Hot Water Recirculating Pump Installed

This past weekend, I decided to improve the efficiency of our Briar Chapel home even more by installing a whole-house hot water recirculating system. I picked up a unit made by Watts Premier at Costco a few months ago for under $200, and spent another $30 or so for plumbing supplies at the hardware store.

The system includes a pump that you install adjacent to the water heater, and a temperature actuated bypass valve that connects the cold and hot water supply lines at the fixture that is farthest away from the water heater. According to the manufacturer's website, this combination creates a pressure differential that allows the cold and cool water in the hot water supply line to "bypass" (at a low volume) into the cold water supply line through the thermostatically controlled sensor valve, keeping the water in the hot water supply line at a "no-wait" temperature throughout the home. The timer on the pump makes it more efficient during downtime.

It's going to take a few months to determine how much this system will save us each year, but most estimates I have come across are in the neighborhood of 11,000-15,000 gallons of water saved per year. Obviously, this is offset somewhat by the additional expense of running the pump, but this can easily be minimized by setting the timer on the pump for peak use.

There are other ways to accomplish the same results, depending on your needs and budget. If you are interested in installing such a system in your home, be sure to bring this up with your builder early in the process to avoid change fees. Better yet, hire me to represent you throughout the purchasing process, and I'll be happy to inform you of other energy-saving features you can ask for.

Next project... a whole house water filtration system!

ChathamArts 2010 Winter Classes Announced

ChathamArts will once again be offering classes this winter at Briar Chapel. All classes are held at the Briar Club, except for Art History and Voice (see website for details).

Classes include: Creative Dance for Children, Dance Choreography, Hip Hop, Intro to Improv, Screen Printing, Self-Publishing Children's Books, and more. For a complete list of classes offered, and to register, visit www.chathamarts.org. Be sure to mention you are a Briar Chapel resident to receive a 10% discount.

ChathamArts, the Chatham County Arts Council, is a not-for-profit organization that supports and presents the arts and artists in our community. They encourage community participation in the arts to enrich the quality of life of the county's residents. They foster arts awareness and education, and encourage the use of arts as a tool for economic development.

2009 BC6 Endurance Race Results

Congratulations to Lee Matthew, yesterday's overall winner of the BC6 Endurance Race! He completed 11 laps (66 miles) in 5:41:08. Alex Hawkins and Kip Clyburn came in 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

In all, 58 individuals or teams participated in this year's race. For a complete list of results, choose one of the following: Division Details – Overall Details – Division Summary – Overall Summary.

First Annual Briar Chapel Endurance Bike Race this Saturday!

Please join me for a day of thrilling excitement at Briar Chapel's first annual 6BC Endurance Race this Saturday (Nov 21st) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Hosted by the Triangle Off Road Cyclists (TORC), the event will feature six hours of competitive biking through groves of pines and oaks, past Pokeberry Creek, and up (and down!) the rugged terrain of Bennett Mountain.

Registration on race day is $60 for all categories. Pre-registration is available online, with prices ranging from $35-$45. All race proceeds will benefit local trail projects. A map of the race course is available here (PDF). For more information, visit the TORC website.

Even if you're not planning to race, spectators are welcome and invited to enjoy guided trail walks, live music, delicious BBQ, and a beer garden. This is also a perfect time to check out the community. Please contact Peter Winkler to schedule a tour and take a look at the available homes for sale.

Homebuyer Tax Credit Extended & Expanded

With the new Homebuyer Tax Credit legislation passed on November 6th, now is the perfect time to purchase a home in Briar Chapel. The new credit extends the deadline to April 30th of next year, raises the qualifying income limitations, and expands the offer to include current homeowners who have lived in their residence for five consecutive years.

The tax credit program now gives those who already own a residence some additional reason to move to a new home. This incentive comes in the form of a tax credit of up to $6,500 for qualified purchasers who have owned and occupied a primary residence for a period of five consecutive years during the last eight years.

For more detailed information, please visit the IRS or NAHB websites. I also recommend that you check out this whitepaper, which addresses many of the questions my clients have been asking.

PSNC Energy Offers Discounted Rate to Customers in Briar Chapel

PSNC Energy, the utility that provides natural gas service to Briar Chapel, recently started offering a discounted rate for residential customers who qualify for service and whose homes meet the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR® for Homes qualification standards, or equivalent.

Since all homes in Briar Chapel are required to exceed the ENERGY STAR rating, they qualify for Rate 102 (high efficiency residential service). As a result, homeowners pay $.05 per therm less than under otherwise applicable Rate 101.

This discount isn't automatic, however. You must mail, fax or email the ENERGY STAR certificate or equivalent documentation you received from your builder or Southern Energy Management to PSNC in order to qualify:

Builder/Commercial Group

PSNC Energy

PO Box 1398

Gastonia, NC 28053-1398

Fax: 704-810-3118

E-mail: PSNCBuilderGroup@scana.com

Should you have questions regarding the discounted rate, please contact PSNC directly at 1-877-776-2427. Otherwise, if you're interested in purchasing a home in Briar Chapel and take advantage of this discount, please email or call me at 919-360-1285.

