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We are a British couple considering relocation to Charleston. We are moving after 4 years in Phoenix, AZ and 4 years on Cape Cod MA before that.
I will be working in the 29405 zip code and the wife would love to continue working as a Pediatric RN (she currently works at Phoenix Children's Hospital).
We have 2 boys ages 1 & 2 and want to move somewhere more family friendly.
So we would like good schools, safe/friendly neighborhoods, close to beaches (a <20 min drive to beach at the weekend), dock access for boat, less than 45 min commute to work. House prices can be $400 - $500, would like newer <10 years old house with 4 beds and we like a bit of a yard (half acre would be nice).
And suggestions for places to start looking at when we visit would be very much appreciated.
You won't have a problem finding a home in Charleston, there is a huge abundance of homes, with prices of any range. Since your children are quite young, you easily just pick a place within close proximity to your(his and hers) work, then take the time to explore options regarding the schools you'd like them to attend. Within a few years, you could move to the school district of your choice, and have a better idea of the areas you prefer.
There are a large number of areas that would match all of your above interests and needs. Many neighborhoods in Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, James Island, and West Ashley would all fit that description. There are also plenty of private schools in the Charleston area that would be ideal, which would enable you to not have to focus too much on the actual schools tagged to any one neighborhood.
I think you'll be amazed at what you can find in some of our communities. Charleston should definitely be on your list of places to move.
We looked at many places to relocate to, before deciding upon Charleston. You need to visit for 3 days and see the area for yourself. There are some rather large differences from area to area that you must see for yourself.
Besides that, it is a wonderful place to visit. It is also a very romantic place for someone with a 1 & 2 year old to get away to.
Save yourself a lot of time and have a Realtor set up an agenda that would cover all the bases for you.
thanks for the advice.
we were orginally going to move to Wilmington, NC but being a Software Engineer (embedded) i thought that was too risky, not much work around !
Also we figured Charleston has a lot more to offer in terms of culture, things going on etc.
I still need to interview so i will get a day or two to take a drive around then make the decision to move.
The relo package will then include a weeks stay for house hunting with the family. At that point i would like try and do what i have done in the past. That is find a realtor that is prepared to spend 2-3 hours for a few days showing us houses. I think i saw 20 odd houses on my last relo. But the realtor was great, driving us around showing us the surrounding areas and attractions too.
Let us know if you find someone who's NOT willing to do that for you. It's the bare-minimum you should expect from your realtor when relocating to a new area, and quite easily done.
With all you mentioned on your "must have" list, I will concur that you can find all that (and more) here in Charleston. It's a wonderful place to work and raise a family, in my opinion.
Most areas within 40-50 miles of Charleston are easily accessible to the "hot spots" where a lot of us work and play
Your profession "software engineer" , should be easy to settle right back into. My field isn't that, but I sure do see and hear that term a lot in the way of jobs.
I would also, for your wife make a recommendation. If she is wanting to stay in the Pediatric field of Nursing, we have MUSC (Medical University Of South Carolina) here and it houses one of the leading, if not THE leading Children's hospital in the United States. People with sick children come here from all over the world because of their innovative Children's hospital.
As far as schools, we have some top rated private schools here.
If you are considering a private, Christian school. I would recommend Northside Christian Academy. Top rated academics and has been in this area for a very long time. K-12.
I will also second Mt.Pleasant or Daniel Island, SC as a couple of places that meet your list of needs/want. Both are close to the water and you won't have an issue finding a home with a boat dock. Mt. Pleasant is an older area (compared to Daniel Island) so to better find a property with a bigger yard, perhaps you should start there. Daniel Island is beautiful, but I think you'll have a harder time finding a home with a larger yard.
Plus, Mt.Pleasant is just minutes away from the beach at Isle Of Palms. While Daniel Island is close, it does require a short interstate trip to get to the beach.
From the places of employment and school I mentioned, Mt. Pleasant is about a 20 minute ride to the North Area of Charleston (for the school) and about 5-10 minutes into Downtown, where the hospital, MUSC, is located.
Whatever you and your family decide, Best of luck to you. I hope this helped a little.
is it Northwoods Academy that you're referring too? it's K-12 and will be moving to the Goose Creek area in a couple of years, my kids go there... excellent school with a 100% scholarship program
ditto MUSC
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Houses? Plenty with all prices ranges represented
