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Hi, everyone,
I'm relocating to Raleigh area in March and after having looked around a bit (my mom lives in Apex), really love Apex/Cary.
Can people please recommend nice neighborhoods in the $400K-$450K range in either town? My family would prefer swim community and houses that do not need a ton of updating (or require no updating) but they do not have to be brand new.
Thanks very much,
Rob
Last edited by rpulciani; 12-26-2007 at 09:06 AM..
You may want to check out Wynston Ridge in Cary. There's a couple of homes for sale in your price point, and one has a private swimming pool. Homes in that neighborhood are high $300s to high $400s, home sizes are about 3000 sq ft, lots are about 1/3 acre. Lots of trees and green space, homes set back from the street and very private. Walking distance to new shopping.
Hi, everyone,
I'm relocating to Raleigh area in March and after having looked around a bit (my mom lives in Apex), really love Apex/Cary.
Can people please recommend nice neighborhoods in the $400K-$450K range in either town? My family would prefer swim community and houses that do not need a ton of updating (or require no updating) but they do not have to be brand new.
Thanks very much,
Rob
You never know what an existing home needs until you get into it.
Little to no updating lends to pointing you to new construction, to take the updating crapshoot out of the picture.
Cary, new:
Highcroft, Cary Park, Gables at Greystone, Stonewater, Cameron Pond, Weldon Ridge, Harmony Glen/Pointe, West Lake, Weston Pointe, Amberly,
Cary, existing resale of various vintages:
Any of the above, Wimbledon, Lochmere, Preston neighborhoods, Carpenter Village, Cambridge/Regency, Danbury/Regency, Royal Ridge, Picardy Pointe, Normandie, Harrison Place, Summerwinds
With no updating, really meant that we wouldn't need to gut the kitchen/bathrooms etc - so hopefully, the counters/cabinets, are already nice. Thanks for the info - seems like there are many nice neighborhoods to choose from.
With no updating, really meant that we wouldn't need to gut the kitchen/bathrooms etc - so hopefully, the counters/cabinets, are already nice. Thanks for the info - seems like there are many nice neighborhoods to choose from.
There sure are many nice neighborhoods. I'm sure there are more than I listed, just pulling a few from memory and currently available homes.
And you never really know about updating until you get into a home.
You shouldn't be replacing counters and cabinets in a 3-5 year old home. But then the subjective comes into play.
Currently many people consider bright brass a turn-off that needs to be replaced, and it was very broadly used until recently.
Then you get to consider planes, trains, and automobiles...
You're right - now it seems like everyone wants nickel (versus the brass). My wife and I were thinking that we'd probably look at homes built 2000 and beyond (though we've heard that places like Lochmere have homes built in late 90s and are often updated nicely so we'd consider too).
We're coming from Seattle where the typical price per sf is more expensive, so we're very excited (and we don't expect to move again, knock on wood). Can't wait to get there. We've read some of the criticisms of the area, but after having lived many places, and having been in the area often, we feel like it's the perfect place for us.
You never know what an existing home needs until you get into it.
Little to no updating lends to pointing you to new construction, to take the updating crapshoot out of the picture.
Cary, new:
Highcroft, Cary Park, Gables at Greystone, Stonewater, Cameron Pond, Weldon Ridge, Harmony Glen/Pointe, West Lake, Weston Pointe, Amberly,
Cary, existing resale of various vintages:
Any of the above, Wimbledon, Lochmere, Preston neighborhoods, Carpenter Village, Cambridge/Regency, Danbury/Regency, Royal Ridge, Picardy Pointe, Normandie, Harrison Place, Summerwinds
Apex, new:
Haddon Hall,
Apex, resale:
Above, Abbington,
Lots of pretty homes to choose from!
For resale in Apex; Walden Creek! If we had decided to stay in NC and actually bought in Apex, no doubt that is the neighborhood we would have chosen. Haddon Hall is too much like Lochmere and Preston in Cary...with high HOA fees and more regulations. Abbington isn't as conveniant to 55 and 64 and doesn't have as much of an "established neighborhood" feel as Walden. Most homes in Walden Creek were built in the late 90's and have been maintained nicely. You can also probably get the same house in Walden Creek for $350k that would run you $400k in Abbington or Haddon Hall, it may just be a couple years older.
You're right - now it seems like everyone wants nickel (versus the brass). My wife and I were thinking that we'd probably look at homes built 2000 and beyond (though we've heard that places like Lochmere have homes built in late 90s and are often updated nicely so we'd consider too).
We're coming from Seattle where the typical price per sf is more expensive, so we're very excited (and we don't expect to move again, knock on wood). Can't wait to get there. We've read some of the criticisms of the area, but after having lived many places, and having been in the area often, we feel like it's the perfect place for us.
Just a reminder folks.......homes are not like cars. Simply placing a year built on them as a criteria is not logical. I can show you thousands of brand new homes that are slap-stick built that will need major work and upgrades in 5-10 years. I can show you thousands of homes built in the 80s-90s that will outlast the newer built homes. Sure they might need some upgrades and updating but they are possibly built far more solid then a newly built home.
Of course this is not always the case, but often the case. You should not exclude a home simply based on a number or year built. Evaluate whom built it, with what materials and how it was built. This is far more important then the year built.
Example: A home built in 2002 might seem more modern and pretty, but it might also have compressed coardboard siding, plastic water pipes, be lacking roof sheathing clips. The roof will sag in a few years, the sidding will begin to decay with 5 years and all the plumbing will begin to fail in 5-10 years. This is just one small example.
Most "tract" builders have lowered the level of quality in the raw materials they are using over the past 4-5 years in order to offset the increased cost of materials.
The brass thing can be a major turnoff to be sure, but it's actually a pretty simple fix (other than the dreaded shower enclosure).
I'm not partial to Haddon Hall-there seems to be less pride in ownership there than in other neighborhoods.
You're right - now it seems like everyone wants nickel (versus the brass). My wife and I were thinking that we'd probably look at homes built 2000 and beyond (though we've heard that places like Lochmere have homes built in late 90s and are often updated nicely so we'd consider too).
We're coming from Seattle where the typical price per sf is more expensive, so we're very excited (and we don't expect to move again, knock on wood). Can't wait to get there. We've read some of the criticisms of the area, but after having lived many places, and having been in the area often, we feel like it's the perfect place for us.
There are some splendid homes in Lochmere, and many other neighborhoods, updated, and scrupulously well-maintained. The focused thing to do is to generalize about your wants and needs, and then to see if a specific neighborhood appeals, and then look at homes on a home-by-home basis.
Poor ownership can decimate a fairly nice home in short order.
And builders with mediocre reputations might just get it right!
Also, you are at a price point where you might get a nice home within the lower end of an upscale neighborhood, or buy the most expensive home in another neighborhood. I suggest the former might generally be a better benchmark to set.
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