What to Look For Near a New Home

Map your real week before you choose: work, groceries, healthcare, the gym, parks and the places you go most. Time each drive. Judge an area by its places and drive times, and look at what's planned nearby, not just what's there today.

Map your real week

List the places you go in a normal week and how often:

• Work, at the times you'd drive
• Groceries and pharmacy
• Doctors and the hospital you use
• Gym, church, activities and the kids' practices
• Parks, trails and where you walk the dog
• Friends and family you see often
• The airport, if you travel for work

Then time each drive from the home you're considering. The total tells you more than any listing.

For example, from the Collins Ridge sales office where I work, I measured off-peak drives of about 3.5 minutes to downtown Hillsborough, 7 minutes to Aldi, 9 minutes to UNC Hospitals Hillsborough, and 40 minutes to Raleigh-Durham Airport.

What are some examples of community amenities?

Inside a new community, common amenities include:

• A pool and clubhouse
• Walking trails and sidewalks
• Parks, playgrounds and a dog park
• Open space and ponds
• A fitness room or sports courts

Nearby, in the wider area:

• Grocery stores and a pharmacy
• Healthcare and urgent care
• Parks, greenways and natural areas
• Restaurants and a downtown
• Libraries and community centers

Ask which in-community amenities are finished and when the rest will open.

Can I get around Raleigh, NC without a car?

In parts of Raleigh, a car-light life is possible, especially downtown, with GoRaleigh buses and walkable neighborhoods. For most of the Triangle, though, a car is the practical choice.

Smaller towns have options too. Hillsborough, for example, lists GoTriangle's Orange-Durham Express to Durham, Route 420 to Chapel Hill and UNC Hospitals, and a local circulator. Check the transit agency's trip planner for the trips you'd actually make.

What city is 30 minutes away from Raleigh, NC?

It depends on where in Raleigh you start and what time you drive. Several Triangle towns fall within about half an hour of Raleigh off-peak, and much farther at rush hour. Durham is the big one many people consider.

Hillsborough is farther. From the Collins Ridge sales office, downtown Raleigh is about 53 minutes off-peak.

Look at what's coming, too

Today's map isn't tomorrow's. Before you buy, check:

• The town's planning department for approved projects nearby
• What's planned for empty land around the community
• Road projects that could change your drive

Who's writing this. I sell new homes for D.R. Horton at Collins Ridge in Hillsborough, so I represent the builder, not you. This guide is general education from my years on job sites and in sales. It isn't legal, tax or lending advice, and it doesn't describe any specific home, price or incentive. Check the sources linked below, and talk with your own lender, agent or attorney before you decide.