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We are considering a move to NC and looking at Raleigh, Charlotte, Jacksonville and many other locations. I have a cousin in Richlands near Jacksonville. I believe it is very nice there from what he says. Although it sounds tempting, we would probably opt to live near a big city for jobs etc. We want to avoid high property taxes and have a more affordable cost of living, around the US norm. I guess we are also used to a diverse range of shopping and other amenities that bigger cities have. We currently live in north-east central Phoenix, AZ. 1950's brick built ranch, 1800 sq ft, 4 bed, 2 bath - very nice neighborhood. Sidewalks and street lighting, everything within a mile of the house. 5 miles from downtown Phoenix or downtown Scottsdale. We would like to find similar in NC.
Also, the further north in NC - is the weather colder in winter, more cloudy days, etc?
I'd be grateful for feedback. Thank you.
We are considering a move to NC and looking at Raleigh, Charlotte, Jacksonville and many other locations. I have a cousin in Richlands near Jacksonville. I believe it is very nice there from what he says. Although it sounds tempting, we would probably opt to live near a big city for jobs etc. We want to avoid high property taxes and have a more affordable cost of living, around the US norm. I guess we are also used to a diverse range of shopping and other amenities that bigger cities have. We currently live in north-east central Phoenix, AZ. 1950's brick built ranch, 1800 sq ft, 4 bed, 2 bath - very nice neighborhood. Sidewalks and street lighting, everything within a mile of the house. 5 miles from downtown Phoenix or downtown Scottsdale. We would like to find similar in NC.
Also, the further north in NC - is the weather colder in winter, more cloudy days, etc?
I'd be grateful for feedback. Thank you.
Charlotte actually sounds like the best match for what you are looking for.
However, the reality is you should go wherever you are lucky enough to find a job - which can be very difficult in NC right now
Thanks lovesMountains. Forgetting jobs for a moment, what would mean the difference between Charlotte, Raleigh and Jacksonville for us?
Home prices in Charlotte are slightly more affordable than Raleigh. Jacksonville is pretty military, which can mean a transiant population. But its proximity to the beach is certainly better than Charlotte or Raleigh.
We are considering a move to NC and looking at Raleigh, Charlotte, Jacksonville and many other locations. I have a cousin in Richlands near Jacksonville. I believe it is very nice there from what he says. Although it sounds tempting, we would probably opt to live near a big city for jobs etc. We want to avoid high property taxes and have a more affordable cost of living, around the US norm. I guess we are also used to a diverse range of shopping and other amenities that bigger cities have. We currently live in north-east central Phoenix, AZ. 1950's brick built ranch, 1800 sq ft, 4 bed, 2 bath - very nice neighborhood. Sidewalks and street lighting, everything within a mile of the house. 5 miles from downtown Phoenix or downtown Scottsdale. We would like to find similar in NC.
Also, the further north in NC - is the weather colder in winter, more cloudy days, etc?
I'd be grateful for feedback. Thank you.
What is your home in AZ realistically worth, fair market value? You don't say how much land you have in AZ? You are probably looking at $225,000 range, plus or minus depending on the three L's. Location location location. Around any of the larger cities. You may get more sq. ftg. for that price though, crawl spaces, few have basements here unless on sloping land. I think that the City Data data give you more info on the weather. Or search the name of towns on www.noaa.gove for weather history. Check www.realtor.com and enter your criteria for samples of home prices in a given zip code.
Charlotte is the closest to Phoenix, but not quite on that level. Phoenix is the 6th most popu;ated city, Charlotte the 17th. It will be the most expensive of your choices, though I don't klnow how that expense compares to AZ. Charlotte is either the most expensive o 2nd most expensive city in NC (I forgot if it or Asheville is number 1, Wilmington is number 3).
The thing that I always loved about Raleigh (though it's fast changing), is that it is a City with a small town feel. There's a thread on the Raleigh/Triangle sub-forum right now specifically talking about 1960's ranch homes.
Jaksonville, catering to over 100K Marines w/. nothing but disposable income (as basic necessities are provided) has every big box store(Best Buys Targets, B& N and the like) and chain restaurants you can think of. Thiough unique shopping experiences are more limited. It does have a good spread of local restaurants, due to the diverse population of the area due to the military. Still not as much as Raleigh or Charlotte due to sheer size difference. Depending on where you live in the area you won't be too far from Wilmington and it's offerings. Jacksonville and it's surrounding areas are definitely the cheapest f the three and some of the cheapest on the NC Coast, which tends to be more expensive in NC. The Marine Corps, this is largely due to the fact that the Marine Corps owns the beach in Jacksonville which means you have to travel to Emerald ISle or Sneaks Ferry for unfettered beach access. Up to the 90s Onslow Beach was open to civilians, but I think that may have changed since September 11th.
As far as home health care. I don't imagine it'd e much of an issue finding a job in that field in Raleigh or Charlotte. I know the industry is strong around Jacksonville and up and down the coast as NC coastal cities and towns are popular retirement destinations. Though, finding a job may not be an issue, wages can be, tough. alot of in-home health care is done by CNA's which doesn't even require an associates, just a certification. Average pay, from what I've seen is 8-11/Hr. If you don't have a degree, I'd advise getting one in the mean time. Even if it's not in nursing. My mother is a qualified health care professional, her degree is human resources I believe. Which she attained much later in life and online from University of Phoenix at that. Much of the higher paying jobs in the areas you're looking at, Eastern NC especially. Require education or advanced vocational skills. Also on Jobs, in general, Charlotte and Raleigh have high competition for a limited number of jobs. Though the situation is not as bad as other places, especially in Raleigh's case. In Eastern NC the problem is that there are not enough people around that are qualified for the jobs. This results in a lot of people coming here from out of the area to work in the few cities along the coast (Greenville, New Bern, Jacksonville, Wilson, Wilmington).
Charlotte is the closest to Phoenix, but not quite on that level. Phoenix is the 6th most popu;ated city, Charlotte the 17th. It will be the most expensive of your choices, though I don't klnow how that expense compares to AZ. Charlotte is either the most expensive o 2nd most expensive city in NC (I forgot if it or Asheville is number 1, Wilmington is number 3).
Actually, I've got to disagree with you about costs of houses - Raleigh has long had higher housing prices than Charlotte
Median home price in Raleigh - $240,000
Median home price in Charlotte - $169,000
Last edited by lovesMountains; 04-09-2011 at 05:08 PM..
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