North Carolina peeps!???

[decodelighted]

More More More ... as a complete sidenote ... you might not wanna rule out at least EXPLORING the law community in NC. I have a feeling it would be an entirely different sort of vibe than Northeastern-style lawyering.

I have a sister & BIL in practice in neighboring VA ... not without stress & gamesmanship ... but more genteel than pompous if ya know what I mean ...

 

[gailrmv]

Date: 5/19/2007 12:43:04 PM
Author: 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!

hi Mara,
re: Wake Forest, it is just toooo far away with not enough to do for my tastes. I love being closeby to shopping, restaurants etc and I hate to drive. I think it is a nice area if you like small towns, but I like to be more urban (or suburban). Still it does not hurt to drive up there and see what you think!

Most of the brand new developments are pretty far from the most central areas, with a few exceptions. There are lot of new-ish construction (late 1990s, 2000s) in good areas in North Raleigh and Cary particularly,. You might like North Raleigh in between 440 and 540. That is new-ish, but still established and close to things to do and major roads. I wouldn''t live too far north of 540 myself, b/c I think it is far from the parts of town I like best, but there are some great new construction areas out there. In fact, you might check out Bedford at Falls River just to get some ideas. Huge development, many builders, prices from the 200s to $1M I believe and all in between. Small lots but nice homes. The sunday or saturday paper usually has a good real estate section focusing on new construction (probably online too - Raleigh News and Observer.)

Crabtree area is really nice - just north of ITB, between 440 and 540. I really like that part of town. the North Hills area is nearby and also has nice shopping, not sure about the housing near there.

ITB the new construction is pricey - I''d say $700K and up for the most part, but you might get lucky. Some people also tear down small homes and re-build (or add on). There is almost no land in there to build on, which is why its at such a premium.

I love Chapel Hill... it''s quirky and fun, and yeah, pretty liberal compared to the rest of the state - b/c of the University being there! I don''t think there is much new construction b/c it is one of the more established parts of the area. There may be some on the fringes of CH.

Whatever you do I''d recommend renting for 3-6 mo or even a year and make sure you like the area, and figure out what part of town you like best and what''s convenient to your work, before you buy. With the high closing costs and the slower real estate market than a few years ago, you''d hate to lose money if you ended up moving back to Cali.

I still think you''d do well to have a realtor show you around for an afternoon. The area is pretty big and I''d hate for you to miss seeing neighborhoods/homes that would appeal to you. We did this a few years ago when we were thinking of moving to another city and it was really time well spent. We just told the realtor of our timeframe and that we were not sure whether we would move there or not. He was still happy to show us around - I think it goes with the territory! I wish I knew someone to recommend but I really don''t know of anyone offhand that specializes in Raleigh or CH. I do know some ppl who specialize in Durham so let me know if you want those names.

I don''t think there is a WF in Cary although I could be wrong, but the Whole Foods that I know of are in nice areas of CH, Durham and downtown Raleigh (ITB). You can''t go wrong with any of those. I think there is a Trader Joes in Cary!

 

[Mara]

oops i meant TJ's in Cary. is there a whole foods in chapel hill? i didn't even think to look...i thought it was mostly a west coast thing.

funny aside, but i also read that wild oats and whole foods are merging!

thanks gail for your thoughts...yeah on the ITB being 700ish and up, honestly if we are going to end up paying more than like 500, we might as well just stay here...and not uproot ourselves for only a few hundred thousand in savings. it would have to be a really compelling 'plus' from over what we have here or could afford here to make the move and i would not want to work if we had kids. one of the reasons we aren't sure about staying here if we have kids is that i don't want to be a working mom. and it's very hard to make it here on one salary, even a higher one. so if we had kids, we'd want a higher quality of life than this area could provide. ideally we could pay for a house in NC with something like 80% cash from our equity, so that is what we are kind of aiming for...and if that means we might be a bit farther out than so be it...but part of it depends on where greg would work etc as well. so i guess once we are out there, we'll see how we feel in general. we may just flat out not like the whole area in which case it won't matter where is a desirable place to live hehee.

thanks so much for all the tips and advice here from the NC'ers...i appreciate it. sorry for hijacking the thread with raleigh talk mmm!!!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Mara, I look forward to hearing your report. I am curious to see your take on it. We were so close to moving to SF (I was born there) and there were some complications so we moved to Charlotte instead. My sister and her BF are moving to SF this summer. Last time I went to visit I *knew* we made the right decision. I love living somewhere affordable. I love being able to find a parking space. I love the sun! Haha! Obviously there are no wrong moves for you since you have so much family in SF and Gregs are close to NC. I would be careful about renting out your townhouse though. I would get a lease through a lawyer. My parents are STILL in a 5 year long lawsuit (which is what delayed and stopped us from moving out there. We were going to rent from them). It is a renters town for sure.

