Goodbye LI! (Walton, Florida, Pavilion: rental, quality of life, live)

[anamama]

Originally Posted by Glad2BHere

How much do you think you could get for your home in NC? There are some areas of LI that the prices have somewhat dropped. And yes, plenty of homes available for rent. You will find something here no doubt, if you are open to a few areas.

We can get about $225,000 for our house, which, considering that we paid $228,000, is a bit sad! We got that estimate from a couple of different realtors, so it's pretty reliable (at least, if we want to sell it in a timely manner).

When you say "open to a few areas", anything come to mind? Remember....schools are really important!

[slynn41072]

Originally Posted by anamama

I completely understand the wish to flee the "Island" for North Carolina-- we did a little over a year and a half ago. Between the cost of living, sketchy areas and cold weather, who'd want to live on LI?

WE do!!! While many LI transplants are quite happy down here in NC, we are not among them. Yes, the weather is milder, the taxes lower and the houses, affordable. What we didn't know is that: 1. Southern culture is alive and well (yes, even in the supposedly liberal Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area) in all of its passive-aggressive, good-old boy glory. 2. The schools cannot compare to the standards that the New York State Board of Regents sets -- students aren't even required to take a second language! Also, if your child has early intervention and/or special education needs, please know that such services in NC are poor at best. 3. Cultural opportunities are scarce, especially when you grew up with Broadway and Carnegie Hall. 4. You wanna talk "skecthy" areas? Try trailer parks right next to gorgeous new subdivisions! At least on LI we have enough sense to keep Wyandanch and Deer Park separate! 5.The ocean being 2 hours away is almost unbearable -- you'll miss the scent of salt water in the air, even if you didn't notice it on LI! 6. They say New Yorkers can't drive?!!! 7. No matter what anybody tells you, it is absolutely impossible to get decent pizza or Chinese down here!!!

I don't mean to discourage anyone from making the move -- for some, it's a great one. I urge you, however, to take the above points into consideration. Good luck -- I hope your experience is better than ours has been!

We are one of the transplants from LI that are happy. We love it in NC. Not sure what part of NC you live in but we have not really found many negatives for us. I think research is key to living in any area, just because its cheaper to live doesn't mean its right for everyone. Good luck with your move.

[Glad2BHere]

Originally Posted by anamama

We can get about $225,000 for our house, which, considering that we paid $228,000, is a bit sad! We got that estimate from a couple of different realtors, so it's pretty reliable (at least, if we want to sell it in a timely manner).

When you say "open to a few areas", anything come to mind? Remember....schools are really important!

Would that mean that 225,ooo would be your budget here or could you go a little higher?

I would say 350,000 is the lowest amt you might be able to purchase a home in a good district, but again, you could always rent a home in a good district. I have seen them. But then again I don't know much about some Suffolk South Shore districts or even Suffolk far North, so maybe you find something low 300s in a good district?

Why don't you start a new thread with your wants/needs and budget? Someone here could answer you for sure.

[anamama]

Originally Posted by slynn41072

We are one of the transplants from LI that are happy. We love it in NC. Not sure what part of NC you live in but we have not really found many negatives for us. I think research is key to living in any area, just because its cheaper to live doesn't mean its right for everyone. Good luck with your move.

We're gonna need that luck -- thanks! We live in Raleigh and although I can see how it might be great for some, I guess we're New Yorkers through and through. I actually did a lot of research before moving down, but clearly not enough! One of my main dislikes (aka the Southern personality), though, I had to experience firsthand to "appreciate"......

Glad to hear that NC works for you (although we'll still consider you an honorary New Yorker ) --- take care and enjoy, okay?

[NYC2RDU]

Originally Posted by anamama

I completely understand the wish to flee the "Island" for North Carolina-- we did a little over a year and a half ago. Between the cost of living, sketchy areas and cold weather, who'd want to live on LI?

