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Another thing to add -- where will your wife park? No way is she getting a spot by the front door of the hospital, so factor in the walk/bus ride into the overall commute time.
Another thing to add -- where will your wife park? No way is she getting a spot by the front door of the hospital, so factor in the walk/bus ride into the overall commute time.
Absolutely this^. Many staff have to park in decks 10-15 minute walk to the front door of DUH and then the place is so huge it can be another 10 minutes to walk to your unit. Factor in time to drive/cruise in the deck and wait for elevators as well. Others park farther out in lots and then take bus in; this can add 15-20 minutes just to get to hospital front door. Anyways, allow lots of extra time to commute "the last mile". I live in Cary and it takes me 20 minutes to get to the deck but then another 20 to actually walk on to the unit. Anything more than 30 minutes drive/commute to where she will actually park (near hospital) and....... well....... let me say.......after a 12 hour shift.....ouch..... that is just piling on.
Location will impact your QOL much greater than the actual house; no amount of ship-lap, granite/quartz, and board & batten will change that. Not just location relative to work but to amenities as well (stores, services, events, and recreational opportunities -parks, trails, greenways etc). Buy the tree not the nest.
I would definitely drop the 2000 or newer criteria; you are really painting yourselves in a corner with that one. Our house was built in 1996 and I am happy to report it is still standing
Last edited by ncrunner77; 04-21-2021 at 04:11 AM..
I have yet to discount Durham, but from everything I have read it seems a bit tricky to find a good spot to know the ins and outs there. I've looked in the Hope Valley, Woodcroft, Northgate areas but haven't seen anything yet that I really like.
Is there anything similar to Flowers Plantation near Durham? In the last few days my in-laws have decided they want to follow us down as well, Flowers seems set up nicely for that.
A nightly commute from Flowers Plantation to Duke? Nope, nope and nope. Close to 50 miles.
No to Clayton, 50 miles to Duke Hospital. HUGE mistake. I would look at townhomes being built now near Green Hope HS or up near 540 and 55. Short commute great schools, price 400 or so. Fuquay is also a good fit although it is still a good 45 min drive, 540 is tolls all the way almost 10 dollars a round trip to Fuquay.I like Fuquay a new HS opens this August, Willow Springs HS is two years old. New Middle Schools next 3 years.Good teachers Good town. Easy commute to Raleigh and surrounding areas and with 540 and the 540 extension that will open in 2023 more options. Even a new Costco up on 401 near TEN TEN next year and a large upscale shopping center just north on 401 set to begin construction this summer.
Last edited by capt chill; 04-21-2021 at 09:57 AM..
Durham resident here. Joining in with the chorus recommending you rent a townhouse first before making your decision and that you may want to adjust your criteria of the home being built this century. It's an incredibly tight market around here right now, and given all the elements you've mentioned you want to address with your family, it's going to be hard to find the perfect place to meet all your criteria and stay within budget. Forget Wake, Durham and Orange, even adjacent counties like Chatham and yes even Johnston are asking for prices much higher than even a year ago for homes, even those more than 50 years older. And they're getting them sold quickly and usually above list price. It's definitely a sellers market, so I wouldn't be hasty in this environment to get a property unless you're totally comfortable with its location and amenities.
And along with several others as well, unless you move in by 2023 when 540 is supposed to be finished down to US 70 east, and are ready to pay tolls, forget Clayton. During Fridays during rush hour in particular, I-40 is a parking lot from Raleigh to that exit.
But here's the thing I really want you to consider, because you'll be glad if you did and miserable if you don't; distance and commute times down here are very, very different than what you know now. You might think less than an hour and a 40-50 mile commute is no big deal, but once you're here and you adjust to how much more manageable life is, you'll hate yourself for either you or your wife having to spend that much time driving. Within your first year it's going to become a drag if you have to drive anywhere more than 20-30 minutes away, because with rare exception, you won't need to. You'll find yourself passing on driving someplace because it's at least 30-45 minutes away. Trust me on this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BoBromhal
you may be used to a long commute.
there may be some others from LI that moved here used to such a long commute, and may even somehow chosen the same neighborhood as you.
you are far likelier to take on such a task, only to find out that you're the only one that does it. And so, when all the other neighbors are doing their thing, you're still in the car driving back and forth.
the average commute is still under 25 minutes for Wake, Durham, and Orange counties. Why would you double that, just because you're used to it?
As I read the OPs original post, I started thinking of the same response regarding commutes. These two here say it perfectly. After your lifestyle changes down here, you will not have tolerance for a commute. You’ll pretty much be the only one of your friends and neighbors in this boat. I use to do a NYC commute that took 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hrs each way. I was used to it and just accepted it as a fact of life in NJ. My wife and I had similar conversations, “ya know, if we live in X it only be 45min! That’s nothing!!” My current commute (pre-pandemic) was 16-18min. Man am I ticked off when bad weather or traffic turns it into 25min. It feels like an eternity.
