Moving to South Carolina (Charleston, North Charleston: hardwood floor, real estate, landscaping)

[Ivonn77]

Hello!

My husband and I visited Hilton Head, SC. recently. And we loved the town, people and the weather!

We currently live in NYC, and are thinking of moving to SC sometime next year. So we would appreciate a few comments and ideas regarding SC.

My husband was raised in NJ and I was raised in CA.
He is a physical therapist and I am a placement consultant for a private trade school (I find job opportunities for new graduates and alumni's)

1. How is the job market for a physical therapist and a placement consultant in SC, Hilton Head or the surrounding area
2. How is the school system - private vs public
3. How is the real estate market- buy vs rent
4. Cost of living in SC; etc.

Any comments will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you.

[Leone]

Beware, we moved here 18 months ago and it has been a buyers' nightmare.

Expensive. Shoddy businesses. They push the market to see how much non-locals will pay for work.

We had the following done...
A new house built.
Cement pool installed with decking.
Wrought Aluminum fencing.
Irrigation.
Sod installed.
Local nursery landscaping.
Two A/C units central air.
Cherry wood cabinets.
Hardwood floors.

All of this work we were not impressed with. Need a list of who not to go too. I will gladly post or email.

Stay north. The air stinks here. Bugs, snakes, lizards and frogs galore. Shopping, lack of...department and specialize stores scare. No spectacular waterfront/wharf.

Groceries, expensive for the quality. The only thing that is cheap here is cigarettes.

A tourist city with a bunch of junk.

Restaurants. Have yet to find one good. From the expensive, Hymans, Magnolia, to cheap Sticky Fingers or Burger King. I have never tasted such awful food.

Come with money they will be happy to take you for a "ride."

North Charleston crime ridden.
Mount Pleasant over crowded.
Summerville backwards.
Daniel Island expensive for living in a swamp.

The whole place is a swamp covered with landfill.


No cultural blending. Not diverse. High crime. News..murder and robberies nightly.

It is unique here and not in a good way, almost as worse as Cincinnati, Ohio.

Looking within my company to return back to the western region. Soon, I hope.

[Theresejenkins]

wow Leone. I hope you move soon! I, on the other hand, have relocated here 4 years ago from NYC and I absolutely love it - never looked back, I feel like I am on vacation all the time! The restaurants are fantastic - up until last year Johnson and Wales had a school downtown and fabulous chefs were created, the beaches are gorgeous, I live in Mt. Pleasant and for only $1,000/year tax bill I am within 5 miles of the Isle of Palms ocean, and surrounded by lush golf courses. The weather is beautiful, I like the heat, the water is warm, the people are super friendly, basically - if you just read the opposite of Leones email you will get the truth! The medical fields are booming here, and of course there are colleges (Citadel, College of Chas, etc.) for you to look into jobs. Let me know how further I can help -

[Leone]

Tax bill 1K a year in Mount Pleasant, what do you live in a shack? I pay $3700 a year and $500 for flood and I am inland.

Have you been to a Hawaiian beach, a West coast beach? No comparision.

Did you have a new house built?

Golf courses are a dime a dozen here. Whoopie. I have one in walking distance in my subdivision. BY the way everything is a subdivision, in a subdivision.

It is hot AND humid. First part of summer is nice, after that it is so hot, trees and plants turn to fall colors in July. Bugs. You have to give heart worm all year round to your animals because of the mosquitos. Fire ants...termites. You need annual pest terminators.

I just pulled 4 dead frogs from my side motor pool cleaner this morning and 3 dried and dead in my garage and one dead on my a/c unti.

No one said the people weren't friendly. Sure they say, Yes, sir..Miss Mary...Mr. this and Mrs. that. They talk about the weather, attend church...matter of fact one on every corner. With so many denominations makes one wonder what kind of community is it really. Divided? Does one need 100 churches in a 1 mile radius?

Businesses push to see how much non-locals will pay for a tree, a pool, anything..The cost of our pool went up 10K!!!..10K in 6 months. $250 for A palm tree. Their excuses gas went up, the price of sand is up...product in demand as they run to the bank with your check the same day you wrote it.

Beach, food...hot weather is that all there is to boast of?

To sum it up the locals are wise...money wise. Any one here prints up a business card and say hey I am...a builder, an electrician, I install hardwood floors...don't listen to Bob I know better. I had to have 20K worth of hardwood floor tore up and replaced because some one forgot to lay a moisture barrier.

And if anyone thinks this is the best place, than they haven't been anywhere and no, NYC isn't everywhere Miss Jenkins. Been there too.

My complaints are just a small portion of my experience.

