Questions on Semi-Coastal Towns/Neighborhoods (Raleigh, Jacksonville: mobile home, living in, restaurant)

[soulsurv]

Hello, and thank you for reading my post. In a year and a half, I will be retiring and am looking for a more temperate climate in which to live. While I don't like humidity, it is FAR preferable to the bone-penetrating cold here in SE PA (which never formerly bothered me, but age has changed that, it seems).

While it would be heaven to be an hour's drive to the ocean, I'm afraid my price range is $100-150K, so even a bit further out is probably more realistic. I would like to be a driveable distance to a reputable hospital and some shops for basic needs. I do enjoy semi-rural areas and don't require many amenities other than a good seafood restaurant and stellar veterinary care.

I am looking for towns/neighborhoods which contain small single homes with a bit of yard for the dogs. I am NOT interested in retirement or 55+ communities

While I realize that this is not very descriptive, I truly don't require much at this stage (except central air, of course) . I live rather quietly with my canine companions and am sure to find a good church in my own time.

Thanks for your attention, and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by soulsurv

While it would be heaven to be an hour's drive to the ocean, I'm afraid my price range is $100-150K, so even a bit further out is probably more realistic. I would like to be a driveable distance to a reputable hospital and some shops for basic needs.

Richlands, Beulahville or Maysville would probably fit your needs. However, the seafood is likely to be fried fish or shrimp. I am not sure about the quality of veterinary care, and the hospital is in Jacksonville.

[soulsurv]

Originally Posted by goldenage1

Richlands, Beulahville or Maysville would probably fit your needs. However, the seafooth is likely to be fried fish or shrimp. I am not sure about the quality of veterinary care, and the hospital is in Jacksonville.

Thanks, goldenage1; I'll begin there. The tough part about leaving SE PA is that U of Penn Hospital, as well as their Veterinary Hospital, was 20 minutes away, both world-renown. Used the latter many times.

[goldenage1]

Please be aware the eastern North Carolina is not paradise. The properties may be cheap because of the smells from commercial hog farms and beef feedlots.

I am sure there are some veterinarians because the local military folks love their dogs. There are many other small towns located a hour from the ocean. Good Luck.

[soulsurv]

Originally Posted by goldenage1

Please be aware the eastern North Carolina is not paradise. The properties may be cheap because of the smells from commercial hog farms and beef feedlots.

I am sure there are some veterinarians because the local military folks love their dogs. There are many other small towns located a hour from the ocean. Good Luck.

Thanks again - would that be a different forum? More North than South?

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by soulsurv

Thanks again - would that be a different forum? More North than South?

No, this forum is the right place. We cover everything roughly from I-95 east, but not many people are familiar with the small towns like Williamston or Windsor.

Burgaw might be possible, but not sure if single family houses would be found in your price range. There are plenty of manufacture/mobile homes in that price range.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by soulsurv

While I realize that this is not very descriptive, I truly don't require much at this stage (except central air, of course) . I live rather quietly with my canine companions and am sure to find a good church in my own time.

1. The homes in your price range may use window A/C, so I would make that something to check.

2. Do you need to find work? That may be difficult, although there are retail places like a WalMart and groceries like Food Lion that frequently need help.

[Phil A. Delphia]

Washington, NC ~ A Perspective

For your consideration. Last year my sister bought a brand new home in Washington, down River Road for $160k. You'll love the downtown and the waterfront; the rest of the town, you'll feel indifferent at best. You could look at country or borderline/outskirts homes and neighborhoods. I do not recommend living in the heart of town, unless you're handy at taking on a fixer upper in the Main Street/2nd Street area. Has basic shopping and medical. 20-30 drive to Greenville for more shopping and medical. Less than an hour to New Bern. A little more than an hour to Atlantic Beach. I cannot speak on vets, other than my sister's 2 dogs are both pushing 15 years old. You're definitely going to have to visit ENC to check out the various towns from Elizabeth City on down to maybe even Conway, SC. Most of ENC is very rural, but it's not rolling hills of farms. It's flat, there are farms, there are swampy marsh areas, and many very poor areas/people. Since you'll be in retirement, you won't to worry about finding work, so you'll be fine financially. You won't be able to run up to Philly for a few hours, or anywhere close to a city like that. I've been to Kennett Square. It's not very big, but it's close to active places. ENC and rural PA do have some similarities, but they can also be vastly different. Come visit this coming year, check out a dozen towns, go to Atlantic Beach and Nags Head, and take pics and notes. Good luck to you.

[soulsurv]

Originally Posted by Phil A. Delphia

Washington, NC ~ A Perspective

For your consideration. Last year my sister bought a brand new home in Washington, down River Road for $160k. You'll love the downtown and the waterfront; the rest of the town, you'll feel indifferent at best. You could look at country or borderline/outskirts homes and neighborhoods. I do not recommend living in the heart of town, unless you're handy at taking on a fixer upper in the Main Street/2nd Street area. Has basic shopping and medical. 20-30 drive to Greenville for more shopping and medical. Less than an hour to New Bern. A little more than an hour to Atlantic Beach. I cannot speak on vets, other than my sister's 2 dogs are both pushing 15 years old. You're definitely going to have to visit ENC to check out the various towns from Elizabeth City on down to maybe even Conway, SC. Most of ENC is very rural, but it's not rolling hills of farms. It's flat, there are farms, there are swampy marsh areas, and many very poor areas/people. Since you'll be in retirement, you won't to worry about finding work, so you'll be fine financially. You won't be able to run up to Philly for a few hours, or anywhere close to a city like that. I've been to Kennett Square. It's not very big, but it's close to active places. ENC and rural PA do have some similarities, but they can also be vastly different. Come visit this coming year, check out a dozen towns, go to Atlantic Beach and Nags Head, and take pics and notes. Good luck to you.

Thanks for all the info. I do worry about how cutting-edge the hospitals would be. Being close to Penn has spoiled me. Starting to wonder if I shouldn't try to get at least an hour outside of the Triangle. The best thing about Kennett, for me, was to be able to get in my car and be on the rolling country hills within a minute. Not a city girl at all but do love the occasional innovative restaurant, and Kennett has quite a few of those.

[BC1960]

None of the hospitals east of Raleigh are cutting edge. The good new is Raleigh is 2 hours from the beach, and there is lots of open country and small towns in between. Its not rolling hills, though. Flat pine forest and farm fields.