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My husband and I are looking to move to West Cary or Chapel Hill and want to find a neighborhood with lots families similar to ours (mid-30s parents with babies/toddlers). Our budget is $700k and only major requirement is a great zoned elementary school. What are some neighborhoods that fit our criteria? Thank you!
Unless you want to deal with the constant threat of school reassignment, take West Cary off the list. In general the schools are overcrowded, and the school board is targeting the area for reassignments for diversity/equity purposes.
West Cary is an awesome place to live, especially if working in the RTP area. But you need to go into it with the expectation that your school assignment won’t be stable.
We’re not very picky but do need 4 bed with study/bonus or 5 bed. I’d prefer a neighborhood pool, too, but again, not necessary.
Neighborhood pools are more common in Cary than CH. Cary generally has a newer housing-stock than CH as well. Both have very highly-rated elementary schools. CH has a smaller school district with generally less re-assignments. West Cary in particular is prone to reassignments at the elementary level more often; especially in the newer neighborhoods.
Southern Village in CH and Amberly (the Wake County side) in West Cary would both probably have a vibe you would like and are both very popular neighborhoods in their respective areas.
if you want a stable school assignment in West Cary, I'd target Preston Village in your price range....people who are assigned to the Green Hope/Davis Drive/Green Hope (along with the Davis Drive/Davis Drive/Green Hope pipeline) don't seem to get reassigned. The area between Highway 55 and Davis Drive is where I'd be looking.
Don't want the headache of reassignments? Consider Chapel Hill, although I think they did have some or are having some but you're still talking about a much smaller geographic area.
Personally, I think getting reassigned once in elementary school is not a big deal. Middle and high school, absent a new school opening, I am not really on board with. And some neighborhoods are targeted over and over and over again.
We’re not very picky but do need 4 bed with study/bonus or 5 bed. I’d prefer a neighborhood pool, too, but again, not necessary.
but what about lot size?
And what age of house - brand new; new enough for no remodeling for 10 years; new enough for open floor plan (or not), and has been remodeled?
Size - you can be 2,500 sqft or 5,000 sqft. What size home are you in now, and is that a good size?
If your oldest child is under 4 right now, then you should EXPECT school reassignment before they ever start (but it may not happen for another 4 years, slim chance it doesn't happen at all), but ACCEPT it will either be to a new school or a very good school.
I think based on what you've said, the demographic you say you want will be much more drawn to neighborhood pool communities than not. They will be the vast majority anyway.
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