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My family (which includes 2 toddlers) will be relocating to the Raleigh area this summer from Basking Ridge, NJ. The relocation company assigned real estate agent has not been that helpful when we ask about which one of these cities has the best schools, family-friendly (we are an interracial couple), and really thrives on hosting community social events throughout the year (pre/post covid). One more thing - are there golf course communities in either one of these cities?
The schools are very similar and sometimes overlap (can have a Holly Springs address and attend an Apex school, for example). School zones are complicated in this county. Real estate agents may hedge on the question because some schools are capped, etc. Give us an address, and we can do our best to give info on the schools.
The towns mostly differ by how recently they developed. Cary developed before Apex, and Apex before Holly Springs. They are 3 towns in one urban sprawl.
Mostly it comes down to budget. Cary is the priciest.
All 3 have a relatively high percentage of white families. FYI, I’m a white woman. I do work in the schools with students of color, and we also had a teen of color live with our family for a couple years. Teens do complain about the whiteness of the schools on the whole, but there is also a strong community there.
Cary has the Preston community with a golf course. Pricey, but nice (I’ve been told). Holly Springs has 12 Oakes. Gorgeous, with a nice view of the nuclear power plant (just sayin’). I think Bella Casa in Apex has golf, too. Lochmere in Cary is an older community. Really gorgeous, but some don’t like that the kids go to a Raleigh high school. Others love that school.
Overall, all 3 are wonderful places to raise a family.
Thank you for this great information. A strong sense of community and diversity is important to us so glad you provided some perspective there. So would you say these cities are not as diverse as Raleigh? Any thoughts on wake forest?
Cary, Apex, HS, et al are not "cities" they are towns (although at 160K people and growing Cary is bigger than many cities).
We are on county schools here so the real agents you're talking to are smart, because they cannot tell you what schools you'll be assigned to long term. It is simply not possible and anyone who tells you otherwise should be avoided. You can enter WCPSS into the search box, grab a snack and do some reading.
There's not a whole lot of difference between the suburbs here in that they are family friendly and safe. Each has its own vibe. Where is the job going to be? Most people around here don't accept the long commutes that northeasterners do because there's really no need for it.
Thank you for this great information. A strong sense of community and diversity is important to us so glad you provided some perspective there. So would you say these cities are not as diverse as Raleigh? Any thoughts on wake forest?
Thanks again
Western Wake county has a lot of Asian families, particularly SE Asian. If you love Indian food as much as I do, you’re in for a treat! This is particularly true in Cary (and Morrisville to its NW).
The western part of the county is less diverse overall than the eastern suburbs. Knightdale and Garner, for instance, have proportionally more black and Hispanic families. The western side has easier access to the Research Triangle, which factors into the demographics (explains the large amount of SE Asian immigrant families on that side).
I don’t know a lot about Wake Forest in particular, other than it is growing fast!
My suggestion is that if you are not in the specific downtowns of Apex, Cary, or Holly Springs, you'll have no idea which one you are in at any given time. It's just mass suburban sprawl with new neighborhood after new neighborhood. You will drive around and have no idea if you crossed from Cary into Apex or vice versa. And the city lines are very convoluted. Now obviously, the immediate ”downtown” of Apex and Cary are different, but 1/2 mile away, it's all suburbia. Same Wake County school system.
In regards to corporate relocations, we've done 7 or 8 of them. There is absolutely no reason to stick with a less than stellar realtor. We've had to change a couple of times. This isn't an area in the relocation where I accept marginal / mediocre, and the real estate business has lots of marginal due to extremely low barriers of entry. There are good ones out there. Tell them you want another one, or see if they will accept one you select. I do believe the relo company will get a cut of the buyers agent commission so I suspect your relo letter stipulates that you work through the relo company.
My suggestion is that if you are not in the specific downtowns of Apex, Cary, or Holly Springs, you'll have no idea which one you are in at any given time. It's just mass suburban sprawl with new neighborhood after new neighborhood. You will drive around and have no idea if you crossed from Cary into Apex or vice versa. And the city lines are very convoluted. Now obviously, the immediate ”downtown” of Apex and Cary are different, but 1/2 mile away, it's all suburbia. Same Wake County school system.
In regards to corporate relocations, we've done 7 or 8 of them. There is absolutely no reason to stick with a less than stellar realtor. We've had to change a couple of times. This isn't an area in the relocation where I accept marginal / mediocre, and the real estate business has lots of marginal due to extremely low barriers of entry. There are good ones out there. Tell them you want another one, or see if they will accept one you select. I do believe the relo company will get a cut of the buyers agent commission so I suspect your relo letter stipulates that you work through the relo company.
Most likely.
40% of the agent's commission is common. Then... Is the agent also paying a large split to their brokerage on top of that?
It would behoove any relocator to follow the money, to see what reduced incentive a good agent would have to work with them.
But, the relo company wants a happy client. The OP can request another agent.
However, the OP wants some questions answered that may be interpreted as steering opportunities, with overtones of potential Fair Housing issues. The agent might be smart to avoid getting into non-real estate questions.
Are you asking these questions of your Realtor or the Relocation Company?
Fair Housing doesn't allow Realtors to answer questions about "where the kids are". Kids are a "protected class". In order for them not to be discriminated against, Realtors can't discuss.
Besides, how would you or your Realtor know which houses have them and which don't. Use your EYES! Have you been to any of the areas yet? Once you SEE the areas and the homes you can get for your money, you will soon narrow down those areas.
Communities with pool, clubhouse, etc. will appeal to certain people.
Once you are in this area, choose 2 homes in each town that you want to see. You'll soon get a feel for what you like and don't like. You'll begin to delete those areas you don't like and before a day or two, you'll know which area appeals to you. Sounds simple but it works!
Wake Forest is a northern Raleigh Suburb. Since you were first looking at southern and western suburbs, the commuting distance to the job may be a problem. If you are still interested in Wake Forest, see the recent thread on it, Rolesville and Youngsville. Heritage Wake Forest has a lot of community-oriented amenities, and it could be a good choice if the commute is not prohibitive.
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