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My wife and I would like to check out some neighborhoods for a potential relocation. We have a rental car and plan to scope out the area tomorrow and Saturday. We’d love some suggestions on neighborhoods that you think would be a good fit for our lifestyle since we haven’t really dug into the job hunt just yet. Here’s a bit about us:
- Late 20s
- No kids, probably not for another 3 years or so
- $100k combined income
- $275k budget
- One dog, so a yard is important
- Proximity to city center is a plus
- Not big into night life but we like having options nearby
- Close to the blue line/Lynx if possible
I also think we’d be looking at this home as investment. We like the idea of living in the city but can see ourselves settling in the suburbs down the line.
Its going to be very difficult to find a single family house in a decent neighborhood near the light rail for that price. You might try looking in the area between Park Road and South Boulevard, between Tyvola and Sharon...there are a few houses in your price range there. Just look carefully, neighborhoods change quickly in some of that area. I'd suggest you engage a competent realtor to help you.
I might suggest the Stonehaven and Sardis Woods areas for your budget and being closer into the city and restaurants. Unfortunately for new home buyers, houses have gained quite a bit of value in the city center and even the rougher / less safe neighborhoods are getting into the $200's for a small fixer upper. Anything that isn't a fixer is well north of $300k. For example, I would have recommended the Madison Park area about 1.5 years ago, but now the average home is listed at $350k in that neighborhood.
If you are willing to look further out, there are some entry level re-sales in Concord, Ballantyne, Steele Creek, Fort Mill, etc... They will all be starter homes, typically vinyl siding construction and a little cookie cutter, but it will be a SFH. You may find a townhome closer in that has a small yard.
Any thoughts into getting a condo and just walking your dog? At least then you can be near the Blue Line. A lot of apartment complexes also have specific dog areas. It's going to be hard to get everything on your wish list and you're a couple years late to the investment property market, so if you're looking to move again within 3 years, I'd definitely recommend looking more into the rental market.
No go on the condo, he’s a big guy and we like being in a backyard. Proximity to the blue line is more of a plus than a necessity at this point.
Is it realistic to be within the loop with the price range we are looking at? We may be willing to pay more for a home if it’s a good investment, but we don’t want to spend irresponsibly. Realistically, we’d likely rent first to get a true lay of the land before buying.
Based on that criteria I'd say maybe the University/Highland Creek/Mallard Creek areas. They do tend to be a little more family-oriented, but it is pretty conveniently located near 485, 77 and 85 and not too far from the future light rail. There are some things in the immediate area, and you are not far from places like uptown, Concord, and Huntersville. It's an area that isn't quite as expensive as some other areas - partly because most of it is Meck county and a lot of people are afraid of the schools - some are better than others in that area but most are at least about average in terms of test scores. So with the light rail, etc. I think that area has potential to increase in value if you are concerned about resale, but at the same time it probably won't be a bad place to stick around for awhile.
But assuming you like the Charlotte area as a whole, you probably want to look at possible job locations because that will really focus your search and there are several job centers other than uptown.
Also, is there a reason you're focused on being close to the city center? If you haven't been to CLT before, Uptown isn't really that "happening" and it's more the neighborhoods around CLT (Noda, South End, LoSo, etc) that have the trendy places. Downtown Matthews also has 3-4 casual bars that mainly just serve beer, but that's further out from the city.
Also, is there a reason you're focused on being close to the city center? If you haven't been to CLT before, Uptown isn't really that "happening" and it's more the neighborhoods around CLT (Noda, South End, LoSo, etc) that have the trendy places. Downtown Matthews also has 3-4 casual bars that mainly just serve beer, but that's further out from the city.
Not really on the city center part. Since we haven't dove into the job hunt, I'm just using it since it's centrally located. Ha we definitely noticed that Uptown is quieter than what we're accustomed to, but that's not all that bad. Admittedly a novice here, thanks for all the input y'all, much appreciated.
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