There are details about a home that photographs and property descriptions can show. And then there are the things that can only be understood through the people who lived there.

A listing can describe the spacious sunroom, nearly half-acre yard, mature trees, screened gazebo, and convenient Parkwood location. But it cannot fully capture a backyard wedding, evenings beside the fire with beloved Golden Retrievers, holiday traditions, birthday celebrations, or the excitement of watching baby hawks grow in a nearby pine.

That is why, for our Seller Love Letter series, we asked Tony and Linda Sanchez to share what they will remember most about the home they have loved for the past 21 years.

Their answer is a story about finding the right home, building a life together, caring for a remarkable garden, and creating a place filled with family, friendship, nature, music, and memories.

A Letter From the Sellers

Dear Home Buyers,

In 2005, Linda was searching for a home near the Research Triangle Park area. She knew she wanted to live in the 27713 ZIP code and had looked at several properties nearby, always hoping that something would become available in Parkwood that checked all the boxes.

When this house came on the market, she toured it only once before making an offer. To this day, she still talks about how blessed she felt to get it.

The house had everything she wanted most: a large sunroom filled with windows, a divided kitchen and dining area with a generous counter between the two spaces, upstairs bedrooms, abundant storage, a downstairs laundry room, excellent parking, and a large private yard measuring nearly half an acre. As an added bonus, the downstairs level included a half bathroom.

The beautiful mature trees, shrubs, and plants made the property even more special. It is rare to find so much established natural beauty in one place.

One year later, we began our journey together and started creating many memories in this home. We were married in the backyard surrounded by approximately 50 guests. We are only the second owners of the property, and over the years, it has been the setting for so many important moments in our lives.

We celebrated Tony’s 60th birthday here with friends and live music. Tony played bass with his band, and Linda joined them on flute for a few songs. Every Christmas, we placed our tree in front of, or near, the bay window in the living room—a tradition that always made the house feel especially warm and festive.

We installed the fence when we welcomed our first family pet, Abby, a Golden Retriever. Since then, we have shared this home with three Goldens. Watching them run, play, and roll in the mondo grass in the backyard has brought us so much joy.

For Linda’s 70th birthday, we held a party under the carport, enjoyed fireworks in the backyard, and celebrated with a new Solo Stove. Sitting beside the fire pit with our Golden girls on cool evenings became one of our favorite ways to enjoy the property.

The arrival of the gazebo in the fall of 2013 is another memory we will never forget. Tony heard the delivery truck coming down the road and ran across the backyard toward the street as excitedly as if the ice cream truck were arriving! Once the gazebo was in place, we settled into our zero-gravity chairs and fell asleep inside it for two and a half hours.

We completed so many projects together over the years. We went rock hunting, brought our discoveries home, and carefully placed them throughout the yard. We assembled the grill hut and laid the stone floor outside the gazebo—a project that left our elbows aching for weeks!

We planted Japanese maples, azaleas, dogwood trees, shrubs, and flowers. Watching them grow and mature over the years has been incredibly heartwarming.

Grilling while relaxing inside the screened gazebo was always peaceful. We also loved sitting beneath the carport, facing the backyard, and feeling the breeze travel down the driveway.

Springtime brought the sound of birds throughout the yard. Using the Merlin bird-identification app, we once counted 19 different species. We enjoyed watching the hawks, too. For three consecutive years, a pair nested in one of our pine trees, allowing us to watch the baby hawks mature until they were ready to leave. We have even seen bald eagles flying overhead.

The yard is especially beautiful during spring, and we have always received compliments about it. One year, we were proud to receive Parkwood’s Yard of the Month award.

The large, open backyard also gave us plenty of room to celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks. On two separate occasions, we saw rainbows appear to begin or end in our backyard. Those are moments we will never forget.

Beyond the house itself, we will miss our wonderful neighbors and everything the Parkwood community offers: the lake, two ponds, walking trails, bike lanes, and the running clubs that pass by on weekends.

We have always considered Parkwood a premier location. Brigs at the Park, near RTP, is a favorite breakfast destination, while Nantucket Grill at Sutton Station is wonderful for lunch or dinner. Their strawberry shortcake and triple chocolate cake are two of our favorites.

Parkside Town Commons in Cary is approximately five miles away, offering shopping, restaurants, and a movie theater. The Streets at Southpoint is approximately three miles away and provides even more dining, entertainment, and shopping options.

The home is conveniently located near I-40, Highways 54 and 55, I-885, Research Triangle Park, Cary, Raleigh, and Raleigh-Durham International Airport. We have also loved being within driving distance of Jordan Lake, Falls Lake, and Kerr Lake—some of our favorite destinations for camping in our RV.

This home has been filled with love and memories. We hope that its next owners will create wonderful memories here and experience as much happiness as we have during the past 21 years.

Although it will be difficult to say goodbye, we are excited to begin the next chapter of our lives and create new memories in our next home.

Kindest regards,
Tony and Linda

The Home Behind the Letter

The warmth described by Tony and Linda can be felt throughout this Parkwood home.

The large sunroom, surrounded by windows, creates a bright space for relaxing and enjoying views of the established landscape. The kitchen and dining room are divided by a generous counter, allowing the rooms to remain connected while maintaining their individual functions.

Upstairs bedrooms provide separation from the main living areas, while the downstairs laundry room, half bathroom, excellent storage, and generous parking add everyday convenience.

Outside is where much of this home’s story has unfolded. The private yard encompasses nearly half an acre and offers the space that made a backyard wedding, birthday celebrations, evenings around the fire, family pets, gardening projects, and Fourth of July traditions possible.

The screened gazebo provides a comfortable place to relax or gather while food is being prepared. The carport offers another sheltered area overlooking the backyard, where the breeze, birdsong, and changing seasons become part of daily life.

Years of thoughtful care are reflected in the Japanese maples, dogwoods, azaleas, shrubs, flowers, mature trees, and other established plantings. This is more than a large yard—it is a landscape that has been cultivated, enjoyed, and loved for decades.

The Parkwood location adds another layer of convenience. Residents can enjoy neighborhood lakes, ponds, trails, bike lanes, and nearby dining, shopping, entertainment, highways, Research Triangle Park, Cary, Raleigh, and RDU International Airport.

Property Snapshot

102 Lattimore Lane Durham, NC
Durham, NC 27713

• Located in the Parkwood community
• Large sunroom with abundant windows
• Connected kitchen and dining areas
• Large dividing counter
• Upstairs bedrooms
• Downstairs laundry room
• Downstairs half bathroom
• Generous storage
• Excellent parking
• Private yard measuring nearly half an acre
• Fenced backyard
• Screened gazebo
• Carport overlooking the backyard
• Fire pit area
• Grill hut
• Bay window in the living room
• Mature trees, shrubs, and landscaping
• Japanese maples, dogwoods, azaleas, and flowering plants
• Convenient access to RTP, I-40, I-885, Highways 54 and 55
• Near Southpoint, Parkside Town Commons, Cary, Raleigh, and RDU Airport

Currently offered at $540,000 .

Some homes provide the setting for everyday life. Others become part of the family story.

For Tony and Linda, this Parkwood home has been the setting for a wedding, milestone birthdays, live music, beloved pets, gardening projects, evenings beside the fire, backyard celebrations, and 21 years of memories.

Now, it is ready for its next owners to begin a new story of their own.

Listed By:
Christie Sisk
Hart and Jahoo Real Estate Group
christie@hartandjahoo.com
919-475-1648