Home Buying Tales of the Triangle

By Rebecca R. Newsome, MIRM

“This is the fourth home Mike and I have built together, and this has been our best experience yet.”

Southern Exposure

The high tech industry lured Mike Quinn and family from Northern Virgina to North Carolina in 2009, with an eight month stint in Wilmington initially and then a move to the Triangle last October.

“The Triangle offers a far greater variety of home styles and customization choices than what we were accustomed to in Virginia,” says Danielle Quinn. “Our priorities were a convenient location without a long work commute; an onsite pool, not only for fun with our two year-old daughter, but also as a way for us to meet our neighbors; a home with a Craftsman-style exterior and some very specific interior features; and a home we felt would give us the most bang for our buck. We found all of this and more at Hortons Creek in Cary.”

The Quinns selected a homesite and embarked upon what Danielle terms a fabulous working relationship with Baker Residential.

“This is the fourth home Mike and I have built together, and this has been our best experience yet,” Danielle comments. “We’ve been extremely pleased with the whole process – The onsite sales agents and our building superintendent have been wonderful, and we love all the features considered standard with Baker, such as first floor hardwoods and granite counter tops. As a residential real estate broker, I see homes every day with my job. As a result, I had some very specific features I wanted in this home. Baker has been nothing but accommodating.”

“Our home is scheduled to close in early May,” Danielle summarizes. “We know we’ll have an excellent quality of life here. We can hardly wait to move in!”

Awesome Accessibility in Knightdale

Retired federal government employee Donald Coney relocated from Washington, DC to Raleigh in 2005 to expand his work in the gospel music recording industry. Due to frequent trips back to DC for several years, Donald didn’t get serious about purchasing a Triangle home until last year.

“The availability of handicapped accessible homes makes the difference in people like me living independently...”

“Due to my disability as an above-the-knee amputee, I have special needs,” says Donald. “I wasn’t sure if I’d buy new or modify an existing home. My Realtor®/mortgage broker, Rich Riley, helped me find Royal Oaks Building Group, who had built a home for a triple-amputee veteran in Fuquay-Varina. I was impressed from the start with Royal Oaks.”

Wanting convenience to major thoroughfares, Donald selected a homesite in Knightdale’s Churchill, which, in his words, gives him a suburban lifestyle close to city amenities. Donald says everyone at Royal Oaks was very conscientious regarding his needs.

“From the design process through the closing, I was completely taken care of,” Donald states. “I built two homes in DC without special needs… My best experience by far was this one. I was taken step by step through the process, from site planning to interior details. I can easily drive my chair into my home from any entry, and I can even access my upstairs bonus and media rooms via enhanced weight-bearing stairs and a special lift. My doorways and shower accommodate me perfectly, and I can effortlessly reach all of my light switches and power outlets. Plus, it’s a beautiful home!”

“The availability of handicapped-accessible homes makes the difference in people like me living independently or needing to live in a nursing home or with family,” concludes Donald. “I’m grateful to everyone at Royal Oaks for making this possible.”

Rebecca R. Newsome, MIRM is a freelance writer