Downtown Raleigh Digs

Are we there yet? Is real estate going to improve?

2011-10-25T15:45:00.000-04:00

Each year the Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors provides a seminar on real estate trends. Last year Dr. Michael Walden, economist from NCSU, was part of a panel and he talked about everything from household savings trends to GDP. Last year the takeaway was that until most people can save money for a down payment, or at least get out of debt, we wouldn't see a huge increase in real estate home sales.

That sentiment was echoed in a panel of commercial brokers earlier this year. The consensus was that, over time, there will be a slight improvement, but we shouldn't plan to see a huge improvement in the real estate world any time soon. Hits, not homeruns.

So today I expected to hear a lot of the same, with hopefully data showing that things are headed in a positive direction. Dr. Walden's presentation was very similar to last year with the exception that household wealth seems to be higher than liabilities, which was not the case last year. So that's good. But economic growth is still painfully slow. It's in a positive direction, but not moving up very quickly.

What was most interesting about today's seminar was Mitchell Silver's presentation titled "Emerging Issues in the 21st Century." As Raleigh's Planning Director, he has a different perspective than Realtors. He's looking far into the future while most Realtors are looking at the present, and maybe a year or so ahead. But certainly not out into 2030 and 2050.

Director Silver reviewed a lot of information very quickly, so it was hard to document exactly what he was saying and still pay attention and absorb it all. What I loved about his presentation is that, while focused mostly on demographics, it answered the WHY question for so many issues. Why is transit so important? Why are cities so focused on downtown cores? Why should we care about the development code?

The facts that I found most interesting were (most of these were national numbers):

By 2030 North Carolina will be the 7th largest state
Aging - There will be a 124% Increase in the population age 65+ (didn't catch the time frame on this one)
By 2030 1 in 5 will be over age 65
Counties are dying, shrinking because of natural decrease. Young people leaving and going toward more urban areas.
41% of kids are born to unwed mothers
People aren't getting married the way they used to
By 2015 15.5% Americans over 65 will live in poor transit areas
Experts estimate that by 2025 there will be an excess of 20 million homes on the market that people won't want to buy
By 2050 the white population will drop under 50% to 46%
Hispanic population is going to triple by 2050 (has nothing to do with immigration. Based on birth rate.)
3 takeaways:

Overall he is optimistic about this market.
Product types are changing. Homes will be smaller units. In Raleigh we have a plan. Other markets playing catch up (Atlanta). We have a growth framework connected to transit.
New code will allow these new products to be built (illegal today).

Like I said, he covered a lot of territory, so take these bullets with a grain of salt. He is the expert in this area and he covered a LOT more than those bullets above. He said he would publish his slides once he was finished with the speaking circuit, so stay tuned. Overall, I think I was most pleased with his talk because I think it is what the audience needed to hear. As real estate agents, we are essentially ambassadors for the city and we now have the data to inform our clients when or if they start to express concern about transit or all the attention being spent on downtown. Downtown cores are critical to the tax base and can generate more revenue per acre than the suburbs. Transit is a necessity, not a luxury, for the aging population. His data put everything into perspective and was very practical. In this day and age of the 30 second sound byte and divisive politics, it was very refreshing. I'm glad he's on our team.

AIA Residential Architecture Tour

2011-10-07T11:18:00.010-04:00

On October 2^nd the Triangle chapter of the American Institute of Architecture hosted its 2^nd annual tour, which was fabulous! I thought I would share a short synopsis of what I saw.

Stevenson-Thrower House 210 E Forest Rd, Raleigh

My kids and I walk by this house almost every day on our way to school. I watched the construction from foundation to landscaping so I was super excited to get a chance to see the inside of the house. I was blown away! I loved the blend of colors and materials in the kitchen/dining room. As with most contemporary homes, tons of windows let in natural light, but this house takes it a step further by varying window shapes and styles, drawing the eye to different levels of the home. The master bedroom is oriented to give the feeling of a tree house with views of the wooded park across the street. The home blends well into the urban neighborhood feel of Cameron Park. Although most homes in Cameron Park are traditional, E. Forest Rd is creating its own contemporary enclave expanding the theme of urban living within an historic framework.

Taylor House 816 Graham Street, Raleigh

Graham Street in Cameron Village, like E. Forest in Cameron Park, personifies the modernist trend in these historically traditional neighborhoods. There are several contemporary homes in the neighborhood as well as a number of renovated mid-century homes. The theme of this home is Green Building and Sustainable Design. The roof collects rainwater, the solar thermal panels collect sun to heat the home and the home’s water supply. The orientation of the home provides shade from the trees in summer and sun in the winter to provide natural heating and cooling elements. I loved how the matching ‘butterfly wing’ patios on the second story of the home overlook the neighborhood.

Davis Residence 3105 Janice Road, Raleigh

This home has a simple open floor plan encased in two story windows that span the entire south and east facing walls, giving the home owner a feeling of living among the trees. The home owner wanted to evoke the memory of summer camp cabins, the essence of which is evident in the exterior design of the home’s overhanging roof line and the quiet way the home sits on small stilts. Besides the obvious ‘wow’ factor of the home, I liked the smart use of a small space: lots hidden storage, the loft area for an office (keeping the clutter out of the main living area), ample guest room with bath tucked above the master, and small kitchen that doesn’t seem cramped due to the openness of the living/dining area beyond. The house feels like the perfect country retreat.

Welcome New Author

2011-09-29T10:47:00.003-04:00

You have probably noticed a few new posts on the blog by a guest author, Christine Lewis. Christine and I have been working together since York Simpson Underwood had a downtown presence in 2007. She has tons of energy, knows a lot about Downtown Raleigh, lives in Cameron Park, walks her kids to school, and makes you laugh quite often. She is now an official author of Downtown Raleigh Digs, helping me spread the word on how awesome it is to live in and around Downtown Raleigh. Welcome, Christine!

2 Great Deals in SE Raleigh

2011-09-29T09:37:00.012-04:00

I recently saw two properties in SE Raleigh that I think are worth checking out:

211 Camden Street

This house has a nice two-story facade with matching front porches -one off the master suite upstairs, one at the entrance. The floor-plan is open and flexible. I loved rustic texture of the hardwood floors. The kitchen had granite, new cabinets, and stainless appliances. There is a true master suite with its own full bath and a small walk-in closet. The other two bedrooms were pretty small, but not awkwardly so. The only draw-back to the home, from my perspective, was that there is no yard to speak of. There is a thin strip of fenced in yard that circles the house, which may be enough for a small dog to run around. You could fit in a grill but seating would be tight. Of course, for those of you who hate lawn maintenance, this may be a bonus!

829 E Hargett Street

This 2 bedroom/1 bath has been completely renovated. The sellers moved some walls around so the house lives bigger than its 952 sqft. They also replaced the roof, insulated the walls and floors, and updated the systems of the home . . . all the ‘hidden’ luxuries. The house also sits on a large, flat lot so an addition is certainly possible. Considering the comparable sales the list price may seem a bit high, but since it's in pristine condition and everything’s new, at least you know you’re getting a quality, maintenance-free house. Plus it’s a great piece of property close to downtown, certainly a good investment.

Looking at Downtown Raleigh Living from a Different Perspective

2011-09-19T14:56:00.007-04:00

This Week’s Tour of Homes

When I speak to most people about living downtown, they think of high-rise condo buildings or high density townhomes. My vision of downtown living includes those options, but I also think of all the wonderful historic neighborhoods that surround downtown: Historic Oakwood, Boylan Heights, Cameron Park, 5 Points, Hayes Barton. There are many neighborhoods within walking/biking distance of downtown, each with their own unique urban feel. I wanted to stress my vision of downtown living because most of our tours will highlight homes in these neighborhoods.

As a resident of one of these downtown neighborhoods, I cannot express how wonderful it is to walk to restaurants and shopping. I walk my kids to school, we take the RLine to the museums, shop at the Farmer’s Market, do skits at the Rose Garden, and more. The diversity of activities available are as wide as the scope of your (my) imagination. And, as Raleigh grows, downtown Raleigh real estate will continue to demand premium pricing due to its proximity to all the amenities downtown Raleigh has to offer.

