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Posted by ElectricSavant on 02-28-06 01:20 AM:

Tell me about North Carolina

I was having some fun with these new Valuation Sites showing up on the Internet...

Wifey and I saw some homes in North Carolina on 1/2 acre plots...and there must have been some mistake...they were 50-80k!!!!

Being from California and currently living in Colorado, we just could not believe what one can get with such a small amount of money...

I have noted there are a few traders from North Carolina over the years...

I looked at the Charlotte area ...how is the weather? Are there Hurricanes? Is there a lot of Snow? Flooding, Traffic, Crime? Prop Taxes? When you buy something there, does it take years to sell it when you want out?

Any information would be appreciated...

Michael B.

Posted by Quah on 02-28-06 01:30 AM:

Re: Tell me about North Carolina

Quote from ElectricSavant:

I was having some fun with these new Valuation Sites showing up on the Internet...

Wifey and I saw some homes in North Carolina on 1/2 acre plots...and there must have been some mistake...they were 50-80k!!!!

Being from California and currently living in Colorado, we just could not believe what one can get with such a small amount of money...

I have noted there are a few traders from North Carolina over the years...

I looked at the Charlotte area ...how is the weather? Are there Hurricanes? Is there a lot of Snow? Flooding, Traffic, Crime? Prop Taxes? When you buy something there, does it take years to sell it when you want out?

Any information would be appreciated...

Michael B.

Weather is perfect - 4 seasons, none of them extreme. Usually snows once or twice a year - and stays on the ground for a day or two at the most. Hasn't snowed at all this year.

No flooding. Traffic is somewhat bad. Crime is not bad. Property taxes aren't bad. Homes are easy to sell as people are moving into this area by the boatload. Overall, a great place to live - have been here since I was 5 years old.

Posted by ElectricSavant on 02-28-06 01:34 AM:

Re: Re: Tell me about North Carolina

oh my gawd...quah my neighbor...this will take a lot to get used to

Quote from Quah:

Weather is perfect - 4 seasons, none of them extreme. Usually snows once or twice a year - and stays on the ground for a day or two at the most. Hasn't snowed at all this year.

No flooding. Traffic is somewhat bad. Crime is not bad. Property taxes aren't bad. Homes are easy to sell as people are moving into this area by the boatload. Overall, a great place to live - have been here since I was 5 years old.

Posted by hans37 on 02-28-06 01:49 AM:

Re: Re: Re: Tell me about North Carolina

Quote from ElectricSavant:

oh my gawd...quah my neighbor...this will take a lot to get used to

stay away
yellow flies
hog farms
kkk
chewing tobacco

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Posted by dandxg on 02-28-06 01:49 AM:

Mr Savant, I too live in Colorado, SE Denver Metro. If you want heat and humidity and thunderstorms move to Charolette.

My buddy moved there for 2 years and couldn't stand it. He moved back to So Cal, even with the high cost of living. I have been in Denver for 2 years and it's pretty nice, although if you live in Douglas County as I do the property taxes are getting ridiculous.

If you want to compare demographics on cities go to bestplaces.net. A bit dated on a few items, but still the best I have seen. Also I believe, there state income taxes are higher in NC than CO, but you can check that for yourself. Good luck,

Dan

Posted by luke24.5 on 02-28-06 02:28 AM:

Haven't lived in NC but very close to there in VA and TN and have visited there a lot. The East coast is more humid than the west, but winters are very mild in NC. Hurricanes are not a big problem inland as far as Charlotte, though occassionally you get some pretty strong wind off of one. If you like some snow and mountains, you might like Asheville. My sister lived in a small town off of I-95 and went through a pretty severe flood back in the late 90's. Eastern NC is flat for quite a ways inland.

I guess it just depends on what you desire out of life and what culture you are used to. I prefer smaller cities, low-crime areas and a good environment to raise my family. To some that would just be too boring. I've known some people to move to the South from CA and think it too much of a change and others who think they've been freed and would never go back to CA. But most all of them bought the first house they looked at thinking they had to snatch that bargain up before someone else did.

Be sure and consider how far you live from family if they all live on the west coast.

Posted by Ripley on 02-28-06 02:48 AM:

North Carolina is for Lovers. You and your Wifey would fit right in.

Posted by ElectricSavant on 02-28-06 02:53 AM:

Unfortunatley, I have respiratory problems and I just read something disturbing....

Posted by chapper on 02-28-06 04:54 AM:

I have done the tour

I grew up in Greensboro, went to school in Raleigh, and I have been in Charlotte for 7 years now.

Weather: Mild winters, little snow, occasional ice storms which really suck. The summer has one forecast from June to late September.... hot, chance of rain...thunderstorm between 5pm and 6pm, almost everyday. Weather in SoCal is much better, but overall it is pretty nice here.

Charlotte is a cool town, I lived in downtown for 4 years which was great, lots of restaurants/bars and fun stuff to do. Then I got married, had a kid, now live in the burbs, which is nice too.

Other cool thing is the mountains are only a couple hour drive, and the beach is only 3 hours away. Makes for good road trip material.

Oh yea, air quality is the suck here. Allergies can get out of control... my wife hates that.

Best of luck...

Posted by gryphes on 03-02-06 08:04 PM:

Luke makes a good point. My ex was born and raised in Raleigh. I'm a Californian but we lived in NYC. When we spent vacations with her family it was quite a difference in cultures. I found the south much more laid back but a bit "clubby". Family names carry weight there. They are very polite but you could move there and always feel like an outsider in certain circles. My ex's grandfather was a prominent North Carolinean so maybe it was more the circles I happened to be exposed to. TIFWIW...

Posted by JayS on 03-02-06 08:14 PM:

Try the Texas hill country, beautiful and cheap. Also no state income tax. A ton of my firends in Houston have places out there, even though its 1-2 hours west of San Antonio. Plan on getting an extra place there soon.

Posted by Ivanovich on 03-02-06 08:17 PM:

Houston is nice if you like living on the sun. What's it, like 100 or so with 150% humidity?

