[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Will15

What areas of SC and GA would you consider I look into?

Check out Atlanta. It's one of the fastest growing major cities in the country with a lot of new construction, manufacturing and light industrial/warehouse job opportunities. You can readily find apartments around $500 a month (one bedroom) in decent areas. Focus on the north side which is nicest and where a good chunk of the new development is taking place around Alpharetta/John's Creek. While expensive, areas nearby like Norcross, Duluth and Gainesville are not. Other areas worth checking out are Stone Mountain, Smyrna, Pantherville and Morrow depending upon where in the area fits best for work possibilities. A bit further out and not part of the Atlanta metro is Athens (it's one hour east), which is home to the University of Georgia and a great area to live in at your age. It's a thriving area and has affordable rent so it could very well be a good option for you.

South Carolina is probably your better bet though and offers more variety in terms of choices. You have Greenville-Spartanburg on the NW side which is semi-mountainous and seeing a good bit of manufacturing growth along with new construction. It can get kind of cold/icy in the winter though and if you're looking for more Florida-like weather the downstate cities of Columbia and Charleston would be better options. Columbia is the capital of the state and home to the University of South Carolina so it's a young city with a lot to do, inexpensive and has some good work opportunities. It's kind of a late bloomer and is finally being "discovered" so could be a good option for work. Charleston is of course on the coast and is booming, one of the fastest growing cities of any size in the country. While it can be expensive nearby suburbs like Goose Creek, Hanahan and Summerville are pretty inexpensive. It has a younger population but much of it is military, so it might not be the best place for you socially. Last but not least while not technically all in SC you shouldn't overlook Charlotte NC. Much of it's growth is on the south/southeast side along I-77 which includes the Rock Hill/Fort Mill SC area in particular along with the far southeast side of Charlotte along US74 around Monroe. You'll find a good bit of decent one bedroom apartments within a decent commute in the $500-550 a month range.

[Will15]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Check out Atlanta. It's one of the fastest growing major cities in the country with a lot of new construction, manufacturing and light industrial/warehouse job opportunities. You can readily find apartments around $500 a month (one bedroom) in decent areas. Focus on the north side which is nicest and where a good chunk of the new development is taking place around Alpharetta/John's Creek. While expensive, areas nearby like Norcross, Duluth and Gainesville are not. Other areas worth checking out are Stone Mountain, Smyrna, Pantherville and Morrow depending upon where in the area fits best for work possibilities. A bit further out and not part of the Atlanta metro is Athens (it's one hour east), which is home to the University of Georgia and a great area to live in at your age. It's a thriving area and has affordable rent so it could very well be a good option for you.

South Carolina is probably your better bet though and offers more variety in terms of choices. You have Greenville-Spartanburg on the NW side which is semi-mountainous and seeing a good bit of manufacturing growth along with new construction. It can get kind of cold/icy in the winter though and if you're looking for more Florida-like weather the downstate cities of Columbia and Charleston would be better options. Columbia is the capital of the state and home to the University of South Carolina so it's a young city with a lot to do, inexpensive and has some good work opportunities. It's kind of a late bloomer and is finally being "discovered" so could be a good option for work. Charleston is of course on the coast and is booming, one of the fastest growing cities of any size in the country. While it can be expensive nearby suburbs like Goose Creek, Hanahan and Summerville are pretty inexpensive. It has a younger population but much of it is military, so it might not be the best place for you socially. Last but not least while not technically all in SC you shouldn't overlook Charlotte NC. Much of it's growth is on the south/southeast side along I-77 which includes the Rock Hill/Fort Mill SC area in particular along with the far southeast side of Charlotte along US74 around Monroe. You'll find a good bit of decent one bedroom apartments within a decent commute in the $500-550 a month range.

I can't thank you enough for share your knowledge of them areas. I never would have thought to look into any of them, and they all look to have lots of potential. I prefer to be from the South Carolina and down. I can handle the winters but have had my fair share aha. I'm from Ohio and it'll got for 90 in summers to -10 in the winter.

I'll definitively do some research on the areas and will report back with any questions I have. Do you think the areas you listed I should have an easy time finding a job that pays around $15 an hour with only High School Diploma?

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Will15

I'll definitively do some research on the areas and will report back with any questions I have. Do you think the areas you listed I should have an easy time finding a job that pays around $15 an hour with only High School Diploma?

I think $15 an hour might be a bit high for starting out but in the neighborhood of $10-$12 would be more realistic and the difference being the cost of living would allow for actually living somewhat comfortably until you hopefully either advance your education or acquire more in-demand skills. Landscaping is probably going to be your best bet if you're a good worker/reliable, as it's hard to find individuals like that who also speak English as their first language. A friend of mine runs a landscape business and has promoted guys like yourself into supervisor positions which pay considerably more after a couple of years on the job. Your best option for getting started is going to be in/around Columbia in my opinion. Sharing an apartment would be a good option for you economically and Columbia offers plentiful roommate situations with USC's presence.

