Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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Not sure whether forum etiquette dictates responses to individual posts, so I'll try to thank all of you in a collective post.
Lauren: Not familiar with Chatham County. Will need to do some research on the schools. Do you live there?
rnc2mbfl: Don't think I could stomach a teardown. Having my basement finished was enough home improvement for me. I'm very visual, so I don't have the gift of viewing a "diamond in the rough" and envisioning the finished product. I'm always amazed when I watch those Before/After shows on HGTV. Sounds like a lovely area, but Saks and Neiman's aren't in my budget. I prefer Target and Nordstrom.
coltank: Will check out your suggestions in Durham and Chapel Hill.
sls76: Have started looking into Preston Village. The homes I've seen are closer to the 10-year mark and have some 90's features, but the test scores look solid. If the home has good bones and a great kitchen layout, then I'm willing to update the small stuff like bathrooms and appliances -- for the right price.
strobl: Thanks for the good info. Funny that you made the Stepford comparison. We hear that said quite a bit about our current community, so it made me chuckle. We also hear jokes about Desperate Housewives here, but we've found the folks here to be very pleasant. I've just grown tired of the climate. As I type this it's 7 degrees and there's snow on the ground.
Thanks for the primer on year-round schools. Is that a nightmare for households where both parents work outside the home? What about summer activities? Just curious because my children enjoy tennis and the neighborhood swim team during June and July.
raleighjayne: Good scoop about the schools. Our current district is redistricting and it's been a nightmare with the parents. Contentious doesn't even begin to describe it. Unfortunately many of the parents have been heated at the Board meetings, and the Board's inability to deal with the business matters and district's finances has been extremely disappointing. More years of growing pains are in store for this area. Sounds like Cary is somewhat ahead of our district, so perhaps some of that pain is behind them.
mdp_az: Checked out the Treyburn Club web site. Pools and other amenities look nice. Need to do some research on the area and the schools. Thanks for the tip about Durham restaurants.
Looks like I'll be busy doing research next week when the children return to school. Much obliged and keep the suggestions coming.
Also, check out Johnston County, Clayton in particular. We live there (relocated from NJ) and the schools are FANTABULOUS. I have 2 boys in elementary school and we're beyond impressed with the school, principal, parental involvement, etc. River Dell Elementary is our school in this area (Archer Lodge section of Clayton/Wendell).
There's a number of Golf Club communities....Riverwood is one that comes to mind. You'd be further from, the amenities of Raleigh (restaurants, etc) but in this particular area, you'd be about 20 minutes to Raleigh. We have a brand new middle school and most likely will have a new high school eventually (currently we're slotted for Clayton HS).
I think the important question is what are you looking for in a place to live. Yes you can find a home in that budget, but it may not be in an area you'd prefer to live.
HI, many of my co-workers (with kids) bought in Apex. Parents work in RTP tech center.
One of my co-workers has 6 kids and bought a house with similar square footage as you seek in Apex; his wife also stays at home. He said he loves the kid friendly vibe there, the schools and the supportive community.
This is just south of Cary. Good luck; you have a lot of decisions to make.
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Neighborhood search in Raeigh area