WE do!!! While many LI transplants are quite happy down here in NC, we are not among them. Yes, the weather is milder, the taxes lower and the houses, affordable. What we didn't know is that: 1. Southern culture is alive and well (yes, even in the supposedly liberal Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area) in all of its passive-aggressive, good-old boy glory. 2. The schools cannot compare to the standards that the New York State Board of Regents sets -- students aren't even required to take a second language! Also, if your child has early intervention and/or special education needs, please know that such services in NC are poor at best. 3. Cultural opportunities are scarce, especially when you grew up with Broadway and Carnegie Hall. 4. You wanna talk "skecthy" areas? Try trailer parks right next to gorgeous new subdivisions! At least on LI we have enough sense to keep Wyandanch and Deer Park separate! 5.The ocean being 2 hours away is almost unbearable -- you'll miss the scent of salt water in the air, even if you didn't notice it on LI! 6. They say New Yorkers can't drive?!!! 7. No matter what anybody tells you, it is absolutely impossible to get decent pizza or Chinese down here!!!

I don't mean to discourage anyone from making the move -- for some, it's a great one. I urge you, however, to take the above points into consideration. Good luck -- I hope your experience is better than ours has been!

I don't get it. How can your experience be so wildly different from anything I can relate to?

- Southern culture is alive and well but I haven't encountered any Confederacy type rhetoric in my year of living here. And I like the southern culture and what it offers.

- The schools are at least comparable if not better in some ways. My rising second-grader will be taking a foreign language next year in a Wake County public school. As for special needs we've witnessed first hand that support services are reasonable. My youngest has a classmate that's autistic and the support offered by Wake County is roughly comparable to what we were accustomed to on Long Island.

- How does someone know you're a New York driver when we all have North Carolina license plates?

- Long Island has trailer parks and run-down neighborhoods. And by the way, trailer park isn't synonymous with low-class or white trash.

- The distance to the beach and minimal cultural offerings were all part of information available to you before deciding to relocate so that one is completely on you.

- And I have absolutely found great pizza and Chinese food in several places. I'm a pizza snob as well so that statement is not to be taken lightly.

I'm sorry that the relocation experience hasn't worked out for you. Raleigh isn't New York and if someone was expecting to find enough comparisons to make it feel similar they're likely doomed to fail. I hope you can find your way back north; it isn't easy from a financial perspective but at least the rental market on Long Island is thriving.

[Glad2BHere]

Originally Posted by NYC2RDU

- How does someone know you're a New York driver when we all have North Carolina license plates?

I think she meant that people say New Yorkers can't drive, but her experience is North Carolina has plenty of bad drivers as well.

[NYC2RDU]

Originally Posted by Glad2BHere

I think she meant that people say New Yorkers can't drive, but her experience is North Carolina has plenty of bad drivers as well.

You're right, I missed that one. And I also partially agree with that point. People down here tailgate like I've never seen anywhere before. It's offset by people easing up to let you merge and also not honking their horn for every (any) infraction but I think twice before hitting my brakes.

[ClarkStreetKid]

It's the NASCAR, baby!

[Scohan]

I said goodbye to LI about 15 years ago. I lived in Huntington. Not my choice to leave, my parents moved. I have to say, I regret it because due to skyrocketing housing prices, the opportunity to live there again is gone forever. My parents bought the house for 106K in 1979, sold it for 350K in 1993. It is now worth 900K! Ughhh! LI has it all, the water, proximity to NYC, and great food! The downside is that it is too money oriented. A lot of emphasis is placed on how much money you make, what kind of car you drive, etc... at least when I lived there.

[gailaus2]

I lived on Long Island for 35 years.... married...raised my kids and when they graduated college I couldn't wait to sell my house and move as far away as I could get.

I moved to a town called Zebulon in Eastern Wake County.

I find the weather, the people and the surroundings to be a breath of fresh air.

I keep waitng for someone to pinch me and find out it's all a dream.

I said "good bye" and "good ridance" to the high property taxes, falling home values, overcrowded roadways, poor infrastructure, crooked politicians and the sense of entitlement from all the new generation of Long Island children.

If you can get out and off of Long Island, you will see what you've been missing.

I couldn't be happier!

Good luck.