I lived there for two years. There are about two months of decent weather and then you die from heat exhaustion.

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Posted by dandxg on 03-02-06 08:33 PM:

Quote from JayS:

Try the Texas hill country, beautiful and cheap. Also no state income tax. A ton of my firends in Houston have places out there, even though its 1-2 hours west of San Antonio. Plan on getting an extra place there soon.

Being in Colorado, pay 4.7 % taxes and getting up ealier to trade, I have actually thought up Austin, but not Houston. And you are right housing is cheap compared, although I have read property taxes are high. But atleast those are taxes you can wire off.

Posted by EqtTrdr on 03-02-06 11:23 PM:

Housing is cheap in Austin because:

1) it sucks...

2) Traffic is horrid for a place that is a "wannabe" city..

3) 90% of people can't pass a wonderlic test..

and most important

4) Property Taxes are outrageously insane.. to the point where you end up not saving anything as a 300k house in Austin is the same as a 500k house anywhere else...

other than that.. enjoy

Posted by cashonly on 03-03-06 12:04 AM:

Re: Tell me about North Carolina

Quote from ElectricSavant:

Wifey and I saw some homes in North Carolina on 1/2 acre plots...and there must have been some mistake...they were 50-80k!!!!

Being from California and currently living in Colorado, we just could not believe what one can get with such a small amount of money...

I have noted there are a few traders from North Carolina over the years...

I looked at the Charlotte area ...how is the weather? Are there Hurricanes? Is there a lot of Snow? Flooding, Traffic, Crime? Prop Taxes? When you buy something there, does it take years to sell it when you want out?

I live in the Raleigh area.
I've also lived in Charlotte.
All depends on what you want. My area has the lowest crime rate in the country for 100K population towns.
Snow: usually once a year... much more in the mountains.
Flooding... depends on where you live... usually only in known floodplains.
Traffic... old-time Tarheels think it's horrendous... think what traffic was like in Calif 40 years ago and that's what it's like here now.
Prop Taxes... I pay 0.62%... it's about twice that in the city limits.
Homes usually sell in about 30-90 days.

Charlotte is a great area... much more cosmopolitan than here. Better restaurants and nightlife, more to do. It's about 3-4 hours to the beach where the water is WARM in the summer (no wetsuits needed). It's about 3 hours to skiing (which is admittedly lame). It is a little more crowded than here. And you probably don't want to live where there are 50K-80K houses. But there are older parts of town where you can probably get a 3 bedroom ranch for $120K in a nice safe neighborhood with people who have lived there for 30-40 years. And if you want to live in the burbs, you can find brand new 3 bedroom homes on an 1/8th of an acre for $120K.

Downside is the airport... USAir has the gates all locked up, making it the most expensive airport to fly out of... maybe that will change with the Amer West merger.

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Posted by downrivertrader on 03-03-06 12:38 AM:

I lived in Pinehurst for 5 years. Best place on Earth. Take a look at the Sandhills of NC.

Better yet, go to a pig pickin and try to find some double cola ...then you'll be hooked.

DRT

Posted by gryphes on 03-03-06 07:28 PM:

Or if the double cola doesn't get ya, the Ski will....

Posted by indahook on 04-12-06 04:30 PM:

Me and wife are moving to NC in about a year. Have had it with cost of living on long island. Property taxes are out of control...everything here is out of control.

I`ll probably be trading from home. But an office would be nice. Heck, I may open a prop trading branch. Sky is the limit once i`m out from under the financial grip of this penal colony we call Long Island.

Anybody have a list of bd`s in the coastal areas of
Wilmington/Wrightsville beach? Or slightly inland.

Posted by Huios on 04-12-06 09:38 PM:

I've been in the Raleigh area for the last 5 years... moved from PA. I miss the change of seasons, but spring and fall is fantastic... tulips are everywhere. I love the mountains (3 hrs away)

Now that I know which fellow ET'rs live around me... kinda scary.

H

PS... actually getting together with another trader and we are gonna go smack some golf balls at the Lake Shore Golf Course driving range this Fri at 9:00 am

Posted by optioncoach on 04-12-06 09:44 PM:

I visited my sister-in-law in Raleigh. I saw houses and a few large shopping centers..... and that was about it. 3 hours from the shore and suurounded by colleges and agriculture.

A good test to see if you could live there would be to go sit outside your house and stare at the lawn for a few hours.

[Of course this is coming from someone who has always lived or went to school in or near big cities (New York, Boston, Washington, D.C.)]

Posted by EqtTrdr on 04-12-06 11:32 PM:

Quote from optioncoach:

I visited my sister-in-law in Raleigh. I saw houses and a few large shopping centers..... and that was about it. 3 hours from the shore and suurounded by colleges and agriculture.

A good test to see if you could live there would be to go sit outside your house and stare at the lawn for a few hours.

[Of course this is coming from someone who has always lived or went to school in or near big cities (New York, Boston, Washington, D.C.)]

EXACTLY RIGHT!!!

by the way.... wasn't Deliverance filmed in NC??

Posted by cashonly on 04-13-06 01:50 AM:

Quote from optioncoach:

A good test to see if you could live there would be to go sit outside your house and stare at the lawn for a few hours.

[Of course this is coming from someone who has always lived or went to school in or near big cities (New York, Boston, Washington, D.C.)]

Oh yeah, I've been to those cities.. a good test to live there would be to suck on a muffler while being mugged.

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Posted by steveosborne on 04-13-06 02:29 AM:

I live in the Raleigh area and my favorite place is Chapel Hill where house prices doubled in the past few years, so I'm stuck in Pittsboro (south of Chapel Hill) where prices haven't moved since 2000.

Posted by mksummny on 04-13-06 02:42 AM:

live in wilmington......
love the city, love the life, love the beach, love the weather, love the schools, love the real estate (I own rentals in town) love the shopping, excellent choice of cuisine, big university, good sports......... houses are not as cheap as they used to be. I am currently building one that is running about 180 sq.ft on a 1 acre lot. Taxes are cheap, traffic is getting worse, but not nauseating....

