Moving to Seneca? Would like input from locals (Columbia, Greenville: real estate, house)

[karoga]

We are considering 3 different places to move & Seneca seems #1 from my research. We are going to be there in 2 weeks if all goes as planned & moving there or somewhere in about 1 mo. We are getting tired & don't want to move again! LOL
Our criteria in where we want to live is a active local community theatre & downtown area, a few golf courses, seasonal weather (seasons without long term extremes like the 5 mos of winter we had in Ohio). Decent housing for under $100,000.
Other places we've checked sounded great & actually it was the advertising that was great not the place. (For example: the community theatre where we are now is 2 shows per year with the students at the high school, good in it's own merits but not what we had in mind).
What I would like to know is does Seneca's advertising project what Seneca really has? Is the community in general open to newcomers?
Thanks!
Still Hoping

[Nausikaa]

Look at Newberry, SC. In particular look at, Newberry Opera House. Lovely country area, great downtown, wonderful diversified entertainment at the opera house all year round. Newberry College, liberal arts, private college. Near Lake Murray. Great real estate prices. I think you will find Seneca pricey. Newberry much cheaper. Newberry is closer to Columbia for the great shopping. Seneca has colder winters, because of the higher elevation. But, there again, Seneca will have much more pleasant summers, not as hot. Check out both.

[karoga]

Thanks for your input, will check it out!

[tony123]

Seneca will likely fit your needs well, considering that Clemson is nearby then you would have all the liberal arts that a major university can supply.

In Seneca, outside of the university, you will have small town living without the pros and cons of a nearby larger town. If you feel you'd like to be closer to a metro then consider Easley, Travelers Rest, Greer, etc. that are all within 15-20 minutes of Greenville. It will be tougher to meet your budget in those places though.

Good luck.

[catschmidt]

My in laws live near Seneca. A small town called Townville. They live on Lake Hartwell. They go into Seneca for dinner and shopping. My father in law is an avid golfer and is a member up at the Walker course in Clemson. I think you would find more cultural activity in Greenville. You'd have to go to the theater and concerts there or Anderson. We are members of the Peace Center and each year they bring wonderful plays and musicals to town. It's about a 45-60 min drive from Seneca. I live in Easley and we have several golf courses here. Housing is still affordable and we're about 25 min from downtown Greenville and the same for Anderson. I saw where someone listed Newberry as a good place to look. My father lives there. Newberry is a great little town. They have built Main St back up and bring in acts to the Opera House. Housing is very affordable there. However, the property tax has just gone up and residents are fighting about it with city council. (It went up 400%. Yes, 400%.) My father lives in a $60,000 3 br/2ba home and after this tax hike, it was re-appraised at $85,000. So just be aware that if you look in Newberry, there will be a higher property tax. I love Newberry. It's a quaint college town. My family is from there and it's a fun little place to visit.

Good luck to you and enjoy your visit here!

[catschmidt]

I meant 40%, soooo sorry! I didn't mean to scare the pants off of you!! I can't believe I put 400%! Still, i40% is a high increase.

[karoga]

Thanks for the comments & suggestions. Interesting that no one mentioned the theatre in Seneca. Will check things out further on the net for other suggestions.