If you’d like more information about downtown Raleigh neighborhoods, feel free to give us a call. For now, let’s talk about the houses we saw on tour this week.

612 Smedes Pl – Cameron Village
This house is in a GREAT location, just a few steps from Cameron Village. The neighborhood of Cameron Village consists mainly of Mid-Century Ranch style homes, but due to its excellent location, many of the homes have been completely renovated, added onto, or rebuilt. The neighborhood is definitely worth investing in, as I see no reason why people would not continue to want to live so close to Cameron Village, NCSU, Broughton HS, Glenwood South, etc. This particular home was your traditional 3 bedroom/2bath ranch with no updates other than granite counter tops in the kitchen. Although it was neat and clean, quite a bit of modernization would be necessary to justify the list price of $450,000. If it were priced in the $300s I might suggest it as an investment well worth the renovation costs. At this point, I might wait for a price reduction.

1215 Pierce Street – Glenwood
This house had a ton of cool features. I really liked the open floor plan of the formal living room/kitchen and there was a tiny nook completely dedicated to wine, which appealed to me! There was a cute, private exterior courtyard off the kitchen, huge den, and a cool loft office that looked down over the den. They even had their basement hidden behind some bookshelves like in a mystery novel. Of course, Hilary wanted to figure out how to open the doors, yet I found myself creeping down the steep stairs to investigate (just a storage basement). The main drawback to the home was that there were only 2 bedrooms upstairs (3 total). I thought that might limit the buyer pool. As far as the exterior of the home, great porch, courtyard, decent backyard and 2 car garage, but the proximity to Capital Blvd may turn off some buyers.

1206 Dogwood Lane – Ridgewood
I loved the floor to ceiling windows in the living room! The front rooms had a nice open floor plan. But, as I moved back into the bedroom area, everything got kinda tight. I felt like the rooms were a bit small and close together. Then, I went down to the basement. It was HUGE. Great living area/play area for kids or could be its own in-law suite because there’s a full bath and exterior doors.

124 Hudson – 5 Points
What can I say? It’s a fixer-upper. Great price for a renovation project in a fantastic location.

2007 Varnell – Beckanna
I thought this house had a lot of space and a good floor plan for the price. 1662 Sqft with a big yard inside the beltline for $289,900 is pretty good. I like the well-established neighborhood with big trees and a diversity of home styles.

Property Preview: Founders Row, Palladium Plaza, & Oakwood

2011-09-08T15:06:00.007-04:00

Background: As an agent, you're expected to be up to date on the inventory of homes. But I'm not sure that most consumers are aware of this practice. Commonly referred to as "tour," typically an office would dedicate a meeting time once a week to see all the new listings. But with the price of gas and the market downturn, many offices have cancelled this activity. Not here! Regardless of the office policy, my colleague Christine Lewis and I regularly get out there and preview property. Pictures just don't always convey the feel of a home.

Today we focused on homes around downtown. Here's a brief recap and our thoughts.

Palladium Plaza
1) Unit 121 - Christine and I know this building well as former listing agents, but hadn't see the 3 bedroom first floor unit that is now for sale. Used as an office space, this unit is spacious and has a floorplan that would accommodate several set ups. The $425k price seems right on the money since there aren't many three bedrooms out there. I've stayed at PP with a friend while my home was undergoing renovations and I can vouch that the place is a fortress. I took the dogs out after 11pm and never had any issues, and even bumped into friends coming out of the Lincoln Theater. I like how Palladium is tucked away but still only blocks to just about everything.

2) Unit 213 - This unit was on the Downtown Home Tour a few years ago, but it was worth seeing again now that it's for sale. The sellers have done an amazing job of customizing the condo. You'd think with the concrete countertops and concrete floors that the condo would feel cold, but the wood bar and other custom features and warm lighting help keep it cozy. Many condos look the same as other units, so kudos to the sellers for making their condo stand out.

Founders Row
With all the new construction lately, Founders Row may get lost in the shuffle a bit. It doesn't have the gloss and shine of a spiffy new condo, but at the same time the building has oodles of charm through its brick walkways and courtyards. If you desire the condo lifestyle but want to feel connected to nature, consider Founders Row.
Unit 284 - This unit is on the first floor and on the corner of Person/Davie. Some folks may have concerns about privacy, but the living area is most private. I don't know about you, but it seems that's where you'd be spending most of your time. The windows there are higher than the street. The bedrooms each have plenty of natural light. The condo seemed very bright -the kitchen had been painted a fresh white, but the cabinets were not new. The master bath had been updated and there seemed to be a decent amount of closet space. The only thing missing was a private patio.

Oakwood
707 N East St - Who doesn't love Oakwood? This house sits high off the street, giving you a nice, private front porch. The yard is small, but most folks looking to move into an urban area like Oakwood prefer smaller yards. Just enough to have a small garden, but not a burden to maintain. As with many older homes, this home had creaks and funny layout issues. But the kitchen was updated nicely. Biggest drawback, as with homes of this age, was the lack of closet space. But to get into Oakwood for under $300k with a home that has already been updated is not bad. Depending on the rest of the condition, of course.

Glenwood/Brooklyn
Took a look at 715 Devereux St and remembered that I had seen it before. Cute, cute bungalow with complete updates. The kitchen/dining/sunroom is one big, open room. Great for entertaining. Totally updated with master suite, new kitchen, and the old fireplaces are still there to keep the charm. Not much yard, but again, most folks looking to live in an urban area don't mind that. Driveway, which is key this close to Glenwood South. Current homeowners don't have much furniture, so it shows really well since it is not cluttered with too much. You can easily see how your furniture could fit. The neighbors on the corner are architects - I toured that house last year. It used to be a grocery store! Neighborhoods like this have tons of stories.

So.. there you have it. Our take on a handful of listings in the downtown area. There's a lot of good stuff out there! If you're interested in taking a look, give us a shout.

Raleigh's Creative Class at Risk

2011-09-02T10:28:00.007-04:00

The theme for the Downtown Raleigh Alliance 2011 annual meeting was Breaking Ground with the Creative Class. Since then, a few events have also supported the theme, including the recent "Creating a Culture to Attract the Creative Class" event.

The good news? A Creative Class exists in Raleigh, particularly downtown. A few examples:
- Hopscotch Music Festival - this event brings thousands downtown for a weekend of music
- SparkCon - an event celebrating everything from art to music to design, fashion, and more.
- Co-Working businesses - These shared office environments give entrepreneurs a space to work with other creative minds without the overhead of a large office.
- Study to define Raleigh's Creative District
- Red Hat to move HQ to Downtown Raleigh

So we seem to be on the right track. But wait... this whole food truck thing has gotten a little out of control. Food trucks are very popular with young professionals and any foodie because of their quirky take on everyday food. For others it's simply quality food at a lower price. Food trucks are businesses owned by the Creative Class and they are patronized by the Creative Class. So it makes perfect sense that Raleigh, who wants to attract this audience, would support these efforts.

The debate on food trucks, unfortunately, continues. The City Council cannot seem to come to any kind of agreement. Is Raleigh serious about this campaign? The Creative Class is already coming to Raleigh. It's working! If the City cannot find a way to support food trucks, it will be a big kick in the teeth to the Creative Class. Please write to your councilor and ask them to support food trucks so we don't lose this momentum.

Photo grabbed from City-Data discussion.

Hurricane Irene Debris Disposal

2011-08-29T15:50:00.004-04:00

Condo lovers enjoy this time of year because they are completely validated in their lifestyle choice to leave the yard behind. Events like Hurricane Irene make anyone living within a few feet of a tree very nervous. Single family homeowners likely spent this past Sunday picking up the debris that was strewn through the yard by Irene's gusts of wind. Homes with mature trees and tons of limbs may not have enough trash cans to fit everything. So, what to do? Well, fear not, for the City of Raleigh Solid Waste Services just sent out instructions:
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The City of Raleigh Solid Waste Services Department requests that residents prepare their vegetative storm debris per normal yard waste collection guidelines (limbs no longer than 5' long, 18" diameter, weighing no more than 75 lbs.) and place it out on their regular collection day. The materials can be prepared and put at the curbside (not in the street) as the residents clean up their property and they will not receive a code violation between now and September 6, 2011. For large amounts of vegetative debris that cannot be prepared according to the guidelines residents may put the materials at the curbside and call for a one time free Special Load collection. The normal $50 fee for this service will be waived through Tuesday, September 6, 2011. Beginning Wednesday, September 7, 2011 fees will resume. Residents must schedule this pick up by calling 996-6890.

