North Carolina or Bust! (Charlotte: relocating, home, rent)

[NCarolinaNewB]

Originally Posted by TeacherMan

Back to the OP...

My former room-mate and good friend moved to Charlotte last summer. His move had (at the time) nothing to do with the current economic status of MI. His brother did a lengthy amount of research into areas that are growing and embracing education. His research led him to NC, specifically the "Research Triangle." Because my friend, his brother, and sister in law are all teachers. They took a week trip to Charlotte, had multiple interviews and offers, and ALL came back with jobs (in the same district nonetheless!). (By the way, she had been subbing for 2 years straight.) I have spoken to him several times in the last year and he is TREMENDOUSLY HAPPY! No budget cuts, no threats from the state to take away funding per student, guaranteed pay increases, etc. His only disappointment is his inability to sell his house here in MI.
That being said... a HUGE advantage is that his parents and sister ALL relocated with the teachers to NC at the same time. He did not have to leave immediate family behind.
I can not speak for the industrial trade job situation in NC, but I can tell you from the standpoint of 3 teachers, they are all happier than they were here. My wife and I considered the area for relocation. However, my family is decided to stay in MI, thus we have decided to relocate to Chicago (after receiving multiple other offers in multiple states) in order to stay close to family, but be in a place of better opportunity (albeit higher cost of living).
Hope this helps!!!
-TM

TM,
Thanks so much for your help regarding the education field. I had a phone interview last week and am going down next week to hopefully seal the deal! My husband also found a job in Raleigh and we are excited about the move. Hope that things go well for you in Chicago - I know what you mean about closer to home!
NewB

[TeacherMan]

You are welcome for the info and encouragement! I just spoke with him and he (and his family) are STILL very happy. As for my wife and I, we just signed for an apartment in Chicago and will be relocating their in one month and we can not wait.
Michigan will always be the home of my childhood and my family. We have vested interest here and will return often to visit. It is beautiful and will recover (economically) at some point.
My best to you and yours, may we both be blessed with success in our future locations and endeavors!
-TM

[kscottdog]

Hi! We are moving too. We are moving to Summerville, Sc. We have 4 ch ildren ages 14,12,9 &7. My husband is in the morgage business and as we all know it a pretty bad profession to be in, in Michigan. We visited Summerville 2 weeks ago and really liked it. It definately has a lot to offer and the schools are great. Our family is back here. I guess the way we must look at it is that we have to do what it right for our children. Not making ends meet is not the answer. We are losing our home and have had to file bankruptsy. I have my own business which keeps food on the table, gas in the cars and pays a few bills. Good luck on your move...you're not alone!

[beadnsue]

we moved to NC just outside Charlotte a year ago, after teaching in MI for 30 years. We're teaching in the Charlotte area. (next county over) We love it. It's a vital growing city with many many opportunities. The crime is certainly less than the Detroit area. The communities are supportive of the teachers, and you can transfer wherever you want within the state without losing your seniority as happens in MI. The state curriculum is great, although very test driven. Do your research and be careful of the area you would pick to live because there certainly are bad areas as in any state.
I am not sorry, and just wish my friends from N Michigan were there with me because we miss them.
Do we miss family? Well.... they have all left Michigan.

SL

[fallingwater]

Originally Posted by wanderer74

I don't know where people can get hired at Home Depot or Walmart, but up here in the Saginaw/Bay City/Midland area, there's competition even for those jobs. I have been applying for retail jobs for the past year and haven't even gotten called for an interview. I will have my bachelor's degree in August and I have five years of experience as a writer and editor. I can't get hired anywhere. My husband just went through a year-long process trying to get hired in production at Dow Corning - he passed their assessment test with excellent scores, but didn't get the job because in the meantime he's been pursuing a degree in accounting and they figured he would only take the production job to get a foot in the door with the company. They told him to come back and apply for accounting jobs once he gets the degree. Seriously, it's hard to get anything up here! Look up the job listings for Saginaw/Flint (Flint is 40 miles away but for some reason they put them as one combined market on monster.com and careerbuilder.com) - I did a search on monster.com earlier today for all jobs posted in the past 7 days and there were 2 pages. That's it. There are thousands of people out of work in this area - how is 2 pages of jobs going to provide enough jobs for all those people? We're not all lazy, undereducated, or too negative to work. I've tried really hard to have a positive attitude, but when you've applied for jobs every week for over a year and don't even get called for interviews, it gets REALLY discouraging!

I totally agree! Not every retailer is hiring. I lost my job in logistics after 9-11. I got a job at walmart (figured it was temp.) and was stunned to be working with many people that had degrees and couldnt find work in their field. I moved on to a merchandising company for Lowe's home improvement. I got laid off a year later. Lowe's laid off their own workers. With 4 yrs of retail exp under my belt I figured I could get hired anywhere. I applied at every retail store in my area. No calls. I finally landed a job and will start in 2 weeks. Another merchandising company. Part time 15-20 hrs a week and I will be driving all over hell too.Things are tough out there and retail is not hiring in droves like people think. I went shopping on Black friday and was stunned that the stores werent that busy.

[fallingwater]

Originally Posted by wanderer74

Are you serious? Who can support a family of five on $8-10 an hour, or even on two adults each making those wages? How could people with kids work 90 hours a week? We bought our house and had our children at a time when things were doing much better. But I cannot pay back my student loans on $8-10 an hour. I owe $2000 right now because I had some health problems, which led to the doctors saying I need surgery. Without insurance I'm not able to get that surgery. I can't even pay my regular bills on this income; how could I pay off an $8000 surgery? Hardworking people shouldn't have to be in the situation of denying themselves needed healthcare because they can't afford it. Doing so isn't anything to brag about. For supposedly being the best, richest nation on earth, why are we the ONLY industrialized nation that doesn't provide healthcare to its citizens? Without sick pay, people go in to work and get everyone else sick, which further reduces productivity. Without paid time off, people can't afford to lose their wages to participate in jury duty. It doesn't make any sense. Sick pay and health insurance should *not* be considered luxuries.

