relocating with family WS vs Greensboro? (Winston-Salem, Kernersville: to rent, house, neighborhoods)

[kbmom4]

We are planning to relocate this summer for a new job that will be in WS. I would certainly prefer to always live as close to work as possible but we have 4 kids and schools/neighborhood quality is a priority. A commute from Greensboro would be o.k. if the community is that much nicer for our group. We are not interested in night life or high variability of restaurants since our kids will only eat noodles.
We are looking to buy a home in the 250-275K range. I really want a walkable neighborhood where kids can ride bikes and run around safely. I am a runner and would like to be able to get on a trail/greenway system easily. Any advice on neighborhoods, school zones etx would be greatly appreciated.

[poppydog]

They're both nice cities. Some say W-S is the nicer of the two. Quite a few Guilford county schools get good marks, though.

[kbmom4]

considering Clemmons as well. Looks like the drive to WS is trivial and the community and schools seem good. Anyone living there that actually wishes they were in WS or vice versa. Seems that housing is a bit cheaper without much in the way of compromise. Trulia can only give so much info - need to hear from those in the area.
thanks again for anyone that can take the time to responds

[roadpony]

Greensboro is a nice community, but if the job is W-S, there is absolutely no reason to live in Greensboro. Clemmons is a very popular choice for families with good public schools. I don't have children, but there are plenty of others on this forum who can speak more specifically to family neighborhoods and schools. There are many nice neighborhoods with access to good schools in W-S, Lewisville, Pfafftown, and Kernersville as well. Personally, I prefer Winston-Salem itself, but again, I don't have children.

As for access to greenways & trails, here are sites for City of W-S Parks & Rec and Forsyth County Parks and Rec. You can cross-reference this info as you are considering homes and neighborhoods.

Best wishes on your move.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by kbmom4

We are planning to relocate this summer for a new job that will be in WS.
We are looking to buy a home in the 250-275K range.

RENT a house in Winston (Buena Vista, Sherwood, etc).
Make the one known daily commute simpler.
Plan to remain there at least a full year. Two is even better.

Use that time to **investigate** all these things on your own and in person...
and then make the decision on where YOU will really prefer to lock in your money.

[arbyunc]

Yep, no reason to live in Greensboro if your job is in WS. I live in Clemmons, and it's a great place to raise kids. You are correct that the drive into WS is nothing--depending on which neighborhood it will take 15 minutes or less. Lewisville is also very desirable, and has about the same commute time. Both areas have great schools.

Tanglewood Park in Clemmons offers plenty of running space, bike trails, and lots of other family and recreational activities (including a large dog park for your pet!). There are many neighborhood pools with swim teams, well-established little leagues for many sports, and a large YMCA offering lots of activities and league sports. Both Lewisville and Clemmons also have plenty of backroads and neighborhoods that are good for running and cycling. Specific neighborhoods in Clemmons include Clemmons West, Middlebrook, Salem Glen, Waterford, and Asbury Place, but there are many others so you should spend some time with a realtor to help with your search.

Good luck!

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Ditto to what everyone else has said. Both are nice, but there's no reason to add an unnecessary commute in either direction. Personally, I'd give WS a SLIGHT edge, but the two cities have a lot in common. If the job was in Greensboro, I'd say live in Greensboro, but since it's in Winston, live in Winston. And yes: rent first. Learn the area. I'd look at Sherwood Park, Ardmore, parts of the Country Club area, Buena Vista (if you can find a house in your budget), and the suburbs of Clemmons and Lewisville. Once you're renting, spend a lot of time exploring and you'll find the 'hood that fits.

Good luck!

[arbyunc]

While renting first would give one time to assess the area, there are some disadvantages:

--There's the hassle and expense of having to move twice
--Your kids may have to change schools when you ultimately buy, putting them through the struggle of leaving friends and making new ones once again.
--You aren't building equity.
--You may find that perfect house for you now, and it wouldn't be available a year from now.

Don't want to discourage you if renting makes more sense to you, but I can also say that you'll likely be very happy buying first as there are many great neighborhoods from which to choose. Just make sure you get a good realtor and ask the right questions, and I'd say your chances are pretty good.

[Sasquatches]

We considered Clemmons and Lewisville but ultimately decided on Winston-Salem. We chose between Buena Vista and Sherwood Forest which are both fairly close to each other but Sherwood had more young families - 30s and 40s and great schools. My wife and I are from Greensboro and if our jobs were there we'd either live in Irving Park or move out to Summerfield or Oak Ridge for the schools. You may have to up your price range a little for these areas. $250-275k won't go far in Buena Vista.

[kbmom4]

Thanks for those replies- we are not planning to rent for all the reasons listed in arbyunc's post. Moving kids twice would be a disaster.
Sherwood Forest is an area I keep hearing good things about so perhaps will focus in there. Obviously trying to gather as much information as possible from a distance since renting is really not a good option. Always the risk of making a less than ideal choice but with kids there is only so much moving around and relocating that you can do.