Pinky

Been looking at moving from CT to Research Triangle Park(well within a 1/2 hour).

Want very good school system and a good town! My company is looking to buy a company down in RTP and I am looking to move to NC so it's a match hopefully made if all goes well. I can work from anywhere in the country as I work remote right now.

I was looking south of RTP mostly but am open to other areas or suggestions within that 30 minute drive.

Is there a lot of traffic to speak of that would hamper any Google maps times?

We have been looking a lot at NEW houses and ones in housing developments as they usually pool resources and have a community pool, playground and gym! I don't need a ton of land it's just more to mow and keep up taking away from my free time.

We have really considered buying land or the lot and custom building the house as we can then make it the way WE want it and have it made with a 3 car garage as I have not seen many/any in my searches.

If we move it will be only to rent for a year and finalize where exactly we want to buy.

If anyone is in or around the Holly Springs area or RTP we can maybe meet up for a beer/dinner. I will be with my wife and kid so no serious drinking. Though would definitely like to pick the brains of those that are locals or even better those that have moved to the area. I know one of the CO's Kevin is in Wake Forest and from NY so maybe he will be able to make it out and catch up with us.

s98d7fs

Speaking from being in the Raleigh/Cary area for the past 10 some years, it's really an excellent spot to live (I'm sure you've already read a lot of the reviews of the Raleigh/RTP area as being a decent spot). Lots of good schools up from elementary up through the local universities.

Traffic isnt really bad at all. There is a good amount of new construction, both in housing communities as well as road expansion. Highway 40 is where you'll see most of the traffic issues coming from Raleigh to RTP in the mornings and vise versa in the evenings. Everything else holds pretty true to Google Maps

As far as types of homes, there are a lot of older communities right around the RTP/Cary area. Many are really nice, but are older homes (20 or so years). Holly Springs is definitely a good spot though. There are a few shopping centers going up in that area and there is a new highway that helps cut down commute times to RTP (if you had to go into the office). Since it sounds like you'd be leaning toward a custom home, that'd be the area at the top of my list.

Hopefully that helps a bit and others can chime in with their thoughts maybe even from a recently relocated perspective.

Thomas

rbackhouse

I'm in Apex, south of RTP but north of Holly Springs. We've been here for 15 years now. Commute time into RTP is probably between 20-30 minutes depending on the time of day. A new stretch of I-540 was opened in the summer that takes it down to Apex. This helps immensely with commute times (I can get into RTP in just over 15 minutes) but the downside is that this new section is toll. Daily cost into RTP from Apex is $7. If you don't take the tollroad your choice into RTP is either Highway 55 or Davis Drive, both of which can be painful due to the really crappy driving of others.

I love Apex and really wouldn't consider living in any other local area. We have lived in North Raleigh and Cary in the past although we are talking close to 20 years ago now. The population of Apex in 1997 when we moved was around 10k. Today its over 30k and still growing. Back in 97 we had to head out to Cary if we needed any major stores. Today it's rare that we need to.

If you consider Holly Springs bear in mind that you have to go through Apex to get into RTP, unless you take a longer route via US-1 and I-40. As of today it's a real bottleneck going through Apex via Highway 55. Things do get better at the end of the year when I-540 has new section opened that bypasses this. Again the downside is that it's toll. For this alone I would have problems living in Holly Springs (or Fuquay-Varina even further south).

HTH

Saki GT

Its important to know that 540 is a toll road south and a free road north of the city. Lots of growth south of Raleigh these days, but plenty of growth in east Durham too. Bright Leaf in Durham is all new construction, community pool, three car garages in the right price ranges, etc, and is a few miles outside RTP, which would offer considerable savings in time, tolls and gas.

I'd be wary of the new growth "sprawl" areas as they are growing much faster than the infrastructure will be able to support. If you need to be in RTP, I don't know I'd want to live across town and take a toll road daily... just some thoughts.

Feel free to pm me if you want to know why I chose where I did and any details about the metro area. I've lived in the Triangle since 1996.

rbackhouse

There is one advantage to it being toll. It's currently empty 24/7

I must confess I only use it once a week at the most so it meets my needs perfectly.

Pinky

Saki GT you got PM. Yeah I know Holly Springs might be a bit of a stretch to drive in and especially know knowing I40 is going to be "BUSY" and 540 is Toll Road that really turns me off to the south of RTP.

Looking for a town that isn't going to immediately grow into a crazy busy town. That's what's happening with my home town and almost don't recognize it any more. People are just all out for themselves and it sickens me.

Plus the cost of living up here is crazy. Taxes are outrageous and home prices for what you get are just sad!

rbackhouse

I'm sure you already realize but there is always going to be trade-offs. TBH in the 15 years I've lived in Apex I can't say the drive into RTP has got any worse. The volume of traffic has increased but then the major roads in (55 and Davis Drive) have both been widened. You could look at Morrisville or Brier Creek which are both closer to RTP but both have big downsides IMO. Morrisville is in the Flight Path of RDU and Brier Creek has a distinct lack of available schools that's not going to be remedied anytime soon. You can look at North Raleigh and further out Wake Forest but then again the commute is no better than south of RTP.

Saki GT

Hey this is a bit OT, but that $7/day - that's to get to RTP and back each day, not one way, right?

Saki GT

OP you need to list what is important to you and rank them - that should also influence areas you look at.

rbackhouse

Yes, that's to RTP and back, using a sticker based transponder, not by paying by mail.