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Greetings! My boyfriend and I will be relocating to Durham sometime in 2013 and have begun our search for a community to target (we will be buying not renting). We know we would like to be in Southwest Durham and need some direction. We would like to be within walking distance to shops and public places and would also prefer not to be in a brand new subdivision. We are open to townhomes, condos, and single family properties. Ideally we won't be spending more than $200K. Any feedback would be wonderful! Thanks in advance!
How far southwest do you need/want to be? Would areas like Burch Avenue, Lyon Park, or Morehead Hill qualify as "Southwest Durham" for your purposes? If so, those seem to me like terrific neighborhoods to consider in a situation like yours. Finding a <$200K house in those areas (especially Morehead Hill) may be tough, but I think it's doable in the current real estate market, although the house you find may be more-or-less either tiny, borderline sketchy, or a fixer-upper. But at your price range in a reasonably walkable, established neighborhood with character on the southwest side of Durham, you may have to kind of take what you can get.
Is Parkwood considered SW Durham? there are some nice houses in there that would probably be in your budget. Although there isn't many businesses within walking distance the neighborhood itself is definitely walkable. I'm not sure how much the townhomes in Woodcroft sell for, but they might also be within your budget and they are are easily within walking distance to some restaurants and some shopping.
Woodcroft does sound like your best bet, preferably on either the eastern (Fayetteville St, near the Sutton Station shops and restaurants, straight shot down the American Tobacco Trail to grocery shopping) or western (Hope Valley Rd, Woodcroft Shopping center for restaurants and Food Lion) sides, rather than in the middle. There are some smaller developments off Fayetteville to the east that may have suitable homes in that price range; the challenge for walkability would be crossing Fayetteville. One of the townhomes in Southpoint Terrace would be another option for walkability in SW Durham, though those tend to go for more than $200 K. I also see there's a house for sale on Abron Dr right now. At the moment there's no good sidewalk to walk to the mall from Abron, but the American Tobacco Trail will be running behind Abron when that section is completed next spring, and that will give you a nice < 1 mi walk to all the shops and restaurants at the mall, just over a mile to grocery shopping at Target.
jagira10, I'm still unclear on your specific location needs/preferences. What exactly constitutes "Southwest Durham" for your purposes? Is there some specific place on that side of Durham that you need/want to live as close as possible to? In general, Durham and the Triangle aren't all that big or difficult to get around in, so for most people it isn't crucial to live super-close to where they work, go to school, or whatever other activities they spend most of their time out of their homes doing. Obviously, it's wise to try to live relatively close to those frequently visited destinations, but it doesn't usually have to be as precise as "Southwest Durham, excluding Lyon Park and Morehead Hill." But maybe you have some particular circumstances that do necessitate living in a more specific area. You'd have a lot more options, though, if you could expand your scope a little.
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