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Will be working off of Page Road and don't want to live more than 20 minutes away from there...considering move to Glenkirk or Southbridge at Cary Park. Want 4500 sf for < $650,000 and can get that in both neighborhoods. Looking for nice family neighborhood where people are pushing kids in strollers, jogging, and social. I like Glenkirk better if not only for the fact that it is close to preston area that is already built up with stores, shops, etc. the homes in glenkirk and southbridge are LISTED at almost 10% less than they were purchased for in 2007...
We lived in Highland Oaks next to Glenkirk. Loved the location--for some reason I don't love the Cary Park area. Glenkirk is so convenient for everyday shopping and so close to Bond Park. It's a very pretty neighborhood too. That's definitely a tough price point for sellers these days.
Glenkirk may be more than 20 mins commute to Page Rd at rush hour.
Chapel Hill Rd is 2 lane and is backed up everyday.
Although it is a better location than Southbridge, and convenient to everything, the main road through the neighborhood is a connecting rd for Maynard and Cary Parkway.
John Wieland homes are very nice, but some of these homes are on weird lots.
You have a lot of options in your price range. Take your time checking out the area if you are new to this place.
If it were my $650K I would have a really hard time with either of those choices based on two factors.
The first and more important IMO is lot size and orientation. Many people would make the argument that those neighborhoods are "too much house, not enough property" but I think it goes further than that. The orientation of homes to each other (especially in Southbridge) is just not for me at that price point-I don't want to look into someone else's home or have their driveway 10 feet from mine for that kind of money. I place a high premium on a nice private backyard and maybe 10% of the lots in Southbridge would be acceptable to me.
The second is simply personal preference-I would prefer the product a local custom builder provides at that price point, even if I had to give up 10% in square footage to get it. I'd be in Weycroft on a carefully selected lot or stretch to buy in Copperleaf. I'd even look at Weldon Ridge Estates-a bit cheaper, larger and better laid out lots, and maybe a bit more of the stroller/social environment you say you would like to have. Not quite the same house as a Wieland, but Orleans has some really nice usable floorplans and you could get a nice basement lot.
Dear Funky Chicken,
First off I cannot believe I am starting an email addressed to "Funky Chicken." Secondly, I have been reading this forum for almost a month and searching it for wisdom/insight specific to Cary living. I have read all kinds of threads and have seen posts that range from moronic to brilliant and lost of in between. Of all those who post with opinions on the real estate market and Cary communities, it was the insight of "Funky Chicken" in particular that always struck me as level headed...carefully constructed viewpoints supported by housing market facts and seasoned by observations such as those you shared above in response to my question. So....your reply got me back in my car this weekend...and..you are correct about lots in Glenkirk. I know you have great love for Copperleaf, I've read your posts, and that you also like weycroft. I also feel that you were accurate with cary park southbridge observations. trusth is, nothing is going to be "everything" and so I need to find the best of all needs (subjective). So, in my tour this weekend I came away VERY impressed by Preston Village...good lot size, pool, park, nice homes, GREAT location that is convenient to 40 and shopping and High House amenities. Thoughts on Preston Village?
Preston Village must be at least 10 years old so the trade off against Glenkirk and Southbridge would be buying new versus old as well as location. Depends on value you place on newer home really, and as mentioned in an earlier post that prices on resales at Glenkirk and Southbridge are down 10% on 2007 values - though Preston Village values would also be 10% down in that period as well. As Funky Chicken mentioned, the key with Weiland Homes is choosing a good lot that has privacy and isn't built on a steep grade or overlooking a stormwater retention pond.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MRG1
Dear Funky Chicken,
First off I cannot believe I am starting an email addressed to "Funky Chicken." Secondly, I have been reading this forum for almost a month and searching it for wisdom/insight specific to Cary living. I have read all kinds of threads and have seen posts that range from moronic to brilliant and lost of in between. Of all those who post with opinions on the real estate market and Cary communities, it was the insight of "Funky Chicken" in particular that always struck me as level headed...carefully constructed viewpoints supported by housing market facts and seasoned by observations such as those you shared above in response to my question. So....your reply got me back in my car this weekend...and..you are correct about lots in Glenkirk. I know you have great love for Copperleaf, I've read your posts, and that you also like weycroft. I also feel that you were accurate with cary park southbridge observations. trusth is, nothing is going to be "everything" and so I need to find the best of all needs (subjective). So, in my tour this weekend I came away VERY impressed by Preston Village...good lot size, pool, park, nice homes, GREAT location that is convenient to 40 and shopping and High House amenities. Thoughts on Preston Village?
Thanks for the very kind words, MRG1. It is much appreciated.
I think I would be inclined to find the right Preston Village home and be prepared to update it. For a total investment of $650K you could end up with a very attractive package. Not as clean and tidy a project as a newer home but maybe a better total outcome.
If you look online at the interior photos of some Preston Village homes you can see the white kitchens with brass fixtures that were popular 8-10 years ago and fell very quickly out of fashion. I don't know if the new construction kitchens of today will look as dated in 2020 as those do today-who knows, maybe we will all be looking to rip out our granite/stainless steel/contrasting islands!
I would look to address lighting/flooring/kitchen/baths/trim if it was in my budget.
I'd still be picky about lot orientation but that might be a smart route to take.
Windermere is another Wieland neighborhood with decent lots and a Pool. The homes are newer than Preston.
It is near Kildaire Farm and Ten Ten Rd, in South East Cary.
RTP commute time would be 30-40 mins, and also convenient to N.Raleigh or Downtown.
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