It has been two months since I last communicated with you. I have been waiting for a change and finally we are starting to see hints of a new trend. The number of single-family homes for sale is up, mortgage rates are lower, and the average sale price is down over the past month. The local numbers are in for July 2024 and here is what is happening: The average price of single-family homes is up slightly from a year ago but has dropped over the last month.  Available homes for sale, while still low, is increasing. The mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed has dropped to around 6.5% down from recent highs of close to 8%. Consequently, current homeowners holding mortgages with significantly lower interest rates may be less reluctant to sell. Here is an update for the end of July: A year ago, the average sale price of

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will host an online Esports gaming tournament featuring the game “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” on Saturday, Aug. 24. Presented by Ting, the Battle in the Forest is open to players ages 10 and older and free to play on all consoles and PCs. The online tournament will be live streamed on Twitch.tv.  Registration is open through Wednesday, Aug. 21, at https://wakeforestnc.recdesk.com/Community/Home. Please note: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is rated e10+. Participants will compete in a one-on-one, single-day, double-elimination tournament to run in conjunction with “Bull City Gaming.” The matches will be best of three, while the championship match will be best of five. In the event more than 32 participants register, the tournament will expand to two days with the qualifying rounds taking place on August 24 and the top eight participants battling it out in the finals on Sunday, Aug. 25.

Good Neighbor Day returns to E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road, Saturday, Sept. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. Hosted by the Human Relations Council , Good Neighbor Day is an annual celebration that assembles Wake Forest residents from all walks of life for a day of free food, fun, and family entertainment. By bringing together a mix of cultures, music, ages and ethnicities, the event celebrates diversity and promotes goodwill among all Wake Forest citizens. Volunteers are critical to the success of the event and needed at various times between noon and 5 p.m. Volunteer duties will be general in nature and may include setting up, cleaning up, answering questions, and assisting attendees. Local civic groups and community organizations are especially encouraged to participate, along with local students interested in earning community service hours. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, email Human Resources Director Angela

The Human Relations Council is soliciting youth and adult nominations for the 15th Annual Good Neighbor of the Year Award. The award recognizes Wake Forest residents who work to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods without seeking recognition for their efforts. Nominees are sought in two divisions: adult (ages 19 and older) and youth (ages 10-18). To qualify, a nominee must be a Wake Forest resident who has made a significant contribution to the community between September 1, 2023, and August 31, 2024. Employees of the Town of Wake Forest are not eligible. The online nomination form is available at http://bit.ly/WFGoodNeighborAward. Completed nomination forms must be submitted by 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31. Nominations forms must include the names of both the nominator and the nominee, along with a narrative of 400 words or less describing why the nominee is deserving of the Good Neighbor of the Year Award. Mayor Vivian

The Wake Forest Optimist Club presents the fourth annual Kars for Kids Charity Car Show. The charity car show will be held on Saturday, September 21, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Market of Wake Forest shopping center located at Business 98 and Capital Boulevard. This is a fun family friendly event and admission is free to spectators. Cars displayed and judged must pay a $20 registration fee. Antique, Pony, Trucks, Muscle, Rods, and Custom Cars & Trucks will be on display. Everything from mild to wild – vintage to modern. The Grand Sponsor of Kars for Kids is Ted Wilder Agency State Farm Insurance.Mr. Wilder is also an avid antique car enthusiast and collector. Gold sponsors are Zapolski Real Estate Property Management Company, Johnson Hyundai of Wake Forest, Charlie’s Kabobs, Wake Forest Dental Arts, Sam’s Xpress Car Wash, Carolina Comfort Air, McCorkle Sign & Awning, ReMax

Based on the July 2024 Monthly Development Report, WF Planning Updated August 6, 2024 With new staff members, the Wake Forest Planning Department has been able to catch up with the monthly reports, and the latest is for July 2024. The only change in the July report is the removal of #33, the White Street project for commercial and residential use in one building that was denied by the Wake Forest Town Board.  The town keeps a running tally of approved projects with counts of those completed. The best inspections current estimate is that between seven and eight people move to town each day, moving into newly-built houses, townhouses or apartments and a few existing houses that were for sale. Projects under review 1. 418 Jones Dairy Road SP-23-11 is a request by David Williams Sr. to rezone 5.61 acres on the south side of Jones Dairy Road from RH

George Mackie Arrangements are in the hands of Bright Funeral Home, and an obituary will be published soon. ### Mary Virginia Perry Neville Wake Forest Mary Virginia Perry Neville was the only child of Daisy Mae Walters Perry and John M. “Jick” Perry. She was perfect in every way: beautiful baby, charming smile, and sandy-colored curly hair plus plump cheeks. Her parents, cousins, and neighboring relatives and friends adored her. She was called Ginger from day one and at an early age, Ginger went to Forestville Baptist Church (where her mother became a deaconess). She also enjoyed tap and ballet school. What a kid! Ginger’s life of almost 72 years was filled with lots of love and laughter but also great sadness and tragedy beginning at age six when her father died suddenly of a heart attack. Her husband of one year, Tommie Wayne Neville, died tragically at the young