North Carolina peeps!???

[neatfreak]

Moremoremore: I was thinking the SAME THING about Mark''s ad. I think it must be your ring!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 5/17/2007 2:50:16 PM
Author: mrssalvo
once hubby and I move I''ll be closer to charlotte and will have to come to one of your get together''s too Tacori.

Yah!!! I would love to meet you! Where are you moving to?


MMM- today driving around all I did was look at trees

I think you will be pleased. 99% of the trees around my house are much taller than my house. The roads are mostly lined with huge trees as well (side roads of course).

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 5/17/2007 3:09:39 PM
Author: part gypsy
. Personally I don''t think people have to move to the ''burbs to raise a kid.

No, but EVERY one of my friends that live in the "city" send their children to private school either from the beginning or around 5th/6th grade. City schools really struggle partly b/c of this. The more affluent burbs are usually the place w/ better schools. High School in many areas of the city is just plain dangerous. I think the city is a great place to raise kids. It''s the school situation that is not the best.

Mara, the adjustment will mostly be on you. Your husband would be returning to the EC.

MMM - As mentioned above the pace can be - well - sometimes stagnant. We say that things here still operate on CSA (confederate states of Am.) time. It''s quite true. When hubby has a client who is from the North, it drives them crazy at the turtle pace things can progress. Also, yelling doesn''t help. They will just move slower. Oh, and the traffic is a differnt type of traffic. Many Southerner''s can''t quite get the concept of alternate merge. They merge and hope for the best.

During rush hour you usually have more veteren drivers though.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

dianne when diamondseeker2006 and I ever do another GTG you will HAVE to come. We ususally meet at SouthPark mall.

ETA: People complain about Mecklenburg's taxes but you are going to LAUGH when you see how low they are compared to the rest of the country. Don't let that distract you.

 

[hlmr]

moremoremore, I just wanted to tell you that I am so excited for you to be moving out of the city and not practicing law anymore! Yay! I think you would be a perfect animal helper and I''m sure you''d fill your house with new cats and dogs in no time! It''s great that you are getting such wonderful advice and built in tour guides to boot!!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Okay, MMM, I looked up the homes for sale by mine but I think they are out of your price range and I am not sure about your timeline (or if you are serious) Just to give you an idea. One is listed at $429,900, 3200 Sq ft, 4 bedrooms, two full, two half baths, a pool. Second $399,900, 2900 Sq ft, 4 bedrooms 2 and a half bath. Very large trees

. I do think it is important to note most people DO NOT pay asking price but under. There are some houses on Sir Francis Drake which is a mile or so from us. You can see those here I just looked up the street name but if you look up the sub divisions I am sure more homes will show up. They are commonly priced $250,000-$350,000. It is a nice neighborhood. There is a new sub called Blakeney Greens which has more charleston type houses. They are brand new, very pretty, but IMHO overpriced. Very close together (not sure about the trees) but it is popular. Would you want to live on a golf course?

 

[moremoremore]

I love all of this info!!!! I'm nervous and excited. I'll know for sure when I visit! My friends from NY who very recently loved it and tell me we live like animals here LOL....

Tacori, you're just my little info buddy thanks so much...I'm really going to have a sit down with myself...
OH, were can I look at classifieds online?????????????????? What we spend really depends on if I work...Hmmm....If I work in the legal field, that's totally do-able...if not, that's another story...But I'm not sure I really need that much house as my first house...I can't even keep a 2 bedroom coop clean and running in good order

I love allentate.com!! If I do a search for South Charlotte....how far away from each other will those be in terms of minutes....?