Area residents and businesses also may carry their debris to the City of Raleigh Yard Waste Center, 900 North New Hope Road. The normal fees will be charged.

Downtown Raleigh Market Report - Q2 2011

2011-08-04T08:45:00.008-04:00

We're halfway through the year, and so far the numbers are looking good. Have we hit bottom? Possibly for volume, but It may be too early to tell for pricing. After recently attending the TBJ State of Real Estate event, it seems that a slow and steady recovery is what to expect. And that's what Q2 shows us for the sub-market of Downtown Raleigh residential real estate - stable and steady sales.

Are we done with auctions?

While the Quorum auction contributed to the sales volume in Q2, it was only 20% of sales, proving that demand still exists for condos outside of special promotions. Overall, a total 45 units sold in Q2, more than second quarter last year. While sales seem to be picking up, there is still a bit of inventory.

How does Downtown Compare?

The TARR Report shows that condo sales are down from 2010 both in Wake county and ITB, but Downtown Raleigh condos have fared much better. See the full report for details.

What if the City of Raleigh had “an app for that?”

2011-05-05T14:06:00.006-04:00

It’s no secret that the web and mobile apps have made our lives more convenient. From banking to maps to the totally unnecessary but fun apps like Ocarina – many people can’t imagine their life without internet access or apps. So what’s missing? Why doesn’t Raleigh have more apps?

Think about what bothers you most about your neighborhood. Have you done anything about it? Why not?

Stick with me here.

When most people think of government, they think bureaucracy and politics. At the city level, they pick up your trash, clean up your parks, maintain the sidewalks, and all the things that you encounter on a weekly, if not, daily basis.

So what if those little things could be made easier? When things DO go wrong, wouldn’t it be so much easier to “have an app for that?” Going back to why you probably haven’t attempted to solve what bothers you – we’re hoping to find ways to make solving those problems easier through more open government.

Let’s walk through a typical day and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

WAKE UP

After you’re dressed and ready to walk the dog or go for a run, you head out the door. Down the street you notice that the abandoned property near your house has grass 3 feet tall. You’ve had it. You take out your phone and fire up SeeClickFix and report it to the City. Takes 30 seconds.

WORK

Over lunch you check your personal email and notice that both of your SeeClickFix issues from this morning have been acknowledged and one has already been assigned. Sweet!

Meanwhile, your co-worker, who lives in the neighborhood next to yours, asks if you’ve heard about the proposed development around the corner from your houses. You haven’t, so you pull up the city’s website neighborhood map feature, insert your address, select to see all activity from all city departments within a 2 mile radius of your house, and the map appears. You see that a parcel of land on the corner of your neighborhood entrance has a zoning case assigned, and someone is applying to have it changed to business. You pull up the application and see that they want to add an ice cream shop. Fun!

EVENING

On your evening walk you notice that there are police at a house and ask the officer what’s going on. There was a break-in and thankfully no one was home. Everyone is ok, and the thief took mostly electronics. You mention to the officer that you’ll share the news with your neighbors, and he tells you that it has already been reported to the Neighborhood Watch app. Anyone within 1 mile from the property has been notified if they have the app. This is all news to you, so you download the app right away. Sure enough, there is the report. You walk down to the elderly woman’s house a few doors down and make sure she knows about the incident. Two pieces of cake and 1 hour later, you arrive safely back home.

You probably get the gist of where we’re going with all this. The point is – government CAN be so much more accessible and your life can be improved because of it. SeeClickFix already exists and has helped fix hundreds of issues already. It has brought accountability to the city. Think of how else we can leverage technology to interact better with our local government. The other examples are just hypothetical, but the links are to existing data that is already available.

So, what do you wish there was an app for? Send us your ideas or tell us what issues you want solutions for. Or just vote on the ones we've already thought of!

We are planning an event called CityCamp that has nothing to do with camping and everything to do with solving problems with technology and making government more accessible. You don’t have to be a techie to participate, but techies will be attending the event to help bring the ideas to life. Join us June 3-5.

From the City: Repair Damage before Progress Energy can Restore Power

2011-04-21T09:18:00.001-04:00

Residents Must Repair Damage And Obtain Electrical Inspection Before Progress Energy Can Restore Power

If the City of Raleigh electrical inspector discovers structural damage to the dwelling that could negatively impact the safety of the occupants then the Housing and Environmental Inspections Division will be called to assess damage before power will be restored. The Housing and Environmental Inspections Division will determine what additional permits are required and what work will need to be performed before electrical service can be restored. Please call 919-516-2500 to schedule the inspection. The Inspections Department will be expediting these inspections and it is anticipated that electrical inspectors will work Friday due to anticipated high volume of meter replacements.

The City’s online development center can be used to obtain e-permits such as electrical, mechanical and plumbing. If a resident’s project requires a building permit then you can not obtain any permits through the online development center. All permits must be issued together from the Development Services Customer Service Center at One Exchange Plaza or from 8320-130 Litchford Road office.

For additional information about electrical permits, please contact Jay Daunoy, Electrical Inspector Supervisor, 919-807-5131.

For additional information about the structural integrity of a residential dwelling, please contact the Housing and Environmental Division at 807-5110

Does property tax value mean anything?

2011-03-15T15:30:00.006-04:00

The timing couldn't have been worse for Raleigh's most recent tax assessment. From a home owner perspective, anyway. At a time when the economy was just starting to hit Raleigh in 2008, the assessment began. Wake county assesses real estate values every 8 years, and the values from 2000 were incredibly low compared to market values. However, this also meant that someone could buy a $320k house in 2006 and pay taxes on a home worth $165k. The good news was that taxes were pretty low. If you owned the same property from 2000-2008, you likely benefited from low property values, and thus low taxes, during the boom times of the housing market.

Fast forward to today where tax values seem unrealistically high when compared to market values. Homeowners are now paying taxes based on what their homes are theoretically worth. While some would argue their assessed value since the market value is lower, remember that the tax value has to last 8 years. So things should balance out, especially for those that benefited from such low taxes prior to 2008.

The challenge arises when it's time to sell. Agents working with sellers have to explain why they can't get tax value for their home. My experienced colleagues here at PruYSU, Jewel Parker and Betsy Brewer, recently conducted an analysis of an area inside the beltline and discovered that the average sales price was 85% of tax value. This validated what many agents believed to be true - that sellers can't expect market value to equal tax value.

So imagine my surprise when I checked the tax value of an upcoming listing that I knew would have a market value in the low $200's. Tax value? $165,000. Eeek! What in the world? This didn't seem to be following the convention of market value being less than tax value. So, I did some research. Low and behold, Woodcrest, a neighborhood inside the beltline, is bucking the trend. Homes in the last 12 months have sold for an average of 25% ABOVE the tax value.

So, I repeat the question: Does tax value mean anything? Not really. It can be a decent starting point, but should be taken with a grain of salt. More perspective and information is necessary to determine market value.

Look up your tax value here.

Downtown Raleigh Condo Report - 2010 Summary

2011-02-11T12:52:00.007-05:00

Goodbye 2010!
With another year in the books, you can't help but feel optimistic about the future. Before we move forward, it's important to a look back at 2010. The good news is that the Downtown Raleigh condo sales volume was on par with 2009. The disappointing news is that the average sales price dropped. This can be good news for buyers who may be looking to purchase property at the bottom of the market.

What will 2011 bring?

While you can't predict the future, you can recognize trends. Rates are still very attractive, but many young professionals may not want to drop their entire savings on a down payment. With the Hue and Tucker apartment buildings, there is more of a "try before you buy" mentality. Some residents may fall in love with downtown and buy. Others may simply be waiting to sell their existing home. Sales in 2010 were bolstered by incentives and 2011 will remain just as competitive. With the news of the Quorum auction, it looks like 2011 may continue with incentives to unload some of the remaining inventory. This is a good thing! More people downtown means more services, which means more things to do.

