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Old 04-11-2017, 10:25 AM
 
12 posts, read 10,397 times
Reputation: 13

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Yes, very solid advice. To be clear, we aren't looking to spend $800k, but that's what we would be willing to spend if something PERFECT came up and we could help ourselves. It seems like prices, even within the same communities, vary widely. We do want an updated house, though, and dream of a kitchen where we can yell over at each other from opposite ends. So, at least finding a house with good bones to accomplish this and our other wish list points has us all over our price range. We have actually based our price range on the area; when we were looking to stay in LA it was a very different range. We are just at a point where we want a house that we are really happy living in, in a place that we love. If this could be accomplished at the low end of our range, that would be terrific!

And thanks for the comments about beltline 'snobs.' I guess really there are snobs everywhere.

Also, if anyone has a good rec for a very knowledgeable, responsive real estate agent, PM me, please.
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Old 04-11-2017, 10:33 AM
 
12 posts, read 10,397 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JONOV View Post
I wouldn't place too much emphasis on what greatschools says. It mainly tells you how many kids come from educated, invested parents, and doesn't say much about the quality of the school or staff.
What do you suggest I consider when looking at schools then? NC report cards site? Not only am I a first time home buyer, I'm also a mom with not-yet-school-aged kids. ...I'm pretty clueless about everything.
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Old 04-11-2017, 11:07 AM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
6,650 posts, read 5,552,171 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RedLamp View Post
What do you suggest I consider when looking at schools then? NC report cards site? Not only am I a first time home buyer, I'm also a mom with not-yet-school-aged kids. ...I'm pretty clueless about everything.
Look at the comments rather than the GreatSchool ratings itself. Sometimes "lower ranked" schools, especially in urban areas have multiple levels of classes that provide different atmospheres/experiences for different students, but they also have a wide diversity of students from different ethnic and economic backgrounds and they can get penalized for that. Sometimes "higher ranked" schools can be pressure cooker environments that aren't necessarily healthy for your kids. So there are a lot of variables - do as much research as you can and go with your instinct.
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Old 04-11-2017, 11:12 AM
 
3,381 posts, read 7,740,164 times
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School rankings tell you more about the students at the school than the quality of the school/teachers itself. There is a feeding frenzy by many parents in this area to get their kid into certain schools, thinking it is some sort of magic bullet. It is so misguided.
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Old 04-11-2017, 01:58 PM
 
Location: South Beach and DT Raleigh
13,966 posts, read 24,054,639 times
Reputation: 14760
The exclusionary statements about ITB neighborhood are overblown! I have lived/owned ITB for 22 years and I am a west coaster originally. No problems. I have mix race household friends/families (not from NC) that also live ITB with no problems. Much of ITB is actually politically progressive & socially open (save for, perhaps, Country Club Hills) and living there should not pose a problem at all.
As for the 800K budget, with a quick search, there are 55 houses listed ITB under 800K and over 3,000ft2. That's not a huge supply but it's not impossible either. In the entire Triangle, there are over 3600 listings using the same requirements. When people said you'd have lots of choices, they weren't kidding.
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Old 04-11-2017, 02:39 PM
 
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I have lived ITB for almost 10 years and owned houses in 2 neighborhoods (5 Points and Glenwood-Brooklyn). While it is not for everyone (you might have more room in Cary), I love it and agree with the above - the neighborhoods I've lived in are politically and socially progressive and include people from all over. Of the people I know at work, the people who live ITB are on the whole more progressive than the people who live in Cary/Apex (although obviously there is variation in both groups!). There are certainly pockets that are more conservative and Old Money - I think that these would correspond with the red (definitelly) and some of the purple areas on that NYT voting map, which does correlate pretty well with how progressive or conservative these neighborhoods feel. If I had $800k to spend and wanted a progressive neighborhood, I would start in Cameron Park, although there are good options in other neighborhoods too.
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Old 04-11-2017, 04:50 PM
Status: "Made the Retirement Run in under 12 parsecs!!!" (set 12 days ago)
 
Location: Cary, NC
43,142 posts, read 76,705,928 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rnc2mbfl View Post
The exclusionary statements about ITB neighborhood are overblown! I have lived/owned ITB for 22 years and I am a west coaster originally. No problems. I have mix race household friends/families (not from NC) that also live ITB with no problems. Much of ITB is actually politically progressive & socially open (save for, perhaps, Country Club Hills) and living there should not pose a problem at all.
As for the 800K budget, with a quick search, there are 55 houses listed ITB under 800K and over 3,000ft2. That's not a huge supply but it's not impossible either. In the entire Triangle, there are over 3600 listings using the same requirements. When people said you'd have lots of choices, they weren't kidding.
How many of those houses are less than 15 years old? 20.

Go to 3500SF, and there are 5 houses.

So, agreed. It is doable, but pickins are slim....
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Old 04-11-2017, 04:55 PM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
6,650 posts, read 5,552,171 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeJaquish View Post
How many of those houses are less than 15 years old? 20.

Go to 3500SF, and there are 5 houses.

So, agreed. It is doable, but pickins are slim....
Definitely slim pickings - you have to be patient if you have a checklist of must wants ITB. That being said, inventory is pretty low ITB because it's a desirable place to live.
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Old 04-11-2017, 04:56 PM
Status: "Made the Retirement Run in under 12 parsecs!!!" (set 12 days ago)
 
Location: Cary, NC
43,142 posts, read 76,705,928 times
Reputation: 45473
Quote:
Originally Posted by pierretong1991 View Post
Definitely slim pickings - you have to be patient if you have a checklist of must wants ITB. That being said, inventory is pretty low ITB because it's a desirable place to live.
If one wants a garage, one can whittle down the list significantly, too.

Hey, all that said, I would line up to wrassle for the right house in Cameron Park....
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Old 04-12-2017, 11:18 AM
 
Location: South Beach and DT Raleigh
13,966 posts, read 24,054,639 times
Reputation: 14760
In the end, it's about priorities. You list your own in order and do your best to check off the list within the budget you have. Unless one has unlimited resources or really low expectations, there is always something that is compromised.
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