Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
[quote=m378;50308513]We've discussed Wake county extensively in your previous threads. What would you like to know about Chatham county?[/QUOTE
It has been awhile ago that we discussed Wake and things change . As we were looking at several beach areas for the longest time . Now we will be in Wake or Chatham to be closer to kids/grand kids. If my questions are an issue for you , then don't feel you have to reply
If your daughter lives on the edge of Raleigh and Cary then I am guessing she lives in southwest Raleigh. If you desire to be close to her to help with her small children then look at that immediate area or northeast Cary…. it is the older, more established, and more affordable part of Cary. It offers the older established neighborhoods with mature trees and unique “smaller” homes that you seek. Definitely a different vibe than the new sterile tract home communities springing up “farther out”. Very convenient to your daughter and near I40 to jump on and cruise over to Elon to visit your son; or he comes visit ya’ll! If helping your daughter is a priority, I would consider it.
Note, prices are trending up as downtown Cary redevelops and Cary’s Eastern Gateway develops with Ikea, Wegmans and the giant Fenton mixed use project. You should still be able to find something in your price range w/o much difficulty. Central location convenient to many things. Demographically, very diverse with mix of ages, cultures and ethnicities. Lots of younger families moving in as area “turns over”. Still, plenty of active seniors around and Cary is well known for its active, educated and organized senior population.
Maybe you don’t want to be that close though… I get it
Thanks I love the older homes that have been updated and have "bones" vs this slab cookie cutters looks in some of the new neighborhoods. I'd love a detached townhouse but not so sure my husband would. He wants a garage but I know folks in nice areas with no garage . Somethings are just not that important at 65, plus a garage means i'll see that stuff again . lol
I know you said Wake or Chatham so sorry for suggesting something else but with the house type you described and a possible location between Raleigh and Elon - I would look at Hillsborough
Glad you said that and I have . Dont want to get any closer to Durham then we have to
There are some contradictions in your wish list.
An older neighborhood that is more established is generally less social than one where people are moving in.
Frankly, your budget is light for what you seek in the closer-in areas. As you work outward, there will be fewer townhouse options.
I would look at Briar Chapel. Good location for access to both children, housing options at the upper end of your budget. highly active and social. wide mix of ages and family configurations.
We love Briar Chapel but no downstairs master in the ones we liked and we don't want to go to the new area Encore ( 55+) as the prices are very high. We can go higher but we are downsizing , selling just about all of our furniture, other things and just want the time go stay places for a few months each year and not decorating etc a big house . I found a nice looking older house on Creedmoor road with large lot , any thoughts on Creedmoor road.
Look into the Medfield subdivision and area on the border of Raleigh and Cary. Homes in that price range, established neighborhood, larger lots for the fur babies and a great mix of older couples and young families. Cannot beat the proximity to the doctors, restaurants, social offerings! And it I have no doubt the prices will continue to go up when they build out the IKEA/development around Exit 290 off of I40. And no, we are not selling! Love this area!
Good luck with your search!
Thanks i certainly will. I'll be in the area after the holidays with my realtor so I"m sure we will see lots.
I liked Medfield, too, but when we were looking, we never saw any homes over there hit the market.
In Wake County, most of the older neighborhoods with bungalow/craftsman type homes are in locations that push them well out of OP's budget. That was the style when the main neighborhoods close to downtown Raleigh were built, and the demand for those areas is extremely high. You can find newer (late-90's and beyond) craftsman-style homes on postage stamp lots in somewhere like Falls River for around the top of your budget sometimes.
In your budget in older homes, I'd look into 50s/60s Split Level homes that have been renovated. Medfield has mostly these, but again, few seem to hit the market lately. Areas close to downtown Cary have these and they tend to top out around the top of your budget, depending on size and how much has been done to them (we recently purchased one of these). As you move away from downtown Cary, the prices get a little cheaper. I was seeing nicely restored ones around $250k over near the Cary mall on the MLS (did not tour these though). Raleigh has a lot of these around North Hills Drive area. I wasn't crazy about the schools over there, but with that not being a concern, there's some good values there. Shelley Lake is nice and there's lots of greenway over in that area. Close to North Hills Mall and Crabtree Mall. Easy to get into downtown. The nice thing about most of these older split level homes is that the lots are comparatively huge with mature trees.