Raleigh continues to receive great press as a place to live and work. While these few years may be tough, the long term still looks good for Downtown Raleigh.

Download the full 2010 Downtown Raleigh Condo Report

In Real Estate, the Devil is in the Details

2011-01-11T18:34:00.008-05:00

Tuesday I attended the City of Raleigh Public Works committee meeting because there was an item on the agenda that impacted some of my listings. Parking. Go figure. Being last on the agenda meant sitting through a few other topics. Normally people dread this activity, but I think it is fascinating to hear the debates and comments. I always learn something.

Tonight's topic was assessments. Being a public works committee, it was about sewer becoming available to neighborhoods outside the city. The agenda item was specific to a few lots, but several people from the neighborhood were present to dispute the assessment.

The link to real estate is that there were several homeowners present at the meeting who claim that they never knew about the assessment. One in particular had recently purchased the property. The date of the assessment notification was 2004, according to comments made. That's six years ago. An assessment is a material fact. Right there in the Residential Property Disclosure statement (required by property owners selling their homes) it asks, #18, "Lawsuits, foreclosures, bankruptcy, tenancies, judgements, tax liens, PROPOSED ASSESSMENTS, (all caps for emphasis on my part), mechanics liens, materialmen's liens, or notice from any government agency that could affect title to the property?" If yes, you check the box.

This form exists to disclose all necessary items to the next owner. If an owner lies, the agent may have no way of knowing. But what I think is necessary, in some cases, is for the agent to cite examples of the types of things that the homeowner may have forgotten about. An agent asking "have you gotten any letters from the City, even going back several years?" might prompt an owner to remember something. A helpful agent can educate the homeowner on why these answers are important. Not to say that didn't happen here, but things like this make me want to polish my own procedures to help homeowners do the right thing.

After sitting through this meeting tonight, you better believe that if I am ever involved in a listing or purchase on the outskirts of the city, I am checking that assessment website! Or even calling the city. And making double sure that the owner has not received notice from anyone. I didn't realize the time lag between notification and actual billing. It can be years. But HOA's can have assessments, too, so condos aren't off the hook.

This woman in particular would never have bought that property if she knew a $4000 assessment was coming. Who is to blame? The previous homeowner. Should the real estate agent have known? Was there a real estate agent? Normally the attorney would catch it if no one else did. Somehow, it was missed. And now this woman is on the hook.

I feel for her. I really do. She had done everything she thought necessary. She has all her paperwork. She is organized. You can tell she's on top of things. These meetings really let you see how one small misstep in a real estate transaction can impact a person. Was there evidence of something new? Was there still fresh construction from the installation? If so, that should have been a clue to someone to ask questions.

Buying a house is more than finding the right layout and view from the backyard. There is a whole team of people that work for you. Your agent, your lender, your attorney, and anyone else that comes into the picture - inspectors, contractors, etc. If they do a good job they should help prevent things like this from happening, which is what they are being paid to do - look out for your best interests. (Disclaimer - I'm sure there are things that people can't possibly know about. Unfortunately there's a first time for everything).

I came away from this meeting with the idea that all agents should go to at least 3 meetings with their county or city related to property before getting their license so that they can be aware of how things work. It's one thing to read it in a book. It's quite another to see things in reality, with real people and real money.

What happened here? Did the homeowner simply forget? Maybe that's the case. But as an agent, I think we need to remind sellers and buyers about these things and walk them through the paperwork so that they understand why the questions are being asked. I know I'm adding a few more items to my usual checklist.

Top 5 Apps for Raleigh

2010-11-26T16:38:00.011-05:00

Last week I attended the 3rd annual Internet Summit, held here in our backyard at the Raleigh Convention Center. One of the key messages from the various speakers was that mobile is huge, and somewhat related to that, I noticed that Raleigh is a little sparse on the localized apps. Most attendees were from out of town and they were looking for places to go. Yelp, for most cities, is a critical tool for finding restaurants or other services close to where you are. Pulling up Yelp from the Convention Center produced a few options, but there were plenty of places missing (send a note to your favorite place now - tell them to get with it!).

So what is out there? Here are my top 5. This list is made up of apps that I use almost daily as a downtown resident. I welcome your thoughts.

R-Line - This free circulator bus will take you to all the hot spots downtown. The bus comes by every 15 minutes or so and the app lets you know when it's coming.

WR AL - Local news, but I confess that I use this app more for weather and traffic more than anything else.

See Click Fix - I just downloaded this a few days ago, but I look forward to pointing out all sorts of sidewalk or other issues around the city that need attention.

Tr iangle Business Journal - Latest news.

Yel p - Yelp could be great as long as it gets populated with reviews. So make sure to review your favorite places. Even if you're familiar with all the restaurants, it's still nice to have something to refresh your memory.

A few restaurants have apps that let you know their latest specials, but I didn't want to single out one over the other. If you're not a WRAL fan, ABC 11, News 14 Carolina and a few radio stations also have apps.

What are your favorite apps for Raleigh?

Solar Panels Installed Downtown

2010-10-05T17:30:00.006-04:00

For those that live high above the streets of Downtown Raleigh, the view is fabulous. You can see for miles. But when you look a few blocks away, you mostly see the tops of parking decks and large HVAC units on top of office buildings. It's a wasteland of white, gray and black that has SO much potential.

So today when I looked outside and saw solar panels being installed on the giant, flat roof of the back part of the Terry Sanford Federal Building (I thought it was a post office), I was thrilled! Something shiny to look at, plus the obvious efficient use of space on the roof to generate power.

I recently read about solar panels on the roof of the Convention Center, but haven't seen anything published about this. Alas, a quick Google search (easier once I realized the name of the actual building) brought me to the contractor doing the work with lovely updates on their Facebook page.

Next up - top off all of the existing parking decks with something green.

Activity on Wilmington / Martin

2010-09-15T10:20:00.005-04:00

Took a stroll this morning to get some coffee and noticed that there was some demolition / cleaning up going on over at 237 S Wilmington St. I wandered over and asked one of the workers what was going on. They already had a truckload of debris and were sweeping up the sidewalk. The inside was just a giant empty space, but he said that they were prepping it for a restaurant/night club. Two levels.

The tax records show Carpenter Jensen Ventures as the owners, but I expect that it has been leased to someone. I've always thought that the building would make a great restaurant, what with all the windows in the front. Hopefully they'll clean up the facade a bit as well.

Hopscotch Sets the Standard for Downtown Raleigh Events

2010-09-12T11:16:00.009-04:00

Music makes you feel young. That’s all there is to it. A song might remind you of a friend, an event, a special time in your life. Music makes you feel good, angry, happy, sad. You name it.

Having said that, I’m not a music geek or one of those people that knows about bands long before they become mainstream. But I am loving this Hopscotch event. I had only heard of one of the bands on the schedule. Well, maybe two, but I didn’t realize I knew their songs til I heard them play.

Anyway, the whole point here is that I think Hopscotch has done wonderful things for Downtown Raleigh. I can be pretty cynical sometimes and I have plenty of friends that are the same way and we sit around and complain about how Durham stole this and Raleigh can’t get it together with that. Downtown, for a long time, seemed to be (and still does sometimes) morphing into a Miami scene –basically a place to get dressed up and go out late. Not that something like that is terrible, but there just doesn’t seem to be anything else for the rest of us other than more bars. A thriving downtown needs diversity and lots of different things to do. Hopscotch has definitely kicked Raleigh's ass into gear.

What I love about Hopscotch is that, despite the Hipster-haters, it isn’t all hipsters! I’ve seen older folks, high school folks, nerdy types, fashionistas, and just plain ol’ regular people in jeans and a t-shirt looking for good music. It's an event for everyone with all types of music in all types of venues.

I used to have a friend that would keep me posted on all the latest cool music, but he moved away, had a child, and found better things to do. So I languished in the new music part of my life – my own fault. So I took the chance to visit the venues at Hopscotch that had music that I might not have ever heard. I took in some honky tonk at Lincoln Theater the first night, listened to Pictureplane at Berkeley (very new to me!), back to Lincoln for American Aquarium (his voice got on my nerves), so over to Pour House for Sleepy Sun, and back to Lincoln for Lucero.

