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Hi everyone, first time posting. My husband and I are looking to relocate from Spring Hill, Florida to the Greenville, SC area in a year or two. We are in our early twenties and run a professional photography business. So I suppose my questions are
1. How good is the area for young couples? We don't plan on having children anytime soon if ever, and we'd like to move to a place that at least caters a bit to our demograpic. Not really into the partying scene.
2. How is the photography market there and in nearby areas? Do you feel quality work is lacking in your area?
3. What is the market like for first-time home buyers? We've been wanting just a little two bedroom when we move.
Hi everyone, first time posting. My husband and I are looking to relocate from Spring Hill, Florida to the Greenville, SC area in a year or two. We are in our early twenties and run a professional photography business. So I suppose my questions are
1. How good is the area for young couples? We don't plan on having children anytime soon if ever, and we'd like to move to a place that at least caters a bit to our demograpic. Not really into the partying scene. A lot of folks say that if you don't have kids, you'll have a hard time fitting in. I don't know if that is entirely true, but I do observe that my friends with kids have a busy social life because they are constantly going to kid-related functions. Me and my hubby aren't party heads either. We go out to eat mostly, occasionally see a movie, etc. We do have a lot of local events: festivals, outdoor movies, concerts, etc. There isn't a lack of things to do but if you're craving people to do it with, you may have a hard time. You may not. It will depend on your personalities.
2. How is the photography market there and in nearby areas? Do you feel quality work is lacking in your area? There are A LOT of photographers. As I'm sure you guys know, practically anyone who owns a digital SLR thinks they are photographer and suddenly sets up shop. Very few have formal training from what I've read of bios. Most have a style that isn't very distinguishable from their competition. If your style stands out and you're good at marketing and can handle competition, you'll be OK.
3. What is the market like for first-time home buyers? We've been wanting just a little two bedroom when we move. It's decent. It really depends on your budget and where you want to live. The closer to downtown Greenville you get, the more expensive it is. Some of the older neighborhoods on the fringes of downtown can be had for $150K-$200K. There are many, many subdivisions in the suburbs of Simpsonville. We live in Greer, which about 11 miles from Greenville. There a lot of subdivisions on the east of Greer, but there are some nice homes near the core of downtown Greer which has some cute shops and restaurants. I would suggest renting before buying.
4. Average taxes and cost of utilities? Utilities will vary on who your provider is and whether you have gas service in addition to water and electric. Our combined bill with the Greer CPW is about $200 in the peak of winter or summer (when we run the A/C or heat full blast). Our house is about 1100 square feet. Property taxes are pretty cheap from what I hear. Once again, it will depend on how big your house is. Car taxes are pretty cheap too. I pay about $100/year on my ten year old car.
We're from Pinellas County, a bit south of Spring Hill. Many of our costs are significantly lower. Property taxes are about 1/3, homeowner's insurance is about 1/5, and we were surprised that our car insurance is also only half of what it was in FL. Utility rates are about the same per KWH, but it depends on the house. A drafty, poorly insulated house will gobble energy no matter where you live. You haven't indicated what kind of area you want to live in, but prices are all over the map, with modest properties in rural or semi-rural areas being quite cheap. I second the suggestion of renting. That way, you can see if your business will fly, and learn more about where you want to live before making a commitment.
We're nearly retirement age, but I imagine this area will have more social opportunities for young people than Spring Hill. Various events in downtown Greenville draw large crowds of young people.
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