Looking into buying a home soon. Have a 4 year-old son who will be hitting school soon so need a good school district, and admittedly don't know much about them. Need at least 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Want to stay away from SE and NE Raleigh, and also Knightdale. Probably staying around the $150,000 range, but that is subject to change as I haven't been approved for anything yet. I know there are some pretty expert people on here, so please steer me in the right direction. Hopefully this thread can be added to for a while and can help others who are moving.

1/28/2014 11:54:23 PM

what's wrong with knightdale?

[Edited on January 29, 2014 at 6:23 AM. Reason : black people?]

1/29/2014 6:23:28 AM

You say SE and NE raleigh, do you mind outside raleigh in those directions?

Garner is pretty nice to live in. Theres nothing out in Rollsville/Zebulon area so land/home prices are cheep.

I recently bought a 3 bed with finished bonus for 165k. Im out in Joco though. Expect to be out of municipal areas to find something for 150. Its doable but you have to look a bit.


Go get pre-approved/qualified (I forget the difference, really you need both). It will help give you a good idea on what you can afford, and also give you good buying power.

1/29/2014 8:12:55 AM

^^ knightdale is the Raleigh's Gary, Indiana.

1/29/2014 10:31:55 AM

Quote :

"Need at least 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Want to stay away from SE and NE Raleigh, and also Knightdale. Probably staying around the $150,000 range"

admittedly, i'm not up on the raleigh housing market, but i feel like you just eliminated a lot of your bang-for-your-buck areas

are you okay with condos/townhomes? seems like a lot of what you're going to see in your preferred areas at that price range will be homes with an HOA and without property

i could be 100% wrong

1/29/2014 10:36:07 AM

Will probably be working in the RTP area as early as April (going into pharmaceuticals), so not too far from there. The NE/SE Raleigh and Knightdale aversion is due to an overabundance of shitty, treeless, cookie-cutter-house neighborhoods full of foreclosures and terrible neighbors. Way too much experience with those to want to live there. Also it'll be kinda far from work. I realize my options will be limited but I'm in no rush. Definitely need to get qualified asap.

1/29/2014 11:17:37 AM

You are going to have to look for a condo or maybe townhouse to get anything close to your price range in a decent school district. Foreclosures in Cary are your best bet if you are patient and handy.

1/29/2014 1:00:44 PM

No offense, but you will not find a 3bedroom house in Cary or anywhere around RTP for your price. Even with foreclosures, that was the first I looked when I was buying. I dont know on condos.

1/29/2014 1:16:51 PM

Might want to hold off for a couple years until you can actually afford something you want.

1/29/2014 1:21:10 PM

$150? Welcome to East of Raleigh.

1/29/2014 1:51:32 PM

Holly Springs

1/29/2014 2:05:46 PM

You can get a smaller townhouse for that much that's in a good school district. The guy has a kid so he's going to have to compromise and buy a smaller house to get in a good school district.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/131-Luxon-Pl-Cary-NC-27513/6497321_zpid/
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/909-Linen-Dr-Morrisville-NC-27560/67558746_zpid/
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7628-Winners-Edge-St-Raleigh-NC-27617/67555554_zpid/

1/29/2014 2:08:56 PM

I just bought a house in the 150 range in SW Raleigh, but there's really not a whole lot available in this area. I do know that my neighbor across the street is about to put her house on the market in the next couple of months. I believe it's very similar to mine, so late 80's build, split level, 2bd 2(.5?)bth, 2 car garage, 1300-1500sqft. I have no idea about schools, though, as I'm single. Like everyone is saying, $150k is going to put you out in the middle of suburbia in NE/SE Raleigh. You can find my neighbor's and my house in Cary, but they'll be $170+. You could do 150ish for a townhome along the north Gleenwood area near RTP. The houses there are mostly going to be $250k and up, though.

1/29/2014 2:13:53 PM

There are 2-3 bedroom townhomes in the Brittany Woods subdivision of North Raleigh (just off Lynn Rd near Glenwood) for well under $150k.

Got mine for $94k a couple years ago!

1/29/2014 4:21:38 PM

It's still not close to RTP, but Fuquay might be your best bet if you're keying in good schools. Otherwise, I would recommend you look in Durham somewhere.

1/29/2014 4:33:58 PM

Let me be clear, 150 is just a ballpark number.

[Edited on January 29, 2014 at 4:50 PM. Reason : .]

1/29/2014 4:40:59 PM

There are houses, but they are almost all in less than desirable school districts.

1/29/2014 4:49:43 PM

And the ones that aren't are the ones I'm looking at.