If you want a smaller town vibe, then Pittsboro or Hillsborough are both worth a look.
Thanks so much for your info. I've added it to my notes. I"m looking forward to a smaller place to manage in our older years. WE would like enough yard for 2 furbabies but front could be small ( if the HOA does the front yard that is great). I love Pittsboro and the county . Right now the pickings are a bit slim but i'm going up to see a few.
Look into the Medfield subdivision and area on the border of Raleigh and Cary. Homes in that price range, established neighborhood, larger lots for the fur babies and a great mix of older couples and young families. Cannot beat the proximity to the doctors, restaurants, social offerings! And it I have no doubt the prices will continue to go up when they build out the IKEA/development around Exit 290 off of I40. And no, we are not selling! Love this area!
We realize the prices are high but not more than where we are moving from Pinehurst NC, downsizing, planning to travel so not putting too much in it this time.
Can't help with Wake county, but we looked extensively in Chatham county and yes, you can find homes in your budget there.
I would look at Potterstone Village (Chatham county - Pittsboro) which is closer to Pittsboro downtown, and will have larger lots. Also look at Powell Place (Chatham county - Pittsboro). Lovely smaller subdivision with mature trees and many smaller "bungalow" type homes, but most of the lots will be smaller.
As someone else mentioned, Briar Chapel (Chapel Hill - Chatham county) will also be a possibility. There a several very cute little bungalow type homes by Saussy that are in your budget (new builds). Yards are mostly tiny, but there is a dog park, and a doggie daycare not far down the street. You'd have to ask others what the reputation of the place is. It's a combo "pet resort" and vet.
If you are willing to look at a townhouse, Governor's Village (Chapel Hill - Chatham county) has some spacious townhouses at very good prices, and the location is good. You will have a very small fenced yard and garage, but not a big yard.
Chatham Park (Chatham county - Pittsboro) is starting construction on it's first new homes shortly, which will be small "cottage style homes". I don't know yet what is there or the timeframe for build out, but it will be a master-planned community with shops, schools, restaurants, medical, etc.
Fearrington Village (Chatham county - Pittsboro) is very nice, and is a smaller scale master planned community with shops, restaurants, a bookstore, village market, and lots of green space and farm animals. It's a great location, and very pretty, but we found that in our price range (same as yours) the options were very old and needed a lot of updating ($$$). Worried about the house becoming a money pit, which we are trying to get away from in our retirement years.
Best of luck. PM me if you have any specific questions.
I can't wait to see some places in Pittsboro area. I even found a couple of places out in the county that I liked. I agree with you on Fearrington , places look nice then the inside look dated. We have already said we are will to paint and add granite but as far as removing carpet, vinyl to put in wood and tile floors we are not . Been there done that LOL . Have you found a place or are you looking
It's not the IKEA alone but all the other things that come with it... the "package deal". Restaurants and other retail want to be near it as it is a huge traffic generator and they want to siphon some of that consumer cash flow. It eventually becomes a convenience that some people put value in living near. Have you been to the one in Charlotte? Tons of new development orbiting it (retail, restaurant, and residential); like moths to a flame.
Throw in the huge Fenton mixed use development across Cary Towne Blvd (office, Wegmans, retail, residential), convenient central location near cross roads of 40-440, and Cary's and Raleigh's plans to develop more office (talking towers) along their borders near I40, and the area has potential. Don't just take my word for it though. Wegmans (1st planned in NC) and Ikea didn't pick area, and it didn't make the Triangle proposal shortlists for MLS site (WakeMed soccer park) and Amazon HQ2 (strooong hunch), by accident.
Not exact style OP wants (craftsman bungalow) but pretty much hits all the other criteria (established neighborhood with "unique -non tract" homes, AFFORDABLE). Always need to compromise somewhere.
Of course I love the one over budget and Id looked at one of the split levels. These older homes might look dated on the outside but some have been really updated nicely. aT Our age wants vs needs become more of a focus
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
