Possible move....

berri_boo · #1 01-11-2008, 10:24 PM

After coming back from our most recent trip to WDW this past Nov/Dec my DH & I have decided we want to move a little more south. We came back to cold, snow and just plain nasty weather after being in FL in the 80's, warm and none snowy area. We decided on the Charlotte, NC area as it is not too far south. We want to get away from these horrible northeast winters. We are hoping that this will be our last winter in NY

DH has started applying for jobs down there and we both looked into pay rates and they are much better then what we are getting here..which was a surprise (he's in business management & I'm in accounting) & cost of living seems to be generally lower then it is here so we could do well down there!

For anyone who knows this area of NC what towns are a good place to live? We're doing on-line research but it's always nice to go to a message board where you know you can trust what people are saying!

Deesdisney · #2 01-11-2008, 11:39 PM

I moved to Mooresville North Carolina in 96 from San Diego Calif. I love it here. The schools are great, people are great and we are 30 min from Charlotte when there is no traffic. I live near Lake Norman and all the race shops (Nascar). It snows every once in awhile. However when it snows hard or we have an ice storm everything shuts down. They do not have the equipment that other places have. If you have any other questions about this area write to me. I will let you know what I can.

MushuMulan · #3 01-12-2008, 12:44 AM

Funny, living in the south, I think the opposite, I want to see the snow and colder weather

.

I'd find a nice place in the mountains if I could (although I'm sure it'd be quite expensive). North Carolina is such a beautiful place though it seems like anywhere you go in it would be a nice place to live.

Good luck!

Melanie · #4 01-12-2008, 02:44 AM

My mom grew up in the Charlotte area and I still have many relatives there. I'd look into the towns in Union County, such as Waxhaw and Weddington. The area has boomed in recent years.

And the Huntersville area north of Charlotte is nice as well.

murphy1 · #5 01-12-2008, 09:31 AM

My sister just moved from FL (Tampa) to that area. There are quite a few people moving there from your neck of the woods. It's nice there, you still get change of season, but no as drastic as what you are used to. Hey, I'll throw a wrench in, you should look at Forsyth County, GA, too, it's a wonderful area and only 7 hrs by car to Disney and the weather is a big perk. There is also a lot of history here and we have a pretty good economy, you are also right near Atlanta. If we ever get snow or ice, it's is usually a last ditch in early March. Yesterday we were wearing short sleeves. I want to move back to FL or live there part of the year and here. I grew up there and miss the true beaches.

drummerboy · #6 01-12-2008, 10:03 AM

I've lived in Albemarle and Statesville, which are over toward Charlotte, but probably too far north for a commute. Charlotte has become quite a business and banking hub over the years, so it should present a lot of opportunities for both of you. I think the suggestion of Mooresville is a good one, but several small towns not too far away are also available.

One word of caution--if you've not lived in the South before, you might be in for some culture shock, especially if you move to a small town. The differences are more than superficial, so you might want to look into that as well.

Disneymom4ever · #7 01-12-2008, 10:07 PM

I, too, live in Mooresville, NC (small world). We moved here 1 yr ago from Seattle, Wa, talk about a change! We love it here! I did research online, narrowed it down to 5 towns, and when we got here, explored them all. We ended up in Mooresville, because the lake is nearby, which is nice. And of course schools. That was my #1 priority. The schools are awesome, my Ds's are actually more challenged here than they were in Seattle. The one thing that really surprised me was the amount of newcomers to this area! I've only met a few true Southerners here, so many seem to be from other states! It's actually nice, I don't feel so out of place. I'm amazed at the weather here, I've never seen so much sun! (Of course I came from Seattle, so quite a difference!). Good luck in your research, for us it was a great move!

berri_boo · #8 01-12-2008, 10:32 PM

So far - Thanks everyone!

We've done a lot of research so far and there is a major migration going on of people from the northeast (mostly NY & NJ) moving to NC and points south.

My husband has a phone interview on Wednesday morning

.

Our big thing is this bitter cold...We have both lived in the northeast our whole lives (him half in MA-half in NY but me totally in NY). Two of the biggest concerns for us are the schools (as we def want children in the near future) and crime rates! We are researching those very intently. We are a

Quote:

Originally Posted by drummerboy

One word of caution--if you've not lived in the South before, you might be in for some culture shock, especially if you move to a small town. The differences are more than superficial, so you might want to look into that as well.

Thanks for the tip here....I will have to do some research about this. I don't come from a big city or anything but it isn't small either.

Thanks again!

ncscgirl2005 · #9 01-13-2008, 08:27 PM

You may even consider Rock Hill SC. It is very close to Charlotte and from what I heard it is booming. Good Luck!

I agree with another poster about researching the small towns. It can most definetely be a culture shock down here in the south!

berri_boo · #10 01-16-2008, 05:20 PM

DH just had a phone interview today and it sounds promising! One thing...I have cousins who moved to NC this past July but are moving back because they got really home sick for their family & friends...anyway....

They told me that there is a car tax in NC. Is this true?? If so...how much does it usually run??

Thanks again for your help!

ncscgirl2005 · #11 01-16-2008, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berri_boo

DH just had a phone interview today and it sounds promising! One thing...I have cousins who moved to NC this past July but are moving back because they got really home sick for their family & friends...anyway....

They told me that there is a car tax in NC. Is this true?? If so...how much does it usually run??

Thanks again for your help!

Yes there is a vehicle tax in NC. I think the amt depends upon the county in which you reside. Our car is still registered in our old county and it costs us about $60-70 a year. It's a 2000 Toyota Camry. When it was brand new I don't think we paid over $125 a year for the tax. Well actually (and I'm not bragging but it is a very nice perk) we don't pay anything for taxes since DH is in the military and NC is not his home of record.

berri_boo · #12 01-17-2008, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncscgirl2005

Yes there is a vehicle tax in NC. I think the amt depends upon the county in which you reside.

Thanks ncscgirl2005! Would you happen to know why there is such a tax? If not I can research it when I get home tonight!

Thanks so much for all the helpful information!

ncscgirl2005 · #13 01-17-2008, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berri_boo

Thanks ncscgirl2005! Would you happen to know why there is such a tax? If not I can research it when I get home tonight!

Thanks so much for all the helpful information!

I'm not quite sure. I was born and raised there and it's always been the "norm" for us so I've never questioned it. It never occured to me that other states didn't have the vehicle tax

.

But now that you've raised the question, I am going to do my own reserch to see what I can find out.

SC also has a vehicle tax (we're also exempt

) and the taxes in the county we live in are ridiculous (property & automobile).

CleveSJM · #14 01-17-2008, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berri_boo

Thanks ncscgirl2005! Would you happen to know why there is such a tax? If not I can research it when I get home tonight!

Thanks so much for all the helpful information!

It's for road and bridge maintenance, some DMV admin costs too I'm sure. Most states tax the gas sold in the state. NC and SC chose a little different revenue generating route.