Cary, North Carolina: Buy a Home in the Research Triangle

The town sits a short drive from Research Triangle Park, major universities and Raleigh-Durham airport. Neighbourhoods such as downtown Cary, Preston and Weston offer different mixes of older and newer homes, and the town runs an extensive greenway network and parks. Many homes sit in subdivisions governed by HOAs that set rules on exterior changes and fees. Summers are humid and winters mild, and there is occasional hurricane-related storm impact inland. Buyers are often employees of technology and pharmaceutical firms, plus retirees. Look at New York for a contrast, or at Naples if you prefer coastal Florida.

There are few federal limits on foreign buyers, although you should complete tax registration if you rent the property out and be aware of withholding when you sell. Mortgages for foreign nationals typically ask for large deposits. The usual North Carolina process is an offer, a due diligence period with an option fee, inspection, appraisal and a closing handled by an attorney, which differs from title-company states. Read our US buying guide and see US financing.

Several of our US city feeds report the same median price, so treat the headline number as indicative and use the listing pages for the real range.