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Hello Raleigh!!
My husband and I are relocating to the R-D Area in early 2013. He'll be working in RTP and I'm hoping to get some advice on any or all of the following:
1) family friendly neighborhoods in N. Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. We are looking in the $600-800k range, would love to find a neighborhood with a pool and lots of kids (our daughter is 4 1/2)
2) Advice on the best schools. We currently have our daughter in private pre-K but am open to other options as well.
I lived in north Raleigh for a number of years. When I moved there, we wanted a neighborhood with a pool, but they were few and far between in north Raleigh (may be more now) but there are private club pools like Seven Oaks and Springdale. There are some good schools in north Raleigh - e.g., Leesville Road.
Newer neighborhoods in Chapel Hill (e.g., Larkspur) have a pool and are within your price range. There are other newer ones toward northern Carrboro along Homestead Road that have pools. And of course large major planned communities like Southern Village and Meadowmont. Chapel Hill and Carrboro have excellent schools.
For North Raleigh, you have quite a few options. If you like larger lots (~ 1 acre), you can look at neighborhoods in the Falls Lake watershed, where there are a decent number of neighborhoods in your price range. Two that I like in this price range are Ethan's Glen and Parker Falls. Both are upscale neighborhoods with pools, with Parker Falls being a bit more expensive than Ethan's Glen. There are others as well.
Both neighborhoods have the same base elementary school (Pleasant Union). Parents I talk with who have their children there are very happy with it. Depending on where in RTP your husband works, a commute from either neighborhood can be anywhere from under 20 minutes to perhaps 30 minutes on the upper end. I live in the area and my commute to IBM takes less about 18 minutes during rush hour, 20 minutes top.
A different option in North Raleigh is to live outside the Falls Lake watershed. You would likely be on a smaller lot, but would be closer to shopping. One of the closest options to RTP is Brier Creek, which is a Toll Brothers golf course neighborhood. Again, there are many others to choose from in this price range. Just remember that the farther East you move, the farther from RTP you will be and the longer the commute times.
I suggest that you checkout our neighborhood - Bedford at Falls River off Falls of Neuse - specifically the Estates section. We were looking for what you are, and we found it here.
Last edited by Green Irish Eyes; 10-17-2012 at 05:43 PM..
thank you everyone for the insight and recommendations! I would prefer a larger lot (min .5 acre) and while they look like great neighborhoods the lots in the Hamptons and Bedford both appear to be in the .33 range (at least those that are available).
the resulting size of the lot depends on how you define it or really, how you'll use it. What is it that makes you desire 1/2 acre or more? I've seen 1/4 acre lots with more useability and privacy than acre lots.
Our schools are very good. In the price range you're looking for, you will not have issues finding a home that meets your needs, or a school. Do know that we operate schools county-wide in Wake (Raleigh/cary) and Durham county, and Chapel Hill has a separate school system from the county (Orange).
Please just make sure you're working with a HIGHLY qualified Realtor to assist you.
Go build a house in Copperleaf. You should be able to get a lot closer to .5 plus a house in your range. There are a couple of spec homes out there now that are 25-30k above your high end, but you could build.
It's also quite close to RTP and seems like there are plenty of kids there. Nice pool, good trails.
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