Where is Rock Hill? I just saw a few nice ones... LOL..Oh, I just saw it...SOUTH carolina LOL

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Rock Hill is in SC and a little billyish (as in hill billy

) but close. Area 5 is right on the border. It would add at least 15 mins to uptown. I am not sure how many minutes it is from the furthest corner of area 5 to the other. If you give me more info I can help. If you do want to look for jobs may I suggest careerbuilder.com. It is what the newspaper uses so I find it has the most jobs listed. Allentate's website is great b/c it basically lists the whole MLS. Sommerset is a newer community in union country (about an 8 min. drive from my house). They are nice communities b/c they have community pools and centers. You probably could find a home 250-300 there as well. When I did a search for homes $250,000-$350,000 258 houses came up. Don't worry about the size. You can always hire a cleaning service

. I mentioned before there are tons of golf courses here so you could easily find a home on one (if you or your DH is into that). I hope I am in town when you plan to visit!!!

If you want a posh hotel stay at the Ballantyne Resort. Otherwise uptown has some nice hotels. Everyone who visits us loves it here! I feel like I should work for their tourism board haha. Check out this website too. It has the 411 on charlotte. Also look here when you find a house you like. It will give you all the inside information. What it was sold for. When it was sold. HOA fees. Taxes. It used to have more information but it is still helpful and DH uses it daily. I feel like I am overloading you with info!

 

[moremoremore]

No, not at all...you are fabulous...it''s a lot to absorb though
We are staying at hubby''s childhood friend''s house (he moved to Charlotte about a year or 2 ago)!!! But thanks for the hot tip!!!

... more later when I have more info about the trip!!!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Oh so you already have friends here. Even better!!! Does he live in Ballantyne?

 

[gailrmv]

Mara, re: the Triangle, I really do not see you in Wake Forest. It is just too far away from things. From what I can tell about your likes and dislikes, I REALLY see you either in Chapel Hill or in residential raleigh - either in the north west part of Inside the Beltline or in North Raleigh. Living in Raleigh is NOT urban like in many other cities - it feels suburban even when you are in the heart of things. I''ve already mentioned this more on the WWT a few weeks ago... but promise you''ll at least check it out? I am really not sure whether you''ll like the Triangle. I do have to say though, I wasn''t sure what I thought of it either at first, but it really grew on me - fast. There are a lot of neat things to do that just take some more seeking - it''s not as obvious as in a big city. Oh, and in terms of diversity, Cary is actually very diverse, maybe the most in the triangle. Although it may be more cookie-cutter ish, it is where many of the international people who work at the tech companies tend to live, so it is very diverse. It is also very manicured and well kept up. Again, it lacks the old charm of a more established place like Chapel Hill, but I think it would be a fabulous place to raise kids.

 

[dianne]

Date: 5/17/2007 4:40:35 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
dianne when diamondseeker2006 and I ever do another GTG you will HAVE to come. We ususally meet at SouthPark mall.

ETA: People complain about Mecklenburg''s taxes but you are going to LAUGH when you see how low they are compared to the rest of the country. Don''t let that distract you.

Absolutely! Please do let me know when you meet. I would love to join you!! Coming to Southpark mall isn''t a problem at all. Count me in!!

 

[dianne]

moremoremore--Tacori is giving you great information and it''s perfect her hubby is in real estate and you can get the best suggestions. If you are looking for somewhere as "happening" as NY then I''m afraid you may find Concord too quiet. Tacori has mentioned some very nice areas that probably will fit what you are looking for and I''m sure she can suggest many things to do in those areas, as well.

Tacori--I''m going to be in your area next week for a doctor appt. Same doctor but he works out of two different offices. This will be my first visit to his Ballentyne office.

 

[moremoremore]

I don''t need real happening...maybe just a teensy weensy bit happening

Tacori- Yes, our best couple friends live there and hubby''s childhood friend lives there...I forget where he is...he is right outside of Ballantyne...the others are in area 10 I think? b/c it was close to work for them or something....And where we are in NY, it''s tough to see our friends all the way out east anyway...I will try to convince hubby''s parents and brother too!

 

[moremoremore]

This is amazing...surely a million dollar home in a nice area by me. I love this one...

http://www.ourballantyne.com/html/homes/mls_frame.php

Oops, didn't work....MLS 662938

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Diane- I will let you know when we set one up. I haven''t seen her on lately. My DH''s doctor only has one office and it is near downtown. That would have been too funny though!

