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I didn't mention Chapel Hill, but it is within commuting distance for work. It is not at the top of the list because our realtor said there is a problem that a lot of houses there have CH address but are in Durham county and not CHSS. The taxes are double, the houses more expensive by a lot and I think there is only one house for us to even consider right now. Crazy, right?
I am so sad about the school situation. The thoughts of all the kids on a street going to different schools ... I'm afraid it will make it harder for my kids to make new friends. Maybe I need to give in and look into the private schools. My oldest (4th grade) is smart/high IQ/gifted, so I want to make sure she is adequately challenged as she goes through her school career.
We are actually going this weekend to see some neighborhoods and get a feel for the different areas.
What are some really lovely neighborhoods, either in Chapel Hill, Cary or North Raleigh?
There are a small number of homes that have a Chapel Hill address and are in Durham county. Any realtor should be able to point that out just like a realtor knows where the county lines are in Wake county. That really shouldn't keep you from looking. A lot of people who have schools as their number one priority choose Chapel Hill and Carrboro. CHCCS has a very high percentage of gifted students and consistently scores at the top of overall SATs for North Carolina every year.
Housing is more expensive in Chapel Hill and Carrboro in large part because of the excellent reputation of the schools and because the town is vibrant and engaging.
Can you expand on what you mean by "lovely neighborhoods"? You said money wasn't an object, but do you have a price point? You can spend a million in Chapel Hill if you want to, but you can spend $250,000 or less, too. You should probably consider getting a real estate agent who specializes in Chapel Hill and Carrboro to show you around town. It sounds like the agent you're working with now concentrates on Wake County. The agents I know personally in the area tend to focus on one region of the Triangle and know it inside and out. So the Chapel Hill/Carrboro agents don't pretend to know the Wake county market. I would think it only makes sense that a Wake county agent wouldn't know Chapel Hill/Carrboro as well as a Chapel Hill/Carrboro based agent.
Do you only want new construction? I'm seeing plenty of homes for sale in CHCCS district for under $300. I just saw one in Culbreth Park (nice neighborhood) for $234 w/ 4 bd 3baths. If you're being told you can't buy in Chapel Hill because it's too expensive I think you're being mislead. I don't doubt that you get more bang for your buck in other areas, but you don't get Chapel Hill or CHCCS.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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My first thought for you was Chapel Hill, too. What exactly is your budget? Also, taxes in Chapel Hill are not that high that private school would be cheaper. We own a house worth just over $500K, and we pay $8K in taxes per year. That is nowhere near what we'd pay for private school for 3 children, even factoring in the more expensive price of the house.
The Chapel Hill in Durham County or Chatham County or even outside the school boundaries in Orange County is not really a problem if you just make sure you look for homes in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School district. Most neighborhoods are in one district or another, with the exception being Meadowmont where some homes are Durham County and the rest are in Orange County in the Chapel Hill school district. The real estate listing will state which county and school district you are part of. And you can always call the schools to verify. So, it's nothing to be afraid of, just aware of.
There are several neighborhoods around here where there are tons of children. The one I live in is lousy with kids. It's called Southern Village. It has the elementary school within the development. And the middle school abuts it. There is also a village center with a movie theatre, small grocery store, pizza place, a town green that has movies and a farmer's market in season as well as a few restaurants and a pool. It's VERY kid friendly. Lots of kids ride their bikes or walk to school. The downside is that the lots are small and homes are close together. Plus it's expensive and in demand, so houses move VERY quickly. We paid around mid-$500 for a 4 BR one year ago. Most people who live here LOVE it. But, it's not for everyone.
I already mentioned Meadowmont. It's similar to Southern Village with the town concept within the development, but it is a bit more mixed with population. There are tons of kids there, too but more seniors as well. The elementary school is also in the development as well as a pool. If you want CH schools, though, make sure you buy in the Orange County side not the Durham County side. Meadowmont tends to be more expensive than Southern Village, and is a bit closer to RTP since it's right off HWY 54.
Another big, family-friendly development is Lake Hogan Farms. There is more land there and a greater variety of homes and prices. There is no village concept within the development, but there is a pool. This development can be more affordable than the former two I mentioned.
There are other smaller developments around CH that are family-friendly. I am just not as familiar with them since I am still fairly new here. A new elementary school was just built that is opening in the fall, so some neighborhoods are being redistricted there. Some are not happy about it because it may be farther from their home than where they were going or because they are leaving a school with a great repuation for one without a reputation. So, just be aware that you have the new school assignments if you decide to look in Chapel Hill. The new elementary school is Northside.
If you want "the best" schools and you want your kids to go to school with others in your neighborhood, then Chapel Hill definitely meets your needs.
Im pretty amazed by the terror on this board about avoiding those terrible Wake county schools. I mean, Wake county was rated as the #1 school district in the country just a couple of years ago. I agree that the school board has made every effort to make a mess of assignemtns and bussing the last couple of years, but the fact is that school performance has not suffered and very few students have actually been forcefully reassigned. If you live in the West Cary or Morrisville area any school your kids will go to will be excellent. And unless you move into a neighborhood where the base school is capped or a new school is built in your area, the chance of your kids being reassigned against your will is extremely small.
