Cal-Atlantic Homes Cavaillon or Pulte Weddington Preserve?? (Charlotte, Graham: sales, countertops)
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We will (finally!) be relocating to the Charlotte area this summer. My husband's job will be in the Southpark area. We have decided to live in Weddington/Waxhaw area and are wanting to build new construction.
We'd like to keep the final cost of the home at or under $600K. With that in mind, we've narrowed it down to the two neighborhoods mentioned in the title. Each one has a home plan that is perfect for us and we should be able to upgrade the home nicely and stay within the budget (although Weddington Preserve might take us slightly over). One development is in the Cuthbertson school cluster, the other is in Weddington.
Does anyone have any input on these developments or why we might be happier with one over the other? We are in our early 40's, with two children...our older child will be in 7th grade next year, the younger in 1st grade. We tend to be fairly busy with gymnastics and dance, so location/convenience is a plus. Neighborhood amenities would be nice, but are not a strong deciding factor at all. As I mentioned above, my husband will be commuting to South Park (near the mall). I don't work outside of the home, but I'll be driving to Irish dance (Walsh Kelley or Rince Na H'eirann) and a gymnastics gym (haven't searched those out yet...something with a USAG competitive team program...I'd love recommendations!) several times a week.
Schools...seem pretty comparable???? I think Weddington is supposed to be "better" of the two, but the difference seems negligible. Any thoughts on that?
I guess it comes down to this...taking into account location, schools, our lifestyle, my husband's commute, etc, is there a reason to push our budget a little and get into Weddington Preserve? Or are we just as well off to save the money (or get more wanted upgrades in the house) and go with Cavaillon?? Also, in the new redistricting of Union Co. Schools, will Cavaillon stay in the Cuthbertson cluster, or will it move to Weddington? Is one neighborhood significantly nicer than the other (prettier location,wooded lots, etc.)?
Any thoughts/opinions/advice would be very welcome. We are going to be coming in to visit in person, but our time is extremely limited. I'm trying to gather as much information in advance as I possibly can. Also, I know that the community sales people aren't going to be the most trustworthy for honest opinions that might not flatter their community! LOL!
Also, I'm apologizing now for any ridiculous typos. I'm typing on my Kindle and it loves to punk me.
The two neighborhoods you are currently looking at have locations that might make them prime targets for school redistricting. The current Board of Education has set their goal to roll back the last redistricting which might be the first steps toward schools of choice. In the meantime, I'd be concerned about location of these two neighborhoods. If I wanted to stay in Marvin or Weddington clusters I would choose something between the Mecklenburg county line and these school clusters. A choice like that would give you a much higher probability of staying out of the redistricting fray. Cutherbertson schools will always be a toss up because it is primarily surrounded by other UC school clusters except on the SC border.
If your husband is commuting to the South Park area then upper Marvin or Weddington would be more aligned for shorter drive times.
Thank you for the input. It seems like Weddington and Marvin are more expensive areas...? Is there a reason to avoid Cuthbertson schools? Or am I correct in thinking that Weddington, Marvin, and Cuthbertson are really all excellent choices and that we can't really go wrong in any of those three?
Any thoughts on Millbridge in Waxhaw? It's the cheapest option, but looking at the map, it appears to be the furthest out, by a good distance. Also, it seems to be A HUGE development... Would it take us 10 minutes just to get from our driveway to the neighborhood exit? ��
Thank you for the input. It seems like Weddington and Marvin are more expensive areas...? Is there a reason to avoid Cuthbertson schools? Or am I correct in thinking that Weddington, Marvin, and Cuthbertson are really all excellent choices and that we can't really go wrong in any of those three?
Any thoughts on Millbridge in Waxhaw? It's the cheapest option, but looking at the map, it appears to be the furthest out, by a good distance. Also, it seems to be A HUGE development... Would it take us 10 minutes just to get from our driveway to the neighborhood exit? ��
Cuthbertson is the newer HS and a very good school while Weddington is oldest (older than Marvin) so better known and generally considered a a step above.
I would not move further south than Providence and New Town Rd (and stay away from smaller streets away from Providence) since traffic is terrible during the week.
While I get it why people want new construction (since I've been through that myself), now I would only consider establish neighborhoods (with updated homes).
