Pike Creek, New Castle County

Pike Creek: One of the best places to live in Delaware in 2013.

“I’m still partial to that area, because we have very few building opportunities” says Scott Patrick of Patterson Schwartz in Hockessin. That lack of new housing starts means stable values for existing homes and, in Pike Creek Valley, it means a variety of housing styles and a wide range of prices. Prices are, in fact, as stable as those in North Wilmington, where there is no space at all for new development, Patrick says. In Pike Creek, condos, townhomes and detached single-family homes fit everyone from the newest members of the workforce to the financially established. Jim Pettit of Pettit Real Estate in Wilmington likes the economic diversity, which allows step-up buyers to stay in the area when the time comes to make their move. Some communities—the condos of Fairway Falls, the townhomes of Pepper Ridge and the houses of Linden Hill, to name a few—border the beautiful open space that was once the Pike Creek Golf Club. The area is situated between employment centers in Newark and Wilmington. White Clay Creek State Park, Carousel Farm and Middle Run Natural Resources Area provide convenient and beautiful outdoor recreation. The stores and restaurants of Lantana Square and Pike Creek Valley Shopping Center are minutes away on Del. 7. But most important, children attend good public schools in the Red Clay district. “Schools are a real driver this year,” Patrick says. “That feeder pattern is a big draw. I’ve got people waiting in the wings to buy there.” See also Bear for homes in the top-ranked Appoquinimink School District.

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