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I am a newly divorced mom of 3 kids (14,9,and 6). I am moving from Ohio to be closer to family (brother and mother live in Graham). Where would be a good place for me and my kids to settle....Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary etc? Good schools are my top priority. I would like to be able to rent a house for no more $1300 a month. Any help is appreciated.
Where will you be working? That really is the top priority, with schools coming second. If you have to drive an hour to work, and another hour back home, that's going to take too much time away from your kids.
Also, will a two bedroom work for you? Do you have pets?
I am a newly divorced mom of 3 kids (14,9,and 6). I am moving from Ohio to be closer to family (brother and mother live in Graham). Where would be a good place for me and my kids to settle....Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary etc? Good schools are my top priority. I would like to be able to rent a house for no more $1300 a month. Any help is appreciated.
Your question is too open-ended. Do you have to work? How many bedrooms do you need? How close or far do you want to be to Graham? Do you prefer to be out in the country, or on a smaller lot in a community with amenities?
I'd suggest starting with Cary, and check listings in Realtor.com . For example there is a 3br/2bath for $1295 with good schools, others for $1050 to 1200. One is a 4 bedroom, and none are brand new. Most of the rest of Wake County also has good schools. Chapel Hill schools are good, but you may not be able to find an affordable place.
Last edited by goldenage1; 08-07-2014 at 01:28 PM..
You want to be in Cary, Apex, North Raleigh, or Chapel Hill. Go on Zillow to look at homes and every one has school ratings towards the bottom of the listing. Contact a realtor to help you (yes they will help with rentals).
You want to be in Cary, Apex, North Raleigh, or Chapel Hill. Go on Zillow to look at homes and every one has school ratings towards the bottom of the listing. Contact a realtor to help you (yes they will help with rentals).
I am a newly divorced mom of 3 kids (14,9,and 6). I am moving from Ohio to be closer to family (brother and mother live in Graham). Where would be a good place for me and my kids to settle....Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary etc? Good schools are my top priority. I would like to be able to rent a house for no more $1300 a month. Any help is appreciated.
The state's best schools are in Chapel Hill, which is the closest to Graham of all of those places, but also the most expensive.
You haven't answered the questions about where you'd be working? Surely you aren't planning to move without a job lined up?
I was married for 20 years and have never worked. I stayed home with our 5 kids (2 are in college). Honestly, I have no idea on jobs since I have no job experience. I am getting child support and alimony, but I still will need a job of some sort.
I would prefer not to be in the country. I like to be in the city near amenities. A 2 bedroom would not work for us. This is a very hard transition for the kids going from a 6 bedroom house to an apartment or townhouse. I'm trying to sell most of or stuff since we won't have room in whatever place we get. I have 2 small dogs. Thank y'all for your help.
OP have you considered moving to Graham where your family is living? I find breaking into the job market to be tricky. Maybe living near family you might have an easier time securing some type of employment though your family. Networking and word of mouth are really helpful. Also, you might be able to get more for you money there.
How about this? We'll use Graham as a starting point. You may want to ask in the Triad (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point) forum about these cities.
Graham: Cheap, family there, small town, Alamance County Schools (not the best), more blue collar/rural
Mebane: Cheap, Close to Graham, small town, Alamance Schools in part of town, but Orange County Schools (much better) in a smaller part, blue collar/rural/but bigger than Graham and somewhat of a bedroom community for the Triangle and the Triad, cute downtown
Burlington: Cheap, small-mid sized city, close to Graham, close to Greensboro (relatively big city), somewhat blue collar, but more going on than in Graham or Mebane
Elon: Fairly cheap, small college town, fairly close to Graham, close to Greensboro & Burlington, more educated, more cultural activities, not sure on the school system
Greensboro: fairly close to Graham, much bigger than Graham, Guilford Co schools (pretty good), mid-sized city, home to University of NC at Greensboro, also a fair amount of industry
In the other direction from Graham: Chapel Hill & Carrboro: excellent public schools for NC in Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools one of the few city school systems left in the state (most are county-wide), extremely well-educated populace, small college town atmosphere, many cultural activities, UNC dominates the towns, relatively close to Graham, more expensive
Hillsborough: small town, artistic & rural & bedroom community, good schools in Orange County Public Schools
Durham: Interesting mix of creative hipsters, highly educated, blue collar, large African American pop, very diverse, both gritty and suburban, home to Duke University and HCBU NC Central, schools are very mixed with some excellent and some not great. Your housing dollar will go farther in Durham for the most part.
Raleigh: state capital, home to NC State and several smaller universities & colleges, overall pretty suburban, great place for families, good schools, but very large school system (one of the largest in the country) in Wake County Public Schools, not exceptionally close to Graham, very large city for NC (mid-sized compared to true metros). Some areas are expensive, but you can find some areas that aren't, too.
Cary: suburb of Raleigh, very family oriented, more expensive, very good schools also Wake County Public Schools as are all towns in Wake Co.
Other Wake Co towns to consider include Apex, Morrisville, Wake Forest, Fuquay-Varina and more. Wake County is one of the fastest growing areas of the country.
If you really don't know where you want to be, but want to be in a larger city fairly close to Graham, I'd consider Greensboro. There's stuff to do there so the kids won't be bored, the schools are pretty good, and you could probably find some sort of job there. I think it would be less competitive for jobs than the Triangle. It is growing, but not experiencing the massive growth that Wake County is, which is one of the fastest growing areas of the country right now.
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