Hi there r/Raleigh! I'll be moving into the area next month to start a new job on the NC State Centennial campus. I was curious if you folks could help me out on where I should be looking for a home. What areas are good and relatively cheap to rent a house?
Posted Jun 20, 2016, 6:12 PM UTC
Welcome! What's your budget? Are you looking to have roommates? There are a ton of options around NC State. Depending on your version of "cheap" you could probably rent somewhere near campus but you'll obviously have college kids around. Tryon Rd has some cheaper areas. A little nicer (but you could still find a roommate) is around Lake Johnson or a bit further out by Cary Crossroads has numerous apt options that won't be too far from your job.
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions!
Well, what I'm looking for is a single family home for me, my wife and our dogs. I would really like to stay under 1200, but I don't think that will be possible while staying closer to the campus.
I would be OK with a townhouse if it had a fenced area for the dogs.
I appreciate the reply!
Having just done the search myself for a sfh - you're unlikely to find anything like that for $1200 inside the beltline. How far out are you willing to go and what square footage do you want/need?
I work on Centennial! My commute sucks - I live in far North/Northwest Raleigh and there's no decent, direct route. Don't live there. A lot of my coworkers lives in NE Raleigh or Wake Forest - they too complain about commutes.
Cary seems to be a pretty good area to commute from, and I know people who live there and have no problems with commute. It's very suburban and family-oriented, which could be great or awful depending on what you're looking for.
Downtown Raleigh is close to Centennial, but it's pretty expensive. Good place to live if you're young, kid-free, and into going out a lot.
So the real question is, what are you looking for?
It's my wife, dogs, and me right now. Looking for a single family or townhouse with room for the dogs. Hopefully keeping the commute short(ish).
How is it working on Centennial?
Cary is probably your best bet given the price range. Downtown is awesome and very dog friendly, but your most likely looking at closer $1500+.
Pretty cool. There's walking trails, a small lake, food trucks (1 or 2 per day, rotating), and a food court. The food court is a bit overpriced for the mediocre quality, but the convenience is awesome.
Also, Hunt Library is really cool as well. I always show people the BookBot when they visit. And there's a little ice cream/coffee shop in the library that has great ice cream made with milk from NCSU cows.
I agree no North Raleigh!!! It is cheaper but the traffic is horrible. I avoid that area at all costs.
$1200 isn't really realistic for a single family home (with yard) in this area. Maybe closer to fuquay down 401? It all depends on your willingness to commute.
You can find some older town homes in the Cameron village area around $1200 but no yard. There are plenty of parks in the area however. Good luck!
The budget is pretty flexible either way. I just would rather not spend $2k a month. I spent $3k a month in Honolulu and it just made me uncomfortable. Thanks!
I am not in real estate, so take my advice fwiw. I recommend checking around Garner. I am pretty sure that you could come close to what you are looking for there. It's about the same driving distance as Cary, family friendly/safe (as far as I know), and more affordable. Bonus: It's where Scotty McCreery is from. LOL
Hi there! I used to rent in the Caraleigh neighborhood. It's an older neighborhood but most of the houses have nice-sized yards, and it's about 5 minutes from Centennial. Here is a link to a house in that neighborhood currently available. I know it's slightly out of your budget, but $1200-$1609 is what I've seen in that neighborhood for good sized single-family homes with nice yards.
Hey thanks a lot. I wasn't really sure where I could look in town. The budget is flexible, I'm just cheap and like spending money elsewhere. I actually emailed about that place already.
Cary
Anything around Lake Johnson around Avent Ferry Road would be affordable. There are some cute houses near the lake. It is also a great place to go walking, walk your dog, paddle boat, etc. Nice area close to NC State and your kids will love it. You have to be quick!!! I just rented a house in this area and am moving July 1, and I looked for a few months before I found one. I also wanted a fenced yard but did not find that. I actually found a place by paying my application fee before I even saw the house and giving them my deposit on the spot when I saw it. It is tough. Houses are going fast. I am not sure if this is still available, but last week it was - It is on Zillow.com and is on Loch Harbour. It is very close to Lake Johnson, which is very close to Centennial Campus. This is the same rental company I am renting from as of July 1. It's a really cute house and I think it is $1250 a month. Good luck to you and your family!
Hey thanks for all the information. I'll take a look around that area, definitely.