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My family and I are considering a move to North Carolina and have pretty much settled on Hillsborough but are still considering neighborhoods outside the city limits of Chapel Hill and Carrboro to avoid the high city taxes. Is anyone familiar with the neighborhoods in Hillsborough? We've done some research online and are planning on visiting Cameron Estates and Churton Grove. What can people tell me about these places?
I'll tell you a bit about what we're looking for. We'd like a safe, quiet neighborhood with a large yard... and trees We don't have enough trees here in southern California. It would be nice to have some young families in the area since we have 3 young children. While we would love a 1-story house I know those are harder to come by and have been looking into 2-story homes as long as there is at least 1 bedroom and full bath (other than the master suite) on the first floor. We need 4 bedrooms plus an office. Looking to spend no more than $550,000.
I'd appreciate any info on the neighborhoods above or some others in the area that might fit our needs.
Very familiar with the Churton Grove area. If I remember correctly , the builders out there are Beazer and Drees. The neighborhood is beautiful, and have very large lots. You get alot more home for your money in that area. Very beautiful country in that area, and not far from Durham, about 7 miles to Hwy 751, which takes you back over towards Duke. So it is a good location to get back to Durham or west towards Burlington. If your looking outside the city limits of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, are you looking back towards Pittsboro up Hwy 15? If I can help you in anyway pm me with any of your questions.
We are about to move in to Churton Grove, our house has just been completed, it is a very beautiful neighborhood, if you are looking for trees you won't be able to top this development......I haven't seen anything else like it in the triangle for large wooded lots at a reasonable price.
Lots of young families, we have 3 young children ourselves. Drees has lots of home designs, I don't recall if any in this neighborhood are 1 story, but you can definitely build a first floor master with an office/extra bedroom on the same level. In your price range you could get anything you want in this development.
We also looked at Cameron Estates, beautiful homes and (by reputation) very good local builder in St Lawrence Homes. I don't think there are any lots left there but I am sure there are some resales. Not near as many trees or lots as large in Cameron though.
Churton Grove also has a beautiful common area with clubhouse, pool, playground, basketball and tennis court. Added bonus is a large paved trail system that meanders through out the neighborhood. We are very happy with the schools thus far.
My family and I are considering a move to North Carolina and have pretty much settled on Hillsborough but are still considering neighborhoods outside the city limits of Chapel Hill and Carrboro to avoid the high city taxes.
Hi Paisley,
Welcome to the area! Just a quick thought (and coming from someone who hasn't intimately compared CH-C taxes with Orange Co.) -- since you mention you have 3 young children, you may want to compare schools between the Chapel Hill-Carrboro system and Orange's systems. Orange has a rep of having certainly quite good schools, but at the same time, Chapel Hill-Carrboro's are almost without peer in the region.
According to data from Orange County's economic development group, earlier this decade CH-C had the highest average SAT scores in the state and the lowest drop-out rate (about 1% of students), and on the basis of scores alone ranked as the #1 school district in the Southeast U.S.
I don't know Orange County's school district as well as CH-C, but I'd suggest taking a look as to how it would stack up for you. If you were to decide you'd want private schools (which you very well might not -- Orange schools are quite good), you'd probably "save" in Chapel Hill.
Hillsborough is a wonderful and really idyllic town and a great place to live, so again, this wouldn't be a "neg" -- just wanted to explain one reason why the taxes are a bit higher in Chapel Hill!
Welcome to the area! Just a quick thought (and coming from someone who hasn't intimately compared CH-C taxes with Orange Co.) -- since you mention you have 3 young children, you may want to compare schools between the Chapel Hill-Carrboro system and Orange's systems. Orange has a rep of having certainly quite good schools, but at the same time, Chapel Hill-Carrboro's are almost without peer in the region.
According to data from Orange County's economic development group, earlier this decade CH-C had the highest average SAT scores in the state and the lowest drop-out rate (about 1% of students), and on the basis of scores alone ranked as the #1 school district in the Southeast U.S.
I don't know Orange County's school district as well as CH-C, but I'd suggest taking a look as to how it would stack up for you. If you were to decide you'd want private schools (which you very well might not -- Orange schools are quite good), you'd probably "save" in Chapel Hill.
Hillsborough is a wonderful and really idyllic town and a great place to live, so again, this wouldn't be a "neg" -- just wanted to explain one reason why the taxes are a bit higher in Chapel Hill!
All true and good points about Chapel Hill schools by any objective measure they are the best in the state....and having lived in CH the last 3 years I can attest to that first hand.
BUT.....
They aren't for everyone.
There is more to a school than a test score and more to teaching than assigning more homework to younger students than comparable schools.
Many folks, the majority, no doubt that live in CH with children of school age will sing the praises of the CH schools, but there is a significant minority of people who have chosen to pull their children by moving( there are 3 other families we know of that have moved from our previous neighborhood in CH to our current one in Hillsborough) or by putting their kids in private school. I never understood the rationale of living in CH and sending your kids to private school when I first moved here, but I do now.
There is also the option of living in CH but outside the city limits, having a Chapel Hill address but paying a little less in taxes while still benefitting from the CH schools.
Many good reasons to live in either community and schools is and should be a priority for any parent, just be sure to look at more than test scores.
They aren't for everyone. There is more to a school than a test score and more to teaching than assigning more homework to younger students than comparable schools. Many folks, the majority, no doubt that live in CH with children of school age will sing the praises of the CH schools, but there is a significant minority of people who have chosen to pull their children by moving( there are 3 other families we know of that have moved from our previous neighborhood in CH to our current one in Hillsborough) or by putting their kids in private school. I never understood the rationale of living in CH and sending your kids to private school when I first moved here, but I do now.
Bluedevilz -- thanks for the perspective. Hadn't heard of this before myself and I appreciate your sharing this. Would love to know more about what concerns are out there, if you don't mind sharing (in thread or PM) since I get lots of questions from friends with young children about CH schools (and my wife and I have never had anything but the 'positives' to share with them.
There is more to a school than a test score and more to teaching than assigning more homework to younger students than comparable schools.
Thank you for pointing out the flip side to a "great" school. We currently live in a blue ribbon district and our local school is highly ranked. All this means is that they strive for academic excellence at almost any cost. Our oldest currently attends a charter school a few miles away which teaches to the whole child and respects each student's unique learning style. We're going to be very sad to leave it.
So that's why we're a bit suspicious about these "great" public schools in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and don't feel a pressing need to pay the high taxes. But the communities themselves sound great.
We are about to move in to Churton Grove, our house has just been completed, it is a very beautiful neighborhood, if you are looking for trees you won't be able to top this development......I haven't seen anything else like it in the triangle for large wooded lots at a reasonable price.
Churton Grove also has a beautiful common area with clubhouse, pool, playground, basketball and tennis court. Added bonus is a large paved trail system that meanders through out the neighborhood. We are very happy with the schools thus far.
We're hoping to move to Chapel Hill with our 6 year old this summer. I'd also appreciate hearing you and your neighbors' experiences with the CH schools. Our daughter has been in a Montessori School and we are leaning toward putting her in the CH public school but we are a bit wary.
Is my info correct that Hillsborogh has more defined seasons? Occasional snow is expected?This suprises me as its so close to CH.Is it a higher elevation,or was someone pulling my leg.
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We don't have enough trees here in southern California. It would be nice to have some young families in the area since we have 3 young children. While we would love a 1-story house I know those are harder to come by and have been looking into 2-story homes as long as there is at least 1 bedroom and full bath (other than the master suite) on the first floor. We need 4 bedrooms plus an office. Looking to spend no more than $550,000.
