Where will you be Feb. 3, 2008? Watching the Super Bowl XLII, of course. Here are some great suggestions for viewing the Super Bowl while getting some great munchies and downing some of your favorite beverages! First up......Carolina Ale House. Great location with more tv's than you can count. Don't worry about getting a bad seat here - it doesn't matter where you sit you will certainly by able to see the game. They have an extensive menu and it is sure to be crazy come Sunday!Another choice is O'Dwyer's! Located off of Rogers Road they have a bar area, dining area and a multitude of tv's. Great New York style food like Beef on Weck!!! Yep, I said Beef on Weck! AWESOME!Wherever you decided to spend your Sunday please be sure to have a designated driver! Have fun but drink responsibly...... 01/29/2008

Hopefully by now you have seen some of the wonderful things that The Factory offers!  From an indoor ice skating rink, to restaurants and specialty shops there is a little something for everyone.  This weekend is NO EXCEPTION!  Saturday, February 2, The Factory will host Dance Baby Dance.  Dance Baby Dance is a great program geared towards parents and their children up to 8 years of age. There will be tons of dancing, great music, healthy foods to snack on, face painting and so much more!  There will be two sessions held on February 2 in The Mill Room located on the 2nd level in The Factory.  The first session will be 2:00pm - 3:30pm followed by a second session from 3:30pm - 5:00pm.  Tickets can be purchased in advance or "at the door". Each quarter a portion of the proceeds raised wil... 01/29/2008

 Another small town with lots of charm!  I graduated from Wake Forest-Rolesville High School (although I will not mention the year) and wanted to wiite a few things about the Town of Wake Forest.  Wake Forest grew up around the site of Wake Forest College. Wake Forest got it's start in the 1820's when a resident sold his 600-acre plantation to North Carolina Baptists to begin a school that would educate practicing ministers of the church, as well as boys and young men.At first, the campus consisted of a plantation house (which still stands), and two dozen outbuildings. Later, impressive brick buildings and beautiful landscape emerged. Businesses began to grow on campus to support the needs of students and staff.The town finally developed its own identity and was fully incorporated. Afte... 01/28/2008

Wow - the Town of Wake Forest has a fantastic community blog where you can read up on all of the town planning, recent proposals and you can share your thoughts!  Again, this is one of the things that I LOVE about Wake Forest!  The town honestly cares about what it's residents think and listens to their thought and opinions.  The public meetings are wonderful to go to to gain insight and be a part of the ever-changing town-scape.  One of the popular things that you will find there is the 15 Vision Statements.  They are powerful and permeate this town!  Check them out.... To get to the blog all you have to do is click here! 01/27/2008

From the Town of Wake Forest website: 4th of July Committee MeetingWednesday, January 30; 6:30 p.m.Wake Forest Town HallNew members are sought for the Wake Forest 4th of July Committee. For more information, contact Rhonda Alderman at (919) 556-4436 or fireworklady@aol.com. Wake Forest Singers' rehearsal beginsThursday, January 31; 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.St. John's Episcopal ChurchFor 16 years, The Wake Forest Singers have been putting on free performances for the betterment of the cultural arts in town. This year will be no exception as the singers gear up to start rehearsals in January for this year's Dreams-themed show. Rehearsals begin January 31. They are an hour and a half long from 7:00-8:30 p.m. every Thursday until the program in April. Practices are at St. John's Episcopal Church in ... 01/27/2008

  The Factory is located on Main Street in Wake Forest and truely offers a little bit of everything for everybody. This old factory was meticulously cared for and revamped to provide a place for shopping, dining and sports activites.  Little by little the spaces have been filling up and The Factory is truely a destination spot. The sculpture in the fountain stands in front of The Factory and during the warmer months you will always see people making wishes and tossing in pennies and kids running around playing tag.  Two restaurants that are part of the complex but located seperate are Armadillo Grill which has great TexMex fare and The Village Deli and wow, they sure do know how to make an awesome sandwich and their soups are great.  Also outside you will find GO-KARTS!  Really! Moving... 01/25/2008

Active Listings: * December's statistics are through January 09, 2008. There were 1252 active listings for the month of December 2007* which includes townhomes and condos.  In comparison, there were 926 actives listing for the month od December 2006 (which were computed through January 15, 2007).  A substantial increase of 35% is nothing to take lightly.  Closed Listings: There were 2105 closings for the year of 2007 in Wake Forest.  Of those closings 20% had a price point of $400,000 or higher.  We still retain a 7 month supply of homes in Wake Forest.  We still maintain a higher than average absorption rate compared with the rest of Wake County.  Average days on market for Wake Forest for the month of December was 80. Additional Statistics:  The top 2 selling subdivisions in all of Wa... 01/23/2008

