Fuquay Varina (Raleigh, Durham, Fayetteville: renting, house, neighborhoods)

[BREINING]

My husband and I just moved here and are currenly renting in the Brier Creek area. I will be working in RTP and he works in N Raleigh. We're looking to buy a home and it seems that Fuquay has a lot of communities by custom builders with all the bells and whistles under $250K. Other than a longer commute, does anyone have an opinion on that area? Any other suggestions?

[FVmommy]

I have lived in Fuquay for 2 years and have mixed feelings. I don't know what you're looking for in terms of commute time - there are some neighborhoods with Fuquay addresses that would be within reason commute-wise (around 45 min) in my opinion, but other neighborhoods that would probably be an hour or more, depending on exactly where you're headed and at what time of day. I like Fuquay - love my house and my neighborhood/neighbors, and at times like the small-town feel. However, I do miss proximity to Target, movie theaters, and other shopping/activities, etc. The drive to downtown Raleigh or parts of Cary isn't bad for a night out, though I've been limiting my trips with the rising gas prices.

There have been rumors for years that Target is coming, but I've stopped believing them. We are getting a Kohl's - it's currently under construction, with space for ~4 more "big box" size stores - don't know what else will go in there. Traffic in town can be surprisingly crazy at times already. Don't know if schools matter to you, but I think the elementary schools are all decent to very good, and there are two more opening in 2009. Have heard not-so-great things about the middle school, and nothing much either way about the high school.

[tluv00]

I live on the border of Holly Springs and FV and I commute to RTP and it's not that bad. I take the back roads and usually get to work in about 35-40 minutes with no traffic and there never is traffic so it's great.

Depending on what you like to do will determine if you like FV. There are mostly chain restaurants for American Food but some good local ones for Asian and decent pizza. As for "nightlife", there are some sport's bars in FV and you are not that far from Raleigh (straight shot from Fayetteville RD/401). It feels rural but has plenty to do depending on what your likes are.

[bgroesse]

We moved to Fuquay approximately 3 years ago. It is a nice community that seems to be expanding at a favorable pace. As mentioned above, a Kohls is coming in right on 401. In fact, if you look at the town's future development plans, much of the 401 corridor will be commerical heading north towards Raleigh. It is affordable living with many new neighborhoods being built. South Lakes is the first master planned community and it will have homes ranging from the mid 200s to 500s.

As for a commute, I drove to downtown Durham every day for school over the past 3 years. It took me 45 minutes to get to the school doors. It would take the same, if not less, to get into RTP. Primarily, this is due to traffic as it was only 28 miles from door-to-door for school. I'll be working in North Hills in September and it takes me just over 35 mins to get there in the morning.

Fuquay may be still considered small, relatively speaking, compared to Cary, Garner, and Raleigh, but it is projected to triple in size over the next 15 years. Go to the town's website to see their plans for future development. Hope this helps.

[BPmode]

I just moved to Fuquay about a month ago. So far, no complaints. I commute to downtown Raleigh, usually 30 minutes (40 with worst traffic so far). The commute is nothing compared to the commute to NYC that I used to drive. As mentioned above, the traffic can be a bit weird at times, but, again, nothing like what I dealt with up north. So far, everywhere I have wanted or needed to go, has been no more than a 30 minute drive. I bought from a custom builder (in the 250 range) and, as you mentioned, got "all the bells and whistles". Good luck with the house hunting, so many options out there!