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Relocating to Charlotte this weekend...I will be living in an apartment for a couple of months while we look for a house and then the family will follow. I will be working in the University area so we are focused on northern suburbs, specifically Huntersville and possibly Highland Creek. I know Huntersville is pretty big, and depending on what part you live in it can vary, but what is a realistic commute time from Huntersville to the University area? Mapquest says anywhere from 20-30 minutes, but I'm sure that doesn't take traffic into account. I don't want to deal with an hour commute each way. I think my hours will be pretty standard, so will probably be dealing with rush hour. Any info you all could provide would be appreciated. Thanks!
The commute will be lengthy , from 20 mins to 1 hour , depending upon route. I used to drive from Mint Hill to Huntersville in the mornings , and had to allot at least 1 hour for unforseens.
Relocating to Charlotte this weekend...I will be living in an apartment for a couple of months while we look for a house and then the family will follow. I will be working in the University area so we are focused on northern suburbs, specifically Huntersville
Thanks to the fact that I-485 between I-77 and I-85 still has a 5 mile gap; location is very important in this area. Is your work closer to I-85 or I-77? If you are closer to I-85, Concord, Harrisburg, or northeast Charlotte would all be better locations for leasing than Huntersville. In the next 5 years or so (when I-485 is completed) it won't be such a big deal. For now though, it is a BIG DEAL (especially at 5 o'clock in the afternoons).
Thanks to the fact that I-485 between I-77 and I-85 still has a 5 mile gap; location is very important in this area. Is your work closer to I-85 or I-77? If you are closer to I-85, Concord, Harrisburg, or northeast Charlotte would all be better locations for leasing than Huntersville. In the next 5 years or so (when I-485 is completed) it won't be such a big deal. For now though, it is a BIG DEAL (especially at 5 o'clock in the afternoons).
Will be working near 85, and will be buying a home within the next two months (just leasing an apartment for a few months while we get our house taken care of here). I will look into those areas that you mentioned. Thanks.
Why are you buying so quick? Why don't you lease a house first for a year and decide if you like the area and the commute first? This will give you time to check out Highland Creek, the Davidson area, Huntersville, Harrisburg, and points north up 85.
A commute from Highland Creek to the University area shouldn't take more than 10-20 minutes. It all depends on which exit from Highland Creek you will use.
You really want to avoid being on I-77 as much as you can between Huntersville and I-85 because of bad traffic. Concord or Harrisburg may be better options and the Concord schools are apparently better than the Mecklenburg County schools.
Also, be careful about where you are renting near the university because there are some spots with lots of crime. Perhaps you can ask here first before you sign a lease.
Why are you buying so quick? Why don't you lease a house first for a year and decide if you like the area and the commute first? This will give you time to check out Highland Creek, the Davidson area, Huntersville, Harrisburg, and points north up 85.
A commute from Highland Creek to the University area shouldn't take more than 10-20 minutes. It all depends on which exit from Highland Creek you will use.
2 main reasons I don't want to rent: we have a child in elementary school and we don't want to change his school after a year. We want to find our home up front and stay there. The other reason is historic low interest rates--it's crazy to pass up 4% or less on a 30 year fixed loan. I'm sure they will still be low in a year, but would rather not throw rent money away. Just my personal opinion.
Since Concord was mentioned, what are the general thoughts about that area? There seem to be affordable, nice, newer homes that are serviced by elementary schools with pretty good ratings.
I advise checking middle and high school ratings as well. Kids grow up so fast. We made that mistake and had to move after middle school when we would rather not have wanted to.
I recommend Concord or Harrisburg over Huntersville. I used to live in Huntersville and commute to the University area; leaving the house at 7:30 would take my anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour because of traffic on 77...same thing (if not worse) in the 5 - 6 pm range. One wreck on 77 can take a 30 minute drive into an hour plus easily. I moved out of Huntersville solely for the amount of time I was spending in traffic. Good luck and welcome!
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