MMM- we try to convince all of our family and friends to move here. Area 10 is union county (where that one subdivision I mentioned is) People like it b/c it is newer and has lower taxes but it is farther to uptown if that is where your hubby is going to work and it is slightly more cookie cutter IMHO.

 

[moremoremore]

crap! now I'm confused...I thought that was a search in Ballantyne...which is in area 5..right? Ugh! Well, that doesn't matter so much b/c it will probably take us 6mo-1year to unload our place and move...

Hubby gets to work from home! And he's used to a bus to a subway to a subway (about 1 hour in total packed in like sardines on the subway)....so he'll be spoiled for sure! I'm used to a 45 min drive and am fine with 30-45 min drive...

Ohhhh Tacori, I'm excited!!! I'm going to convince bro in law ... let's get workin on him!

 

[fire&ice]

I second the not being happy in Wake Forest unless you want to become a country girl. Just to give you a feel, a few years back someone kept a tiger in their yard.

Chapel Hill would be the first area I would look at. It is more expensive than most other areas. I''ve heard the older neighborhood Carboro was up and coming.

Gail is correct. Most of Raleigh is one big burb. Inside the beltline is a good suggestion. Cameron Park would be first on my list. It has more of a University feel (very near NC State). Hayes Barton East of Glenwood is another area with cute bungalows. There is another neighborhood that goes by the a street name - can''t remember (Mordeci?) w/ established older victorians. All of these areas have more of a city feel & will have a bit more adventurous spirits. One thing I am sad to say. Things may have changed - but these are Old Raleigh neighborhoods. Transplants are not warmed up to immediately. This is especially true in Hayes Barton. I know first hand as that is where we lived. Even though I lived in Raleigh for a decade & married into an old southernn family, I was still considered a "Yankee"

. It may not be as bad now. I like Cameron Park ( hillsborough street) & Hayes Barton (five points) b/c coffee shops & restaurants are within walking difference. Also, in any of the city neighborhoods, most housing will be vintage.

Regarding Charlotte, I think they tore down most of the row houses & turn of the century city dwellings. Correct? Not that they had too many to begin with though. Charlotte, while having old established neighborhoods, is a new south city.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

No, you are right Ballantyne is area 5 (Pineville is area 5 too). The spring/summer is the best time to sell (I think)

When does his job offer "expire"?

F&I, charlotte has some old neighborhoods (meyer's park for example) but you are right. Most everything was built the last 30 years or so (very true for south charlotte, area 5, because it was all farm land 30 years ago). I grew up partly in cleveland, ohio and our home was built in 1920. This is normal for the area we lives. All the comes were built around then and were very beautiful. Street after street of amazing historical homes. Charlotte is not like that. They only have a small section.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 5/17/2007 10:51:50 PM
Author: moremoremore
This is amazing...surely a million dollar home in a nice area by me. I love this one...


http://www.ourballantyne.com/html/homes/mls_frame.php


Oops, didn't work....MLS 662938

That house is very close to me. Maybe a few miles.

 

[Mara]

random Q for the people familiar with the triangle area...

i did a search online just to see what came up on a house/for sale realtor site and within our criteria in areas like chapel hill, wake forest, north raleigh and inside the beltline of raleigh over 800 homes came up. pretty overwhelming.

are there certain zips you suggest i narrow my search to? i read online that north raleigh is fairly desirable. is that true? they also had 'west raleigh' and 'south raleigh' as pulldown options. should i be narrowing it down more?

we want to have some sort of 'plan' when we go down there so i'm hoping to kind of have 3-4 areas for us to definitely visit.

also, funny but i was looking through the results and it seems like chapel hill is kind of the 'alternative' kind of area, a lot of the homes there either look really scary country OR like really funky california transitional style. is that about right? hehee.

visually from pictures i find myself most drawn to wake forest home because they have huge lots and forest/trees all over and i really like that idea for something like this move. i don't know that i would want to move and get a house that is like here (ca) because part of moving would be embracing a new experience. plus isn't WF like 20 min from raleigh? right now where we live, we are in the heart of downtown sure, but we always drive out to towns 20-40 minutes away for things like dinner. my parents are 20 minutes away. so we are used to driving out and about to get to other areas too. so everything doesn't have to be 5 min away. anyway, thoughts?

