Anyone from TX now in NC??? (Raleigh: income, house, costs)

[HickoryBound]

Originally Posted by Jane Ann

Hello Hickory - I live in Mexia, Texas. My husband has a job interview in High Point next week.
I have never lived in NC but have visited the state often ( I was born in TN and have been in Texas for 4 years.)

One thing I can tell you is don't sweat the NC taxes! They will pail to the overall cost of living in Houston.
My water bill here averages $200.00 a month.
My electric bill was $700.00 to $800.00 during the summer months. I have read the rates will only go up. As you know - utilities after the Hurricane doubled and will never go back to where they were.
We pay $3000.00 per year property tax on our home. ( The same house there - taxes will be cut in half if not more )

The only thing I will miss If we move will be the fine people of this state - the fantastic road system ( which is the best in the country ) Tex-Mex and of course - the mild winters.

NC will have its own drawbacks as any area will - but I can tell you it is a beautiful - wholesome place. The beaches are the best - nothing like the Gulf - much nicer.

Good luck

Wow Jane Ann, those are some crazy utility bills. I live in Houston and we pay about $400 in electricity during the summer, and that is keeping the indoor temp just under 80 The water is not bad here, but we pay for it in the long run with the MUD taxes. I will have to cough up $1500 in taxes just for the water this year, and pay $5500 in overall property tax for a $150,000 house.

I feel much more comfortable now reading some of the things people have written me. I truly believe that even with the state tax that it will cost less in the long run to live there. I want to live in Hickory and have access to the mountains and still just a 4 hour shot to these beautiful beaches. My father and I love to shark fish, and I imagine there are much bigger fish in the sea up there than in the gulf down here...

[Lockett The Lender]

Hello Hickory,

I am from Austin, TX and have recently relocated to NC. I think you will like it here but the auto tax, and income tax is a little silly. On the flip side pretty tax is very low compared to TX. Although I like NC I plan to someday move back to Austin.

[I LOVE NORTH CAROLINA]

Originally Posted by Lockett The Lender

Hello Hickory,

I am from Austin, TX and have recently relocated to NC. I think you will like it here but the auto tax, and income tax is a little silly. On the flip side pretty tax is very low compared to TX. Although I like NC I plan to someday move back to Austin.

What part of N.C. are you in and why do you want go back to Texas??

[citydweller]

Austin is a pretty happening place so I have heard. Realizing Austin is much larger than Raleigh how do the real estate markets compare?

[Jane Ann]

Hickory - our 3000sq home was hard to cool this summer. We had the hottest summer on record in 25 years. I work from home and have a photography studio set so I had to stay cool as possible.

I haven't checked the state income tax rates for NC. Can some one tell me exactly the percentages? My husband is in China Grove as we speak.

Thanks.

[mm34b]

Originally Posted by Jane Ann

I haven't checked the state income tax rates for NC. Can some one tell me exactly the percentages?

Thanks.

Individual State Income Tax

Depending upon your filing status and your taxable income, the North Carolina income tax rate ranges from 6 to 8.25 percent.

NC Income Tax Rate Schedule

http://www.dornc.com/taxes/individual/rates.html

[Lockett The Lender]

Originally Posted by I LOVE NORTH CAROLINA

What part of N.C. are you in and why do you want go back to Texas??

I am currently staying with my family outside of Four Oaks, and that is a little difficult. I am not accustomed to small towns, although they are nice to visit. I have looked into Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Wilmington, but I have not had enough time to investigate each one thoroughly. Wilmington thus far is my favorite but I think Chapel Hill would be better for business.

I moved here to take care of some family business and be closer to my family for a while. However NC is just not Austin and I think Austin will always be my home, but I think I can enjoy my time in NC for a few years. Since I am a mortgage consultant I can work just about anywhere, but I need to move out of the Styx.

[I LOVE NORTH CAROLINA]

Originally Posted by Lockett The Lender

I am currently staying with my family outside of Four Oaks, and that is a little difficult. I am not accustomed to small towns, although they are nice to visit. I have looked into Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Wilmington, but I have not had enough time to investigate each one thoroughly. Wilmington thus far is my favorite but I think Chapel Hill would be better for business.

I moved here to take care of some family business and be closer to my family for a while. However NC is just not Austin and I think Austin will always be my home, but I think I can enjoy my time in NC for a few years. Since I am a mortgage consultant I can work just about anywhere, but I need to move out of the Styx.

I have never lived in North Carolina but it feels more like home to me than Texas. We want to live in western N.C. We want a small town, we've had enough of big city life.

[Lockett The Lender]

Originally Posted by citydweller

Austin is a pretty happening place so I have heard. Realizing Austin is much larger than Raleigh how do the real estate markets compare?

Austin is a great city, and is much larger than Raleigh. Raleigh appears to be where Austin was about 20 years ago as far as the downtown infrastructure, which makes it very attractive for people like myself looking to get in on the ground floor of a changing city. The real estate here is comparable but Austin is a little more expensive, especially when it comes to rentals. Austin has also been hit by the California investors, driving up housing prices which I think you will begin to see here.

[Lockett The Lender]

Originally Posted by I LOVE NORTH CAROLINA

I have never lived in North Carolina but it feels more like home to me than Texas. We want to live in western N.C. We want a small town, we've had enough of big city life.

I have visited Houston many times, and Houston is not for me. If you are looking for a small town then NC is the place.