Relocating from New Jersey. need advise. (Charlotte, Huntersville: real estate, houses, landscaping)

[alabamablue]

My family is planning to relocate from New Jersey to Charlotte (me, wife plus 3 and 6 year old children). I am looking for advise on where to live. Looking for area that has great schools, young professionals with small children, diversity with a decent Jewish population and no further than 25 miles from downtown. Willing to spend up to $500k on a 4 bedroom house. also want to be close to parks/outdoor activities and restuarants/stores.

I have heard goos things about Meyers Park, Belmont and Baxter.

Thoughts on these? New ideas?

[am2]

Originally Posted by alabamablue

My family is planning to relocate from New Jersey to Charlotte (me, wife plus 3 and 6 year old children). I am looking for advise on where to live. Looking for area that has great schools, young professionals with small children, diversity with a decent Jewish population and no further than 25 miles from downtown. Willing to spend up to $500k on a 4 bedroom house. also want to be close to parks/outdoor activities and restuarants/stores.

I have heard goos things about Meyers Park, Belmont and Baxter.

Thoughts on these? New ideas?

What part of Jersey? I'm from Cherry Hill. I would choose South Charlotte, like Dilworth or South Park. Ballantyne is also a good area. Also you can consider the northern part of mecklenburg co., like Huntersville or Davidson. Mooresville in Iredell Co is nice too.

[ctribucher]

You might also wish to consider living in South Charlotte close to the JCC if that's important to you. Here's the link:

Jewish Community Center of Charlotte, NC

I don't have any children, so I can't tell you anything about the schools. However, you should be able to find a home near the JCC within your budget. This page has directions to the JCC and may be helpful to you as you begin your search, or at the very least, help you get oriented to the area. Some neighborhoods/subdivisions that are nearby include:

Old Salem
Lansdowne
Jefferson Park
Dunedin
Old Farm
Woodbridge

[lumbollo]

Originally Posted by alabamablue

... Willing to spend up to $500k on a 4 bedroom house. ....

Given that nobody will listen to the advice that buying such a place is folly, you will end up making someone currently in Charlotte very happy. As Bob Barker used to say,... "Come on Down!".

[ssd3]

Originally Posted by lumbollo

Given that nobody will listen to the advice that buying such a place is folly, you will end up making someone currently in Charlotte very happy. As Bob Barker used to say,... "Come on Down!".

$500k in NJ (depending on location) does not buy a house that is "all that". To him $500k may be a bargain and he will be buying a beautiful home for that price. If he can afford it good for him and good for the person down here who sells him their house.

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by ssd3

$500k in NJ (depending on location) does not buy a house that is "all that". To him $500k may be a bargain and he will be buying a beautiful home for that price. If he can afford it good for him and good for the person down here who sells him their house.

Agreed! He may not realize yet he can get a beautiful home in the 300's, or he may just prefer to have a much larger home for $500,000 - that's HIS choice

[alabamablue]

Thanks all. if I can get a great house for $300k or $400k that would be fantastic. I have no reason to over spend the market and not looking to throw money around. I just wanted to illustrate what I would (and could spend) to find the right neighborhood for my family.

My small house in North Jersey cost me $725k and am looking forward to a lower cost of living in Charlotte.

back to neighborhoods. also hearing good things about Matthews. it is in South Char (which is what I am hearing might be for me) and close to the JCC (which is a nice to have but not a must). I am looking for an area with character and not a bunch of McMansions.

thanks all. keep it coming. i love this good information.

[ctribucher]

Personally, I love the Lansdowne neighborhood. I believe the homes there are in the 300s. They are not what I would call McMansions at all... it is an older neighborhood so the trees and landscaping is more mature.

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by alabamablue

Thanks all. if I can get a great house for $300k or $400k that would be fantastic. I have no reason to over spend the market and not looking to throw money around. I just wanted to illustrate what I would (and could spend) to find the right neighborhood for my family.

My small house in North Jersey cost me $725k and am looking forward to a lower cost of living in Charlotte.

back to neighborhoods. also hearing good things about Matthews. it is in South Char (which is what I am hearing might be for me) and close to the JCC (which is a nice to have but not a must). I am looking for an area with character and not a bunch of McMansions.

thanks all. keep it coming. i love this good information.

You are going to be very pleasantly surprised!!! You CAN get wonderful homes under $500K! In beautiful neighborhoods, too!

All the areas you have mentioned are good spots for a family. But they do vary a lot. Are you going to have time to come down and look around some b/f choosing where to live? Each part of the city has its own "vibe" - plus, some areas are more mature, some have more amenities nearby . . .

I just want to assure you - there are definitely many neighborhoods that will be provide you and your family with a great lifestyle and all the comforts you would want. However, what is important to one family may not be that big of a deal for another. For example, some folks want a neighborhood with a community pool . . . others may want a YMCA nearby . . . others may want to live near a lake . . . some may want a hospital close . . . but I think whatever it is you put at the top of the list - you will be able to find that here.

I have a lot of friends who are from NJ originally, and they are usually very pleased at how far their $$$ goes here w/ houses.

[south.charlotte&union]

We moved from NY in 1998, first home here was in South Charlotte and now we live in Union County just over the South Charlotte border. We absolutely love it here...perfect time to move, just before winter sets in up north We have to go up to the JCC about 3x per week, it is about 20 minutes door to door.

I agree with what others have said, you will be very surprised at what your money can buy here, not only in the price of the real estate itself but also in the tax savings. I can get you some info about the JCC and Temples if you like, let me know.

Definitely plan a visit to check out the different areas and see a few homes in each area.