Kitts creek neighbourhood pros and cons (Cary, Apex: HOA fees, townhome, landscaping)

[southdreamer]

Could you tell me the pros and cons of living in Kitts Creek Morrisville?
Thanks a lot!

[VickiR]

Not sure I know any pros or cons but I have a few buyers that live there.

They enjoy the pool and clubhouse, during the summer. Some live in the older section and some live in the newer homes. I've also re-sold one of my clients home, when they decided to move back home to be closer to family.

The back side is close to 540, if that bothers you.

Location seems great for those that like to be close to RDU and RTP.

If you have more specific questions, maybe others will join in.

[LordHelmit]

The cons are that it's a very fake, artificial and forced neighborhood. HOA nazism is legit, and brutal. There is no character in that neighborhood, nothing unique. Houses are about one foot apart. It's actually pretty disturbing. But i mean, some people like that sort of thing.

[twingles]

Originally Posted by LordHelmit

The cons are that it's a very fake, artificial and forced neighborhood. HOA nazism is legit, and brutal. There is no character in that neighborhood, nothing unique. Houses are about one foot apart. It's actually pretty disturbing. But i mean, some people like that sort of thing.

Funny, I sense that just driving through it. I know the residents are happy with their new school assignments though.

[skempter]

I looked this place up on Google. I'm not sure what's up with the hyperbipolaric comments like homes are a foot apart, and while I admit that's not for me, postage stamp lots are the norm in new neighborhoods unfortunately. As far as character, mature trees contribute more than anything to a neighborhoods unique character, and guess what new neighborhoods rarely have them.

But I have a related question. I noticed the homes have concrete rear roads that lead to the individual driveways. What happens over the long-term when these get cracked, oil stained, pock marked, warped from small sink holes etc? Do HOA fees cover repouring the concrete for the entire road? Or is each homeowner responsible for a specific portion that connects to their driveway?

If you know the answer in terms of how it "typically" works, that's all I'm hoping for. Your answer does not have to be Kitts Creek specific.

[CVAlicia]

Carpenter Village has alleys and the HOA paves one third of them every few years. Their repaving is part of the reserves and paid for by our dues.

[ucctgg]

Originally Posted by skempter

I looked this place up on Google. I'm not sure what's up with the hyperbipolaric comments like homes are a foot apart, and while I admit that's not for me, postage stamp lots are the norm in new neighborhoods unfortunately. As far as character, mature trees contribute more than anything to a neighborhoods unique character, and guess what new neighborhoods rarely have them...

I'm getting a bit lost in this thread with "hyperbipolaric" and "HOA nazism". What's next ?

[skempter]

Originally Posted by CVAlicia

Carpenter Village has alleys and the HOA paves one third of them every few years. Their repaving is part of the reserves and paid for by our dues.

From what I can tell on the map, in Carpenter Village the alleys are asphalt. Maybe my resurfacing knowledge is inadequate here but I've always thought asphalt is cheaper and easier to maintain under conditions of higher traffic (thus concrete being ideal more for driveways than alleys). In other words, if an invasive root creates a bulge, or a pot hole forms you just repair that spot and patch. But with concrete it always seems patching is either impractical, too expensive, or maybe concrete trucks just don't take on small jobs.

I've seen asphalt alleys quite a bit but I don't think I saw such long stretches of concrete like that before. I think it looks nicer when new, I just wonder how it holds up over time, with large moving trucks and so forth. The other thing that comes to mind is oil stains which are a non-issue on asphalt but aren't cosmetically appealing on concrete. All good when new, but after 15-20 years or so when the HOA have gotten a bit complacent, and people have cars for their teenagers that are not mechanically perfect...

[ltownsduran]

I am going to respond as a resident of Kitts Creek. While everyone is entitled to their opinion it is hard to give pros and cons if you don't actually live in the neighborhood.

I will start with the cons - its a smaller list

*traffic in Morrisville as a whole leaves something to be desired during rush hour. Being on the north end of Morrisville means going into Morrisville or Cary between 5 and 6 can take a while. But there are many restaurants within 5-10 minutes of here even at rush hour. Also, there are more and more stores coming up at Parkside Town Commons which is only 10 minutes away even during that time of day.

*lots are small but I moved from Johnston County and my husband and I were sick of mowing and taking care of our yard every weekend. I have a decent size lot - .18 acre and a fence so I can easily maintain and not spend hours taking care of it that I don't get back. Some houses have a smaller lot and some have a large lot so their are other options

*alley ways - I don't really consider a con but some people might. However, it does make it easier to have a moving truck or large delivery with a front facing garage (they don't typically come through the alleys) However, I love the alley entrance - it keeps the front of houses looking nice without having to look at a bunch of cars in a driveway and each alley way kind of becomes its own little community among neighbors.

*ok - this one does bug me but not much you can do and I know it happens in other neighborhoods as well - street parking. Use your garage or driveway people! They are city owned streets so the HOA doesn't have much authority here. However, the community reached out to the Morrisville PD to discuss awhile back and it has gotten better (big shout out to Morrisville PD and Chief Andrews!) Parking on the street is still legal but they have made it a point to ticket those that insist on parking the wrong way/in front of fire hydrants/by intersections/both sides of the street... which has helped.

