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I’ve ran a search here but not a lot comes up that is recent about Fuquay-Varina and schools/neighborhoods there.
We’re moving in mid June with my husband’s job - him from CA and my kids and I from Tx (long story). We would like to buy a house within the next 2-3 months - the company will put us in apartment for couple of months. We’ve never been to the area and I won’t be able to (husband will) go prior to moving there so we are depending on the internet. We’re looking for family-friendly areas, good schools (we have twins in middle school), $350-400k range, 4 bedrooms plus bonus, between 2500 to 3200 sq ft, house under 10 years old, larger yard with no rear neighbors and I don’t want to be able to reach out and touch the house next door. New construction is OK if the houses aren’t piles on top of each other and will be finished soon but after reading a lot about issues with builders, I’m hesitant to buy new construction without being there. I’m unable to climb stairs sometimes with bad knees and we’re struggling to find either a larger 1 story or at least a home with 2 bedrooms downstairs, especially new construction plans. We’re ok with a commute under 40 miles but prefer for him to be closer to work (just east of Fuquay Varina) - he commuted 90 miles each way in CA and we’d like to avoid it if possible.
How far is FV from general shopping? - Target, decent grocery store, home improvement stores.
How are schools in FV? I’ve read a lot of mixed reviews so I’m concerned.
- I have one child that is academically gifted and another that is dyslexic and has missed a year of school due to being very ill so he is struggling. Larger schools where he’ll be overwhelmed aren’t a good choice for him but we need a challenge (advanced class options) for the other child.
If not Fuquay, then where else? Cary/Apex areas seem lovely but out of our budget from what I’ve seen looking at houses. Cleveland schools in Garner (Adams Point area) seem to be ranked high and up for consideration but 35-40 commute and out of Wake county.
Is the jr high and high school year round in FV? I’m having trouble finding that info. Do they offer Advanced placement classes in the middle school? What extra curricular activities are offered?
If our home is zoned to a year round school (say Holly Grove, as some houses are in FV), can you choose another school without issue? We do not care for year round.
Can anyone recommend any particular neighborhoods they love or ones to avoid around FV? I like a floor plan in Hampton Park south of FV - anyone live there that can comment?
We are in need of recommendations for the following:
Realtor (if you are realtor, post link to website)
Good gymnastics gym for a competitive gymnast
Church - non denominational that isn’t too large with good kids program
Piano teacher for kids
Someone to fix and tune a piano
Pediatrician
Family doctor
Pediatric GI
Orthopedic practice
Physical therapist
Gynecologist
Pediatric (certified pediatric, not just accepts kids) dentist
Regular dentist
Furniture stores that sell quality (solid wood) furnishings in area - we are leaving everything behind
I can't comment much on FV, but I just wanted to say the only requirement you have that keeps you out of Cary/Apex is a house less than 10 years old. I would prefer a 20 year old house with new roof and new HVAC over a 10 year old house - just food for thought.
I can't comment much on FV, but I just wanted to say the only requirement you have that keeps you out of Cary/Apex is a house less than 10 years old. I would prefer a 20 year old house with new roof and new HVAC over a 10 year old house - just food for thought.
Well I would not get anything over 20 years old. That's about the time Cary started enforcing building codes.
While I appreciate the better quality construction of older homes, our main reasoning for wanting a newer home is due to the fact we’ve lived 2000 miles apart for SEVEN years now due to work - my husband has missed his childrens entire elementary school experience. We want to move back under one roof and enjoy every second with our family. We don’t want to spend a second redoing, remodeling, or fixing a single thing. We are not DIY’ers and don’t care to be so that means hiring people to be in our home at large expense.
