Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi Everyone, Looking for a little assistance. Hubby and I are looking to relocate to NC in about 6 months to 1 year. Initially we were looking at the Raleigh vicinity, but after lots of visits and lots of pondering, while we found Raleigh suburbs to be wonderful, we beth came to the very resounding conclusion that raleigh and its surrounds would be too far from the beach which we both love so much. So now it is onto the coastal towns of NC.
What we are looking for is an area that is family friendly (we have a 2 & 3 year old) - good schools, convenient amenities, within a "neighborhood" or development. Our maximum price would be about $350k but would prefer to stay below that. Jobs are not an issue as hubby would be taking his job with him, and I would be staying home with the kids.
We would like to be near the beach (within 1/2 hour) but do not need to be "on the beach". We would also require proximity to an airport that has more than just puddle jumper flights (ie. either direct flights to major cities or easy connections) - hubby travels a lot for business.
Our ideal house would be 2500+ sq feet, unfinished or finished bonus space a plus. We would require a minimum of 3 bedrooms plus an office/den/study (or 4 bedrooms). Formal space are required, but need not be the largest areas of the home. We would also like to have a yard, with privacy 1/4 acre would be ideal. We would prefer new or newer construction, but it is not a requirement.
I have been looking into the Wilmington area, and it seems to be what we are looking for. Small towns have always been appealing to us. The familiarity, the charm, etc. Any suggestions would most definately be welcome. I know we need to visit the area, and that is planned. I just want to have some plan of attack when we get there.
PS - We will eventually need a buyers agent, recommendations or information via direct message would be welcomed
The Crystal Coast might be a nice place for you to look...access to the beautiful Cape Lookout National Seashore as well as the long pretty stretches of Bogue Banks beaches at Atlantic Beach, Emerald Isle, and the other Bogue Banks towns.
More Main Street-type communities are found in Beaufort, Morehead City, Swansboro and Cape Carteret. If you do a search on this forum for those towns you'll find lots and lots of postings that will give you some good solid info--and some great photos, too. Pine Knoll Shores is worth a look, too, very beautiful.
I hang my hat in Beaufort and it's a pretty special place. Kids zooming around on bicycles and skateboards and all sorts of water activities for them. A Huck Finn kind of place.
Nothing's wrong with Wilmington, mind you, it's just gotten a little too crowded for my taste and I think the beaches here on the Crystal Coast are more open and more empty...
Good luck on your mission. I suspect you'll like NC--it's a special part of the world...
Hi Everyone, Looking for a little assistance. Hubby and I are looking to relocate to NC in about 6 months to 1 year....
Small towns have always been appealing to us. The familiarity, the charm, etc. Any suggestions would most definately be welcome. I know we need to visit the area, and that is planned. I just want to have some plan of attack when we get there.
PS - We will eventually need a buyers agent, recommendations or information via direct message would be welcomed
I also want to relocate my family to a place within 0.5 hrs of drive to a nice beach. However, I'm not much for "small town" places, I'd like to be able to find a place that has parks and theater (ballet, shows). Is there such a place in coastal NC?
Wilmington will be the only place in coastal carolina that meets all of your requirements. New Bern does have a small theater for plays and decent parks but the airport is a puddle jumper airport.
Personally speaking, the Topsail Island area has hidden benefits for those wanting to move to the North Carolina coastal area. Surf city is a very progressive town that extends to the mainland with many new housing opportunities. The nearby-unincorporated town of Hampstead is a growing community. The schools in this area of NC and Pender County are among the top in the states. I would recommend this area for raising school age children over the Wilmington and Jacksonville areas primarily because the quality of the schools. (You can verify this info on NC Schools Report Card.) This location is only thirty minutes from cultural activities in Wilmington (home of U of NC Wilmington) and only two and a half hours from the capitol city of Raleigh NC via Interstate 40. Myrtle Beach is less than two hours south and is the home of many show theaters such as Dolly Parton, Alabama, and others. The cultural opportunities abound for anyone interested. The quality of life in this area of North Carolina is among the best you can find anywhere in our state. Good luck on your search. I will be happy to answer any questions you have about the area since I am a resident of Surf City.
Hi Everyone, Looking for a little assistance. Hubby and I are looking to relocate to NC in about 6 months to 1 year. Initially we were looking at the Raleigh vicinity, but after lots of visits and lots of pondering, while we found Raleigh suburbs to be wonderful, we beth came to the very resounding conclusion that raleigh and its surrounds would be too far from the beach which we both love so much. So now it is onto the coastal towns of NC.
What we are looking for is an area that is family friendly (we have a 2 & 3 year old) - good schools, convenient amenities, within a "neighborhood" or development. Our maximum price would be about $350k but would prefer to stay below that. Jobs are not an issue as hubby would be taking his job with him, and I would be staying home with the kids.
We would like to be near the beach (within 1/2 hour) but do not need to be "on the beach". We would also require proximity to an airport that has more than just puddle jumper flights (ie. either direct flights to major cities or easy connections) - hubby travels a lot for business.
Our ideal house would be 2500+ sq feet, unfinished or finished bonus space a plus. We would require a minimum of 3 bedrooms plus an office/den/study (or 4 bedrooms). Formal space are required, but need not be the largest areas of the home. We would also like to have a yard, with privacy 1/4 acre would be ideal. We would prefer new or newer construction, but it is not a requirement.
I have been looking into the Wilmington area, and it seems to be what we are looking for. Small towns have always been appealing to us. The familiarity, the charm, etc. Any suggestions would most definately be welcome. I know we need to visit the area, and that is planned. I just want to have some plan of attack when we get there.
PS - We will eventually need a buyers agent, recommendations or information via direct message would be welcomed
Thanks in advance!!
You may also want to look at Southport NC. Small Town with close proximity to Beach and Wilmington NC(20-25 Minutes). Lots of real estate options with family friendly neighborhoods. I dont know it I can post this or not, but if you need a buyers agent and like the looks of Southport I can help with that as well.
We've been living in Wilmington now for a couple of months, enjoy everything so far. Not sure what you define as a decent airport, but form Wilmington their are flights to four places for connections, Philly, Laguardia, Charlotte, and Atlanta. Or and two days a week, one flight to Orlando.
As far as housing goes, there are some very nice areas, though you may have trouble meeting all your requirements for under $350k? I'd imagine the further you go away from Wilmington, probably better chance of getting a decent place for that money.
ive grown up in wilmington and i would recomend here. there are tons of places for small kids and the beach is really close. the school system here is great. i would strongly recomend Winter Park Elementary district, its a small school that follows up to the safest and best academically performing middle and high schools in the area. I belive that the housing in this district is also within your range, although not a great market right now. right arround the corner from this school is a good park for small children as well.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My vote as usual goes to western Carteret County
