Hi all,
My parents will be retiring in September and have chosen to move to the Raleigh area for its relative proximity to the DC area (where my sister and I live) and low cost of living.
They are relatively young - in their late 50s - so they are not looking to move to a retirement community or anything like that. They are looking for a newer town home or small detached home, but would like it to be in a friendly, SAFE neighborhood relatively near the usual conveniences (grocery store, Target or similar store, etc.). Given that they lost much of their savings in the economic downturn, they are looking for a home around $100K, which I know is low, even by NC standards.
I understand that Clayton is a nice town with reasonably priced homes, and looks very safe. I saw some homes in the Mitchiner Hills neighborhood around the price range I noted above, but am unsure of its reputation and safety levels. Can anyone provide any insight?
I would also appreciate any suggestions for neighborhoods in other towns near or around Raleigh that might also suit their needs. They are used to the suburban community feel and would like a place where neighbors are concerned with maintaining tidy yards

, are friendly and open to folks from other places (although they've lived in the U.S. for over 30 years, they're originally from Central America - so they are a bit concerned about xenophobic neighbors).
Thanks in advance to everyone for their help!