Briar Chapel Open House Weekend

There are over 40 homes open for viewing in Briar Chapel this weekend (April 27-28). To find these homes, you can either stop by the information center and pickup a copy of the map below, or follow the directional signs throughout the neighborhood. If you do come out, be sure to see the "Madison" at 688 Bennett Mountain Trace (Lot 77) and then head over to 371 Tobacco Farm Way and say hello!

 

Northwood High School Ranked 6th in NC

Congratulations to Northwood High School, which was recently ranked the 6th best high school within North Carolina by US News & World Report. 

Briar Chapel is located in the Chatham County School district. Residents currently attend Perry Harrison Elementary, Margaret Pollard Middle, and Northwood High Schools. Woods Charter School is another popular option with residents, which is located on-site and ranked in the Top 50 Best Public High Schools in the United States.

Briar Chapel Residents Enjoy Award-Winning Cuisine Nearby

The residents of Briar Chapel certainly get to enjoy their fair share of great, award-winning cuisine around the Triangle area.

In January, Durham and its food scene were catapulted into the national spotlight when Southern Living magazine named it the South's Tastiest Town. Durham has more than seven hundred restaurants, which are all within a 15-45 minute drive from Briar Chapel. Of these, 52 independently-owned restaurants have been recognized on a regional or national level.

Back in November, Fearrington House Executive Chef Colin Bedford was acclaimed both regionally and nationally for his sophisticated Southern cuisine, and named Grand Chef by Relais & Châteaux. In his four years as executive chef, Bedford has maintained the Fearrington House Restaurant’s AAA Five Diamond award and also helped Fearrington earn acclaim that includes being ranked one of the top hotel food destinations in the world by Condé Nast Traveler in 2012. Bedford is one of only 21 Grand Chefs in the United States. Fearrington House is about a mile from the entrance to Briar Chapel.

Most recently, Chapel Hill's Lantern Restaurant was nominated for the 2013 James Beard award in the Outstanding Restaurant category, and is a semifinalist for this prestigious award. Chef/owner Andrea Reusing was named Best Chef in the Southeast in 2011. Lantern is located about eight miles from Briar Chapel.

8th Annual Triangle Green Home Tour April 13-14 & 20-21

The 8th Annual Triangle Green Home Tour starts today! This free, self-guided event will feature over 30 entries, and will be held on April 13-14 and 20-21, 2013 from Noon to 5pm.

As always, 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 for Humanity and entry-level homes to custom luxury entries.

This year, Briar Chapel will have seven homes on the tour, which are listed below. However, it is important to remember that ALL homes in Briar Chapel are required to be green-certified upon completion. So, if there is a particular home for sale that you like that's not on the tour, Jennifer Winkler would be happy to arrange a private showing for you. Give her a call at 919-593-3662.

• 688 Bennett Mountain Trace (Homes By Dickerson)
• 502 Bennett Mountain Trace (Forever Home)
• 23 Sagebrush Trail (Forever Home)
• 102 Owen Towne Road (Saussy-Burbank)
• 69 Summersweet Lane (Saussy-Burbank)
• 22 Tobacco Farm Way (Saussy-Burbank)
• 45 Serenity Hill Circle (M/I Homes)

To learn more about the tour, visit www.TriangleGreenHomeTour.com. Otherwise, Peter Winkler has some extra tour guides if you need one - just stop by his office at 371 Tobacco Farm Way in Briar Chapel. You can also view a virtual list of homes on the tour by downloading the iPhone or Android app.

Woods Charter School Ranked in Top 50 Public High Schools

Woods Charter School, one of the schools here in Briar Chapel, made the list of Top 50 Public High Schools in the U.S.

This public, charter school offers a challenging preparation for attendance at university, with an emphasis on character development. The school has a long history of strong student performance as measured by state testing, AP pass rates, and SAT and ACT scores. The school is often recognized for its small class sizes, close student-teacher relationships, and a caring school community.

Awards, Rankings, and Alumni:

• Rated among the Top 200 High Schools by the Washington Post
• 52% of faculty have advanced degrees
• North Carolina Honor School of Excellence
• 90% of seniors enrolled in AP courses

Homes By Dickerson Inventory Homes

In case you don't have time to build a home from scratch, there are still plenty of opportunities for you to find a home in Briar Chapel. You may consider a resale, such as the one we posted recently, or one of the new inventory homes being built by a member of the builder team.

Since Homes By Dickerson was just selected as the "Builder of the Month" by Newland (the developer of Briar Chapel), we thought it was appropriate to highlight a list of their inventory homes. This is in addition to the 15 pre-sale homes they're in the process of building to customer’s specifications.

Move-in Ready!

