Tega Cay & Other area questions (Greenville, Fort Mill: power lines, rental, home equity)

[martikus]

DH & I moved here from Florida. We've been renting in Blakney but have decided to buy in York County this summer. We're checking out all the areas but keep getting drawn back to Tega Cay. I've read as many posts on this forum as I can, but was hoping to get even more insider scoop on what it is like to live there! We have a 1 year old.

We're hoping to pay around $200,000 - $225,000 so I know that REALLY limits what we can afford to the newer areas near entrance of Tega Cay.

1. Will we feel out of place there? Meaning, will we feel a need to keep up with the Jonses?

2. How do you handle all the hills? We love to walk so I figure we'll probably get used to all the hills. But I don't see biking around??? as we are used to FLAT land from Florida!

3. What do you think we should know about living in Tega Cay?

4. Are there enough houses away from the power lines around? We'd like to avoid a house within 100-200 feet of power lines.

And since we still have some time? Any other areas you think we should consider. We didn't mind Madison Green in Regent Park, but a little nervous about the trailer parks, old leftover Baker buildings, etc. We didn't like WhitleyMills (I think its called) because we could walk the whole neighborhood in 20 minutes. Liked Spicewood, but obviously out of our price range.

I guess I'm just most worried that we have Tega Cay in our heads and maybe we're jumping into it without knowing the nitty gritty about the area!

Happy for any & all thoughts (good & bad). Thanks!

Michelle

[lovethecarolinas]

hey there Michelle - well if you have read as many posts as you care to in regard to Tega Cay...more than likely most have been from me....so I won't go on an on like I usually do in regard to Tega Cay.

I will say though in your price range you will find homes in the older section of Tega Cay, and/or if you want newer than you can look within the Lakeshore portion (either in Amberwoods or Meadowview..in fact there are a few now well within your price range).

The hills (this was one of the things...that attracted us to Tega Cay).....makes for a great workout on the walking trails, and bikers are out there (just not as many as the walkers, or runners)

Power lines...I don't live anywhere near them...while there are power lines towards the front of Tega Cay, most of the other lines are underground here.

Happy Hunting!

Originally Posted by martikus

DH & I moved here from Florida. We've been renting in Blakney but have decided to buy in York County this summer. We're checking out all the areas but keep getting drawn back to Tega Cay. I've read as many posts on this forum as I can, but was hoping to get even more insider scoop on what it is like to live there! We have a 1 year old.

We're hoping to pay around $200,000 - $225,000 so I know that REALLY limits what we can afford to the newer areas near entrance of Tega Cay.

1. Will we feel out of place there? Meaning, will we feel a need to keep up with the Jonses?

2. How do you handle all the hills? We love to walk so I figure we'll probably get used to all the hills. But I don't see biking around??? as we are used to FLAT land from Florida!

3. What do you think we should know about living in Tega Cay?

4. Are there enough houses away from the power lines around? We'd like to avoid a house within 100-200 feet of power lines.

And since we still have some time? Any other areas you think we should consider. We didn't mind Madison Green in Regent Park, but a little nervous about the trailer parks, old leftover Baker buildings, etc. We didn't like WhitleyMills (I think its called) because we could walk the whole neighborhood in 20 minutes. Liked Spicewood, but obviously out of our price range.

I guess I'm just most worried that we have Tega Cay in our heads and maybe we're jumping into it without knowing the nitty gritty about the area!

Happy for any & all thoughts (good & bad). Thanks!

Michelle

[MilesBFree]

Agreed on the hills - good exercise. On flat land it is hard to get the heart up to the target zone, but easy to do on the hills.

As far as power lines, most are underground as loves says, except for one main run. It is nice not have all the poles and wires running everywhere. That main run has maybe 5 - 10 houses within 100 feet of it, out of hundreds (thousands?) of houses in Tega Cay.

Calloway may have lower cost houses too?

[FortMillBound]

You can find several homes in your price range in Knightsbridge, which is just a stone's throw outside of Tega Cay. No city taxes in the unincorporated county.