Posted by Guildenstern on 04-15-06 04:40 AM:

Kinda off the vein here but I'm wondering if there are any traders in NE NC (Elizabeth City, Moyock, etc.) or the Outer Banks...

Posted by princessa on 04-25-06 01:57 AM:

we own property in n.c. and are going back there to live. it is a lovely place and the crime is not bad. lotsa poor folks in some areas and that can be a little depressing if you're not used to seeing it. also you could cut the humidity with a knife; if you're used to california and other western states' dry atmosphere, that may be somewhat daunting. but n.c. is beautiful and folks are friendly there, including some who are really salt of the earth. i have lived all over, and i find folks from north and west to be little phony and pretentious for my taste, especially the affluent. a little more down to earth in the south, although you do have your incredibly pretentious southern belles if you associate with that crowd. overall, my likes about the area include warmth of the people and friendlier culture. also, the weather is nice if you don't mind hot, humid summers (everyone into the pool!). cost of living is great except for a few hot areas like chapel hill and asheville, where housing costs can be pretty high.

Posted by Russ32 on 06-16-06 05:18 AM:

I've lived near the moutains of NC for 32 years. The Blowing Rock area is very nice, lots of nice homes and no crime. Like someone mentioned, Asheville is neat but a bit too "artsy" for me. The proximity to the beach and the beauty of the mountains is just too nice for me to move anywhere else.

Posted by dividend on 06-16-06 05:39 AM:

is nc like sc? i went to myrtle beach and thought it was highly unusual to have to drive 10-20 minutes on very long roads just to find a u-turn/intersection. wastes a lot of time if u dont know the area and need to backtrack... and u cant do a k-turn because there is a big grass median. and driving from the home to the mall seemed like travelling from an island to another island... it seemed so isolated with very large patches of nothing but trees and looooooonnng straight roads. wow.

btw anyone been to that "south of the borders" place? lol, saw like 50 signs...

Posted by smilingsynic on 06-16-06 07:05 AM:

Quote from Guildenstern:

Kinda off the vein here but I'm wondering if there are any traders in NE NC (Elizabeth City, Moyock, etc.) or the Outer Banks...

I live in Elizabeth City.

Posted by cashonly on 06-19-06 05:16 PM:

Quote from dividend:

is nc like sc? i went to myrtle beach and thought it was highly unusual to have to drive 10-20 minutes on very long roads just to find a u-turn/intersection. wastes a lot of time if u dont know the area and need to backtrack... and u cant do a k-turn because there is a big grass median. and driving from the home to the mall seemed like travelling from an island to another island... it seemed so isolated with very large patches of nothing but trees and looooooonnng straight roads. wow.

btw anyone been to that "south of the borders" place? lol, saw like 50 signs...

Once you're outside of cities, there can be some long stretches. But usually, you should be able to find a driveway to pull into. Go to Charlotte and you'll get all the turns and traffic you want.

I also dealt with culture shock. I was in the Carlsbad area the other morning and the traffic was so bad on I-5, it took me a half hour to go 5 miles!!! This was at 7:30am!!! How do they live with that everyday??? Talk about your waste of time!

South of the Border was built as a halfway tourist to fleece yankees going to Florida as it was at the halfway point. 40 years ago, it held some interest for kiddies. Today, it pretty much looks just like it did 40 years, but without the upkeep

.

Cash

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Posted by indahook on 06-19-06 05:21 PM:

Quote from cashonly:

South of the Border

Weather forecast

Chile today, Hot tamale.

Cmom Bright..open an office in Wilmington already. I dont want to trade from home when we move.

Posted by battle river on 06-19-06 05:53 PM:

Re: I have done the tour

Quote from chapper:

I grew up in Greensboro, went to school in Raleigh, and I have been in Charlotte for 7 years now.

Weather: Mild winters, little snow, occasional ice storms which really suck. The summer has one forecast from June to late September.... hot, chance of rain...thunderstorm between 5pm and 6pm, almost everyday. Weather in SoCal is much better, but overall it is pretty nice here.

Charlotte is a cool town, I lived in downtown for 4 years which was great, lots of restaurants/bars and fun stuff to do. Then I got married, had a kid, now live in the burbs, which is nice too.

Other cool thing is the mountains are only a couple hour drive, and the beach is only 3 hours away. Makes for good road trip material.

Oh yea, air quality is the suck here. Allergies can get out of control... my wife hates that.

Best of luck...

whats raeigh like? the tv network has been showing some of the city cause of the cup finals. it looks pretty nice.
it would be nice to go see game 7 tonight

Posted by cashonly on 06-19-06 06:29 PM:

Re: Re: I have done the tour

Quote from battle river:

whats raeigh like? the tv network has been showing some of the city cause of the cup finals. it looks pretty nice.
it would be nice to go see game 7 tonight

Nice place, but not as cool as Charlotte or with as much to do.

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Posted by sternforpres on 06-19-06 08:26 PM:

Wilmington,NC

Quote from mksummny:

live in wilmington......
love the city, love the life, love the beach, love the weather, love the schools, love the real estate (I own rentals in town) love the shopping, excellent choice of cuisine, big university, good sports......... houses are not as cheap as they used to be. I am currently building one that is running about 180 sq.ft on a 1 acre lot. Taxes are cheap, traffic is getting worse, but not nauseating....

City...ditto
Life...ditto
Taxes...7% income and sales tax!!
Beach...best in on the East Coast
Weather...ditto...minus hurricanes
Schools...dunno
real estate...getting expensive, but not for relos
Cuisine...can't get a pizza or curry to save your life
JOBS...better be in medicine!

Posted by cashonly on 06-19-06 08:43 PM:

Quote from mksummny:

live in wilmington......
love the city, love the life, love the beach, love the weather, love the schools, love the real estate (I own rentals in town) love the shopping, excellent choice of cuisine, big university, good sports......... houses are not as cheap as they used to be. I am currently building one that is running about 180 sq.ft on a 1 acre lot. Taxes are cheap, traffic is getting worse, but not nauseating....

