Need advice for a possible move to NC... Cary? (Durham: real estate, low crime) - The Triangle Area - City-Data Forum

jellybean80 · 07-20-2009, 12:39 PM

My husband and 10 week old daughter and I are eager to leave Michigan once I'm done with nursing school (next summer). We have started to research southern states in hopes to find a community that is going to be the place we call home. I did a little research and was interested in Cary, NC but really need to talk to people who live there or know about the area. We are 30 years old and are looking to find an area with good schools (this is huge), low crime and job opportunites. Our price range for real estate is 200 -250,000. Can anyone talk to me about the area of Cary, or have any suggestions for a family like ours? We also would like a suburb that is not surrounded by trash, that's our situation now. We live in a nicer suburb that 15 minutes any way you go is trash, poor schools etc. Michigan is a dying state and our economy is horrible- we need out but want to go somewhere we can call home.

Any suggestions, info, photos are appreciated!

Thanks!!

Also, my husband is a sleep technologist (sleep apnea studies) and I will be a nurse, hoping there are medical job opportunities available.

leighbhe · 07-20-2009, 01:38 PM

Wake County is very very big, lots of wonderful smaller towns that surround the raleigh area, cary being one of them. That being said, it can take you 20 minutes to get from one side of cary to another, so it is something to think about. The towns that are closest to RTP (research triangle park where many of the techies work) have the highest density of population, and more expensive housing (this includes parts of cary and morrisville).

For the type of job you will have, if you want to work in a hospital setting, there are many in and around the area. The big ones, Wake Med (main campus is on new bern ave), Rex (main campus is on blue ridge road), there is also Duke, Durham Regional, and UNC. Both wake med and rex have affliated smaller trauma centers throughout wake county.

I believe, in your price range, you are not going to have trouble finding something, but it all depends on what you want. If you want to live on an acre of land with 3000 square feet, that probably won't happen. If you want less land and a smaller house, then you will love the area. Many small towns (apex, holly springs, fuquay varina, wake forest - i live here - north raleigh, ) surround raleigh, and I am sure I have forgotten some!

I have a good friend who moved here from Michigan, along with her parents and her sister. She misses some things, but has lived here over 10 years and is quite happy.

I would be happy to answer more specific questions, just let me know

Leigh

jellybean80 · 07-20-2009, 02:05 PM

Thanks Leigh- I appreciate your help! Specifically we are interested in making sure our daughter goes to a reputable school. We are not looking to put her in private school or anything but just a public school that we can be confident she gets a good education. Are there any areas in Wake County to stay clear of in your opinion? My husband is planning on flying out there in the next couple months to look at the area and see if that's somewhere we would like to move- he will only have a couple days so we wanted to narrow our search down. I will research those other suggestions and see what they look like. I may have to pop in at some point to ask you more specifics if that's ok! Thanks again for your help and if anyone else could shed some light on this relocation that would be great!!!!!

Also, where would I look if I want a larger house in that price range- or is that not possible in Wake County? Basically our idea of a ideal house is not a small ranch or fixer upper- we would like to move into a nice neighborhood that is fairly new development.

lunadesign · 07-20-2009, 03:21 PM

Jellybean, I would suggest searching this forum for WCPSS (Wake County Public School System) and you will find TONS of information, both good and bad, on schools here. There is no such thing as a neighborhood school in Wake Co. as they practice bussing here. Reassignments happen quite often so most people will tell you not to buy a house because of the school that neighborhood is currently assigned to. It's a county-wide school system and this may be different to where you are currently from.

leighbhe · 07-20-2009, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jellybean80

Thanks Leigh- I appreciate your help! Specifically we are interested in making sure our daughter goes to a reputable school. We are not looking to put her in private school or anything but just a public school that we can be confident she gets a good education. Are there any areas in Wake County to stay clear of in your opinion? My husband is planning on flying out there in the next couple months to look at the area and see if that's somewhere we would like to move- he will only have a couple days so we wanted to narrow our search down. I will research those other suggestions and see what they look like. I may have to pop in at some point to ask you more specifics if that's ok! Thanks again for your help and if anyone else could shed some light on this relocation that would be great!!!!!

Also, where would I look if I want a larger house in that price range- or is that not possible in Wake County? Basically our idea of a ideal house is not a small ranch or fixer upper- we would like to move into a nice neighborhood that is fairly new development.

I sent you a direct message.

Leigh