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💙 BRIEF: RDU is moving 5 million cubic yards of dirt
Published about 1 month ago • 6 min read
Happy Friday, Triangle!
The mornings finally have a bite to them. I pulled a sweatshirt out of the closet for the first time this week, and the season felt like it turned overnight.
And let’s be honest… the timing couldn't be better with everything happening this weekend. The defending Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes, return to home ice Friday night, Oktoberfest season is officially here, there’s a new café worth checking out, and Fuquay-Varina is opening up its downtown on Saturday.
Grab your coffee. Here's what's worth your time this week.
Here’s your D&M BRIEF:
[B]est Weekend Plans: The Cup defense at home, beer and brats in Cary, and a downtown block party in Fuquay-Varina. [R]ealty Pulse: Where the market sits as fall settles in, for buyers and sellers both. [I]n the News: UNC is reshaping the busiest spot on its campus. [E]xclusive Listing: 1.53 private acre in Efland, with a floorplan you get to shape. [F]riday Favorites: A Durham mainstay adds its eighth location, plus a quick fall tip.
What this means: The Market Action Index sits at 33, having slipped from 34 over the past month, which keeps the Triangle within what Altos labels a slight seller's advantage — cooling from earlier in the year, though still short of a buyer's market.
Active listings have risen to 1,225, and roughly half of all listings have taken a price cut, so buyers have more to choose from and more room to negotiate than they did in the spring. The median list price is $525,000, and homes are taking a median of 70 days to sell.
For sellers, well-priced homes are still moving. For buyers, the added inventory and the share of price reductions mean there is time to be selective.
Curious what this looks like for your specific neighborhood or price range? Let's talk real (estate)
[I]N THE NEWS
DEVELOPMENT
UNC-Chapel Hill will redesign the Pit and expand its Alumni Center
The UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees has approved plans to redesign the Pit, the sunken brick gathering space at the center of campus, along with a major addition to the university's Alumni Center. The trustees' budget, finance, and infrastructure committee approved both projects on September 23, and construction on the Pit is set to begin next year.
▷ What is changing
The Pit was built in 1969 and has served as a main campus meeting point ever since, hosting speakers, student organization tables, and events such as FallFest. Its drainage system has failed and often leaves standing water, its brick steps limit accessibility, and an expanding student body has outgrown a space designed for a much smaller campus.
▷ What the redesign includes
The new plan replaces the sunken pit with a single, flat landscape intended to improve pedestrian flow and expand shaded areas. Student, faculty, and staff surveys and feedback sessions have shaped the design since 2024, and construction will be staged to limit disruption to what the university calls the highest-trafficked area on campus.
The trustees also approved an addition to the George Watts Hill Alumni Center that would house Undergraduate Admissions and the UNC Visitors Center. Positioned next to the Rams Head Parking Deck, the new welcome center is designed to create a clear arrival point for campus tours and prospective-student visits, while preserving the surrounding wooded landscape and adding outdoor event space.
▷ Why this matters for the Triangle
UNC-Chapel Hill is one of the region's largest employers and a steady driver of local housing demand, and the campus it presents is often the first impression prospective students and families form of the town. Reworking its most-used gathering space, and building a dedicated front door for visitors, is a long-term investment in how Chapel Hill shows itself to the tens of thousands of people who pass through each year.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
DEVELOPMENT
RDU moves five million cubic yards of earth for its new main runway
Raleigh-Durham International Airport is building a new 10,639-foot primary runway as part of its $1.1 billion Transform RDU program, and the existing runway will be converted to a taxiway once the new one opens.
Barnes & Noble opens at University Place in Chapel Hill
A 20,000-square-foot Barnes & Noble with a café opened in the former Planet Fitness space at University Place, part of a roughly $160 million redevelopment of the Chapel Hill shopping center.
Check out this roundup of grand openings, relocations, and expansions across Raleigh, Durham, and Fuquay-Varina this fall, spanning shops, restaurants, and nightlife
LOT 6 Conner Ridge Rd, Efland, NC 27243 | $949,900
This private 1.53 acre homesite sits at the end of a cul-de-sac in Efland, set against a tree-lined backdrop with room for a basement. It is a build-to-suit opportunity in The Reserve at Evergreen Farm, offered in partnership with Drees Homes, a semi-custom builder, so the floorplan and finishes are chosen to fit the buyer rather than delivered as-is.
The featured plan is the Branford, one of Drees's most popular layouts. It places the primary suite and a private guest suite on the first floor, with an open family room that flows into a bright sunroom and a kitchen built around a large island and generous cabinetry. Upstairs adds a game room or flex space, a bonus room, and a dedicated office with a Jack-and-Jill bath. The home includes an encapsulated crawlspace.
The location balances privacy with access, sitting near downtown Mebane, Duke Health, Tanger Outlets, and the future Buc-ee's, within the Orange County school district.
Key features:
1.53-acre cul-de-sac homesite with a tree-lined backdrop and basement potential
Build-to-suit home by Drees Homes, a semi-custom builder
Featured Branford floorplan: first-floor primary and guest suites, open family room, and sunroom
Four bedrooms across roughly 3,601 square feet
Upstairs game room or flex space, bonus room, and office with a Jack-and-Jill bath
Encapsulated crawlspace
Near downtown Mebane, Duke Health, Tanger Outlets, and the future Buc-ee's
Within the Orange County school district
Because the home is to be built, the photos are representative, and the plan can be customized or exchanged for another Drees option.
Saladelia Cafe is opening its eighth Triangle location inside Imperial Tower, the old Quintiles building on Emperor Boulevard, just off I-40 in Durham.
The Durham-owned Mediterranean cafe has been a local staple since 1988, known for its mezza platters, salads, and pastries.
The mornings are turning, which makes this the week to flip your ceiling fans. Set them to spin clockwise on low, and they'll push warm air back down instead of pulling it up, a one-minute change that takes the edge off those first chilly nights before you ever touch the thermostat.
Client Testimonial
We used Brette Davis to purchase a home, we were still living in Florida so we needed Brette to be our ear's and eyes since we couldn’t see every house that we were interested in. Brette would literally video the entire experience for us. Starting from driving down the block so we could see EVERYTHING. She also video's the entire walk through and explains every inch of the home including the outside. Extremely detailed, personable, professional, and knowledgeable.. We got really lucky! We will be using Brette in the future for our friend’s family and if we ever need to buy again. —Andrea S.
Thanks for reading the D&M Triangle BRIEF. See you next Friday!
—Brette Davis
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I’m a Raleigh-based agent who’s passionate about real estate, local life, and making homeownership feel easy (and fun!). Subscribe and join 2,000+ readers who get the inside scoop every week!