Where do you eat? Gilligans, Noisy Oyster, Outback, Greasy Fingers? A pallet isn't required there.


The place is growing so fast, the suburbs, the houses the businesses and schools can't keep up.

Actually it is quite a dirty place as a whole. There are nice areas dwontown, along the coast..Hilton Head but most not. Over grown sidewalks, roads littered, junk yards on what once was a rural road is now a commuting road.

It is a swamp with landfill here. Period

It is evident your experience vastly differs from mine...so...no need to make it out like I am a liar. So really, Miss Jenkins be honest yourself and especially to the folks out there. Perhaps in your four years you haven't got out much and just stay with the five miles of IOP. Get out more so you can really give an honest critique.

[Ivonn77]

Originally Posted by Ivonn77

Hello!

My husband and I visited Hilton Head, SC. recently. And we loved the town, people and the weather!

We currently live in NYC, and are thinking of moving to SC sometime next year. So we would appreciate a few comments and ideas regarding SC.

My husband was raised in NJ and I was raised in CA.
He is a physical therapist and I am a placement consultant for a private trade school (I find job opportunities for new graduates and alumni's)

1. How is the job market for a physical therapist and a placement consultant in SC, Hilton Head or the surrounding area
2. How is the school system - private vs public
3. How is the real estate market- buy vs rent
4. Cost of living in SC; etc.

Any comments will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you.

_________________________________________________

Hi,

Thank you for all your comments.

My husband and I will definitely take all thoughts and experiences in consideration (negative & positive).
Because we have a year to make a decision, your comments are truly appreciated.

Thank you,

_________________________________________________

[ECX]

Wow, Leone, you sound like you really hate SC!

I too am considering a move from Delaware next year. I was outside last night and was bitten 10 times by Mosquitoes... are they much worse in SC?

Are you near Summerville? Because that is where we are looking.

Do people do the "screened in pool thing" in SC like in Florida? That seems to be a good way to keep out the bugs and critters...

[charlc318]

There are bugs everywhere. I live in MA and can't go in the yard after dusk. Every place on this earth has it's ups and downs. I don't know of anywhere that is Utopia. My taxes are through the roof here. I plan on moving to the Charleston area next year. I've visited, as well as many other people on this site and loved the area. I'm well aware of business people who want to "rip off" newcomers. It happened to me here in the Boston area and it was someone who lived right down the street from me. Took my money and ran! Again, it happens everywhere. Crime??? I work in a Boston hospital and see shootings and stabbings every day!!! So, Charleston is far better than living here. I'm know I won't be taking care of drunk, heroine addicts and prostitues having babies. It's all in one's attitude also. I choose to move to SC...not because of a job that is moving me. That makes a big difference. Maybe you didn't want to move in the first place. There are many people moving to SC...there must be a reason. If it was all as bad as you say it is, then it wouldn't be so desired as it is. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I would hope that one's opinion wouldn't affect someone else's desire to move to the Charleston area. No one was calling you a liar...I'm sure that that was your experience, but this doesn't seem like the place to display your anger toward others. There are a lot of people who love it in SC and there must be a reason. And just because someone isn't living in a $600,000 house doesn't mean that they live in a shack. I live in a $425,000 house in MA and my taxes are 5,200/yr. A lot of people are moving out of MA due to the taxes and the ungodly cold winters and very short summers with millions of mosquitoes...and yes, I have to give my dogs heart worm pills all year round even when it's 6 degrees...a fact of life and part of having animals. I'd love to live in Utopia also...please let us all know where it is when you find it.

[ECX]

OHHHH Yea! Utopia! I want to move there too...

Posts like Leones scare me...

I have been in DE/PA all my life and everyone tells me I am crazy for wanting to move down south, but I want less polution and more of a family/community life for us. It seems like this is the place....

[scjj]

Leone seems to have a chip on his shoulder. I see you didn't have a problem taking advantage of your good fortune when you moved here though did you Leone? New house near a golf course, swimming pool, custom home features. I bet you got a new car too. People work all their lives and are never able to afford those things and yet you complain. My guess is that you wouldn't have had them either had you not moved here. Crying over frogs in your pool when other people can barely pay for food or rent. Get a grip. If you are looking for sympathy perhaps you need to jump over to the California board, perhaps they will be more welcoming to your constant whining. Enjoy your return to living the high life in Californ-I-A.

[DJShymansky]

Save your breath. No one will convince Leone otherwise. Every single post he/she's made follows the "south carolina is the worst place in the world to live" motif. I just hope others moving to the area can see that opinion as pure bias, nothing more. Everyone who already lives here can easily see through it.