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I have gone through about two years' worth of posts on the forum to try and prevent this post from being repetitive. I want to know if the information I've gathered from these posts is accurate and I also have some questions of my own.
I will stick with the format. I am a single female in my late twenties with no children. Looking to get out of Rhode Island and Charleston has caught my eye.
1. Budget:
I intend on renting for at least one year. I would really prefer to stay under $1,000/month. If utilities are included, that's a different story. Would probably bump to about $1,300/month max if that's the case. I am open to all housing options but I do like the idea of having an outdoor space to myself. I have rented both a house and an apartment and was fine with either option. I don't know how condo rentals work, but if I am paying an extra $100 or more per month because of their fees, I'm not interested.
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home)
I would be commuting. Do not have a job as of yet. I am a nurse interested in working in a private practice or medical center setting, I do not like the hospital setting. Have looked at jobs and found a few that appeal to me. (The jobs are located in Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, and Summerville among others).
5. Suburban, Coastal or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of them together (or even Rural)
Would have to say suburban. I have no problem driving to get to where I want to be. I don't want to be forty-five minutes from the action but I hate the skyscrapers, crampedness, etc of being in a city. I am hardly ever at the beach so if I decide to go, I don't mind driving for a bit to get there either.
6. Amenities preferred or must-haves
I just want to make sure I'm in a safe area. I took advantage of public transit when I came to visit and would prefer to walk to many places whenever possible. I realize if my work is a twenty minute drive away I would not be walking, but I would be happy if I had that option. I would like to be around people my own age. Having kids and finding a great school system is not important to me right now.
Now, as far as what I have gathered from the posts I've already read on this forum, this is what I took away from it:
-Mount Pleasant is an expensive place to live and it is geared towards families
-Someone my age would do well in a place like West Ashley. Can't say for sure about places like Daniel Island or James Island? I felt like people threw these out as cheaper alternatives to Mount Pleasant but did not necessarily say they were geared towards young singles.
-The car tax and sales tax would be more than what I'm used to but when buying a property, the property taxes are significantly less. Would also have to factor in homeowner's and flood insurances.
-Traffic seemed to be a recurring topic with many people complaining about poor infrastructure and the need for Charleston to try and keep up with the influx of people moving to the area
Please let me know if what I've deduced is accurate for the most part. Feel free to add your input or tell me if you disagree.
As for my personal questions:
-Do you think buying a home in or near Charleston is a wise choice? I understand the fluctuation of the housing market and the factors that impact it. I just got really mixed reviews on buying in the Charleston area after reading through the forum. I don't want to rent for too many more years and am looking for a place to call my own. I was seeing a big push towards gated communities and newly developed housing areas. I like my privacy and want a unique home that is not on top of my neighbor's. I am not afraid to do some DIY work and renovate within reason. I also realize if I did have children the neighborhood and school system would influence my decision, but is the cost outweighing the benefits of living in the area?
-I have to ask about the bugs and snakes. Are people blowing the insect invasion issues out of proportion? I recently spent two weeks in NC/SC/GA respectively. Don't get me wrong, I saw a few palmetto bugs and other winged creatures that I have never seen before, but for the most part they did not really appear to be an issue. I would assume many apartment complexes have the units sprayed (this is obviously something I would ask about when looking for a rental), but after finding out my first apartment was constantly infested with centipedes, the thought of having stuff climbing out of the faucets or into my bed at night is not something I can deal with on a daily basis. I'm also guessing that snakes are prevalent in marshier areas and not a real problem in the house or on one's lawn? Have truly never seen a snake outside the zoo so again, not something I can have hanging out in the house with me on a daily basis!
Many thanks to anyone willing to give their advice after reading that novel!
I think you’re spot on with your assessment so far. Mount Pleasant does seem to attract families, but along Coleman has more of a young professional, singles vibe to me though it seems expensive.
James Island and West Ashley seems more your speed. It’s close to downtown but still suburban and there’s a mix of families and singles.
Daniel Island is probably one of the more expensive options and is usually more family oriented, but the new apartments they’ve added seem like they would attract a lot of young professionals. It’s also more centralized which helps if you don’t know where you’d be working yet.
Buying in the Charleston area isn’t a bad move at all. I’m not sure which thread gave you the mixed reviews. I think it’s cheaper to own here than to rent. If you’re not the primary home owner, the property taxes are about 3 times higher, which gets passed down to the renter. The low property taxes are low because you also get a tax break for paying high sales tax (in Charleston County anyway). If you’re renting, you pay high sales tax and don’t get the tax break. You also get a federal tax break for interest on a home loan, which amortized over the year can add up to a few hundred dollars a month depending on the mortgage and your income. I lived in a 2 bedroom apartment in Ladson and owned a 5 bedroom house in Summerville, and the house was cheaper by a couple hundred a month.
As far as bugs and snakes and all that, the bugs would probably more of a problem, specifically gnats for a few weeks in the spring. The gnats come out at sunrise and sunset and hang out around grass and the woods. They can go through screens and bug spray does nothing to them, but if you’re in an elevated porch you’re usually safe as they typically stay close to the ground.
Mosquitos are around in the spring and summer at down and dusk, but bug spray is pretty effective. I haven’t really come across any lately. I’ve never really had a problem with bugs in my house, but I also don’t leave all the doors and windows open on nice days like some people do.
