Why North Carolina? (Raleigh, Cary, Greenville: home equity, how much, houses)

[Adream]

Originally Posted by disappointed

Hi,

I would like to make a point- about the whole migration to NC. Years, even decades ago, people from the South traveled in droves to the North, more than those moving to NC, and look what happened. Those cities flourished because of the influx. The people moving to NC are seeking employment and peace, not welfare and trying to check out the drug trade. So when you have people moving for Positive things it actually bring a stronger economy. Next year NC will become what the South did to Chicago and what the immigrants did to NYC, of course, not the CHI or NYC of today, but back when it was livable for working class people.
I am from Chicago and when my parents moved there they had so many opportunities for a very long time.
I've almost written a book, just my opinion. God Bless All of You!

Very good points there, well worth considering!

Originally Posted by mhogan10010

If you want a lack of intensity, then NC still has plenty of that. My mom and dad retired to a town called Marion. I used to live there myself a few years ago. They roll up the streets at about 6PM. You are close to I-40, so you can be in Asheville in about 30 - 40 minutes. Its about 90 minutes to Charlotte. If you want a really laid back kind of life, then you can have it there. Just know that you will end up putting a lot of miles on a car if you decide to do much.

That is the tricky part, to find that balance - somewhere between a laid-back vibe, with an interesting array of activities throughout the day and night. Rolling up the streets at 6PM doesn't sound like our kind of place. Thanks for the insight!

[mhogan10010]

Originally Posted by disappointed

Hi,

I would like to make a point- about the whole migration to NC. Years, even decades ago, people from the South traveled in droves to the North, more than those moving to NC, and look what happened. Those cities flourished because of the influx. The people moving to NC are seeking employment and peace, not welfare and trying to check out the drug trade. So when you have people moving for Positive things it actually bring a stronger economy. Next year NC will become what the South did to Chicago and what the immigrants did to NYC, of course, not the CHI or NYC of today, but back when it was livable for working class people.
I am from Chicago and when my parents moved there they had so many opportunities for a very long time.
I've almost written a book, just my opinion. God Bless All of You!

I agree that this is a good point. In fact, my folks left Western NC in the 40s and moved to Detroit and had a great life there. If fact when they retired and moved back to W.NC, they were kind of disappointed. Not only had the area changed (from what they remembered) but they had been near a big city so long, that they were not really small town folks anymore.
Anyway, I think the word of caution for folks moving to these sun belt meccas is legitimate. The people who moved North were not so much looking for a "better life" as much as they were looking for work. Whereas, so many people moving South seem to suggest that it is quality of life as well as affordability that they are searching after. That said, the point is that with time the very things that they are trying to escape, higher taxes, crowded stores, traffic and crime will eventually follow them. The same societal factors that eventually turned the Large Urban Centers of the Northeast and Midwest into what they are, will begin their work in the South.
Just something to consider.

[enviroman]

I assumed this fascination with North Carolina was simply a city-data.com board thing. The only time I've been to NC was to visit Duke. It was ok, but the whole southern-conservatism thing wasn't lost on me when we went out away from Raleigh-Durham. I'm shocked that so many people form the NE want to move down south.

[mm34b]

Originally Posted by enviroman

I assumed this fascination with North Carolina was simply a city-data.com board thing. The only time I've been to NC was to visit Duke. It was ok, but the whole southern-conservatism thing wasn't lost on me when we went out away from Raleigh-Durham. I'm shocked that so many people form the NE want to move down south.

They don't seem to be moving to NC per se, only to the Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte metro areas, which I wouldn't consider culturally Southern anyway in present day terms.

[salatheel]

I am just surprised at how many more people are considering NC instead of SC or Georgia. I started out fixated on NC particularly Raleigh and Wilmington but after 4 trips and a months time I have found myself gravitating more towards SC,Georgia, or even the Jacksonville area. Raleigh was nice but,I don't know,bland? I am from New England and if I'm gonna do the move I want palm trees and white sand nearby.

[enviroman]

Originally Posted by mm34b

They don't seem to be moving to NC per se, only to the Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte metro areas, which I wouldn't consider culturally Southern anyway in present day terms.

Oh, well that makes much more sense. Yeah, I didn't consider Raleigh-Durham to be that much different than any northern city.

[just_sayin']

No, it's not really a northern city. A lot of northern transplants in the area. but still fairly southern.

[NYer]

Originally Posted by enviroman

I'm shocked that so many people form the NE want to move down south.

What people tend to forget about most areas is that the majority seems to rule, so in a huge place like the NY Tri-State area, there are millions of people who are not fitting the stereotype. Diversity means just that, but in the NY area it is certainly more pronounced.
You are not gonna get the real swanky types to sign on to the NC lifestyle... those types, when tranferred to NC, in my experience of aquaintances who have moved, tend to look for gated communities & country clubs & all the same stuff they had in NY. They are not posting on this board, are they? They are a different type of transplant than those seeking to assimilate a bit.

[just_sayin']

That is a good point, and I'm glad to see that another poster on here sees it. While most of the people on this forum a good, hardworking people looking for an affordable lifestyle when they move south. Many of them looking to get away from the snooty types that many times give the North and espeically the NYC area the bad reputation it has with some people. BUT, what most of the forumers on here don't realize; is that the type they are looking to get away from and whom they believe they are leaving behind in NY; are actually moving here more than the others are.

[thisguy]

Originally Posted by NYer

What people tend to forget about most areas is that the majority seems to rule, so in a huge place like the NY Tri-State area, there are millions of people who are not fitting the stereotype. Diversity means just that, but in the NY area it is certainly more pronounced.
You are not gonna get the real swanky types to sign on to the NC lifestyle... those types, when tranferred to NC, in my experience of aquaintances who have moved, tend to look for gated communities & country clubs & all the same stuff they had in NY. They are not posting on this board, are they? They are a different type of transplant than those seeking to assimilate a bit.

So are you saying in a decade Cary will have a bagel store on every corner, filled with road rage, and people who don't wave or even acknowledge you as you walk by ?

I found it interesting I read a post here in the past week that a woman drove through many neighnorhoods/towns in her search for a new home in NC and she said Cary was the one that left her "cold", the ONLY one. Then I read someone else from NJ who said she wanted to be around "her people". So I think you have some good points and another reason despite its reputation I think Cary might not be the best for us midwesterners There are good people from any spot (NY/NJ) as well, but I don't see the point of moving someplace just to be surrounded and completely infest a place with people like from your old home - what fun is that? You don't totally have to "assimilate" nor change who you area, but meeting people halfway is not a bad thing.

Generally what happens in "ethnic" neighborhoods in the big northern (and I am sure suothern cities) is whatever part of town the first transplants land in, eventually becomes dominated by that group, and sort of live in an isolated island of themselves in many ways. So would like some data on the highest ratio of NY/NJ transplants from 2004-2006 by community! Hah. I imagine the people looking to assimilate are going to be from outlying areas or areas like Rochester, Buffalo or outstate NY, and/or younger people who will be looking downtown. The ones who have $600K homes will want the same lifestyle on half the price and the "necessities" for that lifestyle.