$180/sq ft !!!

Holy Crap!!!

You must have that thing blinged out to the max to be paying that much!!!

__________________
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Bright Trading, LLC
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Posted by AAAintheBeltway on 06-19-06 09:07 PM:

Quote from cashonly:

$180/sq ft !!!

Holy Crap!!!

You must have that thing blinged out to the max to be paying that much!!!

I think he's including the cost of the acre lot.

Posted by cashonly on 06-19-06 09:17 PM:

Quote from AAAintheBeltway:

I think he's including the cost of the acre lot.

So am I... I live in NC, and am quite familiar with building costs (although, not lot costs, so if he's on the water, that may be a different story).

__________________
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Posted by chapper on 06-19-06 10:05 PM:

Re: Re: I have done the tour

Quote from battle river:

whats raeigh like? the tv network has been showing some of the city cause of the cup finals. it looks pretty nice.
it would be nice to go see game 7 tonight

Raleigh is a cool town too, it caught more of the real estate boom than Charlotte IMO, good locations are expensive... Raleigh and Charlotte are completely different places... Charlotte is built around the center city, which is a huge financial services hub (although you hardly hear anything about that) and Raleigh is east of Research Triangle, which is where most of the jobs are. If you think about the entire Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary and smaller Holly Springs, Apex etc...) you really have one giant city surrounding RTP.

Chapel Hill is really nice place too... some of the best real estate in NC is there...

Oh and if you like College basketball... you can't beat living in the Triangle, it's the college basketball capital of the world. Go Canes... big game 7 tonight

Posted by TM_Direct on 06-19-06 10:24 PM:

I have a place outside Lake Lure in the Mountains.....Counting down the when, not IF i make it my permanent residence...

Rutherford County is very cheap and the perfect getaway to the traffic and heat of Florida.

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Posted by BCE on 06-19-06 10:38 PM:

A alternative would be to move here to Santa Barbara and be Oprah's neighbor. The median price of a home in Santa Barbara is now....................drumroll......................$1.25 million. Ouch!!!!!!!!!!!! But true.

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Posted by cashonly on 06-20-06 01:44 PM:

Quote from BCE:

A alternative would be to move here to Santa Barbara and be Oprah's neighbor. The median price of a home in Santa Barbara is now....................drumroll......................$1.25 million. Ouch!!!!!!!!!!!! But true.

I will have to say that with the combination of the ocean, mountains and beauty, if there was a place in the US that I could live without worrying about costs, Santa Barbara is it. But unfortunately, I think my home there would be more around $5M or more.

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Posted by ecritt on 06-20-06 02:14 PM:

I've lived in a lot of different cities (Seattle Washington, Portland Oregon, San Jose Calif, Los Angeles Calif, Tulsa Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Wichita Kansas, Savannah Georgia, Phoenix Arizona) and a few others if I thought about it long enough. I did a little time in Raleigh/Durham area. Beautiful place, great food, decent economy, reasonable cost of living. But I have NEVER seen so many bugs in my life. You literally have to stop your car every 20 miles or so to scrap them off your window and headlights. There were moths the size of ravens. Beetles the size of my fist. Spiders that still give me the chills. Other than that the place was great.

Phoenix is by far the nicest place I've ever lived.

Posted by cashonly on 06-20-06 02:22 PM:

Oh yeah, BTW, if you like hockey, it's now confirmed. We have the best around!

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Posted by Jayford on 06-20-06 02:41 PM:

Quote from ecritt:

I've lived in a lot of different cities (Seattle Washington, Portland Oregon, San Jose Calif, Los Angeles Calif, Tulsa Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Wichita Kansas, Savannah Georgia, Phoenix Arizona) and a few others if I thought about it long enough. I did a little time in Raleigh/Durham area. Beautiful place, great food, decent economy, reasonable cost of living. But I have NEVER seen so many bugs in my life. You literally have to stop your car every 20 miles or so to scrap them off your window and headlights. There were moths the size of ravens. Beetles the size of my fist. Spiders that still give me the chills. Other than that the place was great.

Phoenix is by far the nicest place I've ever lived.

I've also lived in several of these places. Can't understand how you'd pick Phoenix over San Jose, or even Portland with the rain. Of course I don't refer to SJ proper, but towns right next to it like Los Gatos. Extremely cool, and perfect weather most of the time. Bloody expensive though. Among the worst in the States in that category.

I spent two years in Phoenix for some schooling. Ouch. For 5 months of the year I had to stay indoors it was so bloody hot. Traffic there is getting bad now as well. Grew too fast.

Back to the subject of the thread. I would live in Avon, NC if I would ever consider the East Coast (which I wouldn't due to the humidity which is a killer for a western native). The place has some of the finest water sports around, but is smack in the hurricane zone. The windsurfers actually like that. I would be in Asheville if I was more of a mountain guy. Pretty town and area in general.

Jay

Posted by ecritt on 06-20-06 02:55 PM:

Quote from Jayford:

I've also lived in several of these places. Can't understand how you'd pick Phoenix over San Jose, or even Portland with the rain. Of course I don't refer to SJ proper, but towns right next to it like Los Gatos. Extremely cool, and perfect weather most of the time. Bloody expensive though. Among the worst in the States in that category.

I spent two years in Phoenix for some schooling. Ouch. For 5 months of the year I had to stay indoors it was so bloody hot. Traffic there is getting bad now as well. Grew too fast.

I lived in Saratoga, right next to Los Gatos. The traffic was taking up half my life. It took me an hour to get to work, which was 9 miles away!!! You have to shell out $800 thousand for 2 bedroom cottage with one bathroom. Taxes are nose-bleed in California. Portland? It never STOPPED raining. I'd rather be hot 5 months out of the year than wet for 10 months.

At least we have choices here in America.

Posted by AAAintheBeltway on 06-20-06 03:11 PM:

Quote from cashonly:

So am I... I live in NC, and am quite familiar with building costs (although, not lot costs, so if he's on the water, that may be a different story).