[SatTerra]

No one addressed your "keeping up with the Jones" comment. Having left a community where the kids all had cell phones and designer clothing, new BMWs and SUVs in the driveways, granite counter tops and on and on it was a nice break moving to the area. We selected Tega Cay for it's proximity to the lake, and overall beauty. We never fell into the "keeping up with" crowd in SoCal, and that's part of what drove us away. The good news is that we sold our house to a family that was keeping up! We bought our home based on an affordability index, no more than 3 times our annual salary, as we have always done. My wife stays at home with the kids, sees them to the school, functions and activities. This is possible because we're not keeping up! Of the top 10 metropolitan areas here in America, Charlottes was the only area that did not have a year over year loss in value in home equity, and by extension, the surrounding communities. As you drive around, ask yourself how many Mercedes, Porches or other high end cars you see. Where I come from every other car is a high end, depreciating rolling pile of rubber and steel. Perhaps the personal property tax helps tamp down this irrational exhurberance, maybe not. In any event, don't ever, ever for a minute think you need to keep up with the Jones! Live within your means, park the rust bucket with pride on the front drive, and accept that life here on earth is too short to worry about what you do or do not have. Take that extra time you save not keeping up with the Jones, and enjoy your family and community. By the way, new is not necessarily better! The older part of Tega Cay in many ways has more character than the newer parts. Find your slice of Heaven no matter where, and by all means, reach a hand out to the Jones' when they stumble and fall. Remind them what is important in life, afterall.

[AaronV23]

My wife and I just got back to Florida from visiting some of the Fort Mill area. We also checked out the Greenville area. We really like the Knightsbridge subdivision. We have decided to pursue the Greenville area though. We were in the Tega Cay area at rush hour and the traffic was horrible. That was the thing that made up our mind to look at Greenville. We live in Orlando and want to get away from all that traffic. It was really bad on the main road into Tega Cay(forgot the name of the road). The area was nice though. Good luck!

[marndt]

The main road in and out of TC is Gold Hill, and yea it can get pretty bad in the am.

[Shawn1972]

Originally Posted by martikus

DH & I moved here from Florida. We've been renting in Blakney but have decided to buy in York County this summer. We're checking out all the areas but keep getting drawn back to Tega Cay. I've read as many posts on this forum as I can, but was hoping to get even more insider scoop on what it is like to live there! We have a 1 year old.

We're hoping to pay around $200,000 - $225,000 so I know that REALLY limits what we can afford to the newer areas near entrance of Tega Cay.

1. Will we feel out of place there? Meaning, will we feel a need to keep up with the Jonses?

2. How do you handle all the hills? We love to walk so I figure we'll probably get used to all the hills. But I don't see biking around??? as we are used to FLAT land from Florida!

3. What do you think we should know about living in Tega Cay?

4. Are there enough houses away from the power lines around? We'd like to avoid a house within 100-200 feet of power lines.

And since we still have some time? Any other areas you think we should consider. We didn't mind Madison Green in Regent Park, but a little nervous about the trailer parks, old leftover Baker buildings, etc. We didn't like WhitleyMills (I think its called) because we could walk the whole neighborhood in 20 minutes. Liked Spicewood, but obviously out of our price range.

I guess I'm just most worried that we have Tega Cay in our heads and maybe we're jumping into it without knowing the nitty gritty about the area!

Happy for any & all thoughts (good & bad). Thanks!

Michelle

Try foxwood in fort mill. Schools are great,area is awesome and very good prices and quiet place close to all the same as tega cay.

[Shawn1972]

It's a great place down the road from tega cay and home prices are alot lower. Schools are great, close to all the same and it is a very peacefull community and you get a nice yard and land. You are not on top of the people next to you. Home price range is 190 and below. We moved here in Aug and love it here. We moved down to this area from P.A. last June and found our home here and moved from our rental in Aug. It is located just past the Springfield section and has the greenway just min away. Hope this helps you.

[lovethecarolinas]

Originally Posted by AaronV23

My wife and I just got back to Florida from visiting some of the Fort Mill area. We also checked out the Greenville area. We really like the Knightsbridge subdivision. We have decided to pursue the Greenville area though. We were in the Tega Cay area at rush hour and the traffic was horrible. That was the thing that made up our mind to look at Greenville. We live in Orlando and want to get away from all that traffic. It was really bad on the main road into Tega Cay(forgot the name of the road). The area was nice though. Good luck!

The Greenville area is very nice....but if you think the traffic is bad here in Tega Cay?....I strongly suggest you check out Greenville during rush hour too...as I got stuck in it a couple of months back up there (heck of alot bigger area..than around here in Tega Cay/Fort Mill). But I do wish you the best of luck...like I said...it is a nice place!