Help with a move to SC ( Charleston specif ) (Mount Pleasant: real estate, rentals)

[iggy097]

Okay, I"ve lived in Rochester, NY all of my life, and am sick of the snow here. My girlfriend lived in Charleston for two years, and has recently moved back home to ROC. Anyhow, we would like to move back down in the near future, but I have a few questions first if anyone could help.

1. Job market. I've seen on these threads that jobs can be tough here. I'm 29 years old, no college education, but have worked as a manager for a large wine and liquor distributor for the last 9 years. I have a CDL B, and excellent references.
2. Housing. I own a home here in NY, but I think I would like to rent when I move. We would be looking for a 3 bedroom in the Charleston area, but I can't afford a HUGE payment.
3. Job market. AGAIN! This would be the kicker for me. My GF, has a job that she left behind that she could go back to at a local golf resort, ( Wild dunes I think it is? ), I'm just worried about myself. I have no problem finding work here in NY, and I heard that one of our distributors has a branch in Charleston ( Southern wine and spirits ), the problem that I'm worried about is that when I was 18 years old, I was arrested and unfortunatly that stays on your record for life. Well, at least in NY it does. Is this going to pose a huge problem for me securing work in SC? I would sincerly hope not, as many kids make mistakes when they were young.

Thanks for the help in advance!

[Rggr]

Originally Posted by iggy097

Okay, I"ve lived in Rochester, NY all of my life, and am sick of the snow here. My girlfriend lived in Charleston for two years, and has recently moved back home to ROC. Anyhow, we would like to move back down in the near future, but I have a few questions first if anyone could help.

1. Job market. I've seen on these threads that jobs can be tough here. I'm 29 years old, no college education, but have worked as a manager for a large wine and liquor distributor for the last 9 years. I have a CDL B, and excellent references.

The job market depends on the industry. I don't have any information on that industry specifically.

Originally Posted by iggy097

2. Housing. I own a home here in NY, but I think I would like to rent when I move. We would be looking for a 3 bedroom in the Charleston area, but I can't afford a HUGE payment.

How much is huge? The rent on a place like that will vary by location.

Originally Posted by iggy097

3. Job market. AGAIN! This would be the kicker for me. My GF, has a job that she left behind that she could go back to at a local golf resort, ( Wild dunes I think it is? ), I'm just worried about myself. I have no problem finding work here in NY, and I heard that one of our distributors has a branch in Charleston ( Southern wine and spirits ), the problem that I'm worried about is that when I was 18 years old, I was arrested and unfortunatly that stays on your record for life. Well, at least in NY it does. Is this going to pose a huge problem for me securing work in SC? I would sincerly hope not, as many kids make mistakes when they were young.

Wild Dunes is nice. That's great for her.
I do know of Southern Wine and Spirits, but I don't know their policies. Many people have mistakes in their past and have no problems from it. I would imagine it would depend on the mistake and the field of work.

[DJShymansky]

I'd recommend looking into the employment first. If you already have a local branch down here of the company that you currently work for, then I'd definitely check with them about vacancies, salary, etc.

As to the rent/purchase, just let us know what you're comfortable with and I'm sure we can find something for you in that ballpark.

[iggy097]

Well, i don't currently work for Southern, as I left and took a dispatching job, but I have several friends that are still employed there, that will refer me nicely.
As for the housing, I'm looking for possibly a 3 bedroom in the 1000 range if at all possible. That's what my mortage is now here in NY, and I can swing that with a 40k salary, not sure how the salaries are there in Charleston though.
From what she describes of the area it sounds absolutely wonderful. I had a job offer in Vegas ,but I've outgrown the whole party scene, and would like a nice change of pace from Rochester.
How is the construction field down there? A friend that is moving with me is a roofer by trade. Will he have any trouble finding work?

[Jim3310]

Charleston is a big wine town. If you have the experience & the references, you should do ok. I don't know about the $40K for you though.

$1k for a 3 bedroom, we can handle. But not much less.

This are not quite as bright for the roofer these days.
jim

[jcrotty]

The answers from this direction seem to say come on down, but be prepared for a challenge--

the unanswered question or challenge may be what can you do up there to be best prepared for the challenges here.

About the job market here--you may be best served to consult contacts with Southern there. Southern is a big player here and this is a great location for the hospitality industry (including wholesale selling and distribution of wine). The insiders there could be in a better situation to tell you about specific opportunities here and how your record with them and the law, could affect your future with them and perhaps with others. They may even pave the way for you to talk to the right people here.

Your housing questions should include critical thought about the housing situation there--do you want to be an absentee landlord? Could you sell there, and be better positioned here without potential distractions and demands there?

