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.
Now that my head is spinning from reading so many posts on NC and Wilmington...
About 1.5 years ago, my brother-in-law suggested NC, specifically Wilmington, as a good place to move, because he enjoyed his visit to the area. Right now, my mother and I are looking for a place to move and after reading about the area, we've grown attached to Wilmington area. We plan on moving this summer/early fall. Currently, we live in an economically depressed area of the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We're tired of snow, the very rural area, and the poor job situation (unemployment here is in the 20%-29% percent range). Mom is originally from Detroit, so she would like something more sity oriented, and I'm close to graduating from college with a BA. It would be nice to continue my education at UNCW. We want culture, close hospitals (our nearest is 45 mins, 60 or more in the winter), and new job opportunities. Hurricanes aren't a huge scare for us, because right now we deal with snowstorms and it seems every city has some ugly weather threat. We hope to buy a house (something below $200,000 hopefully) in a safe neighborhood with a reasonably sized yard for gardening.
We've seen houses in Kings Grant that appear reasonable. Is it a safe neighbor? What's the general feel towards it? Are there any other neighborhoods that you might think are better suited for us? We hope to stay away from the areas right next to water.
Where is the flood zone in Wilmington? or is it one big flood zone? I'm asking, because you have to purchase flood maps and if someone just happens to know, it'll make our search easier.
I think those are all my questions for right now...
I lived in Wilmington from 1997 to 2002. Kings Grant is an OK neighborhood, older homes probably dating from the 70s. At the time, those homes were looking a bit dated and the neighborhoods a bit dreary, so unless some revitalization has taken place, I'm sure the same stands today. Not a bad neighborhood that I recall, just an older one.
Your comment about "job opportunities" will be a concern. There was an article in the local paper just a few days ago about the pay in Wilmington be so low, yet the cost of living so high. If you don't move there with a good paying job in hand first your chances of finding one are low. A few quotes from the article: "At UNCW, officials half joke about the state's best educated waiters - their graduates."
"Counselor Leslie Wright, who advises business school undergraduates, said she tells students they may need to look elsewhere.
"I teach my students the Wilmington job market for professional jobs is very slim," she said. "Give yourself a chance to go to a large market to get your feet wet and shoot for coming back to Wilmington later on."
Personally when I lived in Wilmington Kings Grant was one of the lower end neighborhoods in the area. Like the poster above said, older and rundown.
Your comment about "job opportunities" will be a concern. There was an article in the local paper just a few days ago about the pay in Wilmington be so low, yet the cost of living so high. If you don't move there with a good paying job in hand first your chances of finding one are low. A few quotes from the article: "At UNCW, officials half joke about the state's best educated waiters - their graduates."
"Counselor Leslie Wright, who advises business school undergraduates, said she tells students they may need to look elsewhere.
"I teach my students the Wilmington job market for professional jobs is very slim," she said. "Give yourself a chance to go to a large market to get your feet wet and shoot for coming back to Wilmington later on."
Personally when I lived in Wilmington Kings Grant was one of the lower end neighborhoods in the area. Like the poster above said, older and rundown.
That's a dead on assessment of Wilmington as far as professional jobs are concerned...basically why I left a few years ago when the software company I worked for began downsizing, I knew I'd better get out on my own while I could before I was laid off. It's just not a good area to try to land a decent paying white collar job. Also, on the housing front, you will have a difficult time in Wilmington finding anything decent below 200K. Recent reports named it the most expensive housing market in the state.
Older homes don't make a big difference to me, because I wouldn't mind buying a lower-cost house and fixing it up. I don't plan on being there forever. I'm still young and I'm sure many changes will be coming my way. I just really like a graduate program being offered at UNCW that I was unable to find at other branches of UNC.
I've been looking at job listings for WIlmington and there are A LOT more there than where I live.
Lured by warm weather, lower taxes and new housing at a fraction of New York costs, the Long Island salesman packed up bags for Wilmington two years ago. But when plans to open a restaurant fell through, he found himself shocked at jobs that paid less than what he made as a teenager.
"Eight dollars an hour? - talk to me like I'm an adult," he said. "I am not looking for $100,000. I am looking for $50,000, $60,000 a year. That's all I am looking for, and they are just not there."
...
Limoli said he earned about $90,000 selling car ads in New York. After months of fruitless looking, he ended up taking a job at the Verizon Wireless call center for $26,000, a job he soon quit in frustration. He now works for straight commission selling home alarm systems and has his newly built house in Waterford on the market to cut expenses.
Good luck in moving to Wilmington. I really like it here, and I'd generally recommend it to most people. But it isn't cheap, and I wouldn't have moved here if I hadn't (out of the blue) found a good job. I wouldn't just move there and hope for the best, I'd advise you to have a good plan.
UNCW has become very selective in both undergraduate and graduate programs (because everyone now wants to go to "UNC by the SEA"). I would not move here without being accepted first, if you really want to go to graduate school, because there are no other colleges graduate programs in the area.
The comments about Kings Grant have been pretty accurate. I think it is generally considered safe. Older neighborhood, some homes well kept, others not at all. Kings Grant is notorious for homes competing to have the most outrageous Christmas light displays, and people ride through there just to see them.
Before you buy a home, a buyer has to disclose if it is in a flood zone in a NC disclosure statement. I would have my agent double check to make sure, because flood maps were updated just recently. But, usually only houses near the water are in flood zones. Also, even if you're not in a flood zone, you may live in a house that has a small pond when there is a big rain (remember this is FLAT land near the ocean). Before you buy a house, look at what the water does after a big rain (at your house and in the neighborhood) or you might get a big surprise.
Wilmington, just like anywhere else, has great points and not so great.
There are many job listings, but that doesn't mean there are many good paying jobs. I would advise anyone to have a job lined up before moving, and especially an acceptance letter from UNCW if you are serious about graduate school.
Good luck in moving to Wilmington. I really like it here, and I'd generally recommend it to most people. But it isn't cheap, and I wouldn't have moved here if I hadn't (out of the blue) found a good job. I wouldn't just move there and hope for the best, I'd advise you to have a good plan.
That article is dead on...same deal here where I live now, Asheville. Wilmington is great to visit and I go back often, but just not a good place to try to make a decent living or find affordable housing.
Good luck in moving to Wilmington. I really like it here, and I'd generally recommend it to most people. But it isn't cheap, and I wouldn't have moved here if I hadn't (out of the blue) found a good job. I wouldn't just move there and hope for the best, I'd advise you to have a good plan.
I do not understand why people say you can not find decent housing for under 200,000? what is considered decent? I bought my home 2 years ago for 115,000, its 1200sf, .75 acre, backs up to a wetlands preserve (floodzone). Brick, 3br, 1.5 bath, tile and carpet. It will probably sell for 170,000, if I am lucky. I do not understand all the comments about decent housing under 200k?
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.