Another thing to keep in mind, regarding your kids, many of the daycares/preK close earlier than you’re likely used to. They don’t have late hours since they’re not accommodating NYC commuters. We had to pick our kids up no later than 6pm. As they get older and start elementary school, there’s a chance the bus may not pick up until 8:45am. Long commutes complicate things. Best of luck to you!
As I read the OPs original post, I started thinking of the same response regarding commutes. These two here say it perfectly. After your lifestyle changes down here, you will not have tolerance for a commute. You’ll pretty much be the only one of your friends and neighbors in this boat. I use to do a NYC commute that took 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hrs each way. I was used to it and just accepted it as a fact of life in NJ. My wife and I had similar conversations, “ya know, if we live in X it only be 45min! That’s nothing!!” My current commute (pre-pandemic) was 16-18min. Man am I ticked off when bad weather or traffic turns it into 25min. It feels like an eternity.
I only see this opinion online on C-D. I'm still new to the Triangle - I've only been here for 7 years. But I've worked at 3 different professional life science organizations in RTP during that time. In all 3 organizations and all 5 departments I've worked at, I've worked directly with coworkers who commute from places like the Triad or from Fayetteville. Currently in my department of 15 people, I have 3 coworkers (including my manager) who commute daily from Elon and Burlington and 1 more who commuted from Fayetteville for over 2 years but did finally move to Durham. 1 more commutes from Rocky Mount. My last job was the same - we even had a few Greensboro residents in our department (well, 2). At my first job, LabCorp, it was about half and half in my department of 40 people - half lived in the Triad and half in the Triangle. It really isn't that unique in my experience for people to commute for 45+ mins. And honestly....pre-covid, living 20 miles away from work, in Raleigh, it would take me longer to get home than it took me to commute to Sanford. Not that it's necessary to do here, it really isn't necessary to have such a commute....but IME, it also isn't unique in the least.
I only see this opinion online on C-D. I'm still new to the Triangle - I've only been here for 7 years. But I've worked at 3 different professional life science organizations in RTP during that time. In all 3 organizations and all 5 departments I've worked at, I've worked directly with coworkers who commute from places like the Triad or from Fayetteville. Currently in my department of 15 people, I have 3 coworkers (including my manager) who commute daily from Elon and Burlington and 1 more who commuted from Fayetteville for over 2 years but did finally move to Durham. 1 more commutes from Rocky Mount. My last job was the same - we even had a few Greensboro residents in our department (well, 2). At my first job, LabCorp, it was about half and half in my department of 40 people - half lived in the Triad and half in the Triangle. It really isn't that unique in my experience for people to commute for 45+ mins. And honestly....pre-covid, living 20 miles away from work, in Raleigh, it would take me longer to get home than it took me to commute to Sanford. Not that it's necessary to do here, it really isn't necessary to have such a commute....but IME, it also isn't unique in the least.
Wow, that is a diverse amount of commuting! Rocky Mount and Fayetteville are more than I would want my wife to ever travel. What do these people say about the commute? Did you feel like your neighbors were far superior to you because they didn't travel as much?
I can report that we have opened our search up to being closer to and even in Durham as well as more on the northern area or Raleigh. My wife and I really love the Clayton area though so we aren't giving up looking there yet.
I went to undergrad at UNC-Chapel Hill and relocated back to the Triangle (Durham) around 3 years ago. I just bought my first house and was had a similar dilemma to you! Ultimately, if you can find a miracle deal in Cary/Apex/Holly Springs/Fuquay, that's the way to go! I'm not sure why you were told you to stay away from Durham, but the RTP area (on the border of Morrisville/Cary) and Southpoint area are well-to-do and safe (also expensive). Durham is also gentrifying fast so even the areas that they might have had in mind when they say to "stay away" are changing rapidly and houses are going quick. All that being said, I wanted to take advantage of a USDA loan, so in my own dilemma, I was between Clayton and Sanford. Sanford is ~50 min from Durham (west) while Clayton is ~45 min (east). I found that while Clayton is a little closer, making the housing market a little more competitive, traffic into Durham is a NIGHTMARE. Also, it lacks diversity and I had quite a few instances while house hunting that did not make me feel like it was a good fit for a me being a black woman. I've heard similar things (discrimination/lack of diversity) about the schools from colleagues that work in the Johnston County School System. Sanford still had a small-town feel, but has a more diverse population and I was able to get more house for my money. Theres a toll highway (540) that connects straight through Sanford to Raleigh, so even though the commute is 50 minutes, there's little to no traffic if you use an EZ Pass and take the toll highway. They are also building it up quite a bit with Pfizer expanding there and a couple other biotech companies coming within the next year. There's been a boom in new construction in the area. Ultimately, it felt like a much better fit. I also looked at a development in Youngsville. The proximity to Raleigh was appealing, but it felt a little tooo rural for what I was looking for.
Last edited by tarheelteacher; 04-22-2021 at 09:55 AM..
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