540 in Garner/Clayton area? (Raleigh, Pittsboro: buying a house, buying, subdivision)

[MizSeeker]

ok - I've been looking at houses and getting a lot of pressure from my family to compromise/settle. We looked at a house in the Johnston county side of Garner Sunday and it fits almost all our needs. I started a list of questions and what I wanted to put in the offer ... and then I looked at the Garner web site. Community planning and the such and on this huge pdf of services and designations - I saw a dotted line VERY near where that house is. Looked it up and it is the planned development route for 540. And based on the legend - it would come within 1/2 to 1/4 of a mile from that set of houses.

Now - I've been looking at the DOT sites and searching for info but I cannot find that info elsewhere. Where can I find reliable info? AND how does this impact the area? I wouldn't want to live with earshot of 540 and I would suppose it would negatively impact the value of the land/house? But I need info as much as it is available now.

And the family - they say I'm being silly and should buy the house anyway. Maybe I should explain to them not being able to sell the house when I'm old and they need to pay for the nursing home?

Your thoughts? thank you!

Martha

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

I think there are some old posts on here with maps of I-540. You might be able to find them using the search function. I too have had a hard time finding decent maps of the future route. FWIW, I think it will be quite some time before that portion is built.

[Charlton Dude]

I would not buy that close to the proposed route. The route can shift one way or the other before it is built. It is an estimate at this time, so says my Realtor. We bought in an area that is estimated to be about 1 mile away from 540 when it comes through....who knows when. This way it can shift a full half mile and we would still be safe. If it is already less than a half mile, I would not buy it. Too much is unknown and there is a lot of choice of homes right now.

[jnr4411]

Yeah, I agree. I would find out first. If it's too close, you will never be able to sell it, if you decide to do so in the future.

[NewUser]

Originally Posted by jnr4411

Yeah, I agree. I would find out first. If it's too close, you will never be able to sell it, if you decide to do so in the future.

I disagree. There will be lots of people who will think that it's a benefit to have such convenient access to I540.

[GarnerMama]

You should give the Town of Garner planning department a call. They're really open to questions like that. I've always found them helpful. This website might be worth looking at too: Build 540

[zinner]

Here are the maps. On the NCDOT site.

Let me google that for you

I specifically didn't buy a house because it was going to be close to the road. Here is what I have found out after some research.

The southern/western I540 isn't funded yet, they have done the surveys, ect. When they do surveys they do take into account road noise and mitigation of such noise (sound walls ect). If your complex was built after the survey you could be in trouble.

They are just firing up to start the western part of I540 so the project is moving forward, who knows when the money for the rest will be appropriated.

It might not happen for 5 year or 25 years.

[MizSeeker]

Hmmm thank you for the feedback! My realtor is saying he talked to an appraiser that wanted to say it would improve the value. I'm not sure what he told the appraiser. It might be fine for me now - but unable to sell in 10-15 years if it comes too close. OR I might lose the property if they come EALLY close. The only reason I have any money to consider buying a house is a small inheritance from my parents estate and I would hate to squander it.

I was looking at Pittsboro but my budget isn't that high And with the boyfriend having health issues - it's not a great idea to be too far out in the country. Looks like I'm going to get stuck in a subdivision.

I HATE not having that crystall ball!

thanks!

Martha

[iamweasel]

Originally Posted by NewUser

I disagree. There will be lots of people who will think that it's a benefit to have such convenient access to I540.

There is a big difference between convienient access and being right behind it.

We lived in the Alyson Pond subdivision off Litchford Rd in North Raleigh. My parents bought the house in 1994 before I-540 was there but knew it was coming and where it was supposed to go. They bought a house several blocks away from where I-540 was going to be.

When the road was done, it ended up being a lot closer to the homes on one side of the subdivision than inital reports suggested. Those homes were also being listed for $25-$50K less than equivalent homes in the same subdivision because they backed right up to I-540.

They were literally a 1 minute drive further away from I-540 than others in the neightborhood so they had convienient access, too. They just didn't have the resale penalty that went with it by being TOO close.

[NewUser]

Originally Posted by iamweasel

There is a big difference between convienient access and being right behind it.

True. . . .but the OP said that the houses were 1/4 to 1/2 mile away. I agree that having the sound barrier wall in your back yard is not a selling point.