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I'm originally from the South (not NC) and was transferred to New Jersey for my job. I currently hate it here. It's nice being close to NYC, but it is ridiculously overpriced, overtaxed, and corrupt. I started looking to buy a house here but when I saw what I could get (500K budget can't even buy 3 bedrooms, and central air is apparently a luxury) I decided against it. I believe I will be able to put in a transfer request within a year or so, and we DO have an office in the Triangle area, so I think that is where I'm setting my sights. Meanwhile, I'm renting and looking into my Raleigh area housing options..
My budget is around $500-600K. I prefer suburbs to city, so Cary, Wake Forest, Holly Springs, Apex, Fuquay, and Morrisville look nice from my research. I see A LOT of really nice homes, but I keep seeing one issue that really, really bugs me: the homes are side by side, with no privacy. It seems like a lot of these subdivisions are built by razing the forest to the ground and building a bunch of side by side McMansions. I really hate it. I want trees in my backyard and beside me, and I do not want to be able to see my neighbors yards or homes, either behind me or to the side.
Basically I'm seeing a lot of this:
And I prefer this:
Can someone help suggest some neighborhoods or subdivisions to look in? Basically, I want to be in a nice, upper-middle class neighborhood (not country!) where the homes are very nice and large and well maintained, but there are a lot of trees and sidewalks and the homes are spaced far enough apart that you can't see your neighbors easily. Does it exist?
Your pictures compare a brand new development (and hardly McMansions) and an older home with established landscaping.
There are plenty of options here - get hooked up with a good real estate agent and they can help you find what you want.
Yes, that's exactly my point. Most of the subdivisions there are newer and thus have no trees or natural separation. It's not just about the trees though - there is NOT enough space between the homes for a lot of the subdivisions I've looked at. Even when trees do grow in, I've seen some places where two 500K homes are so close together you can reach out and touch the sides of both at the same time.
It's too early for me to get a realtor, I'm just trying to get an idea and have some neighborhoods in mind. Anyone have any advice?
Yes, that's exactly my point. Most of the subdivisions there are newer and thus have no trees or natural separation.
No, most of the subdivisions here are not that new. Do you think all the housing here for two million people just popped up in the past year or two? There are plenty of options ranging in lot size, age, price, etc. Please don't judge the area based on a few pictures you saw online.
If you search homes built between 1980 and 2000 in the range 425K-550K and 1/3rd of an acre of bigger lots, you find almost exclusively what you are talking about. It is only when you open up to the search to go to now that you start getting lots too small for the house and lack of mature trees. Redzin's list is a good one for Cary, but I'd add Lochmere. Lots and lots in North Raleigh, though.
There are plenty of n'hoods that would appeal to you. When you are searching, search for l/2 acre to 1.5 acres.
That way, you'll eliminate the newest n'hoods and will find n'hoods with trees.
A few: Banbury Woods (north Raleigh), Bent Tree (north Raleigh), Carrie's Reach (north Raleigh NEW), Ethan's Glen (north Ral. on way to WF...my fav), Mount Vernon Crossing (north Ral), Lochmere (Cary), Waterfall Plantation (Wake Forest).
For new / newer construction, you can look in North Raleigh north of I-540. lots tend to be close to one acre in this area due to zoning restrictions, and developers and builders do their best to leave trees on the lots. Your price point limits your options a bit, but there are some nice neighborhoods where you can find homes under $600K (Viki through out a bunch in North Raleigh that are good options). If you do look in this area, keep in mind you are outside the Raleigh city limits, which means septic systems and (typically) Aqua for water.
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