Cost of living, the airport, and my general situation (Greensboro: real estate, foreclosures)

[ArcticPhoenix]

I've been a member of this site for some time now, and I've been looking around for a place to move to... My wife and I had tentatively settled on South Carolina, but after looking into their laws regarding homeschooling, we decided against moving to that state, at least until perhaps our kids are in high school and we're sending them to an actual school.

All that stated, we then had to research some other areas based on homeschooling laws, and it looks like North Carolina might be a good place for us. Particularly, this includes the Greensboro area....

I work at an airport... and right now, we're in Washington State... now, I can transfer to the Piedmont airport, but I need to know some things about the area...

1. What category is the airport? How big is it?

2. Housing. I can't afford more than around 120K or so of a house because my income is the only income in the household. I make around 30K/yr. Is this doable? We have no debt at all.

3. Weather. How bad are tornadoes and hurricanes in the area? It looks to me, from the data I've viewed, that tornadoes are relatively rare in this area, but how bad are the hurricanes when they came through, and how bad are floods?

Any info is much appreciated! One of our biggest concerns is housing prices, though.

[agl82]

I've only lived here since May, so please don't take this as expert advice.

Here is more information about the PTI airport:

Piedmont Triad International Airport - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

PTI is a regional airport, so don't expect O'Hare or LAX. The average home price in Greensboro is $134,000. My friend had his house built for around $140,000. The prices are extremely reasonable. I've never experienced a hurricane (I grew up in Atlanta), but the southeast is VERY prone to tornadoes. When I lived in Georgia, we had several hundred tornadoes touch down every year. The chance your house will get blown down is rare but not implausible. The heat and humidity here sucks, but it's bareable for the mild winters. I lived in Minnesota for one winter and that's plenty thanks!

Good call not moving to South Carolina, by the way. No offense to the natives, but it's like a third-world hellhole down there.

[ArcticPhoenix]

Originally Posted by agl82

I've only lived here since May, so please don't take this as expert advice.

Here is more information about the PTI airport:

Piedmont Triad International Airport - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

PTI is a regional airport, so don't expect O'Hare or LAX. The average home price in Greensboro is $134,000. My friend had his house built for around $140,000. The prices are extremely reasonable. I've never experienced a hurricane (I grew up in Atlanta), but the southeast is VERY prone to tornadoes. When I lived in Georgia, we had several hundred tornadoes touch down every year. The chance your house will get blown down is rare but not implausible. The heat and humidity here sucks, but it's bareable for the mild winters. I lived in Minnesota for one winter and that's plenty thanks!

Good call not moving to South Carolina, by the way. No offense to the natives, but it's like a third-world hellhole down there.

Does North Carolina seem a bit more... cultured and civilized than SC? How are the people, overall?

Oh, and I don't want an LAX or O'Hare airport. Those places are farking STRESSFUL.

[Niki]

What you get for $120,000 will depend on what area of Greensboro you're looking in. It can get you a small, new construction home, a fixer-upper or something in what some consider less than desirable areas. You can pretty much forget about northwest Guilford County (the most desireable area in this county) - Oak Ridge, Summerfield, Stokesdale. You could get lucky, but houses in that area in the price range we're looking in ($125,000-180,000) rarely come up at our listingbook account.

You might have some luck in Kernersville. Nice, safe town, good schools, not far from the airport. It's in neighborhing Forsyth County. You could get new construction, something small or a fixer-upper.

Clemmons, Lewisville and north Davidson County have great schools, but are about 30-45 minutes (give or take) from the airport. Pretty area though. We're concentrating our search there, as well as Kernersville.


We hardly ever get tornadoes around here. The possibility exists anytime we get severe thunderstorms, but tornadoes usually don't form.

Hurricanes also don't do much here. On the few occasions that they do pass over, we get a lot of rain and some wind. Areas in flood zones get some flooding, but most of the area is fine. It may sound crazy, but we're praying that a tropical storm or hurricane will come. We need the rain badly as we've been in a drought for a couple years now.