2009 Parade of Homes Starts Today

Now in its 26th year, the 2009 Parade of Homes showcases 59 new homes in our area and provides the chance for visitors to see the latest designs and features. This free, self-guided tour is on October 3-4, 9-11, 16-18 from Noon to 5pm.

The event also enables builders to enjoy some friendly competition, as each home on the Parade is judged by a panel of industry representatives from other markets in our region. These judges examine the design, quality, and creativity that each entry demonstrates, resulting in a numerical grade for each house. Awards are given to homes that achieve the highest scores in each price category.

This year, Briar Chapel has four entries in the Parade:

133 Saxapahaw Run: 3171 sqft / $549,900

207 Tobacco Farm Way: 2574 sqft / $425,000

1152 Great Ridge Parkway: 1402 sqft / $323,216

72 Grovewood Lane: 1584 sqft / $265,712

If you would like a guided tour of these homes, please contact me. I will be more than happy to point out the various green features that are available in these homes, as well as show you the amenities that residents enjoy throughout the community.

Minta Bell Designers Complete Model Home

Earlier this month, the Minta Bell Design Group started furnishing the McNeill-Burbank townhouse model in Briar Chapel. They stayed true to Al McNeill's vision of creating an authentic home by using real furnishings and accessories instead of props. The finished product is quite impressive!

A few of the special touches include an Eastlake Chest, in which they discovered some linens and old photographs of its previous owner. If you look closely, you will find some of these portraits framed and placed around the home.

In keeping with Briar Chapel's green philosophy, they also used local sources for furnishings and art whenever possible. The table in the art studio, for example, is made of an old door with a new base and a piece of glass on top. The canisters in the kitchen are works by Mark Hewitt, and the vase on the coffee table is by Joseph Sand. The painting over the fireplace is by Marvin Saltzman.

To see photos taken by the designers during the installation, check out their blog: part one, part two, part three, and part four. When you're ready to see the townhomes for yourself, or any of Briar Chapel's other model homes for that matter, please contact me to schedule a tour. I would be honored to introduce you to this wonderful green community.

Murry Handler Art Exhibit Opening at Briar Chapel

The first-ever Briar Chapel/ChathamArts Gallery Satellite Exhibit is set to open later this month. The exhibit will feature the work of NYC artist and award-winning illustrator, Murry Handler.

A reception will be held to celebrate this exclusive exhibit at one of Briar Chapel's model homes while Mr. Handler discusses his work. In addition, one lucky guest will take home a limited edition print of Handler's "Girl with Butterfly" giclee print (below), among his most prestigious pieces. If you wish to attend the event, please call me at 919-360-1285 for more details.

Used With Permission From the Artist

Handler lives in Fearrington Village, and is the author of "Almost a Jew: One Man's Search for God."

Briar Chapel Enjoys National Press Coverage

In case you haven't already seen it, the Associated Press ran the following story recently that featured Briar Chapel: "Homebuilder sentiment index rises in August." This story was picked up by a number of major news outlets around the country, including: New York Times, ABC News, Houston Chronicle, Union-Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, and more.

This led to a number of other follow-up stories, which also mention Briar Chapel...

Salt Lake Tribune: Home building rises for a fifth month; San Jose Mercury News: Single-family home building rises for 5th month; New Brunswick Business Journal: Construction of US homes falls one per cent in July...; Examiner.com: US home construction falls 1 percent...; The Plain Dealer: New-home construction flat, but builders optimistic of housing

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.

Triangle Green Home Tour Coming Soon!

The 4th Annual Green Home Tour has been expanded to two weekends in 2009: Apr 25-26 and May 2-3. This free, self-guided event will feature 36 entries in six counties.

As usual, the tour will allow you to examine a number of green building features in a wide variety of homes in all styles and price points -- ranging from Habitat and entry-level homes to luxury custom entries.

This year, Briar Chapel will have five homes on the tour, which are listed below. However, it is important to remember that ALL homes in Briar Chapel are required to achieve at least the bronze-level of certification upon completion.

1190 Great Ridge Parkway (McNeill-Burbank)
1194 Great Ridge Parkway (McNeill-Burbank)
1256 Great Ridge Parkway (Vanguard)
1269 Great Ridge Parkway (M/I Homes)
256 Windy Knoll Circle (Chatham Builders Guild)

To learn more about the tour, visit the HBA-DOC website.

Briar Chapel Townhomes Now Underway

McNeill-Burbank has broken ground on their much-anticipated townhomes near the pool! The first of these units will be ready this summer, and each will have a master bedroom on the main floor with direct access to a private courtyard. They come in sizes ranging from 1925-2500 sqft, and are available in 3/4-bedroom, 2.5/3.5-bath configurations. Basements are also available.

