Living in Pittsboro: Change and Charm in the Triangle Area

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Why is the town named Pittsboro?
Pittsboro’s Place in the Triangle Today: Real Estate
City Sewer or Septic System?
Pittsboro in Town Property Values
Chatham Park
Local Arty Things to Do around Pittsboro:
Marianne Howell Wright

Why is the town named Pittsboro?

Pittsboro Courthouse with a Christmas tree instead of the statue of a Confederate soldier that was removed a few years ago.

A few years ago I was showing an out of town client around, I think she was from New Jersey, and she said “The town is so cute but why does it have to be named PITTSboro? I can’t see telling my friends I’m moving to PITTSboro!” I had never thought why the town was named Pittsboro.

This is how Pittsboro got it’s name:

“It was incorporated in 1787 as the county seat of the recently-formed Chatham County, and was originally named “Pittsborough,” after William Pitt the Younger, the Earl of Chatham. Many of the original founding families came from sections of eastern North Carolina in the early nineteenth century and built large homes in town.”

from carolana.com

Pittsboro’s Place in the Triangle Today: Real Estate

Pittsboro, North Carolina, the county seat of Chatham County, presents a varied real estate market as of late 2023 and into early 2024. One of the reasons for the variability is is Pittsboro, the town, vs areas with a Pittsboro address in Chatham County.

City Sewer or Septic System?

City sewer is only available in the Town of Pittsboro so homes outside of town limits require septic systems. Septic systems require large lots from around 3/4 acre and up. Land is expensive so new homes on acre plus lots in Pittsboro, Chatham County, have a median price, in January 2024, of $1,370,000, with an average of 3700 sq ft and $350 sq ft. Some large neighborhoods like Governors Club and Briar Chapel have their own sewer plants so the lots can be small and homes can be lower priced.

Sometimes even real estate agents don’t realize that if an address is Pittsboro it may not actually be IN Pittsboro. Addresses are assigned by the post office and don’t mean anything except the house is in Chatham County. My information comes from the Triangle MLS and I noticed properties were listed in town limits when they were 20 minutes outside of town and actually closer to Chapel Hill.

Pittsboro in Town Property Values

Garman is building homes in the 500’s in Chatham Park

Median Home Prices and Trends: In 2023 The low sold price was $205,000 and the high price was $1,433,875. The median sales price was $525,000.
Average New Home Values: In 2023 The low sold price was $400,000 and the high price was $1,433,875. The median price was $540,000 and $243 sq ft.
Sale-to-List Price Ratio: Homes in Pittsboro sold for approximately the asking price in 2023 with a sale-to-list price ratio of 100%.
Market Activity:With so many new homes it is hard to understand the days on the market. New homes are often listed before the house is started. and the MLS shows new homes as 0 days on the market.
Inventory and Listings Update: The current abundance of inventory in Pittsboro is largely influenced by the developments in Chatham Park. Last year, Chatham Park alone saw the sale of 87 homes. As of January 2, 2024, there are 36 active single-family listings in the area. This increase in inventory is partly due to builders preparing for Pittsboro’s Spring market, a popular time for moving, especially among families looking to relocate during the summer school break. In the Triangle area, the typical duration from contract to closing ranges between 30 to 45 days.

Chatham Park

This massive planned mixed use development will change Pittsboro and the Triangle bringing an additional 60,000 residents over the projected timeline for development.

For an in-depth exploration of Chatham Park, including exclusive photos and personal experiences, check out our full feature Chatham Park page.

Local Arty Things to Do around Pittsboro:

Clyde Jones’ Critter Crossing: Clyde Jones, a legend on the folk art scene, is known for his hand-carved and painted critters made from scrap wood. Some of his famous works are on display near the Haw River in the Bynum community. Bynum is interesting to drive through and then take a walk over the old Haw River Bridge.
Clyde Jones’ Critter Crossing
Fearrington Village: This community features restaurants, shops, and gardens, along with folk art although I noticed the other day Vollis Simpson’s whirligigs were missing. Hopefully by the time you read this they will be repaired and reinstalled.
Fearrington Whirligigs
French Connection: An eclectic goods shop offering folk art for yards, sustainable textiles, and more, housed in a building from the 1900s. I often bring out of town folks here because it is such fun to browse the interesting collections.
French Connection Pittsboro
Screaming for Vintage: You never know what you will find! My husband and I enjoy looking at vintage accessories and furniture and my son found a couple of t-shirts, one from his favorite local bar in Nashville.
Screaming for Vintage
The Rosemary House B&B: A colonial home built in 1912, serving as a gathering place for folk artists and enthusiasts, featuring The Kindred Gallery.
Small B&B Cafe and Folk Art Museum: Offers a bed and breakfast and cafe experience, owned by folk art advocates Dave Clark and Lisa Piper. The Folk are museum just moved to Siler City in Chatham County but the Cafe is still there.
Pittsboro Gallery of Arts:This gallery provides Chatham County and the surrounding area with high-quality local fine art and fine craft created by regional artists and craftspeople. One of my favorite local artists, Rita Baldwin, is featured in the gallery.
Annual Studio Tour by Chatham Artists Guild:

Held on the first two weekends of December, this tour is a highlight for many local artists. I go almost every year to find unique Christmas presents. It offers an opportunity to visit artist studios scattered across Chatham County’s rolling hills and pastoral farmlands. Visitors can meet the artists, learn about their processes, and browse affordable original artworks. I usually buy pottery from Doug Dotson studio and also from Mark Hewett.

