What is the best Coastal NC area with great schools? (Goldsboro: insurance, low crime)

[JerseyBean]

We live in NJ...but we are looking to get out of NJ...just too crazy here for me anymore. I am looking for a coastal community much like where I live in NJ...but maybe not so congested, main priority is GREAT school system...another reason for my leaving where I live. Low crime too. Just looking for a nice safe all around community for my growing family.

Also, any great areas near any military bases would be helpful? Any ideas? Our price range would be up to $400K and are looking for lower taxes. We currently pay $8000K in property taxes.

Thanks so much in advance as any of your advise is MUCH appreciated!

[XNYgirl]

I don't know a thing about NJ living, but Carteret County is a good place to look.

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by JerseyBean

We live in NJ...but we are looking to get out of NJ...just too crazy here for me anymore. I am looking for a coastal community much like where I live in NJ...but maybe not so congested, main priority is GREAT school system...another reason for my leaving where I live. Low crime too. Just looking for a nice safe all around community for my growing family.

Also, any great areas near any military bases would be helpful? Any ideas? Our price range would be up to $400K and are looking for lower taxes. We currently pay $8000K in property taxes.

Thanks so much in advance as any of your advise is MUCH appreciated!

I agree with XNYgirl, Carteret County is a good place to look.

We went from a $600K home in Roanoke, VA to a similarly priced one in Carteret County. The Carteret County one is waterfront with a boat lift (http://coastalnc.org/boatonthelift - broken link).

The taxes on the Roanoke house are $6,100 and the taxes on the Carteret home are $1,750. Insurance costs (we have flood insurance since we are right on the water) eat up a little of the differential, but it is still 35-40% cheaper here in Carteret County for property taxes plus insurance. I also believe utilities are less.

What I really like about living here besides being on the water is the view from the neighborhood pool (http://coastalnc.org/theviewfromthepool - broken link) which is just across the cul de sac from our home.

We have weeks when neither the air conditioning or the heat runs. I think the air conditioning has run one for a couple of hours in the last two weeks. It has been months since our heat has run.

I probably had a coat on about a dozen times this winter. Having living in Canada, I am a little hardier than most, but it just doesn't get very cold here.

I kept records in Jan 07 and we had a grand total of 19 hours below freezing during the whole month.

I interview high school kids for my alma mater, and I have been very impressed with the local students that I have met.

I think it is a great place to raise kids. There is plenty to do out of doors and you can do it twelve months out of the year.

I can slide a kayak into the water from my back yard or drop my skiff into the water and be in the Intracoastal Water in ten minutes or out in the ocean in twenty minutes.

The water is some of the best on the east coast. The fishing is also good and there are still real fishermen here where you can buy fresh local fish.

We have good services, including a new Lowes Home Improvement store, a brand new Walgreens which is opening in Cape Carteret next Tuesday, and four supermarkets within ten minutes. More shopping is available in Morehead City less than 20 minutes away.

We also have great places to take visitors. There is the history of Beaufort and the great barrier islands of Cape Lookout National Seashore to explore. It is great fun to visit Cape Lookout. Then there are the beautiful gardens and buildings of Tryon Palace.

We're small towns so there is no real congestion for any of us who have lived in cities with real traffic. Traffic might get slow on the bridge during check in on Saturdays and Sundays for a few minutes during July and half of August but that is it.

Check out this map of the area.

Here's some school information for you.

We have been here almost two years and love it. Here are the reasons we came here and why I love area and the small town feel of the Southern Outer Banks.

Try my travel guides for Emerald Isle (http://coastalnc.org/emeraldislenctravelguidecd - broken link) and Swansboro.

Check out the profile of Cape Carteret on City Data to see how low the crime is.

We spent a couple of hours on the beach today, the water was warm enough for wading. A couple more weeks and I hope to be swimming.

Moderator cut: tos violation

[JerseyBean]

dsobotta! Thanks for all the info...I am going to look into everything you have provided.

Question...are there any military bases close by? I know there is a airforce base somewhere on the east coast of NC, just not sure where and how far it would be from Carteret county. My husband works for Fort Monmouth in NJ and the government decided to close it. Sooooooooooooo, we would have a good chance of transfering and was curious to see if there was something close to Carteret county?

Any ideas? I forget the name of the airforce base>?

[jmarquise]

camp legune. it's a marine base.

[karmel]

I hope you don't mind me jumping in here. Desobotta, The information you provided is wonderful - and ingriguing. I would love to move south from W. Pa and have no idea where to go - or maybe too many ideas. Your description sounds perfect. I would love to be able to put my kayak in right from my home but yet have some amenities close by. It would be great to be near the coast. I just wonder if it is affordable for me. Moving is complicated - selling a home, taking a risk in a new area, etc. So thanks for the information. Are there any areas that you know of that might be affordable - 200 - 250 for a single family home.

[LRoyal10900]

Originally Posted by JerseyBean

dsobotta! Thanks for all the info...I am going to look into everything you have provided.

Question...are there any military bases close by? I know there is a airforce base somewhere on the east coast of NC, just not sure where and how far it would be from Carteret county. My husband works for Fort Monmouth in NJ and the government decided to close it. Sooooooooooooo, we would have a good chance of transfering and was curious to see if there was something close to Carteret county?

Any ideas? I forget the name of the airforce base>?

The Air Force base is Seymour Johnson in Goldsboro. Not sure how far it is...maybe an hour or so?

[trlhiker]

Goldsboro is about 1.5 to 2 hours away. Cherry Point is a Marine Base about 30 minutes away as is Camp Lajune. I have heard that it has become a bit more difficult to get insurance along the immediate coast so check into it before you buy

[NYBill]

You mentioned flood insurance.

What do you pay for flood and homeowners if you don't minf me asking?

PS I idi get your re-mail thank you

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by NYBill

You mentioned flood insurance.

What do you pay for flood and homeowners if you don't mind me asking?

PS I idi get your re-mail thank you

No problem. Our home is valued at around $600K, our regular insurance is $1750 per year which includes wind damage. Our flood insurance is $600.

Our home is about seven miles from the beach but directly on the White Oak. We are ten minutes by boat from the Intracoastal and a total of twenty minutes to the ocean.

We are in what is called an AE flood zone, but ours is a new home so everything (specifically all the mechanicals) but the garage flood is above the flood zone. I think our stuff is all up six feet. Very few of the 50+ lots in our subdivision are in flood zones. Of course all of the ones on the water are.

That isn't the case in all neighborhoods. There are some neighborhoods on the same river which are higher up, but you have to have a lot of steps to get down the water.

We walk out our back door and we are on the water (http://coastalnc.org/kayakbythewater - broken link). I just slide my kayak into the water. It's a trade off. Since we have a boat on a lift (http://coastalnc.org/boatlift - broken link), and there is a lot of stuff to haul to and from a boat, I'll take the slight risk of a flood zone for not having to hike up and down a lot of steps each time I take the boat out.

Sorry it took me a while to respond. I didn't notice I could post again until this morning.