How does NC & SC compare to VA? (Wilmington: living, prices)

[hanna_house]

My husband and I are from Michigan. Although we live in a nice area, we would like to live near the ocean and be in a more desirable climate. We don't have any children yet so we feel we are in a good position to consider a move now. We lived in Virginia Beach for a couple years and loved it, but are open to trying some place new. Basically I would like some suggestions of great places to live within 20 miles of the coast in the Carolina's where there are still city conveniences, good office/administrative jobs, and decent cost of living. So far we are looking at the Wilmington, Myrtle Beach & Charleston areas. How do these locations compare to VA Beach/Hampton Roads area in terms of heat, cost of living, bugs, and other weather conditions? This could help in preparing us for what to expect, having experienced what it is like to live in VA. The thing is, we enjoy tourist areas because of all the fun things to do, but also appreciate a more laid back atmosphere as well. We're planning to take a road trip down in a couple weeks to check things out, so any info would be greatly appreciated.

[hapaleeretired]

The coastal areas are getting expensive quickly. We darned baby boomers are retiring and driving up the prices BUT.....NC is still a whole lot cheaper than VA.

[nctarheel]

Originally Posted by hapaleeretired

The coastal areas are getting expensive quickly. We darned baby boomers are retiring and driving up the prices BUT.....NC is still a whole lot cheaper than VA.

Agreed. The further South, the cheaper. Consider places off the coast about 30 miles from the beach and you can find some inexpensive land. Remember the soil there is sand though.

[luckydog]

Remember the soil there is sand though.

Hmmm.....That's highly dependant upon exactly where you're looking...you can find areas with sandy soil, fertile black topsoil or clay, all directly on the inner coastline (mainland).