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What types of things would you like to know about? Schools, nightlife, arts, recreation?
I think alot depends on whether you are single or have a family moving with you. We've lived here a long time and it's been a great area for raising a family. Small town (but not too small: 30K in Sanford/60K in Lee County) atmosphere where you feel a part of the community quickly, with many family oriented activities. If you are young and single, I think it might be kind of difficult if you don't already have family or a circle of friends here. Also if I were single I would be bored here... but then when I was single I lived in Chicago so there is no town that can compare to that in terms of entertainment/recreation anywhere in central NC, so my opinion is based on that experience. If you are older and single you might like it just fine. One thing if you aren't married, people here will make an effort to include you and don't be surprised if several try to "match make" for you if you express an interest in dating or seek a potential partner. (Then again, there are worse ways to meet people).
The great thing about Sanford is that it is big enough to meet all your day-to-day needs and it's easy to get around town fairly quickly. There are enough chain and non-chain restaurants to choose from among other things. If you're a golfer, there are several good courses in town including Tobacco Road, and we're very close to Pinehurst. As far as homes, you will get more for your money, of equal or better quality than anywhere in the Triangle. If you seek more entertainment or shopping, Cary/Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Southern Pines, Fayetteville are all within an easy 30-45 min. drive.
I dont golf but do hunt and fish I dont care if it is in the boonies I live in the boonies now. Sounds like it might be interesting. I did look up crime stats. 6 murders in 04? seems high for small city. We have 4 kids 12-6 What is housing like?
There are a number of people in this area who like to hunt and fish. We're not into hunting, but I can tell you that come Fall you'll be able to join many other hunters about 15mins up the road near Jordan Lake. As for fishing, there are a number of lakes big and small to choose from.
I saw those crime stats also and was trying to remember what happened that year but can't. What I can say is that in 20 years of living here I have never felt unsafe. As with any town, there are certain neighborhoods to avoid, but other than that I feel comfortable throughout the area.
What type of housing are you interested in (how large, number of bedrooms?) and what is your maximum to spend? There are many nice neighborhoods to choose from and depending on what you want I can suggest a few.
You will be limited in what you can buy for <$125K, but here are some suggestions that will keep your family in a good area:
- historic district of Sanford just west of Horner Blvd and downtown. There are some well-built older homes in decent condition.
-McCracken Heights just off of Hawkins Avenue in Northeast Sanford, has a mix of older (1950's) well built brick homes, and newer (<3 yrs) non-brick. It's a pretty neighborhood with several ponds and tons of trees and azaleas. Needs a little TLC, but a good choice in that price range.
- further north on Hawkins Ave. there are a couple of brand new developments that appear decent and are close to your price range. Worth checking out.
- Also on either side of Spring Lane, not far from the historic district and approaching the Riverbirch shopping center, there are some homes that are well-kept and possibly in that range.
Hope this is of some help. A realtor would be your best bet for more specifics of course.
I am not sure how Sanford has suddenly been designated as a "high crime area" on this forum. But as a long-time resident, I can tell you this is just not true. The murder rate in 2005 was high, but if you look at the historical data for previous years, you'll see that in several other years it was much lower. Also, if you look at all categories of crime and compare them to other similar sized cities or counties in the state, you'll find that Sanford is actually lower in some of those categories.
Is there crime in Sanford/Lee County? Of course, just like all other towns. Are people running around shooting each other in the street and residents are afraid to leave their homes? Of course not!! Most of the crime is confined to one part of town - again, like most places. In all the years I've lived here I and my family have never been afraid to go and do all the things I/we need and want to do, day or night. I'm no more or less cautious here than I would be anywhere. We live in a lovely, safe neighborhood, and there are quite a few of those to be found in Sanford. So, to reassure you the best thing to say is come on down and see for yourself.
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