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Hi all. I posted in the Western NC forum but I'm slowly realizing this area may not work for us. My wife and I are looking to invest in a summer home that would eventually become our retirement home. We are in NOVA and our daughter is near JAX with her husband and soon to be born son. I live near the mountains where I am and would prefer to stay in or close to the mts. I ride a motorcycle and riding in curves and mts is my passion. But, western NC is actually farther away from JAX than where we are in NOVA. We are 5.5 hours from where we are now and Asheville is 6 hours away. I absolutely do not want a big city area and I'm dying to escape the DC area type traffic. We'd like a little land and be near water as well as good medical care and an airport for travel to Minn for the wife's family. I do not want to live anywhere near the coast but doing the mountains may be a goal I may not reach. Any thoughts?
Are you referring to Jacksonville, NC? Or Jacksonville, FL? I'm guessing NC....
My husband went to a business retreat just north of Greensboro, NC a couple weeks ago. He said it was very mountainous. I hadn't realized there were mountains this close to us. Anyway, you might get on a map and check out some of the areas around Hanging Rock State Park. It's just about 4.5 hours to Jacksonville, NC from there. Or better yet, take a drive and see what the lay of the land looks like.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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Hi Bigfoot! (waving at you from Chapel Hill)
I'm not sure I can be much of a help since I'm still new to this area. We are definitely farther from the mountains than we were in NoVA. On the other hand, it is pretty hilly around here - especially in Chapel Hill. And traffic is a breeze compared to what we are used to. You will LOVE that! The benefits of the Raleigh area are the airport and the medical care that you desire. And land is much cheaper here, too. After living in the DC area, this area is not big city at all. Even the cities of Durham and Raleigh are pretty small. The only thing it doesn't have is mountains nearby.
I think if you go more toward Greensboro/Winston Salem/High Point, you might get more of the hills that you desire or you'd at least be closer to the mountains. Of course you'd be farther from Jacksonville and the beach. Healthcare isn't as good there, either. I mean, it's adequate, but not world-class like Duke/UNC Hospitals are. And the Raleigh airport is bigger/usually has cheaper flights.
I'm sure more seasoned residents can give you better ideas. Good luck!
Just aren't any mountains close to Jacksonville. About the closest is around the Martinsville, VA area or maybe around Mt Airy, NC. If you wanted water, there are two fair sized lakes near Roxboro, NC that kind of split the difference.
Winston has Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and it's actually very good. It rates well compared with UNC and on some rankings is higher. Duke (in Durham) is one of the top ten hospitals in the US.
So, in a retirement area you are looking for:
- proximity to Jacksonville to be near family
-- do you have any idea how long they plan to be there? Are they military? May be transferred if so.
- good place to ride your motorcycle, preferably mountains
- a little land
- near water, but not the coast
- airport
- good medical care
- not a big city
I think knowing how long you anticipate your daughter living in Jacksonville is going to make all the difference. If her family is military and subject to transferring then I would bear that in mind.
You can't have mountains and close to Jacksonville. A quick look a map would make that clear.
What else do you want in a retirement location? Are you looking for other retirees? Are you looking for cultural activities or would you prefer to be out on a little mini-farm in the country and access to art/music/culture is not a high priority. Do you care about the political climate? Many times smaller, more rural communities are more conservative, but not always.
USNews ranks hospitals. Just google "best hospitals in NC" or VA and you will find their list.
Lakes are easy enough to spot on a map (as are mountains, and the Blue Ridge Parkway). Many rivers and waterfalls throughout the mts.
Generally speaking these three are not exceptionally compatible:- airport, - good medical care, - not a big city. Usually the better airports and better medical care are located near bigger cities. It's easy to look up which cities have airports as well.
I think you're looking for something that doesn't exist and you need to re-examine your priorities and come back.
Major airports are Charlotte, Greensboro, and RDU. Check those for flight availability to Minn and farm an area outward from there checking the medical facilities you might like, and if water is what you desire look at property near or on a lake. I use Trulia from Raleigh when I'm looking at beach property, then when I'm there drive around and look at neighborhoods. You know what you like and don't like. When you get an area nailed down find a good Realtor and go look at homes. Hope this helps.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poppydog
Winston has Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and it's actually very good.
Sorry for the "adequate" healthcare comment. I was not familiar with that hospital. My MIL lives in Greensboro, and I have not been impressed with the hospital there. Two of her friends went in for relatively minor surgeries, and neither one of them came home. Glad to hear that Winston-Salem has a good hospital. That area might be a good fit for him. Plus, they are getting (or maybe they have already gotten?) a Trader Joe's. Not that it was on his list of requirements, but having a TJ's in ones city can only be a good thing.
You might consider Kerr Lake for a summer place. The land is somewhat hilly, and the water is good for boating, fishing, jet skis, etc. You might be 70 miles or so from the RDU airport. There's not much but basic medical care.
I agree with others, that you won't find everything you want in one town.
1) That you won't EVER get everything in one spot.
2) Starting 5 threads asking the same Q's doesn't help.
Thank you for your help Mr Helpful. And by the way. My first post was in Western NC and my 2nd here once I realized Western NC was likely too far. You must be the board grouch. Don't worry. We have a couple on the NOVA forum also.
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