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First time poster. Love how helpful people are on this site. So, I decided to give it a try.
My husband and I live just outside of Milwaukee, WI. I'm almost 50--lived here since I was about 20--and am really ready to move to a moister warmer climate. Soon to be an empty-nester, real estate potentially on the rise, and rates so low (assuming I choose a mortgage) now is an ideal time to move.
Thus far, all I know about Charlotte is hear-say and what I've read. We'll visit Raleigh, Charlotte, and Asheville (which I've been to a couple of times) next month.
What cities and/or neighborhoods would you recommend we check out while we're there? We're on a limited budget (I'd like to spend no more than $175K on a home, but "need" a decent kitchen with a natural gas range as I LOVE to cook).
My husband builds electric basses on the side--so, we need a work area (a garage maybe--here we use the basement, but sounds like you all have mold issues).
We are outdoor people and love the mountains and hiking in general. I'm a writer and work from home with my dog. My husband is an HVAC drafting/designer so needs to be closer to Charlotte--from what we can tell.
If we could afford it, a larger lot with trees and a decent home built after 2000. Any suggestions of where to look? Thanks!
First time poster. Love how helpful people are on this site. So, I decided to give it a try.
My husband and I live just outside of Milwaukee, WI. I'm almost 50--lived here since I was about 20--and am really ready to move to a moister warmer climate. Soon to be an empty-nester, real estate potentially on the rise, and rates so low (assuming I choose a mortgage) now is an ideal time to move.
Thus far, all I know about Charlotte is hear-say and what I've read. We'll visit Raleigh, Charlotte, and Asheville (which I've been to a couple of times) next month.
What cities and/or neighborhoods would you recommend we check out while we're there? We're on a limited budget (I'd like to spend no more than $175K on a home, but "need" a decent kitchen with a natural gas range as I LOVE to cook).
My husband builds electric basses on the side--so, we need a work area (a garage maybe--here we use the basement, but sounds like you all have mold issues).
We are outdoor people and love the mountains and hiking in general. I'm a writer and work from home with my dog. My husband is an HVAC drafting/designer so needs to be closer to Charlotte--from what we can tell.
If we could afford it, a larger lot with trees and a decent home built after 2000. Any suggestions of where to look? Thanks!
Welcome to Charlotte!
It sounds as if you will need a home OUTSIDE of a homeowners association**. If you are in an homeowner's association, the work area that your husband wants/needs could be severely restricted. (they usually do not allow things like that...you will have to read the restrictions of the particular HOA before buying/looking at a home in it.) However, that will probably mean an older home as those are usually the ones that are not in homeowner's associations.
You may want to consider the areas around Charlotte, like Concord for example. If you look (or have your realtor look) you can probably find a foreclosure for that price with a lot of land.
There are a lot of other threads regarding moving here from the midwest. You probably will want to search them out.
Good luck!
**yes, we do have organizations that can tell you what to do with your home. it is crazy, I know.
I moved to Concord last November. I chose a community with an HOA, but in the short time I've been here I have noticed that there are options for every lifestyle. The things I LOVE about my new hometown are: it's still a little rural, there's plenty of shopping and restaurants, but also a very nice selection of Farmer's markets, there is a historic downtown which is delightful, close enough to Uptown, and the friendliness of the people I've met are amazing! I moved from LI, New York. Best wishes with your search!
I second what the previous poster wrote. Concord is a really great community in that it has typical suburban ammenities (shopping, dining, etc) but it also has a really beautiful rural component to it as well as access to the many fantastic resources of Charlotte. I've heard Harrisburg and Huntersville (on either side of Concord to the north of CLT) are great towns as well.
I lived in Charlotte for two years can tell you first hand that it is one of the easiest cities in which to live. The cost of living is really low compared to a lot of US cities its size and there is an abundance of things to do. There's a borgeoning arts scene, great music and entertainment, plenty of access to the outdoors, and a great mix of people (from the south and a lot of relocated northerners). There's a reason why it's growing so fast, even after the economy had its difficulties there - it's a lovely place to call home.
While Charlotte proper is likely more expensive than the surrounding communities, your best bet within the city limits would likely be northern Charlotte - areas like Mallard Creek or up near Harrisburg are likely more affordable than more center city locations.
I would recommend checking out Belmont and the southern section of Huntersville. Both are developed enough that natural gas service is likely, you should be able to find a house in your budget with a larger lot and trees with a fairly easy commute. Charlotte of course isn't mountainous, but we have many nice parks and greenways for hiking, biking, walking and of course the lakes for boating, kayaking, paddleboarding etc. I should point out that the part of Huntersville with homes at your listed price point wont be in the prime school district - pointing this out because resale won't be too easy, hence the affordable prices. Belmont is a very quaint town just west of Charlotte in Gaston Cty. Not sure why homes here are so much cheaper than other parts of Charlotte except maybe the level of development/service, or maybe the fly ash problem from the Riverbend Steam Station, but its closing in April and was only used a couple days out of the year so shouldnt be an issue going forward. Good luck!
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