SC, NC or FL for move from TX? (Wilmington, Jacksonville: low income, sales)

[yogacalmday]

Hi, all,
I'm thinking of relocating to the East Coast to be closer to cooler ocean breezes. I now live in Central TX (Austin) and it is hotter than Hades most of the year. But worse, TONS of people are moving to TX and our infrastructure (water, roads, etc.) cannot handle it.

I'm looking at North Carolina (Holden Beach area), South Carolina (Bluffton/HH area) or Florida (St. Augustine).

Goals:
- Lower property taxes (I now pay $8000/yr on 2400sq ft home)
- Low income taxes (TX and FL are no state income tax! Yah!)
- Lower sales tax (TX is 8.25%, ouch!)
- Low HOA fees (I only pay $85/mo for HOA and trash pick-up in TX and we have a huge greenbelt preserve; 2 pools - one Olympic size; accessible tennis courts at middle school, miles of hiking trails, VB/BB court, nice playground).
- No kids, so schools not a big issue (Empty nester with 3 kids grown)
- I'm a single woman, 53 yrs old, and VERY active (yoga, hiking, etc.) People think I'm in my early 40s.
- Organic food accessible like Whole Foods, my favorite (or able to have a small veg garden in my yard)
- Hiking, biking, trails, forest, and, did I say OCEAN?
- Great internet for telecommute
- Jobs (I may have to work about 10 more years)
- Ideal house purchase at about $350,000 or less
- Possibly build in growing community
- Community with water, pool, tennis, shops, medical clinic, pharmacy, etc. since I hope to retire and might not drive forever. (Golf not necessary, but great if available for others on their own dime and not part of HOA fees.)
- Reasonable access to outlet mall or big box stores like Lowes, Home Depot
- Strong Roman Catholic Church community
- Not all married empty nesters, some single men and women, that like to get out and do things
- Constitutional Conservatives (Libertarian, Tea Party or non-RINO Republicans)
- Decent library or nearby Barnes & Noble
- College or community college that offers classes and/or group travel to 50+ crowd
- Museums nearby - art, natural history, science, etc.

That is a good list! So, online friends, does my criteria match any specific communities you could suggest in SC, NC or FL?

Thanks, in advance, for your patience ;-)

[goldenage1]

I can't say that Holden Beach meets all of your criteria, but I will point out a few things that it doesn't. There are only 10% Catholics in Holden Beach, and most Christians in North Carolina are Protestant.

The decent library and museums are in Wilmington. Myrtle Beach also has a few touristy museums. Brunswick Community College certainly has classes, and you can check on tours. The Whole Foods is in Wilmington, and I believe there is a farmer's market in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Regarding your HOA, it sounds like you have a very good deal in Texas. Around here, you could expect to pay more for all the services and facilities you are getting.

Regarding finding mature singles, I think you would be better off in Wilmington or in Myrtle Beach. You also might check the Meetup groups for Constitutional Conservatives.

In general, I think you would find Holden Beach much too quiet in the winter, and lacking in the year-round opportunities to meet people. As another alternative, you might check communities on the mainland, as some of them have private beach clubs. For example, St James Plantation has the golf tennis, pools and marina. It also has many social clubs and the private beach club. The HOA fees are not bad, the property taxes are not bad and you can probably find a house or condo in your price range. Ocean River Plantation and Winding River Plantation might also fit your needs.

[Lover of Animals]

Originally Posted by yogacalmday

Hi, all,
I'm thinking of relocating to the East Coast to be closer to cooler ocean breezes. I now live in Central TX (Austin) and it is hotter than Hades most of the year. But worse, TONS of people are moving to TX and our infrastructure (water, roads, etc.) cannot handle it.

I'm looking at North Carolina (Holden Beach area), South Carolina (Bluffton/HH area) or Florida (St. Augustine).

Goals:
- Lower property taxes (I now pay $8000/yr on 2400sq ft home)
- Low income taxes (TX and FL are no state income tax! Yah!)
- Lower sales tax (TX is 8.25%, ouch!)
- Low HOA fees (I only pay $85/mo for HOA and trash pick-up in TX and we have a huge greenbelt preserve; 2 pools - one Olympic size; accessible tennis courts at middle school, miles of hiking trails, VB/BB court, nice playground).
- No kids, so schools not a big issue (Empty nester with 3 kids grown)
- I'm a single woman, 53 yrs old, and VERY active (yoga, hiking, etc.) People think I'm in my early 40s.
- Organic food accessible like Whole Foods, my favorite (or able to have a small veg garden in my yard)
- Hiking, biking, trails, forest, and, did I say OCEAN?
- Great internet for telecommute
- Jobs (I may have to work about 10 more years)
- Ideal house purchase at about $350,000 or less
- Possibly build in growing community
- Community with water, pool, tennis, shops, medical clinic, pharmacy, etc. since I hope to retire and might not drive forever. (Golf not necessary, but great if available for others on their own dime and not part of HOA fees.)
- Reasonable access to outlet mall or big box stores like Lowes, Home Depot
- Strong Roman Catholic Church community
- Not all married empty nesters, some single men and women, that like to get out and do things
- Constitutional Conservatives (Libertarian, Tea Party or non-RINO Republicans)
- Decent library or nearby Barnes & Noble
- College or community college that offers classes and/or group travel to 50+ crowd
- Museums nearby - art, natural history, science, etc.

That is a good list! So, online friends, does my criteria match any specific communities you could suggest in SC, NC or FL?

Thanks, in advance, for your patience ;-)

Check out Market Common in Myrtle Beach. Has most of the things on your list!

[mrmaxie]

I have lived in coastal NC and currently live on the east coast of FL. As with most things, there are pluses and minuses to both. Coastal NC is very beautiful and mostly peaceful. There are areas where you can still find secluded peaceful beaches. You will find most of what you are looking for (Whole Foods, yoga, etc.) in Wilmington, NC. NC compared to FL, may be a bit more "family friendly" rather than offering more single people in your age range. Florida will win out in that regard. One issue that I have found in Florida, is that you need to be close to one of the bigger cities to have some of those amenities you are looking for (I.E. Whole Foods, etc.). You may find that you would need to make trips into Jacksonville or Orlando for some of what you are looking for. Those issues aside, you may find St. Augustine as well as New Smyrna Beach appealing. I have lived in a few different areas in FL now, and I find that I have to choose between the peaceful, less-crowded beach town lifestyle that I enjoy, or deal with the faster-paced, congested areas to take advantage of the amenities I enjoy. It is a trade off. In that regard, Wilmington NC (maybe 45 min. from Holden Beach), will offer a nice combination of more upscale amenities in conjunction with a slower paced, beach lifestyle. I will be happy to answer any specific questions you may have about living in either area.