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Old 04-16-2007, 09:47 AM
 
Location: Upper Peninsula of Michigan
1 posts, read 6,439 times
Reputation: 11

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In 4 months my daughter and I are moving to the Wilmington area. We are currently living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The job market in this area is basically non-existent. The unemployment average is at 28%.

We are very much interested in moving to the Kings Grant area of Wilmington. We are both looking for jobs. My daughter will be doing her graduate studies at the UNCW.

Any and all comments or advise about the following would be greatly appreciated:

* What is Kings Grant like?
* What is the job market like in Wilmington area?
* Must see places

I would like to some input into this area.
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Old 04-16-2007, 12:45 PM
 
Location: Summerville
890 posts, read 4,315,470 times
Reputation: 395
The job market in Wilmington is not a good one. If you are looking for minimum wage service type jobs then you could probably find something. If you are looking for anything over $30k a year then you will find it difficult. Wilmington has the highest cost of living in the state, yet has the lowest pay.

Kings Grant is an older neighborhood. Some homes somewhat cared for and others not so much.
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Old 04-19-2007, 10:29 PM
 
4 posts, read 17,783 times
Reputation: 11
Ok, I think I replied to you daughters post, but I will say this, I moved here from phoenix, and went from making 15.00 an hour to making 7 an hour both were retail jobs. retail in this town sucks. If you are in construction and have experience there are a lot of jobs available with high pay. Lead carpenters make 20$ and hour, minimum. Recently my brother in law moved out here form AZ. he has a felony on his record, and though a temp service has a job making $9 an hour stuffing envelopes. My wife is a mid level manger in a grocery store and makes close to $17 an hour. I have been a carpenter for a couple of years, and I make 15 and hour. I could make more, but I love my job, and my company. I think that people expect to make money, right off the bat and do not. it makes them bitter. If you are a hard worker, stay away from walmart, and work for the right people, you will make money. Regarding Kings Grant, it is a great neighborhood, in my opinion. Its middle class, low crime. Some people may have more then one car per person in the driveway. Some people may not allways mow their yard or paint their house on time. I would not think twice about living there, or walking down the street at night. I think the biggest problem in WIlmington is all the ***hole drivers who feel the need to drive way to fast, because they need to get some where, and just people who do not know how to drive. Thats what happens when you mix a bunch of northerners with a bunch of southerners. People in a hurry to get somewhere, and others who have no place to go. I live in a dead end neighborhood and people speed. Other then that, WIlmington is great, in my opinion.
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Old 08-19-2008, 08:52 PM
 
1 posts, read 6,059 times
Reputation: 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by free2bme View Post
In 4 months my daughter and I are moving to the Wilmington area. We are currently living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The job market in this area is basically non-existent. The unemployment average is at 28%.

We are very much interested in moving to the Kings Grant area of Wilmington. We are both looking for jobs. My daughter will be doing her graduate studies at the UNCW.

Any and all comments or advise about the following would be greatly appreciated:

* What is Kings Grant like?
* What is the job market like in Wilmington area?
* Must see places

I would like to some input into this area.
Would like to reply to your inquiries--I live in Wilmington and my husband is a carpenter. I would have to say that the job market here for carpenters is poor. Hardly anyone is hiring and most home builders have gone into remodeling due to the general economic slowdown in building, so the independent subs and contractors are having more competition for less jobs. My husband has bearly worked at all this year.

I live near Kings Grant. It is mostly a neighborhood of small , brick ranch homes that are probably 20-30yrs old. Several of the homes are rentals. It is located outside the city limits, so there are no city taxes-county taxes are low--I pay about $800/yr for a home valued at $159,000.

Places to see in Wilmington--USS North Carolina is docked here--was a WWII ship. Wrightsville Beach is very popular. Several cable TV shows and movies are made at Screen Gems Studios. We have a beautiful , historic downtown area along the Cape Fear River. Fort Fisher was a Civil War Battle site. NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher also.

Hope this helps--Ann
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Old 08-19-2008, 09:54 PM
 
Location: Wilmington, NC
412 posts, read 1,226,161 times
Reputation: 302
King's Grant is a nice neighborhood and I'm sure you will like it. It's not the nicest, but it's not the worst either.

The job market isn't that great, but it really depends on what type of job you are looking for. Let us know and maybe we can point you in the right direction.

And by the way my family currently lives in Michigan (Ann Arbor area). I lived in Ohio during most of my childhood. My mom wanted a better life with nice weather so we moved down here. She ended up moving to Michigan within 5 yrs of living here b/c she struggled so much financially here (she's a nurse). I stuck it out (I was in college when she moved back)....but it's tough. I have a master's degree and I'm not making a lot of money compared to what I could potentially make somewhere else. I actually work a 2nd job on the weekends (mostly b/c I'm trying to pay off debt and save for a house.....not b/c I couldn't make it on my salary from my main job).

This is a coastal area and a lot of ppl move here, making the competition for jobs very tough!

I think your daughter will thoroughly enjoy UNCW though.
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Old 08-20-2008, 11:22 AM
 
12 posts, read 45,667 times
Reputation: 15
free2bme,

The condition of the job market depends on what you will be doing. Do you have a college degree or any other type of professional cerification? GE, Verizon, Corning and a variety of other larger companies are located here and if you are diligent in your searches should be able to find something you'll enjoy!

As far as Kings Grant goes, it is an older neighborhood but affordable. You also may want to check out Pine Valley Estates. Similar type of older ranch style homes and a good school district centrally located between the beaches and downtown. Definitely better than the U.P of Michigan!

Last edited by mm34b; 08-21-2008 at 05:01 PM.. Reason: No realty links.
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Old 08-21-2008, 04:57 PM
 
57 posts, read 273,470 times
Reputation: 48
I have a friend that lives in Kings Grant. He likes it-no problems. They are older well built homes from what I can see.
Find a job before you move here, good paying jobs are scarce.
Must see places are the beach,(also Brunswick county has many beaches that are less commercial than Wilmington), Wilmington riverfront and the cotton exchange downtown.
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