? for those in North Carolina......

[JenDaveBrendan]

DH and I are SERIOUSLY considering moving down to NC. DH is sending in his resume to companies currently (he is in the life insurance business). We don't know anyone down there. We hear alot of "yankees" move down there and love it Our reasons for moving: much lower cost of living (we can't afford a decent house in a decent town up here in MA without literally living to pay the mortgage- we feel like we are getting nowhere up here, even with a good paying job), and milder weather. We feel we could get a much better quality of life in NC. The company DH is really interested in is in Charlotte. So give me the good, the bad, and the ugly on NC!! I have looked into Mooresville and also Fort Mill,SC for towns to live in. Our #1 priority for a town would be the school system and it has to be safe. (I have a DS5)

Also, I would love to hear from anyone who has made a "big" move... to somewhere where you don't know anyone. How did you and your child(ren) adjust??

thanks!!

 

[Swimnoid]

I moved here to NC alone 22 years ago. My bf (now dh) came later. I knew no one but was looking for a new start, better weather, better job etc. I love it here. We live in Lexington and work in Winston-Salem. People here are friendly. There are plenty of things to get involved in to meet new people. The areas you are looking in around Charlotte are fine. And its that much closer to WDW!

 

[Sleeping~Beauty]

We are in NJ and are in the process of getting ready to look at homes in Charlotte, NC, too! That's funny that you are, also. Maybe we'll see you down there.

 

[JenDaveBrendan]

I moved here to NC alone 22 years ago. My bf (now dh) came later. I knew no one but was looking for a new start, better weather, better job etc. I love it here. We live in Lexington and work in Winston-Salem. People here are friendly. There are plenty of things to get involved in to meet new people. The areas you are looking in around Charlotte are fine. And its that much closer to WDW!

funny, I was thinking the same thing about being closer to WDW!!! I think we could get away with driving there! Good to hear you had a positive move!

We are in NJ and are in the process of getting ready to look at homes in Charlotte, NC, too! That's funny that you are, also. Maybe we'll see you down there.

Maybe Are you looking in Charlotte, or towns outside of Charlotte?

 

[JenDaveBrendan]

I also wanted to add, for what it's worth, that DS's dad (I had DS from a previous relationship) would most likely move down also. At least, I hope he would, then I wouldn't have to fly DS back and forth to visit his Dad. DS's dad and I have a great relationship (now that we aren't
together ), and I have talked to him about the move, and he seems willing to move there with his girlfriend (most likely future wife - she isn't from around here anyway, so she wouldn't really be "leaving" anything) We all get along well, and want to make life as "normal" as possible for DS.
But, I am worried about the impact a big move would have on DS, hopefully his Dad and girlfriend moving down also would make it easier on him......

 

[Sleeping~Beauty]

My husband is looking to work in Charlotte, he can transfer from NYC. We are looking to live outside of Charlotte. It's for all the good reasons, cost of living, quality of life. NJ is so outrageously expensive and we can have a bigger home, more land. Also, the Disney factor is really nice, too!

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

JenDaveBrendan, get yourself on down here! I have lived in NC my whole life and think it is a great place to live. LOts of folks are relocating here from other parts of the country. I personally think that is a very good thing.

In the Charlotte area, be sure to check out Huntersvile and Concord -both nice communities to the north of Charlotte. My parents are teachers in Charotte schools, so I know thru them that while the school system does have its issues, there are some great schools in Charlotte. Concord (or Mooresville) would be a different school system. I don't know much about Iredell county schools (Mooresville), but Cabarrus county schools (Concord) are fantastic -lots of new facilities, relatively high test scores

I live in the Triad area, near High Point. This too is a great place to live. As a parent and new resident, I am VERY impressed with the schools in my town. The staffs are well trained, I see the kids getting to learn in some new and innovative ways, consistently high test scores. I work very closely with the elementary school here. One other great thing about this particular area is low taxes . Our rate (Randolph county, city of Trinity) is a fraction of Charlotte or surrounding towns.

Regarding moving, my kids (8 and 6) have had to move twice recently and they have done well both times. For us the key is letting them know what is going on, what they have to look forward to, while also being honest about things they will have to say goodbye to.

 

[tar heel]

I'll be happy to answer any questions you have about Concord or Cabarrus County.

 

[disneyfan551]

Sorry, I can't help much with Charlotte info. (however, I was born & "10 yrs raised" in Lexington...)! But, if you ever need information about a great vacation area in the Great Smoky Mountains, please feel free to pm me!

If it weren't for my dh being a State Trooper, I would have dragged him to live in FL a looong time ago!

 

[chell]

Sorry that I can't offer you information about those areas but I have lived in Western NC my entire life and there is no where else I would rather be.

 

[SC Minnie]

I live in Fort Mill and LOVE IT. The schools are wonderful. There are A LOT of people here that are 'from somewhere else'. I am originally from this area but DH is from OH.

Taxes are less in Fort Mill and than Charlotte and the schools are leaps and bounds better.

If you want more info let me know.

 

[Buckalew11]

My cousin is from NJ and moved to Charlotte and loves it. She's now married with 2 boys and is happy with the schools.

