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Getting your water heater out of the attic should be a top priority for you regardless of your intent to sell. I had a $30,000 insurance claim in 2005 thanks to a leaky HWH in the attic.
We have a tested drain pan and I have an auto shut off on the heater, plus I inspect it at least every two weeks.
I wasn't really thinking of replacing for a sale, more just to avoid any issues) as we aren't planning on moving any time soon, just wondering if people saw the tankless as an upgrade. I figured some might be weirded out by the idea.
This is an interesting discussion and hits on a lot of the same observations that I have made during my 8 years in Cary and I moved here from the Northeast. I too live in I guess what we are calling South Cary and as a couple folks have said, other than the commute, I don't understand the appeal of the West Cary area. Don't get me wrong, there are some nice neighborhoods and the town is definitely investing in that part of town but central and south Cary just have a lot more character than what you see in West Cary.
I agree with a lot of the points already made but here are a couple of other factors/observations....
1. People are extremely spoiled here and the thought of having to drive and extra 5 minutes to Target or to their children's school or to the supermarket is "dreadful" to a lot of people. South Cary requires that extra 5-10 minutes for a lot of those things and it is a big turn off to a lot of people. As mentioned, that is changing and changing fast - Publix, the new Holly Springs shopping Center, the next 540 expansion, etc but there is definitely the mindset that certain parts of South Cary are "in the middle of nowhere". I live 10-15 minutes from Apex Center - and have neighbors that have never been. I'm certain there are people in some 27519 neighborhoods that have never been to Briar Creek or North Raleigh. I just find that no matter where people live here, they are tormented for some reason if they have to drive ANYWHERE.
2. People refuse to pay tolls on 540...even those used to it that have come from up north. I work in RTP and take the new 540 almost every day to work and I am 25 minutes - 20 sometimes going home taking the new 540. When people complain about a "commute", how can you beat 20-25 minutes? Now, some of this is perception too. Some will pay but still have this notion that the new 540 extension still makes RTP too far away. You can get on 540 in Holly Springs and be in the 27519 zip code in less than 10 minutes.
3. Someone mentioned this but it is worth repeating....the schools in South Cary are just as good as the schools in 27519 but they are not "brag worthy" to a lot of parents that fail to recognize there is very little difference. I'm not saying that Green Hope HS and Green Hope Elementary and the other schools in that area are not good schools - they are excellent schools. However, look at the graduating classes in schools like Holly Springs High School or Middle Creek High School and how accomplished those students become - it stacks right up there with Green Hope and Panther Creek. We are all fortunate to live in an area with so many excellent schools.
4. The "coolness factor" is definitely at play in Cary. This was also mentioned in different ways by others but in general, people consider how "cool and accepted" a neighborhood is as a major decision making factor when buying or building a house. South Cary simply is not cool enough. Middle Creek Elementary is not as "cool" as Highcroft Elementary. West Cary houses are bigger than South Cary houses. My neighbors are cooler than your neighbors. My Harris Teater is better than your Harris Teater...oh and it is 3 minutes closer to my house. This isn't everyone of course but this is a HUGE factor in how this generation of home buyers chooses where they live.
All totally legit points. I live in SE Cary and if I ever were to move in Cary, we'd definitely stay downtown or on the south side. West Cary just doesn't feel right to me and I woukd not put my kids in the overftiwded schools out there!
We have a tested drain pan and I have an auto shut off on the heater, plus I inspect it at least every two weeks.
I wasn't really thinking of replacing for a sale, more just to avoid any issues) as we aren't planning on moving any time soon, just wondering if people saw the tankless as an upgrade. I figured some might be weirded out by the idea.
I cannot imagine going back after having a tankless.
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We have a tested drain pan and I have an auto shut off on the heater, plus I inspect it at least every two weeks.
I wasn't really thinking of replacing for a sale, more just to avoid any issues) as we aren't planning on moving any time soon, just wondering if people saw the tankless as an upgrade. I figured some might be weirded out by the idea.
I view tankless as an upgrade but I view a water heater in the garage as a plus over a water heater in attic. I have had too many issues with water damage.
This confirms we are against-the-grain people. We just sold our house in Highcroft (closed today) in West Cary, and closed on our new house in the Lake Wheeler area (technically we have an Apex address). We bought about 18 months ago in W. Cary, as like someone above said, our relo package really incentivizes buying immediately verses renting for a year. With immediate relocation / purchase you buy into the school zone with the highest statistics, as it's all you have to go on.
