Relocating to Raleigh-Durham Area - Need advice/recommendations

[kyle19125]

OP, you might consider Orange County to the west/southwest of Durham-Chapel Hill. Check out the towns of Hillsborough and Mebane which are in decent commutable distance to the medical hubs in Durham (Duke U and the VA) and Chapel Hill (UNC Hospitals)

[palmpixis]

UPDATES
Thank you all for the recommendations. So, we finally took a trip to the Raleigh area this past week. We drove around the Raleigh area including Wake Forest, Garner, Raleigh Proper and Knightdale. We visited like 8 new developments with price point ranging from 400K to 480K. I got to hand it to these developers. They are looking to make deals and sell houses. On thing is for sure, we can afford a house in the Raleigh area but where is the problem.
Overall impression is that the area is very nice and welcoming. It seems like the biggest center of employment is around RTP, UNC in Chapel Hill and Duke in Durham. My wife can easily find a job in those areas. This is making choosing a house in the Northeast Raleigh area, Wake Forest, Garner and Clayton very difficult. We actually like the Wake Forest and Northeast Raleigh area but we held on making any offer and changed plans so my wife can land a job first (Now I understand what people meant by looking for a job first). Here are my impressions of the areas that we visited.

1. Northeast Raleigh - Very nice are especially around the Triangle Center Shops on Capital Blvd.
2. Wake Forest - Very nice area. Easy commute to Raleigh but not to RTP. Seems to have busy roads.
2. Garner - A little bit too far out. A lot of the communities have onsite amenities, and it seems like this is due non proximities to things in Raleigh. This is probably a not to longer commute.
3. Knightdale is a not for me as it a longer commute to everything.

We are planning another trip later this month to look at Apex, Holly Spring, and Fuquay Varina.
Hopefully the wife land something by then to make choosing easier.

[palmpixis]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

OP, you might consider Orange County to the west/southwest of Durham-Chapel Hill. Check out the towns of Hillsborough and Mebane which are in decent commutable distance to the medical hubs in Durham (Duke U and the VA) and Chapel Hill (UNC Hospitals)

I will certainly check this out on our next visit.

[king john IV]

is Morrisville not considered?

[m378]

Originally Posted by king john IV

is Morrisville not considered?

The budget is 450k for new construction.

[king john IV]

well, you are right.
Morrisville is out.

[palmpixis]

Originally Posted by king john IV

is Morrisville not considered?

We did but Morrisville might be too expensive for us. We were focusing on new construction but might start considering resale. Not sure if we can find something decent in Morrisville between 450K and 500K. Goal for us is to live on one salary.

There were suggestions that I have missed. Next trip we will look at also New Hill, Mebane and Hillsborough in addition to Apex, Holly Spring, and Fuquay Varina

[carlito2002wgn]

Originally Posted by palmpixis

We did but Morrisville might be too expensive for us. We were focusing on new construction but might start considering resale. Not sure if we can find something decent in Morrisville between 450K and 500K. Goal for us is to live on one salary.

There were suggestions that I have missed. Next trip we will look at also New Hill, Mebane and Hillsborough in addition to Apex, Holly Spring, and Fuquay Varina

Based on other things you have said (regarding proximity to "stuff"), I would probably skip Mebane. Then again, I haven't been out that way in some time. Maybe someone else can offer their input about this.

I used to love the idea of moving to Hillsborough. It has also been a little while since I have been there, but I loved the feel of it. Opportunity to live in a more rural setting, yet close to a lot. I run away from new construction and toward older homes with more land. Give me a 100+ year old home on 5+ acres, please!

Good luck!

[TarHeelNick]

Originally Posted by palmpixis

We did but Morrisville might be too expensive for us. We were focusing on new construction but might start considering resale. Not sure if we can find something decent in Morrisville between 450K and 500K. Goal for us is to live on one salary.

There were suggestions that I have missed. Next trip we will look at also New Hill, Mebane and Hillsborough in addition to Apex, Holly Spring, and Fuquay Varina

Focusing on new construction is likely to be your biggest hurdle to get into an area you'd find works well.

Newbuilds under $450k are only going to be in fairly far-removed areas that you've mentioned (Knightdale/Wendell/Zebulon and Wake Forest or Garner). If you planned on working in Raleigh; those would be good options. It sounds like you expect to need to commute more to the core of the Triangle region anchored by RTP.

I see you are coming from Upstate NY and you mention the housing stock being much older there hence your desire for new. You mentioned most homes in your areas being bult around the 1970s or earlier. Homes that old are in a significant minority in most of the Triangle area. My cousin visiting from Rochester recently commented he was "jealous" of how "new" my house seemed....it was built in 1999 and still has the original kitchen and bathrooms (his house in Fairport was built in the 1960s).

You can find resales in some of the areas you've mentioned above (minus New Hill...which is almost all newer homes and mostly in the $600k+ range now) built from the mid/late 90s-mid 2000s that will be within the budget and most likely more to your liking for a commute/community. They will mostly be around 2000 sq ft or less but if well-maintained/updated....they'll likely feel much newer than the mid 20th century homes you're used to in NY.