MoreMoreMore, if the summers in NY are like the ones in Ohio I know it can get hot! Like DS said everywhere has a/c so I never feel like it effects my life negatively. Our house in OH did not...oh, those summers were horrible

Our fall and springs are BEAUTIFUL. Great weather, leaves changing, flowers blooming....we still do have seasons. Today is nice and warm not humid (yet...) My mom came to visit a few weeks ago and she was so excited that everywhere we went to eat we could eat on their patios (and most restaurants/cafes have them). Not the case yet in WI!

I don't know much about working in the law here. My DH's real estate lawyer seems to have it MADE! He makes a very good living and little stress (since he doesn't really do much but sign stuff. Must be nice!!!) What kind of law do you practice? Oh I know you love kitties so we can clean our rings AND bond with each other's kitties.

DS, also brought up a good point about our great universities. I know you are both undecided about having children but something to think about.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Mara, we are getting two TJ''s here in Charlotte so I am sure if they don''t have one it is only a matter of time. One is opening up a few miles from my house. I can''t wait!!!!

 

[fire&ice]

All right, just outside of 540 (within minutes to hop on) is a neighborhood called Birnam woods. Off the same street, Strickland (I think) is another development called Wood Valley. Both are near Creedmore Road. These are just outside 540 (within minutes). It is not new new construction - but newer established neighborhoods w/ nice wooded lots. If you look at NR keep in mind the further west you go, you run into the airport. It''s big and noisy. You want to avoid that area. In those mentioned above, you can definitely hear the jets.... just not as loud as you would the futher you go to Leesville Road.

What you are seeking (sounds like new construction w/ a city feel) is not available in Raleigh. Must you have new new construction? You just aren''t going to be able to walk ANYWHERE safely (because of traffic). Raleigh is just one big burb w. subdivision after subdivision & SUV in front of another SUV. You must get in your car to go to a convience store. Inside the Beltline is the most charming neighborhoods of Raleigh. I LOVED living in Hayes Barton. It had sidewalks and you could walk to neighborhood type haunts. But, I LOVE old houses. Even the house we built in the Country is after a vernaclur VA house ca 1890ish. You are prolly asking the wrong person as I could never live in the burbs. WF is just another Burb of Raleigh. If you don''t mind driving, take a look at it. I know there are nice developments out there. The old NC State football coach sold his house for close to a million. He lived out in WF. Falls lof the Neuse lake (on the way to WF on Creedmore aka hwy 50) - check it out. I heard they were building out there as well.

Again, not new at all - but check out the neighborhoods near Country Clubs. North Ridge, Carolina CC, Meadow Green? Oh, and the one in Cary. Cary is quite cute. They have (or at least had) a cute little old downtown street w/ inde. resturants and shops. Cary can be a funny nut commuting wise if you work certain areas. SAS is HUGE out there.

You can see how disjointed I am. And, up to this year, my parents have been there since 1975. It''s that disjointed a city. I can tell you areas to avoid. Don''t go too close to the Airport, don''t go too close to 70 southeast of the city toward Zebulon (though a disclaimer that some nice developments are there), avoid south of NC State inside the beltline (unless things have changed).

As far as schools (based on HS), my nieces and nephews are fairly recent graduates of Leesville & Broughton. I think the schools are hit and miss depending upon the student. Some went into A colleges. Some not. Some getting challenging educations - others not. I graduated from a private day school w/ the name of a black bird (not naming due to PS & it''s uncanny ability to end up on google). Because of busing, many private schools popped up. So, it''s an option financially - they are expensive - but not like some of the more northern private schools.

As of right now 540 is a great road. 440 tends to be very backed up. Unlike Gail, I hate the Crabtree Valley area (there is the huge mall there named Crabtree Valley) is one of the busiest most congested intersections in Raleigh. It is maddening trying to get through. During the holidays, it sometimes takes 4 lights. There are some nice developments surrounding it though. North Hills is too old construction for you - but you may want to drive around there. It has nice areas and not so nice.

