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My family and I are considering the possibility of relocating to NC. We've lived in NJ for many, many years and quite frankly, the taxes are driving us away. Does anyone have any positive advice/experiences to share with us? How is the work situation down there, the schools, etc. I know what I've read from researching NC, but some first hand information would be really helpful. Thanks in advance.
Location: Some got six month some got one solid. But me and my buddies all got lifetime here
4,555 posts, read 10,406,733 times
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Originally Posted by njparalegal
My family and I are considering the possibility of relocating to NC. We've lived in NJ for many, many years and quite frankly, the taxes are driving us away. Does anyone have any positive advice/experiences to share with us? How is the work situation down there, the schools, etc. I know what I've read from researching NC, but some first hand information would be really helpful. Thanks in advance.
I'll put it to you this way: We moved to North Carolina (Concord, right next to Charlotte) believing every single word of the hype....and I can't wait to get back up to New Jersey come November.
Only if you're cashing out on a house and buying one outright will it really and truly make the difference. Other than that they tax the living daylights out of your pay check, all of your essentials are taxed, your car is taxed, you're nickel and dimed. On top of that, the wages match the cost of living, so if the cost of living is lower then so is the rate of pay. Your property taxes are lower though, the housing is cheaper for the moment (although we've seen 40-50,000 dollar increases in homes just within the last few months). So essentially it's one enormous tradeoff. Really you'd be temporarily escaping everything you're attempting to leave.
On top of that, there are just sooooo many people moving down that the infrastructure is at the breaking point. Many schools are overcrowded to the point of teaching out of trailers, the traffic is a nightmare in spots hence the need for wider or better repaired roads. They'll eventually need more police, more firemen, more public service, etc.. It's been talked about down here about the cost of living eventually needing to go up, in one area it already is. I'd love to see the jobs match the cost of living when it rapidly starts to increase.
On top of that, like what has been discussed on this forum, many of the locals do keep you at arm's length when they find out that you're a northerner (and it ain't hard to spot). You're never truly accepted. As one NC local put it while addressing people from the north on the NC forum here, "You're not a tarheel and you'll never be a tarheel". And as another put it, "if it sounds like I don't want you to move down here...well...I don't" and "please find another state to ruin". This also tends to go with the job situation. I've also heard from more than one person that recruiters do tend to favor their own over people from the north.
Now there ARE plus sides to this. At least for now the air is cleaner, there are wider spaces (for the moment). The people here live a more relaxed lifestyle and sure do love their NASCAR. Again, this is just from my personal experience in moving from Jersey to North Carolina.
My advice is that you don't make the same mistake many have claimed to make when considering a move to NC or elsewhere. DON'T just look at the sticker price. Yeah it's cheaper, which is nice, but go down and spend some time there (preferably a couple of weeks) and answer the question, "would my family and myself be happy living here?" According to a lot of the people who post on this site, they've gone down there expecting a fairy tale lifestyle at low cost but they found that the culture is different, the way of life is different, schools aren't as good, family is hundreds of miles away, and they miss home. Do your research and look at all variables (not just cost of living) and decide if that move really is the best thing for you and your family.
Well we just moved from NJ (Bergen Cty.) to SC. I will say that I am homesick but it has only been a little over a week. We did come and spend time down here. Everyone has been very nice to us, we did sell our house and are buying our house (new build), so no mortgage. Our car insurance is about $1000 cheaper then NJ.
On the issue of school, the area we are in has a very good school. My son is in lst. grade and the school in SC is way ahead of his school in NJ, and he was in a good school in NJ.
Everyone has said it takes about a year to adjust - I miss family, Shop Rite, Macy's and knowing where I am going. But it was nice being on the beach this weekend!
My family and I are considering the possibility of relocating to NC. We've lived in NJ for many, many years and quite frankly, the taxes are driving us away. Does anyone have any positive advice/experiences to share with us? How is the work situation down there, the schools, etc. I know what I've read from researching NC, but some first hand information would be really helpful. Thanks in advance.
Especially regarding work.......make sure you have a job before you head south.....best to you.
