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My husband and I are wanting to relocate our family from the Houston area to NC. We are looking for a chance of pace and are hoping to find it there. He is an accountant for an energy company and while he doesn't have to stay in the energy field, it may be helpful for him to find a good job. I am a owner and photographer of a high end boutique studio that I will rebuild in our new area. Having a decent amount of people in the community with some disposable income will be helpful for me. We do have children, so fabulous schools area must. Here is a run down of what we would like, I would LOVE any and all opinions
- Near a big city for husband to find a job (before we move, of course)
- Close knit community - can be a smaller town in the suburbs
- GREAT schools - this is a must
- Decent home prices (4 bedroom, 2700+sq feet under 300k)
I would LOVE to be in a decent driving distance to the beach and cool mountain towns as well
My husband and I are wanting to relocate our family from the Houston area to NC. We are looking for a chance of pace and are hoping to find it there. He is an accountant for an energy company and while he doesn't have to stay in the energy field, it may be helpful for him to find a good job. I am a owner and photographer of a high end boutique studio that I will rebuild in our new area. Having a decent amount of people in the community with some disposable income will be helpful for me. We do have children, so fabulous schools area must. Here is a run down of what we would like, I would LOVE any and all opinions
- Near a big city for husband to find a job (before we move, of course)
- Close knit community - can be a smaller town in the suburbs
- GREAT schools - this is a must
- Decent home prices (4 bedroom, 2700+sq feet under 300k)
I would LOVE to be in a decent driving distance to the beach and cool mountain towns as well
Can someone help point me in the right direction
You can't be close to the beach AND the mountains and a larger city at the same time in NC.
Maybe in VA you could do it.
You could find great schools, but the nicer the schools, the higher the price of the homes.
If he's an accountant for an energy company, being near Charlotte is going to be your best bet if he wants to transfer to a similar position.
However... the COL there (and in any other larger area of NC) is higher than Houston. Soo... why here?
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Yes, just about everywhere has a higher COL than the Houston area (though we live in a suburb that is more expensive). We are just looking for a change and NC seems to have a lot of charm that is missing here and isn't too cold
2-3 hours to get to the beach or mountains isn't a problem Just where we could jump in the car for a fun day trip.
And yes, darn places charging more and having good schools, lol.
I am a owner and photographer of a high end boutique studio that I will rebuild in our new area. Having a decent amount of people in the community with some disposable income will be helpful for me. We do have children, so fabulous schools area must. Here is a run down of what we would like, I would LOVE any and all opinions
- Near a big city for husband to find a job (before we move, of course)
- Close knit community - can be a smaller town in the suburbs
- GREAT schools - this is a must
- Decent home prices (4 bedroom, 2700+sq feet under 300k)
I would LOVE to be in a decent driving distance to the beach and cool mountain towns as well
The Raleigh/Durham suburbs are the other obvious choice. Look toward Wake Forest or Chapel Hill or Hillsboro for people with money. Your husband might look at Duke Energy/Progress for an accounting job. Fidelity Investments might be another place to look.
I dunno about "fabulous" public schools. Wake County has well-ranked schools, and you should check out the sub-forum threads for the locals' views.
You would be about 2+ hours to a beach and 3.5+ to mountains, so weekend trips are possible.
Yes, just about everywhere has a higher COL than the Houston area (though we live in a suburb that is more expensive). We are just looking for a change and NC seems to have a lot of charm that is missing here and isn't too cold
2-3 hours to get to the beach or mountains isn't a problem Just where we could jump in the car for a fun day trip.
And yes, darn places charging more and having good schools, lol.
Any other recommended cities?
What is your idea of a "big city"? NC cities aren't that large.
From Raleigh, the mountains and beach are about 3 hours.. If you did that in a day trip, that would be a 6 hour drive round trip.. That would leave little time for enjoyment..
Also, what do you mean by "charm"? Some of the cities and smaller towns have historical districts that are in various conditions. Much of the newer areas are in my (often chided) opinion are bland and devoid of character.
I also wouldn't refer to NC schools as "fabulous" unless I either had a tendency for hyperbole or a vested interest selling real estate there..
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