Rufty Homes

Home has Everything but a Moat
The News & Observer
May 27, 2001

The News & Observer

April 27, 2001

Home has everything but a moat

Once upon a time, fairy tales involved castles, fire-breathing dragons and knights in shining armor. Today's fairy tales are more about things like a $2 million house as big as a castle, with seven fireplaces and a shiny, glass-enclosed, self-suspended circular staircase. Even if you'll never have the means to live as royalty in such a home, you can get an idea of what that might be like at the Rufty Showcase 2001.

The event, which features tours of a new, 13,000-square-foot residence in Wakefield Plantation, is an effort between builder Jon Rufty and Duke Children's Hospital to raise money for the medical facility.

Rufty custom built the monolithic estate at 1801 Oatlands Court for a family of five. The homeowners, who did not want to be named, agreed to its use as a money-earner for the hospital before their May move-in. Last weekend, more than 1,200 people visited the palatial abode at a price of $5 per person. Curiosity seekers can visit the European-style house this weekend, too. Viewing hours will be from 1 to 6 p.m. today, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The fund-raiser also includes $5 rides in the RE/MAX hot-air balloon, which, weather permitting, will be tied down in the Wakefield Commons shopping center parking lot from 6:30 p.m. to dusk Saturday. So what will people get to see for their money back at the ranch, er, castle?

In addition to the items mentioned, the four-bedroom home includes: a mirrored exercise room, a library, a music room, an automated lighting system, whole-house audio and a home theater with a 100-inch, projection, high-definition television.

Though the annual Parade of Homes tour offers similar sights for free, that hasn't stopped people from paying to see Rufty's craftsmanship.

"No one ... questioned the $5 - even for children,"said Wendy Shannon, spokeswoman for the showcase. "It's for a good cause that [visitors] hope they never have to use."