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My husband, 3.5 year old son, and my 14 week old son and I are potentially relocating to the Raleigh area due to job changes.
I was hoping for some info from locals regarding certain things that are difficult to research from afar.
1. Apex 27502 vs North Raleigh27613, 27615 and 27616?
2. We love the quaint downtown of Apex, and the small town vibe we've seen. However, I will be working from home and in Morrisville...so that needs to be convenient. I don't want to live in Morrisville.
3. We want to send our boys to one of the language immersion preschools in the area, so that puts us N Raleigh, or Cary. I don't want to live in Cary. (too congested)
4. We love trees. I'll say it again, we love trees. We aren't interested in the newer subdivisions like Kitts Creek etc where its set up like old Bostonian houses, or old downtown Victorians with no land. We have 2 dogs, and we like space but convenience.
5. We are looking for friendly neighbors. Not gossipy, in your face, clicky neighbors, but good, outgoing, friendly people. Either of those areas better for that?
6. We hear that NC taxes for everything. We are somewhat used to gas taxes and those things here in FL b/c they find whatever way they can to get some sort of revenue. However, anyone familiar with taxes there vs. FL? I do know there is State income tax there, and not here.
7. How would you be able to tell if your house is county or city tax? Are there city taxed houses in Apex? Or, do you have to be in "Raleigh" to potentially choose a home that is city vs county prop tax?
8. Anything that you all would recommend we make sure to check out, or stay away from, or research before making our final decision? I've tried to cover all our bases, but we've lived all over for my job, and I'm getting tired of moving. I'm hoping this is it, and we can plant some roots.
I think you want Apex over North Raleigh. Its convenient to working in Morrisville and preschools in Cary. In my opinion, North Raleigh is very congested, way more than Cary.
As far as property taxes, if you live in city limits, regardless of the city, you pay city taxes as well as county taxes. Cary has the lowest property taxes, and Apex is right behind Cary. I think real estate listings will say if you pay city taxes or not. If you have an address, you can always look it up on the Wake County website (WakeGOV.com - Home) and see what the property taxes are.
We moved from South Florida 23 years ago and have been more than happy. We picked Cary for the small town feel. Its grown a lot since then, but we still love it. We live in an older neighborhood with tons of trees and friendly neighbors. And its convenient to everything.
If you think Cary is congested, don't bother looking in North Raleigh. I grew up in the 27613 area and the traffic issues have gotten crazy around there. I had less issues with traffic living in West Cary than I do visiting my parents in North Raleigh lol. North Raleigh is also extremely car-centric imo. I hated having to rely on my car to get any and everywhere when I was still living with my parents. Areas like North Hills have gotten a bit better I've heard but it's definitely worth buying somewhere that you can at least walk to a coffeeshop or supermarket without getting hit by a car
We looked at Apex because I love their downtown area but none of the houses on the market at that time were very good. Either super cheap construction at not cheap prices or neighborhoods where you're literally on top of your neighbors. Hopefully it's gotten better from last year! Also keep in mind that current rush hour traffic from Apex right now is pretty bad, especially if you plan on taking 55 into Morrisville. I imagine that should lessen as they finish building the southern portion of 540 though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GatorinCary
We live in an older neighborhood with tons of trees and friendly neighbors. And its convenient to everything.
Yes I love that about the older neighborhoods in Cary! We have so many trees and greenway trails in our neighborhood with nice big lots. It's really hard to find that in the newer construction. Coronado near downtown Cary is great for that too and now there's that new arts center within walking distance of that neighborhood. And with them pumping a ton of money into revitalizing the rest of downtown Cary, I think people will see their property values really go up in that area. I should have bought there haha.
Last edited by evaofnc; 10-29-2011 at 09:54 AM..
Reason: a
Thanks for the advice. We haven't actually visited Cary, but everyone seems to say...stay away, so overpopulated. Also, we personally like older homes. While they may require more maintenance, we like the lot size, the mature trees, and the "homey" feel to the neighborhoods. If we can find that in Cary under 300K, then we'll definitely consider it.
I liked the look of Shepherd's Vineyard in Apex. Older, trees, seemingly decent lot (remember, I live in FL where you live on a postage stamp), and ammenities without the crazy HOA dual dues etc. That neighborhood seems close to everything we need. (but might be a hike to Morrisville...but won't have to do that until late 2012).
Apex also seems to have inexpensive, but safe and clean 1 bedroom apartments for my elderly mother (who we'll be bringing along). She's on a strict budget, but not knowing the area I'm nervous about apartments in other areas in her price range.
Ok, on the tax question...so I'll know if the taxes seem high that the house is in the city limits? I'm guessing there are certain Cary zips that are county vs city?
Stonehenge was a nice neighborhood that had some homes we like, but if that area is overly congested, then I'm not into it. I hate where we are b/c its not walkable at all. I'm from a suburb of Cleveland where you can walk everywhere. I also work, and have two very young children, so driving forever, and being stuck in traffic will drive me nuts.
I love the downtown in Apex, and Cary's seems nice too. I just want to be able to have date nights in North HIlls or downtown...maybe there is no area that will be all of those things, but we'll hopefully find one that fits most.
Thanks for the info on Cary....we'll be sure to go back online and try to find some homes that work for us.
