Places to Live?

chrissyp18

Hi SC Nesties!  I just posted this on the NC board, but thought I would also try here considering that Charlotte is so close to SC.  so:

DH and I currently live in the burbs outside of Baltimore.  I've recently contemplated moving to the Carolinas.  One aunt just moved to Charlotte and loves it.  The other retired to Myrtle Beach.  So the area has caught my attention.  

I've heard such great things about Charlotte, and wanted your insight.  Particularly about the housing market.  What is the average house price?  Can you get more bang for your buck in your opinion?  Also how are the jobs?  I know Charlotte has many financial institutions.  So I guess that's good news for DH and I.  I work for a large money manager in Baltimore.  DH does private equity investment banking.  Are salaries comparable to other similar cities, say Baltimore, Chicago, Philly?  How far are you from the beaches?  The mountains?  What are the demographics like?  What surrounding areas in Charlotte are great places to look at?  How is crime (I'm sure less than Baltimore!)?  

Thanks!!

 

MrsZP2B

We moved from the DC area and originally came down to look at Charlotte as a place to relocate, but then while we were there we came down to Greenville to visit my cousin and just fell in love with it here.  It's smaller and there aren't as many financial jobs, but the cost of living is less and the people are wonderful.

 This will answer a lot of your questions about Charlotte.

I know as far as home values Charlotte has one of the only housing markets in the nation that is still on the rise.  The most desirable part of town is the south-east, and homes there are around $250 for a starter home.  It is a sellers market, especially for homes under $300.
 

 

 

WendyLoveapple

I like Charlotte of the COL is so expensive there.  I would consider Greenville or even NE Columbia (60 min commute to Charlotte).  Generally you can find a starter in NE Columbia from $120 to $160.  I have friend on that side of town that just bought a 4 bed 3 bath for $165k.  For 200-300K you can get what ever you want where ever you want.

Mrs*God

DH and I are also looking to move to Charlotte and have found the COL to not be very expensive.  We've looked at real estate and salaries and I think it's probably one of the most affordable large cities in the country.  Comparing it to someplace smaller is apples to oranges.  I think if we were to move from Charleston to Charlotte we would be better off financially.  Everyone is different though, so do your research.  Plus the education system in SC is something we don't want to deal with down the road - with SC consistently ranking in the high 40s (out of 50 states), the only place to go is up. 

nbrockwell

If you are set on Charlotte, you may want to look at the Rock Hill/Fort Mill area of SC, just a 20 minute drive to uptown and much less inexpensive. I lived in Rock Hill for 4 years while attending college and it has really grown to be a nice place, plenty of growth, restaurants, etc. A lot of people that live in that area work in charlotte. And you can get a house with a yard for 200 or less. Something to think about at least

WendyLoveapple

I agree with Rock Hill too.  And as per pp, Charlotte and Charleston are about the same COL which is nearly 10% higher than Greenville or Columbia.  But anyone doing their research would know that.