Charlotte vs Raleigh area (Durham, Cary: rentals, employment, university)

[hapaleeretired]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Do a little research on the weather. Charlotte gets hot in the summer but Raleigh is downright miserable.
What do you want to do for recreation? Raleigh is closer to the ocean. Charlotte is a couple hours from the mountains which are cooler in the summer and offer skiing in the winter.
A big issue in both cities is the traffic problem. Both are a mess and I am glad I deal with neither of them.

[Cassie]

Originally Posted by tarp

If these are your factors, consider moving to Northern Virginia... I guess I'm spoiled here in Northern Virginia because I am 2.5 hours from the beach, 30 minutes from the mountains, 30 minutes from D.C. which has more museums in one block than the entire Carolinas combined, nightlife in D.C. that beats most cities except for NY, Miami & SF, the largest concentration of shopping on the East Coast outside of Manhattan, and yes we do have Potomac Mills (same company as Concord Mills) and King's Dominion (same company as Carowinds).

You forgot to mention the horrific traffic.

There isn't a beach in VA that's 2.5 hours from you unless you have a helicoptor. In addition, VA Beach is the ugliest, downright dirtiest beach I've ever been to. Rehobeth ( DE) Ocean City ( MD) and surrounding areas are crowded, heavily trafficked, far from relaxing, unless it's off season. N.C. has some of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen in the U.S.

You are also not 30 minutes away from the mountains. Sorry, But I LIVED in Chantilly, Gainesville, outside of Warrenton, and IN the Shenandoah Valley .. and again you'd need a helicopter to make it there from where you live in 30 minutes.

Potomac Mills? Only if you love fighting your way through traffic, fighting for a parking space, fighting the hordes in the mall for a "bargain."

It's all well and good to love a place. Exageration isn't helpful.

Regards,

Cassie

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by Cassie

You forgot to mention the horrific traffic.

There isn't a beach in VA that's 2.5 hours from you unless you have a helicoptor. In addition, VA Beach is the ugliest, downright dirtiest beach I've ever been been to. Rehobeth ( DE) Ocean City ( MD) and surrounding areas are crowded, heavily trafficked, far from relaxing, unless it's off season. N.C. has some of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen in the U.S.

You are also not 30 minutes away from the mountains. Sorry, But I LIVED in Chantilly, Gainesville, outside of Warrenton, and IN the Shenandoah Valley .. and again you'd need a helicopter to make it there from where you live in 30 minutes.

Potomac Mills? Only if you love fighting your way through traffic, fighting for a parking space, fighting the hordes in the mall for a "bargain."

It's all well and good to love a place. Exageration isn't helpful.

Regards,

Cassie

My point yesterday exactly Thanks for telling Tarp this.

[VickiR]

Developers now face more hurdles to build subdivisions in one of Charlotte's fast-growing suburbs.

Union County on Monday became the third county in the suburban Charlotte region to pass a slow-growth ordinance, called an adequate public facilities ordinance.

The new law, enacted by a 3-2 vote Monday night by the Union County Board of Commissioners, is designed to slow housing growth in areas where schools are crowded.

The ordinance requires developers who want to build in crowded school districts to do one of two things: delay construction until more schools are built, or pay a maximum fee of $14,953 per home proposed.

Wow...I never heard of this! Vicki

[VickiR]

Originally Posted by VickiR

Developers now face more hurdles to build subdivisions in one of Charlotte's fast-growing suburbs.

Union County on Monday became the third county in the suburban Charlotte region to pass a slow-growth ordinance, called an adequate public facilities ordinance.

The new law, enacted by a 3-2 vote Monday night by the Union County Board of Commissioners, is designed to slow housing growth in areas where schools are crowded.

The ordinance requires developers who want to build in crowded school districts to do one of two things: delay construction until more schools are built, or pay a maximum fee of $14,953 per home proposed.

Wow...I never heard of this! Vicki

Oh...this isn't something I made up! I read it in the Business Journal. Let me know if anyone would like the link. Sorry for any confusion! Vicki

[mm34b]

Originally Posted by VickiR

Developers now face more hurdles to build subdivisions in one of Charlotte's fast-growing suburbs.

Union County on Monday became the third county in the suburban Charlotte region to pass a slow-growth ordinance, called an adequate public facilities ordinance.

The new law, enacted by a 3-2 vote Monday night by the Union County Board of Commissioners, is designed to slow housing growth in areas where schools are crowded.

The ordinance requires developers who want to build in crowded school districts to do one of two things: delay construction until more schools are built, or pay a maximum fee of $14,953 per home proposed.

Wow...I never heard of this! Vicki

It will be interesting to see if it holds up in court. As it stands now, only the NC General Assembly has the authority to grant county and local governments the authority to collect impact fees. Since 1987, no North Carolina county has had its request to levy impact fees approved, in part because of the lobbying of developers and others in the real estate industry.