From the Town of Wake Forest website:Creative Explorations for the Heart and MindBegins Wednesday, January 23; 6:45 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.Morning Glory Center for Creative Healing, 523 Wait Avenue, Wake ForestThis is a nine-week course of drawing and painting centered around a creative theme. Come investigate visual media and play! Held on Wednesday evenings from 6:45 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. the cost for the course is $210 and includes materials for in-class use. The instructor is Dawn Marie Rozzo. For more information, contact Dawn at (919) 217-4752 or visit http://www.dawnrozzo.com/. Free Home Buyers SeminarSaturday, January 26; 2:00 p.m.Moore Choice Realty & Homes-By-Holmes, 500-02 Wait Ave., Wake ForestLunch provided! Call (919) 426-3196 for reservations.Koinonia DinnerSaturday, January 26; 6:... 01/19/2008

Willow Deer - Community Open House - Wake Forest NC Homes For SaleJanuary 20th 2008 Noon - 4pm Great Wake Forest Location minutes to Main Street, Heritage and Shopping. No city taxes. Low HOA fees. 6300 Willowdell DriveMLS # 974504 4 BR, 2.5 BA, 2 car gar $234,500 6553 Austin Creek. MLS # 962867 4 BR, 2.5 BA, 2 car gar $242,000 For more information contact Rebecca Savitski at 919-761-7640 http://www.nclistforlessrealty.com 4501 Hayrick Court. MLS # 967885 2422 sf, 3 BR, 2.5 BA, 2 car gar $247,900 6412 Willow Lawn. MLS # 943528 4 BR, 2.5 BA. 2176 sf $227,900 For More Information contact Kathleen Varner at 919-801-3866 http://www.greatraleighhomes.com/  Built for Growing Families! 4 BR/2.5 BA(4th BR can double as bonus) in Willow Deer, located minutes from popular Wake Forest. Full front ... 01/15/2008

Is the weather outside not cooperating?  A little too cold?  Rainy?  Kids bouncing off the walls!  Jumpin' Beans is the PERFECT place to go!  You can find TWO 40' x 25' inflatable, indoor playgrounds that have slides, see-saws, and much more.  It is only $7.00 per child for an unlimited amount of time.  What a great way to let them burn off some of that energy! What can you do?  The have free wi-fi!  Bring your laptop and get some work done while the kids play their hearts out.  They also serve Seattle's Best Coffee, soft drinks and they have a few snacks available.  We were invited to a birthday party recently at Jumpin' Beans and my son had a fantastic time.  For parties you can rent the private room (which has one of the playgrounds), unlimited soft drinks and fruit punch, invitatio... 01/15/2008

Wow - Wake Forest is really coming along!  As I have mentioned in previous posts though, it is all measured and well planned!  Yes, I am proud to live in a small town that realizes the importance and impact of these future developments as nessecary for economic growth yet also realize that in order for Wake Forest to retain is historic value and charm as a small southern town we must take measured steps.  Here are a few of the upcoming residential developments and commercial project on the horizone for Wake Forest: Rapid Strikes Family Entertainment Center - which was first called Wake Forest Family Entertainment Center - are under review. It would be built on 4.5 acres along Rogers Road between the entrance to The Factory and its ball fields and the CSX railroad line. Mark Wallace of W... 01/13/2008

Active Listings  The month of November showed an increase of 8% in listings for Wake Forest compared to the same time in 2006.  In November 2006 we had a total of 928 Active Listings while in 2007 we increased that number to 1233 Active Listings.  With all of the new growth in Wake Forest it is really no surprise that there was a healthy increase and, to be honest, I am surprised the increase was not higher.  Currently, Wake Forest has a 7 month supply of homes available which is higher than the rest of the Wake County areas.  Sales The average number of homes sold per month through November 2007 was 180.  That number does include all price ranges as well as condos and townhomes. The average days on the market were 80.  That average is higher than the North Raleigh area which experience... 01/13/2008

So, you are the adventurous type? Boy, do we have something for you! Ever been skydiving? We have one of the best facilities in the country just minutes away. As their slogan says, "Come experience life at 14,000 feet!" Carolina Sky Sports operates out of the Franklin County Airport which has all the essentials for your first tandem jump or your 50th jump. The experienced staff is marvelous at making you comfortable and preparing you for the thrill of your life. How do I know? I did it! See for yourself! View Photo Slideshow Trust me.....;) It was no big deal! ;) In all seriousness, it was one of the most exciting things I have ever done in my life and I can't wait to do it again! The staff was unbelievable in preparing me for the jump ... 01/13/2008

