Relocating from Oklahoma to Triangle area (Raleigh, Cary: transplants, to rent, chapel)

[SFAA]

We are thinking of relocating from Edmond, OK to the Triangle area. We currently live in Edmond which is a nice suburb of Oklahoma City (safe, great schools, more educated people, etc). We love Edmond and live here comfortably but are overall unhappy about the overall culture in Oklahoma (lack of diversity, little respect for the environment, being far from our families and the weather not being favorable for outdoor activities for much of the year). We used to live in the Bay Area when we were younger and didn't have kids and while the weather in Cali is unbeatable, we don't feel we can afford a very comfortable life, even with both of us being prifessionals, now that we are a family of four. We have two boys, 2 and 6 yo. 6 yo attends a private school that is absolutely perfect (small class size, and nurturing). Even though, Edmond has fantastic schools compared to the rest of Oklahoma, we put our son in a private school because education is our top priority and we can now afford it since our home only costs 200k. We do prefer our kids to attend Public schools though in order to see the world in not such a narrow perspective as long as the education offered is top notch. Our combined annual income is about 250K in Oklahoma. We enjoy hiking and visiting parks on weekends and love to shop at Farmers markets. We do want to move to a different part of US for the above reasons and our criteria for choosing our next home is (in no particular order):

1. Great Schools: we can afford private school if our home mortgage is lower than 350K but if higher, public school is the only option.

2. City amanities but with a small town feel.

3. Warm friendly people who welcome new comers.

4. Access to larger cities and beaches in a driving distance for a weekend getaway.

5. Weather that allows for a nice juging experience and other outdoor activities majority of the year.

6. Access to very good local universities as we strongly believe this affects the overall culture of the state.

Triangle area seems to fit our criteria but we would love bro hear any opinions about why our assessment might be correct or incorrect.
(P.s, we will ensure we have solid job offers for both of us before we make the move).

[SFAA]

Just re-read my post!
Meant *jogging and not juging! ��

[poppydog]

Sounds like it could be a good fit here. We check all of your boxes. I think culturally we're somewhere in between OKC and SF. Housing costs are probably in between, too, so you may pay more for everything than you do in OKC.

[SFAA]

Thanks for your reply. How bad are the mosquitos and the humidity in summer? Is it still possible to go otside or it pretty much forces you to stay indoors for 3 mo?

[hey_guy]

They're pretty bad but you can adjust alot of your questions are very subjective.

In july if i go for a five minute walk I'm sweaty for sure

I can't really go outside when it's cool at dusk either cause mosquitos

I mean ya know in the urban jungle clear cut burbs it's probably a little better

I'm just a person online but I think we are at a crossroads just with the transplants and growth and in the next couple of years we will have some real discussions about managing and preserving QoL

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by SFAA

.... our home only costs 200k. ....
1. Great Schools: we can afford private school if our home mortgage is lower than 350K but if higher, public school is the only option.......

You will probably want to spend more than $200K to be in a suburb with great schools. Apex, Cary, Holly Springs, Wake Forest, Chapel Hill and so on all have the good schools and housing in your $350K price range. Please read some of the threads on those areas.

However, I suggest waiting until you have at least one job offer before you decide on a town. The Triangle is very spread out, and you don't want an excessive commute.

[sopetite]

Originally Posted by goldenage1

The Triangle is very spread out, and you don't want an excessive commute.

This. It's amazing how spread out it is! Reminds me of the metro area in Connecticut, only bigger.

[poppydog]

Heat and humidity and mosquitoes don't bother me, but they might bother you. It gets hot in OK in the summer, too, though, right?

[SFAA]

Thanks all for the replies. Yes, reaction to heat is definitely subjective and I think we need to visit the triangle area in July to know for sure. It does get really hot in Oklahoma too for 2-3 months. There is also something about the sun in Oklahoma that pierces your skin down to your soul, if directly under the sun, at much milder temps (78-80). So it makes being outdoors rather uncomfortable. There is also the overwhelming wind at other times that makes being outside for long unpleasant. Did I mention that I am not a big fan of Oklahoma weather yet?! Lol.

Only once we get solid employment contracts lined up for both of us (I am a primary care physician and my husband a corporate accountant), we will move and we are planning to rent for a few months to get a good feel of the traffic and different neighborhoods before buying. From my search, the market for our fields seems promising. We will probably visit in May to visit the area and hopefully get some interviews then too. Then visit again in July. We really hope this to be the last move for our family and so want to make sure we consider all angles!
We don't want to leave too suburban, Chapel Hill, North Raleigh and Cary all have some very ideal spots!

[SFAA]

Here we go again! Don't want to 'live' too suburban, rather than *leave*. I'm a terrible speller when fast typing ��