Quote:
Originally Posted by minna
For many years now I have wanted to relocate to NC. After visiting the crystal coast area, I think this is where I would like to be. I'm visiting in August and plan to go explore the area some more. I'd like to move within a few years.
Anyway - maybe some of those who live there could give some advice..
I am a realtor - right now I run a very successfull short sale business, and I plan to stay put for the next few years to see that wind down. I plan to stay in real estate though when I relocate - is there sufficient opportunity in real estate in that area? I do believe NC is a reciprocal state.
Also - a 3-4 br 2ba house within reasonable distance to water...not walking but maybe driving. Can that be done for say 200k realistically. From realtor.com seems so, but I am not an expert on Coastal NC housing.
Also hubby does programming for a major hospital. He would need to do something similar down there...
Any areas to suggest? I am really liking the Beaufort area..
I have a 16 year old who I assume will not be going with me as he will be 18-19 by then and may not be living at home, and I have a currently 10 year old also. I would need a decent school system.
Any input would be appreciated.
|
We moved down four years ago. We really looked hard before we found a spot. We started looking in Beaufort, but just could not find what we wanted on the water there for a reasonable price. We found a whole other world when we came down and looked in the Cape Carteret, Cedar Point, and Swansboro area. One of the nice things is that Beaufort is only 35 minutes away so we often take guests there to enjoy the Maritime Museum, the Historic Site, or just walk the docks.
If it is possible, water access is even better down here since Emerald Isle's western regional beach access is only ten minutes from us. Cape Carteret even has a number of Cape Carteret resident parks on the water and their own boat ramp. We will often go over for a beach walk after dinner.
Most of the area's shopping is on the western side of Morehead City. That's where Best Buy, Belks, TJ Maxx etc is. We are less than 20 minutes from there, but we only go there a couple of times a months since there are plenty of grocery stores, other services and restaurants right in our area along with a Lowes Home Improvement. One of the area's best selling points is Croatan High School which has been named a top US high school by US News and World Report for two years running.
As far as an opportunity for a real estate agent, it is tough right now even for established agents, but I think it will get better. The area just has too much going for it. The climate is very temperate. It is very scenic, and our crowds are just enough to make us feel like we have some company in the summer. There is a great mix of people here, from away and people who have been here for ever. Check out
the City-Data profile on Cape Carteret for idea of the area.
People are very open to newcomers. We found a very friendly church and have had no trouble making friends. As for your husband, there is a regional medical center in New Bern about 45 minutes from our area, and there are also hospitals in Jacksonville and Morehead City.
As for the housing prices, I recently sold a 1990 square ft home built in 2005 for $215K. It is part of a community that has a boat ramp and boat day dock. It is
7.5 miles from the beach. As you can see from the map, there is plenty of water around. We also have the benefit of being protected on the backside by the 158,000 acres of the Croatan National Forest. Then there is the White Oak River which happens to be one of my favorite fishing holes. I caught a couple of early bluefish there on Thursday, and a week ago I caught a nice red drum which I returned to the river so we could meet again.
This morning I showed a property built 26 years ago. It was 3 bedrooms and two baths. It is across the street or walking distance from a community boat ramp and dock that is right on Bogue Sound. It is an older home but I suspect that it will sell in the $250K range. So Bill was right, you can find what you want as long as prices don't go up too much before you get here. I think we are pretty much at the bottom for prices here.
Here are some links that will be helpful as you investigate the area in August which is the a time when it usually gets really warm around here. I like to say we are just storing heat for the fall which is my favorite time, since the water is still warm and the air is cool. I have gotten tomatoes from our garden as late as mid-December. October can be spectacular.
The first link is to
my Crystal Coast links site which has an interactive map of the area, lots of pictures, and a link to the articles about Croatan High School.
The next link is to my blog,
Saltwater on my feet, it is for people thinking about moving here.
There is also
an index of all the articles.
Here is
a page with an article I wrote about Beaufort and other articles about a lot of other things along the Crystal Coast.
I have also written travel guides for
Beaufort (http://coastalnc.org/beaufortnctravelguidecd - broken link),
Swansboro, and
Emerald Isle (http://coastalnc.org/emeraldislenctravelguidecd - broken link).
We really love living here, after every
Dazzling Day on the Water or
Spectacular Beach Walk, I say thanks for the privilege of living here.
This might not be the right spot for you, but it is a very neat spot, and many of us thing this is paradise on earth. From the summer farmer's markets where they remember your name to the numerous small unique family owned restaurants, to the fish markets where you might have to wait for them to unload the boats, this is a great spot. And did I mention all the festivals, the next one on the list is the
Arts by the Sea Festival in Swansboro?
I hope that things work out so that in a few years you can find the place of your dreams. It is a lot of fun when that does happen. I have really enjoyed helping some others do that.
I drove by a home that I recently sold this morning, I saw their boat was gone, so I know they are out on the water having a blast. If I could just get my kids to move down here, it would be a perfect place for us, but the one thing we don't have is a lot of night life other than walking the beaches so if that is a requirement, we are not the spot.
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.
I think you would find what you need on the Crystal Coast
