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...we have a two car garage, not 4!! Blame my typo on me being very overwhelmed by the prospect of moving cross country. Sorry!!
I have noticed that basements are not as common. But the trade off is that it looks like we can get more house for the money in general, so perhaps less need for a basement.
I will do my homework on the forum regarding the Wake County school crowding issue.
Any input on surrounding cities to avoid?
Thanks, so far, for all the wonderful input! Looking forward to all the expert advice I can get.
Some 2 story homes have high pitched roofs and/or unfinished space above garages that can be a substitute for basement storage.
Where in Cary will your spouse be working? The way Cary has grown it could take less time to get from West Cary to CH or Durham than to get to SE Cary.
Basements are very rare due to shallow bedrock and heavy clay soils. Walk-up attics which have been converted/finished into Bonus Rooms are very common and provide the same added living space.
Garages tend to be single car or non-existent except on larger & newer homes. The weather is so much nicer than the upper Mid-West that there is little need to garage your vehicle(s).
Furnaces/Air Conditioners tend to be located outside immediately adjacent to the home or in an attic mechanical room rather than in the basement (which doesn't exist).
Many homes have two or more heating/cooling units. These may be set-up as one unit per floor, or staged to better deal with summer heat & humidity since there isn't much winter cold.
Schools:
School Districts are County wide versus City wide, and funded by the State rather than local taxes. This may or may not be different from your current situation in Illinois.
WCPSS (Wake County Public School System) is nationally ranked at providing an excellent education but has been in an administrative turmoil for the past four years or so.
The Triangle Area sees a huge influx of people from other parts of the country where the school year is still agrarian based (9 months). Due to the accompanying high influx of students WCPSS has attempted Year Round scheduling to better utilize their buildings and prevent over crowding. This has not always been popular. Some parents love it, others hate it, not much middle ground.
The unpopularity of Year Round schools, and the unpopularity of busing students to eliminate localized over crowding and to promote economic diversity in the schools, has contributed to the turmoil mentioned in #2 above.
Where in Cary will your spouse be working? The way Cary has grown it could take less time to get from West Cary to CH or Durham than to get to SE Cary.
I was going to say the same thing. It can take 40 minutes just to get from one side of Cary to the other so the location of the office will dictate which towns are within a 30 minute commute.
IMHO this is going to be a tough year to move into Wake County schools. There is a "new assignment plan" in place and it's going to be rough on newcomers. I can't think of any middle schools that are actually within a neighborhood (that doesn't mean they don't exist as I'm pretty new here myself). I agree with engaging a local realtor who can help you find a home in your price range AND help you navigate the schools this year.
We do need to know where your DH will be working within Cary, as someone else mentioned. Cary is huge....knowing whereabouts the job will be, will help people recommend neighborhoods. Your budget may be somewhat limiting for all that you seek.
I guess it depend on how you define within a neighborhood. Like would Farmington Woods Elementary be considered within a neighborhood even though technically it's on the edge of the neighborhood? If we're talking smack dab in the center of a suburban neighborhood, I can think of only much older schools like York Elementary that meet that criteria. Makes more sense to put the schools next to feeder roads so there's less non-local traffic going through the neighborhood to get to the school.
We do need to know where your DH will be working within Cary, as someone else mentioned. Cary is huge....knowing whereabouts the job will be, will help people recommend neighborhoods. Your budget may be somewhat limiting for all that you seek.
Good point....My husband's company is located on the South end of Cary. Specifically, from looking at the map....the building looks to be south of I-440 ("Route 1/CLaude E. Pope Memorial Highway")....near the intersection of Tryon Road.
Wow...I am thanking God that I found this forum. I'm so very grateful for all of you being so willing to help. I promise to pay it forward as and after I go through this process!!
In that case you probably want to stick with central Cary, East Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, NCSU area, etc. No way I would want to commute from West Cary/Morrisville to Tryon Road if I didn't have to.
In that case you probably want to stick with central Cary, East Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, NCSU area, etc. No way I would want to commute from West Cary/Morrisville to Tryon Road if I didn't have to.
i concur.
you will likely get more bang for your buck in holly springs if you want to go further out. the other areas are great areas but i'm wondering if the $250K is going to get you want you want for housing.
will you & your family be out here to visit? it could help you get a lay of the land & help you to understand if there's an area that may fit your needs best (school, commute, housing, amenities).
Basements are very rare due to shallow bedrock and heavy clay soils. Walk-up attics which have been converted/finished into Bonus Rooms are very common and provide the same added living space.
Garages tend to be single car or non-existent except on larger & newer homes. The weather is so much nicer than the upper Mid-West that there is little need to garage your vehicle(s).
Furnaces/Air Conditioners tend to be located outside immediately adjacent to the home or in an attic mechanical room rather than in the basement (which doesn't exist).
Many homes have two or more heating/cooling units. These may be set-up as one unit per floor, or staged to better deal with summer heat & humidity since there isn't much winter cold.
Schools:
School Districts are County wide versus City wide, and funded by the State rather than local taxes. This may or may not be different from your current situation in Illinois.
WCPSS (Wake County Public School System) is nationally ranked at providing an excellent education but has been in an administrative turmoil for the past four years or so.
The Triangle Area sees a huge influx of people from other parts of the country where the school year is still agrarian based (9 months). Due to the accompanying high influx of students WCPSS has attempted Year Round scheduling to better utilize their buildings and prevent over crowding. This has not always been popular. Some parents love it, others hate it, not much middle ground.
The unpopularity of Year Round schools, and the unpopularity of busing students to eliminate localized over crowding and to promote economic diversity in the schools, has contributed to the turmoil mentioned in #2 above.
WOW...that is a GREAT list, MI Roger!! Thank you so much!!
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Mid-West housing expectations vs. Triangle Homes
