Happy Friday, Triangle!

It's Labor Day weekend, and you can feel the season starting to change. The mornings are a little cooler, the kids are back in class, and the calendar is full one more time before fall settles in.

After 10 years here, this is my favorite stretch of the year. The pools are still open, but you can finally sit outside at night again.

Here's what has me thinking this week, though: how much is being built around us right now. A first-of-its-kind children's hospital in Apex just cleared a major funding step. Downtown Raleigh's southern edge is turning into something new. Even our corner of the market has a condo for under $190K, minutes from where the city's next major development is going up.

Grab your coffee, get comfortable, and let me walk you through it.

Here’s your D&M BRIEF:

[B]est Weekend Plans: three free ways to send off summer
​[R]ealty Pulse: the market's cooling, and sellers just did something
​[I]n the News: NC's first standalone children's hospital takes a $208M step
​[E]xclusive Listing: a move-in-ready condo minutes from downtown under $190K
​[F]riday Favorites: a 70-year-old Cary gas station reopens as a buzzy new restaurant

Let's get into it!

—Brette

[B]EST WEEKEND PLANS

EVENTS

BEST THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN THE TRIANGLE

MOVIE NIGHT First Friday Market & Movie Night 📅 Sept 4 | 5—9 PM 📍 Moore Square, Raleigh (Free) ​MORE INFO→​

MAKER'S MARKET Cary Underground Market 📅 Sept 6 | 12—4 PM 📍 Bond Brothers Beer Co., Cary (Free) ​MORE INFO→​

OUTDOOR CONCERT Concerts in the Park 📅 Sept 6 | 5:30—7:30 PM 📍 E. Carroll Joyner Park, Wake Forest (Free) ​MORE INFO→​

​Click here to see 80+ events for the whole month!→​

[R]EALTY PULSE

REAL ESTATE MARKET Altos' Market Action Index Here is where the Raleigh market sits this week. SEE MORE ≫

REAL ESTATE MARKET Altos' Real-Time Market Profile All key market indicators in one easy-to-read chart, with trend lines showing changes over the past three months. SEE MORE ≫

What this means: The market is cooling, and that matters for buyers and sellers alike. Buyers have more homes to choose from and more room to negotiate than earlier this year, especially with half of sellers already reducing their asking price.

For sellers, homes are still moving and Raleigh still favors them, but pricing correctly in the first week matters more than it recently has.

[I]N THE NEWS

HEALTHCARE NC's first standalone children's hospital moves toward construction after a $208 million state boost READ MORE ≫

▷ Driving the news

The planned North Carolina Children's Hospital in Apex has secured more than $425 million in state funding, including an additional $208 million approved this summer. With that money in place, the Duke Health and UNC Health partnership behind the project is now working to raise more than $1 billion in private donations to move it into construction.

It is one of the largest healthcare projects the region has seen in a generation.

▷ What is being built

The campus would be a 500-bed freestanding children's hospital, the first standalone facility of its kind in North Carolina. It is planned for the Veridea community in Apex, on a large site near U.S. 1 and the Triangle Expressway.

First announced in 2025, the hospital is a joint effort between the state's two largest health systems.

▷ Where the money stands

The $208 million is the newest piece of a state commitment that now exceeds $425 million. Private fundraising has also begun; North Carolina Children's recently received a $25 million gift from Coca-Cola Consolidated, an early major donation toward the $1 billion goal.

▷ Why this matters for the Triangle

A dedicated, large-scale children's hospital has never existed in this region. For Triangle families, the hospital is a generational healthcare investment. The funding progress is a concrete sign the project is advancing toward groundbreaking rather than remaining only a proposal.

It also helps establish Apex as a major healthcare and jobs center for the next decade.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

DOWNTOWN RALEIGH City reshapes its southern gateway A 228-space automated underground garage and a Kindley Street extension to MLK Boulevard are both expected to open this winter, part of the City Gateway district now rezoned for towers up to 40 stories. Nearby, construction has begun on the 29-story, 600-room Omni Raleigh Hotel, scheduled to open in late 2028, and Red Hat Amphitheater's new permanent home is due for the 2027 season. CLICK TO READ IT ≫

AIR TRAVEL RDU to expand Terminal 1 for the first time in a decade Raleigh-Durham International Airport has completed the design phase for a $5 million Terminal 1 project that adds 1,600 square feet to the ticketing lobby and a new 1,000-square-foot restroom near Gate 4, its first upgrade there since 2014. The work is part of the airport's larger $2.5 billion Transform RDU plan. CLICK TO READ IT ≫