[bluedevilduke]

Piedmont Triad Airport...don't have a clue as to how big it is. They are adding the FedEx Hub to open in the near future. I'm a Real Estate Agent and a Mortgage Lender and live about 15 minutes from the airport. There are many neighboring communities (good ones) within this same distance in all directions from the airport where your budget would work. If you are a "handy man" as I call them, there are foreclosures which might need a little bit of work where you could purchase a larger home and have some equity. Fix it up, get to know the area and either stay in the home or sell it using the equity towards the next home. Oak Ridge is the only community near the airport that would not have homes in that price range.
Weather....that's a tough question....This area is hit every now and then and by that I mean we go several years without and then boom! Same as with winter...lately we have more ice than snow....then we might get 8+ inches. Go figure? I'd rather have the snow than the ice that's for sure.
Good luck!

[ibeg4sushi]

Originally Posted by ArcticPhoenix

I've been a member of this site for some time now, and I've been looking around for a place to move to... My wife and I had tentatively settled on South Carolina, but after looking into their laws regarding homeschooling, we decided against moving to that state, at least until perhaps our kids are in high school and we're sending them to an actual school.

All that stated, we then had to research some other areas based on homeschooling laws, and it looks like North Carolina might be a good place for us. Particularly, this includes the Greensboro area....

I work at an airport... and right now, we're in Washington State... now, I can transfer to the Piedmont airport, but I need to know some things about the area...

1. What category is the airport? How big is it?

2. Housing. I can't afford more than around 120K or so of a house because my income is the only income in the household. I make around 30K/yr. Is this doable? We have no debt at all.

3. Weather. How bad are tornadoes and hurricanes in the area? It looks to me, from the data I've viewed, that tornadoes are relatively rare in this area, but how bad are the hurricanes when they came through, and how bad are floods?

Any info is much appreciated! One of our biggest concerns is housing prices, though.

Do you have any kids? Wife? That will make a big difference in the type of housing and location that will be suitable for you. I suggest renting a flat for 6 months and really get to know the area first. That is what we are doing since our budget is a lot like yours! We have a 3 year old and I juuuuust finished the final class for my B.A.
I am finding homes in the 110-130's range but there's alot of compromise in each of those, since we have many wants (a yard, a fireplace, an office, room for guests, etc). If we wanted a townhome the search would be easily over with satisfaction, meaning TH's are totally affordable here.

I'm not a fan of HOA's or their "fees." YEAH - let me pay someone else to come around, measure how tall my grass is, and then FINE ME! Uh, no thanks. I can see HOAs being a thing of the past if this recession holds on much longer. That would be awesome!!

Also, if you live inside the county, your tax rate is about $1.32, where as outside, "in the county" it's about half that. That means you can afford more house (principle) in your payment because you are paying less taxes in the total payment.

*** Also, Guilford county does the tax appraisal on the homes only every 8 years, and the last one was in 2007. So, any additions that have been put on since then will not be taxed until the next tax turnaround, but then it will certainly be higher. For example, a newly finished basement, finished attic space, or AC/Heated garage, etc.

Another option I am beginning to consider is foreclosures. They come with risk, but the base price is a lot lower to "begin" with. I always planned on fixing up my own house with so-called sweat equity, so this isn't that much of a compromise for me. I'm the gal in the house, but the one with the know-how on all the tools and trade! Darling is the one for the computers and cables, things with buttons! LOL

Good luck on your search.

[ncpaul]

Originally Posted by ArcticPhoenix

1. What category is the airport? How big is it?

Don't know much about the airport. They are expanding as Fedex is putting a hub here.

2. Housing. I can't afford more than around 120K or so of a house because my income is the only income in the household. I make around 30K/yr. Is this doable? We have no debt at all.

This is easily doable if you have no debt. If you look outside the city limits you should be able to find a 1200 - 1400 sq.ft. 3 bedroom 2 bath house in that price range.

3. Weather. How bad are tornadoes and hurricanes in the area? It looks to me, from the data I've viewed, that tornadoes are relatively rare in this area, but how bad are the hurricanes when they came through, and how bad are floods?

I have lived here 8 years and never have I been concerned with tornadoes or hurricanes. I am not sure we have ever had hurricane force winds (75 mph)

Any info is much appreciated! One of our biggest concerns is housing prices, though.

Hope that helps

Paul