The house we rented first in Tx was built in the 80s. It was a beautiful house. In the year we lived there, the foundation had to be repaired after the newly installed wood floors popped up and moldings all leaped off walls, both HVAC units inside and out had to be replaced, tree roots took hold of the plumbing and entire yard had to be dug up and redone, 2nd story bathroom poured onto my dining table downstairs, the water was the color of rust, the fence fell over, a giant tree had to be cut down, and when we were forced to move, it was being treated for termites. Even with good inspection, things get missed and life happens. We don’t have the time or the desire - we want to move in and other than maintainance, don’t want to deal with all that comes with older home ownership. Our home we owned in CA was 3 years old when we bought it and we never had a single issue in the 12 years we lived there with proper maintenance.
There are no year round high schools. There are no middle schools that offer AP classes (are there anywhere? AP are college level classes. Perhaps you meant AIG or honors).
Can you choose your middle school? THEORETICALLY yes. It depends on if you are able to get a transfer to the traditional middle school that you are zoned for. I would NOT move somewhere and hope to get an out-and-out transfer to the middle school of your choice if you are not zoned for it.
FV schools are not going to be the highest rated in Wake County, but there's nothing wrong with them. It was a rural area until very recently (still is but booming).
Am I reading correctly that your husbands work is east of FV? If so, I would definitely look at living there. And given the context of your latest message and wanting to maximize family time, I would prioritize commute. There is no reason for a 40 mile, or even 20 mile commute in this area. (We moved from FV to Cary a couple of years ago due to commuting issues, reducing from 21 miles to 5 miles - totally worth it for us, though I know others make different choices and are happy with them). Target is 15-30 minutes depending on where you are in FV - the Targets in Holly Springs, Apex, Cary, and Garner are all about 20 min in different directions from my old house just north of FV. There is a Harris Teeter, Aldi, and multiple Food Lion grocery stores, and Wal Mart. Home Depot is in FV, and Lowes is coming to Holly Springs.
Fuquay Middle is traditional calendar, as are all of the high schools. Note that a new high school is being built, and all FV High students will go there for the next 2 years while FV High is torn down and rebuilt. Then students will be split between the two schools (Willow Springs High will be the name of the new school).
Thanks for the info - very helpful. My daughter is currently in AP classes in 6th grade - all the schools around here offer AP in jr high. I’m assuming they offer some kind of GT program there at least.
While I appreciate the better quality construction of older homes, our main reasoning for wanting a newer home is due to the fact we’ve lived 2000 miles apart for SEVEN years now due to work - my husband has missed his childrens entire elementary school experience. We want to move back under one roof and enjoy every second with our family. We don’t want to spend a second redoing, remodeling, or fixing a single thing. We are not DIY’ers and don’t care to be so that means hiring people to be in our home at large expense.
The house we rented first in Tx was built in the 80s. It was a beautiful house. In the year we lived there, the foundation had to be repaired after the newly installed wood floors popped up and moldings all leaped off walls, both HVAC units inside and out had to be replaced, tree roots took hold of the plumbing and entire yard had to be dug up and redone, 2nd story bathroom poured onto my dining table downstairs, the water was the color of rust, the fence fell over, a giant tree had to be cut down, and when we were forced to move, it was being treated for termites. Even with good inspection, things get missed and life happens. We don’t have the time or the desire - we want to move in and other than maintainance, don’t want to deal with all that comes with older home ownership. Our home we owned in CA was 3 years old when we bought it and we never had a single issue in the 12 years we lived there with proper maintenance.
I know you probably realize this, but all of that could have happened in a 10 year or younger house (or even new construction). I understand completely what you're saying, but if you would prefer to live in Cary/Apex versus FV, then I don't think the extra 10 years is going to make a really big difference. Like I said before, it just means some of the big ticket items (roof, HVAC) may have already been replaced. If you're looking for a house that you're not going to have to maintain or upgrade periodically, then you should probably rent.
There are boatloads of good houses in Cary/Apex that were built in the 90's. These are usually the neighborhoods that have larger lots, more trees, and space in between the houses. They may not have the latest and greatest counter-top, but they're far from falling apart at the seams.
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