Durham County started collecting impact fees from builders and developers in 2004. The N.C. Court of Appeals ruled against the county in June of 2006, stating that the General Assembly never granted them that authority and they must repay all fees collected. About 7 million dollars worth.

http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/447943.html

[VickiR]

Actually, as a Realtor, I'm not opposed to impact fees. I think that if the developers are building these subdivisions with 500 homes, they need to understand that there is no room in the schools for those kids. I realize the developers will pass some of that cost down to the builders and the builders will pass it along to the buyers but I had no idea they were talking about $14,000 per house! Thats crazy! Vicki

[tarp]

Cassie,

I live in Fairfax and I can certainly get to the mountains in 30 minutes. They're called the Blue Ridge Mountains and they are located east of the Shenandoah Valley. Sky Meadows Park offers direct access to hiking trails and connects to the Appalachian Trail. And the Purcellville area, which is 45 minutes away from me but is only 15 minutes from Leesburg (which is also considered part of Northern Virginia) certainly has mountains. From Fairfax, I can also get mountain views within 15 minutes, just by driving west to Haymarket. Even Centreville has views of Bull Run Mountain.

And Ocean City, MD and Rehoboth Beach, DE are less than 2.5 hours away and offer great beaches for the Mid-Atlantic. Not as nice as OBX but still nice.

And Potomac Mills - i never have to fight for a parking spot. I just avoid going on busy weekends. And I go during non-rush hour times, so I avoid traffic. But usually I just shop at local stores. Why bother going to a worthless outlet mall? Most things cost more there anyway.

As for traffic, it's a fact of life in any metro area.

[Cassie]

Originally Posted by tarp

Cassie,I live in Fairfax and I can certainly get to the mountains in 30 minutes. They're called the Blue Ridge Mountains and they are located east of the Shenandoah Valley..

No, you cannot. I lived in those mountains as well as in the foothills of the mountains in Fauquier County and commuted to Fairfax for years. Also did the reverse commute in non rush hour. Give it up. I'm well aware of Sky Meadows Park, been there often, know how long it takes to get there. I know Purcellville, Leesburg, Haymarket and Centreville. No 30 minute drive to the mountains from any of them. Your previous post did not talk about "views." It spoke of reaching the mountains in 30 minutes. Nice try, but no cee-gar. We left there less than a year ago and no mountains closer in to Fairfax have suddenly sprouted. Bull Run is merely a section of rocky ridges and valleys in VA's northern Piedmont. Doesn't qualify as a mountain range and is not part of the Blue Ridge or Appalachian Mountains. It's been so overdeveloped around there that one needs binoculars to even notice it.

Originally Posted by tarp

And Ocean City, MD and Rehoboth Beach, DE are less than 2.5 hours away and offer great beaches for the Mid-Atlantic. Not as nice as OBX but still nice..

Again, they are not VA beaches and it's your opinion that they are nice. Not mine. Never made it to any of them in 2.5 hours either. In fact Map quest lists Ocean City as 3 1/2 hours from Fairfax. :-) I attended a family wedding near there in 2004. Took me SIX freaking hours one way on a week-end.


Severe traffic, even when leaving at dark 0'thirty is something that constantly has to be factored in Northern VA, unlike other places. And I repeat: N.C. has waaay better beaches than those.

[quote=tarp;123768 ] And Potomac Mills - i never have to fight for a parking spot. I just avoid going on busy weekends. And I go during non-rush hour times, so I avoid traffic. But usually I just shop at local stores. Why bother going to a worthless outlet mall? Most things cost more there anyway.[quote]

Well, heck, you're the one who touted Potomac Mills. I never went there during rush or on week-ends either. Still a zoo.


Might want to rethink arguing with someone who lived in or just outside of Northern VA for 15 years and knows those places like the back of their hand.

Regards,

Cassie

[tarp]

Nice try, but I was born and raised in Northen Virginia and have lived here, not just outside, but directly IN northern VA (fairfax county to be exact) all my life, and I can probably teach you a thing or two about this area.

And you are wrong. Bull Run Mountain IS a mountain, as are the Blue Ridge MOUNTAINS, and by hopping on I-66 west I can get to the Blue Ridge in 30 minutes. Heck I can get to Front Royal in 40 minutes and that's PAST the blue ridge. I have personally rode my bicycle from Centreville to the mountains in a matter of a few hours. And I never said anything about getting to a beach in VA (of which the only one that exists is VA Beach and possibly Chincoteague). I just said a Beach in general, which I have reached in less than 2.5 hours. I think you're just a slow driver.

And yes, the best beaches in the U.S. are in Florida and Hawaii.