F&I i know you said WF is more country, is that like country quaint, country people or country homes? just trying to get a vibe. also for those familiar, what do you think about 'diversity' in the triangle area?

 

[moremoremore]

Love that house Tacori!!! We can clean our rings together LOL...
I really love that area...I love tree lines streets and just that small town feel that I'm getting from that area by what I see online!!! We will be going on a tour of towns with the real estate agent!!! I agree with mara, I'm SO not about houses one on top of the other and don't love cookie cutters...I need old school character..There was a 100 year old house on a huge lot but who the hell wants to deal with that (well, actually I do, but it gets very expensive and not something for this new homeowner)

Luckily, hubby will be keeping his same NY job, just working from home in NC. Brattttt.

 

[moremoremore]

I''m sure a lot of people might not love this and might like newer construction, but I adore it and more importantly the lot. That''s exactly what I want!!
I don''t even want to talk about it anymore, I''m worried it won''t work out and I''ll be so bummed

 

[Tacori E-ring]

FYI MMM, Ballantyne''s zip code is 28277 (since area 5 does have some smaller "communities" as well. Where is that house located? If you like that style no need to defend it! Go with what you love.

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 5/18/2007 1:09:11 PM
Author: moremoremore
I''m sure a lot of people might not love this and might like newer construction, but I adore it and more importantly the lot. That''s exactly what I want!!
I don''t even want to talk about it anymore, I''m worried it won''t work out and I''ll be so bummed

Hey, you are preaching to the choir. We have always lived in old houses - more senior then that. The house we built in the country was patterned after a venaclar VA four square ca 1900.

I can''t speak specilfically for Charlotte - but many of these cities we are talking about take pride in construction techniques. You will see brick, stone, hardy plank siding. They will mostly be traditional stick built. Especially in VA, you will see copper, metal or shaker shingle roofs in the 300k+ homes. What I like about the house you pictured is the traditional nature. One thing specifically to NC is all these "transitionals" with the weirdest roof lines. Honestly, there is a reason that roofs where built w/ one slope or hip. Higher ceilings are more prevelant in the South as it helps with cooling.

Mara, Raleigh is the fall line. To the south, you get more loomy soil w/ very straight terrain. To the north, you will get more forest/ hilly area. In general (leaving out Cary), North Raleigh will have the better school systems - also the most transplants. Wake Forest is North of N. Raleigh. And, is FAR more than 20 minutes to Raleigh down town. You are prolly 20 minutes to 540 (the outer loop beltline taking you toward the research park. One man''s country quaint is another man''s hicksville. But, in general - no offense to anyone - south of raleigh is considered more hillybilly (look on the map - Smithfield boasts the home of Ava Gardner & also (for a long long time) the home of the KKK

). That 70 corridor has changed but still has that feel. North tends to have more horse farms type areas. Plus the terrain more forestry/rolling hills type. Many of the homes do have nice big wooded lots. My parents (until they moved to the beach) lived in zip code 27613. It will be hard to limit your search. If I were you, I would stay between falls of the Neuse Road and Leadmine (both roads run N-S), North Raleigh. The areas I mentioned about - Cameron Park, etc are inside the beltline. I would definitely cruise around those areas - bobbing around Glenwood & Overland to the beltline going west. Cameron Park shopping center is an orginal open air mall. It does have your obligatory Talbots & Storehouse - but also quaint, cool independents.

Regarding diversity, the burbs will be the burbs. And, the diversity factor on the EC is very different than the West Coast.

The most up and coming areas are west inside or outside 540 reaching to going in or out 40 to South Point Shopping center. I hope I''ve been some help. If you want more personal info - email me. The triangle area is one HUGE suburban spral!

Oh, and if you look at a current map - Raleigh has two beltlines inside (440) & outside (540). When one refers to "inside the beltline" they mean inside 440.

