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If you are working in RTP, I highly recommend you stay to the Durham/Chapel Hill side of RTP - the commute from Raleigh is not fun. While it's nothing like your past commutes, it's all relative and once you get used to how much better traffic is around here, a 45 minute drive from Raleigh to RTP during rush hour in stop and go traffic will seem much worse.
Would agree. I mean, you could theoretically live in NW Raleigh and not have a problem commuting, but then you lose any semblance of the walkability you were originally looking for.
You really should look at Hillsborough, OP. I don't think I had it in my original post.
I suggest:
Durham
Hillsborough
CH/Carrboro
Raleigh
In that order, given ALL your variables. Maybe flip Durham and Hillsborough if you prefer smaller towns.
I would rank CH/Carrboro higher if your budget was higher. I'd rank Raleigh higher if you didn't mention RTP. Not that you cannot commute from there, but we are ranking stuff based on multiple factors.
I live in Cary. I like it here. If you'd mentioned greenways I would have suggested looking in DT Cary. We are also convenient to RTP.
I would not suggest Fuquay, but only because the commute to RTP would suck.
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Thanks for the suggestion! Definitely adding Hillsborough to my list.
I saw a few houses around Chapel Hill within our budget, but with the feedback I've seen here and elsewhere makes we wonder if there's a catch to them since it seems that $300k is somewhat low for the area.
Thanks for the suggestion! Definitely adding Hillsborough to my list.
I saw a few houses around Chapel Hill within our budget, but with the feedback I've seen here and elsewhere makes we wonder if there's a catch to them since it seems that $300k is somewhat low for the area.
They may just need more work. If you're good with tools and have done home projects before, they could be a good deal for you. I'd recommend consulting with a realtor. I like realtors who are also good at doing their own home repair projects. When you find one that'll climb into your crawlspace to see if it's too damp, you found a good one.
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East and even parts of Southeast are becoming more diverse as you see folks getting priced out of their first preferences on the other sides of town.
Perception lags reality.
I think that area of the city will always be less expensive than, say, North Raleigh or West Cary. Not because of diversity or a lack thereof, but because it's further from RTP.
Thanks for the suggestion! Definitely adding Hillsborough to my list.
I saw a few houses around Chapel Hill within our budget, but with the feedback I've seen here and elsewhere makes we wonder if there's a catch to them since it seems that $300k is somewhat low for the area.
Eh, it's not really. Chapel Hill just has a reputation for being expensive. You can certainly drop a million if you've got it to drop, but you can find a single family home under $200k if you look long enough and hard enough. It's not that hard to find something under $300k. I think there are some new construction homes in Winmore for around $350k
Just an update on this, I'm in town this week and have looked at a few places on my list. Here are some impressions I have had so far:
Apex: Quiet, mostly rural, secluded, and a nice little downtown. Definitely looks like a nice place to live but don't think it's for us since it's more family oriented.
Downtown Cary: We actually liked downtown Cary which came as a surprise to us. It looked pretty beat up which gave it character and there's massive potential. Plus we loved all the ethnic options close by.
Downtown Durham: Definitely the most urban place we've looked at so far and housing prices are all over the place. Could definitely be a candidate if we can pounce on a house as it hits the market.
Another update after looking at some other places:
Chapel Hill: Reminds me of Western North Carolina aesthetically. Definitely like this area and would consider stretching the budget to find something.
Carrboro: Mini-Asheville. This definitely appeals to me and again would stretch the budget.
Durham (second look): Hmm.... prices here are way out of wack in my opinion. For example, 280k for a 900 square foot condo in a high crime area. If I want to be an "urban pioneer" I want the price to match and since so much housing is 300k in bad areas I don't think it's in line with reality. Pass.
Last edited by mountain_mustache; 04-07-2017 at 12:13 PM..
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