Having already spread the word about Home Front builders, Lynne and Tom invited their friends for brunch to see their new home.  They were all so impressed with the quality and craftsmanship.  "They noticed the extended window-sills, the crown-molding in every room, up and down" said Lynne.  "They also commented on the open and spacious kitchen with top of the line cabinetry and the granite in every bath and tumbled marble in the kitchen with glass and stone accent pieces to complement every tile area.  Home Front was instantly the perfect builder for us.  I was used to quality construction and being able to think outside the box to suit my own preferences." With a custom house by Home Front builders you get what YOU personally want to fit your lifestyle and taste and every house is completely different from the next.  Custom homes really give the neighborhood a special appeal  and Briar Chapel is an amazing neighborhood  with all of the amenities to have a custom home to suit your personal self."

There are many features that they love about their new custom home, but the feature that sticks out the most is the woodwork/craftsmanship of the home.  They told me they have personally have built 6 houses, two of which were custom homes.  Lynne said "I can honestly say hands down that I have never been in such a sound-proof, quiet and well constructed house before.  Home Front builders uses sound barrier insulation which reduces the noise level in the walls between rooms and between two floors.   Along with the craftmanship is the amazing woodwork/trim that is outrageously gorgeous, very extensive, oh and did  I say unique?"  As soon as visitors walk in the house their mouth drops in awe of the woodworking details and wainscoting throughout the house.  "After building 6 houses I personally would build with John again…".  Stop by Briar Chapel to have your own personal visit with the Home Front Builders, Inc. representative to discover for yourself what this builder can offer to fit your lifestyle.

Home Front Builders, Inc. President John Dunning is a true artist, says Custom Builder Representative Jessica Bryan.  “In the year that I have been working with John I have observed his creativity first hand.  Many people are not visual and cannot picture what their home will look like or how a suggested change may finish out” she said.  “John will quickly supply a picture representation that will answer a buyer’s questions.  What makes John different?  He is easy to work with, has a very agreeable nature and does not allow ego to get in the way of what a buyer wants.  He is willing to go the extra mile.  Above all, his pride in the finished product means that when buyers see a home that is built by Home Front Builders they know that they are buying quality.”

Home Front Builders, Inc.’s dedication to working as a team makes the home buyer’s experience enjoyable and effortless.  “We listen to the buyer, then work to make the buyer’s dream a reality” says Jessica.  “Some people do not want to be bothered by the myriad details involved in building a home.  We respect this and will involve the client as little or a much as the client wants to be included.  By providing a clear picture of what the home will include and what it will look like before the buyer signs a contract means that the building process can then take place without any hassle or delay.”  Discovering those elements of a home that are important to the individual client and then designing a home that meets those criteria is important to Home Front Builders, Inc.

Jessica has found that home buyers today seem to be more focused on quality than on square footage.  She recalls that many clients say that they are downsizing but still want great design and high quality in their homes.  And she has also found that more and more people are focused on living “green”, which means that they want to reduce their energy bills; live in a healthier, cleaner environment; and conserve natural resources. Home Front Builders, Inc. builds a green home and understands the elements of living green and saving green.  From builder representative Jessica Bryan, who is a green consultant and an EcoBroker, to President John Dunning, who is a Certified Green Specialist, the homebuyer will have confidence that this is a team that understands what it means to build a green-built, custom home.  Stop by today to learn more about Home Front Builders, Inc. can offer in your new custom home here at Briar Chapel.

When moving, the decision of where to purchase a home can be a bit daunting. Is the school system any good? Are there job opportunities? What about the culture and vibe of the area? Lucky for you, the Triangle – Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, NC – has it all; there is truly a nitch for everyone. So, if you’re wondering, “Why buy here?” keep reading and you’ll soon realize why so many people choose to call the Triangle home.

Jobs – Home to Research Triangle Park (RTP), which is made up of more than 170 global companies, it comes as no surprise that Raleigh ranks as having the 8^th strongest job market in the U.S. Further, according to Forbes, it is the #1 Best Place for Business and Careers.

Culture – With tons of great restaurants and bars, lots of music venues, a burgeoning art scene and everything in-between, the Triangle doesn’t disappoint when it comes to selection. The diversity of the area has resulted in a constantly evolving and growing cultural mecca.

Education – Access to institutions of higher learning is extremely convenient, as the Triangle houses many top Colleges and Universities, including UNC, Duke and NC State. This makes things quite interesting during basketball season!

Outdoor Recreation – Whether it’s hiking, kayaking, disc golf or mountain biking, outdoor enthusiasts have nothing to complain about when it comes to getting their fill of fresh air; the Triangle has its fair share of open space perfect for such activities.

Now that you know why buying now and why buying here are good ideas, tell us what you think – Do you think the Triangle is a place you’d like to call home? For those of you that already live here, what do you like most about the area?

