Northampton

Northampton is the practical answer to the Heritage schools. About 260 homes went up here between 2001 and 2006, split between townhomes and single-family houses, which is why the price band runs as wide as roughly $300k to $475k. The townhome sections are the low-maintenance end and the cheaper way in. The detached houses cost more and come with a yard to mow. Either way the school assignment is the same, the community pool is the same, and the dues stay modest. Buyers who priced out of the bigger neighborhoods near Heritage often land here and decide they gave up less than they expected.

Where it is

The neighborhood sits between Capital Boulevard and Heritage, on the Raleigh-facing side of Wake Forest. Capital Boulevard and US-1 are the same road, so the highway is a turn or two away instead of a trip across town, and that access is most of the appeal for anyone commuting south. Downtown Wake Forest is a short drive in the other direction. You will be driving, though. Nothing about this address is a walk to Main Street, and the errands that feel close are the ones out on the corridor.

What to know if you're moving here

The build years are the thing to pay attention to, and the setting is the thing to be honest about. What the money buys here is a sound, sensible house rather than a showpiece.

• Houses from 2001 to 2006 have had long enough for a roof or an HVAC system to reach the end of a first life.
• Ask what has been replaced and when before you fall for the kitchen.
• HOA dues run $60 to $120 a month depending on which section you land in, and the pool comes with them.
• Schools are Jones Dairy Elementary, Heritage Middle and Heritage High, which is the assignment most buyers are here for.
• Capital Boulevard is a commercial corridor, and the convenience of living next to it arrives with the traffic of living next to it.
• Townhome yards are small to nonexistent, and at $300k to $475k the finishes are ordinary.

What to do if you're visiting

Most of what a visitor does from here happens out along the corridor. None of it is a destination trip. It is a neighborhood you visit because you know someone in it, and the pool and the streets belong to the people who live there.

• The nearest cluster of shops to the neighborhood is Capital Plaza, which handles the errand end of a day.
• For something straight off the grill, Char-Grill – Wake Forest is the one people drive to on purpose.
• When the evening calls for plates instead of paper, Amalia's Authentic Italian Restaurant is the Italian sit-down option.
• With kids in the car, Battle House Laser Tag – Wake Forest is indoors and good for an afternoon that rain has ruined.