What would you estimate the costs to build a top quality, eg all brick, wood floors,etc, house, excluding land? My only reference is looking at houses for sale and doing the math, but they of course include land, which varies a lot more than the cost of construction.

Posted by cashonly on 06-20-06 03:35 PM:

Quote from AAAintheBeltway:

What would you estimate the costs to build a top quality, eg all brick, wood floors,etc, house, excluding land? My only reference is looking at houses for sale and doing the math, but they of course include land, which varies a lot more than the cost of construction.

Well, everyone's idea of top quality is different. I know that generally, in the construction cost range of $95/sq.ft., you can get hardwood floors, Brick or Hardy Plank (which is a concrete type siding that looks like wood, but without the rot or upkeep), fireplace, unfinished and floored full walk-up attic, tile kitchen and baths, dual HVAC, built in closet shelving and drawers, 30yr shingles, plywood sheathing (as opposed to gypsum), granite kitchen counters with lots of cabinets, etc. If you have any specific things in mind, let me know and I can tell you if they'd be considered standard or an upgrade.

Of course, if you go with a non-custom builder like KBH or someone, you can get a lower/sqft price (like $75-$80), but have corian as opposed to granite, vinyl siding as opposed to Hardy Plank or brick, etc. Oh yeah, and be stuck on a postage stamp lot of a 1/3 of an acre or less!

Cash

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Bright Trading, LLC
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Posted by leapfrog on 06-20-06 04:15 PM:

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara always gets on everyone's list of approved places to live - but few of us have Oprah's buying power I guess.

Interesting reading this thread - virtually everywhere in the country involves some sort of weather compromise (at least). You would think that it should be possible for us Americans to live year round without relying on artificial means to sustain us (either heating or cooling). Part of it is that we are all just too used to keeping our bodies at 78 degrees 24/7/365 versus 20 years ago when fans and/or sweaters had to suffice. But still, really, can many people live in places like Arizona or even Florida without A/C and survive? And of course, plenty of poor people die every year in the north east from exposure in winters.

That Al Gore fellow is hard to argue with on this global warming issue.

I live in the Boston area - just love visiting the south west national parks - thought of living there - can't get around the idea of the heat year round and all that brown. Winters here are brutal (IMHO) but compare that to rain (Seattle) heat (anywhere south of New York) cyclones, floods, bugs (N/S C), property taxes(Austin), crime rates, poor infrastructure...oh damn it, let's just all move to the Virgin Islands - it's got to be new and fresh there, right?

Posted by Jayford on 06-20-06 05:41 PM:

No weather compromise in San Diego. If near the beach, don't need heating or cooling really, unless you want the house absolutely perfect.

Then there is Hawaii. Many homes upcountry Maui don't even have heating or cooling. It does actually get cold if you go too high though (Kula). Makawao, Pukalani, Haiku pretty much always perfect.

House prices match the weather, as in perfectly absurd.

Posted by Jayford on 06-20-06 05:55 PM:

Quote from ecritt:

I lived in Saratoga, right next to Los Gatos. The traffic was taking up half my life. It took me an hour to get to work, which was 9 miles away!!! You have to shell out $800 thousand for 2 bedroom cottage with one bathroom. Taxes are nose-bleed in California. Portland? It never STOPPED raining. I'd rather be hot 5 months out of the year than wet for 10 months.

At least we have choices here in America.

I grew up in Saratoga! Small world.

Traffic there can get nasty. The trick is no rush hour, and then its not bad at all. I was just there a few weeks ago, and compared to most big cities that have traffic all the time, it was delightful. I took "17" from SJO to Santa Cruz at about ten am, 70 mph the whole way.

Yep, its spendy alright. No arguement there.

Posted by AAAintheBeltway on 06-21-06 01:23 AM:

Quote from cashonly:

Well, everyone's idea of top quality is different. I know that generally, in the construction cost range of $95/sq.ft., you can get hardwood floors, Brick or Hardy Plank (which is a concrete type siding that looks like wood, but without the rot or upkeep), fireplace, unfinished and floored full walk-up attic, tile kitchen and baths, dual HVAC, built in closet shelving and drawers, 30yr shingles, plywood sheathing (as opposed to gypsum), granite kitchen counters with lots of cabinets, etc. If you have any specific things in mind, let me know and I can tell you if they'd be considered standard or an upgrade.

Of course, if you go with a non-custom builder like KBH or someone, you can get a lower/sqft price (like $75-$80), but have corian as opposed to granite, vinyl siding as opposed to Hardy Plank or brick, etc. Oh yeah, and be stuck on a postage stamp lot of a 1/3 of an acre or less!

Cash

Thanks, that's interesting. I'm not planning on building anything. It would drive me crazy.

Posted by ElectricSavant on 06-21-06 01:27 AM:

Getting the contractor just to show up after he gets a check is a miracle in California...He is too busy building his own stuff...

Quote from AAAintheBeltway:

Thanks, that's interesting. I'm not planning on building anything. It would drive me crazy.

Posted by battle river on 06-21-06 02:18 AM:

Quote from cashonly:

Oh yeah, BTW, if you like hockey, it's now confirmed. We have the best around!

congrats. that was a pretty good series. can't beat a game 7. looks like you guys gave some decent fans

Posted by StoragePro on 06-22-06 06:22 PM:

I moved out of Upstate NY to Raleigh about 18 months ago - best move I ever made.

Raleigh is the biggest small town around. Bigger than Pittsburgh, but without all the big town amenities - for now. It has a very nice small town family feel

Taxes - 8% top rate on income. Real Easte taxes are 1/3 of Rochester NY (NICE!)

Weather - Beeoootiful for most of hte year. Mild winters. Perfect Spring and Fall. July can be nasty. Hot and humid. But I like it that way.

Schools - Wake County is great. Durham sucks.

Sports - College basketball heaven. Football is great. Baseball too. Home to the Stanley Cup !!! (I went to the playoffs and hold a mini-game plan) Nothing like it!