The Phoenix bakery: The cakes are a work of art. I like the seating area with eclectic furniture. Good coffee, sandwiches and of course, the delicious baked goods.

Phoenix Bakery and Cafe

Marianne Howell Wright

Triangle Area Real Estate

919-274-4365

[email protected]

5.0

Based on 22 reviews

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Patricia B

20:52 02 Feb 20

Marianne was our agent when we purchased our home in Chatham County. She is extremely knowledgeable about the Triangle... area, specific neighborhoods and builders. Marianne was very thorough and did an excellent job representing us during the entire process; from finding a house, negotiating the offer, and handling all the closing details. We highly recommended Marianne.read more

Althea Sistare

14:51 17 Jan 20

Marianne helped us buy a beautiful home in Chapel Hill while we were living in Pennsylvania. She was a pleasure to work... with and accommodated our schedule perfectly during the few times we were able to be in the area. She patiently drove us around for many hours and several days, helping us rule out every possibility. Our final decision was made without a doubt! We felt very confident in Marianne's guidance throughout the entire home buying process. Her thorough knowledge and experience was very evident. She was there for us every step of the way, especially when we could not be there in person.read more

Cam Tung

15:49 24 Mar 19

Marianne and Chip were incredibly helpful throughout the new home building process, especially as we were living in... Austin! They were both super pleasant, knowledgeable and responsive! We couldn't have done it without them.read more

Jillian Geneve

14:59 15 Mar 19

Marianne did a fabulous job as our realtor. It was stressful to be relocating to an unfamiliar, new area from out of... town, and Marianne was extremely helpful. She had so much experience and knowledge of the neighborhoods, schools, and services for our special needs child, and she was able to advise us on the best location for our family. Even in the middle of a winter storm she was out looking at houses for us, taking detailed videos so we could see the homes from out of state. She was very responsive and always available to answer our many questions about the area. She was very knowledgeable about the buying process and did a great job of negotiating on our behalf. When we got to Chapel Hill, Marianne gave us several different tours, and even took the time to show our son playgrounds all over town. We are thrilled with the home we bought and couldn’t have done it without her. I highly recommend her!read more

Yanina Costecalde

16:57 24 Jun 18

Marianne Howell Wright is real Estate Agent; she works with her husband, Chip Wright who was in a construction building... contractor. I have been in the area for year and knew quite well the market, and where I wanted my family to be, which I recommend to any new buyer. I contacted Marianne because I liked her videos and she seemed knowledgeable about the area. They both came straight away, which other agents do not do. In general, Marianne recommends new constructions over old houses because she often goes to new development meetings and is well aware of the new construction materials (lighter, better, and more efficient). However, I chose an old house. Being single, Marianne and Chip made sure that I understood what it meant to choose a house that required a lot of work. Once it became clear that I knew what it would take to fix the house, Chip and the inspector built a terrific file and Marianne negotiate and reduced the price significantly, which is rare for the area. I invested this extra money in the house and hired contractors with Chip helps. The house was ready for my family in a month. I would like to add that Chips was not keen to advice for contractors because some clients might be suspicions of his intentions, but if you ask, he would tell you.A house is everyone own choice. You are the only one who knows what your family likes, can afford, and able or not to handle small/big improvement projects. What chip can do is to give you a far opinion on the house condition. What Marianne can do is to build the best file in order to negotiate the best price for the buyer or the seller. I recommend this team because they are professional, reliable, and efficient.read more

Elaine Lux

01:16 09 Jun 18

Marianne is awesome! She was available to us during the entire process of building our new home, from selecting the lot... through our final walk-through. Building a new home, especially while living out-of-state, can be nerve-wracking. Having Marianne represent us was such a smart decision. She is so knowledgeable about the new build process and construction, and brought things to our attention that we never would have thought about. She truly looked out for our best interests. She was available to us each and every time we needed her. We now have a brand new home that is well-built and gorgeous! We thank Marianne for the huge role she played in making that dream come true for us!read more

Maureen Pulscher

21:38 04 Jun 18

Marianne helped my husband and I find a new home in the Triangle area while we were still living out of state. We made... a few trips to look at properties and Marianne always made the most of the short amount of time we had and helped us cover a lot of ground. She also spent plenty of time on the phone and over email with us educating us on the area and providing fantastic local insights. She is extremely responsive and will track down information for you. She kept us well informed throughout the buying process and helped us learn what to look for as first-time new construction buyers. She also was tremendously helpful in the new construction walk-throughs, pointing out things and asking questions I did not know to ask. I highly recommend Marianne, especially if you are moving to this area from out of state!read more

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