conway, charleston, bluffton, where to go?? (Columbia, Florence: real estate, HOA, home owners insurance)

[Tucker144]

Hi there, My husband is retiring from our local fire dept this jan, we would like to move south, it is way too expensive here in md. He will be looking for a job, he only has experience with fire dept and 10 yrs construction (although he is 53 and not really interested in being a carpenter again) We have 2 teen daughters and homeschool right now. We need an affordable place, $200,000 - 300,000, job opportunities, good schools (we may put them back in for high school), a family friendly area, good church, low crime etc.

We have always lived near Ches. Bay and love boating & fishing also. I would appreciate any input - we were looking in nc but it's getting more crowded and not as cheap as you think. I've heard mention on this forum about earthquakes in charleston and that there are lots of snakes - is this really something to worry about??

thanks - we hope to come down maybe even next week depending on what I find out from your replies.

[Buckeye in SC]

Originally Posted by Tucker144

Hi there, My husband is retiring from our local fire dept this jan, we would like to move south, it is way too expensive here in md. He will be looking for a job, he only has experience with fire dept and 10 yrs construction (although he is 53 and not really interested in being a carpenter again) We have 2 teen daughters and homeschool right now. We need an affordable place, $200,000 - 300,000, job opportunities, good schools (we may put them back in for high school), a family friendly area, good church, low crime etc.

We have always lived near Ches. Bay and love boating & fishing also. I would appreciate any input - we were looking in nc but it's getting more crowded and not as cheap as you think. I've heard mention on this forum about earthquakes in charleston and that there are lots of snakes - is this really something to worry about??

thanks - we hope to come down maybe even next week depending on what I find out from your replies.

Charleston has some of the lowest rated schools in the state if you decide to put your daughters back in school. That said, Seacoast Church located right outside of Charleston in Mt. Pleasant is awesome and has a lot of ways for your daughters to get involved.

Conway & Bluffton are probably more similar and easier to compare than Charleston which is much larger. Conway & Bluffton both are located right outside of Myrtle Beach & Hilton Head respectively, therefore you will have a lot of tourism traffic during the summer months and to a lesser extent the rest of the year.

I would recommend just taking a long weekend - maybe over Labor Day - and take a day at each of the cities and explore for yourself. They are all connected by US 17, and I think it would be the best way for you to see which one fits best for your family. In my opinion though, you can't go wrong by picking any of the three, all have a lot going for them in the times I've visited and from what the people I know who live there have said. Best wishes to you on your decision.

[scjj]

I think you will be surprised when you start doing some serious home research that the areas you have chosen with the exception of Conway, are not cheap areas to live either. We moved to SC from NC and we were under the assumption that it was cheaper here as well. Rude awakening! Charleston and Hilton Head being that they are located close to the coast and are desirable tourist destinations are both pretty expensive areas, not only housing wise but insurance wise and you will need flood insurance too. In my opinion Bluffton and Mt. Pleasant are very similar. In Mt. Pleasant something in that price range would get you a townhome or an older home under 2000 sq. ft. Now if you want to travel about 30 miles inland to areas like Summerville and Goose Creek outside of Charleston you will find more affordable and larger homes for your money compared to the coastal areas. Summerville is also known for having the best schools in the Charleston area. A lot depends though on where your husband can find a job and I would say chances are probably better for that in the Charleston area.

[Buckeye in SC]

Originally Posted by scjj

I think you will be surprised when you start doing some serious home research that the areas you have chosen with the exception of Conway, are not cheap areas to live either. We moved to SC from NC and we were under the assumption that it was cheaper here as well. Rude awakening! Charleston and Hilton Head being that they are located close to the coast and are desirable tourist destinations are both pretty expensive areas, not only housing wise but insurance wise and you will need flood insurance too. In my opinion Bluffton and Mt. Pleasant are very similar. In Mt. Pleasant something in that price range would get you a townhome or an older home under 2000 sq. ft. Now if you want to travel about 30 miles inland to areas like Summerville and Goose Creek outside of Charleston you will find more affordable and larger homes for your money compared to the coastal areas. Summerville is also known for having the best schools in the Charleston area.

scjj is correct in saying real estate & insurance is quite a bit more expensive in all 3 of those areas. This is mainly why we chose Columbia (about 2 hours from all 3 of those places) b/c it was far more affordable for us being a young couple, plus it has more job opportunities. That said, you can still get a nice 3 or 4 bedroom home for $200-$300k in any of those 3 places, but it definitely won't get you as much house as you can get further inland for the same price. If you are willing to compromise as scjj said and move further inland i.e. Summerville near Charleston, Hardeeville near Bluffton, and a little stretch, but Florence area near Conway, you will get much more house for your dollar - and will probably be happier you did if a hurricane like Hugo ever comes through again!

