Dawn Grasty - Durham NC Real Estate

Post Written by:

Dawn Grasty, A "New Day" in Triangle Real Estate

Broker, Prudential Carolinas Realty

Phone: 919.210.5418

email: dgrasty@nc.rr.com

Web: www.dgrasty.com

The construction of Parkwood began in the 1960s, and continued into the 1990s, including detached homes, townhomes, and condos. Parkwood is located in SW Durham, just one traffic signal west of the intersection of highways 54 and 55. It's proximity to RTP, I-40, the Durham Freeway, and easy access to Raleigh, Chapel Hill and downtown Durham have helped make it a top selling Durham neighborhood since it's inception. Sales Data for 2007 show that Parkwood has maintained steady appreciation and yet remains an affordable housing option in Southwest Durham.

You'll see that the entrance to Parkwood isn't flashy. There are no high-tech gateways, no gurgling fountains. Instead you're welcomed by an old-school carved wooden placard with the neighborhood's well-known name, surrounded by beautiful seasonal plantings, and both sides of the entry are lined with huge magnolias. What an introduction to the established neighborhood with it's many traditional homes, on large lots with mature trees and shrubs, all surrounded by lush parks and lakes. You'll also find neighborhood pools, a public library, a fire station, a convenience store, houses of worship, an elementary school, and athletic parks. A far cry from many new cookie cutter homes on postage-stamp sized lots! There is so much to love about Parkwood!(Here are the Parkwood Restrictive Covenants and updated bylaws, for your reference.)

One of the best things to love is it's variety of architectural styles, which include the Ranch, the Two-Story, the Contemporary, and the Split-level.

The Ranch
Ranch-style houses are an American original home style that was popular during the 1960s and 1970s. The ranch house is noted for its long, low to the ground profile and create a very informal and casual living style. The ranch has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in recent years. Lucky for Parkwood, as the neighborhood is chock full of them! And, if you're looking for casual living, Parkwood is hard to beat.

The Two Story
Parkwood contains two-story homes with a variety of exterior styles. Some are more colonial in style with tall columns, shutters, and often period ornamentation. Some are more farm-house style with a large covered front porch, perfect for rocking chairs. These homes offer lots of space, usually with most bedrooms upstairs, although occasionally a bedroom on the main floor.

A variation of the traditional two-story, is the split-foyer. The entry is midway between the two levels, and once inside, you can choose stairs up or down stairs. This style is also enjoying a resurgence of popularity. Since their are many of these homes throughout Parkwood, too, that's great news!

The Contemporary
You know them by their odd-sized and often tall windows, their lack of ornamentation, and their unusual mixtures of wall materials--stone, brick, and wood, for instance. Architects designed Contemporary-style homes (in the Modern family) between 1950 and 1970, and created two versions: the flat-roof and gabled types. The latter is often characterized by exposed beams. Both breeds tend to be one-story tall and were designed to incorporate the surrounding landscape into their overall look.

Parkwood contemporaries are usually compact, and often the exterior belies the wonderfully open interiors in the period style.

The Split Level
A Modern style that architects created to sequester certain living activities--such as sleeping or socializing--split levels offers a multilevel alternative to the Ranch. The nether parts of a typical design were devoted to a garage and TV room; the midlevel, which usually jutted out from the two-story section, offered "quieter" quarters, such as the living and dining rooms; and the area above the garage was designed for bedrooms. This has become a very popular choice in recent years, and offers a nice change of floor plan from the more traditional homes. Again, lucky for Parkwood, there are a large number of split level homes to choose from.

Regardless of your architectural style preference, you'll find that Parkwood offers a lot of home for the money. You can search for homes currently available in Parkwood on my website. I'd love to hear from you!

Dawn

Broker

Prudential Carolinas Realty

919-210-5418

Post Written by:

Dawn Grasty, A "New Day" in Triangle Real Estate

Broker, Prudential Carolinas Realty

Phone: 919.210.5418

email: dgrasty@nc.rr.com

Web: www.dgrasty.com

Parkwood is a subdivision in Southwest Durham with excellent access to I-40 and the Durham Freeway (Hwy 147), Research Triangle Park, and The Streets of Southpoint Mall. It's also midway between Chapel Hill and Raleigh, making it an excellent location for couples working in those opposite directions. It's also a breeze to get on the Durham Freeway and head to Duke, Duke Hospital, or the downtown area.

Parkwood is a great neighborhood for first time home buyers, with very affordable homes that have healthy appreciation. Home building in the neighborhood began in the 1960s and continued into the 1990s. You can find a variety of home sizes and styles, all in a very well-maintained environment with parks, lakes, athletic fields, a library, an elementary school, houses of worship, a fire department, a beauty shop, a convenience store, and the Piedmont Wildlife Center.

Parkwood ranked number four in the number of homes sold in Durham subdivisions in 2007. Below are the details of those sales:

Total number of homes sold (includes detached, townhome, and condo sales): 49

Sales price range: $69,900 (for 2 BR / 1 BA condo) to $229,900 (for a 3 BR / 2 BA lakefront home)

Average sale price: $134,900 for the average 3 BR / 2 BA home

Average sale price per square foot: $94 sp/sf

Percent sale price to list price: 99% (sellers were able to get 99% of their asking price)

Average Days on Market: 76 (below Durham's overall average of 87)

**These represent only homes sold in the Triangle MLS. For Sale By Owner and other non-multiple listed homes are not included.

