Experience the Briar Chapel Lifestyle

Throughout the year, Briar Chapel invites my clients to amazing events that give them a taste of what life is like in the community. Past events have included a Sustainable Living Event that featured a cooking demonstration by executive chef of The Fearrington House Restaurant and Country Inn as well as a Wellness Event with the University of North Carolina Wellness Center.

Most recently, we celebrated the 17th annual National Trails Day with guided tours of the trail system in Briar Chapel by the Triangle Off-Road Cyclists (TORC) followed by a cookout and pool party.

If you are interested in participating in upcoming events planned for this summer, and experiencing the Briar Chapel lifestyle, please contact me to start receiving invitations.

Trail and Art Guide Maps Now Available

Already, over six miles of trails are now open at Briar Chapel. As I've mentioned in previous posts, there will eventually be about 24 miles of trails throughout the community. These will include a mixture of single-track mountain biking trails, boardwalks, paved or mulched walking trails, and sidewalks.

If you are interested in exploring the trails, I suggest you stop by the Information Center and pick up a copy of the new Trail and Art Guide. The free guide illustrates the best routes to see the community’s new art installations, including “Art in Nature” added in spring 2009. When you do, please be sure to let the great folks there know I sent you!

Once you've had a chance to explore the trails, I encourage you to consider helping the Triangle Off-Road Cyclists (TORC) build the emerging network of mountain biking trails in Briar Chapel. They are doing a wonderful job, and deserve everyone's support.

See you on the trails!

First-Time Homebuyers Take Advantage of Tax Credit

A number of first-time homebuyers have already taken advantage of the tax credit when purchasing a home in Briar Chapel, and so can you!

In case you haven't already heard, Congress recently approved an $8000 First-time Homebuyer Tax Credit for principal residences purchased between Jan 1st and Dec 31st, 2009, with no requirement for payback. Since I'm often asked about this tax credit, I thought I would share some of the most frequently asked questions here:

1) Who is eligible for the tax credit? Only first-time homebuyers are eligible. Someone is considered a first-time buyer if s/he has not had any ownership interest in a home in the three years prior to the day of the 2009 purchase.

2) How much is the incentive worth? Any home that is purchased for $80,000 or more qualifies for the full $8000 credit. Otherwise, if the home costs less than $80K, the credit will be equal to ten percent of the purchase price (i.e. $7500 credit on a $75K purchase).

3) How does the tax credit work? Every dollar of the tax credit reduces your income tax by a dollar. All you have to do is claim the credit on your individual income tax return. In other words, a qualified purchaser would first calculate their total tax due and then reduce this amount by the applicable credit. For example, if someone has a tax liability of $8,500 and is eligible for the full $8000 credit, they can reduce the total tax due to $500. In the event that someone is eligible for the full credit, but they entire tax liability for the year is only $6500, then the IRS would send them a check for $1500.

4) How do I apply for the credit? There is no pre-purchase authorization, application or similar approval process. Eligible homebuyers simply claim the credit on their tax return. The credit will be reflected on a new Form 5405. Visit the IRS website for more details.

PLEASE NOTE: I'm a real estate broker, not a financial advisor! Therefore, I strongly encourage you to talk with a CPA or tax specialist if you have any questions or concerns about this program and its impact on your tax liability. Otherwise, if you'd like to put the credit to good use, and purchase a home in Briar Chapel, I'm here to help!

Briar Chapel Wins Six MAME Awards

Briar Chapel was a big winner at this year's MAME Awards (Major Achievements in Marketing Excellence) from the Triangle Sales and Marketing Council of the N.C. Home Builders Association. They took home top honors in each of the following categories: Best Advertising Campaign for a Master-Planned Community, Best Web Site for a Master-Planned Community, Best Community Information/Welcome Center, Best Community Ad for a Newspaper, Best Community (On-Site) Signage, and Best Brochure.

