Raleigh NC Home Prices Compare to Major US Cities

Exploring how far your real estate dollar will stretch in various American housing markets

by Luke Mullins

In the more than three years since the housing bubble popped, American real estate prices have declined at a historic clip. The national median price of an existing home dropped to $177,700 in August. That's 21 percent below the level in August 2006, when the median home price was $225,000. But just as the housing crash has hit various parts of the country with unequal force, $177,700 will buy you a much different house in one real estate market than it will in the next. To get a sense of how far your real estate dollar will stretch in different parts of the country today, here is a look at homes listed in the $177,700 range in 10 distinct U.S. cities. The listings were provided by real estate firm Trulia.com, a U.S. News partner.

#4 Raleigh North Carolina

Read the entire article ...

Clayton NC Active Adult Communities

Since opening last year, more than half of the homes have sold in The Village of Aversboro, a Garner Community that caters to the 55 + crowd.  In Clayton, developers have revamped plans for a new subdivision to attract a more mature crowd.  Even in a recession, the older population has money to send, some real estate agents say.  Often, they have equity from their current homes they can use to buy new ones.  And those in retirement don't have to worry about layoffs.  As they get older, some people are drawn to retirement communities' promises of lawn care, activities and fellowship.

"This is a real growth segment of the market," said Clayton Planning Direction Skip Browder.

Edith and Stan Conyers lived in a house off Buffaloe Road in Garner for more than 20 years.  Although the couple is active, the large property required a lot of yard work, and 78-year-old Edith decoded it was time to move on."  The Conyers were on of the first families to move into The Village last year.  Their house - just under 2,000 square feet - is the perfect setup for them, they say.  "It just feels so good to hear someone out there cutting the grass," Edith said.

While the Conyers are thrilled with their home, the transition wasn't seamless.  They moved to The Village in April 2008, before they sold their old house.  Although they no longer had mortgage payments on the other house, Stan was unhappy about paying taxes and insurance for two homes.  "I didn't think we were going to be able to sell it, "cause we didn't have many prospects," Stan said.  "I was sweating it out."  While the Conyers did sell the house two months after they moved to The Village.  But it's a hurdle for some folks who want to move to a retirement community.

Judy and Monroe Bruch moved to North Carolina a couple years ago, after they sold their home in the Albany, NY area.  They were lucky - the house stayed on the market only six weeks, Judy said.  They bought a home in The Village last year, although they weren't looking for a retirement community.   "We said, "You know what, that sounds like a good idea," Judy said/ "Your own space, your own yard."

Judy, a retired social worker, is active in The Village community.  She goes to lunch once a month with other women in the neighborhood, and she and her husband, a retired college professor, have gone to movie night.  They ride their bikes in their neighborhood.

Often, these kinds of communities strive to cater to active adults.  Clayton touts itself as a great place for active families, said James Lipscomb, an agent with HomeTowne Realty.  Eventually, those families get older, and they still want things to do, he said.  Lipscomb helped convince The Walthom Group, a development company in Clayton, to change its plans for a new subdivision near Glen Laurel to appeal to adults 55 and older.

Earlier this year, Clayton leaders approved plans for a housing development off Vinson Road.  The homes were to be similar in size to those in Glen Laurel.  But some real estate agents called for something new, said Jim Lee, a partner in The Walthom Group.  The town of Clayton's planning board has backed 51 new homes in the area for adults 55 and older.  The company also has plans for another senior-living community in Clayton, Lee said.

If they had stuck with the original plans, builders likely wouldn't have broken ground on the housing project for a year or two, Lee said.  If the Town Council approves the new plan, construction will get underway soon, he said.  Like the homes in The Village, the new houses in Clayton won't be cheap.  The average price would be $350,000 or so, Lee said.  At The Village, home prices range from about $265,000 to $350,000.

Older folks might want to downsize, Lee said, but they don't want to settle for cheap things. If the Clayton plans go through, the homes will have solid wooden doors, high-grade carpets and nice cabinets, he said.  In Garner, bulldozers continue to push dirt at The Village.  Eventually, the community will have 147 houses - mostly brick, with manicured lawns.

For Edith Conyers, who continues to work part time, it's perfect. She walks around the neighborhood while her husband rides his stationary bike in the house and surfs the Internet.  At Christmas, they host their large family in the community's clubhouse - a better setup, they say, than the garage at their old house.  "It makes sense," Stan Conyers said of their new home.