For those of you who relocated from NY, NJ or other areas in the NE... a question (Charlotte: sales, real estate) - City-Data Forum

NC_Bound · 09-26-2006, 07:14 PM

did your salary increase, decrease or stay the same as it was in the northeast?

not looking for #'s!

TIA!

mm34b · 09-26-2006, 07:47 PM

Decreased due to the relative lower cost of living, but occupational salaries tend to be geographically based on the local prevailing rate and the availability of a qualified workforce. A better question would be, has your disposable income increased, decreased or remained the same.

dandevder · 09-27-2006, 07:56 AM

My hubby's increased $12,000 a year doing the same thing he was doing in the NE. I know not everyone is that lucky, but that much yearly and the cost of living change...I feel like a queen! When he was looking at jobs he found most were only a couple of thousand less than the NE jobs with the same type of benefits. With the cost of living change, you easily make up for it!

NC_Bound · 09-27-2006, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dandevder

My hubby's increased $12,000 a year doing the same thing he was doing in the NE. I know not everyone is that lucky, but that much yearly and the cost of living change...I feel like a queen! When he was looking at jobs he found most were only a couple of thousand less than the NE jobs with the same type of benefits. With the cost of living change, you easily make up for it!

that is FABULOUS!! good for you!

friendnc · 09-27-2006, 02:41 PM

Buying power (net income vs. cost of living) is much better here.

ShastaBell · 06-06-2010, 02:06 PM

We moved here in 1993, but we moved from Maine and I can tell you one thing that we see over and over again is that the schools are better and have better control over the kids; the libraries are very modern. My husband does house painting inside and out and he has plenty of jobs and never been out of work. There are enough "money" people here to keep things going. I will never go back up north. The winters here are very mild for the most part and they don't hang around forever. There is a nice mix of southerners and northerners in N.C and Tenn, so you get to meet a variety of interesting people

superk · 06-06-2010, 06:06 PM

Increased. It was more like the salary levels I was used to in CT before moving to NY. The salary levels there were horrible.

jskirwin · 06-07-2010, 09:59 AM

Decreased. IT rates are down by 10-15% compared to Philly market from what I've seen.
I don't buy the cheaper cost of living idea. Yes property is cheaper here, but other things cost the same.

Worse, taxes here are higher. I came from DE where there is no sales tax, so I'm still getting used to 7.75% sales tax. The tax covers more than other states too. This is also the first state I've lived in with personal property tax. It also costs more to register vehicles - and to get them inspected.

Those are all the downsides. Do I miss the I-95 commute? The overall meanness of people in the NE corridor? Not at all. Where I live in NC easily compares to some of the nicest, most beautiful areas of the country. And the people are nicer to boot.

The taxes are a small price to pay for living here.

outtanyc · 06-07-2010, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jskirwin

Decreased. IT rates are down by 10-15% compared to Philly market from what I've seen.
I don't buy the cheaper cost of living idea. Yes property is cheaper here, but other things cost the same.

Worse, taxes here are higher. I came from DE where there is no sales tax, so I'm still getting used to 7.75% sales tax. The tax covers more than other states too. This is also the first state I've lived in with personal property tax. It also costs more to register vehicles - and to get them inspected.

Those are all the downsides. Do I miss the I-95 commute? The overall meanness of people in the NE corridor? Not at all. Where I live in NC easily compares to some of the nicest, most beautiful areas of the country. And the people are nicer to boot.

The taxes are a small price to pay for living here.

pls tell me the area in which you live? we want to move from NJ/NYC and dont know where to start!

jskirwin · 06-07-2010, 08:12 PM

NC is a big state. It took us a long time to settle on a general area, find a job, then find property within commuting distance.

First thing to consider is where your jobs are. I know IT - and NC is full of IT jobs. Charlotte. The Research Triangle. Greensboro/Winston/High Point. The market here is hot for IT. But they don't pay as well as jobs up north. You'll have to talk to someone else about other fields.

Then decide where you want to live. Urban/Suburban/Rural. We decided that we had it with suburban life and opted for a rural area. We now live near the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the biggest problem with my commute is running behind a tractor in the morning. We have no regrets ditching the suburbs, but that's just us.

The cities and suburban areas in NC are worth checking out if that's your cup of tea - but there's plenty of variety. Like hippies and counterculture types? Try Asheville. Big city? Charlotte's big without being pretentious. Then there's Wilmington and the cities near the coast. I haven't been there yet but I hear they're great.

So after you find out where your jobs are, and what area might interest you, contact a local real estate agent and fly down. Visit the areas you think you might be interested in and check out properties. We came down here several times before we loaded up the cars and left the I-95 corridor goodbye. Talk to people. Most people down here are friendly and put up with us Yankees more than we would if the roles were reversed.

It's a lot of work. I used City-Data a lot, but nothing beat visiting here and finding a really good real estate agent who helped us find exactly what we were looking for.

I never dreamed I would end up in the South, but now that I am here I can't believe it took me so long to get here.