Confused about cost of living in Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach: house, job market)

[hcaleman]

The grass is always greener...

[rtandc]

Originally Posted by SiestaBay

That's only what they say once they realize they're not going to make a lot of money... just sayin'.

Or they spend most of their life making it and realize once they have it, it is more then they will ever need or spend...........just saying

[rtandc]

Originally Posted by GoPhils

Maybe you should check out the Charlotte forum...seem to be many threads about the extremely high unemployment rates there and even one about Charlotte's lack of identity.

Both the job market and real estate market is bad in most parts of the country. Maybe Hampton Roads is a little behind on the home price decline, but in my opinion (no I don't live there) it seems to still be about average or even cheaper than many similar cities. (Regarding Charlotte, as me and others have mentioned, there is no beach in Charlotte, so in a lot of places, if you want the beach, you gotta pay for it.)

But yeah, it seems like most cities have their problems, and there will usually be both people who love it there and hate it there. I guess some cities just have more of one or the other, although I still can't quite get a read on which one Hampton Roads is.

I have never really looked at the Charlotte forum as I dont have a desire to live there, it is just a city I enjoy visiting because outside of the DC area it is the closest city that offers many of the activities that I enjoy that I can not normally find here in Hampton Roads. Yes I understand that Charlotte has been known for having a higher then normal unemployment rate. It is also known for a higher then average crime rate.....no city is perfect.......You can find something wrong with every city if you look hard enough...... But it went from a city that was kind of lost and trying to find its way to the 2nd biggest Financial headquarters in the US in about two decades so I would say they are doing something right down there

And I agree with the beach statement, but location has always played a big part of the average cost of homes...If you want to live at a beach expect to pay for it...and the same can be said for many other types of locals......People shake their heads at the cost of homes around here....Heck check out other places......I love to ski in Jackson Hole WY, its just a little town in the middle to no where.......well that is not true because it is a gateway town to both the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone park but still there is no large town within driving distance to find the higher paying jobs... and it must have one of the highest real estate averages in the entire US and the local average salary can not be anywhere close to the housing average....so when I hear people make the statement...how can you afford to live there...this town always comes to mind

[chesapeakesim]

The financial mess has a lot to do with Charlotte's high unemployment rate. But another big part is that so many people from other area's moved there cause it was such a great place to live. When you have so many people moving there it is hard for the job's to keep up. I wouldn't say the unemployment rate is really tied to the economic health of the city.

[telemonster]

Originally Posted by chesapeakesim

The financial mess has a lot to do with Charlotte's high unemployment rate. But another big part is that so many people from other area's moved there cause it was such a great place to live. When you have so many people moving there it is hard for the job's to keep up. I wouldn't say the unemployment rate is really tied to the economic health of the city.

If the region is progressive and the people inventive, perhaps the people will invent new businesses. Hopefully their region supports this.

[telemonster]

Originally Posted by hcaleman

If you want to complain about a soul-less lack of culture place come live in Dubai for a few years and watch modern day slavery in action. All this whining about how bad various cities are in the US cracks me up.

Dubai is a bubble, too. It's going to implode.

I thought they enslave people from India, not the westerners.

[GoPhils]

Originally Posted by chesapeakesim

The financial mess has a lot to do with Charlotte's high unemployment rate. But another big part is that so many people from other area's moved there cause it was such a great place to live. When you have so many people moving there it is hard for the job's to keep up. I wouldn't say the unemployment rate is really tied to the economic health of the city.

Yes, the fact that many people move there without jobs certainly raises the unemployment rate, but it also obviously creates a lot more competition for the jobs that are already there. One poster there keeps talking about how he/she knows MBA's working in retail and at restaurants. In a time when money is so tight, assuming I could find a job to begin with, I'm not sure if I would want to work somewhere where there are always going to be hundreds of qualified people trying to take your job.

According to the bureau of labor statistics, the Charlotte metropolitan area has an unemployment rate of 11.7%, which ranks it #314 of the 372 areas they ranked (NC as a whole was the #48 state at 10.7%). Hampton Roads was ranked #98 with 7.2% and Virginia was #16 at 6.6% (yes, I know this is just the number of people that are actually employed and not how much money they make).

Yes, every place has its pluses and minuses, but I'm just pointing it out for some people on here who seem to steer people away from Hampton Roads because they are familiar with the area (but may not be familiar with other ares) and say things like "maybe Charlotte would be a better fit for you." Right now, I don't know if that's true.

[hcaleman]

Originally Posted by telemonster

Dubai is a bubble, too. It's going to implode.

I thought they enslave people from India, not the westerners.

I don't think you have a full grasp of what is going on in Dubai or the UAE. Just because they don't enslave westerners doesn't make it any less of an issue.

The funny thing is Dubai has it problems, problems which make any issues you have with the Hampton Roads seem like moot points, but I don't spend energy spreading my discontent with the region on any medium which will allow it.

[pbehson]

Originally Posted by hcaleman

I don't think you have a full grasp of what is going on in Dubai or the UAE. Just because they don't enslave westerners doesn't make it any less of an issue.

The funny thing is Dubai has it problems, problems which make any issues you have with the Hampton Roads seem like moot points, but I don't spend energy spreading my discontent with the region on any medium which will allow it.

Wow!

[telemonster]

Originally Posted by hcaleman

I don't think you have a full grasp of what is going on in Dubai or the UAE. Just because they don't enslave westerners doesn't make it any less of an issue.

The funny thing is Dubai has it problems, problems which make any issues you have with the Hampton Roads seem like moot points, but I don't spend energy spreading my discontent with the region on any medium which will allow it.

But I could care less about the UAE. I know Dubai is a bubble. I know they build buildings very tall for the sake of doing it, not because it's needed. Normally very tall buildings are only cost effective if land is at a premium, which it generally isn't in a desert. They are all big on religion, and I think religion is a waste of time, a man-made mind virus. Do I care if the UAE is in a bubble? Not really. I know the money comes from oil, and when they run out or people move to different technologies, they better hope they have something else to sell.

Some 60+ regions in the USA were bubble-riffic. Hampton Roads is very very high on the list.

I spread the truth, since no one else is willing to.