Relocating to MD or NC (Annapolis, Waldorf: transplants, rent, how much)

[love2nurse]

Hello, I'm a single mom and I really want to relocate, my choices are limited to Charlotte, NC or Waldorf, Md. I'm really looking for some advice on both areas. Any advice or suggestions would be very helpful. Three school age kids all in diffrent school.
Thanks for any advice

[tercel95]

First off MD is extremely expensive... Are you prepared for the extremely high cost of living in MD? Are you a liberal? MD as a whole is a very liberal state and if you have conservative values you probably won't be happy there...

That being said the public schools in MD are excellent... What exactly are you looking for in where you want to live? As in budget, proximity to the city, rural or urban, etc...

[love2nurse]

Thanks for the info. I currently live in De and rent for three bedrooms is 1400. I want to buy in MD and my budget is 1800.00 From my research I have choosen Charles county as my starting place. I like the city atmosphere but I can live on the outskirts to have a more quiet home life.

[donsabi]

I lived in NC and from my experience I will tell you that most of the transplants who make the transition well are those who have family there or get involved with a church. I met many people who could not adapt and moved on and that includes me. If you currently live in DE and have support I think it would be much easier for your to stay close. If you really want to go to Charlotte I suggest going into a short term rental, (and there are many), before making a final commitment.

[tercel95]

Originally Posted by love2nurse

Thanks for the info. I currently live in De and rent for three bedrooms is 1400. I want to buy in MD and my budget is 1800.00 From my research I have choosen Charles county as my starting place. I like the city atmosphere but I can live on the outskirts to have a more quiet home life.

I recommend somewhere in St. Mary's county... You might want to check out Charlotte Hall and Mechanicsville... I actually would recommend even further into the county if you're willing to take the commute closer to 45 minutes...

It would be a straight commute as in 1 road all the way to Waldorf...

Look into California, Loveville, and Leonardtown... You can put yourself in a safer area with better schools that way, plus it should be a little cheaper... Those are really nice places to live... Southern MD (Calvert and St. Mary's counties) is generally a really nice place to live if you can afford MDs cost of admission...

[organick]

Originally Posted by tercel95

First off MD is extremely expensive... Are you prepared for the extremely high cost of living in MD? Are you a liberal? MD as a whole is a very liberal state and if you have conservative values you probably won't be happy there...

That being said the public schools in MD are excellent... What exactly are you looking for in where you want to live? As in budget, proximity to the city, rural or urban, etc...

If you have a 1800/month budget I assume you have a good job currently???? That may be a bit harder to find in Charlotte. Unemployment is pretty tough in a large section of NC due to alot of things including closing of major businesses/ technology industries in the triangle area. Something to consider.
As for donsabis comment I dont think adapting to charlotte is too big a deal, its a fairly big city, very similar to alot of the east coast. Not really a culture shock.

[Murland]

Originally Posted by tercel95

First off MD is extremely expensive... Are you prepared for the extremely high cost of living in MD? Are you a liberal? MD as a whole is a very liberal state and if you have conservative values you probably won't be happy there...

That being said the public schools in MD are excellent... What exactly are you looking for in where you want to live? As in budget, proximity to the city, rural or urban, etc...

It's true that living in MD is extremely expensive, so make sure you have a decent amount of money saved up for the move.

I disagree about the liberal thing. Yes, MD is a mostly liberal state, but in areas like Annapolis you'll find some conservative people too....it's definitely predominantly liberal, but not so much that conservatives will be unhappy. My parents are extremely conservative and they're perfectly happy living in Annapolis.

[tercel95]

Originally Posted by Murland

It's true that living in MD is extremely expensive, so make sure you have a decent amount of money saved up for the move.

I disagree about the liberal thing. Yes, MD is a mostly liberal state, but in areas like Annapolis you'll find some conservative people too....it's definitely predominantly liberal, but not so much that conservatives will be unhappy. My parents are extremely conservative and they're perfectly happy living in Annapolis.

It depends how much seeing things completely against your political views around you bothers you... SOMD is predominantly conservative as well but its still and MD and still has to deal with the population majority (central urban MD) having the most say...

My parents as well as many other conservatives I know that still live in MD are unhappy about the laws and attitudes of liberal MD... It might not be a dealbreaker but its something to consider...

[Kimmers333]

Originally Posted by Murland

It's true that living in MD is extremely expensive, so make sure you have a decent amount of money saved up for the move.

I live on the Eastern Shore of MD and find that is waaay cheaper here than on the mainland.

[jayman1981]

Well as a man with kids. I would pick Charlotte. You can get a nice sized house without super long commutes in Charlotte. I just hope that you do have a job lined up for you in either location. If not then stay where your at until you can get what you want.