After his first year in public school (HDES), we realized that it just wasn't for us and sent him back to private school. He had attended all private schools previously. Since I work near Crossroads, and his school is near Crossroads, it didn't make sense to keep fighting that horrible 64 traffic everyday. It seems to have gotten worse even since we moved in, and I can imagine the Costco helping that situation.
We moved over to the East Side for a shorter commute to Crossroads area, and a much larger lot (3X larger). Size of the house was about the same (way too big), the new house is newer, and has slightly better finishes. While we got used to the planes in W. Cary, it sure does seem quiet over here. There are young kids in the neighborhood here, but not the same as driving through Highcroft, which is like driving through an elementary school recess on a sunny day.
I recently started looking for a single family house in Cary.. Anything I am missing here? Any insights for real estate market in this area?
I don't think you can draw too many conclusions about the state of the real estate market during the holidays. Inventory seems to be really low. And, any houses sitting on the market will tend to have flaws (bad location, over-priced, lack of updates, etc.). The truly desirable houses go quickly. For example I've seen some very nice houses in my neighborhood sell in a week or two, but there are couple that have languished.
I'm no fan of West Cary either. I'll keep my circa 1987 Bond Park area house, tyvm. Until I up and move a few states further south at least! :-)
This confirms we are against-the-grain people. We just sold our house in Highcroft (closed today) in West Cary, and closed on our new house in the Lake Wheeler area (technically we have an Apex address). We bought about 18 months ago in W. Cary, as like someone above said, our relo package really incentivizes buying immediately verses renting for a year. With immediate relocation / purchase you buy into the school zone with the highest statistics, as it's all you have to go on.
After his first year in public school (HDES), we realized that it just wasn't for us and sent him back to private school. He had attended all private schools previously. Since I work near Crossroads, and his school is near Crossroads, it didn't make sense to keep fighting that horrible 64 traffic everyday. It seems to have gotten worse even since we moved in, and I can imagine the Costco helping that situation.
We moved over to the East Side for a shorter commute to Crossroads area, and a much larger lot (3X larger). Size of the house was about the same (way too big), the new house is newer, and has slightly better finishes. While we got used to the planes in W. Cary, it sure does seem quiet over here. There are young kids in the neighborhood here, but not the same as driving through Highcroft, which is like driving through an elementary school recess on a sunny day.
Unfortunately, not, but we did find a house we really liked with a nice large flat back yard, with plenty of impervious surface left to allow for a pool install. Pool shopping will begin right after the holidays!
We have a tested drain pan and I have an auto shut off on the heater, plus I inspect it at least every two weeks.
I wasn't really thinking of replacing for a sale, more just to avoid any issues) as we aren't planning on moving any time soon, just wondering if people saw the tankless as an upgrade. I figured some might be weirded out by the idea.
My $30,000 leak was the result of a pinhole in the expansion canister. The water shot out under pressure and outside of the perimeter of the pan (also tested, also alarmed). The pan was zero help. The house was three years old. My water bill went up all of $5 that billing period.
You should have seen what $5 worth of water did to my house. We were away from 5PM Sunday until 3PM Tuesday, having a baby at Western Wake. We came home from the hospital with a two day old baby to discover water running down our stairs like a river and the entire sheetrock ceiling of our two story family room lying on the floor. The house was inhabitable for 5 weeks-almost my wife's entire maternity leave. We lived in the Residence Inn in Regency Park with no access to anything our baby needed.
I would not wish what happened to us on anybody. Water heaters in attics are stupid. Continue to leave it there at your own risk.
My $30,000 leak was the result of a pinhole in the expansion canister. The water shot out under pressure and outside of the perimeter of the pan (also tested, also alarmed). The pan was zero help. The house was three years old. My water bill went up all of $5 that billing period.
You should have seen what $5 worth of water did to my house. We were away from 5PM Sunday until 3PM Tuesday, having a baby at Western Wake. We came home from the hospital with a two day old baby to discover water running down our stairs like a river and the entire sheetrock ceiling of our two story family room lying on the floor. The house was inhabitable for 5 weeks-almost my wife's entire maternity leave. We lived in the Residence Inn in Regency Park with no access to anything our baby needed.
I would not wish what happened to us on anybody. Water heaters in attics are stupid. Continue to leave it there at your own risk.
I hope you played the lottery or something after that sequence of events. That's some terrible luck.
I agree water heaters in attics are stupid if they can be located elsewhere. But - there are water pipes running throughout the 2nd floor of your house as well, which can also fail at any time. Talk to people who (used to) have polybutylene Washing machine hoses, toilet hoses, sink hoses, can all fail (although not often).
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Washing machine hoses, toilet hoses, sink hoses, can all fail (although not often).
