Looking to move to South Carolina (Charleston, Florence: fit in, real estate, to rent)

[Mom from Upstate NY]

I am a 29 yr old mom of 2: 9 and 6. My husband and I were born and raised here in Upstate NY. We are looking for a change. We are sick and tired of the winter's up here . We vacationed in Myrtle Beach last year and loved it there, and would like to move to SC. We don't have to be right in Myrtle Beach but close to it. Our biggest concern is the schools for our children, we come from a small town were EVERYONE knows each other (which is somewhat annoying) so we really need to make sure our children are not only safe but will fit in. If anyone can give me any advise to schools, location, housing, (we do have pets) and whatever else may help us in this very BIG move for us would be greatly appreciated. I hope I didn't forget anything if I did feel free to ask me questions. Thanks in advance for the comments. Just thought of something else.. we don't know anything about the weather for example: tornados, or whatever happens down there, but if you have info on that as well. Of course we would like to be safe, we only have to worry about below zero weather and alot of snow up here..

[nuevaluz]

Dorchester II (Summerville) school district is suburban Chas-No Chas, and is supposed to be good.

[baylovers]

Before you do anything, make sure there is employment that suits you. Although there are jobs down in Myrtle Beach, most are geared more toward the service industry or real estate development (which has slowed down a bit).

Many people have found the Carolina Forest area a great place to relocate and I have read that the schools there are good. If you are looking for some thing slightly away from the crowds of MB you may want to look south towards Murrells Inlet, Garden City, Pawleys Island. The schools are pretty goood in these areas, too.

Tornados are not a concern along the coast but you have to be cognizant of hurricanes. There hasn't been a major one in several years but it will happen again!

[Mom from Upstate NY]

Thank YOu for all your help.. I will make sure I look into this more..

[ygreene]

Hello Mom from Upstate!
I was born and raised in Charleston, but have lived in various other parts of the country and even a few years abroad. Currently, I'm in the Summerville area of SC, which is just north of Charleston. I work in Charleston county. My children attend Dorchester II Schools, which, in my opinion is one of the best around. There are great teachers and schools offer lots of arts as well as extra curricular activities for students. Berkeley County is also on the rise and tends to have lower housing costs (anywhere from $140-250K for a brand new home around 2000 sq ft...my new home is being built here). Typically, the weather here is mild year 'round, although we do have hurrican threats. Summers tend to be very hot, as humidity can be 95-100% from June-August. However, you're never more than 30-45 min drive from any beach! Job market is okay. Wages aren't necessarily great, but cost of living is pretty low, so it's a good balance. Great stuff to do around town and very historical for the kids. You'll love it here!

[claylady]

My husband and I moved here to Summerville, SC 5 yrs ago from the Washington DC area...(hubby originally from NY) Like yourselves, we were sick of snow, ice and cold! We also wanted a place for our family where the cost of living was (relatively)less, the traffic was less aggressive, people were friendly,and the lifestyle had a lot to offer our family...we found it all here in Summerville. Our children have attended Dorchester II Schools. We feel it has been very safe compared to where we came from and our kids fit right in. We were able to purchase a wonderful home just under 2000 sq.ft. in Summerville Place for only $152,000! Now the same home sells for about $175-190...still a bargain in comparison to northern prices! There are also fantastic deals to be found in new construction as builders continue to try and move inventory.The weather here is fantastic the better part of the year(by our estimates, about 40 out of 52 weeks a year)! Summer does have a stretch of horrible heat & humidity...but not much worse than where we were from...and it's worth it to us to live so close to the ocean and to have most of the year be so mild! Winters are practically non existant. We do live in a hurricane area...but so far so good for us. At least with a hurricane, you have lots(days & days) of notice to get to a safer place. Summerville offers tons of restaurants, loads of shopping, a broad array of cultural & family events, and so much more in the nearby greater Charleston area. No place is perfect...and this area is growing at a faster pace than we hoped...but we don't ever plan to leave it! Come on down for a visit...you'll stay for a lifetime!

[moltobella18]

I moved from Albany, NY in the summer of 2006 to accept a job in Florence, SC. Florence is about an hour and a half from Myrtle Beach. Small town, up-in coming, easy to get around and friendly people. I found it to be a very easy town to move to, esp. from only living in NY my whole life. My fiance works in health and life insurance here, we bought a home last year,and the pay is def. lower but the cost of living here is lower. We are in a nice neighborhood a block from an elementary school, our home is 3br. 2 bath and it cost brand new less than 150K. You may want to consider Florence.

[usc_gal98]

Your children should fit in just fine. We have libraries, parks and all sorts of activities here. We also have recreational activies (sports) for the children. You also have the zoo here and the beach.

[kimsalady]

hi ,we r moving to the myrtle beach area the summer of 09 ,both of my sons will be grat. one from highschool & one from college he wants to b a sc state trooper ,my husband is looking to drive truck for someone , am looking for a nice place to rent that allows pets. am interested in other areas also . thanks, kimsalady

[JFRRACING]

Hi, My Wife And I Are Also From Up State New York. Just North Of Utica. We Are Also Moving To Sc.