Video: Reasons to Love Briar Chapel

Kudos to Emily Pike again for another excellent video for Briar Chapel's Best Buddy Contest. This one is entitled, "Reasons to Love Briar Chapel," and does a great job capturing the great lifestyle we enjoy here. Be sure to come out on the 21st for a screening of videos under the stars on the Briar Commons during the Earth Day Celebration.

Video: Briar Chapel's Community Garden

Kudos to Emily Pike, a resident of Briar Chapel, for this video of The Briar Patch Community Garden for the Best Buddy Contest...

Briar Chapel Developer & Builders Win Top Honors at 2012 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. The event was held last night at the LEED Silver Certified Raleigh Convention Center.

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 following winners at Briar Chapel for this accomplishment!

Building Company of the Year

Homes By Dickerson

Best Bronze-Level Green-Built Home

Homes By Dickerson

Best Use of Social Media by a Company

Homes By Dickerson

Best Use of Social Media by a Community

Newland Communities

Best Merchandising for a Detached Home

Homes By Dickerson

Marketing Professional of the Year

 Hillary Morrow, M/I Homes of Raleigh

Building Superintendent of the Year

Mike Mehringer, Homes By Dickerson

Internet Specialist of the Year

Reyna Estrada, M/I Homes of Raleigh

Sales Volume Milestones
Linda Bohling, Homes By Dickerson
Michele Upchurch, Saussy Burbank
Rob Jamison, Homes By Dickerson

Video: Homes By Dickerson's High-Performance Model Home

Kudos to Merle Braley, a resident of Briar Chapel, for this video on some of the green features of Homes By Dickerson's high-performance model home for the Best Buddy Contest...

Save the Date: 7th Annual Green Home Tour in May

Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for the 7th Annual Green Home Tour, which will be kicking off in Briar Chapel this year! The tour will be held on the following Saturdays and Sundays in May: 5-6 & 12-13, 2012 from Noon to 6pm.

The annual Green Home Tour is a free, self-guided event that enables potential homebuyers and other interested individuals to examine a variety of green building features in homes of all price ranges and styles. There will be 26 homes on the tour this year, including 7 homes in Briar Chapel alone. 

Tour guides for the event will become available in late-April. I'll post a link to the online version here once it becomes available, so check back often.

Several Briar Chapel Builders Named 2011 Green Partners of the Year

Congratulations to Homes By Dickerson, M/I Homes and Saussy-Burbank for being named 2011 Green Partners of the Year by the NAHB Research Center. These members of Briar Chapel's builder team were among only a handful of residential building companies from across the U.S. who were recognized for their outstanding commitment and leadership in building high-performance green homes.

"This is the first year since the Research Center began offering certification services that we have presented awards to our program partners," said Research Center President Michael Luzier. "After administering the program for three years, we felt compelled to recognize the significant commitment to green certification, innovation in building science, and leadership in the residential construction industry that our partners have displayed. We are awed by what these companies are achieving in the field and the market transformation they are accomplishing."

In addition to these builders, Southern Energy Management was also named a Green Partner of the Year for being a advocate of the certification program. They are responsible for certifying the high-performance homes being built in Briar Chapel.

For more information on the Research Center’s certification program, visit www.nahbgreen.org/certification.

20th Annual Parade of Playhomes Fundraiser

Saussy Burbank, one of the builders here in Briar Chapel, is participating in the 20th Annual Parade of Playhomes Fundraiser going on now.

Their entry, "Firehouse #1" (pictured here) is on display until April 7th at The Streets at Southpoint in Durham, and at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham from April 9-May 6, 2012.

This custom playhome, along with one other, is being raffled off and a third playhome will be auctioned off on eBay. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to local organizations that help prevent child abuse.

For details on the raffle and auction, or to see photos of the other two entries, visit the Parade of Playhomes website.

