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Do you know where he will be parking? Not everyone at the hospital gets convenient parking. Many people have to park at a remote lot and take one of the busses. Something to keep in mind with door to door commute time.
This is a great point. The remote lots can add about 20 minutes to your commute time because you need to wait for the bus to then shuttle you to the hospital.
I suggest you live as close to work as possible. There are many nice areas of Durham that a Durham realtor could show you. And if schools are important, they could guide you.
This area is growing like crazy and what is an acceptable commute now will be unbearable in 5 or so yrs. I am experiencing this as are my colleagues who live all across the triangle and drive to Durham. Be aware that while folks may tell you Chapel Hill is a good option, homes costs a lot more there and inventory is lower. And, honestly, the commute can be no better than coming from certain areas of Raleigh/Cary, etc.. If you look at Chapel Hill, see if you can be around the Erwin Rd area where Durham and CH meet which is 10 mins from Duke hospital.
Areas close to the hospital are Hillsborough (20 mins), NW Raleigh/Leeseville Rd/Creedmoor Rd (nice homes around there), Brier Creek - new build with shopping, movies, etc., certain areas of Morrisville. Someone suggested Kitts Creek, that would be good. NW Cary. Any further into Cary or to Apex is taking a chance that your commute will grow to be burdensome. I know folks who live in Creedmoor, NE of Durham. It's a small town, homes are mostly new build. I think their commute is 20-25 mins?
The Durham freeway northbound coming from 40 is getting to be a hassle during rush hour 7a-8:30a. It always seems to be pretty jammed. More wrecks than there used to be due to increase in traffic. Folks from other areas say this is nothing compared to where they moved from. But, it's a big deal if you go to Durham on a couple rds like the freeway and 40 and each has a wreck that adds 10 mins to your commute which could make you 20 mins late for work. Just some things for you to consider.
Agree with you all about CH prices. I think they'd need to throw in another $100k to find a small, older fixer upper. No way could the OP find a new, custom anywhere in the hot areas for $300k - more like $450-$600k.
They could be parking as far away as Hillsborough Rd -who knows!
Thank you for all of the advice/questions!
We definitely don't want to be in the "not the best, not the worst" part of town. That's a super helpful comment.
As far as what we're looking for, we don't have kids yet but plan to start a family within the next few months/year. That being said, we may not be interested in a great school system but that is key for resale purposes. We enjoy outdoor living and would like to be close to walking trails/park for us and our Boxer pup! We would like at least .25 of an acre- or a little more. We want to be in a neighborhood but not "on top" of our neighbors. We want a minimum of 2000 sq ft house with upgraded kitchen.
It sounds like we should check out some Chapel Hill homes as well as Morrisville according to your posts.
Any up and coming neighborhoods to specifically check out there (other than Kitts Creek)??
I am in Chapel Hill and I agree with the other posters that you are unlikely to find new home construction w/in the Chapel Hill city limits, esp school district, for only $300K.
You may find something in that range in Chatham County. Not sure how much homes are going for in Briar Chapel. You might also check out SW Durham.
I'm in the same boat looking for a home. Maybe do some temporary renting while you get used to the community and maybe explore while you reside in DUrham.
People have been wanting to live within 30 minutes of Duke for a long time, so new construction is a big ask. For a bigger lot, 2000+ sq ft, <$300K and walking trails, I'd be looking houses in Woodcroft with updated kitchens.
I'm in the same boat looking for a home. Maybe do some temporary renting while you get used to the community and maybe explore while you reside in DUrham.
This is my usual recommendation to people when they first get to the area. We tried to buy from out of state and it is not ideal and is difficult. If you are unsure of areas, rent first and decide what you like without the time pressure and then buy. This way you get a feel for the commute and the different areas nearby. Plus in some areas inventory is low so, there is competition for some properties- this adds an extra challenge when you are trying to buy quickly.
There are many safe apartment complexes with nice amenities within a short commute to Duke. If you call around you can even find out if any offer short term leases, 6 months vs 1year. Brier Creek has plenty of rentals with shopping close by, Southpoint is another option. I am not familiar with the Creedmor Rd area.
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