Commute time to Cary? (Raleigh, Durham: houses, neighborhoods, to buy)

[GreyDawg]

Hi:

I've accepted a job in Cary, to begin May 1. I now have to find a home to buy, under $280K, suitable for two large dogs, so a fenced/fenceable backyard is a must.

Smaller home is good: think "empty nester." No kids.

I DO NOT want to spend my life commuting. Commutes <30 min during rush hour (7-8am, and 4-6pm) are a must.

I like older neighborhoods, not sprawling suburbs. Older construction (but post WW-II) is OK. I love university towns, having always lived in them.

I expect my non-work life will be centered in Raleigh, and largely doing outdoor rec things and working with Habitat for Humanity.

Can you suggest neighborhoods / areas / subdivisions? My house-hunting trip is April 2-10, and I want to close on a house QUICKLY (like, within 30 days).

Thanks,

GreyDawg

[MikeJaquish]

Greg,
There are too many to list in Cary.
And Cary is Big in area. Where will you work?

You are at a good price point for some of the older Raleigh neighborhoods.
Driftwood Estates in West Raleigh.
HiMount, Five Points
Right now there is a CUTE bungalow in Boylan Heights, on .25 acre.
You can find a ton of stuff.
Something might pop up around Cameron Village.
Many Et Ceteras....

Get your agent to set you up on a daily feed ASAP for the price and tyoe of home you seek.
Good stuff goes fast.

[RaleighRob]

Yeah, if you're working in Cary but want to avoid living in ultra-suburbia...and believe that you'll spend a good amount of time hanging out in the city areas of Raleigh then probably I would suggest areas of Raleigh to the west and southwest of downtown.

You mentioned that you like older neighborhoods...several fall in that area: Boylan Heights, Cameron Park, Oberlin, University Park, Pullen Park, among a few others. But if you want under 280k, then the further west from downtown, the better. Just be careful of any houses right up close to the NCSU campus, unless you don't mind having some partying college kids nearby.

But overall, west and southwest Raleigh seems like an ideal spot for you, to be right close enough for a short commute to Cary, but still be within the parts of Raleigh that aren't quite sprawling suburbia yet.

[cary_nc]

GreyDawg,

Please let us know in what part of Cary you will be working--that does make a difference on the commute length. Also, what is a small houses for you? What size yard? Is there a certain style of house/yard you like best. Provide some more details and we can offer better insight!

[GreyDawg]

I will be working in North Cary, near the Harrison Blvd/I40 exchange.

What is acceptably small? 1000sq ft -- 16oo sq ft.

Yard: 0.25 acre or more.

I like Bungalows, Capes, Ranches if they have a front porch.

Built since, say, 1945 if wiring etc have been upgraded. Built sicne 1960 if nothing has been brought up to code.

Also, with this location, should I be thinking Durham? And where is Holly Springs?

[RaleighRob]

Even given this, I'll still stick with my original suggestion. The areas on the west side of downtown Raleigh will give you the non-Cookie-cutter houses, older neighborhoods, and so forth. Commute shouldn't be more than half-hour (jetting out Wade Ave to where Harrison meets I-40) if not less.

Durham could be considered, especially if you want more house for the money. It'd probably increase your commute time.

And Holly Springs? No dude...if you don't want "sprawling suburbs" as you say in your original post, then Holly Springs is just as bad as Cary if not worse.

[cary native]

Medfield Estates would be a great location for you. Very close to N.Cary, yet close to Raleigh too (near the RBC center). The neighborhood was built in the 60's with houses in the +/- 1500 to 2500 s.f. range and most of the lots are .50 to 1.0 acre range.

[VickiR]

Just doing a simple search, in the Cary area, with l/3 of an acre and staying under $280,000, no new construction, I found 50 possibilities. I don't think you'll have a problem finding what you want.

Vicki

[Bull City Rising]

Originally Posted by GreyDawg

I will be working in North Cary, near the Harrison Blvd/I40 exchange.

What is acceptably small? 1000sq ft -- 16oo sq ft.

Yard: 0.25 acre or more.

I like Bungalows, Capes, Ranches if they have a front porch.

Built since, say, 1945 if wiring etc have been upgraded. Built sicne 1960 if nothing has been brought up to code.

Also, with this location, should I be thinking Durham? And where is Holly Springs?

There are tons of houses in Durham that would fit what you're looking for. Neighborhoods to search for include Watts-Hillandale, Trinity Park, Old West Durham, Old North Durham, Northgate Park, Duke Park.

However, as RaleighRob points out -- there's some driving involved. I-40 to Harrison Blvd. isn't too bad; it's a reverse commute too, since most drivers are going Wake -> RTP in the mornings. My wife has had to commute from our house in Trinity Park to Davis Drive & I-40 and that's about an 18 minute drive. Harrison/I-40 is about another 6-7 minutes up.

Good luck!

[GreyDawg]

Originally Posted by VickiR

Just doing a simple search, in the Cary area, with l/3 of an acre and staying under $280,000, no new construction, I found 50 possibilities. I don't think you'll have a problem finding what you want.

Vicki

Uhm.....doing a simple search where? on what website?


Sorry to seem ignorant, but I last looked for a house 13 years ago!