Quality of life - Outstanding.

Restuarants - at first I did not think we had much. I was wrong. We have some world class faire. BUT - forget pizza and goof bread. Something about the south - the water messes with the bread.

I love it here. Never living in the snow belt again. Charlotte is also nice - but to big for me. I don't like that kind of traffic. Wilmington is very nice too - but you can get a hurricane...

__________________
Fire is hot.

Posted by cashonly on 06-22-06 07:02 PM:

Quote from StoragePro:

I moved out of Upstate NY to Raleigh about 18 months ago - best move I ever made.

Raleigh is the biggest small town around. Bigger than Pittsburgh, but without all the big town amenities - for now. It has a very nice small town family feel

Taxes - 8% top rate on income. Real Easte taxes are 1/3 of Rochester NY (NICE!)

Weather - Beeoootiful for most of hte year. Mild winters. Perfect Spring and Fall. July can be nasty. Hot and humid. But I like it that way.

Schools - Wake County is great. Durham sucks.

Sports - College basketball heaven. Football is great. Baseball too. Home to the Stanley Cup !!! (I went to the playoffs and hold a mini-game plan) Nothing like it!

Quality of life - Outstanding.

Restuarants - at first I did not think we had much. I was wrong. We have some world class faire. BUT - forget pizza and goof bread. Something about the south - the water messes with the bread.

I love it here. Never living in the snow belt again. Charlotte is also nice - but to big for me. I don't like that kind of traffic. Wilmington is very nice too - but you can get a hurricane...

Schools may not be great in Durham, but have you checked out the restaurants? BTW, my favorite in Raleigh is Michael Dean's... excellent meals and service every time.

__________________
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Remote Trading Manager
Bright Trading, LLC
http://remote.brighttrading.com

Posted by StoragePro on 06-22-06 07:07 PM:

You are correct on the restuarants! Durham has some top-flight feederies.

I have not been to Michael Deans - heard of it, I'll have to try it out.

__________________
Fire is hot.

Posted by chapper on 06-22-06 08:04 PM:

Quote from StoragePro:

I love it here. Never living in the snow belt again. Charlotte is also nice - but to big for me. I don't like that kind of traffic. Wilmington is very nice too - but you can get a hurricane... [/B]

You can get a hurricane in Raleigh too

I was in college btw '92-'97, and one of the hurricanes came straight up the Cape Fear river..., it was still a Category 1 by the time it got to Raleigh... boy that was a fun night. There were all these idiots running around outside in the roads, completely hammered... cars got washed into creeks, trees everywhere. We broke out candles and about 4 cases of brew and rode it out... didn't have power for 4 days.

Those were the days...

Posted by StoragePro on 06-22-06 08:07 PM:

Aahhhh, Hurricanes.

Cat 1 is no small event - no?

I lived inthe Cariibean for a few years when I was but a boy, we got a Cat 3. Now, THAT is a storm! (Actually was scared!)

Today however, the only Hurricanes around carry Lord Stanley's Cup!! AND YES! I WAS THERE!!!

Talk about once in a lifetime!

Trade on!

__________________
Fire is hot.

Posted by Hubert1635 on 07-06-08 05:17 PM:

Hi All,

Sorry about the late addition to this thread.
My Wife and kids and I are looking to relocate in the next 6mo-1yr. We have been looking seriously at the Cary/Apex areas. We are going to visit there in the next couple of months. Can anyone share anything about those areas?
Thanks in advance!
-H

Posted by 007Arb on 07-06-08 09:36 PM:

I lived for 16 years in the Reno/Tahoe area and thought it was paradise on earth, especially if you are into hiking like I am. But in the mid 90s crime got really bad and I left for the East. Although I don't presently live in NC I spent a few summers there and will probablyy move there permanently in the next few years. There is no prettier place in the eastern U.S. than the Boone/Banner Elk area aka the High Country. Anywhere along the Blue Ridge Parkway is special. Hiking-wise you can't beat the Asheville area since it's surrounded by national forests and a National Park.

Posted by Maverick74 on 07-06-08 10:51 PM:

When you guys talk about the mountains in NC, can you elaborate more on that? We are talking 4k to 5k feet right? Do you guys have bears?

__________________
"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." Rick Blaine

Posted by bahdabing on 07-06-08 10:58 PM:

Quote from Maverick74:

When you guys talk about the mountains in NC, can you elaborate more on that? We are talking 4k to 5k feet right? Do you guys have bears?

"Do you have bears" Hahahahahahahahahaha, man that's classic.

Do your bears have a southern drawl? Hahahahahahahahahahaha, man I love this place.

Posted by Maverick74 on 07-06-08 11:02 PM:

Quote from bahdabing:

"Do you have bears" Hahahahahahahahahaha, man that's classic.

Do your bears have a southern drawl? Hahahahahahahahahahaha, man I love this place.

You are aware that there are Black Bears in NC right?

__________________
"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." Rick Blaine

Posted by bahdabing on 07-06-08 11:12 PM:

Quote from Maverick74:

You are aware that there are Black Bears in NC right?

Yes I am. Believe it or not we had a bear in a wooded area here last summer in Chicago and also had a mountain lion earlier this year.

Posted by Maverick74 on 07-06-08 11:16 PM:

Quote from bahdabing:

Yes I am. Believe it or not we had a bear in a wooded area here last summer in Chicago and also had a mountain lion earlier this year.

We also had a panther and a pack of wild wolves in Chicago as well...in the city!

__________________
"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." Rick Blaine

Posted by Pivotas on 07-06-08 11:36 PM:

Lived in Arden for 3 years, right next to Asheville, about a mile from the Biltmore Estate, on the edge of the Pisgah National Forest. Hiked every trail in the Pisgah over that time. Saw a black bear on 3 occasions, may have been the same one....it wore a radio collar. But otherwise there is a noticable absence of wild life, particularily birds. Beautiful country with a bad acid rain problem. Pisgah ajoins the Blue Ridge National Park, the most visited of all the national parks and rated with the worst air quality of all the parks. Pollution from coal burning powerplants to the west in Tn drops onto the mountains. Lot of tree loss at higher elevations such as on Mt Mitchell. Big problem now is people moving there and building their McMansions on the ridge lines, giving them nice sunrise/sunset views but otherwise destroying the pristene mountains that once made the place so unique.