Custom builder representative Jessica Bryan told me that John Dunning, Principal of award-winning Home Front Builders, Inc. has invested over twenty years in the building industry. “His years spent completing high-end renovation and remodels are apparent in the detailed craftsmanship and extensive millwork used in his homes” she said.  “Home Front Builders, Inc. has been building in Chatham County since 2001 and has established a strong reputation in the $400,000’s to 1-million-dollar home builder market.”  And this phenomenal custom builder lives in Chatham County, too.   Now that's close to home.

“John is conscious of all aspects of home building and how they will affect his home buyers.  He is thorough in his approach and quick in his responses” she said.  “He is highly creative and visual, which translates to good communication so that his clients understand the process and what they can expect from their experience.”  These are just a few of the things that set Home Front Builders apart.

Though each home in Briar Chapel is built to a minimum of the Bronze level in green-building, Home Front Builders offers a home at any level.  “In Briar Chapel EVERYTHING is built to at least Energy Star” Jessica notes.  “Home Front Builders can provide any of the green features and designs that a buyer wants or needs.  They are well-equipped to advise on the features that a buyer should use in their home and those that they may opt out of.  Home Front knows how to build a green home that is both energy-efficient and economical.  And they are also able to build a healthy home, which is also part of being green.”

Stop by Briar Chapel and chat with a Home Front Builders representative.  This custom builder can help you design your new home to suit your needs, your lifestyle, all right here in this beautiful community where ammenities abound ... and they could all be close to home, too. 

If you followed or played along with the Briar Chapel Best Buddy contest then you know we recently awarded our winner with an Awesome Buddy Scooter from Combustion Cycles in Durham! To say she was surprised, would have been an understatement – she (Emily Pike) was ecstatic to be named “Briar Chapel’s Best Buddy” but that title came with quite the undertaking and we would be remiss if we didn’t mention our other top contenders in this battle, Merle and Barb. You were all amazing in your efforts! Each of you brought a different flavor to the contest and it was great to view the community through your eyes and interpretations.

We started the Best Buddy contest as a way to engage with our friends who love our brand, our community and living a green lifestyle – we challenged them to spread the message through their various social networking outlets like Facebook, twitter, pinterest, YouTube. This was the first contest of its kind conducted at Briar Chapel and at the end we came away with so much more (and I think our contestants came away with so much more) than we could have anticipated… it seemed that resident’s got a chance to know each other even better and contestants learned even more about the greater community in which they were living. We want to give a great big THANK YOU to all of our participants – your heartfelt enthusiasm and creativity really warmed our hearts!

Below are some of our favorite videos and photo clips from the contest – read more about the contest on our blog.

Earth Day in Briar Chapel is always a fabulous day, but we were especially excited this year as our event grew larger than year’s past. Your commitment to supporting the community in which you live was a truly amazing gesture – we enjoyed spending our day with you!

The day kicked off with our 4^th Annual 5k Race, benefitting The Abundance Foundation. A record year for runners, we had 195 registered! Many thanks to all of you that came out again for a consecutive year and awesome job to those of you running the race for the first time! I know we had some of those that even walked away with wins in their age group categories (on their first race)!!

The rain stayed away and the afternoon turned out to be amazing, athletic and educational! King BMX put on two awesome shows for the crowd – these high-flying feats of athleticism came off with little effort (as least to us as we watched in awe). They left us wanting more! Lizzy Ross Band and Tom Maxwell entertained with a soulful, energetic sound – and were great additions to the day.

On the second stage the crowd enjoyed demonstrations by Linda Watson of Cook for Good and Yardsprout. And the food trucks and breweries drew quite a crowd themselves – giving back 10% of their proceeds to The Abundance Foundation!

We had a wonderful group of vendors selling and demonstrating everything from jewelry, art and pottery to Healthy Mom Coaching, Body Therapeutics, hula hooping, bubbles and tree essences. This was truly a celebration of “all things local” and what better day to showcase the talents in our community than on Earth Day at Briar Chapel!

So thank you, we hope you will continue to explore our community and discover a perfect place that many already call home. Because of you and all of our wonderful Sponsors, The Abundance Foundation raised over $5,000 – those dollars will help continue to grow their programs around sustainability. Some events you can look forward to hearing more about:  the Chef Challenge and Summer Camp.
http://theabundancefoundation.org/events/chatham-county-chef-challenge-2012
http://theabundancefoundation.org/youth/camp-2012

When asked what they have to say to home buyers interested in MorningStar Homes, they point out the facts are that their business is on the upswing. “Interest in our company has increased, our website traffic has increased. We have just hired a new office manager to help us with this increase.”

John has noticed that clients are more practical. “They are looking at smaller very well designed homes that still have the quality and fit and finish that they expect in a custom home. They want to make sure that the builder knows how to do this and deliver this to them at the best value.”

Visit with MorningStar Homes here at Briar Chapel, where an abundance of amenities await your discovery.  With so much to offer, this custom builder can help you design the home of your dreams.