Briar Chapel's "Best Buddy" Contest Ends April 15th

Do you love Briar Chapel and living a green lifestyle? If so, Newland (the developer) is running a fun "Best Buddy" contest to encourage you to share your enthusiasm with others through YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, personal blogs, and other social media outlets.

Although the contest started on March 2nd, you still have until April 15th to participate. Here is how it works... each week, you will have the opportunity to earn a maximum of 50 points by completing various tasks, such as checking in on FourSquare at the Bark Park. Up to 25 of these points can be earned by completing challenges posted on Newland's blog each week, which are mandatory. The other 25 points can be earned by promoting the community through a number of different methods mentioned here.

Participants with the most points each week will be rewarded with iTunes cards, certificates to local restaurants, gas cards, and the like. The Grand Prize winner will win a “Buddy” scooter at the Earth Day Celebration on April 21st, similar to the one pictured above.

For official contest rules and registration information, visit Newland's blog.

Homes Sales Up 35% in the Triangle

Over the past few weeks, there have been a number of indications that consumer confidence continues to improve.

First, there was the report that Warren Buffett was bullish on real estate.

Then, Bloomberg reported that consumer confidence rose to a four-year high, which seems to coincide with gains in employment and a rally in stock prices.

Better-than-estimated economic reports sent the S&P's 500 Index over 1,400 for the first time in almost four years, and gave the Dow Jones Industrial Average its longest rally in 13 months.

Most recently, our local News & Observer ran a cover story showing the Triangle had its strongest sales jump in four years in February and home sales are up 35 percent over 2011. We have certainly felt the surge in activity at Briar Chapel - what are you waiting for?!?

Course Map Now Available for 2012 Briar Chapel 5K

The 2012 Briar Chapel 5K is six weeks away... still plenty of time to get prepared!

This year's race follows a brand-new, USATF-certified, scenic course throughout Briar Chapel. Why certified, you might ask? Well, courses must be certified for any road running performance to be accepted as a record or to be ranked nationally. Furthermore, running a race on a certified course allows you to accurately compare your time to performances run on other certified courses because you can be sure the distances were the same. No one can truly establish a personal best if the course distance is not accurate.

For more information about registering for the race and the Earth Day celebration afterwards, please see my previous post.

To download a larger copy of the course map above, visit the Abundance Foundation's website. All proceeds from the race benefit this great organization.

"Art of Living" Showcase this Saturday

If you have some free time this weekend, I encourage you to stop by and take a walking tour of the neighborhoods of Briar Chapel.

Homes will be open for you to see from 10am-5pm on Saturday and from 12-5pm on Sunday.

On Saturday, there is also going to be an "Art of Living" showcase from 3-5pm in several of the model homes throughout the community. During this event, you will have an opportunity to view the work of local artists while sampling a variety of international wines selected by Fearrington's Wine Director and Sommelier, Maximilian Kast.

See a list of wines he has chosen for the tasting.

I certainly hope to see you this weekend. If you do come, be sure to visit the model home at 371 Tobacco Farm Way and say hello!

Briar Chapel's 2011 Sales Up 13% Over Previous Year

Inman News recently ranked the Triangle as the top real estate market to watch in 2012. This was primarily due to the strength of our local economy, which is being fueled by demand for our universities and research facilities and a strong job market.

In a recent interview with Jeremy Salemson for WRAL.com, Kristy Yule (regional VP of Marketing for Newland Communities) discusses how Briar Chapel is doing in the Triangle real estate market, and how its performance compares to the other 36 communities Newland is building across the country. Watch the entire interview below.

4th Annual Briar Chapel 5K & Earth Day Celebration Scheduled

A number of festivities are planned to celebrate Earth Day 2012 in Briar Chapel this year!