Other than that....it's a great place....depending on what you're looking for.

Posted by Pivotas on 07-07-08 04:37 AM:

Too late to edit... intended to say "ajoins Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smokey Mountains National Park"

Posted by ByLoSellHi on 07-07-08 03:11 PM:

Quote from Hubert1635:

Hi All,

Sorry about the late addition to this thread.
My Wife and kids and I are looking to relocate in the next 6mo-1yr. We have been looking seriously at the Cary/Apex areas. We are going to visit there in the next couple of months. Can anyone share anything about those areas?
Thanks in advance!
-H

We're thinking about a move, too. Probably to Charlotte, since most professional opportunities seem to exist there, with a lot of multinationals having NA HQs there, although we haven't ruled out Raleigh, maybe?

Anything significant changed in terms of housing prices, taxes, pollution, traffic, or anything else since this thread was started?

We're into a safe neighborhood, low property taxes, clean environment and at least a relatively progressive environment. We do like cultural things such as concerts and the arts, too.

I mean, we're not Berkeley liberal by any stretch - I think we're fairly socially moderate - but maybe we're more socially progressive (while economically conservative) than what I may may fairly or unfairly have as a portrait of North Carolinians in my head (due to media portrayals and word of mouth of people who may lack any credibility)?

Thanks in advance to any tarheels that want to give us the real scoop.

Posted by TM_Direct on 07-08-08 04:06 PM:

I spent most of June in NC...going back up in august...must admit...It was HOTTER in NC then it is in Florida!!!...But it was awesome going to the top of S. Mounain and swiming in crystal clear mountain water...hit a bunch of waterfalls with the kids and it was just awesome.no gators in the lake is also a plus

__________________
_____________________________
Although I don't believe in an after life, just in case, Im going to bring a fresh pair of underwear with me when i die...

Posted by ndjeff7 on 07-08-08 05:06 PM:

Moved to coastal Carolina last year and it's definitely much hotter than I even expected. Good thing there's a breeze all the time off the ocean or else I wouldn't be able to take it. Anyway, it's a nice place to live if you enjoy outdoor activities/beaches and the cost of living is dirt cheap. There are new stores and shopping centers being built non-stop around me so it's starting to feel a little less isolating than previously.

Posted by stevegee58 on 07-08-08 05:25 PM:

Quote from ByLoSellHi:

I mean, we're not Berkeley liberal by any stretch - I think we're fairly socially moderate - but maybe we're more socially progressive (while economically conservative) than what I may may fairly or unfairly have as a portrait of North Carolinians in my head (due to media portrayals and word of mouth of people who may lack any credibility)?

Thanks in advance to any tarheels that want to give us the real scoop.

I lived in Cary, NC (suburb of Raleigh) from 1995 to 1999. Cary is jokingly referred to as C.A.R.Y. (Containment Area for Relocated Yankees). The first southerner that I was aware of living in our subdivision was the guy who bought our house.

There are many areas of NC that are like the archetypal old south: rednecks, shacks, cotton fields, etc. But if you're in a metropolitan area like Charlotte, Raleigh, etc you'll find things more familiar (if you're not southern).

Here in the Washington DC area, day-tripping to the beach is nearly impossible due to Bay Bridge traffic. In NC, a day trip to the beach is easy and very pleasant. What's more, the mountains are about the same drive west and are very nice.

Why'd I leave this apparent heaven on earth? Because I could see the economy topping and decided to move back to an area with better job stability. For once I timed the market just right.

Posted by dagobaz on 07-08-08 05:28 PM:

i live outside of asheville, in the mountains. I love it here: no crime, nice people, stuff to do, especially if you love to hike / kayak. This place has superb restaurants for a city its size. I spent the first 30 years of my life in large cities (ny, chicago, london) now, i am in recovery. another 50 years ought to do it.

two things to be aware of if you are considering a move here:

1) the pace is much much slower. if you can adapt to that, you will love it, especially if you have a dose of organic food loving alternative lifestyle modality.

2) allergies can be bad in the spring and early summer, because of the pollen. I have type 3 asthma, and it bothers me sometimes.

best of luck with whatever you choose.

cybele

__________________
'tis not too late to seek a newer world

Posted by stevegee58 on 07-08-08 05:35 PM:

Speaking of Asheville, the wife's been mentioning moving back to NC to Asheville after both kids are in college.

Sounds good to me.

Posted by freewilly on 07-09-08 03:20 AM:

I like Raleigh, NC.

Has anyone thought about Charlottesville, VA? Not too far north from Raleigh, NC. It is right at the foothill of Blue Ridge Mountain. The weather is perfect for my taste. Winter is mild, Spring and Fall are Gorgeous. Few days in July and August can get hot, but usually it is cool at night because of the mountains.

Great schools as well, top notch restaurants.

The only thing is it is getting pricey now. A 2500 sf house cost you about $500K.

freewilly

Posted by Midas on 07-09-08 03:27 AM:

Re: NC

Quote from dagobaz:

i live outside of asheville, in the mountains. I love it here: no crime, nice people, stuff to do, especially if you love to hike / kayak. This place has superb restaurants for a city its size. I spent the first 30 years of my life in large cities (ny, chicago, london) now, i am in recovery. another 50 years ought to do it.

two things to be aware of if you are considering a move here:

1) the pace is much much slower. if you can adapt to that, you will love it, especially if you have a dose of organic food loving alternative lifestyle modality.

