Considering a move to Greenville SC, please share your experience... (Spartanburg: transplants, insurance)

[carex]

My wife and I can retire in about one year and we are looking south. Currently live in the DC metro area. Need to move to less expensive area upon retirement or work forever! At first glance, Greenville seems attractive, have not been there to visit yet. Natives or transplants, please let me know the good and the bad about Greenville. We do need a high quality, full-serice hospital nearby. We would like a place that is affordable, with friendly people, and better weather than here (some hot and cold are ok). Can a retired couple get along ok on an income of around 40K if they have no mortgage payment? Are nice one level houses (3B, 2Bath) available for under 200K? How is the vegetable gardening in the area? Responses will be greatly appreciated.

[jma]

Greenville has been great for us, Look up Midland Builders patio home community in Blue Ridge Plantation

[Skyliner]

Moderator cut: move request removed

Hi carex!

Vegetable gardening (or any kind of gardening for that matter) is great in the Greenville area. You should be able to grow just about anything you want here.

Check out the rest of the Greenville forum and ask any other questions you may have.

[carex]

Thanks for the replies, the more I read on the forum, the more interesting Greenville looks. I hope to make it down this fall for a first hand look. Carex.

[carex]

Can anyone comment on the quality of medical care and hospitals in the Greenville area? Carex.

[exileinsc]

You should have little problem finding a good home for less then $200,000 (of course, that depends on what you mean by good. I mean a home needing no major repairs, in an area with low crime).

Greenville proper might be a little difficult, but there are plenty of nice areas nearby where you can find a 3-4 BR, 1-2BA house with some acreage or large yard for under $200,000. (Ones I like: Greer, Simpsonville, Inman, Landrum). But there are lots of places that are livable. Even Spartanburg, which isn't generally regarded as being as good as Greenville, has some very nice little neighborhoods that are quite reasonable.

Living here on $40,000 should not be a problem. Just don't expect a lot of savings when you move down here. Sure taxes are lower, but the roads are in bad condition (though maybe not compared to DC), so auto repairs are more frequent and auto insurance is much higher. You should be OK, especially if you live away from the mountains (Where everything, is of course, higher....)

Be warned: If you order tea, they will give you a glassfull of sugar with a little colored water and some ice. If you want tea, you have to tell them especially that you want it un-sweetened

[carex]

Thanks for the housing and tea tips (actually, we do drink a lot of iced tea). Anyone else care to address the health care and hospital questions?

[g-man430]

^^Greenville Hospital System is the largest hospital network in the state of South Carolina. Go here Greenville Hospital System then click on "services" at the top for a listing of all of their hospitals/services in Greenville County.

St. Francis also has a huge presence in the Greenville area with several hospitals/services too: Bon Secours St. Francis Health System | Greenville, SC Hospital System

-Both hospital systems are expanding like crazy and there is a plan for a new St. Francis hospital near the intersection of Laurens Road and I-85.

[melissah]

Originally Posted by carex

Can anyone comment on the quality of medical care and hospitals in the Greenville area? Carex.

The hospitals in Greenville are fantastic, about the only good thing there. I use to work at Greenville Memorial. They have everything you can possibly need. We just didn't like the clay dirt and all the road construction that went on there ALL the time, so we moved further south to myrtle beach, beautiful place to reside.

[krushsh70]

Don't forget that Spartanburg Regional is building a new hospital in Greer near I85 and Hwy 14.
Greenville Hospital System has a lot of specialists. My new neighbor was looking for a specialist for her child and mentioned that she used to have to drive 3 hours to see the specialist when she lived in FL. There are 3 practices of specialists that she can choose from here.