Night two brought The Rosebuds and Broken Social Scene (LOVED it - will be downloading later). But I didn’t get the whole Panda Bear thing. He had three songs to convince me to stay, but it was all just droning sound.. not for me. And when there are so many other bands to choose from, I’m not sticking around! So over to Pour House for Ryan Gustafson who killed it, then to Tir Na Nog for my guys Kingsbury Manx, then bounced around a bit from Kings (Sightings?? Is that music??), to Deep South for Erin McKeown (boy, she's tiny, but powerful!) and Caitlin Cary and Matthew Douglas.

Whew!

Day three was even better with Public Enemy kicking things off with an intro from the Helping Hand Mission band that rolled through the crowd, beating their drums to warm up the audience. The funny part is that I probably couldn’t name one Public Enemy song. Sure, once they started up I recognized a few. They put on a great show and I stood there in the rain and soaked up every bit of it. I’ve never felt so much bass in all my life. The hair on my arms was bouncing. Oh, and let's not forget Flav's new line of drinks. Chateau Le Flav. I'm not kidding.

The great thing about living downtown is that you can stand in the rain, walk two blocks, change or dry your clothes, and get back out there in a matter of 15 minutes. I love it!

TigerCity, Bear in Heaven and Megafaun rounded out the last night for me. My feet are killing me, but it was all worth it. I learned all kinds of new music. I might not be able to hear for the next three days, but there’s no better medicine to make you feel young and alive than live music. Plus, it proved that Downtown Raleigh can support these kinds of events.

Thank you Hopscotch!

P.S. On a more shallow note, the mustache seems to be making a comeback. A few of the bands on day 3 seemed to have a 70's/80's blend between disco and lots of keyboards. And the mustache and floppy hair made me think they were channeling Barry Gibb. Just sayin..

Faces of Downtown Raleigh

2010-09-02T17:18:00.004-04:00

Three years later and I still love my guys at Sosta Cafe. Check out the guest post I wrote for the DLA here.

A Visit to Bloomsbury Estates

2009-10-11T10:06:00.004-04:00

Wow. I have to say that I am impressed with Bloomsbury Estates. I dropped by yesterday because I hadn't seen the inside since it was finished. Last time I was there was for a walk-through when all the floors had been poured and they were starting to frame out the rooms.

Whatever your feelings about the location, the interior more than makes up for it. It feels like one big house with separate rooms. There's an intimacy to the hallways that gives you a cozy feel. Wood doors for each unit's main entry and dark carpet keep the halls from feeling like a hotel. The first floor common area is covered in dark wood and it feels like a library out of your rich uncle's house.

The units aren't exactly alike. I noticed three major design schemes; modern, traditional, and sort of an in-between. My favorite views were definitely to the east and north. Look east and you have downtown (shown above). It's just gorgeous. But the view to the north is all green. All you can see are the treetops between Hargett and Hillsborough street. If you want a residential feel, definitely pick a condo on the north side.

I didn't stay long enough to really critique the place. Some layouts had very long living areas which made me wonder how you would place your furniture, but that's the great thing about condos. People are so creative, I'm sure someone will figure it out. The only thing I really noticed was the bathroom vanities. As someone who has lived with pedestal sinks for the last five years, I am in heaven now with a huge bathroom countertop with tons of storage. But the units at Bloomsbury all have pedestal sinks. I'm sure you could change it. And they definitely contribute to the look of the place. They do make up for it with lots of built-in wall cabinet storage in most units, but not all units had those. The showers were beautiful, too, but very narrow.

Overall, the finishes inside are unique for downtown. It definitely looks and feels more like a house than a condo inside. That's what I love about downtown Raleigh. Each building has something unique to offer, and Bloomsbury has given buyers another great choice.

Raleigh Branded with an "R"?

2009-02-12T18:24:00.004-05:00

Two press releases went out today and I saw them both in the Triangle Business Journal:

1) The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has launched a new campaign, "You R Here"

2) There is a new bus line called the "R-line" that will circle downtown Raleigh.

Really? Is this a planned coincidence?

I will have to wait to see the campaign before I judge, I guess, but off the top of my head "You R Here" doesn't say anything special about Raleigh. It just uses the first letter of our capital city.

But what I really wanted to rant about was that the R-line, according to the press release, WILL NOT go to Cameron Village! This I cannot believe. Mostly because every single person who either lives or wants to live downtown complains about the lack of a grocery store downtown. With Capital City Grocery out of business, even the one little bus won't go to the one place, one mile away, that has a Harris Teeter and Fresh Market. Cameron Village.

The city's press release seems to focus on taking conventioneers to restaurants. What about shops? Cameron Village is historic. It is one mile away. One mile. Until downtown gets a little more going on, Cameron Village has so much to offer to a conventioneer. I really cannot believe it is not being promoted as part of downtown. Am I crazy?

New Video on Downtown Raleigh

2008-06-24T17:27:00.001-04:00

Just noticed this today, not sure how long it has been up. The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has a nice video talking about everything going on in downtown.

http://www.godowntownraleigh.com/

It should be on the home page.

Sneak Peek at RBC Plaza Condos

2008-06-06T10:35:00.006-04:00

On one of the hottest days in Raleigh, a few YSU agents braved the heat to venture up into the tallest building downtown. Still under construction, closed shoes and hard hats were required. So while we all made fun of how each other looked in fancy suits and sneakers, it was certainly worth it to get a sneak peek at some of the best views in town.

Special thanks to Andy Andrews for taking us on the tour, and to Jackie Savage and Neal Hussy for helping arrange it.

The elevator ride took us up the east side of the building and we stopped first on the 23rd floor where the condo living begins. The walls were studded out and you could see the layout of the whole floor, including the individual units and the common areas. The highlight, of course, was going out onto the 23rd floor patio area where the pool will be. The pool is a big round hole right now, but in 95 degree heat, we were all wishing it was finished.

The floor to ceiling windows were amazing. The corner units are going to have spectacular views and tons and tons and tons of light.

After checking out everything on the 23rd floor, we went to the very top - the 33rd floor. The interior walls were not built out yet, so we had sweeping 360 degree views of Raleigh and a great breeze. The north view was my favorite, looking down on the capital, the museum and the green square at the legislature building. Very pretty.

It was exciting to get to see the condos under construction. I can't wait to see the finished product this fall. Check out all the pictures here.

Cyclists - Voice Your Opinion

2008-05-16T09:45:00.005-04:00

Bike to work? Or would you like to bike to work and not get killed? The City of Raleigh is revamping their Comprehensive Bicycle Plan and is looking for feedback.

I drive into downtown just about every day and I see more and more cyclists on the road. I also see lots of drivers who don't really know how to behave around cyclists, which makes for a lot of close calls.

I was biking downtown a few weekends ago (on a Sunday) and as we were signaling to turn right, I thought to myself, why am I signaling with my arm? I bet none of the drivers behind us even know what this means. So part of my feedback to the city will be to also educate drivers on bicycling 101 so that they know how to behave around a cyclist.

So if you bike downtown and have frustrations with certain roads, areas, etc, voice your opinion at this site. The comment form is a survey, but you have a chance to write in feedback.

A Night of Culture and Rickshaws

2008-01-19T11:48:00.000-05:00

For Christmas I bought my special someone tickets to the NC Symphony. I selected Friday night, the 18th, because they were highlighting jazz. More on that later..

For dinner, I wanted to try The Mint. This evening was, after all, a present, so a fancy restaurant was justified. I couldn't really judge the place until experiencing the food. Thinking that I didn't need reservations for a 6pm dinner, we just walked in. Note to self - make reservations next time. So we ate at Riviera, still one of my favorite places. The pistachio crusted trout was very tasty. The salad was simple but had lots of flavor, and the wine was great as usual.

We skipped dessert and decided to have a beer at the new Landmark Tavern before heading to the concert. The place was very crowded, it was opening night, but from the outside you could see the smoke. We opened the door and sure enough, the odor was too much. On another night perhaps we would have braved the smoke, but I really didn't want to sit in a nice concert hall reeking of cigarettes. It makes me feel so old to say something like that, but I just can't deal with smoke anymore. Sorry. I look forward to Landmark - I've already heard some great things, but I think I'll be visiting during the week when there's not a big crowd.

