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We moved to NJ from MS and knew housing would be more costly. Now we are selling the 50+ year old NJ house for more money per square foot than we are having to pay to build a brand new custom home in coastal NC.
JerseyJ: hope that's my case in MTL - fingers crossed! safe travels down there next week, sweetie!!
Please take into consideration the big drop in Real Estate taxes down here compared to up North. We payed 15k in Tinton Falls NJ and 1900.00 in Ocean Ridge Plantation. Also weather down here compared to up north, been wearing shorts while playing golf for the last 3 weeks.
Just something to keep in mind when doing comparisons...
Quote:
Originally Posted by WVNomad
Its funny...every place I have ever lived, I have always had an expectation that housing would be less expensive than what it in fact was. This was true regardless if I lived in a low-cost of living area, or a high-cost of living area. In building our place in St. James, I didn't find my experience to be any different--we are spending more there than what we originally expected. I think on the whole, if you want a house, just any house, you can find real estate that is "cheap", but if you want a house of certain size, in a particular neighborhood, with certain features and design elements, etc. you are going to pay for it no matter where you settle.
I don't mean to come off as too southern or holding a grudge against the north and all that crap ... but ....
Lived in NC all my life and oh ... about 40 years ago housing costs were very low based on national averages. Then people from 'up north' started coming down in droves and never stopped. Demand for housing went up and so did prices.
Its not the only reason of course. Things change, inflation and cost of living is always going up it seems but the northern migration to the south has been a factor in NC growth and an increase in prices.
From the remarks here it seems home cost 'up north' and 'down south' may be balancing out. For a long time they were not equal. A home that might cost 80k in NC 40 years ago would cost 400k 'up north'. It was not hard to see why so many northerners were selling their small tract homes in cookie cutter neighborhoods and coming south and buying 'mansions'. At least by southern standards.
So, I guess my point is, if you are coming from 'up north' and think housing 'down south' seems expensive now, all I can say is ... bless your heart
I don't mean to come off as too southern or holding a grudge against the north and all that crap ... but ....
Lived in NC all my life and oh ... about 40 years ago housing costs were very low based on national averages. Then people from 'up north' started coming down in droves and never stopped. Demand for housing went up and so did prices.
Its not the only reason of course. Things change, inflation and cost of living is always going up it seems but the northern migration to the south has been a factor in NC growth and an increase in prices.
From the remarks here it seems home cost 'up north' and 'down south' may be balancing out. For a long time they were not equal. A home that might cost 80k in NC 40 years ago would cost 400k 'up north'. It was not hard to see why so many northerners were selling their small tract homes in cookie cutter neighborhoods and coming south and buying 'mansions'. At least by southern standards.
So, I guess my point is, if you are coming from 'up north' and think housing 'down south' seems expensive now, all I can say is ... bless your heart
Welcome to the neighborhood.
Ditchoc - we've been down in Brunswick County now for over five years looking at homes. Certain custom builders can be very expensive, yes. "Tract" home builders like Logan still seem to be pretty reasonable. And, just so you know, we don't own a tract cookie cutter home in Mt. Laurel - We will probably sell for $600,000 ($16,000 property taxes every year) but will wind up paying over $650,000 for a comparable home in Ocean Ridge. Our home in MTL is 3500 sq. ft, and we will be building a home for 2900 sq. ft. Doesn't seem just right.
Ditchoc - we've been down in Brunswick County now for over five years looking at homes. Certain custom builders can be very expensive, yes. "Tract" home builders like Logan still seem to be pretty reasonable. And, just so you know, we don't own a tract cookie cutter home in Mt. Laurel - We will probably sell for $600,000 ($16,000 property taxes every year) but will wind up paying over $650,000 for a comparable home in Ocean Ridge. Our home in MTL is 3500 sq. ft, and we will be building a home for 2900 sq. ft. Doesn't seem just right.
I understand. And truly I am not trying to sound mean or bitter. There are so many variables. Land, location, amenities, cost of materials, finish level, even the community. Just building in St James adds thousands of dollars to the cost because the plantation requires so many 'checks and balances' for builders to adhere to.
I just hope you get the home and life style you want and no doubt deserve.
I don't mean to come off as too southern or holding a grudge against the north and all that crap ... but ....
Lived in NC all my life and oh ... about 40 years ago housing costs were very low based on national averages. Then people from 'up north' started coming down in droves and never stopped. Demand for housing went up and so did prices.
