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I can see why most people would think it's strange to avoid the beach or mountains for a vacation home, but what we really want is resort style living in a beautiful outdoor environment.
Most people think it's strange to buy a house in a suburban neighborhood and characterize it as "resort style living."
Most people think it's strange to buy a house in a suburban neighborhood and characterize it as "resort style living."
To say the least. I haven't seen any suggestion that says 'resort' or even 'country' to me. Upscale suburban....but not resort by a long shot.
Also, children activities at Hasentree are not always just 'drop in'...they are scheduled with sign up and such. People just live there....not have a cruise director for kids. I see what the OP is looking for....but outside of summer cabin/resorts in the Catskills back in the 50s....lol...they don't exist in NC.
I'm looking for a "country" life. Will I have that in North Raleigh?
North Raleigh is about as suburban as you can get, with strip malls (or big malls) every 1/2 mile.
If you want "country", look at some of the more rural areas of the state than Raleigh. Since you mention a JCC, I know there is a great one in Durham; northern Durham county is still quite rural but not far from the amenities of the urban parts of the Triangle.
I agree with the one who said "It's a nice place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit there." This area is much more known as somewhere to work and raise your family than a place to vacation.
Actually, I am looking for a vacation home where the weather will be more mild, and we can spend time outside being able to bike, walk, experience the beautiful fall colors -- and it not be sweltering hot and humid, like it is here. It doesn't cool off in Miami until the end of November, and gets blazing hot starting April.
Has anyone pointed out that Raleigh is nearly as hot in the summer than Miami? It's only 3-4 degrees cooler at both the high and average temperature. Additionally, Raleigh doesn't have beaches nearby to cool off. The summer isn't a particularly pleasant time to do anything outside except go the the pool. Please visit in August to see if you really want to bike and hike around Hasentree.
I'd suggest looking into renting a cottage somewhere like Lake Junaluska during the summer. The mountains of NC really do have milder summers (like a high of 82 and average of 70 in August). Then maybe rent a different place in the winter, like Myrtle Beach.
Raleigh just won't give you the milder year-round weather you seem to want.
Last edited by goldenage1; 03-15-2014 at 08:15 AM..
Given that I live in both Miami and Raleigh, I can offer some insight. First of all, you'll laugh at what people in NC think is a humid Summer. Certainly it gets hot in NC and it's humid compared to some other places in the US but it will feel pleasant compared to what Miami feels like in August; this is especially true at night when Miami's humidity is most oppressive to me.
The Raleigh area is MUCH more relaxed, calm and polite than Miami. It's also a much more cerebral community overall. I think that the Hassentree neighborhood could be right up your alley. It's near enough to amenities that the Triangle offers but far enough away that it will feel like a retreat.
I grew up in a North Raleigh community that had many Jewish families but, not being Jewish myself, I couldn't tell you that much about the entire Jewish community.
Feel free to private message me if you have any detailed questions when comparing Miami to Raleigh. Good Luck!
WOW, thank you so much for all of that information about Hasentree and what's nearby -- it sounds exactly what I'm looking for. To me, "resort style living" is living in a development with a country club that has a pool, tennis club, golfing, restaurants, planned kids activities, and a spa ... I *think* Hasentree has all of these (I'm not sure about the spa, but I will check). I'm not sure what else a resort would have. I live in a gated community here in Miami, but there are no amenities. It would be amazing to have a "social scene" for the kids (and for us as well).
Many people think Miami is a vacation destination, but to me, it's where I grew up and it's just home -- I live minutes from the beach and this is just my every day life. So I think any place can be someone else's vacation, it depends on what their every day life is like where they live. I also think that what feels hot and humid in NC to someone who doesn't live in Miami may not feel hot and oppressive to someone from Miami. You have to live here in August to appreciate temps under 100% with 100% humidity.
So glad to hear the JCC is close by -- IF we buy there, I would consider putting my kids in the J for camp during the summer, so it's nice to know that it wouldn't be a long drive.
Wait. Isn't Hasentree the place that was custom with homes selling for as much as 4 mil before the crash, then the builder folded and Toll bought it? Wow. I bet that's a contrast in housing.
I just saw a YouTube vid of the original houses. Gorgeous.
I do understand the Toll ones to be a better deal. Or, I guess I should just say "less expensive." Better deal is an overstatement.
Is it still gated? I know where it is and I remember people asking about it on here off and on, but I'd forgotten about the troubles they had in the past.
If it is still gated, how do they deal with all the outside members they let into the country club? Do they have someone at the gate? Because, don't they have members of the club now who do not live there?
OP, I don't know if you searched the old threads here or not yet, but there's some good info in them about the neighborhood, past foreclosures, what people think who live there, etc.
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As far as the homes by Toll -- they look gorgeous to me on the website and in pictures. I'd be thrilled to live in one.
They'd be in the range you wanted as far as price goes and if the rest of the amenities turned out to be what you were looking for, it sounds like a good situation.
And you could drive by all the custom mansions so there's that scenery around the neighborhood, too. They looked to be architecturally interesting, which is nice.
I feel for the original owners, though.
ETA: While I'm the opposite of a Toll Brothers fan, I wasn't criticizing them in this case. Just imagining the contrast, because if they are building the higher-end product they build in other higher-end Toll developments, there would be a noticeable difference in the homes out there, but that's just reality. A custom that would fetch 2-4 mil prior to the crash is going to be nicer than an Executive Series Toll home, but it cost much more, so that's to be expected, no?
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