Wife and I - Moving to Raleigh to Start Family from Massachusetts (need your advice) (Durham: relocating)

[212degrees]

Just sent a PM to you, Bear...I can give you some insight on the move down here, because about 3 years ago I packed up the U-Haul and left Fairfield County, CT for a better life in the Raleigh area. Also, I currently work for a development company here in NC that has a variety of fantastic communities in all of the areas you mentioned (Raleigh, Cary, etc.) - specifically, I can tell you about a brand new golf course community in Holly Springs that is just coming out of the ground, and see if it may be a place you would like to check out. Not trying to plug my job, but I can help you out with any info you may need. Best of luck!

[Lizardlips]

Originally Posted by movin2nc

I'm relocating to Holly Springs in 3 weeks - I don't really know anything about it yet but will let you know more once I make the move. Haven't heard anything negative about it yet so I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Good luck!

My husband Bill and I are coming for our last and final look at homes before we move (I hope this is the last time), on Feb. 2nd. I am so excited, as I love, love, love North Carolina. I am thrilled to see it might rain on that trip, and I am so excited. We hardly ever see rain, so it is a treat when we see it. Do you get thunder in the winter???
Liz

[Bear717]

Originally Posted by 212degrees

Just sent a PM to you, Bear...I can give you some insight on the move down here, because about 3 years ago I packed up the U-Haul and left Fairfield County, CT for a better life in the Raleigh area. Also, I currently work for a development company here in NC that has a variety of fantastic communities in all of the areas you mentioned (Raleigh, Cary, etc.) - specifically, I can tell you about a brand new golf course community in Holly Springs that is just coming out of the ground, and see if it may be a place you would like to check out. Not trying to plug my job, but I can help you out with any info you may need. Best of luck!

thanks so much for the info. my wife and i are going down to visit in late March, so maybe we can meet up with all the other MA and New England pilgrims leaving for NC!

it is 3 degrees up here in Gloucester, MA tonight... we had a pretty easy winter so far, i almost felt like i was in carolina

i just have to land a job... making at least 80 or 90 a year in sales and marketing. my aunt married this really rich guy and his ex-wife died. but her brother lives in raleigh and is supposedly a millionaire who is interested in me taking over his company... my aunt sent him my resume. he has no kids and is happily married and looking to retire...

could this be fate? i hope so

thanks again everybody for all the info, kind gestures and hospitality... i cant wait to get the hell out of Mass, lol

[Bear717]

Originally Posted by Lizardlips

My husband Bill and I are coming for our last and final look at homes before we move (I hope this is the last time), on Feb. 2nd. I am so excited, as I love, love, love North Carolina. I am thrilled to see it might rain on that trip, and I am so excited. We hardly ever see rain, so it is a treat when we see it. Do you get thunder in the winter???
Liz

good luck, let us know how it goes !!

[Mr hockey]

Hey,
In Reality, Cary is symply a subburb of Raleigh, pardon to what some say, on paper its not,but in reality its just a subburb or Raleigh. But a great place. Its getting pricy, but compared to the prices in greater Boston, its a joke. You can get a wonderful new home 2000 Sq feet ranging 225-260 thousand. Of course some are saying go to Holly Springs, or Apex. Yes its cheaper, but its much smaller and more rural than a city like atmosphere. I call Raleigh/Durham the 20-25 min city. Everything is 20-25 min drive away. If you live in Cary, its 20 min downtown Raleigh. if you live Durham, its 25min to downtown Raleigh. If you live in Cary and work In RTP its a 20 min drive. Get my drift! Coming from Greater Boston and being a young couple, I would recomend Cary, North Raleigh, North hills area, Brier Creek area, or Chapel Hill. Durham is good too if you live near Brier Creek or Southpoint area. All these places my seem strange, but just go on a any map of the area and you can see the areas Im talking about. Enjoy Its a wonderful place and growing rapidly.

[Yingxiong]

Originally Posted by Bear717

thanks so much for the info. my wife and i are going down to visit in late March, so maybe we can meet up with all the other MA and New England pilgrims leaving for NC!