PS. I've actually worked at a place in GA, where I've been told to drop the Jersey attitude......whatever that is!!! What a joke this place is......if it's not a snippety southern attitude you'll be dealing with, it'll be the rednecks....and there are plenty of them. Southern hospitality is a joke........they talk about you behind your back. They just plain don't like northerners!!!!
I also moved to SC and haven't had any of the problems mentioned. I do agree with lammius to do your research. Don't move just because it's less expensive and do find the right area for you to move to. If you can, visit a couple times and talk to people, go in stores and drive around. It is very different in the south but the only two things I don't like so far is bigger bugs and a lot more pollen. Can't have everything. Two best things have been the people and the weather.
Location: Some got six month some got one solid. But me and my buddies all got lifetime here
4,555 posts, read 10,406,733 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carat98
Especially regarding work.......make sure you have a job before you head south.....best to you.
PS. I've actually worked at a place in GA, where I've been told to drop the Jersey attitude......whatever that is!!! What a joke this place is......if it's not a snippety southern attitude you'll be dealing with, it'll be the rednecks....and there are plenty of them. Southern hospitality is a joke........they talk about you behind your back. They just plain don't like northerners!!!!
Southern hospitality applies mainly to their own.
Most of the people on the NC part of this forum that give you the hearty "come on down" are realtors or other people with something at stake. When you cut through that to the average people who've actually made the move, the ones with no financial gain, you'll find the results are far more mixed.
It's like someone I know who went down to take a look in and around Charlotte on a chance to relocate with a job. He came back up and turned the offer down going, "Yeah it's a nice place but I ain't spending the rest of my life down there". Thank GOD we have the opportunity to leave here.
I fully agree with Rapture. I've read that it's easier moving within countries in Europe than it is moving from north to south in this one. You really have to come down and spend some time. Not just a day or two, but over the course of time spend a week or two...maybe a long weekend at another time and seriously ask yourself if the monetary savings (which in NC turns out to be a bit negotiable) are really worth leaving. You have to picture yourself trading in all that you love for everything down here. Ask yourself if you can live with the trade off for the rest of your life. The big picture, long range stuff.
My family and I are considering the possibility of relocating to NC. We've lived in NJ for many, many years and quite frankly, the taxes are driving us away. Does anyone have any positive advice/experiences to share with us? How is the work situation down there, the schools, etc. I know what I've read from researching NC, but some first hand information would be really helpful. Thanks in advance.
Have you read the NC board? There are LOTS of posters there from NJ who are happy with their decision to relocate. Either post this same question there or do a search.
We relocated from Somerset County (NJ) to Union County (NC) this past November and I will never look back. We are quite content.
Location: Jackson, TN until we move back home to Jersey
46 posts, read 273,304 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lammius
My advice is that you don't make the same mistake many have claimed to make when considering a move to NC or elsewhere. DON'T just look at the sticker price. Yeah it's cheaper, which is nice, but go down and spend some time there (preferably a couple of weeks) and answer the question, "would my family and myself be happy living here?" According to a lot of the people who post on this site, they've gone down there expecting a fairy tale lifestyle at low cost but they found that the culture is different, the way of life is different, schools aren't as good, family is hundreds of miles away, and they miss home. Do your research and look at all variables (not just cost of living) and decide if that move really is the best thing for you and your family.
I totally agree with this statement and BrianH1970! My family moved down to TN almost 2 years ago and we can't WAIT to GET BACK TO NJ! Most likely this summer or by the end of this year! I've also lived in Michigan, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Florida so I know what it's like in different areas.
YOU MUST DO YOUR RESEARCH! I cannot emphasize this enough. I mean REAL LIFE research. Not just going to the beach, vacation stuff. Go down for 2 weeks. Go grocery shopping, check out the the mall, the schools, the library, etc. Do you feel comfortable there? Does the area have enough amenities that you're accustomed to? Drive around the ENTIRE TOWN. Do you feel safe? Will you kids have to go to private schools because the public schools are in such poor shape? Can you afford that extra expense and increasing tuition year after year?
Anyone from NC or anywhere else in the South originally will sugarcoat the lifestyle. I can tell you right now that more affordable housing and taxes SHOULD NOT be your primary reason to move. It will not make you happy. People, experiences, and doing what you love brings happiness.
