Carrboro, NC

The holiday season is fast approaching. If fighting the crowds, the long lines and the parking lot at the Carrboro Post Office hold no appeal to you, drive on down 54 west to Harry's Market.

The have a contract post office with friendly staff and rarely a wait. In addition, you can shop for gifts, vitamins, grass fed beef, yummy baked goods and there is always a surprise.

During fall (if we ever GET fall) there is music on Friday and Satruday evenings. Wood fired baked pizza is available. Bring your folding chairs and relax!

Raleigh Relocation Information

Carrboro New Homes Getting More Expensive

Impact Fees Increasing in Orange County in 2011

There are a multitude of different permits and fees required to build any new home. Orange County and Chapel Hill have long had some of the highest fees in the Triangle.

And they're going up.

These fee increases were approved in December 2008, with new increases taking affect each January.

Carrboro New Homes - Orange County School District Changes

School district impact fees in Orange County have been $3,000 per single family home since 2001.

On January 1, 2010, school district impact fees increased to $3749 per home.

On January 1 2011, these fees will be increasing again, as part of a yearly increase for each of three years.

Orange County Schools District impact fees will increase from $3749 to $4686 at the end of 2010, with an even more significant increase in 2012. This is an increase of 56% in the cost of this impact fee over two years time, for new single family homes, and again, these fees are separate from all other building permits and fees.

What does this fee increase mean? The exact same new home in Chapel Hill NC will cost $937 more if impact fees are paid in 2011 (at the start of construction), than in 2010 - an increase of 25%. There's still time to build in 2010 in Chapel Hill - talk to your builder.

Chapel Hill and Orange County continues to be one of the most sought after areas of the Triangle - and it's going to be a little more expensive to build a new home there now.

Carrboro New Homes - Building in the Chapel Hill or Carrboro City School Districts?

Before January 1, 2009, the Chapel Hill School District Impact Fees were $4407 per home. On January 1, 2009, these impact fees increased by 38%, or $1685 per home.

On January 1, 2010, the Chapel Hill School District Impact Fees increased again, to $7616 per home, another 25% increase. These impact fees are in addition to the building permit fees, water fees, and sewer fees required to build a new home in Chapel Hill.

On January 1, 2011, Chapel Hill School District fees will increase NEARLY $2000 per home, to $9520 per home.

Looking to build a new home in Carrboro soon? Apply for permits as soon as possible - as long as all permits are approved and paid before the end of the year, you can still build at 2010 costs.

Otherwise, your new home will cost $1904 more after January 1st, 2011.

Orange County, NC New Home Resources:

Orange County New Home Communities

Orange County NC New Homes

Orange County NC Property Tax Rates 2011

Acreage Homes in Orange County

Orange County Accessible Home Builders

Golf Community Homes in Orange County

Build On Your Lot in Orange County, NC

If you love nature and the outdoors, biking, trail running or simply strolling along listening to the birds singing, Chapel Hill and Carrboro have some easily accessible ways to get out and enjoy your passion! Part of a planned system of greenways throughout North Carolina's Triangle ( anchored by Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill) are plenty of easily accessible trails running along the streams and through the forests that are part of the Triangle's treasure. Quite a number of the trails can be reached by local residents right in their own communities.

A short stroll through my own neighborhood and I am exploring The Bolin Creek In Winter:

This map shows the area where I filmed this video:

Carrboro is probably the most walkable community in the Triangle and that is not an accident. Sidewalks, bikeways and greenways, many connecting with Carrboro's sister community of Chapel Hill and finally with the larger Triangle greenway system is a community goal. Click here for a printable map of the sidewalks, bikeways and greenways in Carrboro, NC.

If this sounds like your kind of town, give me a call! I can help you find a home with nature on your doorstep!

Home Search: To set up an automated search for the home of your dreams, click Triangle Home Search and enter your dreams!

Your Home’s Value: If you are planning on selling your home, it would be our pleasure to provide a no-obligation valuation of your home. Click Your Home’s Value and enter the requested information.

Neighborhood Update: If you would like to receive email notification of real estate transactions in your neighborhood or other neighborhoods, click Neighborhood Updates and we will add you to the system. You may select as many neighborhoods as you wish.

This is an opportunity to help build The Mountains to Sea Trail, an ambitious 1000 mile trail across our beautiful state of North Carolina, which will someday stretch from the Tennessee state line to the Atlantic Ocean!

The trail traverses Orange County through the northern community of Cedar Grove as it follows back roads and crosses NC86 and NC57 from Bryan Park in Alamance County on the way to Durham County where the trail is close to the Eno River State Park.

From there the trail heads through Northern Durham County toward Shinleaf State Recreation Area at Falls Lake, crossing I85 and US15 on the way to Guilford County. Clicking the hot links in this paragraph will take you to the topo maps and trailheads in Google maps. You can follow along the entire trail using these maps.

Today's efforts in Orange and Durham Counties begin at 9am at the Cabe Lands parking lot and "the work involves constructing new natural surface hiking trail, and will involve clearing brush, moving logs, picking up debris, and constructing the trail surface."

If you would like to check out other work days across the state visit Help Build the Trail or you can help in other ways by visiting How You Can Help

Governor Perdue has declared October 2009 as Mountains To Sea Trail Month! This is a wonderful project that will benefit all residents of North Carolina. If you are already enchanted by our own greenway system in the Triangle, imagine how much fun this statewide system will be! Get involved!