If you had 2 days to look at communities in the $300-400K range...
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I agree about Cotswold off Kildaire Farm Rd. Sidewalks, pool, year round communtiy activities. No new homes but the homes are not old, very up to date and a lot more for the square footage compared to some other neighborhoods. Good Luck and welcome to NC. I have lived here most of life and love it!
Bridgeton Park (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/sets/72157600360777595/show/ - broken link), off Ebenezer Church Road and Edwards Mill Road is in one of the finest locations in Raleigh, IMO. Easy access to everything, Crabtree, Downtown, Umstead Park, NC State University, RBC Center, Rex Hospital, RDU Airport, with no train or airplane noise.
Giverny (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/sets/72157600365346001/show/ - broken link)and MacArthur Park may offer some options.
Consider Farmington Woods, (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/sets/72157600242268626/show/ - broken link) but often there is nothing on the market. Might be the best location in Cary.
Wimbledon (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/sets/72157602047161941/show/ - broken link) is a very attractive neighborhood with multiple housing options.
You can hardly see all that there is that fits your basic description, but there are some good recommendations in this thread.
My husband and I checked out Highland Creek a couple of weeks ago, and our first impression was great. We, too, loved the models and even sat down with the list of options to see how much a $313,000 house would actually cost us. With all the options we thought we couldn't live out, the price quickly approached $400,000. We were also happy with Centex's reputation as a good builder.
I had a major concern, though, after I took a few minutes to read about the neighborhood in the stats sheet they gave us in the sales flyer. Seems that the neighborhood is going to be topheavy with townhouses and very small homes. Only about a third of the neighborhood (planned with a little over 1,000 homes) will be in the $300,000+ range. All of a sudden I was concerned about what I read in a previous thread about the Centex neighborhood in (was it) Knightdale? which they were referring to the new ghetto with a lot of townhouses being rented.
So for those of you more familiar with these large developments with housing in a wide base price range ($120,000 to $450,000 with the majority being under or around $200,000), are my concerns justified? As I said, we loved the house and what we could see of a neighborhood in the beginning stages, but we are a little concerned about how it will be 5 years from now.
Bridgeton Park (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikejaquish/sets/72157600360777595/show/ - broken link), off Ebenezer Church Road and Edwards Mill Road is in one of the finest locations in Raleigh, IMO. Easy access to everything, Crabtree, Downtown, Umstead Park, NC State University, RBC Center, Rex Hospital, RDU Airport, with no train or airplane noise.
I keep an eye on Bridgeton Park and another further down Ebenezer towards Highway 70/Glenwood called Umstead Ridge. Same benefits as Bridgeton, just maybe 2 miles apart. I like more homes in Bridgeton, but I like more of the lots in Umstead, average I'd say .29 - .60 acres! Umstead is usually listed from $340k - $420k while Bridgeton seems to always be $390k and up into the $400k's. I've seen a few homes in both subdivisions sitting for a while. There is one I'd make a move on today if the wife and I could get off our butts and get our current home listed. It's empty and currently listed at $40k below the original list price!
I keep an eye on Bridgeton Park and another further down Ebenezer towards Highway 70/Glenwood called Umstead Ridge. Same benefits as Bridgeton, just maybe 2 miles apart. I like more homes in Bridgeton, but I like more of the lots in Umstead, average I'd say .29 - .60 acres! Umstead is usually listed from $340k - $420k while Bridgeton seems to always be $390k and up into the $400k's. I've seen a few homes in both subdivisions sitting for a while. There is one I'd make a move on today if the wife and I could get off our butts and get our current home listed. It's empty and currently listed at $40k below the original list price!
I think the difference is more like 4 miles. IMO, and I truly recognize it as My Opinion, the lower end of Umstead is more appealing for the same/similar price range.
Closings in the last 18 months show similar price ranges, and I just like that Bridgeton Park is nearer to the Olde Raleigh area, at a good price.
I think the difference is more like 4 miles. IMO, and I truly recognize it as My Opinion, the lower end of Umstead is more appealing for the same/similar price range.
Closings in the last 18 months show similar price ranges, and I just like that Bridgeton Park is nearer to the Olde Raleigh area, at a good price.
I do like the location of Bridgeton a little better than Umstead, it's the lot sizes that get me in Umstead. I work in Cary and take 540 or Aviation to work. I'd love Bridgeton because I could take a back route down Duraleigh and Reedy Creek in about the same amount of time and get a beautiful view of the farms just before the new Lake at Umstead estates. I don't think you can wrong with either one if you're looking to raise a family there.
I forgot to mention another place I would recommend with a similar feel to Umstead and Bridgeton. "Weston Pointe" in Cary is another one in the $350k to $440k range.
So for those of you more familiar with these large developments with housing in a wide base price range ($120,000 to $450,000 with the majority being under or around $200,000), are my concerns justified? As I said, we loved the house and what we could see of a neighborhood in the beginning stages, but we are a little concerned about how it will be 5 years from now.
I'm wondering this too. Does it take away from value of the homes if there's a big range in price points within a development?
It's my understanding that you're always better off NOT being in the most expensive home within a neighborhood. Let the homes around you bring UP your property value.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
