Seriously considering...

[Nini]

relocating to North Carolina from CT. It is getting REALLY EXPENSIVE to live in CT and the prices of everything keep rising while my husbands salary remains the same!!! :confused3

Specifically, around the Apex, Raliegh (sp?) areas. My husband is a Sr.Graphic Designer/Artist :artist: and I would like to find out where the best jobs in his field are. Also, any suggestions as to the area of Fuquay Varina? Any input is HUGELY appreciated!

Thanks!!! :wave:

[kelleigh1]

I'll be interested to read the responses you get also. Hubby keeps talking about moving to the Carolina's because of the cost of living up here. I keep pointing out that I'd need a job first. I'm a legal secretary. He currently works manufacturing, but wants to get back into retail. Since I'm the one bringing home the bacon and he's just bringing home the side of toast, we need to find me a job first.

I had heard from someone who visited there recently that the job market isn't great right now.

[Kay1]

One of my friends moved to North Carolina from Florida and just loves it. She lives in Franklin. My father, who is wealthy, just mentioned moving to Georgia because of the high cost of living in Florida.

[saucymb]

I'm a native North Carolinian, lived in and around the Raleigh area for years. DH and I relocated to Charlotte a year and a half ago due to the lack of IT jobs in the Raleigh area (DH is an IT guy). We both LOVE the Raleigh area and miss it very very much, and plan to move back as soon as the IT jobs pick back up and he's able to secure a good one.

Apex and Fuquay are both at the top of our lists. We have family in both areas, as well as Garner, Raleigh, Cary, and Zebulon. Fuquay is my personal favorite, as it has plenty of stores to do everyday shopping, but just 20 minutes away from Raleigh and the really great malls and shopping centers. I don't know much about the school systems there.

Good luck in your search. As an aside, if your DH is looking for IT jobs, they will most likely be in the RTP area; Apex is much closer to RTP than Fuquay is, and Apex is a great town as well.

[brivers222]

If we vote in our current governer again... I will be moving out of Michigan.

[Nini]

My husband currently brings home $4200.00 (take home) per month. I have been working on and off. Is it possible to make that kind of salary in NC for what he does??? :confused3

I plan to pay off all of our debt when we sell the house and still have approx. $10k to put down on a new house.

Any thoughts?

[mrsbornkuntry]

I can't help with info on the job market, but I used to live right outside of Fuquay and I really liked it. The town is nice, it was expanding a little when I lived there, getting more stores, I know there was a Walmart/Home Depot shopping center already there. I can't remember the name of the school my kids went to, it was in a rural area because I lived outside of town, but I was very happy with it, it was clean and organized and I was pleased with their education. I also loved the number of Farmer's Markets in the area. Actually DH and I are planning on moving back to that area if he can get a job there after he gets out of the military.

[carymomof3]

My husband currently brings home $4200.00 (take home) per month. I have been working on and off. Is it possible to make that kind of salary in NC for what he does??? :confused3

I plan to pay off all of our debt when we sell the house and still have approx. $10k to put down on a new house.

Any thoughts?


RTP stands for Research Triangle Park. It's where the concentration of big companies are located - IBM, Glaxo, etc.

I grew up in Raleigh and have lived in Cary for more than 20 years. I wouldn't consider raising my children anywhere else. The cost of living has risen in past years, but I am constantly reminded that it is relatively low here. We have lived in our current house in the middle of Cary for 11 years. We paid $145,000 and it would probably sell for just over $200k now. (2,500 sq feet, 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths).

Your husband's salary would depend on the particular job. Salaries are good in this area, but probably less than you are used to because cost of living is less.

This is a great place to live! :thumbsup2

[kelleigh1]

We paid $145,000 and it would probably sell for just over $200k now. (2,500 sq feet, 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths).



Here in MA, you couldn't touch a 4 bedroom / 3 bath for less than $400,000 and that may even be on the low side. I've lived here my entire life and I can't even afford to buy a house here. It's sad really.

[Nini]

We have right now a Cape Cod style house in CT with 1.65 acres of land. We got it for a steal of $145,000!!! I know my husband would love to have more land and that is not really an option in Cary...more so in Apex. I am just concerned about the job situation...and now my husband is thinking of becoming an electrician!!!!

