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Scenario: I can no longer afford to keep an underwater house up in Ohio and the bank is willing to help me with a short sale which would allow me less than 3 months to get my affairs in order as far as finding a new place to live. I've wanted to move to NC for some time now so I'm using this as my opportunity.
I don't have a lot of cash available to me at the moment, roughly $2000 in the bank and the mortgage bank will provide a relocation stipend of around $5000 once the house sells. I am self employed (graphic / web designer) so looking for a job in NC won't be an issue so much as finding leads in my new city before my relocation money runs out.
I am aware that finding a place willing to rent to me with two large breed dogs is nearly impossible up here in Ohio, but I'm not sure how difficult it is down in the Triangle are of NC. I really do not want to resort to re-homing them, especially since one is a protective breed and I think he would have extreme difficulty bonding to someone else.
I'm interested in relocating to an area near one of the major cities - Greensboro, Carborro, Raleigh, Charlotte, etc...ideal rent would be $600 a month or lower.
I appreciate anyone's suggestions and thoughts about how you would handle this situation. Thank you.
I'm interested in relocating to an area near one of the major cities - Greensboro, Carborro, Raleigh, Charlotte, etc...ideal rent would be $600 a month or lower.
It won't be easy to find a place for 2 large dogs in the cities with your limited budget. I suggest placing a "housing wanted" ad in Craigslist and be open to roommate situations. Smaller towns like Sanford may have small houses or mobile homes with yards in that range.
I'm interested in relocating to an area near one of the major cities -
Greensboro, Carborro, Raleigh, Charlotte, etc...
I am self employed (graphic / web designer) so looking for a job in NC won't be
an issue so much as finding leads in my new city
There's a difference? Yeah, but it makes it even worse than no job.
btw... the cities you name are all very different places.
As with all relocation threads: it's all about the job.
Don't move if you don't have one (or paying clients).
Quote:
I don't have a lot of cash available... two large breed dogs
...ideal rent would be $600 a month or lower.
If you had a job... a house with large fenced yard for $600 or less
(anywhere) will put you way the heck outside the metro area.
And it'll still probably be a trailer.
There's a difference? Yeah, but it makes it even worse than no job.
How so? I've started accepting clients from out of Ohio and have a pending $4000 web project coming in October. Having been out of the rat race for a year now, I'd much rather be out here hustling up my own money instead of having to live at the whim of an employer, it's proven to be a far more flexible way of living. I could waste time sending resumes out to companies who would never hire me or I could invest time making the connection with a good lead generating resource in NC and have a new project or two to get me going before my relocation funds and any money I've saved have run out. I understand your caveat, and thank you for the frankness.
I just need some suggestions of what organizations I might contact in the new city. Perhaps the Chamber of Commerce?
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrRational
Don't move if you don't have one (or paying clients).
Not moving is not an option at this point. The bank wants the house and they will take it through short sale or foreclosure, short sale just happens to be the best scenario for me. I have no intention of staying in Ohio another year, I've already delayed relocating out of state several times due to other circumstances and I don't want to grow old trying to leave it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrRational
There's a difference? Yeah, but it makes it even worse than no job.
If you had a job... a house with large fenced yard for $600 or less
(anywhere) will put you way the heck outside the metro area.
And it'll still probably be a trailer.
That's fine, I would just commute 30-40 minutes to the city for provisions does not bother me at all, and this would just be for temporary living space until I could get established and find something more appropriate, 6-12 months.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrRational
btw... the cities you name are all very different places.
Could you elaborate some? Do you mean price wise, cost of living? Culturally, etc.
Thank you both for the replies.
Could you elaborate some? Do you mean price wise, cost of living? Culturally, etc.
This question tells me a lot... job vs freelance, budget, cash reserves and dogs aside...
you don't have a reason to go to any of those places over 20 other names you've heard of.
Carborro - for arts and culture, liberal community.
The Triangle - stable economy = more freelance work.
The Triangle - social life, entertainment etc.
North Carolina in general - closer to my brother who lives in FL without being as hot as FL.
North Carolina in general - no thigh high snow, still located on the east coast, not the deep south.
North Carolina in general - green state with lots or available line, cheap housing depending on location (rural)
These are the very general reason why I want to move to NC, but I'm always open to gather more intel, which is why asked you for more.
Carborro - for arts and culture, liberal community.
The Triangle - stable economy = more freelance work.
The Triangle - social life, entertainment etc.
I understand why you want to move, but your $600 budget is quite unrealistic for either the Triangle or Carrboro. Now, if you look (on Realtor.com) at 20 miles around Sanford, you will find plenty of houses in that price range that allow pets. Many of them are in or near Fayetteville. As the PP said, many of them are modular homes, and you can expect they will not be in great shape if they have allowed dogs. Now, you won't find a liberal community around Fayetteville, as they are conservative, military-oriented towns. Another low-cost option is Siler City, but there are issues there too. I imagine you can find free-lance work among the local businesses.
Each of these options is within driving distance of the Triangle for entertainment. I think you have to prioritize your options a bit more, and decide between cheap housing and an attractive town.
Another point to worry about is - how are you going to pass the credit check for your rental application? This problem is really going to limit your choices, I'm afraid.
Thank you for the Realtor.com link. I was able to finding housing for rent for between $400 and $600 Winston Salem. It's most likely not in the best neighborhood, but I've lived in Cleveland Ohio most of my life, I doubt it would be that large of a culture shock.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jkgourmet
Another point to worry about is - how are you going to pass the credit check for your rental application? This problem is really going to limit your choices, I'm afraid.
This is a very good point, I think foreclosure has the worse effect on your credit, vs short sale, but I have to check with the realtor on that issue.
This is a very good point, I think foreclosure has the worse effect on your credit, vs short sale, but I have to check with the realtor on that issue.
for what it's worth, i'm in the legal field (not an attorney and this is not legal advice, simply my general knowledge working in the particular field of creditor's rights/foreclosure) -- foreclosure & short sale are essentially the same thing to a credit report. a foreclosure will have the repercussions of typically issuing a judgment against you for the remaining balance from the sale of the property once seized; short sale basically forgives the balance but it is still essentially a foreclosure without issuing judgment for the remaining balance.
as for your budget, you could consider smaller towns & areas of that nature but i agree with others that the larger metro areas (charlotte & raleigh, in particular) are not going to be budget-friendly to you. winston-salem is a nice town. if you are freelancing & have the opportunity to work from home, then that may be your best option. however, if you are trying to make contacts in the hopes of working for particular companies in the larger metro area, it may take some time.
you should certainly consider your moving expenses, utilities, taxes, & the like when moving. they may be quite different from ohio in terms of what is taxed, costs, etc. for example, i don't know about ohio, but north carolina has a one-time road tax when you first relocate; thereafter you have inspection fees, registration fees, & taxes each year. sales tax & income tax are both charged in north carolina. i hope you'll consider that in your budgeting for relocation &/or if you are considering other areas to live.
best of luck to you. many want to relocate to NC. doing your homework up front will be quite valuable to you in terms of helping to address any shock value at hidden costs in your relocation.
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