1/29/2014 4:51:25 PM

what is your actual budget

1/29/2014 5:02:03 PM

Do you want a specific number? Because I can't give you that yet.

1/29/2014 7:23:50 PM

I live in a townhouse in Apex that sell for approx $130K. Approx 1500 sqft 3 bed 2.5 bath

If you want an actual single-family house, look for an old fixer-upper or out towards fuquay area.

1/29/2014 7:36:18 PM

I don't see you buying a house any time soon with this attitude.

1/29/2014 8:09:26 PM

We were looking for a 150k house in a shitty school district and it took us a year to find one that didn't need over 50k in repairs. Or maybe my shitty school district is your good school district.

1/29/2014 8:36:18 PM

^^ Are you just bored and trolling in a lounge thread? Or do you have some useful information you are withholding?

On a serious note, what are Holly Springs schools like?

1/29/2014 10:17:27 PM

If you have a ballpark number for a purchase price I'm going to assume you are not sure what you want in a number of other areas as well.

If you are serious about buying a house you will make pull out some hard numbers bc without them you're going to drive yourself nuts.

At least this is my experience.

1/30/2014 9:46:04 AM

Ok, but definitely a step down from Apex (which has houses at about the same price point).

1/30/2014 2:47:11 PM

Use Zillow and/or Trulia they'll be a good jumping in point so you can see what's available in the area you'd like that would be in your ballpark.

1/30/2014 2:52:58 PM

^^^ I will be doing this asap. Just waiting to meet with the wife of the agent I'll be using. She's also an agent, but handles all the financials.

1/31/2014 12:02:03 AM

^^^^ I never had more than a ballpark number or even a range on either house I bought.

I never had any intention with either to spend all I qualified for; it was more of a matter of exactly how far below my means I would be. Hell, I looked from about $120k-220k last time!

1/31/2014 1:28:10 AM

You can find what you're looking for down in Fuquay/Willow Spring area. Southern Wake County. Straight down 401, straight shot to raleigh and surrounding areas.

We built a house down here, 3 br/2ba, 2000 sq ft, .67 acres of land, for ~180,000

A little over your price range, but it is brand new and decent amount of land

[Edited on January 31, 2014 at 7:37 AM. Reason : yea ]

1/31/2014 7:36:35 AM

Seems like that would be quite a haul to RTP. Definitely trying to avoid that.

1/31/2014 12:31:46 PM

You have to compromise on either the size, location, or school quality to get what you want for under 200k.

1/31/2014 12:35:36 PM

It isn't that bad of a drive now... I can leave fuquay and take the 55 bypass through holly springs to the new triangle expressway.. I'm at RTP in about 30 minutes or less depending on traffic.

1/31/2014 1:51:33 PM

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2013/01/30/slideshow-find-out-the-wealth-of-your.html

Just buy a house in the 27614 neighborhood, and youll be good.

1/31/2014 5:35:59 PM

My D0g Tess Realty has a nice buyers rebate program and I know a guy that works there.

2/4/2014 6:03:44 PM

Schools in West Cary are pretty stellar. Get a townhouse there.

2/7/2014 8:28:59 PM

Hmm..with prices like that, have you checked out Durham or Apex? I got a 3 bd, 2ba house, 1300 sq. ft., on just shy of half an acre, for that much in a quiet neighborhood off Roxboro in Durham. Also, lots of folks are moving to Hillsborough, Bahama and Rougemont.

People with children are scared shitless of Durham Public Schools, but the magnet schools and DSA seem to be decent. Have friends who went there: one's in med school at Carolina, one's a local music teacher, another is up in New England as a regional artist. In other words, their parents gave a shit.

2/17/2014 12:01:05 PM

I'm sure my fiance would sell you our house for around 150k, but we live off 401 just north of the 401/capital split so thats NE raleigh. Based on your wants you are going to be looking for a while. Gonna have to compromise on something unfortunately.

2/17/2014 1:26:16 PM

Of course man I totally expect to have to compromise on something! Goes with the territory. Found a place out in the Pittsboro area for 140k bank owned on 5 acres...but drove out there and it was not AT ALL what it appeared to be in the listing. Keepin on keepin on.

2/17/2014 11:23:17 PM

If you are looking at foreclosures expect to have to look at a lot of them. All the best ones get offers the day they hit the market because investors go look at them before they are listed. Been there and done that. It was worth it, but don't expect it to be quick or easy.

Also, Pittsboro schools are worse than Durham last time I checked.

[Edited on February 18, 2014 at 9:31 AM. Reason : ...]

2/18/2014 9:30:28 AM