Since we still had about 30 minutes, guess where we went? Back to The Mint! I decided to try that $14 glass of chardonnay. And I have to confess, it was really, really good. The bartender let me try all of the wines before selecting one, but like any good bartender, he started with the good stuff and I just couldn't say no.

The concert was good. The highlight was the talented Jubilant Sykes. I was expecting a lot of jazz music, but as a celebration of African American composers, Mr. Sykes sang quite a few songs. His range was amazing. What an incredible voice. You know, it's nice to go and do something you would never normally do. It keeps the mind fresh. This evening was definitely a treat for us. Raleigh has some great activities to choose from. Step outside your comfort zone! Do something different one weekend.

Speaking of doing something different, the best part of the evening was the ride back to the car in the rickshaw! I've seen these guys everywhere but never needed a ride. I think it's such a great idea and I am so impressed by the athletic ability of pulling 300+ pounds on a bike. So we hailed one after the concert and enjoyed a nice ride for 4 blocks. Great ending to a nice evening.

The Mint is Open

2008-01-11T10:39:00.000-05:00

For months now, those of us at YSU downtown have watched the progress across Fayetteville St. The alley beside One Exchange Plaza was turned into a lovely outdoor seating/patio area. And finally, The Mint opened.

We knew it was going to "upscale southern cuisine." And from a few peeks in the window, the interior looked to be quite plush. So we couldn't wait to go. Last night at 5:30 the office shut down and the whole gang walked across the street for a drink.

As mentioned in several articles, the building used to be a bank. And at the main entrance is the vault door. But once inside, and maybe I was just too overwhelmed to notice, the interior didn't feel anything like a bank. My favorite were the huge, high-back, tufted booths. It seemed the perfect place to hang out with friends and enjoy a fabulous dinner.

We were just there for a drink, so we headed up the spiral staircase to the bar. I would hate to have too many drinks and have to go down those stairs. The pattern on the carpet combined with the spiral stairs could make for a nasty accident.

Anyway, the bar is spectacular, with several high tables and a lounge area. The whole place is very impressive and once you see the menu you'll know that you're in a unique place. The wine seemed a little pricey. I'm a chardonnay drinker and used to paying $7-9/glass, but the "good" chardonnay was priced at $14/glass. So I opted for the $5 Amstel Light. They don't really have appetizers that you can share at the bar. We did try the crab cakes, and while they were tasty, they were the size of a 50 cent piece and you only got 2 to an order. So, what I'm trying to say is that this place is fancy.

I love a good restaurant, and upscale is fine, but I guess I'm just disappointed that it's not going to be the kind of place I can stop by regularly after work. It's just too expensive. I think it will be a destination restaurant, for special occasions and entertaining business clients. Riviera, The Globe, and several other places have many entrees for less than $20 and they have really good food. Having said that, I hope it does well. Especially after learning how much we all paid for it.

New Seaboard Rendering

2007-12-20T15:07:00.002-05:00

It's amazing what a 3D image can do for a project. This angle is the Seaboard Ave and Salisbury Street corner. The big corner windows there are for the 2 bedroom flat, definitely one of the more popular units in the building. The landscaping was minimized for this image so that the building features could be seen. I believe there is a going to be a large tree on the corner there.

Another new element for 111 Seaboard are the views from the second floor. Condo living starts on the second floor and there are a total of 3 levels of residential. The third and fourth floor views will be even better. The view of downtown Raleigh is a favorite, but I think I like the east view with all the trees around Peace College. The power lines immediately on the 111 Seaboard property will be buried as part of the project, but there is one very high line that runs down the middle of the road that will remain.

Setback Text Change a Waste of Time?

2007-11-21T11:57:00.001-05:00

The week before Thanksgiving is usually pretty low key. Lots of people take off a few extra days and travel to see family. But this week there was a flurry of activity around a proposed text change in the Raleigh residential zoning language. Read the proposal here (opens a PDF). It basically changes the text to make setbacks more restrictive for the side, front, and back yards of residential lots.

Apparently the text change was proposed as a temporary solution to the complaints from many neighborhoods about all the tear downs and the oversized homes being built. The public meeting to discuss it was last night. I didn't want to miss it. I wanted to witness the debate because I was certain that it could be historic.

To make a long story short - the place was packed. As expected, most of the attendees were builders, developers, and REALTORs. I saw plenty of folks from YSU there as well as agents from other brokerages. However, THERE WAS NO DEBATE. When the time came to discuss the text change, Mayor Meeker asked if there were any speakers in support of the change. No one stepped forward. NO ONE! I was shocked. There are so many groups whose purpose is based around finding a solution to the current infill issues, and there was no one to speak in favor of the text change. Maybe they had already left town? No.

One of the first speakers was from Community Scale. They were against the text change because it was a blanket proposal that would effect everyone in Raleigh, and really didn't address the majority of the issues that they have with current community preservation.

So here is my question - if no one in the community supported this text change – then why was it even being discussed? Who put it together? Was any thought given to it at all? My only guess is that it came from a new council member who thought that they had all the answers. I can't imagine anyone with experience proposing something without anyone to stand up and support it in public. I mean, that's what politics is all about, right? Who goes to a meeting in the corporate world and proposes something new without talking to other staff in advance for feedback?

The only thing stopping me from saying that the whole meeting wasted everyone's time since there was no support for the proposal in the first place is this: developers, the public, and Community Scale were all in agreement on something. And that something was basic property rights. People are not stupid. I was very pleased to see a young man, who I don't think had any involvement professionally in the real estate business, stand up and speak about his property rights. He had over 400 signed petitions faxed to him in 2 days from friends who were against this proposal.

Anyway, I could go on. You should watch the meeting on RTN if you're interested. The news will likely focus on the developer/real estate turnout angle, but you really should watch the whole meeting. There were many citizens there who opposed the proposal.

Some comments that I liked were:
- one gentleman brought language from Alexandria, VA that showed how they dealt with infill issues. Certainly we aren't the only city to deal with this, so I thought that was smart.
- Gordon Grubb, a developer, suggested that council provide incentives to builders who *do* consider the neighborhood when building a new home. Most people's complaints with new construction where an old house stood have to do with the fact that the home looks nothing like any others in the neighborhood. That's architecture, setbacks, and general quality.

Tear downs have not hit my neighborhood yet. I don't want to live next door to a high rise McMansion either. There has to be a better way.

Dewey's in Raleigh!

2007-11-21T11:29:00.000-05:00

There's nothing better in the morning than a big slice of Moravian sugar cake. Mmmm.. Anyone from Winston Salem needs no further explanation. It's the best bakery ever. Growing up there, every birthday cake came from Dewey's and now Dewey's is in Raleigh! Well, at least for the holidays. They have actually been here seasonally for 4 years in Cary, but this year have a seasonal store in Cameron Village from Nov 15-Dec 24.

It's a tradition in my family to have Dewey's cake squares or brownies at any family celebration: birthdays, holidays, dinner. You name it. There's always a good reason for Dewey's. Between that and Krispy Kreme, I'm surprised I don't weigh 300 pounds. You just can't say no to a hot doughnut or cake square. Please visit the store if you have never experienced Dewey's. They are in the old Belk spot in Cameron Village next to Nelson's and across the parking lot from Moe's.

If you fall in love and would like to join my efforts in bringing Dewey's here permanently, you can call the customer service number in Winston at 800-537-5374.

No More Nana's?

2007-11-09T10:11:00.000-05:00

Did anyone else happen to catch that small fact in Greg Cox's article yesterday? The Pit is opening in the Warehouse district. Nana's Chophouse will close for a week and basically re-open as The Pit.

I've been talking about this with my friends and I guess Nana's wasn't doing so well? There do seem to be a lot of high end restaurants downtown. The choices in establishments seem to be fancy or super casual. It will be nice to have a new casual restaurant, but at the expense of a really good one?

I'm not a bar-hopper anymore, but it seems like that part of town is becoming much more of a club area, so perhaps an upscale restaurant doesn't fit anymore? I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this one.

