should we move to NC? (Charlotte, Raleigh: for sale, homes, neighborhood)

[donsabi]

The question you have to ask yourself is this; If NC is so good then why are many people who have relocated here moving back out of NC?
Also be cautious of posts that are too positive. There are many realtor posters who would love to sell you property anywhere they are.
My advice, short term rental, check it out first before you buy.
Don

[Weis02]

The question should not be why have so many people left NC, but what area did they go to and why did they leave, maybe the same people who left, if they had lived in another area, may have not left, but they got a bad taste in their mouth about everything -

Most of the people (not all) that have relocated to NC and left did not move to the high transplant areas of Charlotte and Raleigh and there are some who did choose rural living and love it, it depends on what you used to, what you are looking for and what is the reason you are leaving where you are

[JAS]

As others have said, it all depends on where you live, what you're looking for, and what your expectations are. Raleigh is different than Asheville; Wilmington is different than Charlotte; Greensboro is different than Chapel Hill.

With the exception of a huge, world-class city such as New York, Boston, etc, the state of North Carolina has something for everyone in my opinion -- you just have to know where to look.

[Bethanytedder]

Oh I love Wallyworld. The sweet tea I can live without. But there is nothing better on a hot summer day that homemade lemonaide. That is the kind you make with real lemons, water and sugar over ice.

[MiaDolFan]

Personally I wouldn't leave FL for NC--their summers are similarly hot and humid, but winters are way colder. FL is the #1 state by a long shot for relocations for good reason. If cooler temps and mountains are what you're after, check out Colorado. They get as much sunshine as Florida, and their mountains make the Smokeys look small. Denver metro has fair amount of good paying white-collar jobs.

[ITChick]

Originally Posted by mhogan10010

This is on point. Before I left Carolina to come to NYC, my wife and I visited once a year for 5 years. We tried to travel like a New Yorker would. Go to areas that tourists hardly ever frequent. We talked to numerous locals, both native and transplants. I think by the time we made the move, we were about as well informed as you can be. Word of caution. I bought a house once in an area about nine months after moving. If I had waited another year, I would not have done so and avoided being trapped for quite a while.

Now I'm confused. You did everything "right" in planning your move to NC, but yet after moving there, you regret it? What changed after you moved in (besides moving to the wrong area after nine months) that you and your wife didn't see as a negative from all those previous trips to NC?

[mmdj43]

Originally Posted by cindy123

Ok I am so confused . People give me different views about moving to NC? We are from Florida and some people say NC is the place to be . Some say its terrible there. THat there is no work and that the natives dont welcome new commers. Is this true?

WenIs02 is correct. You have to physically experience the area. Just don't drive thru, go into stores, walk thru some of the developments that you're interested in, speak to some of the neighbors. You need to have a comfort level. That's what I did and I'm so glad I didn't turn away from the opportunity. Good luck in your search.

[mmdj43]

Originally Posted by Grass Is Greener

Thank you Wes02

And Wes02 is right, you need to visit in person and look at it from a resident perspective. Forget you're just visiting and try to think what would be to live there. Instead of going to the "attractions", go to Lowes* or (grasp) Walmart. Department of Motor Vehicles, City Hall (inside), etc. Think about what is going to be the lifestyle you'll have in the future, not so much the one you have now.

*side note: also needs caution before making conclusions. I got cutoff at the Lowes parking lot here in Cary by someone who took my to-be parking spot right in front of me! But I noticed the license plate was not from NC

Wait...let me guess. NY or NJ (probably NY)? I'm from NY and I know the majority of CARY consists of NYers. This happens to me quite a bit and it's frustrating. I heard a funny story yesterday on the radio and the announcer asked listeners to call in and tell everyone how they reacted when someone took his/her parking spot. This one guy said that he drove thru the parking lot at the Garden State Plaza Mall (in NJ) for about 20 min looking for a close spot. He then spotted someone going to his/her car so he put his signal on. After the person pulled out of the spot, two girls in a car pulled right into the spot. This guy was yelling at them from his window and the girls ignored him. So he drove around and found another spot but then walked over to the girls' car and smeared leftover mexican food all over their car.

[tismekll]

Originally Posted by mmdj43

Wait...let me guess. NY or NJ (probably NY)? I'm from NY and I know the majority of CARY consists of NYers. This happens to me quite a bit and it's frustrating. I heard a funny story yesterday on the radio and the announcer asked listeners to call in and tell everyone how they reacted when someone took his/her parking spot. This one guy said that he drove thru the parking lot at the Garden State Plaza Mall (in NJ) for about 20 min looking for a close spot. He then spotted someone going to his/her car so he put his signal on. After the person pulled out of the spot, two girls in a car pulled right into the spot. This guy was yelling at them from his window and the girls ignored him. So he drove around and found another spot but then walked over to the girls' car and smeared leftover mexican food all over their car.

Sounds like the scene from the movie Fried Green Tomatoes

[silverwing]

Originally Posted by MiaDolFan

If cooler temps and mountains are what you're after, check out Colorado. They get as much sunshine as Florida, and their mountains make the Smokeys look small. Denver metro has fair amount of good paying white-collar jobs.

And blizzards, and endless expanses of flat land covered in brown..... No thanks. Our former company asked us to transfer out there from NC. Perhaps if we'd never had exposure to the SE, going out there straight from our native Midwest, we would have accepted the move. As it was, I swear I'd be dead, or miserable enough to wish for death, if we had made the move. Sick? Ye gawds, I was sick. Nauseous, light-headed; I lost my sense of smell and appetite (I dropped 12 pounds in the three weeks I endured the area) and wanted to do nothing but sleep. Everyone living there diagnosed altitude sickness and that "I would get over it." I couldn't understand why I was so sick. After all, I'd been at a higher elevation on the Blue Ridge Parkway than the elevation of Denver It had something to do with the arid climate - which I considered an anethema as well. Where was the green? No trees! Someone pointed out the dogwood that grew in the area; I let out a derisive laugh. It was a bush! Everyone landscaped with rocks; flower gardens were confined to containers in conformity with the xeriscaping climate.

Huh uh. We even did mountain excursions on the weekends; thinking of the scenic jaunts; and visited the Rocky Mt Nat'l Park, Garden of the Gods, Royal Gorge, as well as a long loop up to Leadville. It was dramatic; very scenic; but we never got the immediate sense that we could make the area our home, not like our first trip to NC when we "ooohed" and "awwwed" over the blooming dogwoods, azaleas, and blasts of color that herald a NC spring.

Nope, I didn't even last the 4 weeks I was asked to stay, I left after three. And that's why researching the facts, or getting opinions, is not going to be 100% valid in making a decision. You have to visit, spend time looking around, and see how you feel about the place. We got excellent vibes from our first weekend in NC; I spent three weeks in Colorado (Dh stuck out the fourth week and arrived back here wan and exhausted) and gave up jobs with excellent benefits and the highest seniority, rather than move.