I can tell you from my own personal experience that a good number of Southerners are superficially nice to you; but you never get really close to them because "you're a yankee." Here's an example: I was talking to an acquaintance at a party and mentioned we should get together with our children for a playdate. I said, "We don't have a pool but we have a baby pool and the sprinkler." She replied, "Oh yeah, we can pretend we're REDNECKS and run through the sprinklers." I just sat there open mouthed and stunned. I guess I must be a redneck since when we lived in Michigan, my bunco group and I would get our kids together in the summer for our "Sprinkler Group" at each other's homes.' The point is, that was below her, she would only go to the country club pool.
It's also true about the financial situation. Unless you or your spouse is a professional or in high demand (banker, physician, dentist, accountant, lawyer etc.) the pay is SUBSTANTIALLY less. Yes you can get a nice house dirt cheap and you will probably pay less in property taxes.
HOWEVER, you must pay a high TAX ON EVERYTHING ELSE-groceries, clothing, paper products, alcohol, furniture, etc. In TN, we pay 9.75%!!!!!
Second, your property taxes may not even go towards your school funding. Here in TN, 0% is allocated for schools. In NJ, it's 82%!
Will you miss your family? What about your kids? Will they miss their friends/growing up near extended family? We spent over $10K last year traveling back and forth.
What about crime? The South is notorious for it's crime statistics and it's INCREASING whereas in the majority of NJ it's decreasing. Look at this link: http://www.morganquitno.com/cit07pop.htm#25
Charlotte is the 8th most dangerous in cities of 500,000+ population. Plus it will only get worse as the drones from the North move south "because it's too expensive." The higher the population increase, the crime will increase as well.
To summarize, don't move for better taxes. Yes, I have a huge brand new house, my husband has a great job as a physician and gets paid really well, and we pay about $4550 in taxes, BUT those are all MATERIAL THINGS.
We realized that it's better for a slight decrease in salary, to be near family, to send our kids to a GREAT public school that our property taxes pay for (rather than the $15K for private), for our kids to grow up with their cousins, and a family oriented lifestyle rather than how much money we were making. Our solution is we're moving to Warren County, where it's a bit less expensive and we still are close to family and all the amenities. Why not try more rural NJ? Warren Co., Hunterdon Co., parts of South Jersey, Southern NY, or even Eastern PA? Like someone stated before on a previous post, Why not move 8 miles away not 800?!
I hope you take this advice to heart. While we don't regret our decision to come down here, it definitely made us realize what's really important.
I don't know anything about the cost of living in TN, but I grew up in Monmouth County NJ and now live in Raleigh, NC (Been here for 2 years now). I did not move here for any specific reason other than my career lead me to this area. I still have all my family at the Jersey shore and I love NJ immensely.
The previous posters have some interesting comments, and I agree that you need to do a lot of research before making any move. Beware of sweeping generalization from people unhappy with their move to NC. NC is a large state and living in different areas such as the coast, mountains, Charlotte, and Raleigh can be vastly different and should not all be lumped together. Just like living in another southern state is not necessarily indicative of what it is like to live here in NC.
Charlotte and Raleigh have enormous transplant populations from all over the country so the whole locals vs. transplant thing seems to be a non-issue to me. In my experience the folks who have the hardest time adjusting to there move to NC are those who plan to move to Charlotte or Raleigh, but instead purchase homes 30-45 minutes outside of the city in the more rural areas so they can get more house/land for their money. I find it is in these more rural areas of NC that folks may find a few natives who are not always as friendly as they should be. Likewise, moving to these more rural areas ensures you will have a longer commute to work as most of the jobs are in the more urban areas of Raleigh and Charlotte.
As far as jobs go, again do your research, some jobs pay the same here as they do in NJ. Some pay less; it really depends on your profession. I make the some here as I did in NJ. There are lots of folks moving here, so it is best if you can transfer within your company or have a job lined up before you get here. Also, many folks find it helpful to rent a house for a year while they familiarize themselves with the various areas to live in the metro area where their job is located. That way they don't rush into buying something and regret it later. Here in Raleigh you will not be priced out of the market if you wait a year to buy a house. The appreciation rate here in most places in RDU is about 3-4%.
Best of luck to you in your search!
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Yep, I agree with Brian and others
I'm not a realtor and I Like NC just fine.....
