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Within the next 4 months I will be starting my home buying process and wanted to get some input on good areas to buy in the Raleigh area. Currently our budget is between $300-350K and from looking online at homes it seems that for new construction homes Rolesville / Wake Forest is offering a lot of bang for your buck. Both me and my wife work from home at least 3 days a week so commute is not a factor for us. Are home values increasing in Rolesville?
Everything I hear about Rolesville sounds like it is going to be like Cary in the 1980s-90s, as growth expands outward. Western Wake is pretty much full, so it's moving East now.
Coming down Capital Blvd during rush hour is a pain but they have opened up the 401 bypass which has made the commute better from what I have heard from some who live out there. With more people moving to the Raleigh area pretty much everywhere will be a pain during rush hour.
I live in the area, moved here in 2008, but I paid half of your budget.
I would NOT be buying anything in the area for what you are spending unless you are getting a large tract of land as well (as in 10+ acres).
Go up the street to Wake Forest and buy there for that kind of money if you want to live on the "calm" side of Raleigh (that's why we moved up here). Rolesville is nothing like Cary, I have to wonder why someone would say that. Cary's appeal is the proximity to RTP which has high value jobs. Rolesville is a small, podunk town in NC. Sorry, but it is, look at the demographics. There is a reason why property is so cheap.
The TWO things that appeal to me, are 1) cheap property in general (as you said, bang for your buck) and 2) property taxes are just about 50% of Raleigh's. So you'd be saving $1500-$1700/yr in property tax. IMO, that would pale in comparison to the amount of appreciation you'd lose out in by buying in a more appealing neighborhood in NW/N Raleigh.
I don't agree with the above poster however, on a light traffic day/of peak times it takes me 15 mins to get to downtown Raleigh from my house. But, the drive is pretty slummy.
Location. Location. Location. Rolesville doesn't have it.
Rolesville and Wake Forest basically share borders, particularly in the Heritage area. Some of Heritage is actually in Rolesville.
It can actually be easier to get to downtown Raleigh from Rolesville than Wake Forest, especially if one lives on the northern side of Wake Forest closer to Franklin County.
I live in Rolesville and like it, although it could use some more dining options. It is one of the fastest growing towns in the State, however.
New housing options in Wake County in the $300-$350k range seem to be getting slimmer and slimmer.
Personally I think the Wake Forest/Roseville area is great. It is not Cary or Raleigh which is the reason I like it. Been up this way for a long time and have no problems or issues with the commutes.
While Rolesville and Wake Forest are next to each other, that's like saying living in the trailer park across the street is the same as the McMansion neighborhood next to it.
Resale wise if you want appreciation you need to be within reasonable driving distance of RTP. While my wife works from home now, she did that drive for 8+ years and it was, on the LOW side, 45-50 mins EACH way. Certainly not reasonable in most people's eyes. IMO.
I like the NE side because it's quiet and cheap but spending $350k on a house up here defeats that purpose, unless it's near downtown Wake Forest which is just a perfect little community. You rarely see those homes go up for sale at all, vs the abundant supply in Rolesville. There is just not much money in the area to support those prices and no big draw to bring that economic class in. If they were building hospitals, universities etc in our area I'd say go for it, but the reality is Knightdale is actually a faster, better drive to RTP. I still wouldn't be buying a $350k house there but it would make more sense IMO. Remember when you buy a house you're really just buying the neighborhood/location.
I live in Wake Forest and we love it. My kids are enrolled at Heritage Middle and Sanford Creek Elementary. Both are excellent schools for us. Rolesville is nice as well from what I have heard, and cheaper housing wise. Wake Forest is pretty expensive to live in, and depending on what you want, can be more cookie cutter. I work in Raleigh and have no problem getting to work, but I also work night shifts.
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