Moving from Sacramento, CA to St. Stephen, SC (Summerville, Marion: real estate, house)

[SmallFamily]

Hey everyone!
My husband and I are looking to buy a home in St. Stephen, SC....
Can you please tell me something about it?
We love the water and we love to go boating
How are the jobs there? I was told it is really growing..(Is this true)
Do you know much about ROOSEVELT DRIVE??????????? How is the area?
This is where we will be moving.
Can you please help out a Cali girl find her way to some good old Southern Living?

Thank you so much for your input!

Small Family

[Luvsdabeach]

How in the world did you decide to move to St Stephen? There is NOTHING there. lol There is one grocery store that is less to be desired, a Chinese restaurant, a Subway, and a Huddle House. It's 15 miles from the nearest town that has a little more to offer. (Moncks Corner)

Just wanted to add, you are in for a big culture shock. JMHO

[anonymous]

I'll tell you one thing - it will be different. It is a great area, but it is definitely not for everyone.

[SmallFamily]

Thank you for the responses...
I'm just trying to get into a little more of a quiet town. I don't mind driving 15 minutes to a city that will have more to offer in way of shopping, HOME DEPOT, etc. :-)
I just want to know if it is a safe place to live and if it is close to the water???
I know I'll be commuting to another town to work in, but this house is really a GREAT price for the land and home I'm buying!!

Thanks you guys for all of the information,

Small Family

[anonymous]

Originally Posted by SmallFamily

Thank you for the responses...
I'm just trying to get into a little more of a quiet town. I don't mind driving 15 minutes to a city that will have more to offer in way of shopping, HOME DEPOT, etc. :-)

I'd say that you would be an hour away from any big box stores besides Wal-Mart. It's been a while since I've been to St. Stephen, though.

I just want to know if it is a safe place to live and if it is close to the water???
I know I'll be commuting to another town to work in, but this house is really a GREAT price for the land and home I'm buying!!

Yup, it is near the water. I suppose it is safe.

Just out of curiousity - have you ever been to St Stephen? Or South Carolina? Most people moving from out west ask about stuff like poverty, schools, finding a job, the bugs and critters, etc.

[baylovers]

You won't find many of the big retailers within 15 minutes of St Stephen. The nearest Home Depot is in Summerville about 45 minutes away. The closest Walmart is in Moncks Corner about 20-25 minutes drive straight down Hwy 52, so are some supermarkets such as the Piggly Wiggly & Food Lion.

You will be right near Lake Moultrie and not too far from Lake Marion and it will take you just over an hour to get to the beach at Sullivan's Island or Pawleys Island.

This sounds like it will be the fip side of the proverbial coin from Sacramento. Perhaps that is what you & your family needs! Good luck on your voyage.

[Luvsdabeach]

My DH knows St Stephen well and suggested you visit Roosevelt Dr. and all of St Stephen before you decide to move there. It is rural with a good bit of poverty.

St. Stephen, South Carolina (SC) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news

[ceann]

ditto on the last post. My DH & I built a home just outside St. Stephen last year. We love it. It's quiet and close to Lake Moultrie but it's an hour drive to a mall or a movie theater. Good jobs are probably an hour away too. St. Stephen is a very small town with a mix of poverty and prosperity common in the rural south. Suggest you visit before you decide to move.

[eureka1]

Like all Californians, I too am fascinated by the cheap RE in the Carolinas but when you travel there you realize there's a REASON why some of these communities are so cheap. Yes, SC is beautiful ,especially the lake areas, please take the advice of the previous poster and visit before you commit. There's not just a lack of jobs, there's very little in the way of cultural and educational opportunities for kids, esp in comparison to Sacramento. Please visit first, you won't regret it. .

[becky642]

I'm not sure if I came in too late, because I see the last posting was in March, HOWEVER, I feel obliged to reply. I LIVE ON ROOSEVELT. I came from Seattle, WA about 4 years ago and am miserably stuck in this hole called St. Stephen. We moved here for family and as much as I love them, I miss my democratic state.
The culture shock was the worst. I am so surprised at the level of racism here. I am surprised at the lack of education. I am surprised at the unemployment rate. I am surprised at the lack of businesses nearby. If you move to SC, I suggest somewhere like Manning, near the lakes or Summerville. These towns, though larger, have better high school grad rates, better employment rates, better town management, ect. The list could go on. Manning also has golf courses.

I hope you see this.

good luck.