Its not the only reason of course. Things change, inflation and cost of living is always going up it seems but the northern migration to the south has been a factor in NC growth and an increase in prices.
From the remarks here it seems home cost 'up north' and 'down south' may be balancing out. For a long time they were not equal. A home that might cost 80k in NC 40 years ago would cost 400k 'up north'. It was not hard to see why so many northerners were selling their small tract homes in cookie cutter neighborhoods and coming south and buying 'mansions'. At least by southern standards.
So, I guess my point is, if you are coming from 'up north' and think housing 'down south' seems expensive now, all I can say is ... bless your heart
Welcome to the neighborhood.
I may not have articulated my thoughts very clearly. I think that owning real estate in NC is in fact less expensive than owning it in larger metro areas up north...relative to a number of years ago, maybe not as inexpensive, but still definitely less....this would most certainly include lower property taxes as a previous poster pointed out. My perception though, and clearly it is and has often not been, correct or realistic, is that real estate prices in so called lower cost of living areas are not as cheap as I would have thought them to be. In higher cost areas we have lived in, I have also found real estate to be more expensive than I expected. In short, I clearly don't have a very realistic set of expectations when it comes to the cost of homeownership....it always seems more expensive to me than what it should be. I guess I am continually surptprised by what nice/decent housing, by my standards, costs. The market is what the market is....I am the one out of touch with reality.
Hello all, truly appreciate all of the information on retiring to St. James Plantation. I will be visiting for a discovery weekend February 24th and February 25th. Last September drove through just a bit and want to pursue more. So, over the next few weeks, months, or years, will be asking a lot of questions. So here are two random questions: 1) What color is the Ocean water, you know what NJ ocean looks like, is it just as dark, hopefully more tropical. 2) If I become a social member, can I use the $ 600 credit at Tommy Thompsons, Tommy's looks small outside, in nice weather, can you always get a table. 3) Heard the lines are sometimes long to get through the gate, do you have bar codes that residents can just drive through?
Hello all, truly appreciate all of the information on retiring to St. James Plantation. I will be visiting for a discovery weekend February 24th and February 25th. Last September drove through just a bit and want to pursue more. So, over the next few weeks, months, or years, will be asking a lot of questions. So here are two random questions: 1) What color is the Ocean water, you know what NJ ocean looks like, is it just as dark, hopefully more tropical. 2) If I become a social member, can I use the $ 600 credit at Tommy Thompsons, Tommy's looks small outside, in nice weather, can you always get a table. 3) Heard the lines are sometimes long to get through the gate, do you have bar codes that residents can just drive through?
Hi--
I would offer the following:
(1) The Ocean Water is not what I would I call "tropical blue". Much more typical of the ocean color all along the Eastern US Coastline.
(2) Yes, the food minimum can be used at Tommy Thompsons. We are moving to St James in the next few months, so have only dined at Tommy's a few times while visiting. We never had to wait for an outside table, but on the nicer days we were there, the place was pretty filled up, so I would not be surprised if you had to wait at peak times during nicer weather. I am sure someone else can chime in about typical wait times, etc.
(3) Once you purchase property you get a transponder (if that is the right term) that you attach to your vehicle that allows you to drive through the gates without having to stop and be cleared by the guard. I don't think you will find it much of an issue.
Good Luck on your search.
Watch your speeding!!! St James very strict on speed limit and will never give you a break on speeding tickets!!!!!!
Just a fyi
Quote:
Originally Posted by WVNomad
Hi--
I would offer the following:
(1) The Ocean Water is not what I would I call "tropical blue". Much more typical of the ocean color all along the Eastern US Coastline.
(2) Yes, the food minimum can be used at Tommy Thompsons. We are moving to St James in the next few months, so have only dined at Tommy's a few times while visiting. We never had to wait for an outside table, but on the nicer days we were there, the place was pretty filled up, so I would not be surprised if you had to wait at peak times during nicer weather. I am sure someone else can chime in about typical wait times, etc.
(3) Once you purchase property you get a transponder (if that is the right term) that you attach to your vehicle that allows you to drive through the gates without having to stop and be cleared by the guard. I don't think you will find it much of an issue.
Good Luck on your search.
Thank you, I tried flung 20 mph, but it seems my car won't go that slow.lol will practice
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We moved to NJ from MS and knew housing would be more costly. Now we are selling the 50+ year old NJ house for more money per square foot than we are having to pay to build a brand new custom home in coastal NC.
