Relocating from MI to Duncan area (Lyman, North: homes, employment, transfer)

[SilkeR]

[FONT=Verdana]Hi All[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Great topics here... and now there is me and my questions. I am sure many have been touched in one way or another....So be patient with me please.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]My husband is changing employment and will be working in Duncan. The rest of us will follow this summer. We are spoiled here in MI, living country life on 30 acres. By the time we move we will most likely have only our 9yr with us, hence the girls are done with HS and will go to College. Now, I am looking for land, a home with basement. A Realtor myself I know how to do all that.... but how is life different from MI? I read about nasty snakes, Alligators ( we also have 4 dogs lol), huge Spiders and all sorts of nasty critters that are just bigger than here. Husband is willing to drive up to 45 minutes to work, so maybe NC would be an option too. Any area suggestions, hints about daily life, anything you can think of would be super helpful. I know, being German myself, I have worked with hundreds of transferees over the past 11 years and I am great at gathering the info for them and now I find myself in the situation and yes, it can be scary if you do not know where to go and what you will find. Again, Thank you All for your time and input. Silke[/FONT]
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[j7r6s]

True basements are pretty rare here, due to the soil. Walkout basements from homes built on a slope are more common. A quick look at Michigan spiders shows that you have black widows, wolf spiders and writing spiders, so I don't think you'll see many dangerous or large spiders here that you can't find there. There are no alligators around Duncan, you'd have to travel three hours or so towards the ocean to get into their habitat. Unless you're hiking in the mountains, where you might encounter a rare rattlesnake, the mildly venomous copperhead is the only dangerous snake you'll encounter. Land is plentiful and relatively cheap within 45 minutes of Duncan.

[oldhousejunkie]

Originally Posted by SilkeR

Hi All
Great topics here... and now there is me and my questions. I am sure many have been touched in one way or another....So be patient with me please.
My husband is changing employment and will be working in Duncan. The rest of us will follow this summer. We are spoiled here in MI, living country life on 30 acres. By the time we move we will most likely have only our 9yr with us, hence the girls are done with HS and will go to College. Now, I am looking for land, a home with basement. A Realtor myself I know how to do all that.... but how is life different from MI? I read about nasty snakes, Alligators ( we also have 4 dogs lol), huge Spiders and all sorts of nasty critters that are just bigger than here. Husband is willing to drive up to 45 minutes to work, so maybe NC would be an option too. Any area suggestions, hints about daily life, anything you can think of would be super helpful. I know, being German myself, I have worked with hundreds of transferees over the past 11 years and I am great at gathering the info for them and now I find myself in the situation and yes, it can be scary if you do not know where to go and what you will find. Again, Thank you All for your time and input. Silke
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The rumors have been greatly overexaggerated.

Definitely no alligators. In the country, you're more likely to encounter black snakes, corn snakes, or plain old garden snakes. I rarely see any, though I'm a "city" girl for all intents and purposes.

Spiders...I HATE spiders. Worst.creature.ever. You're going to see "Daddy Long Legs" and what I like to call "Jumping Spiders". I don't know what their proper name is, but yes, they jump though they are not bigger than a nickel most of the time. They are brown with black markings. If you're home is built on a slab, you'll probably encounter Brown Recluse spiders. They are poisonous to the point that they can cause nerve damage, so if you think you've been bitten, you'll want to see a doctor ASAP. They are shaped like violins and have long legs though they are not very big most of the time.

Other than that...you're going to see fairly large cockroaches called "Palmetto" bugs...though the really big ones will be found on the coast. You'll see one occasionally in the upstate.

Duncan should be a good place to settle if you are looking for country. Moving to North Carolina is not required. Duncan has built up a lot over the past few years, so you'll want to look in the adjacent towns of Moore, Reidville, and Lyman if you want some acreage. You'll be hard pressed to find a basement in a newer home. You might get lucky though.

Good luck.