relocation afordable? (Swansboro, Richlands: insurance, houses, to buy)

[kindergartenteacher]

My family of four is considering a move from a small town in central illinois to a small costal town. However, after looking at the prices of houses everwhere else, I don't know if we can afford that kind of move. Has anyone had experience moving from a low cost of living area to one with a higher cost of living? I am thinking that to get a house that is comparable, we would have to spend at least twice as much. Any suggestions on inexpensive areas or any other tips? Thanks!

[dsobotta]

I am not exactly sure what your budget is, but I can tell you that there are relatively inexpensive homes in Carteret County and near Swansboro in Onslow County.

Prices have come down from the highs of 2005 & 2006. I have seen people move into the area and find resale homes under $170K. Homes here are typically not huge, but there are wide variety of homes in the area. There are new 3 bedroom two bath homes (1600 square ft or so) within six or seven miles of the beach for under $200K.

There are other areas further inland (30 minutes or so) where housing is even less expensive. We have friends living near Richlands, and I believe their home was under $140K.

Everyone has different thoughts on what is affordable.

If you send me a private message of the prices and square footage that you consider normal, I'll be glad to tell you whether or not I think that is possible along our coastal area.

As to the rest of the cost of living, property taxes in Carteret County are very reasonable. Our energy costs are less than living in Roanoke, Va. We have a good portion of the year when we do not use either cooling or heating.

Even with increased insurance costs (our home is right on the water so we have flood insurance) we find our taxes plus insurance costs are over 30% cheaper, and most homes do not need flood insurance.

Carteret County and the Swansboro area of Onslow county are both home to some great small town living and very friendly people.

You certainly don't have to buy ice melt, and last year I had tomatoes from July through December. We have been enjoying local fresh strawberries since the last week in March.

Next week we expect local lettuce and cabbage so there are advantages.

We love the area and most people moving here have a lot of fun since there is so much to do in the area. This is a link to a post about why we picked this area.

There are so many outdoor activities that can be done for so much of the year, that the area is hard to beat for bringing up kids. Schools are also very good, and we have found a great church home.

And of course we always find time to enjoy the water.