Thank you for the input. It seems like Weddington and Marvin are more expensive areas...? Is there a reason to avoid Cuthbertson schools? Or am I correct in thinking that Weddington, Marvin, and Cuthbertson are really all excellent choices and that we can't really go wrong in any of those three?
Any thoughts on Millbridge in Waxhaw? It's the cheapest option, but looking at the map, it appears to be the furthest out, by a good distance. Also, it seems to be A HUGE development... Would it take us 10 minutes just to get from our driveway to the neighborhood exit? ��
Certainly no reason to avoid Cuthbertson, a very good school cluster. I just think the chances of redistricting or capping in the Cuthbertson cluster is far greater than choosing wisely in the Weddington or Marvin Ridge cluster.
If you husband works in the Southpark area, the drive time may be significantly greater from the Cuthbertson cluster as compared to Marvin Ridge or Weddington clusters.
Cuthbertson is the newer HS and a very good school while Weddington is oldest (older than Marvin) so better known and generally considered a a step above.
I would not move further south than Providence and New Town Rd (and stay away from smaller streets away from Providence) since traffic is terrible during the week.
While I get it why people want new construction (since I've been through that myself), now I would only consider establish neighborhoods (with updated homes).
Good luck!
Thank you, this helps me to map things out. The reason we want new construction is that this is our 5th house in our 5th state. I know what I want and I know what I don't want. LOL!!! We hope this will be our home for at least 25 years, and I'm not compromising on things like cabinetry, countertops, tile, etc. If it's been recently remodeled, then they're asking a premium for design choices that probably aren't to my liking. If we buy low enough within our budget to afford a full remodel, then we'll probably over-value the house for the neighborhood. If it's a house in a gorgeous, established neighborhood that is in the process of being "brought back," then the base cost of the house would probably be at the top of our range without any remodeling budget. Home design/decor is a passion of mine and I figure this is my last chance to get it right! LOL!
Certainly no reason to avoid Cuthbertson, a very good school cluster. I just think the chances of redistricting or capping in the Cuthbertson cluster is far greater than choosing wisely in the Weddington or Marvin Ridge cluster.
If you husband works in the Southpark area, the drive time may be significantly greater from the Cuthbertson cluster as compared to Marvin Ridge or Weddington clusters.
Thank you for the clarification. It's hard to get a feel for distance/time simply by looking at a map. We know that traffic is heavy everywhere (it is here, too), but we don't have a great understanding of how traffic patterns really work. And we are coming from private schools, so zoning is a new concern for us here.
Any suggestions of new home communities in my price range that would be great for the commute and the school concerns?
Great Schools recently updated their ratings and now Cuthbertson is rated higher than Weddington. It's pretty much a toss up between the two. Before Marvin Ridge and Cuthbertson were built, the whole area went to Weddington.
Thank you for the clarification. It's hard to get a feel for distance/time simply by looking at a map. We know that traffic is heavy everywhere (it is here, too), but we don't have a great understanding of how traffic patterns really work. And we are coming from private schools, so zoning is a new concern for us here.
Any suggestions of new home communities in my price range that would be great for the commute and the school concerns?
Graham Hall (small, only 6 lots) across from the Weddington Swim and Racquet club
or Vintage Creek right around the corner (70 or 80 lots)
Both of these start in the mid 500's.
Best possible commute to Southpark area if you still wish to stay in Union County. If you decide public schools aren't for your kids, Charlotte Latin (5 minutes away) is on the way to Southpark so hubby could do the carpool thing on the way to work.
Graham Hall (small, only 6 lots) across from the Weddington Swim and Racquet club
or Vintage Creek right around the corner (70 or 80 lots)
Both of these start in the mid 500's.
Best possible commute to Southpark area if you still wish to stay in Union County. If you decide public schools aren't for your kids, Charlotte Latin (5 minutes away) is on the way to Southpark so hubby could do the carpool thing on the way to work.
I'll check those out, thank you. We have been caught up in the very pricey private school deal now for 7 years and one of the positives of this transfer is that our kids will go to public schools!! We'd like to be able to enjoy our money instead of putting it all towards K-12 tuitions! LOL!!! I'm a weensy but nervous, not gonna' lie, but I have come to believe that public schools, in general, get a far worse rap than they actually deserve. Sounds like our kids will be just fine in any of these three school zones.
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