Linda Trevor, ABR, CRS, ePRO, CHLMS, PMN

With the recent headlines from the News and Observer regarding our state of economy, I thought you might like some additional stats from the Planning Department. Here are recently released statistics on Housing, the Economy, Education, Population, Transportation and Land Development.

For more information: http://www.wakegov.com/planning/

Population

Current Wake County 2008 Projected Population:

868,121

Wake County Projected Population:

2009 - 902,152

2010 - 933-727

2011 - 961,739

WC Newcomers Projection:

2008 - 97 (Per Day)

2009 - 93 (Per Day)

2010 - 87 (Per Day)

U.S. Census Estimates:

2007 - 832,970

2007 - 106 (Per Day)

Housing

2006 Housing Units:

325,712

2006 Vacancy Rate:

9.5%

2006 Household Size:

2.58 people/household

2006 Housing Density:

392 units/square mile

2007 January Residential Average Property Value:

$186,410 (County)

•- $222,550 (High)

•- $98,243 (Low)

Education

2007-2008 Wake County Public School System 20^th-Day Membership:

134,002

2007-2008 Number of Schools

WCPSS - 153

Charter Schools - 14

2008-2009 WCPSS 20^th-Day Student Projection:

140,443

2006 Adult Population with B.A. or Higher:

45.6%

2007 Wake Tech Enrollment:

57,000

Economy

2006 Median Family Income:

$78,369

2006 Median Household Income:

$60,903

2006 Population Below Poverty Level:

9.1%

2007 Unemployment Rate:

3.4%

May 2008: 3.8%

2006-2007 Tax Base:

28% Commercial

72% Residential

Transportation

2007 Registered Vehicles:

706,000

2006 Average Commute Time:

23.4 minutes

2006 Commuters:

Drive Alone - 85.6%

Public Transit - 1.3%

Carpooled - 10.7%

Walked - 1.4%

2006 Working From Home:

21,606

2007-2008 April TT Bus Riders Increased:

+20.5%

Land Development

Wake County Proper:

857 square miles

2008 Municipal Jurisdiction in Wake County:

443 square miles

2008 County Planning Jurisdiction:

414 square miles

2007 New Building Permits:

Residential - 10,384

Commercial/Industrial - 595

2006 New Permits: 11,695

2006-2007 % Change: -6.5%

I thought you might like to read the latest news from SmartMoney.com regarding our Raleigh suburbs. Listed as one of the "seven best-looking markets", our Cary, Apex and Morrisville areas are topping the list with their thriving and promising real estate markets. See the snippet below or purchase the November issue of SmartMoney magazine for the full article.

http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/real-estate/now-for-the-good-news-on-home-prices/?page=2

Are you on the fence about whether or not to move to North Carolina? Have you been renting in North Carolina and think now may be the time to take advantage of the buyer's market? A recently published article by MSN states that North Carolina currently has the lowest closing costs in all of the United States. If you are a first time home buyer or just want a refresher on exactly what you will be paying for at closing, here are the normal closing costs associated with the buyer:

1. Any prorations of homeowners dues and taxes for the portion of the year you are going to own the property
2. Any fees associated with the loan (loan origination fees, discount points, appraisal etc.)
3. Escrows (if your lender is collecting for hazard insurance and taxes up front)
4. Hazard insurance (one year collected at closing)
5. Private Mortgage Insurance (depending only on the amount of money you are borrowing compared to the price of the home)
6. Title Insurance (a one-time fee that covers the entire time you own the home)
7. Attorney Fees (includes the title search and document preparation)
8. Recording Fees (pays to record the deed and deed of trust)
9. Any inspections (home, pest, radon, etc...)
10. Survey

Here is a great list of places to visit for some fall fun. Pumpkin patches, corn mazes, hayrides, small farms and trick or treating spots too!

Ganyard Hill Farms
Durham, 919-596-8728
Open through Oct. 31

Green Level Gourd Farm
Cary, 919-387-7352
3800 Green Level Rd
Open in October

Gross Farm
Sanford, 919-498-6727
Open through Nov. 1

Halloween Trail
Durant Nature Park South Entrance, Raleigh
919-870-2871
Oct. 24-25

Hill Ridge Farms
Youngsville, 919-556-1771
Open in October

Ken's Korny Corn Maze
Garner, 919-779-4765
Open through Nov. 15

Lazy O Farm
Smithfield, 919-934-1132

The Maze at Hector's Creek
Fuquay Varina, 919-552-0823
Open through Nov. 8

McKee's Cornfield Maze
Rougement, 919-732-8065
Open through Nov. 2

Porter Farms & Nursery
Willow Spring, 919-567-0504
Open through Oct 31

Ragan & Holly's Pumpkin Patch
Apex, 919-362-5800
Corner of Hwy. 751 and Lewter Shop Rd

Vollmer Farm
Bunn, 919-496-3076
Open through Nov. 2

Trick or Treating
Cary is celebrating Halloween on Oct 31st

Town of Cary 's annual Safe N Sane Halloween Celebration for kids 15 and under, which will be held on Friday, October 31 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at the Cary Towne Center Mall. Also, the Town's Haunted House will be held on Saturday, October 25 from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Herbert C. Young Community Center , 101 Wilkinson Ave. For more information on these or other activities in October, call the Town of Cary's Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Department (919) 469-4061

HollyFest Celebration Holly Springs Oct 25

Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Womble Park (Get Directions)

The Town of Holly Springs joins with churches, civic organizations and businesses for this annual community celebration. Admission is free.

Chapel Hill Halloween Night

Town of Chapel Hill is introducing "Homegrown Halloween in Chapel Hill," a 2008 campaign to return Halloween on Franklin Street to its roots as a small town community gathering and reduce crowd sizes that have become unmanageable.

Town of Apex

Halloween Carnival:For ages 8 and under. Saturday, October 25, 2008, 2:00-4:00pm at Apex Community Center. Games, prizes and plenty of spooky surprises with "Mummy your Mommy" contest, costume contests, facepainting, Halloween Crafts and lots, lots more! Free! For more information or if you would like to volunteer to help, please call 249-3402.

Raleigh-Cary's Economy Ranks High Among Others

According to Moody's Economy.com, the Raleigh-Cary area continues to shine above other metros with economic stability during these times of slow growth and financial difficulty. The report reviewed the economic status of 381 metropolitan areas and classified them into one of four categories: "In Recession, At Risk, Recovery, or Expansion". Raleigh-Cary faired well with an "Expansion" ranking along side of Jacksonville and Winston-Salem, NC. For more information about the United States Regional Status, visit Economy.com.