Starting at $1.5M, ‘townhome-condos’ for sale in Raleigh’s historic Oberlin Village

A new upscale townhome community is coming to Raleigh’s historic Oberlin Village.

Where once stood a mix of vacant lots and older, single-family homes near Oberlin Road, Raleigh-based Wilson | Blount Development will build Oberlin Preserve, 27 “townhome-style” condos at 1341 Chester Road, ranging from 2,700 to 3,220 square feet.

In early 2025, the firm purchased four separate parcels near Oberlin Road for around $3.5 million, property records show. It’s in the Oberlin Village historic overlay district, one of the longest surviving and most intact Reconstruction-Era freedman’s colonies in Wake County and North Carolina.

The firm is now in site-plan review with the city of Raleigh, said Michael Blount, partner at Wilson | Blount Development. He anticipates approvals “in time to break ground this fall.”

The first homes are now selling. Prices start at around $1.5 million. They’re expected to deliver by early 2027.

From construction to landscaping, “every detail has been meticulously considered,” Blount added.

The subdivision spans across three sites with distinct architectural styles and promises a “quiet, connected, low-maintenance lifestyle.” It’s less than a mile from popular landmarks, including Hayes Barton, Five Points and the Village District.

Each three-story condo will feature private elevators, connecting the home from “the two-car garage to the rooftop patio,” the firm said. Other perks include landscaping, exterior maintenance, and private trash service.

“These homes are unlike anything else in the Triangle,” said Jason Queen of Monarch Realty Co., the project’s broker.

Raleigh’s luxury densification

Oberlin Preserve reflects a broader trend across the Triangle towards “luxury densification.” Triggered by the city’s 2021 “missing middle” housing reforms, it’s incentivized developers to build higher density in traditionally single-family neighborhoods to meet increased growth and a chronic housing shortage.

Places like Oberlin Village are increasingly seeing one-time affordable homes replaced by high-density luxury townhomes and condos that appeal to wealthier buyers. But housing advocates warn it can accelerate gentrification, strain infrastructure, and reduce housing equity — especially in rapidly growing urban areas like Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.

Other examples include Chapel Hill’s 815-unit South Creek, currently under construction, starting in the $350,000s to over $1 million; and 1,050-home Falls Village in Durham, built in 2023, starting in the low $500,000s.