What's with North Raleigh's Popularity? (Cary, Apex: new house, employment, landscaping)

[sleonar1]

My wife and I are moving to the Raleigh area from DC in March. I'll be working in downtown Raleigh, while my wife will work from home. When we initially drove to Raleigh we got sidetracked exploring North Raleigh and the likes of the Cross Gate subdivision. Cross Gate is a bit out of our price range but ever since, we've kept our search in N. Raleigh while ignoring all other areas. We like 1 acre lots, newer homes with open floor plans, and green subdivisions that have a mature feel to them. My question to the board, is there someplace else we should be looking? Wakefield/Wake Forest seem to be an ugly commute. We could use your suggestions.

[RaleighRob]

I don't think North Raleigh is necessarily more popular than ITB (inside-the-beltline) Raleigh, so much as there's just more land there, and thus more "new" housing. Unfortunately it also means it has more traffic, more sprawl, more strip malls, more overcrowded schools,
etc.
Some people like it cuz of larger lots and shiny new houses....other people hate it cuz of massive sprawling excess (although it's not as bad as Cary).

If you're working in downtown and don't like hellish commutes, I recommend seriously taking a good look at homes and neighborhoods in and around downtown and ITB Raleigh. You may actually find some great choices for you. Who knows...maybe you could even walk or bike to work when the weather's good.

Some people think ITB Raleigh is more expensive than North Raleigh for the size of the homes...but I think they're just not taking into consideration other bonuses such as proximity to work, activities, less traffic, etc.

[NCHomeFinder]

The area you are talking about, North Raleigh, north of the I-540 corridor along Durant Road, is very popular, for the exact reasons you mentioned. This is actually a very large area, with a lot for you to choose from. If you like what you've seen there, you'll have plenty of choices. Wake Forest/Wakefield are also great, but as you already know, the commute times will be longer. Cary/Apex are also very desirable, so you may want to at least explore that area before making up your mind completely.

You said that Cross Gate was "a bit out of your price range", but you didn't indicate how far outside! It's hard to recommend neighborhoods, without a firmer grasp of your price range, but I would encourage you to also explore some of the established subdivisions just south of I-540 as well - you'll have tons to choose from, all with good proximity to downtown.

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Originally Posted by RaleighRob

Some people think ITB Raleigh is more expensive than North Raleigh for the size of the homes...but I think they're just not taking into consideration other bonuses such as proximity to work, activities, less traffic, etc.

I second that! I live in N. Raleigh north of I-540 becasue as a first time homebuyer it was a better fit for my modest price range, but I plan on moving closer to the downtown area when my financial situation improves down the road. Even if you can't afford the historic areas really close to downtown, there are some nice established areas inside the beltline and some just outside of it that offer great commutes to employment downtown.

[sleonar1]

Good input from both of you. Many thanks RaleighRob and NCHomefinder. Based on my trips to Raleigh, I've found larger and more established neighborhoods outside the beltway but the prices actually seem a bit higher than ITB (thanks for the acronym). We're looking for something between 400 and 500k, a newer home in a mature neighborhood. If we could find this anywhere else with less than a 25 minute commute, I'm all ears. We have also ignored new home construction. Does anyone know what the price/sqfoot is for new construction? Thanks for your input everyone.

[nclover]

Cleveland area of Clayton, N. Raleigh type homes much less expensive, 20 minutes to town. Close to shopping, large lots, a little more rural but growing rapidly.

[sleonar1]

Thanks nclover. I'll start looking at that area in realtor.com. At first glance, it looks far away but I suppose North Raleigh does too.

[deuterdu]

Perhaps if you like going south Fuquay Varina. They have many 1 acre lots are it looks like an up and coming community= rising property values.

[Skipstone]

We like 1 acre lots, newer homes with open floor plans, and green subdivisions that have a mature feel to them.

North Raleigh is considered the most exclusive zip code in the entire Triangle area. http://www.newsobserver.com/680/story/532007.html (broken link)

Homes in a decent price range do exist though. They're just surrounded by million dollar neighborhoods and beautiful surroundings.

I don't know where RaleighRob gets this idea about north Raleigh traffic because a good part of the area is in the watershed so development is not allowed. That's why you can find nice acreage with neighborhoods with mature trees and shrubbery. RR, if you're talking around North Hills Mall then I'm with you, but that's closer to downtown.

If you're commuting from RTP you don't want to take I-40 to 440 and down to Fuquay-Varina because it's an everyday traffic snarl. Going the opposite direction and taking 540 is far less harassing.

Sad to say for both you and me, ALenor1, the only way to find an acre with a newer home in north Raleigh is to pay more than you're thinking. You'll find new homes with squat square footage and a tiny postage stamp of land for a nice chunk of money in Bedford and Wakefield, but if you go west of there a bit you'll find some nice properties in the kinds of neighborhoods you describe.

And to a lot of people, nice surroundings with land and mature landscaping, along with being surrounded by upscale developments is preferred. Older homes can be renewed the way you want them, but landscape takes years to grow.

If you want primo location with guaranteed high appreciation - north Raleigh is it. The newest mall isn't far away and I-540 is a decent commute route.

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Originally Posted by Skipstone

I don't know where RaleighRob gets this idea about north Raleigh traffic because a good part of the area is in the watershed so development is not allowed. That's why you can find nice acreage with neighborhoods with mature trees and shrubbery. RR, if you're talking around North Hills Mall then I'm with you, but that's closer to downtown.

Although traffic in North Raleigh is not as bad as other metro areas by a long shot, there still is enough traffic in North Raleigh that makes living in inside the beltline or downtown a better alternative with regards to traffic and commuting time. I live North of I-540 but below 98 off Falls of the Neuse Rd. There is plenty of daily traffic on Falls of The Neuse, Atlantic Avenue, Six Forks, and Capital Boulevard well above the North Hills Area. I am about 8 miles North of North Hills and hit plenty of traffic before I ever reach there.

While it is true The Falls Lake Water Supply Watershed Protection Program limits development of land in that watershed, it does not prohibit it. It merely sets very strict impervious surface limitations and riparian buffer requirements that result in only residential development with larger lots being economically feasible to developers. The resulting residential communities have large lots that come at a premium to those looking to buy in that exclusive area within the watershed. You will see very little if any commercial development in the Falls Lake Watershed because retail locations like strip malls require too much parking that would "trip" the impervious surface thresholds.

Even with this Watershed Protection Program in Place there is plenty of traffic from all the residential development that already exists in North Raleigh both in and outside the Falls Lake Watershed. Just try driving north of the beltline on any of the roads mentioned above and you will get a good feel for it. Living downtown or at least within the beltline will definitely improve your commute to downtown locations.