JOBS Chipmaker's RTP-area expansion promises 250 jobs Forge Nano has broken ground on an expansion of its Morrisville battery and semiconductor factory, growing it from 100,000 to nearly 315,000 square feet. The $100 million project, backed by a U.S. Department of Energy grant, is expected to create about 250 jobs, with production targeted for 2028. CLICK TO READ IT ≫

[E]XCLUSIVE LISTING

No city taxes, new construction, and golf course views. FOR SALE LOT 10 Conner Ridge Rd, Efland, NC 27243 | $999,760

The property offers private acreage in a quiet corner of the Piedmont, a serene setting only minutes from major destinations. Buyers choose every detail themselves: the floorplan, the front elevation, and every finish.

This is a build-to-suit home at The Reserve at Evergreen Farm, an exclusive enclave where buyers own the land and design the house that sits on it. To build it, the community has partnered with Drees Homes, a builder known for craftsmanship and semi-custom flexibility. Buyers can shape the floorplans to fit their needs, whether they prefer a single-story ranch or a first-floor primary suite.

Located on the I-40/I-85 corridor, the property sits centered between the Triangle and the Triad, which keeps commutes to Duke Health, RTP, and RDU short.

Within minutes, residents can browse the boutiques of downtown Mebane, hike the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, or attend a show at DPAC. Families are zoned for the top-ranked Orange County Public School System, and outdoor enthusiasts have access to nearby lakes, golf courses, and Saxapahaw.

The property carries no city taxes, and the price remains just under $1 million.

Key features:

• 4 bedrooms, 5 baths, approximately 3,953 square feet on 1.24 acres
• Build-to-suit home — choose the floorplan, elevation, and finishes
• Private acreage in a quiet, wooded setting
• Floorplans range from a sprawling ranch to a first-floor primary suite
• Centered on the I-40/I-85 corridor between the Triangle and the Triad
• Easy reach to Duke Health, RTP, and RDU
• Top-ranked Orange County schools; nearby lakes and golf courses
• No city taxes

Click here to view the full details 👇🏻

See all the details ≫

[F]RIDAY FAVORITES

NEW OPENING Lloyd's Full Service Downtown Cary just got a new dinner reservation worth making. Lloyd's Full Service opened in a 70-year-old former gas station at 107 E. Chatham Street, revived by the Early Bird Night Owl team behind The Durham and the Mayton Inn. Chicago-trained chef Dennis Bernard is serving elevated American classics: steak, schnitzel, burgers, and seafood. Plus, it joins a downtown Cary lineup that already includes Lawrence Barbecue, Bond Brothers, and Hank's Downtown Dive. If you've been meaning to explore downtown Cary, this is a good weekend for it. Opened: August 26 SEE THE RESTAURANT ≫

NEW VIDEO Builders Are SLASHING Prices in the Raleigh Triangle Right Now WATCH IT NOW ≫

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TRENDING New 217-Acre Nature Preserve Planned for Cary Have you heard about the Town of Cary’s newly named Bryson Nature Preserve? Spanning about 217 acres of former farmland out in Chatham County along Earnest Jones Road, this protected property will eventually offer an immersive natural retreat with rolling woodlands and stream corridors in the Jordan Lake watershed. ​ While it’s currently in the planning phase and not yet open to the public as a park, the site sits right adjacent to existing favorites like the American Tobacco Trail and the New Hope Trailhead. It's a major win for local conservation and a valuable future asset for our area's green spaces. SEE THE POST ≫

» Quick Pro Tip

Early September is the best time all year to feed a Triangle lawn

If you have tall fescue — and most yards here do — now through early October is the ideal stretch to aerate and overseed, while the soil is still warm and the nights are finally cooling.

Handle it now and you'll go into spring with a thicker, greener yard instead of starting over. Water lightly and often for the first two weeks, and keep foot traffic off the new grass until it fills in.

Client Testimonial

Davis & Main Real Estate at eXp Realty went above and beyond for me. They fought for my best interests every step of the way, negotiating confidently and handling challenges quickly and professionally. The entire buying process was made incredibly easy with clear communication, timely updates, and expert guidance from start to closing. I couldn’t have asked for a more dedicated team. Highly recommend!

—Donovan J.

Thanks for reading the D&M Triangle BRIEF. See you next Friday! —Brette Davis

Want to stay in the loop between Fridays? Follow me on Instagram for real estate insights, local events, and what’s happening around the Triangle.