Riggsbee Farm - Cary (Turkey: houses, neighborhoods, buying)

[sarahjg51]

Hi everyone

We're looking closely at buying in the Riggsbee Farm subdivision. Could anyone provide insight on:
- Demographic - school age? diversity?
- Flooding? I heard that a number of the lots have issues with that - not sure what to keep an eye out for.
- Activities/HOA? - I did see that they had a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving day which I found encouraging!

We'd really like a close-knit community that has activities and young kids (ours are currently 3+5). Ideas for other neighborhoods welcome!

[MikeJaquish]

If you are working with a buyers agent, your agent should easily be able to identify the lots with 1% or 5% annual flooding chances.
If they cannot...
ouch. My confidence in their capabilities would be diminished.

The flood maps are included in WakeGov sites:
https://maps.raleighnc.gov/imaps/?pin=0744349643
You have to select Floodplains in the Environmental drop down.

Very little flooding is indicated in Riggsbee Farm.

You can also easily double check any address at NC Floodmaps.
https://flood.nc.gov/ncflood/

To be proactive, don't buy a home below the road where water can drain down the front yard and up against the foundation, or backing to a slope where the same can happen to the rear or side of the crawlspace. Make sure surface water flow is managed to avoid laying against the foundation.
Such will not show on official flood maps. It is just common sense.

[twingles]

Riggsbee Farm isn't as big as some of the other subdivisions in the area - what is driving you to that one specifically? I know a bunch of people who live there but their kids are the same ages as mine or there abouts (ie late high school and college age). But the people I know who live there have been there a long, long time so it must be an OK place. Their pool is quite small and to my knowledge they do not have a swim team. IDK about the flooding I heard the same when we were moving here. I have a friend who lives there and RIGHT on the pond, I don't know if the houses that have issues are close to the pond as well.

The schools are good and unlikely to change, although it is impossible to say 100% they won't. The schools in west Cary are all very diverse. In fact a couple weeks ago a teacher at Green Hope HS posted all the languages that his students are fluent in, I think it was over 20 languages altogether.

Overall it's a good location, can't think of any true negatives, but really you could expand your horizons to any neighborhood within a mile circle and find the same basic stuff.

[TarHeelNick]

There do not appear to be any homes currently listed in Riggsbee Farms in Triangle MLS so is there something drawing you to that particular community? As stated above it is a fairly small neighborhood; only 4 houses sold in the past year. The general style/age/build of homes there is fairly typical of much of West Cary neighborhoods with similar square footage/pricepoint. Is there a close friend/family member living within the neighborhood drawing you there?

Mike's comments and links above are, as always, spot on as well. Very easy to check any address for flood zone factor before even scheduling an appointment to see it!

[BoSox 15]

Originally Posted by sarahjg51

- Flooding? I heard that a number of the lots have issues with that - not sure what to keep an eye out for.

Nothing really to add other than this generalization. Not sure what you mean by "flooding". This area has a clay base that does not drain well. Many people experience what some people may call flooding to the extent that their yard may have some standing water after a storm, but it eventually runs off. I'll leave it to the experts but I don't ever recall flooding (in the truest sense of the word) in this area - other than the Crabtree Valley Mall area.

Moral of the story, wherever you buy pay attention to the grade of the land and don't impede the water drainage (i.e. the path of least resistance).