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Thank you so much. There are such wonderful advantages to city living, and it's a shame that common sense has "fled." I, myself, feel like I squeezed into the last good big city living......museums, lack of immigration problems, the arts, the "neighborhood" and "small business" feel, etc. Now, it's developer (r.e.) heaven, and really angry, confused, non-commonsense'ical people. It's true. I think, in short, that the amount of $$ you need to (now) insulate yourself and your family from what citites have evolved (downward) into for daily life is SO HUGE, that most people can't, frankly, afford it....and we are (just) not talking "rent, mortgage." I am glad my children and I remember the "old days" in an old fashioned, genteel neighborhood in a large city. BOY Is that gone.....
I am thinking I should say that the LAST thing anyone in the "country" should do is to worry about transplants....they're the ones with common sense.....
I have tried to get some response on other threads without any luck but since this thread is so active I'll give it a try.
My wife and I bought land in Granite falls and will be relocating from Maine in about another year.
I am a master plumber and am hoping to go into business for myself when we move.
Can anyone tell me what the need for plumbers is in the area?
I plan to specialize in service and repair but may do some remodel and new construction. Although I was born in S.C. I am sure I will be considered a yankee so what are your thoughts as to how well I will be received?
We are looking forward to our move and appreciate any advice .
Thanks
Last edited by autumngal; 02-23-2008 at 08:20 PM..
Reason: mod cut title, to comply with TOS
I have tried to get some response on other threads without any luck but since this thread is so active I'll give it a try.
My wife and I bought land in Granite falls and will be relocating from Maine in about another year.
I am a master plumber and am hoping to go into business for myself when we move.
Can anyone tell me what the need for plumbers is in the area?
I plan to specialize in service and repair but may do some remodel and new construction. Although I was born in S.C. I am sure I will be considered a yankee so what are your thoughts as to how well I will be received?
We are looking forward to our move and appreciate any advice .
Thanks
Brian and Kim:
What county is Granite Falls in? Let me know so I can do some looking into your question. There is always a need for a good plumber and since there are no unions to speak of down here self employment shouldn't be a problem. I post a lot in the new Rural and Small Town Forum as do many others, and although it is a nationwide forum there are many Carolinians in there. Try that out for size to see what others can come up with, and post in there directed to me and i will do my best to help you.
Hi UncleBatz,
G.F. is located in Caldwell Co.
First Thanks for your response.
Im new to this forum stuff so it will take a while to get up to speed to take advantage of it. When I first logged back in there was a note saying that there was a direct response from you but due to pop up blockers I could not open it. Is it proper to give you my e mail addy?
As you can imagine it is a little unnerving to think about selling our home here to try and start over again but we are looking forward to it none the less.
My biggest worry is trying to go into business for myself and falling on my face.
My wife works in the dental field and we will be renting while our house is built so it is my hope that her income can carry us until I get established.
Again any info or advise will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Hi UncleBatz,
G.F. is located in Caldwell Co.
First Thanks for your response.
Im new to this forum stuff so it will take a while to get up to speed to take advantage of it. When I first logged back in there was a note saying that there was a direct response from you but due to pop up blockers I could not open it. Is it proper to give you my e mail addy?
As you can imagine it is a little unnerving to think about selling our home here to try and start over again but we are looking forward to it none the less.
My biggest worry is trying to go into business for myself and falling on my face.
My wife works in the dental field and we will be renting while our house is built so it is my hope that her income can carry us until I get established.
Again any info or advise will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Hi again Brianandkim: First of all it is not improper for anyone to share their e mail addresses but I would only advise you to do so in a Direct Message. I know you said you could not open mine due to a pop up blocker, and I don't understand that. I have DMd many folks in here and we DM each other back and forth to share information should not be made public. First, try to DM me and I will respond to it and we'll go from there.
Your Wife should find it easy to get work in the dental field as NC's medical/healthcare field is widening and professionals/technicians are in demand. I am on the southeastern end of NC so am not too familiar with Caldwell County although we have been through there and surrounding Wilkes County.
I will certainly help all I can but let's see if you can square away your popup blocker problem. Perhaps you could tell the blocker to allow popups from City Data???. Oh yes, my Dad was a Master Plumber and I once held a Journeyman Plumber's license while going through college.
I just realized that I have the same problem with a pop-up blocker blocking DMs from C-D members.
Up in the upper-right corner of this screen, under the dark portion of the C-D.com banner and 'visit FORUM' is a little window that will say, 'Welcome, BrianandKim' Click on 'Direct Messages' in that window, and you'll be able to read UncleBatz's DM to you.
Good luck -- let us know if this doesn't work for you.
I just realized that I have the same problem with a pop-up blocker blocking DMs from C-D members.
Up in the upper-right corner of this screen, under the dark portion of the C-D.com banner and 'visit FORUM' is a little window that will say, 'Welcome, BrianandKim' Click on 'Direct Messages' in that window, and you'll be able to read UncleBatz's DM to you.