Priced from the mid-$200s to high-$300s, these townhomes are sure to be popular with those looking for maintenance-free living in Briar Chapel. If interested, please contact me so that I can tell you about the current incentives being offered and setup a meeting to view floor plans.

Briar Chapel Middle School May Benefit from Federal Stimulus Package

Congressman Bob Etheridge met with Chatham County and school officials recently to discuss the money that the state will receive from the federal stimulus package. A number of local projects may benefit, including construction of Briar Chapel Middle School and renovation of Northwood High School. View the full story, as reported by NBC 17.

First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit

In its efforts to stimulate the economy and revive the housing market, Congress has enacted legistlation providing a tax credit of up to $8000 for qualified first-time homebuyers purchasing a principal residence on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009.

Learn how you can take advantage of this tax credit to buy a home in Briar Chapel.

Groundbreaking Ceremony for Briar Chapel Middle School

Community leaders were on hand last Thursday (1/29) just off Andrews Store Road to break ground on the new site of Briar Chapel Middle School. The new 120,000 sqft site will be home to a new $26.5 million facility that is built to be energy efficient and LEED certified, making it Chatham County's first green school.

Read the full story that News 14 published, which includes video coverage of the event.

Tree Spade Earthcasts at Briar Chapel

If you've been to Briar Chapel, you undoubtedly noticed the large earthcast sculptures that adorn the traffic circle near the Briar Club and pool. These were created by Thomas Sayre, a Raleigh-based artist and co-founder of Clearscapes, a multi-disciplinary design firm.

Sayre’s large-scale sculpture and public artworks are installed worldwide, from Atlanta to Portland, and from Turkey to Thailand. Thomas is probably best known for the Gyre, the monumental earthcast rings he created at the NC Museum of Art. His local works also include the Shimmer Wall at the Raleigh Convention Center, the gleaming marble World Wall at Marbles Kids Museum, and the Pas de Chat outside the Progress Center for the Performing Arts on Lichtin Plaza.

Currently, Sayer is exhibiting two new bodies of work at the NCSU Gregg Museum of Art & Design. Similar to the installation at Briar Chapel, he is displaying a group of site-specific earthcasts made from a commercial tree spade. To see how he creates these sculptures, check out this time-lapse video on his website.

Briar Chapel Middle School Groundbreaking Ceremony Scheduled

On Monday, the Chatham County Board of Education announced that a groundbreaking ceremony for the new middle school in Briar Chapel has been scheduled to be held on Thursday, Jan. 29th at 9:00 a.m.

According to Chatham County Schools Superintendent Robert Logan, the new middle school is projected to open in August 2010, and will cost an estimated $27 million. Here are just some of the details:

• 650 student capacity / 800 core
• LEED Silver Certified

Learn more about Chatham County Schools.

Briar Club Achieves LEED Silver Certification

Newland Communities recently announced that Briar Chapel's community clubhouse, the Briar Club, has earned LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver status. Here is the full press release:

Triangle’s Largest Green Community Receives Green Building Certification

Chapel Hill, N.C. – Newland Communities’ Briar Chapel, a 1,589-acre mixed-use community in Chatham County, has achieved Silver certification for its community clubhouse under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System™ from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The LEED for New Construction certification was obtained for the community’s 11,000-square-foot clubhouse. The building is the first Newland-owned community building to receive LEED certification. The LEED standard, created by the USGBC, is a third-party certification system and a benchmark for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

Briar Chapel received points for the Silver certification level under the LEED for New Construction, which is the second of four levels of certification. Some of the sustainable and green elements incorporated into the facility include:

• 95 percent of space is daylight accessible
• Low emitting materials such as low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paints, composite woods and agricultural fibers
• Water consumption reduced by 40 percent through low-flow toilets and showerheads
• 50 percent more efficient landscaping by using indigenous plants and a rainwater harvesting system

The LEED program regulates energy efficiency, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and sustainable sites. The certification is based on a points system, and each category requires specific requirements, which must be met before points are awarded. The LEED for New Construction Rating System is designed to guide and distinguish high-performance commercial and institutional projects, including office buildings, high-rise residential buildings, government buildings, recreational facilities, manufacturing plants and laboratories.

“The certification of Briar Chapel’s clubhouse is a tremendous achievement for the entire Newland Communities team and marks a great accomplishment for our company,” said Keith Hurand, senior vice president, division manager for Newland Communities Carolinas division. “This reflects the level of commitment we have to our homebuyers, as well as Chatham County and North Carolina and establishes Newland as a leading developer that creates healthy, long-lasting communities which preserve and conserve natural resources.”

Briar Chapel opened in September 2008 with more than 900 acres of open space just south of Chapel Hill. It is the largest community in the Triangle to require homebuilders to comply with rigorous new home construction requirements including the Green Building Initiative developed by Green Home Builders of the Triangle and ENERGY STAR®, creating high performance, healthier homes with measurable cost savings for residents and contributing to an improved quality of life.