On April 21st, 2012, Briar Chapel will be hosting a 5K race at 9am to benefit The Abundance Foundation, which will be followed by a kids' fun run. Featuring a brand-new course this year, the 4th Annual Briar Chapel 5K has something for everyone. Whether you are a serious competitor, spectator, or just want to come out for a fun run or walk, I hope you will make plans to attend this annual event. You can even bring your running buddy this year -- that's right, dogs and strollers are welcome!

During and after the race, there will be music, local food, massages and more! Advanced registration is $20, or $25 on race day, and includes a locally-made organic cotton t-shirt, goodie bag and a Fullsteam beer ticket you can be redeemed at the afternoon's event. Awards will be given for the top 3 male and female finishers. The course is USATF-certified (pending).

The Earth Day Celebration continues in the afternoon from 3-5pm with hands-on demos and exhibitions from local businesses and organizations, artists and athletes, food and drink artisans, and Chatham County's first ever Food Truck Rodeo! The food trucks already confirmed are Chirba Chirba, Pie Pushers, Parlour, Will & Pop's, Fullsteam Brewery, and Carolina Brewery. Similar to the recent Pepper Festival, there will also be bubbles, hoopers and face painting for the young and young at heart.

At dusk (from 5-7pm) there will be some short films shown from Briar Chapel’s sustainability PSA contest, as well as a screening of Wall-E on the lawn. The event is free, but the more you support the food & beer trucks, the more you support The Abundance Foundation. Bring your hungry friends and family!

There are 11 weeks until the race - plenty of time to get ready! If you need a little help, I suggest you check out the Couch-to-5K program.

New Model Home Open in Briar Chapel

Throughout the month of January, Briar Chapel has been featuring Homes By Dickerson in its "Builder of the Month" series. If you haven't had a chance to read about the interviews, I encourage you to check out my earlier post.

Homes By Dickerson currently offers a dozen floorplans to choose from in Briar Chapel, ranging in size from 2,000-2,900 sqft with prices starting in the $250s. Five of these plans offer a first-floor master bedroom, including the new Millhaven model home that recently opened across from the Briar Commons park in Phase 5 North (shown here).

This particular plan has a flexible layout with optional one- or two-sided fireplace, open kitchen, and elegant master suite on the main floor. The model also features a large screened porch with plenty of room for dining and entertaining, and a 2-car detached garage.

The second floor includes two additional bedrooms with a full bath, large loft area, and abundant storage. For more photos of the model, check out the virtual tour.

Whether you are searching for the privacy of a more wooded homesite, or something closer to the action - just steps away from the parks and pools - Homes By Dickerson may have just what you're looking for.

Take some time to visit their new model home at 371 Tobacco Farm Way, and see why they have such a great reputation as a green builder.

Consider Energy & Cost Savings Before Finalizing Purchase Decision

If you are in the market to purchase a home, you are likely considering both new homes and older ones listed for resale. Since Briar Chapel consists only of green-certified homes, I would suggest you also consider a third category of homes before finalizing your purchase decision: high-performance homes.

In some cases, location may trump all other buying considerations. For example, if you want to live in a particular neighborhood or area, an older existing home may be your only option (unless you tear it down and rebuild). Otherwise, newly built homes can offer fewer hassles/repairs, less maintenance, higher efficiency, and increased customization. Just keep in mind - not all new homes are built the same!

Consider the chart above, for instance, which compares the annual energy cost for three different sized homes. For example, it shows the annual energy cost of a 2,400 sqft home in Briar Chapel to be approximately $390 less than a similar new home built to code elsewhere. That amounts to $3,120 in savings over an 8-year period, the average amount of time folks tend to live in a home. Similarly, it shows you could save about $6,304 over the same period compared to a home that is 15-years old - the equivalent of several mortgage payments!

Of course, energy cost savings is only one of the reasons you should consider buying a new high-performance home. Other benefits include a healthier indoor environment, increased level of comfort, more durable materials, higher market and resale value, and the list goes on...

Source: Southern Energy Management, the third-party company that conducts performance testing and green program verification on all homes built in Briar Chapel.