Anyone plugged into the realty market in Carrboro/Chapel Hill/Hillsborough area?

[blm]

If we don't find a house soon, we'll have to rent an apartment just to get little blm started in school.

Man...it's a tough search.

[Island Blue]

1. I'm not, but you'll be moving closer

to where I live. You, Mr. blm and little blm will have to head east for a visit some time! :hi:

[blm]

4. and...we will.

.

[zazen]

2. I know Triangle pretty well--what's your price range? and the school is important

It might be worth renting in the areas with the highest ranked schools (or ones who have whatever quality for which you're looking) to get a sense of where you want to buy _and_ to go ahead and get your child in the schools you want.

Inner Chapel Hill and inside the Beltline Raleigh are about the safest housing markets around right now. They're only appreciating at a steady 2% instead of the 5-10%/year we've seen. Send me an e-mail if you have more questions. Good luck!

[blm]

3. 3 bd 2 ba, 260-320k, depending on the area.

We are leaving a beautiful 30s craftsman near downtown Charlotte. Most of our furniture is of that period, too, so modern housing really doesn't fit.

Any help will definitely be appreciated.

[zazen]

5. do you already have a realtor?

We owned a 14-bedroom 1922 millhouse at the main intersection of downtown Concord in 1972, which my parents renovated and then sold for a nice profit. The layers of wallpaper told so many stories. I remember standing outside that house as a kid rattling pots and pans when the Vietman war ended. : - ) Too bad that part of Concord has gone down the tubes.

Carrboro has some gorgeous mill houses and is such a funky walking community. I'd assume that'd be ideal. In what town will you be working? Are you willing to commute from H-borough to CH?

I'd be really surprised if you could get any renovated historical three-bedroom surrounding the UNC Campus for less than 350K.

And there's a "faux" Cary community on the Chapel Hill side of HW 55 that's full of brand new craftsman-style houses. Cary does have a very international community but you have to drive everywhere.

I've sold by owner the last two times and bought by owner the last two times, and saved gobs of money. I encourage you to do it that way if possible--or maybe you've already searched the FSBO web site?

I'll write a friend in the downtown CH area to see if any of his neighbors are selling that type of house. I knew someone two months ago who was trying to sell a 1909 Raleigh "craftsman" type house in the famous and lively community of Boylan Heights in downtown Raleigh (they have their own art walks and are creating their own brand of beer, I heard. Could be wrong on the last one.) Don't know if he rented or sold but I can write him about it. Let me know. Good luck--

[supernova]

6. There's also Oakwood in Raleigh

Right around Peace St and Blount ("blunt") St.

My niece and her hubby bought a rundown 1920's bungalow there, 2 blocks back from the Krispy Kreme store. It was so dilapidated, she thought he was crazy, at first. I did too. :P They fixed it up, lived in it for about 4 years and then sold it at a nice profit.

[blm]

8. That sounds like our type of house. ;)

.

[blm]

7. Yeah - we're finding that area has no great bargains, no matter what the housing market is doing

elsewhere.

Struck out in Hillsborough today. Nothing suitable, at all.

Haven't looked into FSBO - will try and check it out on line.

Thanks.

BTW, mr blm would commute from Raleigh if we found a suitable house there. He'll buy a Prius. ;)