Eastern NC Question - Hello from Phoenix! (Raleigh, Greensboro: oceanfront, rentals) - City-Data Forum

cmist · 12-09-2009, 01:16 PM

Hey all

I can pretty much live anywhere in the state due to my employment being internet based. I've driven all over from Greensboro to Raleigh and all up and down the coast from OBX to Wilmington.

I really like it there but could only gather so much information from the quick trip.

I have honed in on the eastern area because we would like to be near the coast.

I need a little help identifying an area that would be good for a full time rental as opposed to a vacation rental for about a year or so because my home here will be rented and not able to be sold until the following year. Won't be able to purchase until I sell here, but would like to rent where I would eventually buy.

We have 2 boys that are 12 years old so good schools are important too. We would like at least a 3 bedroom, 4 would be ideal and keeping the rent under $1200. Is this a pipe dream?

As I said I'm pretty much open to anything from the outer banks to the border of SC as long as my kids can attend a good school and make some friends as well in a more family oriented area rather than a vacation or retirement mecca.

Thanks!

LittleDolphin · 12-09-2009, 01:41 PM

I think your rent would be doable for a 12 month long-term rental in Beaufort or Morehead City for that amount...maybe even Atlantic Beach...check out the local newspaper, the Carteret News Times classifieds or craigslist for eastern NC.

Good luck!!

dsobotta · 12-09-2009, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmist

Hey all

I can pretty much live anywhere in the state due to my employment being internet based. I've driven all over from Greensboro to Raleigh and all up and down the coast from OBX to Wilmington.

I really like it there but could only gather so much information from the quick trip.

I have honed in on the eastern area because we would like to be near the coast.

I need a little help identifying an area that would be good for a full time rental as opposed to a vacation rental for about a year or so because my home here will be rented and not able to be sold until the following year. Won't be able to purchase until I sell here, but would like to rent where I would eventually buy.

We have 2 boys that are 12 years old so good schools are important too. We would like at least a 3 bedroom, 4 would be ideal and keeping the rent under $1200. Is this a pipe dream?

As I said I'm pretty much open to anything from the outer banks to the border of SC as long as my kids can attend a good school and make some friends as well in a more family oriented area rather than a vacation or retirement mecca.

Thanks!

I can highly recommend the schools that feed into Croatan High School which won an award as one of the top high schools in the US last year.

Most of the large rental agencies also have long term rentals, and there are many being advertised by sign and in the Carteret News-Times (http://www.carolinacoastonline.com/news-times_classifieds/for_rent/ - broken link).

I think you could find something in your price range in our area Cape Carteret-Cedar Point-Emerald Isle.

I suggest you drop by my blog about the area for more information, a map of services, and links to what is happening in the area. You can find lots of area pictures at my site which has information and pictures for newcomers.

runnerguy45 · 12-10-2009, 05:26 PM

Check out the Outer Banks, we love it here and they have great schools. Jobs are tough but doesn't sound like you have that issue.

cmist · 12-12-2009, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by runnerguy45

Check out the Outer Banks, we love it here and they have great schools. Jobs are tough but doesn't sound like you have that issue.

Hey thanks. I love the OBX but wasnt sure if there were many families living there. I thought it was more of a vacation spot. Do you know which areas are less vacation oriented? I can deal with tourists and vacationer but just don't want my kids to be isolated and only get weekend summer beach buddies.

Can you tell me which cities and or areas might be best? Also is it significantly more expensive to rent in that area opposed to the Cartaret County stuff?

runnerguy45 · 12-19-2009, 11:23 PM

Kitty Hawk, Duck, Kill Devil Hills are all very nice and have plenty of year round families living there. The year round population is 30,000. Most locals live on the Sound and the tourist stay on the Ocean. Nags Head is very nice as well. Just have a job before you get here because there few to be found on the Banks. BTW, Currituck County is right over the bridge and has good schools as well. It's a great area to raise a family.

mkozlpn · 12-22-2009, 02:04 AM

My husband and I posted an ad on Craigslist looking for a coastal rental and got several responses in that price range. We found a 3br 2 bath oceanfront, furnished duplex for $800 all utilities included in N. Topsail Beach. We were pleasantly surprised at how many peolpe live here year round. It is somewhat remote as far as shopping goes, but it is awesome living here. I can't advise on the quality of the schools as our youngest is in college out of state so we never check the schools out. I can say the people here are wonderful. Our first week her the owner of our local hardware store introduced himself, took our email address, and started sending us info on all the local events going on in the area. There have been Christmas boat parades, Christmas caroling throughout the area, all kinds of events for children as well as adults. Coming from a large metropolitan area, I am truly Impressed. We are now considering buying a home on the "mainland" which is Sneads Ferry but for the moment we are in no hurry as we are quite content living on the beach and only paying one bill each month. Good Luck in your search, the people on this site are very helpful and we research for over 18 month before coming down to NC and most advise we were given was useful and reliable. Our biggest surprise was how wonderful the people were to us outsiders, as there were times when some people on this site blamed newcomers for a lot of the problems in NC such as traffic, overcrowding in schools , etc on the influx of Northerners, but most were fair accurate and sincere in providing info on the area.

Rick78 · 12-22-2009, 06:16 AM

Stay away from Greenville.

cmist · 12-22-2009, 06:23 PM

Thanks for all that info.

I'm a little surprised to hear N. Topsail as a year round place. I was there in November one year and it was like a ghost town. Garbage pails were all tipped over and empty, homes had beach house "titles" on them. I saw no one out in the streets. I was looking at some homes on streets running perpendicular to the coast that were separated by the one N/S beachfront road.

I also noticed it was a little remote feeling. Alot of residential homes with no commercial development anywhere around. We continued on the actual barrier island and didn't see commercial things until I hit Surf City to the south I think. I can deal with that a little, but just don't want to be in a ghost town in the winter and a mad house in the summer. Need a little more stability for the kiddos.

This was a few years back though, so have things changed in that area? Or did I miss the year round population center?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkozlpn

My husband and I posted an ad on Craigslist looking for a coastal rental and got several responses in that price range. We found a 3br 2 bath oceanfront, furnished duplex for $800 all utilities included in N. Topsail Beach. We were pleasantly surprised at how many peolpe live here year round. It is somewhat remote as far as shopping goes, but it is awesome living here. I can't advise on the quality of the schools as our youngest is in college out of state so we never check the schools out. I can say the people here are wonderful. Our first week her the owner of our local hardware store introduced himself, took our email address, and started sending us info on all the local events going on in the area. There have been Christmas boat parades, Christmas caroling throughout the area, all kinds of events for children as well as adults. Coming from a large metropolitan area, I am truly Impressed. We are now considering buying a home on the "mainland" which is Sneads Ferry but for the moment we are in no hurry as we are quite content living on the beach and only paying one bill each month. Good Luck in your search, the people on this site are very helpful and we research for over 18 month before coming down to NC and most advise we were given was useful and reliable. Our biggest surprise was how wonderful the people were to us outsiders, as there were times when some people on this site blamed newcomers for a lot of the problems in NC such as traffic, overcrowding in schools , etc on the influx of Northerners, but most were fair accurate and sincere in providing info on the area.