Looking to Move (hope I'm in the right board/forum)

mrsthoser

Hi all! I hope I'm in the right place - if not could someone please direct me? TYIA

My husband and I are looking to move to NC (currently in NJ), but we're not quite sure where we want to go. We're planning a trip down in January, but we don't really know which towns to start looking at. I've Googled "great places to live," etc., unsure of how much to trust the sources (i.e. were they paid to say a certain city was ranked #1?).

If there's anyone out there who currently lives or has lived in NC and can give us some insight it would be greatly appreciated. Also any tips on making a big move would be great.

Thanks!
T.H.

englishtrish1

We live about 20 minutes outside of Asheville and love it. For us it has everything, outdoor activities, festivals, great food, great beer, lots to do. We have found the people to be warm and welcoming in the 3 years we have lived here.

The cons are increasing real estate and recent bidding wars in town, high property taxes, low wages and few well paying jobs.

jtmh2012

The first thing I'd be looking at is how is employment in your field in the various cities?  If you can't find a job there, the rest doesn't matter.

short+sassy

I moved from CA to New Orleans, but had an apartment rented ahead of time.  I rented one of those big Uhauls and drove.

Moving Tip #1:  Pack your mattress, bedding, pillows last.  Because, just in case you get into town late, you want all of that stuff handy to get a good rest!

Also, if you are moving down before you have a job lined up, you might have trouble renting a place.  If at all possible, have extra cash reserves that you could use to offer potential landlords an incentive to take a risk on you.  Like first AND last, plus security.  Or paying three months rent ahead of time.

This last bit of advice is especially close to my heart, lol.  I currently have a rental unit available and I've had TWO different applicants who were like, "Yay!  We just moved to NOLA, but no we don't have jobs yet."  Yet neither were willing to do what I suggested above.  Probably because they didn't have the money saved.  Ummm...nooooooo.

MommyLiberty5013

NC has some of the worst public schools in the nation. So, you may wish to figure out a place to live based on school districts if you have or plan to have a family and if your kiddles will go to public schools versus private or home school.

There a lot of nice places in NC! I ditto PP who suggested taking into consideration your and DH's job fields.

Another consideration is storms - NC does get some big storms, so you might wish to consider that if you look at communities along or close to the coast.

mrsthoser

I did just look up the rankings on the public schools...seems like they are suffering from lack of funding like a lot of other states. EnglishTrish, do you have children? If so, what are the schools like by where you are? And MommyLiberty, I'm not sure if you live in NC currently, but if you do and can provide some additional insight, I would appreciate it! Thanks!

Definitely have thought about the storms and we are going to avoid hurricane alley, staying more inland.

I totally agree with looking at jobs before settling, I'm just not sure how to go about it the most efficient way. I feel like I can't exactly go out there come January and start asking "so hey are you going to be hiring in the next 6 months to a year?" Do we just start passing our resumes around?

englishtrish1

I don't but my friends and neighbors who have kids seem pleased with the Asheville schools. What do you do for a living?

AprilZ81

I lived in Concord, NC (just north of Charlotte) for 8 years.  The area was great for amenities (large airport, amusement park, pro sports, lakes, 3 hours to the beach etc.).

Charlotte is a large banking hub and professional jobs were plentiful while I was down there.  Charlotte Mecklenburg schools are a real mess (poor performance, overcrowded, too big, too much waste, etc.) but the surrounding area schools were much better.

Real estate was reasonable in most areas, but there are a lot of ritzy properties downtown and around Lake Norman.

I always heard wonderful things about Raleigh but I never lived there.

JoanE2012

mrsthoser said:

Hi all! I hope I'm in the right place - if not could someone please direct me? TYIA

My husband and I are looking to move to NC (currently in NJ), but we're not quite sure where we want to go. We're planning a trip down in January, but we don't really know which towns to start looking at. I've Googled "great places to live," etc., unsure of how much to trust the sources (i.e. were they paid to say a certain city was ranked #1?).

If there's anyone out there who currently lives or has lived in NC and can give us some insight it would be greatly appreciated. Also any tips on making a big move would be great.

Thanks!
T.H.

What's drawing you to NC?

mrsthoser

Originally we were looking at either of the Carolinas to live in. Love the south and the hospitality. Sick of Jersey. Another reason is that when we visited Myrtle Beach one year, my seasonal allergies didn't flare up like they do here. We are now leaning towards NC because of DHs current work. He is a chimney technician (we figure if we go too far south, he'll be out of work). However he does have experience in other fields. I work in an office for an awningand solar shade company, handling a lot of the commercial projects. I'm also a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, which I can take anywhere with me.

englishtrish1

A hint about seasonal allergies, when I first moved here from FL my allergies went away completely, now on year 3 they are back with a vengeance.
If you decide on the Asheville area, be sure you have a job before you move here. Competition for rental property is high with a 91% occupancy rate, so looking for a place before you got a job would be impossible

mrsthoser

We're not looking to rent though, we want to buy. Not sure what the market is for houses there (or anywhere), but I'd rather make one last move and be d

jtmh2012

Even buying, banks are going to want to see proof of income of an existing job and/or a letter of offer showing employment.  Unless you've got enough money that you'll be able to buy without a loan?

simplyelise

I know how much it sucks to move. I've moved six times in the last 4.5 years. But I would strongly advise against buying before you get to the area and get settled into jobs. 

Unless you already have a job lined up in a city that you are moving to, it is extremely risky to get yourself tied to a mortgage. How would you even know how much you could afford if you don't have an income? And as PP mentioned, you might have trouble even securing a loan without employment.

Suck it up and get a rental home for a year while you really determine the best place to buy and establish some employment history.

mrsthoser

Again, definitely going to make sure we have jobs before moving. As much as I hate to admit it, renting would probably be a better idea to start with. At least we'd know if we didn't like the area, we could leave easier. My fear is what happens if we get settled into jobs, but then find a home or town that is a significant commute from said jobs? Maybe I'm over-thinking this but it's a HUGE commitment to make such a big move and I want to make sure as little goes awry as possible. I would hate for us to end up "stuck" somewhere.

jtmh2012

Even worse would be to find a home or a town and then find out you can't get a job there and have a really long commute.

marshalljordan969

Moving to New Jersey is a cool idea. But before this you must try in New York. There are many real estate agents who can guide you to buy a property in a standard and peaceful locality.

jeanhoward97

I really love Wake Forest in North Carolina, as it is full with the parks and outdoor activities to really take advantage of that sunshine—hence their high rank in amenities.