By now, you’ve heard Front Porch Realty’s exciting news; we have elevated our brand and we have a new custom website! We are still the same “Front Porch Realty” you have known for years but have begun to concentrate our business in Fuquay-Varina and Holly Springs. We are already the #1 Independent real estate office in these two towns and our goal is to become the #1 real estate company overall. We want to become top of the mind status for you and all things real estate!

Here is our quarterly 1st Q 2018 snapshot of our local housing inventory. We are still deep in a seller’s market, especially for re-sale homes; new home inventory is up 17% across the Triangle while re-sales inventory is down 15% from the 1st quarter of 2017, according to our Triangle Multiple Listing Service 1st quarter market stats. This imbalance of supply is causing record increases in sales prices; average sales price of new construction is up 9% and average re-sale homes sales prices are up 10%. Inventory is still low on our end of the county and demand is high. As we can see from our 1st quarter local data, months of inventory are very low at most price points at less than 2 and units sold have increased across both markets.

We are here to help you, your relatives, co-workers, employees, and neighbors. Please consider Front Porch Realty as YOUR LOCAL real estate professionals!

Soon you will see artists dotting the streets of Fuquay-Varina’s two downtown districts. Some are very well-known and have traveled from afar for this annual event and some are local aspiring artists. We do know that all will bring Fuquay-Varina’s beauty to life on their canvases right before our eyes. I am sure you have noticed the paintings of past years En Plein Air events beautifully transformed into murals displayed all around town on the exterior walls of our historic retail shops and restaurants. This year’s event even includes a special Student’s En Plein Air Event sponsored by the Fuquay-Varina Arts Council. Students will have a chance to have their art displayed in the new Fuquay-Varina Performing Arts Center opening this Summer.

The fun begins Friday, May 5th, 2018 at 12 noon and continues throughout Saturday, May 6th, 2018. A live auction of the original paintings will be held on Saturday evening in the heart of Fuquay-Varina’s downtown historic district on Depot St.

For all of the details visit the the Fuquay-Varina Downtown Revitalization District’s website.

Front Porch Realty chatted with local veteran lender Alex Macklin about finding the right mortgage for your needs. Alex has been a community leader in Fuquay-Varina and Holly Springs for over 20 years and is wonderful at explaining the mortgage process to our clients.

Finding the right mortgage financing program for your new home or construction/permanent project can be complex. Allow me to navigate the complex mortgage products for you and tailor the best financing option for your needs.
With over 20 years of experience in the mortgage business, I can help connect you with the right resources to ensure a positive experience.
From the first-time buyer to the seasoned buyer and even the person who wants to build a new home, I can help prepare you so that you enter into the home buying/building process with confidence.
I encourage clients to take advantage of my free loan pre-qualification service and to make this your first step in the home buying process. The Real Estate market is blazing hot right now and there are multiple offers coming in for most homes on the market. It is important to have your ducks in a row when you are ready to make an offer so that you can increase your odds of having the winning bid. Most purchase offers must be accompanied by a loan pre-qualification letter to ensure that you are a serious and qualified buyer. Don’t lose your opportunity to buy the home of your dreams by skipping this important first step.
Since 1950, United Community Bank, “The Bank That Service Built” has provided our clients with the service level of a community bank but with the resources of a larger bank. UCB offers all of the standard Conventional, FHA, USDA and VA loan programs but we also offer niche portfolio products that help us offer financing to a broader client base.
One example is a cost savings single-close construction to permanent program for clients who wish to build and finance a new home. By closing the construction and permanent loan at one single attorney closing, there are no additional fees at the end of the process. The program also allows for a one time float down option on the interest rate when the home is complete so you can capture the best rate the market has to offer while at the same time receiving rate protection during the construction period.
Other unique product offerings include:
• Conforming and Jumbo Portfolio loans
• Special 100% financing programs with no Mortgage Insurance for Medical Doctors and Dentists
• PATH affordable housing program for the purchase of an owner occupied primary residence with 100% financing, fixed interest rate and no mortgage insurance for certain census tracks within United Community Bank’s footprint

Join me and the team at Front Porch Realty to make homeownership a reality!
Alex Macklin
Vice-President/Sr. Mortgage Loan Originator
United Community Bank Mortgage Services
325 N. Judd Parkway, Suite 200
Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

Phone: 919-586-3115
Email: alex_macklin@ucbi.com
Website: United Community Bank

Our towns have several “fun for the entire family” events coming up!

The town of Fuquay-Varina will hold its annual Easter Egg Hunt at South Park on Sunday, March 25, 2018 at 2 pm. Children age 10 and under are invited to collect thousands of eggs, be sure and bring your Easter basket and camera, the Easter Bunny will be there! For more details visit the town site HERE. Don’t miss the Fuquay-Varina Revitalization Association’s annual Candy Hop going on in both of Fuquay-Varina’s downtown districts Saturday, March 24, 2018 from 2 – 4 pm. Downtown merchants will supply treats and watch for the Easter Bunny and Spring Chick, they will be shopping too! For all of the details visit the facebook event HERE.

Holly Springs will be hosting an Easter Bunny Festival at the Holly Springs Towne Center on Saturday March 24, 2018 from 11 am – 2 pm. There will be treats and goodie bags, a bounce house, games, prizes and more. Visit this LINK for more information!

March in Wake County means crocus and daffodils sprouting from their winter rest and red bud trees blooming their brilliant pink. With our sprinkling of 80 degree days, our area golf courses are being groomed and the tee times are filling back up. Golf is a year round sport here in NC, but the fair weather golfers are glad to see the fair days of March! Here is a snapshot of our Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina golf course communities. Let us know which one, or all, you would like to tour!

12 Oaks offers a Jack Nicklaus course that will challenge golfers of all skill levels. This is a true lifestyle neighborhood complete with clubhouse, restaurant, bar, pool pavilion, fitness center, social events as well as numerous parks and trails. From Townhomes to Executive Homes, 12 Oaks offers choices for all stages of living. Prices begin in the low $300,000’s and range to $1M plus. There are plenty of new construction homes as well as previously owned homes for sale at 12 Oaks.

Sunset Ridge is home to Devils Ridge Golf Club. Devil’s Ridge is a private, 18-hole course that was awarded 4 stars by Golf Digest. Sunset Ridge not only offers golf but year-round tennis, a world class aquatic park, and numerous parks and walking trails. Custom homes start in the high $300,000’s and range to about $1M. Most of the homes in the neighborhood were built in the 1990’s – 2010 and feature private, large wooded lots ranging from 1/3 to 2 acres.

Bentwinds Golf & Country Club is a private club just a quick 10 minute drive down to Fuquay-Varina, nicknamed “The Breeze” it is said to never play the same way twice. Bentwinds offers a social calendar for all ages, as well as pool and tennis and a waterfront clubhouse/restaurant/bar. Homes in the neighborhood are all custom and are situated on large 1/3 – acre wooded lots. Bentwinds Bluffs, Augusta Place, and Johnson Pointe are all a short golf-cart ride away with new and re-sale homes up to $1.2M.