The rest of the bugs look scarier than they are. The majority don’t bite.
I’ve lived in muggy hit areas most of my life and I’ve only come across one poisonous snake in the wild. The majority of the snakes are harmless and do their best to stay away from people.
Since you mentioned Renting to start out, I think the Rents would be cheaper on the West Ashley / James Island side. It's kind of a younger vibe and would be a good place to start getting a feel for the Charleston area.
You should be able to land a job in the Medical Profession. It's big around here. Since you don't like the Hospital Setting, look for work in one of the bigger Medical Practices. Does your Resume' show skills in any particular Field of Doctorin' like Gastro or Dermitology ?
There's gonna be bugs, no way around that. But the really horrific ones kinda keep to themselves -- there's a spider down here they call a Banana Spider, it's about the size of your closed fist. I don't think they bite, but if you see one even from a distance......you'll have nightmares for months.
The Palmetto bugs are just cockroaches with a fancy name. They seem to have a life cycle of about 90 days. If you spray every 3 months you may not see any bugs at all. The gnats and noseeums are a nuisance, but that's about all. You get used to 'em and after a few months you won't even be swatting at them.
Full Disclosure -- The Summers down here are like nothing you're ever experienced in Rhode Island. June can get pretty warm, and July can be hotter than the Hinges of Hell. Last 2 weeks in August tend to cool down some. And there's a long and wonderful Autumn that often lasts right up til Christmas and the New Year. If we make it thru Hurricane Season, we'll be OK.
I agree with West Ashley or James Island as good possibilities. There are a lot of medical offices around the big hospitals (like MUSC & Roper downtown or Roper in West Ashley).
There are older houses in the mid-$200s still available, mostly in need of updating. They tend to go fast these days.
The bugs are not that big of a problem, and I'd be more worried about alligators than snakes.
And you definitely don't need to worry about skyscrapers!
No matter where you land - James Island, West Ashley, you won't be walking to work. It's not pedestrian friendly here, other than downtown Charleston and Daniel Island and possibly Summerville if you live near the town center. Daniel Island has a couple of medical offices and some nice new apartment complexes, and it's not just families, so that might work. The entire island is also walkable with a nice downtown area and miles of paved trails. It's the safest area in the Charleston metro, followed by Mt Pleasant.
Yes, you will have Palmetto bugs, no matter how much you clean or if the place you live does regular pest control. I think you'll see more in an older property. You will also have sugar ants and fire ants, and the aforementioned gnats and mosquitos as well as Love Bugs. We also have venomous brown recluse and black widow spiders.
You will see venomous Copperhead snakes, and not just in rural areas. They like to sun themselves in driveways, patios, roadways and on sidewalks. We've seen 3 since we've been here - (2 years) - one about 6' on a trail in back of our apartment on Daniel Island that the maintenance workers killed after it bit a dog, another wrapped around the handrail of a neighboring apartment building, and a third in our new subdivision - @8' in middle of the road. You learn to watch where to step. Our pet sitters' puppy got bit by one on the sidewalk in front of their apartment. It's just part of life here. You can easily avoid the alligators if you are smart about not being near the edges of ponds.
Should be lots of medical jobs for you. Best of luck.
For me, the critters that most negatively affect life here are the mosquitoes and gnats. If a bug isn't biting me, I'm ok with it. In 30+ years here, I've rarely run into venomous snakes. I think it just depends on where you are as there can be populations of them in certain areas. Black (and Brown) Widows are not uncommon but I don't think I even know anyone who has been bitten by one. I think the Banana Spiders are beautiful...
Ditto on West Ashley/James Island being a good choice to look into first. It's a mixed area, with some areas being not so nice but it's not hard to figure out. Macalan's right about walkability... there are some areas that afford a little bit like Avondale and South Windermere in West Ashley but for the most part, you'll be using a car.
I wouldn't rule out looking in Mt Pleasant too. I don't keep up with rentals as much but you might find something there that suits you.
Is buying in Charleston a good choice? The thing I worry most about when it comes to Charleston's future is rising oceans and climate change. It's hard to say how that will affect our future but it's the thing to keep an eye on imo. The economy here is good and seems to have a bright future. Prices vs wages are a bit lopsided right now but that's largely because so many people want to live here. I think that will balance out better over time.
It sounds like your plan on renting first makes sense for you. You'll get a good feel for all of these answers in a year of living here.
I don't think you should cross Mt Pleasant or Daniel Islannd off your list entirely- while both (especially DI) are more family heavy there are a lot of young people there. They simply aren't a majority. But you will find that most of the apartment complexes (particularly close in) have large numbers of people in their mid twenties to early thirties. Similarly different parts of West Ashley or James Island will be very family heavy in comparison to others.
The Park Cirlce/Mixon area in North Charleston is also really popular with 20/30 year olds right now. And its central to area as a whole.
A small tip for employment is not to write off jobs listed with Roper or MUSC because you dislike hospitals. Both have entire networks of offices, outpatient centers and clinics spread across the area as a whole.
I would really lock down that job then look for housing.
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You can get apartments in MtP for $1Kish. As Ziggy noted, parts of MtP are very young, single professional types.
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