Getting mixed msgs: Is Raleigh region affordable? (Charlotte, Durham: apartments, car insurance)

[Alicia64]

Hi Everyone,

My husband and I (and six year old twins) would like to get out of CA and we like Raleigh.

But I can't tell -- does $230 buy a nice house in a nice area -- meaning safe? Very safe? I'm not looking for snooty, but a nice area.

What do you think of Charlotte? Is it more affordable than Raleigh?

Alley

[CHTransplant]

There are a lot of "nice" areas here in a variety of price ranges. As for safety, honestly it's not something most of us think about day to day. We get asked that question here a lot, which to me signals that it's a concern in the places people are coming from. Yes, we have crime - we're not immune to it. And there are some areas that are more crime-prone than others, but for most of us we tend to think that a few basic personal and household safety practices will address our worries.

Now as for "affordable," that depends on what you're looking for and where you're coming from. I don't really think we're a "cheap" area cost-of-living wise, but we're not horribly expensive either. Probably slightly higher than the national average, but that's just a guess.

I can't compare to Charlotte - I don't know enough about it.

[Babytarheelz]

You can get a great house for that price, particularly if you go to one of the suburbs.

[sneezecake]

230k will get you a rural cookie-cutter house in an area like Mebane, Clayton, Holly Springs, SE Raleigh, Wake Forest, Fuquay in maybe the 2500 square foot range, new construction, minimal options, 0.2 acres.

That's generalizing, but yeah.

We moved here from LA and THOUGHT that $250k would get us our "dream home" but when we got here we discovered the areas that are most desirable (to us and to many others) you're really looking at a minimum of $300k for a "NICE" home..relatively new or new, decent amenities, safe, convenient to RTP neighborhood.

It's cheaper than LA that's for sure, but the standards here are just different, that's all. Houses in poor areas can still look nice in an MLS listing. That's rarely the case in CA, with the exception of places like Palmdale.

[he's so hott]

Originally Posted by Alicia64

Hi Everyone,

My husband and I (and six year old twins) would like to get out of CA and we like Raleigh.

But I can't tell -- does $230 buy a nice house in a nice area -- meaning safe? Very safe? I'm not looking for snooty, but a nice area.

What do you think of Charlotte? Is it more affordable than Raleigh?

Alley

It depends on what your idea of a nice house and a safe area is. You can get something for $230k but only you'll know if it jives with what you consider nice and safe.

I've heard folks that I know say that Charlotte is more affordable than Raleigh and Durham in terms of housing. I'm not sure b/c I'm not looking to buy a house in either Raleigh, Durham or Charlotte.

[he's so hott]

Originally Posted by sneezecake

230k will get you a rural cookie-cutter house in an area like Mebane, Clayton, Holly Springs, SE Raleigh, Wake Forest, Fuquay in maybe the 2500 square foot range, new construction, minimal options, 0.2 acres.

That's generalizing, but yeah.

We moved here from LA and THOUGHT that $250k would get us our "dream home" but when we got here we discovered the areas that are most desirable (to us and to many others) you're really looking at a minimum of $300k for a "NICE" home..relatively new or new, decent amenities, safe, convenient to RTP neighborhood.

It's cheaper than LA that's for sure, but the standards here are just different, that's all. Houses in poor areas can still look nice in an MLS listing. That's rarely the case in CA, with the exception of places like Palmdale.

That's what I thought from a glance but I wasn't quite sure.

[sneezecake]

The major differences here are in housing costs.

You will NOT notice a major difference in cost of living items - groceries, restaurants, etc.

In CA, the nicest 2/2 apartments go for $3000+, here I have rarely seen a 2/2 higher than $1500...most are more like $1000.

There are VERY few locations where the land is worth more than the house. On the flipside, there are very few homes in LA where the home is worth more than the land.

Gas is slightly cheaper (maybe 25 cents a gallon typically)

Car insurance is about 2/3 to half, depending on where you live in CA.

[twoisbetter]

We moved out from SoCal & I have noticed a dramatic difference in the safety factor. If you live in LA, you get used to bars on windows & graffiti & areas that you roll your windows up in. Since we've been here, we've gradually acclimated to the tiny amount of crime and none of the above eyesores that make you feel scared to be somewhere. And it feels really good....very comforting. Thats worth alot to me.

As for the $250k thing...yeah, I admit, we thought the same thing. We would get our dream house dirt cheap. We ended up spending 300k...but we live in a prime neighborhood that is safe and beautiful. But I know others in the $250 market who bought nice homes & in nice safe areas too...that aren't exactly rural. So I would disagree with previous posters about that. Otherwise things are about the same for us price wise...just a little less.

[BurntHombre]

Originally Posted by Alicia64

But I can't tell -- does $230 buy a nice house in a nice area -- meaning safe? Very safe? I'm not looking for snooty, but a nice area.

Absolutely.

Using my own definitions of nice, safe, and snooty, of course.

[sneezecake]

Originally Posted by twoisbetter

We moved out from SoCal & I have noticed a dramatic difference in the safety factor. If you live in LA, you get used to bars on windows & graffiti & areas that you roll your windows up in. Since we've been here, we've gradually acclimated to the tiny amount of crime and none of the above eyesores that make you feel scared to be somewhere. And it feels really good....very comforting. Thats worth alot to me.

As for the $250k thing...yeah, I admit, we thought the same thing. We would get our dream house dirt cheap. We ended up spending 300k...but we live in a prime neighborhood that is safe and beautiful. But I know others in the $250 market who bought nice homes & in nice safe areas too...that aren't exactly rural. So I would disagree with previous posters about that. Otherwise things are about the same for us price wise...just a little less.

Admittedly, it depends on what you define as nice...by my definition of the term (combining house + neighborhood) I felt like 300k was really the bottom end.

250k is certainly pleasant, but rarely will a 250k home knock someone's socks off.