Is Charleston a good match for this California girl ? (Columbia: rent, mortgage)
Charleston areaCharleston - North Charleston - Mt. Pleasant - Summerville - Goose Creek
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If humidity is an issue, take Charleston off your list. We love it here, but you have to learn to accept hot and extremely humid summers. You will be inside most of the day if you want to stay comfortable.
It depends where you live. If you live in Mt. Pleasant or in Charleston proper, the cost of living is high. In Goose Creek, North Charleston, Ladson or Moncks Corner, the cost of living can be quite reasonable. Property taxes in Berkeley County are dirt cheap. SC has the some of the lowest taxation in the United States. I find the cost of living here to be dramatically lower than up North and coming from California, the OP will be shocked at how cheaply they can live here.
If you're renting an 1-bedroom apartment on the peninsula for $2,000 a month, living here is expensive. If you're renting a 3-bedroom trailer in Moncks Corner for $500 a month, it's cheap. It all just depends.
Quote:
Originally Posted by m1a1mg
While there are call centers, I've heard the pay isn't great.
It depends which call center. Some call centers in the Charleston market pay $8-$10 an hour. The good ones start at $30,000 a year, which is a good wage. Comcast is opening a new call center here. Blackbaud is always hiring. There are others.
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$30,000 per year is ~$14.50 per hour. Not that great for a single person that has to pay all the bills.
I searched for anything on Craigslist for less than $500. If you do away with all the fake ads, there are zero places in the Charleston area for $500 per month. Yes, you can find places for $800. I sure as heck wouldn't want to live there. Most decent areas in Charleston are at least $1100, before utilities. I've read some of this person's other posts. I can't imagine a trailer in Goose Creek is going to be right.
I moved in May of this year. I did all the apartment search stuff.
$30,000 per year is ~$14.50 per hour. Not that great for a single person that has to pay all the bills.
I'm not saying you're wrong, just that it's a matter of perspective. $14.50 an hour is great pay for someone new to the workforce or looking for a second income. With a roommate or a cheap apartment, it's very doable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by m1a1mg
I searched for anything on Craigslist for less than $500. If you do away with all the fake ads, there are zero places in the Charleston area for $500 per month.
There are cheap rentals, but you're right, not on Craigslist or the standard real estate websites. If you're willing to live out in Berkeley County or rent out a garage apartment, there is cheap housing around. Again, it just depends on what you're looking for. But it can be done.
Quote:
Originally Posted by m1a1mg
Yes, you can find places for $800. I sure as heck wouldn't want to live there. Most decent areas in Charleston are at least $1100, before utilities. I've read some of this person's other posts. I can't imagine a trailer in Goose Creek is going to be right.
I moved in May of this year. I did all the apartment search stuff.
If the OP is looking for an apartment complex in a nice part of town, you're absolute right. I rented a 3-bedroom house in Ladson for $900 a month. It was decent.
In Goose Creek, North Charleston, Ladson or Moncks Corner, the cost of living can be quite reasonable.
Why would a 32 year old single women looking to rebuild a social life want to move to any of these areas? Maybe Park Circle in North Charleston, but rent there is starting to get very high too.
I'm not sure what you people think of Charleston, but I think this is a great place to live! And I travel for a living. On balance, this is heaven on Earth!
Why would a 32 year old single women looking to rebuild a social life want to move to any of these areas? Maybe Park Circle in North Charleston, but rent there is starting to get very high too.
Because there are nice areas in all of those towns populated by people who don't hate it?
OK so just to clarify for everyone.. i'm coming from California where my average wage was $15-$20 an hour BUT rent is extremely high ... $1700-$2200 for a one bedroom. So when you talk about cost-of-living and what is affordable or what is not you may take that into consideration.
I have found three bedroom three bath homes for in the 300,000 which is affordable by my standards in that city ... asuming I could get a call center job for 15 an hour and that there are more than just crappy minimum wage jobs available. I've seen Apartments for 1100 for one bedrooms. And considering that one bedrooms are 1700 where I'm from that is affordable to me... although I would love to spend closer to 800 to 1000 without compromising my safety of a bad area.
Housing prices and wages aside for the moment ... what is your opinion of the danger/crime ? The area looks Beautiful and lovely to me but of course that does no good if a single woman can't be safe there. And with the humidity you speak of I'm wondering if I'm going to have a $300 air conditioning bill every month which means I really wouldn't be saving much money ? Lastly I read an article that said mosquitoes are constantly attacking which is something I've never had to deal with in California and I'm wondering how big of an issue this is??
Other place I'm considering is Colorado ... Fort Collins or Colorado Springs most likely. Not a huge fan of big cities so probably not Denver. But Colorado also has his issues IMO. I'm not a fan of driving in the snow or I should say that I'm just not used to it. And being a conservative person I'm not sure how happy I would be with the liberal-ness ( legal marijuana and gay marriage ). I'm bit of a more traditional and religious type. Definitely not a Bible thumper At all tho.. would like a quiet family friendly area that also has a little bit of nightlife for singles and outdoor recreation.
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