• Millhaven: 1856 Briar Chapel Pkwy, Lot 473
  3br, master down, 2.5ba, 2004sf, $305,000 (MLS#1858126)
• Jackson II: 1878 Briar Chapel Pkwy, Lot 475
  4br, master up, 3ba, 2285sf, $310,000 (MLS#1858128)

Ready in April

• Finley: 1862 Briar Chapel Pkwy, Lot 474
  3br, master up, 2.5ba, 2000sf, unfinished 3rd, $304,900 (MLS#1863917)
• Oberlin Ranch: 463 N. Serenity Hill Cir, Lot 617
  3br, master down, 2ba, 2000sf, $310,800 (MLS#1866886)
• Finley: 444 Tobacco Farm Way, Lot 621
  3br, master up, 2.5ba, 2000sf, unfinished 3rd, $311,950 (MLS#1867217)
• Madison: 688 Bennett Mountain Trace, Lot 77
  4br, master down, 4ba, 3201sf, $494,900 (MLS#1861951)
  Green Home Tour Entry

Ready in May

• St. James: 699 Bennett Mountain Trace, Lot 92
  5br, master down, 4.5ba, 3559sf, $533,900 (MLS#1866914)

Ready in June/July

• Oberlin Ranch: 2154 Briar Chapel Pkwy, Lot 483
  3br, master down, 2ba, 2000sf, $315,250 (MLS#1875933)
• Montclair: 335 Dark Forest Dr, Lot 15
  4br, master down, 3.5ba, 2900sf, $422,135 (MLS#1867118)
• Oakmont: 649 Bennett Mountain Trace, Lot 91
  4br, master down, 3.5ba, 3511sf, $534,900 (MLS#1873524)

If you would like to schedule a showing of any of these homes, or would like more information on other available homes in Briar Chapel, please call Jennifer Winkler at 919-593-3662.

Just Listed: 60 Hill Creek Blvd

If you or someone you know is looking to get into Briar Chapel for under $225K, then you'll want to be sure to check out Jen's new listing at 60 Hill Creek Blvd.

Whether you prefer to enjoy the great views from the wrap-around front porch, or the solitude of the fenced-in back yard from the large screened porch, this home has both! Here are just some of the highlights:

• Green-Certified Craftsman Cottage
• Built by Saussy-Burbank in 2011
• 3 Beds & 2.5 Baths
• 1500 sqft two-level detached home
• Fenced back yard w/ storage shed
• Wrap-around front porch
• Screened-in back porch
• Fireplace w/ built-ins on each side
• Hardwoods on main level
• Granite & subway tile in kitchen
• Priced for quick sale at $222,900

This home won't last long! So, if you know of anyone who might be interested, please have them get in touch with Jennifer Winkler ASAP at 919-593-3662.

5th Annual Briar Chapel 5K & Earth Day Celebration on April 20th

I hope you will join us for the 5th Annual Briar Chapel 5K & Earth Day Celebration on April 20th from 9:30am to 1pm!

The 5K race and kids fun run will begin at 9:30am near the new Boulder Park and wind through Briar Chapel's roads and parks. A live DJ will be on-hand to entertain spectators, and runners can enjoy post-race massages, as well as refreshments from local vendors.

Advanced registration is $20 and includes a locally-made organic t-shirt and goodie bag. The chip-timed course is a USATF-certified course (download map). Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 male and top 3 female finishers, as well as age group winners. If interested, you can register here.

After the race, Briar Chapel will be hosting an Earth Day Celebration from 11-1pm where you can enjoy beer from Carolina Brewery and refuel with various food truck offerings from Parlez Vous Crêpes, Great American Meltdown, and The Parlour! Other activities include live music from Vintage Hwy, cornhole, bocci, horseshoes, and other games. Attendees can also plant seedlings to take home and start a garden, take part in a building activity with NC Planetarium, decorate a flower pot with the Scrap Exchange, and more! The post-race party is free and open to the public.

Proceeds from these two events benefit the Abundance Foundation, whose purpose is to increase public awareness of sustainable energy usage and local food consumption.

Upcoming Events Near Briar Chapel

Looking for something fun to do near Briar Chapel during the month of February? Here are a few options within a short 15 minute drive...

• Attend TEDxUNC, the Chapel Hill version of the original TEDx conference that began 26 years ago, which will be held this Saturday (9th) from 9am to 12:30pm in Memorial Hall on UNC's campus. Featured speakers will include Andrea Reusing (chef-owner of Lantern and James Beard Award nominee) and fashion designer Alexander Julian. Visit www.tedxunc.com for ticket info.

• Sample local craft beers while tasting cheese, charcuterie and more at Southern Season's Beer Extravaganza this Friday from 5-8pm. Visit www.southernseason.com for more info. 

• Browse the diverse artwork for sale at the annual Fearrington Folk Art Show on Saturday & Sunday, February 16-17 from 10am-5pm. Visit www.fearrington.com for more info.

Boulder Park Coming to Briar Chapel

Briar Chapel will be unveiling a new park in April, it's largest one to date!

Boulder Park, named after the massive boulders that were found while grading the site of this picturesque two acre landscape, will include a number of new amenities for residents to enjoy. These include a fire pit, pergola, bocce ball courts, horseshoe pits, chess/checkers tables, vineyard and community garden.