2) allergies can be bad in the spring and early summer, because of the pollen. I have type 3 asthma, and it bothers me sometimes.

best of luck with whatever you choose.

cybele

Posted by Difital Fibers on 07-09-08 04:33 AM:

NYC born and bred. in my mid 20's

Had a GF move into the burbs right outside of charlotte.
for 250K she got a house that is prob worth 700K on Long Island. her part of town was very similar to one of those picket fence towns on tv. clean, manicured lawns, and the ppl were absolutely polite. One thing i did notice was that the ppl I met in the neighborhood were mostly from around the country (NJ, NY, CT, CO, MO)

I also checked out the night life. started out at a bobcats game. the arena appears to cater to the entire family. (they do the mascot thing, they have a small basketball court that is open for the children, right above the court they have an open air bar..no bad seats ..puts MSG to shame) Also did the restaurant and bar thing the rest of the w/e. I would give the nite life a 6.75 out of 10.

Although a very nice city I can't see myself living there in my late 20's early 30's, but later on in life is def a possibility.

Posted by Difital Fibers on 07-09-08 04:42 AM:

P.S.

Had the poker itch when I was down there.. so I look up and see that the nearest casino was Harrahs abt 3 hours away west of charlotee.. GF and I drove through the farms, flatlands, and mountains..(nearly drove off of the great smokey mountains..the climb was really narrow). A flat tire and a few rest stops in between we get to the Harrahs and they tell us that THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY CARD GAMES!!! angry, fuming and livid could not describe what i felt at that moment..

sucked it up..ended positive a cpl hundred on video blackjack and 3card poker..

Posted by jashanno on 07-14-08 08:43 PM:

Quote from Difital Fibers:

P.S.

Had the poker itch when I was down there.. so I look up and see that the nearest casino was Harrahs abt 3 hours away west of charlotee.. GF and I drove through the farms, flatlands, and mountains..(nearly drove off of the great smokey mountains..the climb was really narrow). A flat tire and a few rest stops in between we get to the Harrahs and they tell us that THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY CARD GAMES!!! angry, fuming and livid could not describe what i felt at that moment..

sucked it up..ended positive a cpl hundred on video blackjack and 3card poker..

I live 20 minutes from there. It is a real shame they don't have poker tables at Cherokee.

__________________
jashanno

Posted by stevegee58 on 07-14-08 08:55 PM:

Quote from freewilly:

...Has anyone thought about Charlottesville, VA? Not too far north from Raleigh, NC. It is right at the foothill of Blue Ridge Mountain. The weather is perfect for my taste. Winter is mild, Spring and Fall are Gorgeous. Few days in July and August can get hot, but usually it is cool at night because of the mountains.

Great schools as well, top notch restaurants.

The only thing is it is getting pricey now. A 2500 sf house cost you about $500K.

freewilly

The wife and I looked at Charlottesville back around 1990. I had a job offer there and we did the real estate trip. We found the same thing you did. It was surprisingly expensive considering how isolated it was. We found out later that OJ Simpson and other rich celebs have estates in that area. That's prolly part of it.

Traffic there is horrible as well.

Posted by bigarrow on 07-16-08 03:06 AM:

I'm working north of Charlotte, been here a couple of months. Very beautiful country, it seems the friendliest people are the ones I meet from other parts of the country. For you single guys I wouldn't recommend it, lots of large women and not a lot of lookers, at least not from what I've seen so far. I think I've seen more fat people here than anywhere I've ever been. I've met some nice people from here but overall not the friendliest place I've been. But this is just from being here 2 months, so it might be a lot better than my first impressions. I'm keeping an open mind and hopefully I'll be liking it better here. And oh yeah it's hotter than hell here, seems hotter than back in Texas.

Posted by 007Arb on 07-16-08 04:33 AM:

Quote from Pivotas:

Lived in Arden for 3 years, right next to Asheville, about a mile from the Biltmore Estate, on the edge of the Pisgah National Forest. Hiked every trail in the Pisgah over that time. Saw a black bear on 3 occasions, may have been the same one....it wore a radio collar. But otherwise there is a noticable absence of wild life, particularily birds. Beautiful country with a bad acid rain problem. Pisgah ajoins the Blue Ridge National Park, the most visited of all the national parks and rated with the worst air quality of all the parks. Pollution from coal burning powerplants to the west in Tn drops onto the mountains. Lot of tree loss at higher elevations such as on Mt Mitchell. Big problem now is people moving there and building their McMansions on the ridge lines, giving them nice sunrise/sunset views but otherwise destroying the pristene mountains that once made the place so unique.

Other than that....it's a great place....depending on what you're looking for.

Gee, that is discouraging if true. Maybe I better stay put here in KY around Mammoth Cave National Park. It is teeming with wildlife everywhere you look - deer, wild turkey, coyotes, fox and more and it's full of birds such as owls, woodpeckers, cardinals........................ I run there everyday and since no one around KY seems to be into fitness I pretty much have all the trails to myself.

Posted by ilikefox es on 07-17-08 03:55 PM:

I lived there a few years. It's got a lot going for it, with the beach, mountains, etc. Great place to settle down. If you want a more active city life, prob not the right place.

Posted by Mvic on 07-17-08 04:18 PM:

Raleigh and Charlotte are OK if you like the quiet life, nice people for the most part though there are an inoordinate number of religious fanatics of the white Baptist fundamentalist born again ilk. Not many good restaurants (forget ethnic places comprable to those we have in the NE) and high end cultural opportunities. Catamaran sailing on Pamlico sound/outer banks is a wonderful experience and the place is a national treasure that needs to be protected from the pig farmers of the area and you can rent a huge modern house ocean front on the outer banks for very little money but you had better be a good cook or bring your own. Big game fishing is awesome from the outterbanks when the Tuna and Mahi (they call them Doplphins) are running. Pinehurst is a golfers dream. Unfortunately I can't say anything positive (though could say many negative things) about the part of the state between Raleigh and New Bern so won't say anything about it. Oh and NC pulled pork BBQ sucks!

Posted by kefsurfer on 07-23-08 03:55 PM:

Is anyone in the Wilmington area? I was a Fixed Income trader but have been out of the game for the last two years. Starting to get a serious itch and would love to talk to some people in this area.

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