Thinking of moving to Charlotte (Greensboro, Durham: sales, real estate, houses)

[Kyle_and_Tori]

My wife and I are thinking of moving our family (one 3 yr old and a baby about to be born in October) to the Charlotte area and are just wondering what it's like. We're wondering where some of the nicer areas are to live. we want to be in the best school district and are looking for houses in the $200k- $260k range. Of course we'll come look for ourselves to make sure its for us, but we're hoping to get some insight as to what the Charlotte culture is like. We currently live in Phoenix and people here are not very outgoing, welcoming, or family-friendly. If you don't belong to the "right" church, you don't get included. Is this the case in Charlotte as well? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by Kyle_and_Tori

My wife and I are thinking of moving our family (one 3 yr old and a baby about to be born in October) to the Charlotte area and are just wondering what it's like. We're wondering where some of the nicer areas are to live. we want to be in the best school district and are looking for houses in the $200k- $260k range. Of course we'll come look for ourselves to make sure its for us, but we're hoping to get some insight as to what the Charlotte culture is like. We currently live in Phoenix and people here are not very outgoing, welcoming, or family-friendly. If you don't belong to the "right" church, you don't get included. Is this the case in Charlotte as well? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

People tend to live near where they work, here, especially in the city. What kind of work would you be looking for?

[Kyle_and_Tori]

I work in medical device sales and travel a lot so access to the airport is important. I currently have about a 35 minute commute to the airport. I'd be doing a lot of driving and working both in NC as well as SC, TN, and AL. Work isn't a problem its just finding the right place to live. My wife will likely stay at home with the kids unless we need her to return to work - which we'd deal with should this present. What are your thoughts on the areas? We were looking at Mooresville, but I heard the traffic is so terrible it might not be worth it. Also, we were told to look at Ballantyne/ Piper Glen. Would our price range work in these areas? Thanks :-)

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by Kyle_and_Tori

I work in medical device sales and travel a lot so access to the airport is important. I currently have about a 35 minute commute to the airport. I'd be doing a lot of driving and working both in NC as well as SC, TN, and AL. Work isn't a problem its just finding the right place to live. My wife will likely stay at home with the kids unless we need her to return to work - which we'd deal with should this present. What are your thoughts on the areas? We were looking at Mooresville, but I heard the traffic is so terrible it might not be worth it. Also, we were told to look at Ballantyne/ Piper Glen. Would our price range work in these areas? Thanks :-)

Well, the airport is on the west side of Charlotte. You don't want to live in west Charlotte, but there are some nice smaller towns west of Charlotte. it would depend on your lifestyle.

Ballantyne is pretty much the "it" place.

In NC the school districts are by county. That means that you can run the gamut with schools within a district.

I'm not the one to advise you about Piper Glen. I live in Kings Mountain, which is a small town west of Charlotte.

What I can tell you is that, over-all, real estate is cheaper west of Charlotte. With the areas that you would be working, it could give you a head start.

There's a discussion on schools on a recent thread concerning a potential move to Shelby (No, I'm not suggesting that you move to Shelby.) I just posted an update on the thread, so it might be worth your while to read that thread while you wait for someone to answer your questions about Piper Glen.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by Kyle_and_Tori

I work in medical device sales and travel a lot so access to the airport is important. I currently have about a 35 minute commute to the airport. I'd be doing a lot of driving and working both in NC as well as SC, TN, and AL. Work isn't a problem its just finding the right place to live. My wife will likely stay at home with the kids unless we need her to return to work - which we'd deal with should this present. What are your thoughts on the areas? We were looking at Mooresville, but I heard the traffic is so terrible it might not be worth it. Also, we were told to look at Ballantyne/ Piper Glen. Would our price range work in these areas? Thanks :-)

I'll address some of your driving options a bit here to bump this up. I sort of glossed over that before.

I 40 to Asheville would probably be the route that you would take to get to Knoxville & areas in East Tennessee. I 77 or I 85 would get you to SC, just different areas. I 85 gets you quickly to Spartanburg & Greenville. Northbound on I 85 gets you to High Point/Greensboro, as well as Durham. I 40 is easily acessed from I 85 if you choose Mooresville. It is also easily accessed at Hickory via 321 which can be picked up in Gastonia from I 85, if you choose Ballantyne.

I don't really deal with I 77 where I live, so I'll leave that to others. If you have any other questions that I can help you with, don't hesitate to ask.

[Kyle_and_Tori]

So how bad is the traffic in Charlotte? I hear about how wicked it is and how since the city is hurting so bad financially they have no budget to improve things. Which highways are the worst? Would the commute from Mooresville to downtown Charlotte or say Carolinas Medical Center be just a beast of a drive? Thanks so much!!

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by Kyle_and_Tori

So how bad is the traffic in Charlotte? I hear about how wicked it is and how since the city is hurting so bad financially they have no budget to improve things. Which highways are the worst? Would the commute from Mooresville to downtown Charlotte or say Carolinas Medical Center be just a beast of a drive? Thanks so much!!

I have never driven from Mooresville to CMC, but I have had to go to CMC from my house in Kings Mountain, so I can address that. Traffic & population are lower west of Charlotte. I take a combination of 74 & I 85 & with a short (very short) span of I 277, I can walk out of my door & be parked & in my doctor's office in 45 - 60 minutes in rush hour. I pass the airport, for what it's worth. It is widely known that traffic from the western areas is much lighter. I live ~30 miles west of Cherlotte. I'm not certain how far north of Charlotte Mooresville is, but no more than that, I would guess.

I was hoping that people from the areas that you're interested in would be responding to give you better information. I'm trying to give you accurate information, but since I don't live in those two areas, there are gaps in what I can truthfully tell you.

[south.charlotte&union]

There are some neighborhoods in the Ballantyne and South Charlotte area where you could find a home at your price point. Piper Glen would be out, but again, nearby neighborhoods would work.

[Akhenaton06]

Best school districts are in Union County and Fort Mill, SC, which is in York County (just across the border from Charlotte). I think the drive to the airport might be a little more manageable from Fort Mill. You should be able to find a nice home in your price range in Fort Mill.