This competition recognizes local advertising, marketing, merchandising and product design efforts as well as sales volume. Honor recipients included area builders, developers, advertising agencies, graphic firms, interior design firms, landscaping firms, sales professionals and sign and display designers/fabricators. Winners of these coveted awards are recognized as leaders in the industry, providing cutting edge solutions to the home building industry. Kudos to the entire team at Newland for this accomplishment!

Summer Camps & Classes

In case you haven't yet heard, Chatham Arts Council will be offering summer camps & classes at Briar Chapel this summer!

These art camps are meant to give your child an opportunity to experience music, painting and drama. They will also be teaching an adult drawing class.

All classes are held at the Briar Club, and are open to the public with limited space, so act quickly if you’re interested. To learn more or download a registration form, click here.

The Pool is Open!

Briar Chapel's pool facilities opened yesterday for the first time ever!

A number of residents and non-resident members (sorry, member-ships have sold out already), as well as some Newland staff, enjoyed themselves under the watchful eye of the lifeguard staff.

As expected, the water slide and diving well were a big hit among the adults and children. Meanwhile, the younger ones enjoyed the splash pad and zero-entry pool. I particularly like the fact that Briar Chapel uses salt-water chlorination. The water feels smooth, is softer on your skin, and has no chlorine odor.

Folks that were not swimming relaxed on comfortable furniture that was installed last week. For shade lovers (like myself), there were plenty of places to sit under umbrellas or cabanas.

If you would like to see the pool, and experience what life is like at Briar Chapel, please schedule an appointment to tour the community.

1st Annual Briar Chapel 5K Race Results

Over 150 people signed up for the 1st Annual Briar Chapel 5K, which benefited the Abundance Foundation in Chatham County. Overall winners were Jack Morgan (19:04) and Tiffany Thompsen (20:14).

Personally, I had a tough day, and finished much further back in the field. I did, however, enjoy the course - except for the last hill. I'm in the process of getting back into shape, and will be much better prepared next year!

For a complete list of results, visit East Carolina Road Racing.

Green Incentives at Briar Chapel

In honor of the Green Home Tour, Briar Chapel's builder partners are offering the following green home features on all pre-construction sales until May 10th...

McNeill Burbank: Receive a free “Rain Water Harvesting System” as shown in the McNeill Burbank home showcased in the Green Home Tour.

Vanguard Homes: Receive a free tankless water heater.

M/I Homes: Receive an upgraded, high-efficiency heating and air conditioning system (14SEER) for both zones of the home.

Chatham Builder Guild: Receive a free tankless water heater or an upgrade to Icynene® spray foam insulation in the roof.

Please contact me to learn more about these incentives, or to schedule a tour of homes in Briar Chapel.

Briar Chapel’s First Annual 5K Race

I hope you will join me next Saturday (May 9) for the running of the First Annual Briar Chapel 5K Race!

The race starts at 8:00 am, and will follow a brand-new, well-marked, USATF-certified 5K course. Proceeds will benefit the Abundance Foundation, which sponsors innovative ideas to increase awareness of renewable energy and promote local food consumption.

An awards ceremony will immediately follow the race, with awards to overall and age group winners, with refreshments for all participants. You and your family can then attend a private showing of Briar Chapel’s model homes from 8:30 to 9:30 am.

Don’t miss your chance to run on this beautiful new course, tour the energy-efficient green homes, and help support your local community. Race-day registration begins at 6:30 am. For more details, or to pre-register online, visit Active.com.

See you at the race!

4th Annual Green Home Tour Starts Tomorrow!

The 4th Annual Green Home Tour will be held on April 25 & 26 and May 2 & 3. This free, self-guided tour will include 36 green homes in Wake, Chatham, Durham, Orange, Granville, and Alamance Counties.

All homes are enrolled in the green-building certification program administered by the Green Home Builders of the Triangle. Each entry is required to achieve sufficient goals in all of the green building program areas and must conform to at least the bronze level of green certification. See my previous post for a list of homes in Briar Chapel on the tour.

You can pick up a free tour book at a number of local outlets during the week before the tour, including the Briar Chapel Information Center. Otherwise, visit www.TriangleGreenHomeTour.com for more detailed information.