Holly Springs · Cary
12 Oaks vs. Preston vs. MacGregor Downs: Which Fits a $1M+ Buyer?
For a $1M+ buyer, Preston in Cary had the most $1M+ sales of the three in the 12 months ending Oct. 26, 2026, with 30. MacGregor Downs had the oldest homes and the biggest lots. 12 Oaks in Holly Springs had the newest homes and the lowest price per square foot, per Wake County records.
By Leonna Weiss, Weiss Choice Realty at KW Legacy · Last updated:
Side by side
How do 12 Oaks, Preston and MacGregor Downs compare?
| Past 12 months | 12 Oaks | Preston | MacGregor Downs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town | Holly Springs | Cary | Cary |
| Single-family sales | 89 | 50 | 16 |
| $800K+ sales | 39 | 37 | 15 |
| $1M+ sales | 24 | 30 | 8 |
| Median sale price | $735,000 | $1,177,500 | $1,010,000 |
| Middle half of sales | $670,000–$1,000,000 | $793,250–$1,393,750 | $944,375–$1,237,500 |
| Highest sale | $2,125,000 | $2,750,000 | $2,850,000 |
| Median heated sq ft | 2,946 | 3,348 | 3,192 |
| Median lot | 0.18 ac | 0.37 ac | 0.64 ac |
| Median year built | 2016 | 1995 | 1981 |
| Median $ per heated sq ft | $269 | $353 | $338 |
| Single-family homes in county records | 1,705 | 1,742 | 480 |
| Golf club | The Club at 12 Oaks | Prestonwood Country Club | MacGregor Downs Country Club |
Wake County qualified sales, single-family detached, one-parcel deeds, Oct. 27, 2025 – Oct. 26, 2026. One Preston deed under $100,000 is left out as a non-market sale. Home counts are built single-family parcels in Wake County GIS records. Preston includes every Cary section with Preston in its recorded name, except townhomes. MacGregor Downs leaves out MacGregor West, townhomes and villas.
At the $800K+ level the gap narrows on price but not on what you get:
| $800K+ sales only | 12 Oaks | Preston | MacGregor Downs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median price | $1,075,000 | $1,300,000 | $1,025,000 |
| Median heated sq ft | 3,547 | 3,483 | 3,234 |
| Median lot | 0.25 ac | 0.43 ac | 0.66 ac |
| Median year built | 2015 | 1995 | 1981 |
| Median $ per heated sq ft | $289 | $368 | $339 |
Same Wake County sales, $800K+ only.
Who each one suits
Which neighborhood fits which buyer?
12 Oaks · Holly Springs
Choose 12 Oaks if you want a newer home (the county lists homes built from 2007 on) and more square feet for the money. Lots are smaller. Club life is built in, since social membership is mandatory for homeowners. Read my 12 Oaks guide.
Preston · Cary
Preston had the deepest $1M+ market of the three and the widest choice of sections, mostly from the late 1980s to 2000s. It also had the highest price per square foot. Prestonwood membership is a separate decision, because the club says owning a home in Preston isn't required to join.
MacGregor Downs · Cary
MacGregor Downs is the oldest and smallest of the three, built around a private club that opened in 1967. Homes sit on the largest lots, a median of about two-thirds of an acre. Expect older homes and only a handful of sales in a year, so be ready to move when the right one lists.
Still deciding between Cary and Holly Springs?
The town matters as much as the neighborhood. Compare the towns on my Apex vs. Holly Springs vs. Cary page and my Cary and Holly Springs pages.
Rough math
What does $1.1 million buy in each neighborhood?
Using each neighborhood's median price per heated square foot for $800K+ sales, $1.1 million works out to roughly 3,800 square feet in 12 Oaks, 3,200 in MacGregor Downs and 3,000 in Preston. That's a rough guide, not a price opinion. Condition, lot, golf frontage and updates move individual homes well above or below the median.