 

[Beacon]

This is an interesting thread. Mara, as a fellow Bay Area resident, can you take a bunch of photos and give your commentary on the RTP area?

My husband works for a company with a large RTP branch and he has opportunities to go there. We have talked about it, but very non seriously. Sometimes I do wonder if it would be really cool.

Look forward to your insights!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Hi, Moremoremore! We''d love to have you near Charlotte!

As Tacori said, I live about 40 minutes or so from Charlotte, depending on where I am going. I mainly can tell you about the jewelry stores, and that''s about it!

Living outside of Charlotte, we pay even lower taxes and nice homes are even more of a bargain. Schools can be good and bad depending on where you are. But there are also public magnet and charter schools as well as some excellent private schools. And we certainly have a great university system in this state. The area around Huntersville and Davidson and Lake Norman are very popular as well. But good areas on the lake are very expensive. Tacori will be more help on the specifics of Charlotte, but I just want to say that there is nowhere I''d rather live than NC. Our home is 1 1/2 hours from the mountains, and we are 4 hours from Charleston and the beach. We have have part ownership with some friends of an oceanfront condo in Isle of Palms, SC (Wild Dunes) and we adore it there, too. My husband has a stressful job, but we love the general pace of life here. Of course, we have a lot less traffic than Charlotte, but if you are from NY, then you may not mind the Charlotte traffic! I am from the south but have lived outside of Chicago, so I truly appreciate the wonderful weather here. As Tacori said, I never need more than a light jacket in the winter, and in the summer everything is airconditioned anyway.

You''ll have to keep ius updated about your move and we''ll look forward to meeting you!

Dianne, we''ll have to plan to get together soon! I have a couple more weeks until school is out, and then maybe I can catch my breath!

 

[moremoremore]

I really thank all of you for your help....!!!
I will admit that I despise NY summers in my coop bldgt b/c it sucks in the heat and stays so hot. I really love the fall and winer...and really hate the heat so I don''t know if I can deal with warm a lot more....

 

[gailrmv]

Mara,
I think the best thing to do is contact a realtor and have them spend a half day showing you around. It is seriously overwhelming otherwise! Also, CH has in my opinion the best school system in the area. The NW ITB area as I already mentioned has great schools too (Broughton High School). I don''t know about Cary, I assume also good. Durham schools are hit or miss. There is no way I would live in Wake Forest, personally.

 

[Mara]

Beacon I will definitely report back...

Gail & F&I...Greg only wants to get a realtor involved if we have to, aka if we get there and are so absolutely confused we can't function, hahaa. I did some additional research yesterday and found a wiki that mentioned Chapel Hill was considered the most liberal of the NC cities and had some funny quote about the Governor or something wanting to wall it off from the rest of the state. I was like okay now we REALLY have to check it out! haha. Also it said that it had a big music scene which is something I had no idea about and Greg is a musician in his spare time so now he is really interested as well.

Thing is because it's so established, there is only about 1-2 new home development communities out there right now. And one is around $900k which is what we are trying to get away from spending HERE so that's out of the question. But the other one is like $400k which is much more doable and the homes are huge (2700 sq ft huge to us!) and cute. So we are going to definitely check out CH and that home development while out there.

We also will check out Wake Forest because it just sounds intriguing and I am sooo smitten with all the new developments on like 1 acre+ forest plots out there, something we could never have here. And Gail you say you wouldn't live there, why? I'm still trying to get a FEEL for it really. It looks stunning in all the pictures, is it just because it's too far from the rest of the happenings over there? Is it too hillbilly country area? Is it just not a nice area? What is the deal with WF.

We also will try to navigate Raleigh even though ITB it seems like there isn't a ton of new development going on that isn't too expensive so we might not really be all that interested in that...and we figure we'll drive into Cary if for nothing else than to visit Whole Foods so I can get some fage, lol...and we'll see if it is remotely interesting to us.

Random question...we are staying in the Crabtree area, where is that in Raleigh in terms of ITB or North or whatever? Just trying to get a sense of where we'll be. Thanks!