There’s nothing like the sound of home building in the morning – especially when everyone is gearing up for the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County’s 2010 Parade of Homes. This year’s Parade of Homes will be open to the public Oct. 2-3, 8-10 and 15-17, with the awards gala taking place on Tuesday, October 12.

Over the past few years, while we have seen growth well below the boom times of 2005 and 2006, as well as funding for builders being hard to come by, this year’s Parade will actually feature more homes than last year’s, which is a sign that the economy and housing market is starting to improve.

According to Lara Wilson of the Home Builder’s Association, the 2010 Parade will feature 187 homes, which is 27 more than last year’s 160. Back in 2006 and 2007, there were almost 400 homes in the parade. Wilson also said that the Wake County Parade of Homes has remained the largest Parade of Homes in North Carolina, as well as one of the largest in the country.

One thing you will notice with the home selections in this year’s Parade, is that the needs of homebuyers are changing as far as price, square footage options and amenities go. According to Wilson, as a reflection of that demand, homes are ranging in size from 1,090 to 5,492 square feet, and in price from $119,990 to $1,575,000. Also, this year there is only one house in Wake County listed for more than $1 million. In 2009, eight homes were listed for over $1 million.

2009-2010 Parade of Home Stats

If you drive around through the neighborhoods in Wake Forest, Rolesville and Youngsville, you will probably notice the increase in the number of housing starts of the past few months. According to Wake County records, from January to August of 2009, Wake Forest had 133 new residential building permits issued, while Rolesville had only 11. A year can make quite a difference. Wake Forest has had 270 residential building permits issued so far this year, while Rolesville’s number of permits issued jumped to 60. Bear in mind there are still permits issued in September through December to be added to the 2010 totals.

Bryan Hicks, town manager for Rolesville, noted, too, that 2010 had seen an uptick in building permits, especially through the beginning of the year, but said permits have since leveled out to around 2009 levels.

Numbers are up throughout Wake County, and currently Wake Forest is third in line when it comes to the number of residential permits issued. Coming in first was Raleigh with 768, then Cary with 731. Last year’s total number of residential permits issued through August was 2,408, while this year there have been 2,807 – a gain just shy of 400.

This Year’s Parade is Helping the Community

There are two special homes in this year’s Parade that are definitely worth checking out, as they are both for excellent causes. On is the Hero Home, and is part of Operation Coming Home II. This home was built as a joint volunteer project led by the Home Builders Association and the Triangle Real Estate and Construction Veterans, which builds and donates homes for disabled combat veterans.

This year’s Hero Home is located in Fuquay-Varina and, according to Wilson, was built with features and options specifically for USMC Sgt. Stan Roberts, a disabled combat veteran who served three tours of duty in Iraq. During his last tour, he was injured by an improvised exploding device (IED) that blasted into his amphibious assault vehicle. For more information about this project, visit www.operationcominghome.com.

The other project home on this tour this year, according to Wilson, is a fundraiser for Duke Children’s Hospital called the Green Miracle Home. The home was built by Chad Ray, owner of Olde Heritage Builders, and was part of a partnership opportunity with a Mix 101.5 Radiothon. The profit made from the sale of the home will benefit the children’s hospital.

The Green Miracle Home is located in Zebulon, and has four bedrooms and more than 4,300 square feet, and is energy efficient. Not only will this house become a much-loved home for the buyer, it will also touch the lives of children treated at Duke Children’s Hospital. For more information about the miracle home, visit www.wralfm.com/radiothon/2010MiracleHouse.aspx

For more information about the Parade, contact the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County at 919-233-2033 or visit their site at www.hbawake.com

Homes on parade throughout the area

Franklin, Granville and Vance counties are also celebrating with the Tri-County Parade of Homes. Their Parade kicked off September 25, and the homes are available to view Oct 2-3 and 9-10. The award gala took place on Wednesday, September 22.

There are 31 homes in this year’s Tri-County Parade, which range in price from $104,900 to $389,900. One of this year’s Gold award winners was by local builder Steven Hayes Inc., and is located at 1604 Carriage Drive in Franklinton. This home can also be seen as a reflection of what many homebuyers are looking for in this market – quality, customizable homes, with a price point that is attractive to many current buyers. An added bonus is the land that comes with going further out – the house by Hayes, sits on more than an acre.

The home is located in Montgomery Place community of Franklinton, in what is now being called “The Triangle North Region.” This area is beginning to grow in popularity because of its proximity to I-540, Capital Boulevard, Wake Forest and Raleigh, and will be an area to watch for growth in the future.

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