Here is a rendering of what the park may look like once complete...

If you are interested in building a home adjacent to Boulder Park, please contact Jen Winkler at 919-593-3662.

Nest Learning Thermostats Gaining Popularity in Briar Chapel

A growing number of Briar Chapel homeowners and builders are installing the Nest Learning Thermostat in their high-perforamance homes to improve efficiency and comfort.

This nifty little device was designed by Tony Fadell, the guy who designed Apple's iPod. In addition to its sleek looks, the Nest is the world’s first smart thermostat that can adapt to your lifestyle. While ordinary thermostats require you to program them to turn on and off at certain times and temperatures (which most people never do), the Nest features sensors and algorithms that automatically adjust to the way you live.

For example, it can sense whether you're home or not, and then build a model of temperatures that feel comfortable to you based on adjustments you make to the unit. In short, it uses all this information to create a temperature schedule that’s personalized to your lifestyle - one that keeps you comfortable while saving energy.

Another great feature of the Nest is its connectivity to the Internet. This allows you to control it with an iPhone, or download updated software as it becomes available.

Check out this video to see the unit in action...

Weather Forecast for Briar Chapel this Saturday: SNOW!

Briar Chapel is hosting a Winter Wonderland this Saturday from 2-4pm, and you're invited.

At the event, children of all ages will get to enjoy:

• snow & sledding (!!!)
• greeting Santa
• decorating cookies
• writing letters to Santa
• hot chocolate and cider
• making eco-friendly wreaths and snowflakes with the Scrap Exchange
• mingling with residents to learn what the Briar Chapel lifestyle is all about

Toys-for-Tots will also be accepting donated, unwrapped toys.

If you attend the event, be sure to stop by and see Peter at the Homes By Dickerson model home located at 371 Tobacco Farm Way (right where the event is being staged).

Briar Chapel Featured In November Issue of Builder & Developer Magazine

Builder and Developer magazine, a national homebuilding trade magazine, recently featured Briar Chapel in its November issue. Readers of the publication typically include top industry executives, sales and marketing teams, architects, desigers, engineers and suppliers.

The article explores how Newland Communities (the developer of Briar Chapel) is committed to deliver a community based on aspects of protecting the natural environment and providing a leading ecological lifestyle. It also focuses on two members of the building team, Homes By Dickerson and Saussy Burbank, and how they are creating original homes by thinking in terms of sustainability and longevity.

Read the article online.

Making Sense of Home Energy Ratings

When looking at the high-performance homes being built in Briar Chapel, you will often hear us refer to a home's "HERS" rating. Let's take a minute to explain what this is and how it helps predict energy consumption.

The HERS (Home Energy Rating System) Index is a scoring system which was developed to provide a standard measurement of a home’s energy efficiency and expected energy costs.

HERS is the housing equivalent of MPG (miles per gallon) with cars & trucks.

It is based on a standard new home built to code, which is given a score of 100 on the HERS Index. The lower a home’s score, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the same home built to code. More specifically, each 1-point decrease in the HERS Index corresponds to a 1% reduction in energy consumption.

This translates directly into savings on utility costs for the new homeowner. For example, one particular 2004 sqft home in Briar Chapel with a HERS score of 66 is estimated to cost only $1342 to operate per year! That includes electricity, natural gas, water heating, heating/cooling, and service charges.

The high-performance homes in Briar Chapel typically score between 54-72 on the HERS Index, which means they are 28-46% more efficient than similar homes built to code. More impressive is the fact that these high-performance homes can be over 48-66% more efficient than homes which are ten years old! All builders in Briar Chapel are required to use independent energy auditors to determine the HERS scores of each home they build, so they can provide this information to new homeowners and earn the ENERGY STAR and NAHB Green Certified ratings (among others) as well.

To learn more about the HERS Index, including how it is calculated by a home energy rater, I encourage you to visit http://www.resnet.us.home-energy-ratings. If you want to better understand how green-built homes bring you increased comfort, a healthier living environment, and lower utility costs while lessening the impact on the environment, please reach out to one of us. We would be happy to provide additional info.

4th Annual 6BC Endurance Bike Race & 7th Annual Fat Tire Festival this Sunday!

The 4th Annual 6BC Endurance Bike Race and 7th Annual Fat Tire Festival are coming to Briar Chapel this Sunday, November 18th!

 

Starting at 9am, join Briar Chapel residents as they cheer on the race participants, who will be ranked by how many laps they can complete within six hours. To register for the race, click here. A kids race will begin at 2pm. To register for this (shorter) race, click here.

 

After the race, you'll want to stick around and enjoy the Fat Tire Festival, which includes a kids race, trail rides, exhibitors, and plenty of great food and drinks. Food will be provided by Parlez Vous Crepes and Klausie’s Pizza, with drinks provided by Fullsteam Brewery.

 

Be sure to RSVP for the Fat Tire Festival if you plan to attend.