Relocating from Portland, Oregon (Charlotte, Raleigh: relocation, real estate, luxury)

[PDXsailor]

Thinking about relocating from Portland, Oregon to North Carolina in the next couple of years and trying to narrow down some areas to check out when we go to visit. My wife and myself are in our mid-30's and are very much into outdoor activities such as sailing, hiking, kayaking, skiing, and camping and trying to find a place in North Carolina that offers these things and is close to shopping and metropolitan areas for museums and other culture.

We have a daughter who is currently 2 and so we will also need to be in an area that has good public schools.

I have lived in Oregon all my life and am ready to see something new. I have heard that it can be rather hot and humid in NC. Is it really unbearable, or? It can't be worse than 10 months of clouds and rain, can it?

[Bear Creek]

Probably, Asheville, for the weather and outdoor activities.

[mm34b]

North Carolina is divided into three regions, Mountain, Piedmont and the Coastal Plains. The Mountain Region and Coastal Plains are long noted as outdoor recreation destinations while the Piedmont Region is noted for industry and it's higher education centers.

NC's climate varies considerably from one end of the state to the other, as you would expect with changes in elevation from sea level to almost 7,000 feet.

To get a overall taste of what North Carolina has to offer, I would start with the metro areas of Wilmington, Raleigh, Charlotte and Asheville.

[robin from Oregon]

Hey PDX!
I am also relocating from Oregon to North Carolina, in about 3 months. Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of going anywhere I want in NC, because I am moving for a particular job. If I could go anywhere, it would definitely be in the mountains! I live in Yamhill (N. of McMinnville), and have wonderful views of the coastal range, which I'm going to miss. I will be working near Goldsboro, and probably living somewhere west of there, to be closer to Raleigh. I visited New Bern, also, when I was out there in October, and loved it. It's not quite on the coast, but the rivers there are like a mile wide, so it has a very coastal feel to it, also very historic (it was the first colonial capital of North Carolina).

As for the heat and humidity - yeah, that's going to be an adjustment, for sure. Another reason to look in the mountains - probably not as bad there as in the coastal plain. But like you, I won't miss the months on end of gloomy weather (although wasn't it beautiful today! Days like this make it hard to leave here...)

Good luck with your move. Life is an adventure, and I think if you expect to be happy, you will.

[mm34b]

An average of 126 days per year are clear, 117 partly cloudy, and 122 cloudy, while measurable rain falls on 120 days. The prevailing winds are generally from the southwest for 10 months of the year, and from the northeast during September and October. The average wind speed is about eight to 10 miles per hour.

The most important single influence contributing to the variability of North Carolina climate is altitude. In all seasons of the year, the average temperature varies more than 20° Fahrenheit from the lower coast to the highest elevations. The average annual temperature at Southport on the lower coast is nearly as high as that of interior northern Florida, while the average on the summit of Mount Mitchell is lower than that of Buffalo, NY. The warmest days are found in the interior rather than near the coast in summer. The average daily maximum temperature at midsummer exceeds 92° F at Goldsboro and Fayetteville, for example, while on the southernmost part of the coast during the same season it is only 89° F. The mid-July average afternoon high temperature atop Mount Mitchell is only 68° F, while over widely populated areas in the Mountain Division the figure is around 80° F.

The average relative humidity does not vary greatly from season to season but is generally the highest in winter and lowest in spring. The lowest relative humidities are found over the southern Piedmont, where the year around average is about 65 percent. The highest are along the immediate coast, averaging around 75 percent. The least amount of actual moisture is found in the higher mountain areas, but the lower temperatures there result in relative humidities that are about the same as elsewhere in the State.

National Weather Service

[TBLTZ]

Originally Posted by PDXsailor

Thinking about relocating from Portland, Oregon to North Carolina in the next couple of years and trying to narrow down some areas to check out when we go to visit. My wife and myself are in our mid-30's and are very much into outdoor activities such as sailing, hiking, kayaking, skiing, and camping and trying to find a place in North Carolina that offers these things and is close to shopping and metropolitan areas for museums and other culture.

We have a daughter who is currently 2 and so we will also need to be in an area that has good public schools.

I have lived in Oregon all my life and am ready to see something new. I have heard that it can be rather hot and humid in NC. Is it really unbearable, or? It can't be worse than 10 months of clouds and rain, can it?

The place is going to be over populated and real estate prices will be though the roof in a few years. Get in while you can.

[PDXsailor]

I wish I could now, but family and the fact that we have not even been to NC yet is going to delay a relocation. I have a curse of knowing a good deal when I see it, but not being able to act. Hope Portland real estate keeps going up more than North Carolina's.

In Case North Carolina does not work out, anyone know any other places that offer good sailing, hiking, skiing, and cheap housing?