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It seems from my internet research that subdivisions are taking over Wake County and lot sizes are shrinking as a result. However, I have seen some homes for sale outside of Raleigh and in Wake Forest that have a good bit of land (a full acre or more). The thing that puzzles me are that the houses on large wooded lots outside of town are selling for the same prices as similar sized houses on thumb-nailed sized lots in the subdivisions where they've cut down every tree in sight. Are people choosing the subdivisions due to fact that the houses are newer and you get amenities like golf, pools, recreation facilities, etc? Or am I missing something?
I realize that each person has their own tastes, but it appears that Wake County is a pretty safe area without the "bad pockets" that Tampa has. So if you're safe on the edge of town in a large house on a large, beautiful, wooded lot, why would you give that up for a golf course? Or to be 5 minutes closer to the movie theatre?
Yes, people are willing to pay the same for a smaller house with neighborhood amenities that is 10-15 minutes closer to work, malls, movies, and other amenities. I guess it's just personal preference - it's similar to the difference between people who like the HOA maintainting the "uniform look" of a neighborhood to maintain it's value, compared with others who can't stand every house in the neighborhood looking exactly the same. I've had clients call this the "Cat in the Hat" look, "Edward Scissorhands", or "Stepford"... and some who've fallen in love with it at first sight. Oh, and then there's the elusive happy medium!
I'm sitting onsite once a week for a builder in Youngsville (as we speak) that meets the criteria it sounds like you're looking for, but it's 20 minutes north of my house in North Raleigh. There are similar places on the outskirts of Wake Forest, and you can find it in Clayton, Fuquay-Varina, and Holly Springs as well. More house, more land, but possibly more driving to get to work and shopping.
These smaller towns are kind of like Plant City - quaint small towns close enough to the bigger suburbs to have the amenities you need. If you'd be happy in Plant City, you'd be happy in Youngsville or Fuquay-Varina. If not, look closer in to the suburbs.
It seems from my internet research that subdivisions are taking over Wake County and lot sizes are shrinking as a result. However, I have seen some homes for sale outside of Raleigh and in Wake Forest that have a good bit of land (a full acre or more). The thing that puzzles me are that the houses on large wooded lots outside of town are selling for the same prices as similar sized houses on thumb-nailed sized lots in the subdivisions where they've cut down every tree in sight. Are people choosing the subdivisions due to fact that the houses are newer and you get amenities like golf, pools, recreation facilities, etc? Or am I missing something?
I realize that each person has their own tastes, but it appears that Wake County is a pretty safe area without the "bad pockets" that Tampa has. So if you're safe on the edge of town in a large house on a large, beautiful, wooded lot, why would you give that up for a golf course? Or to be 5 minutes closer to the movie theatre?
I wondered the same EXACT thing!!
The thing that happened here in PHX is after non-stop building of these thumbsize subdivisions for several years, there was almost nowhere for hours around that you could go to escape that claustrophobic feeling.
Now people who loved the subdivision feel are clammoring to find places with more land and willing to even drive for it, but now older homes that need work actually cost way more than newer homes of the same size... and these older homes are MUCH further of a drive to the center of the city than say wake forest is to Raleigh...
30 minutes from the city is NOTHING compared to where you have to go here to escape the madness and then you pay MUCH MUCH MORE!!
My prediction is that Raleigh is in the early stages of this cycle and I REALLY REALLY HOPE they are smarter than phoenix in the long run... I hate it here.
Yes, people are willing to pay the same for a smaller house with neighborhood amenities that is 10-15 minutes closer to work, malls, movies, and other amenities. I guess it's just personal preference - it's similar to the difference between people who like the HOA maintainting the "uniform look" of a neighborhood to maintain it's value, compared with others who can't stand every house in the neighborhood looking exactly the same. I've had clients call this the "Cat in the Hat" look, "Edward Scissorhands", or "Stepford"... and some who've fallen in love with it at first sight. Oh, and then there's the elusive happy medium!
I'm sitting onsite once a week for a builder in Youngsville (as we speak) that meets the criteria it sounds like you're looking for, but it's 20 minutes north of my house in North Raleigh. There are similar places on the outskirts of Wake Forest, and you can find it in Clayton, Fuquay-Varina, and Holly Springs as well. More house, more land, but possibly more driving to get to work and shopping.
These smaller towns are kind of like Plant City - quaint small towns close enough to the bigger suburbs to have the amenities you need. If you'd be happy in Plant City, you'd be happy in Youngsville or Fuquay-Varina. If not, look closer in to the suburbs.
Took a look at some houses out in Youngsville. Looks right up our alley. Those are the size lots I'm interested in. Houses are the right size too. Of course, it's all going to depend on where I get a job. Don't want to commute from Youngsville to Fuquay-Varina
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