Why Are So Many People Moving To North Carolina?

[deuterdu]

Originally Posted by Apple Annie

We drove over to Raleigh this weekend to visit friends. Realtor.com may show something for $200K available, then again it may be sold. Realtor.com is not reliable, and is not the venue to make a life altering decision from. It is merely an overview of the market. There are some pretty tacky areas in Raleigh around $200,000. The average home in the nicer areas and new subdivisions are approaching $300,000 for anything decent in a subdivision near amenities that the average family wants to be near with fairly decent schools. Condos start at $180's.

The traffic situation: starting at about Greensboro (BTW, there are now 11 exits from Rt. 40 going through Greensboro!) was horrendous on a late Friday morning, and continued into Raleigh at 70 to 75 mph all lanes. Lane jumpers everywhere, impatient tailgaters and very stressful driving over there. We stood at a crosswalk at around 7:30 pm trying to get across Glenwood Av. to walk over to the Crabtree Valley Mall and it was like taking your life in your hands or being at the Indy 500 with the traffic whizzing by so fast you barely make out the model of the vehicle.

We also went to Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and the highways were the same. Driving home Monday nearly did us in .... trucks, trucks and more trucks; and Fred and Ethel from Long Island, via Fla. were out there toddling along creating havoc on the roads. The NY tags were driving like wannabe NASCAR drivers, and it was a like a free for all.

That will be our last trek to Raleigh, ever. Not worth the stress.

WOW! I think Raleigh is a piece of cake. Try DC, Dallas, LA, San Diego, Sacramento, Seattle....where are you coming from?

[deuterdu]

Originally Posted by Apple Annie

First, I am not relocating or looking for property; and do not need a frame of reference other than experience with buyers coming from several areas of the country. Wherever, we go (it's a hazard of the job ) we tend to pick up the real estate section of the paper and check out the area as we drive along, curious about market values and growth, architecture, and desirability of an area. I call it taking the temperature of the area.

What I said was this about Raleigh from observing the newspaper ads and from talking with relatives is this; how someone interprets it is a different matter:

"The average home in the nicer areas and new subdivisions are approaching $300,000 for anything decent in a subdivision near amenities that the average family wants to be near with fairly decent schools. Condos start at $180's."

Also I did not say that I would tell someone where they should be; but that if they were:

"...relocated because of employment, that's different they have no choice, and a good Realtor will show them where they should live for their needs, and for ease of selling upon the next relocation." Sometimes a relo buyer has only 3 or 4 days to look and has never had a chance to peruse the area beforehand. They are at the mercy of the agent. Sometimes the husband comes first over a weekend, does a process of elimination and the wife follows. All sorts of scenarios with corporate relocations.

In over two decades in the business, it was always my policy to show buyers the areas where I would live myself, and try to advise and lead them to the right decision. Many relocating buyers move every two years. I don't want them to call me to list the property when they leave the area, and have it on the market for a year because they bought a pig in a poke or overpaid for it. If that is what they want, then fine ... it's their ultimate decision.

Never had any complaints except possibly posters taking the typed word out of context. It's called being a good agent, and guiding the buyer to make a good decision. If you like an agent to candy coat everything, then fine. The other thing I sad was that Raleigh did not appeal to me. That's why they make strawberry and vanilla. Personal taste.

I don't have issue with your opinions and statements except one: Realtor.com works just fine. We found and purchased 3 homes using it. It may not be 100% reliable but the average consumer doesn't care. It gives people an idea of the market. I am a licensed agent and loan broker in multiple states and I enjoy realtor.com. Guess my question would be if it isn't a good resource why do so many agents list their clients properties and include them on that website? We sold a vacation home in a remote Northern California coastal town in 10 days. Guess where the buyer found us? MLS? Nope. Realtor.com. For what it's worth, I can check out any city anywhere in the USA at any time without having to deal with a professional agent and get an idea of what a home may list for.

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Originally Posted by opstand

As for home prices, again not sure where you are looking or what you are looking for, but there are many, MANY places in the Raleigh area you can live for well under $300k. My wife and I have a nice house in a nice, established neighborhood in Cary and paid 1/2 that. Granted if you want a McMansion in a covenant-filled neighborhood you might be looking at $300k, but it is misleading to say that the average family is going to need a home in an area that has $300k houses. There are plenty of great areas to live, with great schools, in very safe areas, and still close to plenty of things to do for under $200k.

I agree opstand. I have a detached home in the $160K range here in North Raleigh as do several of my friends and none of us feel we live in an undesireable area. Sure, there are plenty of more expensive homes in the area, but the average family most definitely does not have to spend 300K for nice area of Raleigh with great school and ammenities.

[BigHouse9]

Originally Posted by deuterdu

WOW! I think Raleigh is a piece of cake. Try DC, Dallas, LA, San Diego, Sacramento, Seattle....where are you coming from?

I have to agree with Annie. Driving around Raleigh is a nightmare! I have to drive on Airport Blvd every day and cannot begin to tell you how many close calls and near accidents I have had on that road alone. Very stressful and defensive.

[Apple Annie]

At least twice I said that Realtor.com is not reliable for making a life altering decisiion. It is great for an overview of the market. Regardless, Realtor.com is an official site of the NAR, National Assoc. of Realtors, it says so right on the top left of the opening page. It is tied into each MLS system ... it is just that once a house is sold and closed, the information does not "come down" in a timely fashion and it is frustrating that they don't get the listings off there because people will call an office and say they saw a listing on there, and get told it is sold and closed; and they think they've been "switched". Realtors are always overcoming some kind of public perception that agents are not to be trusted or something foolish like that. Realtors are often put in a position of defending their honorable intentions and hard work behind the scenes.

Real estate offices choose to be on Realtor.com or not. Most are tied in, and pay a fee for that. Many do not put their listings on there ... so you are being short changed.

You can also go to the websites of the major franchises in the state you want to look in, and their sites will give you temporary and up to date access to their local MLS. Just put in your search criteria, and voila, you're good to go.

That's how it works folks ... and that is why I say it's an overview; you are likely to miss something -- especially the new listings. It takes a little while for the new listings to get on there.

Best wishes to all of you in your new relocations and searches. I have nothing further to add to this discussion.

Moderator cut: There are many good ideas in this thread, however it has deviated considerably from the original subject and therefore closed.