Fabulous First Friday

2007-11-04T18:59:00.000-05:00

Another First Friday and another start to a great weekend. This time we spent the whole evening in the Seaboard Station area. We really didn't plan it that way, but that's how it turned out. The plan was to check out J Betski's restaurant. It's a German place and it's new and I'm always up for going somewhere new.

We kicked off the evening at Seaboard Wine at their wine tasting. I love wine, but I really don't know much about it. The folks at Seaboard Wine really know their stuff. The tasting included Austrian wines, which I never had tasted before. I've had a few German wines here or there on a trip, but nothing memorable. After a flight of reds, we were buzzed enough to buy a case. What a great strategy! Get people drinking so they'll buy more. So as part of the case we wanted to try something new. Seth gave us quite a history on French wines, which neither Scott nor I knew anything about. I can't wait to have a little tasting of my own!

After talking with the wine folks, they recommended getting reservations at J Betski's. Good thing we called, because their only opening was at 9am. The problem was, the tasting ended at 8pm. What to do for an hour?

No problem. Because it was First Friday - everyone had something going on. Capital City Grocery had a band on the front porch playing good ol'fashioned porch music. So we grabbed a rocking chair and hung out for a while.

Finally it was time to eat! The best part. After starting with some Bratwurst, I enjoyed every second of the Schnitzel. Mmmm. Say it with me. Schnitzel. It's just fun to order. Quite tasty. Scott had the duck with a side of kanoodle (it's potatoes, but in Germany we've actually had it fixed for us and they called it kanoodle - a potato dumpling with a sort of stuffing inside).

Overall it was a bit of an extravagant night for us, but we had so much fun. Everything we needed and wanted to do was right there in one place. I love First Friday!

Mordecai Manor - Restored Condos

2007-10-01T18:04:00.000-04:00

I hosted an open house this weekend at Mordecai Manor, the apartments that are being coverted to condos. The neighbors are ecstatic. Apparently the space was becoming a bit unsightly, so the renovation construction was welcomed.

You can't ask for a better location. The convenience of a condo in a nice, quiet, established neighborhood like Mordecai. You can walk over to Seaboard for just about anything you need and you're a mile and a half from the center of town. Plus, you're surrounded by historic homes. What more can you ask for?

Ah, you say. They must be expensive. But that's the kicker. They are all under $300,000. All 6 units are roughly 1100 sq ft each and have a HUGE front porch. I mean huge. Very deep. You could put an outdoor sofa and chairs out there and not get wet when it rains.

It's renovated, but not new, so you do have smaller closets. It is an historic building, after all. The kitchens are new and very big by condo standards. And there is no elevator. Other than that, it is a great buy. They should get the certificate of occupancy in November.

Downtown Sushi

2007-09-17T09:46:00.001-04:00

The News & Observer reported this weekend that Waraji is coming to downtown Raleigh. They are taking over the Est Est Est location on Hargett St.

After learning that the Chinese restaurant on Salisbury and Martin was closing as well as the BBQ place on St. Mary's, it's nice to see more restaurants coming downtown.

Raymond Street - Raleigh's Secret

2007-09-11T13:02:00.000-04:00

Thank goodness for Broker open houses. There are so many new projects going on, it's hard to keep up. Today I discovered a new little neighborhood right off Hillsborough Street (well, it's off Daisy to be specific). It's fabulous. Single family homes with 2 car garages on the alley. Great front porches to sit and sip a beverage. And spectacular details on the interior. Gorgeous floors, big rooms. What else is there to say? Well done.

There are multiple layouts to choose from - some have master down, some have a third floor finished bonus. But you are so close to everything. Walk to Hillsborough Street and downtown. Or walk to Whole Foods. You're a hop, skip and a jump from the greenway entrance at Meredith College.

Want to see them? Call your agent or if you don't have an agent, call me. We'll go tour.

Hue Breaks Ground

2007-09-10T13:32:00.001-04:00

I've been waiting to post this because I wanted to link to the floorplans, but they still aren't online and I'm impatient. In any case, the Hue broke ground last week and the buzz has begun. The big excitement about the Hue is that half the project will be priced under $290,000. For those who have the desire to live downtown but just can't afford the price tags, the Hue is the place for you. They'll have:
- 54 studios
- 71 one bedrooms
- 29 one bedroom + den
- 54 two bedroom, 2 baths
As with many new construction projects, information will come out in spurts, so stay tuned for that floorplan link.

Is Downtown Raleigh Walkable?

2007-08-17T13:26:00.000-04:00

I don't know if this site just launched, but the viral campaign has definitely hit. Last week my friend sent the link to me. Then a colleague at work sent it around a few days later. And now I have seen it posted as part of the next lecture series by the city. What is it?

www.walkscore.com

It's a pretty cool site. If you're not from Raleigh and want to know if a neighborhood is within walking distance to stuff, you just plug in an address and voila! It gives you a score and lists the businesses within walking distance. Our office, which is in the heart of downtown on Fayetteville St, scored a 91 out of 100. And we're in the middle of it all. But several restaurants were missing from the list, so take it with a grain of salt. Within 2 blocks of our office is Cafe Carolina, American Pita Grill, la Crema, Chick-fil-A, just to name a few (they weren't on the list).

So, business owners, list yourself here (it's based on the Google Maps API). They say that Joe Resident can't make changes, the business owner has to do it.

On the subject of walkability - the City of Raleigh's next lecture is on how to make a pedestrian-friendly city. Mark your calendar for Sept 20. It's open to the public but you need to register.

111 Seaboard Approved

2007-08-13T09:22:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, Seaboard is already a great community. Last week council approved the mixed use condo project, 111 Seaboard. If you aren't already on the list, you can add yourself here. There are only 53 condos available, so many expect them to be reserved quickly. Reservations will start September 22, but only for those on the list. Whatever else is left will be opened to the public.

National Food Chain in the Heart of Downtown?

2007-08-10T11:22:00.000-04:00

As you may have heard, the city of Raleigh is planning four pavilions to be in the center of the city Plaza, located between the Bank of America and BB&T. These 4 pavilions are proposed to be made of all glass. I was just watching the city council meeting from August 7 where they approved the design, and in the meeting they discussed possible tenants of those pavilions.

Apparently there is a lot of interest from national food and beverage companies. I’m not sure how I feel about this, and it obviously depends on who it is. But I will just die if there is a McDonalds or Burger King in the heart of the new Plaza. I don’t get excited about a Starbucks, either, which seems to fit with the whole “glass box” retail look that they are going for. I love the idea of an active plaza as a centerpiece of downtown, but as the center of downtown, the chosen tenants will certainly influence how Raleigh is perceived.

Many articles have been written about Raleigh’s lack of personality, and this plaza was to help define the city. Please, please don’t let national fast food chains be the center of our city! Write to your city council member and ask them to support locally owned, independent shops. Or at least something more creative than fast food. A coffee shop makes sense, but Port City Java is just down the street as is the Morning Times. There is opportunity for other types of retail. It should be noted that the pavilions are privately funded, so any notes on tenant concerns will likely be forwarded to the private company, but I still think it is worth sending a note. Or - send a note to your favorite retailer or food shop and ask them to inquire about the space. I searched for a website for The Simpson Company and couldn't find anything, so leave a comment if you find their site.

Parking in the City

2007-08-08T16:50:00.000-04:00

I was reading this morning about LNR's plan to redevelop Blount Street. I've heard about this project for a while and I'm so glad that it's actually going to happen. There are so many beautiful houses downtown that could use some work. Not only that, but along that street there are pockets of nice houses, then parking lots. Nice house, parking lot. With the way they are planning to build out the block, it will make for a beautiful street and will provide a unified look as you enter downtown.

Then I read all of the comments about how terrible parking already is in that area and how this project is going to make things worse by building in some of the lots. I hate to state the obvious, but with the $2billion being spent to revitalize downtown, things are going to get more dense. I love it because I dream of a day when there are tons of things to walk to and I won't need to get into my car for a week. Mixed use. It's the thing of the future. But others aren't so excited.