Yes, Chapel Hill schools are very good too, and living here, I would say that on average they probably are better than Wake county schools. However, people are comparing a 3 high school district in CH to a 27 high school system in Wake county. A better comparison for the OP is to compare the individual schools they could potentially send their children to in Chapel Hill or West Cary/Morrisville/NW Raleigh. For example, if you look at state end of course test scores for Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill high schools versus the West Cary/Morrisville high schools of Green Hope and Panther Creek, you will find that these Wake schools have significantly higher test scores than the Chapel Hill schools in every subject area.
Im pretty amazed by the terror on this board about avoiding those terrible Wake county schools. I mean, Wake county was rated as the #1 school district in the country just a couple of years ago. I agree that the school board has made every effort to make a mess of assignemtns and bussing the last couple of years, but the fact is that school performance has not suffered and very few students have actually been forcefully reassigned. If you live in the West Cary or Morrisville area any school your kids will go to will be excellent. And unless you move into a neighborhood where the base school is capped or a new school is built in your area, the chance of your kids being reassigned against your will is extremely small.
Yes, Chapel Hill schools are very good too, and living here, I would say that on average they probably are better than Wake county schools. However, people are comparing a 3 high school district in CH to a 27 high school system in Wake county. A better comparison for the OP is to compare the individual schools they could potentially send their children to in Chapel Hill or West Cary/Morrisville/NW Raleigh. For example, if you look at state end of course test scores for Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill high schools versus the West Cary/Morrisville high schools of Green Hope and Panther Creek, you will find that these Wake schools have significantly higher test scores than the Chapel Hill schools in every subject area.
Do you have a link for the bolded?
I think the uncertainty scares a lot of people, not the quality of the schools. At least it scares me. What happens if you buy and then the school gets capped? And what does the fact that a school is currently capped actually mean for the future? For example, I think I read that Mills Park is capped. We have looked at homes in the MP zone. My daughter would not be going to MP until 2015/16 school year. What are the odds of getting into magnets/charters?
I think the uncertainty scares a lot of people, not the quality of the schools. At least it scares me. What happens if you buy and then the school gets capped? And what does the fact that a school is currently capped actually mean for the future? For example, I think I read that Mills Park is capped. We have looked at homes in the MP zone. My daughter would not be going to MP until 2015/16 school year. What are the odds of getting into magnets/charters?
YOu can check out the schools at greatschools.org.
All CH/Carrboro schools are not rated higher than Wake County Schools.
I do agree that it is the uncertainty that scares parents, which is a shame. But...considering the growth we have in this area and the fact that WCPSS says we need about 23 new schools, there will be some movement of students. After all, it doesn't make sense to open new schools and not put some kids in them!!!
And averages and rankings will never answer the question of which school is best for any given child. My guess is that most kids are going to do pretty much equally well at any decent local school they go to.
Poppy is right on and I agree with her posts. We moved to Chapel Hill from out of state just for the schools as DH could work anywhere near an airport. Sure Cary or Raleigh would have been closer to the airport but school were our priority. Sure taxes are higher but for a reason.
When people describe Chapel Hill as a college town I get a bit perplexed. Yes UNC is here but we can go months without ever seeing a "college kid" as we just have no business on Franklin Street. We live north or Chapel Hill in the McDougle area and are quite pleased.
OP I think your real estate agent is not serving you well. She probably doesn't know Chapel Hill very well and is giving you incorrect information. if you deal with a CH Realtor you will get all the proper information you need.
And yes Raleigh feels like quite a trek for us. Saturday we spent the day at the NC Science Museum and while it was fun it seemed like a long ride and we just don't get into Raleigh very often. But it surely is nice to know it is there when we need it. But would I chance Wake County schools just to be closer to museums and less expensive homes? No Way!
there is several other countys near by that is competing with Wake.
example Johnston County (Clayton), some kids attend regular elementary school 4 days a week. One day a week, they are bused to Smithfield to the AIG center where they take advanced core courses and electives that are chosen each 9 weeks, and they change classes just like older kids do. Children can start taking band courses as early as first grade. the are exspoded to chemistry, physics (with controlled experiements to test hypotheses), geography, world culture, and advanced mathematics and language arts while attending this center
Catham county has the 3rd top ranked ( in NC) High school at the moment.
Wake county has some very good charter and magnet schools and Apex High ranked high on the score card for Wake county
All you can do is compare what is important to you, its variables and base those decisions on what youre most comfortible with.
I have a Highly Gifted son who also has Asperger's Syndrome . We liked Chapel Hills AIG program and the IEP programs, but that is us.( we have been researching comparible alternatives in other districts)
She has to figure out what school is best for her kids and why. She definely can afford both areas
Last edited by klmquiroz; 02-14-2013 at 03:06 PM..
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