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Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary The Triangle Area
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Old 10-22-2010, 11:42 AM
 
Location: Maryland
23 posts, read 70,292 times
Reputation: 13

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My wife just lost her job and the cost of living in Maryland's Baltimore/DC Metro Area is outrageous. We are both considering relocating to the Raleigh area for the lower cost of living (rated #1 on many lists), economy and to be a bit closer to her parents. The drive from Raleigh to Greenville to see the in-laws would be 2 hours versus 6

I work in the IT/Telecom field and my wife does administrative/clerical work so I guess our household income would be in the 50K - 60K range.

I'd like to know if housing is better or worse inside or outside the beltline or is there good and bad in both areas? It's just me, my wife and our dog so were looking for a rancher on a 1/4 acre or so. I currently drive 20-30 minutes to work so being that same distance from the city is not a big deal. Any suggestions on houses in the 100K - 120K range in nice areas would be great!

Last edited by sirc625; 10-22-2010 at 12:04 PM..
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Old 10-22-2010, 12:45 PM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
10,728 posts, read 22,772,566 times
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What list have you seen that says Raleigh has the lowest housing costs? I don't think msot would say that's true.

If your family's in Greenville, you might just look there--definitely lower cost of living than the Triangle. And I presume you'll line up at job before moving, wherever you land?
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Old 10-22-2010, 01:04 PM
 
Location: Las Vegas, NV
72 posts, read 158,047 times
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Homes inside the beltline cost much more per sq/ft than outside of the beltline. It really depends on where you are working. Are there homes for sale for $120K and less in good neighborhoods where you could have a 20 to 30 minute commute to work...Yes. I would check out the job market first and see what you find. Raleigh is a wonderful place to live and work, there are so many fun things to do, the people are nice, and no one I know cares if people move here from other places, also, perhaps it is a good idea not to live in the same town as your in-laws?

Last edited by Green Irish Eyes; 10-22-2010 at 06:03 PM.. Reason: No soliciting allowed
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Old 10-22-2010, 01:29 PM
 
932 posts, read 3,093,405 times
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There are lots of small towns in the Triangle area where you will find affordable housing in your range. What part of Baltimore are you coming from? I have family in the Middle River and Towsen areas. Towsen has always reminded me a bit of this area.
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Old 10-22-2010, 01:31 PM
 
Location: Maryland
23 posts, read 70,292 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Francois View Post
What list have you seen that says Raleigh has the lowest housing costs? I don't think msot would say that's true.

If your family's in Greenville, you might just look there--definitely lower cost of living than the Triangle. And I presume you'll line up at job before moving, wherever you land?
Not list of lowest housing costs. Best places to live and work (Forbes, CNN, Portfolio.com)

Trust me, 100K barely gets you a nice condo here in Maryland

Greenville is OK, but there aren't alot of job prospects there. Plus the Mrs. doesn't want to be THAT close
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Old 10-22-2010, 01:33 PM
 
Location: Maryland
23 posts, read 70,292 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GarnerMama View Post
There are lots of small towns in the Triangle area where you will find affordable housing in your range. What part of Baltimore are you coming from? I have family in the Middle River and Towsen areas. Towsen has always reminded me a bit of this area.
I grew up in Columbia, but I'm living in Catonsville now (5 minutes West of Baltimore City line).
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Old 10-22-2010, 01:50 PM
 
Location: NC
4,532 posts, read 8,853,958 times
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Sorry, have you actually looked at the price of homes here? You might want to ck out some local real estate websites, I think you'll be in for a shock. To get a house for $100k-$120k you are going to have to live out in the boonies if you are lucky or, buy in a not so nice neighborhood. That's even on the low end for a townhouse/condo. I'll dm you some info.
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Old 10-22-2010, 02:08 PM
 
Location: Maryland
23 posts, read 70,292 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RaleighLass View Post
Sorry, have you actually looked at the price of homes here? You might want to ck out some local real estate websites, I think you'll be in for a shock. To get a house for $100k-$120k you are going to have to live out in the boonies if you are lucky or, buy in a not so nice neighborhood. That's even on the low end for a townhouse/condo. I'll dm you some info.
Realtor.com had some pretty nice houses in that range (3Bdrm, 2 Bath).
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Old 10-22-2010, 02:11 PM
 
804 posts, read 2,000,910 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sirc625 View Post
Realtor.com had some pretty nice houses in that range (3Bdrm, 2 Bath).
might you be willing to share the locations so that we could tell you if they were inside/outside the beltline? i'm guessing they are far outside the beltline, like in completely different townships.

$100-120K for a single-family home on a 1/4 acre of land is likely going to exist in places that will be a further drive from any IT positions that you may seek. your best bet would be to find a job & then select a home location from there based on how long you'd like to commute + your requirements for a home + your budget.
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Old 10-22-2010, 02:16 PM
 
Location: Durham
862 posts, read 3,543,668 times
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Welcome to our neck of CD.

Fellow Baltimorian here hailing from the Govans area of NE Baltimore, right on the city/county (Towson) line. BTW, I think Towson reminds me of a less polished version of Chapel Hill.

I think you need to have a realistic figure on what your salary would be in this area before looking at housing costs. Many people have find quite a large salary difference when moving here. What you can afford in another area isn't likely to be the same here.
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