I think it is good to do a move before he starts school. We moved from NJ to TN when I was 10yo and it was fine for me. I loved the South!

 

[TLHB70]

We live in a small town on the outskirts of Charlotte, and I LOVE it!!!!!!!!!!! We moved here for DH work, and we didn't know a single person. We moved into an apartment first so that we could take our time finding a house, area, etc. that we liked. We moved into our house January of 2005. I loved Charlotte as soon as I got here even though we didn't know anyone. I agree with Zippa D Doodah that Concord and Huntersville are nice areas. I agree with SC Minnie, too, that Fort Mill is a great area. We seriously looked at homes there, too. The taxes are definitely lower. We are living in Waxhaw, NC, which is in Union County. The taxes are cheaper here than in Mecklenburg County (the county that Charlotte is in). Also, the schools are better here than in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Union County is great! There are several nice areas: Waxhaw, Weddington, Wesley Chapel, Marvin, and Indian Trail. I will be happy to help answer any questions if I can help you.

 

[BelleMcNally]

Well, as long as the OP is tapping into a wealth of NC knowledge here--anyone live around Durham? We might be relocating there this summer...

Sorry for hitching a ride JenDaveBrendan!!

 

[NCRedding]

Hi Zippa: We're neighbors--I live in Randolph Co also.

I lived in NC all of my life, and can't imagine living anywhere else. I love the weather (except for today); love our changing seasons. I went to college in Charlotte, but it has grown so much since I lived there.

Belle: I went to graduate school at UNC and lived for a year north of Durham, so I know a little bit about the area. Durham itself has some really good neighborhoods and some really bad neighborhoods. Most newcomers live outside the city limits, unless they choose to live near Duke--which is beautiful. Durham is so close to Raleigh/Cary/Chapel Hill that there is always something--plays, museums, parks, college activities.
I'd be happy to help.

 

[BelleMcNally]

Belle: I went to graduate school at UNC and lived for a year north of Durham, so I know a little bit about the area. Durham itself has some really good neighborhoods and some really bad neighborhoods. Most newcomers live outside the city limits, unless they choose to live near Duke--which is beautiful. Durham is so close to Raleigh/Cary/Chapel Hill that there is always something--plays, museums, parks, college activities.
I'd be happy to help.

Thanks so much! If we end up moving, it will be so that I can get my PhD at Duke. Neither my fiance nor I have ever lived in NC, and we don't have any family there--so we're really starting from square one! The "Cultural" life is something that's pretty important to us, as DFiance studied Theatre and wouldn't want to be cut off from plays and performances.

What is the weather like for the various seasons? Are there general areas/school districts to avoid looking in?

 

[Terri C]

Come on down! We moved to Kernersville from the suburbs of Wash DC 10 years ago and have never looked back. We love it here. I don't know alot about Charlotte. I have visited a few times. I have a sil who lives outside of Charlotte and she likes it.

Terri

 

[Jockaroo]

One of the biggest complaints I hear about Charlotte is the school district. It isn't that the teachers aren't good, but that the system itself is a monster that is spiraling out of control. There are some major issues with the schools that you should consider if moving into Charlotte. However, there are many wonderful communities surrounding Charlotte that are attracting people in huge numbers. Tax rates in these communities are substantially less and you can typically get more home for your money.

If you want to get a pulse on Charlotte life you might want to listen to web broadcasts from Charlotte's talk-radio station WBT (http://www.wbt.com). I enjoy listening to two of the station's hosts Keith Larson and John Hancock. The station does have an overall conservative right-wing approach, but these two hosts are the most neutral and often feature the key issues of the day and do interesting feature stories on people in the area.

 

[bcvgal]

We live in a small town on the outskirts of Charlotte, and I LOVE it!!!!!!!!!!! We moved here for DH work, and we didn't know a single person. We moved into an apartment first so that we could take our time finding a house, area, etc. that we liked. We moved into our house January of 2005. I loved Charlotte as soon as I got here even though we didn't know anyone. I agree with Zippa D Doodah that Concord and Huntersville are nice areas. I agree with SC Minnie, too, that Fort Mill is a great area. We seriously looked at homes there, too. The taxes are definitely lower. We are living in Waxhaw, NC, which is in Union County. The taxes are cheaper here than in Mecklenburg County (the county that Charlotte is in). Also, the schools are better here than in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Union County is great! There are several nice areas: Waxhaw, Weddington, Wesley Chapel, Marvin, and Indian Trail. I will be happy to help answer any questions if I can help you.

Indian Trail here I'm a NC native and don't want to live anywhere else (except MK) Taxes lower than Meck and schools seem to be run soooo much better. DS going to the new middle school-very nice. Housing cost is alot better in Union Co too. Very good realtor is www.allentate.com browse around and you will fine something you will like. Zippa I'm originally from High Point and lived in Archdale for 6 years. Say Hi to LA(lower Archdale) for us.

 

[mom2boys]

Thanks for posting. DH is sericously discussing relocating to NC for the reasons others have mentioned. Schools are critical to us. We would also be looking for a little bit of property as opposed to living in a subdivision. Any suggestions for those specs.