The clubs
How do the three clubs compare?
| The Club at 12 Oaks | Prestonwood Country Club | MacGregor Downs Country Club | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Private | Privately owned and operated | Private |
| Golf | 18 holes, Nicklaus Design Group | 54 holes | 18 holes, Willard Byrd design |
| Opened | Course opened 2008 (club's site) | Since 1988 | 1967 |
| Tied to the home? | Social membership mandatory for 12 Oaks homeowners | Homeownership in Preston not required for membership | Ask the club |
| Dues and initiation | Confirm with the club | Confirm with the club | Confirm with the club |
From each club's website, checked Nov. 13, 2026, and my 12 Oaks guide. The Club at 12 Oaks and MacGregor Downs are both affiliates of Concert Golf Partners, and both advertise one membership for two clubs. Ask what your level includes.
How I work
Comparing these neighborhoods with me
I'm Leonna Weiss, with Weiss Choice Realty at KW Legacy in Apex. When buyers compare these three, I pull the closed sales for the sections that fit their budget and walk through the club and HOA costs side by side. If you're selling in one of them, I price from the same dated sales, not list prices. See my Southwest Wake luxury market page for the wider $1M+ picture, my golf-course homes guide for all five club neighborhoods, or read about me.
Questions people ask
Frequently asked questions
Which is more expensive, 12 Oaks, Preston or MacGregor Downs?
Preston. Its median single-family sale was $1,177,500 in the 12 months ending Oct. 26, 2026, against $1,010,000 in MacGregor Downs and $735,000 in 12 Oaks, per Wake County records. Preston also had the highest median price per heated square foot, $353.
Which has more $1 million home sales, 12 Oaks, Preston or MacGregor Downs?
Preston had 30 sales of $1 million or more in the 12 months ending Oct. 26, 2026. 12 Oaks had 24 and MacGregor Downs had 8.
Which neighborhood has the biggest lots?
MacGregor Downs. Its median lot was 0.64 acre for sales in the 12 months ending Oct. 26, 2026, compared with 0.37 acre in Preston and 0.18 acre in 12 Oaks.
Which neighborhood has the newest homes?
12 Oaks in Holly Springs. The median home sold in the past year was built in 2016, compared with 1995 in Preston and 1981 in MacGregor Downs.
Do you have to join the club in 12 Oaks, Preston or MacGregor Downs?
In 12 Oaks, social membership is mandatory for homeowners. Prestonwood Country Club says owning a home in Preston is not required for membership. For MacGregor Downs, ask the club directly. Confirm dues with each club.
Are 12 Oaks, Preston and MacGregor Downs in town limits?
Yes, almost entirely. Wake County parcel records place 12 Oaks homes inside Holly Springs town limits and Preston and MacGregor Downs homes inside Cary, with one Preston parcel listed as unincorporated. Confirm the specific parcel on Wake County iMAPS.
Torn between two of these?
Tell me your budget, the size you need and how much golf matters. I'll put the closed sales for each neighborhood side by side.
Sources
Where these numbers come from
- Wake County Department of Tax Administration records: Qualified Sales, Past 24 Months (file stamped Oct. 31, 2026; latest sale Oct. 26, 2026), services.wake.gov. Single-family detached, land-and-building sales on one-parcel deeds, Oct. 27, 2025 – Oct. 26, 2026. Neighborhoods matched by the names in Wake County parcel records: TWELVE OAKS (Holly Springs), PRESTON (Cary planning jurisdiction, no townhomes), MACGREGOR DOWNS (Cary, without MacGregor West, townhomes or villas).
- Wake County GIS parcel data (built single-family homes; assessed values as of the Jan. 1, 2024 revaluation): maps.wake.gov, pulled Nov. 2026. Used for the home counts and town limits.
- The Club at 12 Oaks: About and Membership; Prestonwood Country Club: home page and About Us; MacGregor Downs Country Club: About, Golf and Membership. All checked Nov. 13, 2026.
- 12 Oaks social membership requirement: Leonna Weiss, confirmed Oct. 24, 2026, as published on the 12 Oaks guide.
Weiss Choice Realty, brokered by Keller Williams Legacy
1483 Beaver Creek Commons Dr, Apex, NC 27502 · Call or text (919) 648-0458 · leonna@weisschoicerealty.com