[KnoxDisney]

If we vote in our current governer again... I will be moving out of Michigan.

You don't like Jennifer? We moved from Brighton to Knoxville, TN 3 yrs ago. Just in time!!! We have family that lives in Northville, Holland and South Lyon. Everyone is miserable. As soon as we enter the state line of Michigan for a visit, my husband is ready to turn around! We are loving the south! :thumbsup2

The Carolinas are becoming the place to live. We chose TN because it was cheaper and we both got great jobs!

Good luck to you!

[carolina traveler]

Hi, I read in the newspaper that a lot of people are moving from high cost areas to the Charlotte area, since the cost of living is lower or the cost of up north is getting way too high. For jobs you can check the local paper www.charlotte.com

[dismom24]

We made the move from CT (Milford) to SC 14 years ago and have never regreted it. This has been a wonderful place to raise a family and very affordable to live here.
We have a 3700 sq ft house on 6 acres that appraises the same as my brother's house which is 1500 sq ft on less than an acre in CT.

[tar heel]

Salaries are lower here. I'm guessing it would take a salary in the $80,000 range to bring home $4,200 a month, and most graphic designers don't make that. I'm assuming 10% in 401K or the like and about 25% in federal and state income taxes and social security plus $300 or so for health and dental insurance. What kind of organization does he work for now? His best bet for that kind of salary would be a corporation as opposed to media or the state (including the universities). He would definitely want to find a job before he committed to moving. Jobs are plentiful here in some areas but less so in others.

[EthansMom]

Just wanted to chime in and say that we've lived in CT for two years now and DH and I talk about moving south to the Carolinas or maybe Georgia in the distant future.

[jchick]

Hi. I live 1 hour from Raleigh outside of Fayetteville. I like the RTP area, but might I suggest that you check out Wilmington? I went to UNC Wilmington, my husband and I lived there when we first got married for about 3 years. WE LOVED IT!!! We go there a lot during the summer for weekends. We would love to move back there (even though we live around our entire family here!).

It's got the culture that you'll find in Raleigh (museums, theatre, arts), a downtown that is beautiful, and the beach...ahhh the beach! It has beautiful beaches!

While the cost of housing has increased since we lived there (10 years ago), it's still fairly reasonable, especially in the outskirts areas (check Leland, Castle Hayne, Rocky Point, Hampstead). I would say you could buy a 3br/2ba for around $250k in a nice neighborhood...more or less depending on your taste.
:sunny:

[Mickey527]

Another CT person who is thinking about moving south.
I am on permanent disability now and it is getting harder and harder to make ends meet. My mortgage is $485 a month but when I add in the taxes for my home my mortgage payment is now up to $1225. That's $740 in taxes for a 3 bedroom house on 50x130 peice of property. We get garbage pickup and the town is so full of crime that you have to wait hours for police if you have a problem. I have an alarm system and don't use the school system. And my homeowners insurance is $2350 a year. My car insurance in this town is over$3,500 for three cars because of the town. My brother pays $900 for three similar cars in his town 15 minutes away but housing prices anywhere but Bridgeport are outrageous.
I looked at a few homes in Winterhaven in new developments and found they are about $200,000 for 4 bedrooms. The biggest plus for me is they are 35 minutes from WDW.
I wish there was something CT could do to keep us here, I was born and raised here and hate to leave but can't keep living like this. Peggie

[Kanda]

Jchick, I almost could have written your post. I too live in between Raleigh & Fayetteville, went to UNC-W and love love love the Castle Hayne area. We have all of our family here and a 3 year old, besides this is home. I lived here all my life, except time away at college. Funny we have so much in common. : )

To those considering NC...my DH is an IT guy and commuted to Raleigh (1 hour each way) every day for 8 years, then took a job making more money, closer to home, and better hours, in a rural area hospital. These rural areas are just getting on the intensive IT bandwagon and are forking out the bucks to get up to par with bigger hospitals. So, don't totally discount more rural areas of NC too.

[shaylahc1]

I live in Apex. We've been in the Cary/Apex area for 8.5 years. We are currently looking to relocate to the Charlotte/Union County area for cheaper housing. Housing is getting expensive here (compared to what it used to be).