From The Town of Wake Forest website:The Marketing Lab: Capitalizing on Word of MouthTuesday, January 15; 8:30 a.m.Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce, 350 S. White StreetJoe O'Keefe of JPO Music and Marketing Band will present a hands-on workshop about Word of Mouth Marketing. Concepts to be covered include: Developing positive word-of-mouth marketing from the top down Focusing on the relationships not the technologies Customer vs. Consumer Getting consumer feedback Implementing the story - WHAT IS YOUR STORY? Admission is free to members; $10 for not-yet-members. RSVP to the Wake Forest Chamber of Commerce at (919) 556-1519 or mary@wakeforestchamber.org.  Wake Forest Police Department Firing Range DiscussionThursday, January 17; 7:00 p.m.Flaherty Park Community CenterThere will be a ... 01/13/2008

Wake Forest has a multitude of parks each with it's own distintive flavor.  Whether you are looking for baseball, basketball, tennis or getting the "pooch" out for a little exercise Wake Forest has a park to fit your needs. With over 561 acres of space dedicated to parks and greenways there is opportunity for everyone.  At Holding Park you will find a 50 meter swimming pool. Lessons are available for water aerobics and swim lessons and there is a conssession stand available as well.  Just adjacent to the pool is a public playground with picnic tables. This past year there was a fantastic festival in the park for July 4th and there were firetrucks there for the kids to tour, crafts (free) that the kids could make, a presentation by the Wake Forest Police Department canine unit, watermelo... 01/12/2008

Attn all kids in Grades K-5!!!! Once again this year Wake Forest will have their Arbor Day Poster Contest.  The theme for this years contest is "Trees are Terrific...inside and out!".  The contest is sponsored by the Wake Forest Urban Forestry Advisory Board and members of the Board will judge the posters.  Posters will be judged on creativity, artwork and depiction of this years theme.  There will be four categories which are: Best picture Most Creative Honorable Mention State Entry The winner for each category above will receive a $50 U.S. Savings Bond.  For more information please visit the contest rules and be sure to check out the Wake Forest Arbor Day Celebration scheduled for March 13th where the poster contest winners will be recognized! Get those creative minds working, grab yo... 01/07/2008

I have said in many, many posts that I am so happy to live in Wake Forest!  We have great town leaders, planners and visionaries!  While we are growing by leaps and bounds there is a plan.  In past posts I have provided links to the "roadmaps" by which Wake Forest will continue it's onward growth.  I hope that you have found them useful and if you need the links again just let me know. There was a great piece on WRAL the other day regarding the growth of Wake Forest and the plans to manage it.  In an interview with Pam Tarangelo (who owns La Foresta) she mentioned that the growth will certainly mean new customers for her but will they know how to find her. (By the way, if you have yet to go to La Foresta - GO! The food is out of this world!!!)  While the goal has been to keep the commer... 01/06/2008

I lived in Charlotte, NC years ago and I sold real estate there as well.  I remember vividly taking buyers out to show them property and one of their main concerns were, "We want to be in the county and not the city."  I told them each and every time that the home they were purchasing was "county" at the time but there was no guarantee that would last.  Charlotte slowly became synonymous with Mecklenburg County.  And, to that end, the line between Rock Hill, SC and Charlotte, NC became VERY vague! Well, I noticed here in Wake County a similar pattern that started years ago.  An article just out points to even more annexation by Raleigh.  City lines between Wake Forest and Raleigh are already becoming obscure.  There is one light on Capital Blvd where if you stand on one side you are in ... 01/06/2008

From the Town of Wake Forest website:Art After HoursFriday, January 11; 5:00 p.m.Downtown Wake ForestOn the second Friday night of each month the streets of downtown Wake Forest come alive with food, merchants and music! Everyone is invited to come and experience the dining, art and retail merchants of downtown Wake Forest. Downtown businesses stay open until 9:00pm. You never know what treasure you may find! Cinderella Scholarship PageantSaturday, January 12Louisburg CollegeFor girls ages birth to 26-years-old and boys ages birth to six-year-old. Phase of competition include Beauty-Sunday best, no glitz; Casual- off the rack clothes; Talent-optional for ages 3 to 26 years-old. For an application email http://us.f456.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=nc4cinderella@yahoo.com or call Heather a... 01/05/2008

Jimmy Buffett sings, "You think the internet is such a great asst, but you're wrong, wrong, wrong." Well as sales professionals if we rely on the internet too much to touch base with our clients, customers and prospects we'll be wrong. Remember Ma Bell, "Reach out and touch someone." It is a new year so let's start using some "old-fashioned" ways of communicating: face to face viist, phone call or even a hand written note. Have an awesome 2008!  Love to hear others thoughts. 01/04/2008