Moving from Ohio and want to know more about Hope Mills NC or Southern Pines NC (Raleigh: fit in)

[mollymilktruck]

Hey y'all. My family is relocating to NC from OH in the next few months. We have 5 children 13,11,8,4,3 and need to know more about the schools/sports/music options and in particular a neighborhood area called Clifton Forge (streets Thompson Circle, Lakeshore, Deaver and Frierson) right beside Hope Mills Lake. The houses were built in the 70's but most are pretty well kept. I'm only able to see it online though and wasn't able to view the street called Barbary (Street, Road, Lane?, not sure). Is it considered a negative to live near the lake? Also, what are the schools like in that district? I liked the idea of buying a home with mature trees and large lots but still inexpensive enough to be able to afford to remodel to our taste. I just can't do the rubber stamp house thing or neighborhoods with no trees. Church is also important and I saw one called The Church of the Apostles that looked kind of neat online.
We're also considering Southern Pines but we don't golf and don't care about golf and don't seem to find much in the way of mainstream shopping there. Not even one traditional mall. We did travel there a week ago to look around and the trees were beautiful but I was surprised to see a lot of junky looking areas mixed throughout. I'd only ever heard how beautiful it is there. Also, we couldn't find any houses that fit our needs or style even if we looked above our price range. We're shooting for the 300K range and it seems you can get a lot more for your money in Hope Mills and be within 15-20 minutes of major shopping chains (Barnes and Noble, Gap, Old Navy, etc). Am I way off? I have a friend who works in development in Fayetteville and they are anticipating very good growth and continued improvement as the military base expands and more people influx. Can anyone help me decide?!

[GouldCottage]

Hi,

We moved from NY to Southern Pines over a year ago.

We do not golf either, but liked the small town feel and the older homes. I think you will find it a bit more expensive than Fayettville and Hope Mills, but it is all location and Moore County.

I have heard all good things about the schools and recreation programs for the kids.

Mall type shopping is along 15-501 with the big stores in about 5 or 6 outdoor malls. Most people drive an hour to Raleigh for the malls. You should be able to find a house in your price range in Village Acres or up near Fort Bragg.

You might find more info in the local paper link and Sandhills Scene section. They might even have photos from the Christmas parade yesterday.

http://www.thepilot.com/

[42WLA]

I'm a Realtor in Hope Mills so I'm a little biased. Living near the lake is a postive now that the dam has been rebuilt and the lake is refilled. The old dam was washed away a few years ago. There are several nice older homes in that area.

Southview schools are good. My children attended them. There is a great ballet/dance school in Hope Mills that my daughter attends. We also attend Southview Baptist church. There are probably a dozen churches within a mile radius on Clifton Forge.

[mollymilktruck]

Thank you both so much for your replies. I love this forum! It is so helpful to have answers and information as I sit here in Ohio trying to make decisions about where to plant our family. It looks like we'll be settling in Southern Pines. My husband is now living in a condo there, found a nice church and has gotten hooked up with a great realtor. We've begun searching for homes and have felt more connected after meeting several people while spending time there. I just visited again this week and while I didn't find just the right house yet I can tell we'll fit in there very well ultimately. Again, thanks for taking the time to help me out.

[GouldCottage]

Originally Posted by mollymilktruck

Thank you both so much for your replies. I love this forum! It is so helpful to have answers and information as I sit here in Ohio trying to make decisions about where to plant our family. It looks like we'll be settling in Southern Pines. My husband is now living in a condo there, found a nice church and has gotten hooked up with a great realtor. We've begun searching for homes and have felt more connected after meeting several people while spending time there. I just visited again this week and while I didn't find just the right house yet I can tell we'll fit in there very well ultimately. Again, thanks for taking the time to help me out.

Welcome, I know you will enjoy Southern Pines. Good luck in your house search. We live right on N May near New Hampshire working on a big renovation of a house next door. All the neighbors have been great and we watched the pinecone drop on New Year's Eve.

PS if you like BBQ try the Pik n Pig in Carthage.

[aurelia2616]

Is there any reasonably priced senior housing in Hope Mills. Looking for a safe place to live.

[willie254]

my 2 kids and I want to move to around Hope Mills, N.C. and like to get all info for either houses or apts to RENT.. and I like to know the best area of Hope mills to live for safety? Hope Mills appears to be nice and cozy town..less traffic and crime.
my 2 children and I are sick of the crime & traffic in middle TN so we want to move to N.C. by July 09
any info about prices for houses or apts to rent..I have 1 son, 1 daughter..and 2 cats
Thanks

[faabala]

I'm staying in an apartment in Hope Mills till our house is finished being built. We have been here since last August. The rent is pretty cheap, $650.00, it has a pool and is close to schools and is nice and quiet.

Send me a PM and I'll give you the info. There are a couple other places I could recommend. The apartments are usually pretty full and it can be hard to find a vacancy.

[monicazim]

Molly, If you are interested in information about Moore County and things to do for kids, try this too SandhillsKids.