I hate to draw a definitive conclusion without more data, but it sounds like

a) a move here is do-able, but not without challenges;

b) the situation there is not what you'd like--(snow's likely to continue in Rochester);

c) your girlfriend could return to a good job here; and

d) you have a buddy willing to move with you and take his chances...

Is it crazy to suggest you keep thinking ahead, but follow your heart? You're still young.

[emilybh]

I'd get a copy of my credit history (or whatever an employer might be able to get on you) and see what it looks like so you can see how or if the arrest shows up. If it does I'd bring it up BEFORE the prospective employer finds out about it on his own so you can explain what happened and that you've changed etc etc. That will make you seem like a much more above board person from a character standpoint than not mentioning it and hoping he never finds out.

[iggy097]

Thanks for all the replies so far. It's pretty scary planning a big move, as I've never lived out of NY before. Selling a home, and a safety net of a new job in hopes of starting over someplace new, it's daunting.
The record.. well, you always have to show it on applications, it's that little box that most of you have never given a second thought to, but to me it's the one I dread seeing. "Have you ever been convicted of a crime, if so explain". And generally, having been so long ago, and with great work references, it hasn't been a problem so far. Now, all the tattoos on my arm, well that's another story
We hope to stay this summer here in Rochester, and probably sell my house when the time comes. I'll continue to look for work as the time draws near. My GF says she wants to stay in the Mt. Pleasant area. How are the prices for 2-3bedrooms there? Pet friendly. I have a cat and 2 english bulldogs.
Thanks again guys

[southerngentleman]

Originally Posted by iggy097

Thanks for all the replies so far. It's pretty scary planning a big move, as I've never lived out of NY before. Selling a home, and a safety net of a new job in hopes of starting over someplace new, it's daunting.
The record.. well, you always have to show it on applications, it's that little box that most of you have never given a second thought to, but to me it's the one I dread seeing. "Have you ever been convicted of a crime, if so explain". And generally, having been so long ago, and with great work references, it hasn't been a problem so far. Now, all the tattoos on my arm, well that's another story
We hope to stay this summer here in Rochester, and probably sell my house when the time comes. I'll continue to look for work as the time draws near. My GF says she wants to stay in the Mt. Pleasant area. How are the prices for 2-3bedrooms there? Pet friendly. I have a cat and 2 english bulldogs.
Thanks again guys

Mount Pleasant will be pricier!! about double from what I have seen!
Google "Charleston real estate" and you can find websites with mls searches for home rentals.Which will give you an idea of prices by locations! Best of luck!

[echobeach]

Originally Posted by iggy097

Thanks for all the replies so far. It's pretty scary planning a big move, ...Selling a home, and a safety net of a new job in hopes of starting over someplace new, it's daunting... Now, all the tattoos on my arm, well that's another story .... Pet friendly. I have a cat and 2 english bulldogs.
Thanks again guys

We are moving from Brooklyn, NY at the end of April...yes it is a little bit scary but we have found that the simple act of staying positive and having faith has carried us this far...selling can be nightmare: we have a co-op and the hoops the buyer has had to jump through - including the all-important Co-op Board interview - have been staggering - but again positive thought=positive outcome...another example of this is my social work license because I had to pass a quite difficult test to be able to practice in Charleston (vs. currently practicing with my current license in NY - I would have taken the exam eventually but passing now was critical to securing work in Charleston).

While I could have my pick of jobs in NY at this time, especially with the upgraded clinical license, the market is softer in Charleston but I remain confident that once there the jobs will come...I have rec'd some bites but being out of town still makes it difficult -- But I KNOW I will find work. Can you afford to rent your house for a while and just move to a short-term rental in Charleston while you secure a job? Might alleviate some stessors. You definitely sign up with both national and local on-line job sites, from Monster to the SC Government jobs site, if you have not done so already, to get a better idea of what is out there that complements your skill set.

Which brings me to rentals: you may want to look on the other side: you will get much more for your money on James Island and it is very convenient to most everything in the Charleston area. My nephew lives there and works in Mt. Pleasant and loves it ---we have already rented in his complex: 2BR, 2bath, all appliances imaginable and a small deck for $900 (and we could have gotten it cheaper if we were willing to sign a longer lease - overall it as easy and almost everyone who was renting out was willing to negotiate in one form or another).

FYI: Tattoos! My 29 y.o. nephew is covered in ink and also has those huge holes in his ears that you could basically put a whole finger through...we thought he might encounter some issues in Charleston around this but he has been working at an upscale market in Mount Pleasant (chef by trade) and made lots of new friends: no one seems to care about the ink (or the ears).

I wish you the best of luck...direct message me in a couple of months and I'll let you know how wonderful the move turns out for us!