To search for homes currently available in Parkwood, please visit my website: www.dgrasty.com Or, you can call (919.210.5418) or email (dgrasty@nc.rr.com) and I'll do it for you! We're very proud of our neighborhood, and are always looking for new good neighbors!

Honestly, I never imagined myself living in Durham. But here's how it happened. This is a true story!

After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I bought my first home -- a townhome actually -- in Carrboro. I loved the small-town atmosphere and the sense of community there. I thought I would never leave. Then, as I accumulated more "stuff" and desired to live in a neighborhood a little quieter and less "studenty" and a home a little larger, I began looking for a detached home. I quickly found that there were no homes in my price range in neighborhoods that I found attractive in the Chapel Hill and Carrboro areas. So, I slowly began expanding my search, inching just over the Orange County border into Durham County. But, I was nervous about leaving the comfort zone of my home base, I was prepared to give up my dream of a little home of my own and stay in my cramped townhome.

As I began exploring the Southwest Durham area, and began seeing children playing in yards and neighborhood parks there, my fears started turning to excitement. People were out walking dogs, neighbors stood in yards chatting, baseball teams played at neighborhood ball fields, and they seemed perfectly happy! I jokingly created a criteria for choosing my new neighborhood. If the people I passed waved at me when I waved at them, then that neighborhood was a contender. To my surprise, Southwest Durham was full of "wavers".

As I narrowed down neighborhoods with homes I could afford, I was drawn to the older neighborhoods with mature trees and shrubs, walking paths, lakes, and parks. I would never have dreamed that I could afford to live in a neighborhood with the character and beauty these had to offer. Some of my particular favorites were Woodcroft, Woodlake, Parkwood, and Penrith. All had distinct character -- their own personalities.

Ultimately, I chose Parkwood. It had the atmosphere, diversity, convenient location, and community feel that I so desired. And, it was full of "wavers"! I learned that Parkwood was one of the first subdivisions built in Durham. When IBM opened its offices in Research Triangle Park, the neighborhood was created for quick access to the job for its employees, and was quite innovative for its time. It was built with its own elementary school, lakes and parks, and a shopping strip that met many of the residents' shopping needs. Home styles ranged from brick ranches (the classic Carolina home!), to more modern contemporary styles, to colonial two-story homes, to the rage of the era -- the split-level.

The home I chose was a three bedroom, two bath brick ranch on a quiet cul-de-sac. It was the perfect size, on a large lot with plenty of big trees. I loved the traditional style and the comfortable floor plan of the home. The lot was nearly a half an acre, and since I had two large dogs, it was important to me that they have plenty of room to run. But the thing I loved the most, and which tipped my decision in the "buy" direction, was the fireplace and beautiful mantel in what was to become my new house. I know it's not logical, but home buying is a very emotional one on many levels, and that fireplace took me back to my childhood home, and represented comfort, family, friends, and happiness.

I have never regretted my decision. As a matter of fact, I fall more in love with my neighborhood, Southwest Durham, and Durham in general every time I come home. The fact that Durham receives bad press only makes me more fierce in my loyalty. I have come to see all the wonderful things about Durham. It is a wonderfully diverse city, with a sense of connectivity that is difficult to explain. Durham offers a bounty of outdoor activities, excellent opportunities for volunteering, world-class restaurants, all the excitement of a university community, an art scene that rivals much larger metropolitan areas, and community festivals that feel very small-town America. It is a city that embraces and learns from its rich history, and looks forward passionately to the possibilities of the future. The excitement of the downtown transformation is testament to that fact.

The Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau is doing a fabulous job of promoting our proud city. Their campaign, Durham: Where Great Things Happen, is brilliant. I share their website every chance I get.

http://www.wheregreatthingshappen.com/share

Today Parkwood has a neighborhood library, a handy convenience store, several houses of worship, an elementary school, a beauty shop, a fire station, the Piedmont Wildlife Center, a baseball field, basketball courts, community pools, and beautiful lakes and parks. Parkwood homes have a very healthy appreciation, and the neighborhood continues to be one of the top-selling neighborhoods in Durham after over 45 years. As a matter of fact, Woodcroft, Hope Valley Farms, and Parkwood are three Southwest Durham neighborhoods that are consistently in the top-selling Durham neighborhoods. Its proximity to RTP, to UNC Chapel Hill, NC Central University, and Duke University, and some of the best shopping and dining in the state at The Streets of Southpoint Mall are huge selling points. Here are the 2007 Parkwood Sales Statistics.

When home buyers tour Southwest Durham with me, my excitement and pride are very evident. I sell more homes in the Southwest area than any other area of Durham. Maybe my passion is contagious, but honestly, Southwest Durham sells itself.

I couldn't be happier with my choice of homes and neighborhood. I hope to never leave! If you'd like to buy or sell a home in the Triangle area, you can search on my website, or call me at 919-210-5418. I'd love to hear from you!