HOA dues - depends on how you look at - some people despise an HOA and do not like being told what they can or can't do. So - live somewhere without one. Personally I have lived in two HOA communities. The one in Johnston County had higher dues but did absolutely nothing to upkeep. The pool for the community had more outside people as they sold memberships so you could never find a spot. Here - half the time I drive by the pool and there is only 10-15 people in it. (Kitts Creek due are approx $65 per month which I feel is very reasonable. There are some sub HOA sections in the neighborhood - I live in the bungalow section which has additional HOA of approx $95 per month but that covers all landscaping upkeep. I think the townhome section has additional as well)

HOA enforcement - once again it depends on how you look at it. You know the rules when you buy - many of the problems arise when people decide they don't like the rules and then complain when they are called out. If you don't want to live by the rules, don't buy in an HOA. So how crazy is the HOA? They expect you to keep your yard mowed and weed free (I think they should be a bit more aggressive here actually), yard picked up and keep your house maintained. They do send notices when paint starts to fade or pressure washing needs to be done... but I appreciate the fact they want to keep property values up. Now - sometimes I have seen people complaining on our Facebook page that makes me go - really HOA? But typically a call to them will resolve small differences. Others may have a different opinion but as I do have my yard maintained by the HOA, that eliminates 90% of the notices I see people posting about.

That's about it for the "cons" that people discuss so onto the pros.

Pros

*living up to the north of Morrisville means it is very quiet on the weekends and evenings as most of the traffic during the day comes from people travelling to and from the RTP

*540 and 147 is a mile away and I can be at Southpoint, Beaver Creek in Apex or Brier Creek in 10-15 minutes (assuming not rush hour). I almost always avoid going south except on Davis Drive or Hwy 55 which are still pretty easy to travel on even during the day.

*Diversity of my neighbors - I love my neighborhood for the diversity. I have learned so many things about different cultures just by being on the neighborhood facebook page or talking to neighbors. Last night they had a Diwali celebration at the neighborhood clubhouse for any residents to take part in.

*Community events - Halloween was fantastic - so many people out, tons of houses decorated up - even a batmobile driving around the neighborhood! Christmas is the same - so many houses participate in decorating, community events. There are neighborhood book clubs, poker nights, clubhouse events....

*Neighbors in general - people here reach out and are willing to lend a hand with a problem. The facebook page is very active and if you need help from something around the house to a computer problem I have always seen someone willing to step up to help you solve or give a referral to someone who can. Plus people are very accepting of cultural differences and differences in people in general. Plus so many kids and teenagers in the neighborhood means there is always an available dog walker, pet sitter, lawn mowing, moving help... a facebook post away!

*Houses - previous posters have said there was nothing unique - I totally disagree. I love driving around this neighborhood. Every street has something different whether the color of the house or design. Some are more traditional - (the newest part has front facing garages for example), my section has bungalows and ranches, the older section has more of what I call the Disney section - more color, unique windows... Whenever I have friends or family visit that have never been here their first comment is "this community is so different than others I have seen"

*Safety - I feel very safe here. We have had the normal incidents of people breaking into cars at night that are left unlocked but that is all over the triangle. I have not heard of anyone actually breaking into homes.

*Community amenities - as I mentioned above, the amenities are for Kitts Creek residents only. We have the pool, clubhouse, gym, dog park (both small and large), playground and tennis courts.

Overall - when I travel and drive back into my neighborhood my first thought is "home". I love it here - is it perfect - no but I don't think anyplace is. Would I want to live anywhere else at the moment - no.

[trying harder]

I also am a resident and owner in Kitts Creek, having moved in 3 years ago. Although I am a retiree, and there's a few others like me in the neighborhood, this is primarily a family neighborhood. I enjoy living here. As the previous poster described, there are lots of activities for young and old alike, plenty of diversity, and a true community spirit. . The HOA dues are commensurate with the amenities, and the pool, tennis courts, playground, dog parks, and clubhouse are real pluses. It's a 15-minute walk to the start of the Shiloh greenway. All of life's necessities are a few minutes' drive away, and we're no more than a 15-20 minute drive from most everywhere in the triangle. The airport is just a few miles away, yet we are not in its landing pattern. Some RTP workers walk or bike to work.

I find the comment about the neighborhood being "fake" to be, well, silly. The houses are real; the people are real. The homes are not cookie-cutter identical. Yes, it's a shame that the developer mowed down all the trees to build it, but the trees are coming back.

Yes, the lots are small and thus houses close together. I happen to like that, as it keeps lawn maintenance to a minimum and there's a certain amount of security in having neighbors close by.

In all but the newest section of the neighborhood, garages open onto the alleys instead of the front. The idea behind this was to make this a walking community, with sidewalks everywhere and front porches for neighbors to greet neighbors. It's the kind of place where I grew up, where kids play on the sidewalks and in the alleys, and all go in when the street lights come on.

The HOA is responsible for the maintenance of the alleys, including repairs and snow clearance. The trash trucks pick up from the alleys. Some of the alleys are concrete and some are asphalt, depending on which builder put in which alley and when. Some alleys have been a bit worse for the wear from when the building was still ongoing, and construction vehicles did some damage. The construction is over now, and I believe that the repairs will start soon.

The HOA had been owner/resident-run for less that a year, as the developer handed it over at the first of this year. Previously, the developer had done little to nothing to enforce covenants, and so it was a bit of a shock to some when the owner-run HOA started enforcing the rules, particularly re keeping your lawn mowed. That may be where the "nazi" remark came from. I can say that the lawns on my street are MUCH better maintained since actual enforcement started. Some may prefer to be free to keep their yards as ratty as they want, and those people should not move to communities with HOAs. I find our HOA, after a few bumps early on, is hitting the right note between enforcement and flexibility. And, no, I'm not on the board.

Kitts Creek may not be for everyone, but I find it a lovely place to live.

Oh, and the Diwali party last night was fabulous!