[Tucker144]

Originally Posted by Buckeye in SC

Charleston has some of the lowest rated schools in the state if you decide to put your daughters back in school. That said, Seacoast Church located right outside of Charleston in Mt. Pleasant is awesome and has a lot of ways for your daughters to get involved.

Conway & Bluffton are probably more similar and easier to compare than Charleston which is much larger. Conway & Bluffton both are located right outside of Myrtle Beach & Hilton Head respectively, therefore you will have a lot of tourism traffic during the summer months and to a lesser extent the rest of the year.

I would recommend just taking a long weekend - maybe over Labor Day - and take a day at each of the cities and explore for yourself. They are all connected by US 17, and I think it would be the best way for you to see which one fits best for your family. In my opinion though, you can't go wrong by picking any of the three, all have a lot going for them in the times I've visited and from what the people I know who live there have said. Best wishes to you on your decision.

We're planning on going down next week actually for 5 days - Thanks for your help!!

[Tucker144]

Thanks to all of you for your input..... we actually we're thinking about Summerville, I know we'd have to get flood insurance but not sure about hurricane insurance?

Can you give me some idea of the expenses?? Here is what we are paying for a 2800 sq ft home on a 1/2 acre: electricity $335, prop taxes $3800, home ins $1000 - in addition to gas and food prices increasing, it's really hard to make it up here.

We don't need as big of a house maybe 2000 sq ft or alittle larger and I'd like at least 1/2 acre. How does that compare??
Thanks again!!

[oz in SC]

We live in Beaufort county,out towards the beach(Hunting Island State Parlk is less than ten minutes away), we have a boat landing at the end of our street and fifteen minutes to the supermarket to give you some idea of location.

Insurance is higher than you currently pay,we pay around $1860/year for homeowners insurance and another $800/year for flood.

Taxes are lower however,on our 3/2 home on 1 acre,taxes are around $600.

Our home is older(built in 1978) but taxes are still lower here.

[baylovers]

I love the areas around the Chesapeake and when we were looking for a relocation spot I was surprised how expensive MD had become. I know that you would like to be close to the open waters again.

May I recommend the areas between Myrtle Beach & Pawleys Island? For under $300k you could find a nice house in a nice neighborhood within 10 minutes of the beach & intracoastal waterway. Murrels Inlet, Garden City, Socastee, Pawleys Island are all convenient to shopping, the beach, medical facilities etc.

For comparison's sake: We have a large 3800 sqft home on a 1/2 acre in Pawleys "mainland" about a mile & half from the beach & ICW. RE Taxes are under $1100 a year plus property taxes on your cars was about $300. Water/sewer $28 a mo. Electric avgs $130 a month. Homeowners insurance is $3000. HOA fee is $300 annual.

The employment factor is going to be the biggest concern down here. Jobs do not pay well at all. Expect to earn under $15 an hour in most jobs. I know the Horry & Georgetown Counties are usually looking for firemen/EMTs if he is still interested in that line of work.

[Rapture]

Originally Posted by Tucker144

Thanks to all of you for your input..... we actually we're thinking about Summerville, I know we'd have to get flood insurance but not sure about hurricane insurance?

Can you give me some idea of the expenses?? Here is what we are paying for a 2800 sq ft home on a 1/2 acre: electricity $335, prop taxes $3800, home ins $1000 - in addition to gas and food prices increasing, it's really hard to make it up here.

We don't need as big of a house maybe 2000 sq ft or alittle larger and I'd like at least 1/2 acre. How does that compare??
Thanks again!!

Here's a comparison:
I live in Conway and my house is 2000 sq ft, I'm on 1.3 acres. My taxes are $560 a year, home owners insurance $1100, elec. average $80-$120. We alos have flood insurance and that's $400 a year.

[SouthernBoyupNorth]

Hi - I live an Maine and looking into Pawleys to relocate. I really like the south end of MB having seen it several times. What is the real situation now after the real estate bust and crash this year. What are RE taxes doing, RE insurance rates up or down? I like a neighborhood like Pawleys Retreat or something like that. Not necessarily on a golf course. Do youhave any recommendations and thoughts on my questions related to taxes and insur.?
Bob