[Will15]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

I think $15 an hour might be a bit high for starting out but in the neighborhood of $10-$12 would be more realistic and the difference being the cost of living would allow for actually living somewhat comfortably until you hopefully either advance your education or acquire more in-demand skills. Landscaping is probably going to be your best bet if you're a good worker/reliable, as it's hard to find individuals like that who also speak English as their first language. A friend of mine runs a landscape business and has promoted guys like yourself into supervisor positions which pay considerably more after a couple of years on the job. Your best option for getting started is going to be in/around Columbia in my opinion. Sharing an apartment would be a good option for you economically and Columbia offers plentiful roommate situations with USC's presence.

I figured $15 would be a little on the high side with just moving to the are. I've worked for a lawncare company up hear for 3-4 years now and have been promoted to $15 an hour. Hate when late fall rolls around and I got to back to 8-10 an hour jobs.

Been researching Greenville and Columbia a good bit since you mentioned them. Which area will have the better nightlife and reasonably priced cost of living? Hoping Columbia due to it being a little close to Charleston and the beach. How is the crime in the area? I was hoping to just get a small apartment for just myself, but if need be I'll look for a roommate. I'm guessing there is a program that assumes you with a roommate?

Again I greatly appreciate you knowledge and assistance.

Edit: Found this link in another thread showing the crimes for each part of the city. http://www.live5news.com/story/27344...tals-by-county


Figure the place where I found plentiful apartments I can afford there's the highest crime rates.
http://www.live5news.com/story/27344...tals-by-county

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Will15

I figured $15 would be a little on the high side with just moving to the are. I've worked for a lawncare company up hear for 3-4 years now and have been promoted to $15 an hour. Hate when late fall rolls around and I got to back to 8-10 an hour jobs.

Been researching Greenville and Columbia a good bit since you mentioned them. Which area will have the better nightlife and reasonably priced cost of living? Hoping Columbia due to it being a little close to Charleston and the beach. How is the crime in the area? I was hoping to just get a small apartment for just myself, but if need be I'll look for a roommate. I'm guessing there is a program that assumes you with a roommate?

Again I greatly appreciate you knowledge and assistance.

Edit: Found this link in another thread showing the crimes for each part of the city. INTERACTIVE MAP: Violent Crime Totals by County - Live5News.com | Charleston, SC | News, Weather, Sports


Figure the place where I found plentiful apartments I can afford there's the highest crime rates.
INTERACTIVE MAP: Violent Crime Totals by County - Live5News.com | Charleston, SC | News, Weather, Sports

Columbia will be your better bet for nightlife and cost of living, plus as you mentioned closer to the beach and it has a good bit milder of a winter with rare snowfalls. Like any city it has "good" and "bad" parts and fairly easy to avoid the bad with some research. Craigslist is often a good source for roommates https://columbia.craigslist.org/search/roo and Apartments.com for rentals on your own http://www.apartments.com/columbia-s...ds-400-to-600/ though bear in mind most (if not all) rental communities have an age minimum of 21 unless you have a co-signing parent/adult on the lease....so sharing is probably going to be your best option.

[Will15]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Columbia will be your better bet for nightlife and cost of living, plus as you mentioned closer to the beach and it has a good bit milder of a winter with rare snowfalls. Like any city it has "good" and "bad" parts and fairly easy to avoid the bad with some research. Craigslist is often a good source for roommates https://columbia.craigslist.org/search/roo and Apartments.com for rentals on your own http://www.apartments.com/columbia-s...ds-400-to-600/ though bear in mind most (if not all) rental communities have an age minimum of 21 unless you have a co-signing parent/adult on the lease....so sharing is probably going to be your best option.

Thanks for the links, sharing a room would definietly be the cheaper route, hopefully I get decent roommates if I take that route. How hard is it to find jobs that pay $12 an hour down there and what type of jobs would I be able to find?

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Will15

Thanks for the links, sharing a room would definietly be the cheaper route, hopefully I get decent roommates if I take that route. How hard is it to find jobs that pay $12 an hour down there and what type of jobs would I be able to find?

Landscaping jobs in the $11-$12 an hour range are fairly available given your experience and not as restricted as you experienced in Ohio in terms of winter hours. Anywhere you move I would prepare to have some kind of savings in case it takes a awhile to get established with a job. A minimum of a few months of expenses in reserve is highly recommended.

[Will15]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Landscaping jobs in the $11-$12 an hour range are fairly available given your experience and not as restricted as you experienced in Ohio in terms of winter hours. Anywhere you move I would prepare to have some kind of savings in case it takes a awhile to get established with a job. A minimum of a few months of expenses in reserve is highly recommended.

I plan on taking about $2,000 with me and having a job lined up waiting for me to start within a week of the move. How tight would living on $11-12 and hour be down there? I imagine I'll qualify for food stamps but would rather pay my way. I also bought a new car a few month back and have to factor in $270 every month for insurance and payment.

[ebn78]

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Originally Posted by Will15

I plan on taking about $2,000 with me and having a job lined up waiting for me to start within a week of the move. How tight would living on $11-12 and hour be down there? I imagine I'll qualify for food stamps but would rather pay my way. I also bought a new car a few month back and have to factor in $270 every month for insurance and payment.

Is there a particular reason you are doing this? Can't you wait until you have more money saved up? Somehow I don't see you making it. And if you don't have a college degree, I sure hope you have years of experience in the type of jobs you will be applying for.