I understand your point that maybe modern people are too spoiled, taking for granted things that our ancestors would've considered luxuries. But expecting educated, hard-working adults to suddenly adapt to making a poverty-level wage and going without health insurance is a bit ridiculous.

Amen! I wanted to respond to the post your referring too but you said it well. How silly to say if you work hard you can make on 8-10 dollars an hour. My good friend had cancer, no ins. She racked up a million dollars in medical bills. I dont believe a payment plan will help.

[mgrayson]

I just retired and I live in detroit, mi., and planning on relocating to charlotte or raleigh, north carolina. I love michigan, but times have change here , with all the out sourcing and buy outs, my family is having a hard time and in need of jobs. I will be visiting north carolina, this year. My son and his wife was in charlotte last year, and they said they liked it so much they didn't want to come back. Our governor said, Michigan is coming back. I sure hope so. the workers here in michigan is very productive. If you planning on coming here, make sure you have a job to come to.

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by magellan

Back to the original poster's message:

Yes, by all means, move to North Carolina. They are all waiting for you with open arms. They love Northerners, especially Michiganians. Especially in the suburban areas of Raleigh, where no one is actually still fighting the Civil War. Like Cary, NC: great place, little traffic, no strip malls, 0 McMansions, classrooms just sitting half-empty waiting for your child to enroll. And that acronym for Cary? (Corral Area For Relocated Yankees), they don't really mean that. It's all in fun. They want you to come and bring all your family and friends to take all the good jobs. I-40 is virtually vacant day and night.

And Charlotte? Even better. Oh, just don't drive the freeways at night because apparently a state flush with cash can't afford to pay for freeway lights through the city. And highway bypasses? Yes, 485 will be complete before your Social Security kicks in. Mass transit, YES, Charlotte has it. And the Charlotte Area Transit Authority is a fine-tuned machine not going hundreds of $Millions over budget and with charges of corruption (it's all lies of course). And the suburban areas of Charlotte are bursting with jobs, because they are opening new malls and "lifestyle centers" every year (pay no attention to the thousands of people laid off from Continental Tire). Nothing to see here. And if you thought West Michigan was too conservative, wait until you stumble into the home of Billy Graham, Jim and Tammy Fae Bakker, and NASCAR. You ain't seen nothing yet!

And all the textile mills that dot the rural landscape outside of the two "urban areas", they are just ripe for work.

But whatever you do, do not question the $280 Million in tax giveways given to Dell for a new plant in Winston-Salem (you know, the cigarette name, from which the State gets its fame), or the $260 Million given to Google to open a large air-conditioned warehouse in NC with less than a handful of employees. You are not allowed to question any of that.

If you follow those simple rules, I think you'll do fine.

*all opinions expressed, implied or otherwise inferred by this post do not reflect the opinions of City-Date and/or its agents as aforementioned herewithin.

Wow. I am an NC native, but have lived in Kansas City and moved back to CLT several years ago. I cannot believe the mis-information you have distributed in your post!

Charlotte is the second largest banking center in the nation. I don't know where you get your opinions about Nascar, either. It does have a presence here but it is a very low-keyed presence.

Charlotte is the 10th fastest growing city in the nation. We have a diverse population and a solid middle class. Yes, we have lost textile and furniture jobs to outsourcing . . . but we are developing new businesses and have a low unemployment rate.

And yes, Billy Graham was born here . . .and Jim Bakker lived in SC, not NC . . . but man - that is ancient history!

I would point out that Charlotte now has more residents from somewhere else than natives. Two-thirds (2/3) of the residents are newcomers. Your reference to the Civil War was - well - just weird.

I don't live in a McMansion, but I do live in a beautiful, quiet neigbhorhood w/ older homes and lots of trees and wildlife - inside the city limits.

So I don't know what your beef is w/ CLT . . . no city is Utopia. We are growing and changing . . . but we are also very welcoming to newcomers and your stereotypes about the South simply are not applicable here.

[Timm]

I'm currently splitting time between Charlotte and metro Detroit. So far, my opinion of Charlotte is almost entirely positive. Lots to do downtown (excuse me..."uptown"), terrific restaurants everywhere, loads of entertainment, great weather. And a job.

I loves me some Detroit, but I suspect my future will be in Charlotte.

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by Timm

I'm currently splitting time between Charlotte and metro Detroit. So far, my opinion of Charlotte is almost entirely positive. Lots to do downtown (excuse me..."uptown"), terrific restaurants everywhere, loads of entertainment, great weather. And a job.

I loves me some Detroit, but I suspect my future will be in Charlotte.

Please check out the CLT forum. We are glad to answer any questions.

I lived in Kansas City b/f moving back to NC, and I hated leaving KCMO. So I am not trying to play cheer leader for CLT - I am as enthusiastic about the Kansas City 'burbs - and downtown KC - wh/ is undergoing revitalization and has a lot to offer. . .

I just hate to see misconceptions and stereotypes about the CLT region floating around in cyberspace. This is a good area to live and work . . . we are undergoing some growing pains, but that is a lot better than seeing the economy sinking and unemployment rising.

Glad you have felt welcomed in CLT.