I understand that people work downtown, but this is a city, and parking in cities is not easy. It's all about attitude. I park in a parking deck, 4th floor, and walk a block and a half to get to my office. I was just in San Francisco and parking there isn't easy, but who expects it to be? If you were going to travel to Manhattan, would you expect to find a parking spot in front of your destination? No! So why expect to park in front of your office building in downtown Raleigh? Please help the city of Raleigh by pushing back when you hear people talk about "terrible parking downtown." There are parking decks (opens PDF) and more decks are being built. With a positive attitude toward change, you can help Raleigh become a vibrant destination.

Seaboard Community Comes Alive

2007-07-17T10:49:00.000-04:00

I still feel like Seaboard is downtown Raleigh's best kept secret. I kind of like that it is a little bit hidden but I wanted to post something so that the businesses will do well.

Seaboard is at the site of an old train station, so the area already has a community feel to it. You have everything that you need right there. You've got the grocery, shopping, casual and nice restaurants, a hardware store, and a fitness center. I am so excited that Seaboard Fitness is now open! I am a member and absolutely love it. It's a nice, clean facility with great equipment. I worked out last night and then went over to the grocery to grab some dinner. They just re-opened and have a nice selection of prepared foods. I chose the Indian dinner with Korma curry chicken and rice. Mmmmm..

Pretty soon you'll be able to live at Seaboard and walk to these great shops. Pretty exciting stuff. So if you haven't been out there, you should check it out.

Transit Oriented Development

2007-05-17T13:57:00.000-04:00

I have to give Raleigh's planning dept credit - they have put on a great lecture series on topics related to growth. I attended the most recent one on Transit Oriented Development last week. The speakers were top notch and definitely had thought more about TOD than any of us ever could have. The first two speakers were excellent and got everyone excited about the possibilities. Imagine jumping on a train and going to town, having dinner, and taking the train home. No designated driver. Or take the train to work and instead of sitting behind the wheel and you could actually get something done.

By the time the third speaker was ready, everything had been said. There was nothing else to present. So he took the other side. Why wouldn't transit oriented development work in Raleigh? The key to understanding this is to actually understand the full concept of TOD. Park and ride is not TOD. Basically the concept is around mixed use - having offices, shopping and residential in clusters so that there isn't one main commute pattern. Ideally people are always going both ways instead of everyone going one way in the morning and the opposite way in the afternoon. That's my over-simplified explanation.

My calculus teacher in high school always used to complain about how they put in sidewalks. Around our campus the sidewalks were on the perimeter, but the people actually walked across the grass or in other cut-through areas. He would always say "watch where people walk and then pour the concrete." The same could be said of transit. Look at where people are going and try to make it more efficient with transit.

Now, RTP could actually be the best place to build up this type of transit since it is already a big destination and they are starting to develop more residential areas near the commercial stuff. Everything else is just so spread out. There are too many starting points and there really isn't one central destination. As soon as you put the word "transfer" in there, people aren't going to use the system.

I love to daydream about taking the train or even a bus if it were direct. But the cynical side of me says that people are too independent and married to their cars. Take Brier Creek, for example. That was built to be a walkable area. Do people walk? I doubt it. I was at Pier One the other day and a father and son were outside. The son wanted to walk down to another store about 100 yards away. The father said "I'm not walking all the way down there!"

So, after the third speaker had finished telling us why TOD wouldn't work in Raleigh, the reality of Raleigh's sprawl had hit me. There was a chance for redemption, however. During the Q&A they brought up the head honcho of TTA (Triangle Transit Authority). HE could tell us what was really going to happen for Raleigh in the future. I waited for him to speak up. When Director Silver finally asked him directly to comment, he rambled on about something. I don't even know what. But it wasn't anything about what the TTA actually does. I left very disappointed. I do hope that the actual people who do the work in the TTA know a lot more than their leader.

Live well. Be smart.

2007-05-06T18:10:00.000-04:00

I was inspired this week by a presentation on downtown Raleigh's renaissance. It's a presentation that I've seen a few times, but one that you can't really see enough as far as I'm concerned. Things just move too fast to remember it all, but it talks about the goals for downtown and the concept of higher density living.

It got me thinking about smart growth. I mean, I agree with the concept as I define it, but what is it really? I'm not a planner and I've had zero instruction on managing growth. So I looked it up and found the Smart Growth Leadership Institute. Their 10 principles seem to cover just about everything I had in my definition and more.

I think I have been drawn to areas that manage growth well but wasn't concious of it at the time. I bought my first house in Chapel Hill. At the time I was 25 or somewhere near that age, and wanted an acre of land and big house. The reason I picked Chapel Hill was because you could get all of that and still be within 10 minutes of Franklin Street. Now, Chapel Hill is nowhere near the size of Raleigh, but to live in the country in Wake County you have to go far, far away to get the kind of privacy I had in Chapel Hill. Over the years I learned that I did not want a lot of land or a big house that I had to clean. And I didn't want to live near people who were my parent's age - something I didn't consider back then. Land! I wanted land! And it's so funny because I see young folks now who want the same thing I wanted then. It's all a process, I guess.

I'm on my 3rd house now and it's much smaller and in-town because I value time and don't want to drive everywhere. And that is why I love downtown Raleigh. I love the lifestyle it provides and will provide in the future as it continues to grow. And that is also why as an agent I am going to work my hardest to focus only in the downtown and surrounding areas. I can't force my beliefs on others, but I can choose to work in an area that is attractive to people who share those similar values.

First, First Friday

2007-04-07T12:59:00.000-04:00

I finally did it. I wrote the date for First Friday in my day-timer so that I would remember to go. And we went!

First Friday is an event in downtown Raleigh on the first Friday of each month. Restaurants and art galleries and other businesses open their doors and usually provide a special offer or discount for that evening.

We decided to walk around Glenwood South a bit first, so we got downtown a little early. It's so much easier to see the city on foot, and we decided to visit only places we hadn't been. We checked out FM Sounds and Shoes - very hip. Too hip for me, but they have very cool stuff. Next door we went into Firefly, which also has very cool stuff. Camper shoes for men and women and some super fun clothes and bags with a handmade look to them for the ladies. I'll be going back there for sure.

From there we just walked around, checking out all of the new stuff going in. They've fenced off where 712 Tucker is going to be built. What's nice about that project is that they are planning to rent a few of the condos, so folks who may not be ready to buy can still live downtown.

One of the highlights of our tour was the stop at the top of the Clarion hotel. Nineteen stories above downtown, you can see what an incredible view many of the condos are going to have when they are finished. RBC condos, West at North, and the Quorum are all high rises and will have awesome views no matter which side you choose.

I'll have the Poulet, please.

2007-04-03T15:34:00.000-04:00

My favorite lunch spot in downtown Raleigh is definitely Sosta Cafe. I work two or three times a week at the Hudson, a condo-conversion project on Fayetteville St. I'm downtown a lot and thought I'd start up a blog on all things downtown. I tend to ramble, so this title seemed appropriate.
Full Disclosure: I am a Real Estate Broker/REALTOR.

Anyway, Sosta Cafe is a block from the Hudson. It has a sophisticated look to it, which is pretty new for this area for a lunch spot. Most lunch places are burger joints or sandwich shops with your basic menu. You can only eat a turkey sandwich so many times for lunch. Sure, there are lots of sit-down places, but that's not an option when I'm at the Hudson.

Sosta is a cool coffee shop in the morning and their lunch menu is unique for this area. Don't get me wrong, I love a good dive as much as the next person, but sometimes you want something healthy and fast. And so I go to Sosta. A lot.

I'm a southern, chicken-salad-eating girl. So when I saw the Poulet on the menu (curried chicken salad w/lettuce & tomato on multi-grain bread), I knew that I had a new favorite place. First, it's a unique twist on chicken-salad. YUM! But the sides are super healthy, too. Usually you get a chickpea salad, and they also have navy bean salad and another one that looks like really big couscous grains. Can't remember the name of it. But it's good.

Don't ask me if anything else is good because I order the Poulet every time. The tomato soup is wonderful. I have tried that. I am there so often that now when I call they even know my name. That's service.

"Poulet?"
"Yes, please."
"It'll be ready in 10 minutes."
"Awesome."