Ready to leave NoVA area but not sure where to go (Wilmington: crime, how much)

[beachgirlatheart]

I have lived in the NoVA area for 12 years and am ready to leave. I need a big change. I love the beach, so the coast would be ideal. My field of work is education research/evaluation. Cost of living is a huge factor (as is, of course, being able to find a decent job) and decent weather most of the year is desirable. NoVA is pretty expensive to live here so anything cheaper would be a plus. I'm interested in NC, GA, SC, FL, and maybe CA. This is my first time posting so I'm not sure what questions to ask here or how much info to provide. Also, if there's another thread or forum I should refer to, please point me in that direction! Thanks in advance for the feedback!

[BeachLiving]

My wife and I moved to Wilmington from NoVA over 6 years ago and absolutely love it here. Last year, we ended up shifting a bit further south down to Carolina Beach and we have enjoyed every day there. It's a beach town that is in a transitional phase but it looks like the future will be very bright. And if you are looking for a quieter family beach with virtually no crime yet close to a larger city (Wilmington), you just can't beat it.

The best thing I can recommend is to take some time off and visit the various areas. First hand experience is the only way to go. But congrats on looking to make a move because in my book, any change is a good thing. It just makes life more interesting when you branch out and experience new things.

Best of luck to you.

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by beachgirlatheart

I have lived in the NoVA area for 12 years and am ready to leave. I need a big change. I love the beach, so the coast would be ideal. My field of work is education research/evaluation. Cost of living is a huge factor (as is, of course, being able to find a decent job) and decent weather most of the year is desirable. NoVA is pretty expensive to live here so anything cheaper would be a plus. I'm interested in NC, GA, SC, FL, and maybe CA. This is my first time posting so I'm not sure what questions to ask here or how much info to provide. Also, if there's another thread or forum I should refer to, please point me in that direction! Thanks in advance for the feedback!

I am an escapee from Reston where I worked sixteen years.

There have been some posts about marine research positions in North Carolina recently. Duke has a lab in Beaufort.

NC State has a marine research center in Morehead City.

UNC also has a research spot in Morehead City.

NOAA has a lab in Beaufort (http://www.ccfhr.noaa.gov/about/beaufort/welcome.html - broken link).

Finally there is Carteret Community College.

Wilmington has the advantage of UNC Wilmington.

Cost of living is much cheaper along the NC coast, but finding a Northern Virginia like income is a huge challenge. Housing prices are much more reasonable than Northern Virginia unless you plan on living right on the beach.

Wilmington isn't nearly as crowded as Northern Virginia. It is still too much of a city for me.

We chose small town over city. In our area detached homes with 3 bedrooms, two baths, and a garage start at about $200K and go up. Most lots are good sized, many are 1/3 acre and up in county areas because of septic system requirements. You can find very nice homes in the $300K range. Price often depends more on how close you are to the water rather than how many square feet the home has.

Much of Carteret County is on public water.

Feel free to ask any questions, people on the forum have lots of info.

I can highly recommend our area near Emerald Isle, but as I said finding a good job is the challenge.

I strongly recommend a visit since which area along the coast suits you depends a lot on personal taste.

There are lots of great spots. If you are really lucky you will find a great job close to one of them.

We have you covered on your requests for beaches to enjoy, great weather, and reasonable property taxes.