I second the get a realtor advice. Raleigh is just overwhelming. But, one thing you should do is get your hands on a "Parade of Homes" book for this year or last year. It should narrow it down a bit. Most of those homes featured are in new new construction.

Chapel Hill is very liberal. And, I did think the music scene is more to Greg''s music. Raleigh tends to be more Bluegrass.

 

[lovelylulu]

Hi moremoremore,

You''ve gotten heaps of great advice and insight in this thread already, but I thought that it''d share a little of my personal experience.

I grew up on LI (nassau county) and while I loved living so close to NYC and being able to experience all the museums, restaurants, concerts, etc. I never wanted to live there. I left NY for NC to go to college in Durham. I had a fantastic experience the entire time I lived in NC. I love the outdoors and NC is simply a beautiful state. From the blue ridge mountains to the outer banks and everything in between, you would not be wanting if you enjoy spending time outside. I can''t speak specifically for Charlotte, as I only went there once to see a U2 concert (great time

), but Durham and Chapel Hill suited me well. At the time, I was doing biology research and there are piles of scientists and professionals in that area. For me, there was no really large north/south divide. The people are friendly, interesting, the cost of living is substantially lower...

Honestly, I''ve considered moving back. How could I not. My husband and I want to have a family, want to live in a place where our children can know their parents and not a nanny...But, I''m a lawyer too and the law that I practice doesn''t really happen down there. Though, I''m only in year 2 of my fledgling career and therefore moving at some time in the future is definitely not out of the realm of possibilities.

I hope that you find what you are looking for and that house you posted was sublime. I, too, am a fan of older homes with "character"

And mara, chapel hill/carborro does have a great music scene -- though i vaguely remember that your hubby plays more jazz/classical? (could be mistaken) Not that those genres aren''t represented, but from what i recall I don''t think that those are the emphasis...again i could be wrong.

 

[gailrmv]

More more more, I am SO sorry for the threadjack to talk about Raleigh. I did want to tell you that I left a lucrative consulting career in Chicago to move to NC (following DH''s career) and I have never regretted it. I took a pay cut but have had better hours and better lifestyle (and have been working part time the past few years while doing grad school, something I could not have afforded to do in Chicago). I love being a homeowner. I love gardening and nature and exercise and just being outdoors and NC is great for these things! Oh, one thing to consider though, in NC you will probably need 2 cars for you and your DH which eats into the cost of living difference a little.

Mara, just one more thing about Raleigh... when I said that new construction ITB is expensive, I should say that there are definitely a few pockets here and there that are nice and more affordable. And as soon as you get outside of 440 (which is still very nice, esp on the north and west sides), the new construction is more reasonable. It all has to do with the availability of land and ITB is pretty built up already. In Raleigh/Triangle in general, you can get a pretty good place in the $200s and a very good place in the $400s and an amazing place in the $600s and like anywhere, you can definitely spend more if you want to. So just because new construction ITB is expensive, I would not get discouraged about housing prices overall in the Triangle.

F&I, you lived in Hayes Barton? I LOVE that part of town!! I love historic houses. Neat that you used to live there!

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 5/20/2007 10:53:50 PM
Author: gailrmv

F&I, you lived in Hayes Barton? I LOVE that part of town!! I love historic houses. Neat that you used to live there!

Yep, we love older established "city feel" neighborhoods. We lived west of Glenwood. I don''t know if we could afford to live there today. As a bonus, we could walk to Hayes Jeweler''s.

I suppose they are still there.

My favorite old neighborhood is Cameron Park. Also, there is an area near the Fairgrounds that has sprawling lots w/ 1960''s homes on it. What is the name? I forgot. Also, is Bolen Heights still rough? It was going through some regenrefication when we were in Raleigh.

 

[gailrmv]

Date: 5/21/2007 9:11:34 AM
Author: fire&ice

Date: 5/20/2007 10:53:50 PM
Author: gailrmv

F&I, you lived in Hayes Barton? I LOVE that part of town!! I love historic houses. Neat that you used to live there!

Yep, we love older established ''city feel'' neighborhoods. We lived west of Glenwood. I don''t know if we could afford to live there today. As a bonus, we could walk to Hayes Jeweler''s.

I suppose they are still there.

My favorite old neighborhood is Cameron Park. Also, there is an area near the Fairgrounds that has sprawling lots w/ 1960''s homes on it. What is the name? I forgot. Also, is Bolen Heights still rough? It was going through some regenrefication when we were in Raleigh.