Any suggestions on very family friendly neighborhoods with young kids (I'm like you guys...no new neighborhoods with tiny lots, no trees, and overly inflated HOAs.).
So here's my two cents. Since you are from Florida -South Florida??? (which I lived there many years myself) North Raleigh is no more congested than any other places you've been in S. Florida. In fact it is much nicer to get around plus we have beautiful scenery and very friendly people. So I wouldn't base my decision on that. What may be congested to one person is not to another - Personally I would drive around the areas before making any decision. I find once you drive around, you will see what "feels" best for you. Apex is nice, Cary is nice.. just depends. Living in the County is less expensive (property tax wise) than the city limits. But the property taxes in Florida were much higher (again depending on where you lived). The places you have mentioned are all good. Just tell your real estate agent to start looking in those areas.. if you can't find anything, then broaden your search. That should also give you a good idea on which direction to go. Best of Luck to you.
I know someone who lives in the Scottish Hills area of Cary, which is an older neighborhood with smaller houses and TONS of kids. She actually lived there in high school in the '80s, moved away for 15 years and ended up moving right down the street from her old house when she moved back to the area with children. That neighborhood is not at all like the stereotype of "newer Cary n'hoods".
Hey, there.....I'm from the Cleveland, OH suburbs too....you're going to love it here.
Keep an open mind about Cary...there's Cary, and then there's older Cary. I love the part of town we live in - older established homes, everything's easy to get to.
AireRed...thanks. Where in Cleveland? I'm from the Eastside.
Miss it really, but can't do those winters anymore. I'm so happy to hear you say that you love it, and think we will too.
So you are in Cary, the older, more established part? What neighborhoods are around there we should look into? Friendly neighbors, welcoming people, lots of kids. We only have 3 days in town, which I know is not nearly enough. The holidays are coming, and with two young kids...its nearly impossible to get back up there numerous times for "sight seeing".
I know everyone probably thinks "why are you rushing, rent first". I get that, and understand it. However, our 3.5 year old has lived in 4 homes in his lifetime (b/c of transfes), and this is the final stop no matter where they ask me to go next. So, we are looking for permanency. This will be the 7th house we've purchased in our marriage, so we have quite a good idea of what will work for us, and pitfalls. We would rent if we found something amazing for the price of a mortgage, but it appears we'd be paying the 20% premium on rentals since they are in such demand in this crappy economy. So, for our kids...we want something stable and permanent.
Can't wait to get up there and check everything out. I'm really trying not to pay attention to the naysayers on the boards. I do realize that there are always people who dislike something about an area.
Thanks again for responding! OH-IO! (not really; I was a Bearcat!)
I know someone who lives in the Scottish Hills area of Cary, which is an older neighborhood with smaller houses and TONS of kids. She actually lived there in high school in the '80s, moved away for 15 years and ended up moving right down the street from her old house when she moved back to the area with children. That neighborhood is not at all like the stereotype of "newer Cary n'hoods".
I just have to chime in on Scottish Hills - do not buy unless you can visit the pool in the summer. We had a swim meet there this summer and the bees....OMG the bees - can't even tell you how many kids got stung. It's too bad because it's a cute complex and there's a park across the street. But the bees....I've never seen anything like it anywhere.
Also, maybe a realtor can chime in on this but it seemed like there were a lot of foreclosures there (I had looked up the neighborhood since I wasn't familiar with it when we were going there).
There are lots of neighborhoods with older homes that look like you are in the north. You won't have any trouble finding something like that - sometimes that goes hand-in-hand with no updates though. I'd be careful about ruling out newer neighborhoods though - there are plenty of 15 year old 'hoods with mature trees, etc.
Yes, Twingles....I agree. When I say "not new"...I don't want the lot next to me to be empty and for sale, and have had some builder plant stick trees to compensate for the mowed down mature ones they couldn't somehow design around some of. I'm just not a fan of the scant foliage in BRAND new neighborhoods. I know someday it will grow, but I want to be alive to see it. Also, I have little kids, and really want a driveway, or sidewalks or a culdesac. Otherwise, they will be learning to ride a bike amidst traffic (not too excited about that, and we have that here). I also don't want to be able to stand at my garage door, take a hop and be at the curb. There is something about a driveway longer than the car length that is more "homey" to me. I won't rule out anything except neighborhoods that don't allow any kind of fence, or the lot size is way too small for our liking. (I must admit though..the houses in Scott's Mill, Kitt's Creek, and those neighborhoods are adorable. Too bad we can't do that small lots, and the big lots are out of our price range. I think they are super cute...just not for us.)
I checked out Scottish Hills, and there isn't anything for sale that suits us right now. There are some things in Shepherd's Vineyard, Hallmark (might be too far south towards Holly Springs, but is still Apex), Haddon Hall, Sherborne, Lochmere, McArthur Park, Thornewood, Kildaire Farms, Linvill Ridge, Walnut Ridge, Avalon, and Beckett Crossing. Anyone have comments on any of those? There are others on our list (appears there is one house in every neighborhood on our short list. LOL) Thanks again all!
Thanks again for all the advice. I can't wait to come check it out.
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Hi All!
Coming to House Hunt
(not really; I was a Bearcat!)
