Triangle Area Real Estate News & Information - Larry Tollen

Raleigh & Durham Named 7th Best Place to Live In The U.S.!

U.S. News & World Report recently ranked the Raleigh/Durham area as the seventh best place to live in the U.S.! With an overall score 7.2 out of 10, this area showed impressive scores in net migration as well as value and desirability; area that seem to go hand in hand. Raleigh and Durham beat out other major metropolitan areas such as Boston, San Francisco, and Nashville, while Austin took the first place ranking with an overall score of 7.8.

Every year, U.S. News & World Report releases their list of the top 100 metropolitan cities in the U.S. based on how the populations scores each city based on five categories: desirability, value, job market, quality of life, and net migration.

Here's how Raleigh and Durham ranked on the scorecard:

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Building From The Ground Up: The Pros & Cons Of Different Foundation Types

Types Of Foundations

When it comes to building a new home, it all starts with a solid foundation. Most people take their homes’ foundation for granted, especially if they come from another part of the country. People from the Midwest are used to having a basement, while people in Florida are accustomed to having homes built on a slab.

But for people who relocate to the Triangle, or even those who have been here awhile, thinking about the different kinds of foundations is likely unfamiliar territory, because all kinds can be found here. Understanding the different kinds of foundations, and the pros and cons of each, is important for anyone considering buying a home here.

There are three basic kinds of foundation, each with its pros and cons:

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Community Spotlight: Claremont South in Chapel Hill, NC

Straddling the line between Carrboro and Chapel Hill, Saussy Burbank’s Claremont South community has something for everyone. From its quality crafted unique homes to the community itself, which borders Bolin Creek and offers numerous amenities, Claremont South homes for sale give buyers the opportunity to settle somewhere convenient, safe, tranquil, and beautiful.

With a significant price range, Claremont South is perfect for young families, professionals, retirees, and more, making Claremont South a diverse neighborhood that is desirable among a large group of buyers.

More About Claremont South Real Estate

With 14 unique floor plans at varying prices, Chapel Hill real estate in Claremont South has something for everyone. Open concept…

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What You Need To Know About Buying A Home In A Floodplain

When buying a home, something you need to know is whether it’s located in a floodplain. Knowing what and where they are can help you make better decisions about buying a home and obtaining the proper insurance. You may think of floodplains being limited to areas affected by hurricanes and tropical storms, and while this is true, floodplains can exist almost anywhere there’s low lying land and rain.

How To Know If You're Home Is In A Floodzone

By definitions, a floodplain is any area that is likely to have flooding from rising water levels in a river, a stream, lake, or tidal area. It may surprise some people to know that flooding is the biggest natural disaster that occurs in the United States.

An area can get flooded from several causes,…

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Hot New Durham Development: 555 Magnum

If there’s a new project in Durham to get excited about, it’s 555 Magnum Flats. Located right beside the Durham Bulls Athletic Park at the corner of Jackie Robinson Drive and South Roxboro Street, this up-and-coming development couldn’t be more perfectly located for tech startups or a medium-sized agency or firm. The project, which was announced in June of last year, is slated to begin construction in the early months of this year and the commercial spaces should be available for move-in as soon as fall 2018.

About 555 Magnum

555 Magnum Flats will be one of the most revolutionary mixed-use developments in the Triangle area. So far, just the commercial building has been approved for development while the upscale apartment units are still being…

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NC Home Builder Spotlight: Homes by Dickerson

Homes by Dickerson builds high-performance homes around customers’ lives.

One of the nation’s leading builders of high-performance homes can be found right here in the Triangle. Homes by Dickerson is known for building homes to the highest environmental and energy-efficient standards, but what they do best is create happy homeowners.

Every home built by Homes by Dickerson is Energy Star® rated, but it doesn’t stop there. “Energy Star® is just the start,” said Julia Reinert, Marketing Manager for Homes by Dickerson, adding that the company also builds all of its homes to meet the National Green Building standard and North Carolina HERO code.

The reason for building this way is simple. “It’s our passion,” Reinert said. “All of our homes are…

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6 Must-Try Restaurants In The Triangle Area

When you are looking for a great place to eat in the Triangle, it may be difficult to decide where to go to first. For an area its size, the Triangle boasts a great variety of fine dining establishments, and the number is growing due to the many foodies in the area. Southern Living magazine has even called Durham the "South’s Tastiest Town".

Here are some restaurants you want to be sure to try:

The Fearrington House Restaurant

This restaurant should not be overlooked for its fine food and luxurious style. It is located south of Chapel Hill in the The Fearrington House Inn hotel, and is the only 5-star Green Certified restaurant in the U.S. It is also heralded as one of the top 100 restaurants in the country. They grow their own food on the…

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Croasdaile Farms: Quiet, Rural Living, Minutes from the City

Just minutes from the busy downtown Durham lies Croasdaile Farms, a residential development that offers quiet, country living with easy access to all the city has to offer.

Croasdaile Farm was built on the site of a sprawling 1,100-acre dairy farm of the same name, established in the early 20th century. Over the decades, while the farm continued to operate, the city of Durham grew up nearby, and the area took on an increasingly urban and suburban feel.

To meet the needs of a growing community, the farmland was subdivided and development began in the 1980s. However, a strict set of architectural and community-wide standards were established to preserve the rural feel and natural beauty of the land.

Today, Croasdaile Farm is a planned…

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Future-Proof Your Home: Remodelling Your Home To Age In Place

When it comes to retirement, there are a lot of things people look forward to, like golf, travel and hobbies. But they don’t look forward to moving into assisted living facilities. Many prefer to "age in place" and stay in their existing homes as long as possible.

This may sound like a daunting, expensive proposition, but a little planning can go a long way, according to Joe Norwood, owner of Manor House Renovations. "People don’t want to move from their home when they retire," said Norwood. "But most aren’t proactive when it comes to future-proofing their homes as they age."

Joe Norwood is a "Certified Aging in Place Specialist" and Manor House Renovations is one of the Triangle area’s leading home remodeling companies, focusing on modifying…

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About Village Hearth: New Cohousing Units To Offer Boomers A Sense Of Community

As the demand for 55+ communities continues to build in the Triangle area, a group of passionate boomers is looking to bring a new solution to the table. A new cohousing community known as Village Hearth is in the works to offer those entering their retirement years an alternative to conventional CCRC’s and active adult communities, where a strong sense of community and sustainability is the key to health and vitality. Village Hearth will provide a safe and welcoming space for LGBTs, friends, and allies to comfortably age with the perfect balance of private living and social engagement.

Village Hearth will be modeled after a thriving community called Oakcreek in Stillwater, Oklahoma, which features cottage-style homes in sets of four with several…

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