Prices ITB have SKYROCKETED the past few years, as far as I could tell. I love Cameron Park too. Near the Fairgrounds, is that Medfield? (It''s on the Cary side). I''m not sure what''s nearby on the Raleigh side. In that area, I love how you can be downtown one minute and then in the country the next. I love that about the whole Triangle, actually! As for Boylen Heights, not sure - I think it''s become a hot area for fixer uppers, young professionals and such.

 

[Mara]

thanks for all the info ladies. we are still kind of confused (haha) but chapel hill sounds more and more intriguing. also i think once we get there we will be able to suss out what we want to do fairly quickly. i thought for a few minutes about maybe having us stay in crabtree/raleigh for 2 nights then the last nite in one of the nice hotels in chapel hill but we are having dinner on the last nite in raleigh so we'd have to drive back into raleigh anyway for the dinner, so maybe it doesn't make sense for us to stay in chapel hill the last nite if we are just driving out the next afternoon. or maybe it does. i wish i could decide when we get there and started to check things out but waiting to figure it out then re: hotel would be risky i think.

oh and speaking of chapel hill, carrboro seems to be a town right next to it, is that right? anyone have any insight re: living there?

 

[moremoremore]

Don''t be silly gail I totally know what you mean, I would love to garden, sit outside, etc...ahhhh!

LULU, I work in Nassau! As a NY transplant, you will be able to compare to what it is like here....do you think the weather is THAT much worse there? (hot and humid...I''m in Queens so August is NO picnic)

 

[Dogmom]

There is a Whole Foods in Cary. It is not as large and well-stocked as the Raleigh location, however. Trader Joe''s is also in Cary.

I beg to differ with F&I on the Raleigh music scene. There are some great jazz venues.

 

[lovelylulu]

honestly, i didn''t think there was too much of a difference in terms of heat and humidity. what i noticed is that spring comes about a month earlier and the winters are milder. as for the summer, it''s hot, but like you said, so is queens. but, i have a much higher tolerance for heat than for the cold, so i''m likely biased.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 5/21/2007 5:19:40 PM
Author: lovelylulu
honestly, i didn''t think there was too much of a difference in terms of heat and humidity. what i noticed is that spring comes about a month earlier and the winters are milder. as for the summer, it''s hot, but like you said, so is queens. but, i have a much higher tolerance for heat than for the cold, so i''m likely biased.

I think it starts getting nice in March (end) and stays nice til November. The coldest months are Jan & Feb. Sometimes we get freakishly warm (high 60s) days in the winter. Those are always nice surprises.

 

[moremoremore]

Really? All I keep reading about are the walls of heat and humidity ... warm wet blankets, etc....It''s freakin me out!!!

Hey- what do you guys know about Asheville? It seems expensive....how far from Charlotte is NE Ashville?

 

[mrssalvo]

MMM- I''m in the south now and grew up in Ohio. honestly, the heat doesn''t feel any different to me. It''s hot, yes but seriously everything is air conditioned and I''m usually cold when we go out b/c the air is cranking so much. I literally bring a thin sweater to restaurants, movies etc. today was in the mid 80''s and I was freezing in the grocery store. the mild winters totally make up for the seemingly endless 90''s in august

what you should do is try to visit during a warm month and see what you think in person.

 

[fire&ice]

Someone else can chime in on Charlotte. It''s really not the heat that is bothersome. In many cities it the humitity. The heat index factor is what gets you. As MsS says - EVERYTHING is air conditioned. If you don''t have to be outside, there are ways to avoid the heat.

Asheville will have much more moderate heat. Asheville is too far to live and work in Charlotte. 10 years ago, Asheville was cheap in comparison. Now, it has become a hot bed for retirement. The old neighborhoods and anything with a mountain view is expensive real estate for NC. There are still some relative affordable places outside Asheville proper.

 

[moremoremore]

Thank ya'll kindly! (hey, does that sound like I'm ready to move or what!)

OK, I'm overwhelmed by which areas to look at....can you guys tell me your top areas around or in Charlotte? For example, how far are areas 1 - 10 from each other? Let's say I like Lake Norman, are there jobs there...or do I have to go to the heart of Charlotte, and if so..how long will it take to get there?



This is a REALLY STUPID question, but are most of the jobs in uptown/downtown charlotte itself? I don't want my drive to be more than 30min...and I want to feel welcome (city-data.com is making me nervous about the dreaded and snubbed NYers)

Another dumb question, there is no subway, train , etc...so where do you park your cars? In NYC, if you drive, there is NO parking except in $30 day lots....

