Meet Ponder, A New Community With A Summer Retreat Soul

Wendell, N.C. – October 9, 2025 – The award-winning team behind Wendell Falls is excited to unveil the name and the plans of its newest master-planned community, Ponder, set to enhance the highly desirable Wendell area of Eastern Wake County.

A destination community with a location that is easily accessible off Highway 87, Ponder is equidistant between two charming small towns, Wendell and Zebulon, and just 20 miles from Raleigh. Ponder will offer a return to a simpler way of life that fosters connections between neighbors, nature and timeless traditions.

Featuring homes by leading national and regional builders, Ponder’s home designs will be infused with the vision of a modern North Carolina lakehouse. The community will feel fresh but familiar at the same time with an exciting mix of carefully crafted homes, designed with forward thinking. 

“We are creating a community that invites residents to be in the moment, reflect and connect with nature and with each other,” said Tanya Matzen, Senior Vice President at Brookfield Residential. “We chose to name this community Ponder to represent this vision and offer a space where well-being and community thrive in an environment that encourages active lifestyles.”

Set on 480 acres, Ponder’s name projects a peaceful pace, coupled with awareness and appreciation of the natural elements, which will include 2.5 miles of public greenway, a community lake, a fishing pond and the Little River. The community will feature 120 acres of parks and open space.

Amenities will include Ponder House, sitting on more than five acres of land just off the lake. As the community’s signature amenity, Ponder House will help set the tone for Ponder’s “fresh take on lake living.” The main 5,300-square-foot Ponder House building and 1,900-square-foot covered wraparound porch are anticipated to open in fall 2026, with a gathering room for parties and private events, a fitness center and an outdoor fireplace.

Additional amenities will include pickleball courts, a pool, campsites, a kayak launch, a yoga lawn, a fire pit, a concert/gathering lawn with stage, bike racks and golf cart parking. An Info Cabin will also provide a welcoming space where visitors and future residents can learn about the community’s vision for the phased construction of the approximately 1,900-home community, explore home designs and connect with the development team. 

Award-Winning Builders for the Ponder Community

The Ponder master-planned community will offer single-family homes and townhome designs and floor plans to meet a variety of homebuyer needs from first-time homeowners to growing families to active adults. The award-winning builders selected for Ponder are regularly featured in lists of top builders compiled by leading local business and industry publications thanks to their attention to thoughtful design and quality craftsmanship. Ponder’s builders include: 

Brookfield Residential

For more than 65 years, Brookfield Residential has created award-winning master-planned communities and thoughtfully designed homes that enrich lives and inspire connection. Through this enduring commitment, Brookfield Residential continues to build the best places to call home, creating spaces that bring people together and enhance the way they live.

David Weekley Homes

As one of the nation's largest privately held builders, David Weekley Homes provides customers with the home of their dreams and a builder they can trust. Thanks to a brand promise that offers the best in design, choice and service to their customers for over 45 years, David Weekley Homes has more than 125,000 delighted homeowners and counting.

Garman Homes

Since 2007, Morrisville, N.C.-based Garman Homes has offered fresh new home packages and color palettes that reflect homebuyers’ hopes and pride in their new homes—without the dread of making hundreds of design decisions. The team at Garman Homes believes building a new home for someone is an honor and a privilege, and they are delighted to bring dreams to life for hundreds of homebuyers.

Homes by Dickerson

Homes by Dickerson is proud to celebrate 50 years of building custom homes that reflect the unique lifestyles and dreams of clients. What began as a small team has grown into an award-winning builder known for craftsmanship, innovation and a deeply personalized homebuilding experience of helping families across North and South Carolina bring their visions to life — each home a reflection of commitment to quality, sustainability and thoughtful design.

Ponder presales will commence in summer 2026. Both single-family homes and townhomes will be available in the initial phases. For more information about Ponder or to receive updates on the community’s progress, visit the Ponder website.

Ponder will be the third joint venture in the Triangle region of North Carolina by the team that created Briar Chapel and Wendell Falls, with Wendell Falls in close proximity to the new Ponder development. Since opening in May 2015, Wendell Falls has become an incredibly desirable place to live with its lineup of community events, sustainably built new construction homes and amenities like the Farmhouse Cafe, a pair of pools, 10+ miles of trails, parks and more.

About Ponder by Brookfield Residential

Ponder by Brookfield Residential is owned in a joint venture partnership between North America Sekisui House, LLC (NASH) and Brookfield Residential, and is proudly managed by Brookfield Residential. These partners share a deep commitment to sustainable development practices and apply these core values to the vision, planning and development of their communities. Ponder by Brookfield Residential is one of seven communities this partnership manages together across the U.S. For more information about Ponder, visit www.pondernc.com or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.