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My husband and I are going to be listing our home here in Arizona in a week. The reality of moving is here now. Homes are selling here in a matter of days or weeks.
We have researched the area of Cary, NC and from what we read, it is where we want to start looking. We want to be closer to our family in Mass. and N.H. than we are here in Az. but we want to still be warmer in the winter.
I have heard and read that many New Englanders retire in this area, and we would like that feel.
We are not necessarily looking for a 55+ community, but it is an easy way of making friends in a new place. We started off here in Az. in one 10 years ago. But at 55 and 58, we were considerably younger that the average person living there. Today, at 65 and 68 , we are closer, so we may be nearer our peer group there.
Is there an area in Cary where a large population of former Massachusetts residents live?
Do any of you out there live in 55+ communities in the area? If so, where and how do you like it.
One of our issues out here was that in the 55+ comm., we owned our home but leased the land it was built on. That became uncomfortable for us, what if the owners decided to sell, how would that affect us, etc. So we sold and moved.
Also, are there 55+ areas where we could rent first?
These are details, but would help us as we plan our move. We will both probably choose to work part-time, and we are not ready for the bingo parlors or bridge clubs.
We like to go to concerts and plays, we have a small dog, we enjoy shopping, and eating out by ourselves or with friends. We like a smaller town feel, walking to shops etc.
We would be open for any input.
Our price point for a single family home or town house would be about $1000-1500. a month, or $175,000-200,000.
Thank you all, we look forward to hearing from you.
NancB
Also, are there 55+ areas where we could rent first?
.........
Our price point for a single family home or town house would be about $1000-1500. a month, or $175,000-200,000.
There are a couple of Del Webb Communities: Carolina Arbors is the newer one. There are seldom any rentals there, but there might be in Carolina Preserve, the older community.
Your price range is a bit too low to buy in either of these communities, as they get premium prices for the square footage. I'd suggest looking for an older ranch-style home in Raleigh, Cary or Morrisville. Most of them will be family-oriented, all-age communities, ans there are very few age-restricted communities in the Triangle. You will find plenty of Massachusetts transplants, an many will be your age. I'd suggest looking for Meetup groups, or bars where Pats and Celtics fans hang out.
Almost 3 years ago, I moved to Cary from southern NJ. I'm in my early 40s and I love it here. I work in Durham, just west of RTP (Research Triangle Park) proper. My daily commute to work is roughly 20 minutes, sometimes a little more if traffic is heavy.
I don't know anything about 55+ communities, but I can tell you a bit about my recent home buying experiences.
In 2011, I purchased a 2000 sq ft single family home, built in 1971, on .45 acres for $215,000.
In 2013, I moved my parents here and helped them purchase a ranch-style condo. It's 1110 sq ft, built in 1980, and we paid $120,000.
In 2013, my friend's brother purchased a 930 sq ft single-family home, built in 1959, on .26 acres for $135,000.
Finally, in 2013, my friends parents purchased a 2,206 sq ft single-family home, built in 1989, on .26 acres for $265,000.
While shopping for condos for my parents, I found a lot of townhomes (two-floors) in the $125K to $150K range, so I don't think you'll have a problem finding a townhome. Single-family homes in that range are much rarer, so be prepared to wait for a long time.
We're not allowed to talk about specific realty search sites for some reason, but there are ones that allow you to set up detailed searches that will email you when new homes meeting your criteria appear on the market. I recommend that before you start searching, you get what's called a "buyer's agent" to represent you and hand-hold you through the process of buying a home.
none of the 55+ communities are 200K or less. They're also not very walkable to retail - perhaps some of Carolina Pines. But there are certainly some small ranch (1,300-1,800 sft) , very small yard homes that will fit the bill.
Thank you all for answering. I saw on the Carolina Preserve website that there were houses available to rent. That might be a good way to start. Or we could look, like you said, for smaller ranches with smaller yards. I also like some of the townhouses I have looked at online, and they are in our price range, both as rentals and to buy.
We thought it best to rent first, to make sure this was a good place for us. But we are really excited about the future move.
Anything else anyone else wants to write would be well appreciated.
How would we look for Meet Up groups? I do like the idea of going where the games are broadcast for the New England teams.
How do I get to read the blogs written here? How do I look back on what one particular person has written earlier about their experience moving here etc?
How would we look for Meet Up groups? I do like the idea of going where the games are broadcast for the New England teams.
How do I get to read the blogs written here? How do I look back on what one particular person has written earlier about their experience moving here etc?
meetup.com is the site for MeetUp groups. Find a topic, geographic area, etc.
To read what a certain person has written click on their username and a menu will pop up with choices.
Fellow New Englander (Rhode Island) here. My husband and I moved to Cary almost 6 years ago. We love it here in the Triangle. We are not retired yet (just turned 60 and 62) and will be working for a few more years. When we first moved here, we purchased a large townhome in a very desirable area of Cary/ In the last several months, we realized it was too large and we wanted one level living. We sold our place in June, went into a temporary apt and moved into our new home in Carolina Arbors in early December.
So far, we love it here! There are 2 Del Webb communities - Carolina Preserve in Cary and Carolina Arbors. CA has a Durham address but it is 1 mile from the Brier Creek area of NW Raleigh. Great location. We came pretty close to purchasing in CP but in the end, we liked this location better. Additionally, CP is built out and only re-sales are available while you can build new here in CA.
While your price point is a bit low (CA range lower $200s to mid $500s) you CAN get one of the smaller models in the very low 200s if you don't add on a lot of upgrades. There a lots of transplants here and we've already made some great new friends.
Neither of the communities is really walkable to shopping. Although we are only 1 mile from tons of shopping, the roads are pretty busy. Lots of restaurants around, mostly chains in this area but so many great restaurants in Raleigh and Durham. There are several museums, theaters etc. It really is a great place to live. You just have to find the right place to live. I've met other folks from NY, NJ and MA who don't like it here, mainly because they chose to live more remotely, in smaller surrounding towns and had difficulty meeting people.
Good luck, feel free to DM me if you have more questions.
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