Thanks!!!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

There are places to work all over the Charlotte metropolitan area. So you wouldn't necessarily work downtown. I imagine you have to pay for parking downtown, but most everywhere else probably has free employee parking. You can live most places and be within 30 minutes of work. You'll pay lower taxes if you can get in a county outside of Charlotte. Lake Norman is a wonderful area and there are several counties involved. My county borders the lake. There are many developments on the lake. That would be where I'd want to live. I think Tacori's area is nice, too, if you want a more planned community. There are lots of nice choices. I'll see if I can find any links to lake developments.

Here:

http://westlakenorman.com/west_lake_norman_

 

[fire&ice]

I don''t know much about Charlotte - but have to ditto the Lake Norman thing. Other than Meyer''s Park, Lake Norman would be of interest to me.

You have to throw what you know out the window. New cities in the south are a totally different animal. You will have to pay to park but lots charge like $5.00 a day - and that is downtown. Public transport is pretty much a joke. You get around via your automobile. The financially district is downtown - but there are MANY opportunities outside the city.

 

[moremoremore]

You guys are so much better than city data!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Lake Norman is lovely but homes are very expensive there. It is considered North Charlotte so if you were to get a job in South Charlotte it would be a 45 min drive (with little traffic). Maybe you should find a job then house b/c there is no way to predict where you will be working. Yes you have to pay for parking uptown but I am not sure if some businesses give you a company pass or something. I am more familiar with South Charlotte but there are a TON of businesses (and business parks there). They are building a light rail but you basically drive everywhere unless you live uptown or something. I never have a problem parking when I go places. Even uptown we ususally find a space or garage.

F&I meyers park is beautiful but I don''t think I could ever afford a home there. The prices are beyond crazy

 

[moremoremore]

SOOOOO, we''re moving. I''m going to wet my pants...I''m excited and scerrrrddd LOL....
Our place is going on the market today....I heart area 5!

It was HOT over the weekend but I''m sure not as HOT as it''s going to get...I''m very nervous about the heat but excited about central air LOL....

I''m a little bit in denial I think...

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 6/13/2007 1:38:47 PM
Author: moremoremore
SOOOOO, we''re moving. I''m going to wet my pants...I''m excited and scerrrrddd LOL....
Our place is going on the market today....I heart area 5!

It was HOT over the weekend but I''m sure not as HOT as it''s going to get...I''m very nervous about the heat but excited about central air LOL....

I''m a little bit in denial I think...

How exciting MMM!!!!!

 

[crown1]

hi! nc is great! i hope you love it and are happy there.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 6/13/2007 1:38:47 PM
Author: moremoremore
SOOOOO, we''re moving. I''m going to wet my pants...I''m excited and scerrrrddd LOL....

Our place is going on the market today....I heart area 5!


It was HOT over the weekend but I''m sure not as HOT as it''s going to get...I''m very nervous about the heat but excited about central air LOL....


I''m a little bit in denial I think...

Where did you decide to move?

 

[moremoremore]

Thanks guys! I'm excited and scared. I have no idea what I'll do for a living !!!

I still want to tour more...we actually flew down this weekend for a whopping day LOL...and our friend's friend (realtor) took us out for about 5 hours....I love the ballantyne area....around south park too...I'm still a little confused LOL but will figure it out...As soon as we're in contract to sell, we'll go and explore some more...I think it will definitely be in area 5 or 6...maybe 4...Any thoughts?

 

[mrssalvo]

That is so exciting MMM. It''s going to be way different than NYC but I bet you are going to absolutely love it there. My brother was just in Asheville last weekend and just couldn''t get over how cool it was.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 6/13/2007 9:48:04 PM
Author: moremoremore
Thanks guys! I''m excited and scared. I have no idea what I''ll do for a living !!!


I still want to tour more...we actually flew down this weekend for a whopping day LOL...and our friend''s friend (realtor) took us out for about 5 hours....I love the ballantyne area....around south park too...I''m still a little confused LOL but will figure it out...As soon as we''re in contract to sell, we''ll go and explore some more...I think it will definitely be in area 5 or 6...maybe 4...Any thoughts?

We love living in Ballantyne and will stay here for a long, long time. SouthPark is nice but houses are much more expensive. Also I like how area 5 (at least both places we have lived have freeway access really easy) seems like SouthPark is harder to get to (more surface roads).

Let me know if you have any more questions!