NC is a beautiful place to live and raise a family.

Feel free to ask any questions.

[DawnM]

I am sorry to announce to everyone.....that NC is now full.

;)

We live in the Charlotte area.

We had origninally tried to get into the Raleigh area and DH interviewed at several places there, but 2 of the places he interviewed for suggested he try the Charlotte office instead for his line of work (accounting) as this is more of a financial area.

Anyway, we live in Union County, just south of Charlotte.

Dawn

[CJRN]

We have been toying with the idea to relocate. It's tough up here d/t high costs, and the Carolina's would be great for me (mild winters).

Kids are now going into High school, and Middle school, and we've never lived anyone else.

[CarolinaBlue]

I am sorry to announce to everyone.....that NC is now full.

;)



Very close to it. Our schools are way overcrowded. People from up north move to Charlotte and then the Charlotte people move to my neck of the woods (Gaston County) because they want to get out of the city. We have experienced a lot of growth and overcrowding in the last few years. Just remember, the cost of living may be lower here, but so are the salaries.

[jmurphy625]

How are the prospects for teachers?

[sharlon]

We lived in Charlotte for 4 years. We did not really like it and if you live in Mecklenburg County the schools are not good. (That's saying alot considering I grew up in Atlanta) DH got a promotion and transferred to Asheville, NC. Asheville is in the mountains in the western part of the state. Although we are hot weather people and it has taken awhile for us to accept the cooler temperatures (don't get me wrong, it can get quite hot here), we can't think of a better place to raise our children. In fact, I know at least one family that moved here from Florida without jobs, just for the schools and opportunities for their kids.
Asheville is a smaller city, but has fantastic cultural opportunities. It is very "artsy". :artist: It is close to bigger cities if you have the need (Charlotte - 2.5 hours, Knoxville, TN-1.5 hours, Atlanta - 4 hours). Buncombe County Schools are FANTASTIC and our own elementary school is the top rated school in the state at any level, with 9 straight years as a School of Excellence. The hospital here, Mission, is one of the top in the south and has one of the highest rated Cardiology depts in the country (higher than Duke for example). There are plenty of activities in the area, particularly if you like to hike, raft, camp, etc.
I'm starting to feel like someone from the Chamber of Commerce.
If you still want to have your "seasons", this is the place. You will definitely have snow. As for teaching jobs (which I believe someone asked), as PTA President and Advisory Council member I can tell you that teacher recruitment is a huge issue here and there are never enough applicants for positions. (That is true for the entire state)

Now for the down side, real estate is expensive here, as far as North Carolina is concerned. That is because Asheville is a popular resort/retirement area and because the mountains inhibit growth. It is still much less expensive than CT though, and taxes are definitely alot cheaper, as is insurance. I have a 05 Expedition and I believe my insurance is about $350 every six months and my property taxes on the car this year were $222. I think our homeowners insurance is about $800 and our taxes were about $1200 on a $250,000 house that sits on a beautiful tree-filled acre.

Good luck whereever you decide to go!

[NCRedding]

The opportunities for teaching can be great--depending upon your field. We're in desperate need of qualified math/science teachers at middle/high school level. Do keep in mind that our teacher salaries are fairly low. Some systems do offer a supplement, and have been offering signing bonuses. You will get more money if you have a masters, and a lot more money if you are National Board certified (12.5%). (NC also pays your application fee for starting Board certification)

[kmccartney]

Several years ago, we lived just outside of Fayetteville (my husband was in the military) and we LOVED it. It was the best of both worlds for us, not too far from the ocean, and not too far from the mountains. Considering we were both born and raised in upstate NY, we found the sandhills of NC to be a wonderful blend that "Met in the Middle". We moved back to NYS, but we still long for that area. We also loved the Chappel Hill it was so similar to small New England towns, and it was beautiful.
RTP offered a lot of good jobs and I understand it to be growing. I have several friends that moved from NY to the Charlotte area and then moved to the Raleigh area.
My husband now works for NYS, so we won't leave NY until he retires, however we already have plans to move back to the sandhills region of NC when the time comes.
Good luck!