That's around the time we're going! Small world......

[Bear717]

Originally Posted by Mr hockey

Hey,
In Reality, Cary is symply a subburb of Raleigh, pardon to what some say, on paper its not,but in reality its just a subburb or Raleigh. But a great place. Its getting pricy, but compared to the prices in greater Boston, its a joke. You can get a wonderful new home 2000 Sq feet ranging 225-260 thousand. Of course some are saying go to Holly Springs, or Apex. Yes its cheaper, but its much smaller and more rural than a city like atmosphere. I call Raleigh/Durham the 20-25 min city. Everything is 20-25 min drive away. If you live in Cary, its 20 min downtown Raleigh. if you live Durham, its 25min to downtown Raleigh. If you live in Cary and work In RTP its a 20 min drive. Get my drift! Coming from Greater Boston and being a young couple, I would recomend Cary, North Raleigh, North hills area, Brier Creek area, or Chapel Hill. Durham is good too if you live near Brier Creek or Southpoint area. All these places my seem strange, but just go on a any map of the area and you can see the areas Im talking about. Enjoy Its a wonderful place and growing rapidly.

awesome. just keep shooting all this knowledge at me... im absorbing every bit i :heart this board!

[Bear717]

Originally Posted by Yingxiong

That's around the time we're going! Small world......

awesome, we should meet up and compare notes

we are you from again?

i cant wait to go down, except my boss thinks im going to maryland to see family... yikes... hope i can do everything i need to do while im there.

what would be a reasonable agenda for a 10-day trip??
(when one needs to find a job and an apt.)

1) i think we'll have 2 trips. first to see if we like the area, look at neighborhoods and different towns and check out the raleigh scene. maybe check out rtp. since i can't leave MA until september, it seems premature to *really* start looking for jobs and applying, i want to see if we like the area first.

2) the second trip down is maybe to interview at a couple places around june/july/august. cause when they want you for a job... youve gotta go! and we won't have enough money saved until aug/sept. i want to hit $40,000 before we leave.

what else should i add to the agenda of going down for the first trip? meet with a realtor? any areas i should really check out? cause we're going to get an apt. for 6-10 months down there first - then buy or build for somewhere between probably $180,000 to $240,000. i dont want to move into a floodzone or swamp or next to a highway, or a chemical plant... have i covered all the natural disaster area checklist??

so what else should we do for trip #1 ?? what are you guys doing / or those who have done it?

[Yingxiong]

Originally Posted by Bear717

we are you from again?

I was born in Baltimore, but grew up in Bel Air (Harford County). Lived in Fallston, worked in Columbia - then moved up here and live in Suffield, CT right now.

Originally Posted by Bear717

i think we'll have 2 trips. first to see if we like the area, look at neighborhoods and different towns and check out the raleigh scene

That was our plan, only the first trip is only going to be a long weekend. I think with all my research in hand and a GPS, that will probably be enough. I just want to get a "lay of the land", walk some houses, take some notes about prices of gas, groceries, everyday stuff. I'm very analytical, so I'll know more about the area before I move there than a native of that area will!!!

Originally Posted by Bear717

cause when they want you for a job... youve gotta go!

This is going to be the hardest part for me ...... finding a job! There are no transfer opportunities for me, I'm in a field that is very competitive with not as many job openings in that area, and I make good money (not good enough to live here, though!). We're starting the process now, hoping I can find a job before next year, but I know it could take longer.

[ncboundwentt]

My husband and I have been talking about moving to NC over the past 3 years. I would like to relocate after I finish school in a couple of years. The neighborhood in Maryland where I live is very diverse. There are many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The private school that my kids attend is the same way. What is it like in the Raleigh area? Cary? North Raleigh? etc. I read that there are a lot of people from outside of NC residing there, but I'm unsure about the ethnic and cultural backgrounds. I like my kids to experience a wide range of backgrounds, ethnic and cultural. How mixed are the communities and schools? I know this is a touchy subject, but it is a real concern when relocating with children. I don't want to move to an all white or all black community.