Home Buying Tales of the Triangle

By Rebecca R. Newsome, MIRM

A Little Slice of Heaven

“I spent some time in Chapel Hill in the mid-‘80s with my job,” says former Edison, New Jersey resident Judy Glasser. “That’s when I first fell in love with this area. At the time, I was a high school guidance counselor, spending a lot of time working with college admissions offices. When I decided to take early retirement, I knew the Triangle was where I wanted to live. It’s been one of the best decisions of my life!”

Judy Glasser, a new resident at Governors Lake Townes loves her new townhome in Chatham County.

Chapel Hill’s charming college town ambiance was a major draw in bringing Judy to the Triangle area. She clearly knew her objectives from the start of her home search: A three bedroom townhome with a community pool and a backyard all her own, in close proximity to Chapel Hill. After touring several options, Judy was thrilled to find just what she was looking for at Governors Lake Townes.

“I knew right away that this was the perfect place for me,” says Judy. “The community is so close to Chapel Hill that it has a Chapel Hill address, yet very affordable Chatham County taxes. The homes are beautiful and immaculately built. I could have a gorgeous back yard and a pool just a block and a half away. This fit the bill for everything I was looking for.”

Judy lived in a nearby apartment while her townhome was under construction by Robuck Homes. “The builder couldn’t have been more accommodating,” says Judy. “I was invited to check on the progress of my home regularly and to ask questions about anything and everything. I made some architectural changes, which Robuck had no problem with, and I took advantage of some of their options for upgrades. I absolutely love the finished product.”

“I’ve made lots of new friends since I’ve moved here,” Judy says in summary. “This area is truly a little slice of heaven.”

Southwest Durham Chemistry

Newlyweds Dave and Kari Bautz relocated to Durham from Maryland and Virginia, respectively, just after getting married in 2003. Dave was entering UNC to obtain his doctorate degree in bio-chemistry; Kari was going to work as a chemist in Research Triangle Park. Six years and two children later, it was time for Dave (now a PhD) and Kari to move into a larger home to accommodate their expanded family.

The Bautz family worked with Garman Homes to build a home for their expanding family in the Fairfield Community.

“We came very close to buying a home in Cary, but a contract on our townhome didn’t come in quickly enough,” says Kari. “Things definitely have a way of working out for the best, because it wasn’t until after that situation occurred that we realized a much better opportunity was available to us nearby. We learned that Garman Homes, a company that had already impressed us in another neighborhood, was building remarkable homes in Fairfield, a community close to I-40 and The Streets of Southpoint Mall. This was the area we had grown to love in our townhome. We were thrilled to be able to work with Garman, and to learn that Fairfield had a swim team, tennis courts, and an established Home Owners Association… It all fell into place beautifully.”

Dave and Kari reviewed plans and decided they we wanted a home with a basement. “We found a great homesite in Fairfield that would accommodate this,” says Kari. “The people at Garman were terrific in working with us on selections as well as changes we requested to the plan. They built us a wonderful home. We’re very pleased.”

“We dealt with some talented professionals throughout our transition,” Kari concludes. “Although we were very unhappy when our townhome didn’t sell initially, everything worked out extremely well… We love our new home!”

Rebecca R. Newsome, MIRM is a freelance writer