Apex or Holly Springs?Which would you choose? (Raleigh, Cary: good schools, live in)

[OmegaBaby]

Originally Posted by Desdemona123

Normally when someone says 'blowing' they mean 'spending foolishly'. Has the term changed to mean any spending?

If you spend so much money on a house that you cannot afford to put anything in it, and you have to eat peanut butter & jelly for the rest of your life, that qualifies as 'blowing it'.

[CAKD]

We chose HS simply because at the time we were looking Apex did not offer any homes that interested us. The lots were smaller the homes closer together and the neighborhoods we looked at had more trees missing. As far as being too far out there we don't personally feel that way. We liked the fact that there were fewer strip type shopping centers, smaller rural roads etc. We did not find in reviewing the schools much difference if any between the two towns. I think in the end it isn't a town that will give you your answer but more of the community you find that just feels right. We found personally that most everywhere we looked in the Raleigh area was pretty much the same. Driving into the neighborhood that felt right and had the right home and lot for us sold us more than Apex vs HS vs Cary Vs N raleigh etc.

[lovemyguys]

I agree with CAKD....find the home that feels "right" regardless of where it is located.

For us, we came here determined to buy in Cary. We kept looking and looking and just couldn't find the house/neighborhood that felt right for our family in Cary. We ventured out to Apex/Holly Springs and found "our' perfect house in HOlly Springs. What we didnt like about Apex and Cary is they felt "city ish" with their big shopping centers, etc. Don't get me wrong, I like to shop like the best of them but we didnt want to live where the shopping was, but rather have it close by. We also felt HS had more of a family/small town feel. Now that I am a resident, I can speak for Holly Springs many family activities (Holly Springs Day in the fall, Spring Fling this weekend to name a few). I am sure Apex has similar activities I just am not aware of them. You really can't go wrong buying in any of the area towns.

I also agree with the poster that said, soon HS will be hard to buy into then Fuquay, etc. etc. We were glad to get into HS before the real estate got out of control and felt it was a good investment.

As far as schools, keep one thing in mind. Years ago when we bought our first house up north we bought a house in a city that had a GREAT reputation for schools. At the time we bought, we didn't have any children. By the time we had children (about 3 years later) the schools had declined drastically. My point is, you can't always be assured that where you buy is going to continue to have a great school reputation.

Go with your gut and good luck. It is a very stressful situation.

Originally Posted by CAKD

We chose HS simply because at the time we were looking Apex did not offer any homes that interested us. The lots were smaller the homes closer together and the neighborhoods we looked at had more trees missing. As far as being too far out there we don't personally feel that way. We liked the fact that there were fewer strip type shopping centers, smaller rural roads etc. We did not find in reviewing the schools much difference if any between the two towns. I think in the end it isn't a town that will give you your answer but more of the community you find that just feels right. We found personally that most everywhere we looked in the Raleigh area was pretty much the same. Driving into the neighborhood that felt right and had the right home and lot for us sold us more than Apex vs HS vs Cary Vs N raleigh etc.

[LisaTriangle NC]

Have you been to the areas to see for yourself which has a better feel for your family? You really can't go wrong with either town, when we relocated here we started with Cary, then Apex and found Holly Springs and decided the 10 minute extra commute time was a small price to pay for the better home prices and larger lots. We have found the school system here to be really good. As far as looking at the ratings online for schools, many of the schools in HS are significantly newer than those in Apex and this effects the ratings. For instance this is the 1st year the high school is open in Holly Springs, and the middle school has only been open about 4 years. Good luck in your decision.

[I'minformed2]

Apex is the only town I can say I've truly enjoyed living in in Wake County....and there are some things I may actually miss when I leave to go back to NY.

[Desdemona123]

Originally Posted by jbognar

If you spend so much money on a house that you cannot afford to put anything in it, and you have to eat peanut butter & jelly for the rest of your life, that qualifies as 'blowing it'.

I don't believe there is anything in the original post that implies this is the case, however. Yes, there are plenty of people that can actually afford a 350k home.

[Tracy_Santrock]

Originally Posted by sedona

AMSM196,
So what have you heard about this fill/dump? Where is it going?
Please share the info, thanks so much!
Michelle
Feel free to PM me

Here's the link:
http://www.newsobserver.com/271/story/447549.html

It will be located off of HWY 55 south of Apex.

[amsm196]

Thanks for the replies. It seems the majority of you said Apex would be your first choice over Holly springs,but one thing. Some of you mentioned Apex having good schools, but that doesnt seem to matter down there because from what i'm being told alot of the kids are being bussed out of Apex even if you live there to go to another school, either due to overcrowding or the diversity issue.

[OmegaBaby]

The location of the landfill is in green on this map...
http://www.hollyspringsnc.us/dept/pl.../devactmap.pdf

[NCSUAlum2006]

^ That is a great map -- it shows the important parts of HS unlike generic maps. It's cool to see my subdivision listed -- thankfully I'm on the lower west side of town, while it looks like the "green area" (landfill) is up north.

Also, the landfill is the green HIGHLIGHTED area right? The green filled are Town Parks, the key says.