Good luck -- let us know if this doesn't work for you.
nims:
Just to let you know that Brian and I have been exchanging DMs and I believe he has the info now to proceed with setting up his business in NC.
Ok, here goes. Someone said they have Puff Adders on their N.C. Property. I seriously doubt this claim because Puff Adders are a deadly poisonous snake native to Africa and the Southern Arabian Peninsula. I suspect what they meant to say was Hog Nose Snake, one of the finest actors in all snakedome, they act quite fierce but it is all a bluff, one touch and they play dead, it is a good show. There are only four varieties of poisonous snakes in the U.S. Copperheads, a few varieties, coral snake, a few varieties, Water Mocassin, also varieties, and Rattlesnakes, the most varieties. Water Mocassin can not survive above 650 ft elevation, ergo most of the piedmont does not have water mocassin. More common watersnakes, eastern watersnakes get killed each year because someone assumes that A. It is a snake. B. It is in the water. C. Better to be safe than sorry. D It must be a water moccasin.- but it ain't!
My wife and I bought 11.25 acres in Orange county about 8 years ago, we cleared 2.5 acres and the rest is in woods w/creek in back down by the big poplars. When we moved in I went around to all my neighbors asking them to call me when they find a black snake, please don't kill it, I will come over, capture the snake and take it home with me. I caught and released 8 fairly large black snakes in the woods at different points around my house. Even with our large Blackberry thickets we have never seen a copperhead, Black snakes, oh yes, one is over 9ft long, this is our critter control program. I put in a half acre garden each year it keeps us in tomatos, corn, peppers, okra, yellow squash, cucumbers, cantalope, watermelon, zucchini, garlic, carrots et al to last us most of the year (except last year with the drought) In the middle of winter, with the leaves off of all the trees, sometimes I can see the lights of my closest neighbor, I can not see the lights of traffic on the road. We keep chickens, our flock shrinks during winter and we replenish in spring. We used to have a problem with foxes getting our chickens. The Hens would go scratching around in the woods and the foxes would cull them out. When the Chickens quit going into the woods for the goodies they scratch up, the foxes came into the yard after them. Dreifus, our 95lb German Shepherd killed at least three foxes. The chickens no longer go into the woods and the foxes no longer come into the yard, a truce exists. Hawks will still take biddies. I share extra eggs and the veggies with some of my neighbors, usually those too old to do their own gardening. People in town are friendly, people smile and speak, good manners are more the rule than the exception. We do have a lot of Hispanics in this neck of the woods. Doesn't bother me in the least, they are good neighbors. One family I give grazing rights to my garden. They come over almost daily, helping me keep it weeded, staking tomatos, doing the odds and ends chores that a garden always entails. I speak Spanish, a souvenier of a throughly ill-spent youth. For the most part, my neighbors do not gossip or bicker, I try not to encourage such behavior. When I let my dogs out, they run freely, not chained or penned. At the worse they go down to the creek and swim or lounge around. I enjoy the area, the slow-paced lifestyle agrees with both of us.
What I meant by that phrase in the first post was 'what'll you need from this thread?' and 'what can you offer here?' I can envision this thread as being a great place for Ruralites to expound on their private paradises, but also somewhere where those who are seeking 'another Mayberry' or contemplating a move to a forgotten corner of NC can seek information.
I've been a country girl in past lives, and I guess forever in my heart. I like to see nothing but Nature as far as my eye can see.
Here are a few questions:
-- do you 'go to town' (wherever that might be) once a week or so and stock up, or do you find yourself going more frequently? I live 7 miles from my most frequent destination right now, and I do all my errands whenever I have to make that trip, even though that distance doesn't really make me rural now. Do the increasingly-high gas prices put a damper on your jaunts?
-- when you first moved to where you now are, did you have trouble finding good services (the best appliance repair, for example), and how did you manage that?
-- how have your leisure activities changed since you are now countrified?
-- besides the obvious peace and quiet and freedom to live not under others' eyes, what are the biggest benefits? Do you grown your own produce, raise chickens, etc?
-- what have you found to be the biggest drawbacks?
-- how were the neighbors who were already there? Any problems with encroaching on their turf?
-- how would you characterize 'the culture' of the nearest town and the county where you live?
-- what are you going to do today that you couldn't have done in the last place you lived (or if you are a native, some more populated spot)?
Nims
I live 6 miles outside of Broadway (Lee County) and I want to answer some of your questions. I am a Real Estate Broker in the area just to let you know ( I am disclosing this because I believe in our code of ethics).
I do go to town in Sanford (12 miles), there is a Piggly Wiggly in Broadway but I like to buy some organig food which they don't have.Usually this trip is weekly or bi-weekly.
I have lived in the general Sanford area since 1994 and know my way around a bit.
I enjoy bonfires and walking to the creek and playing around in the yard (we have 25 acres of woods).
I'm currently trying to figure out where to put a chicken yard and a local eagle scout is going to help me establish a veggie garden.
The biggest drawback is that a lot of our friends who live in our old neighborhood (Gated Watersports and Golf Community 20 minutes away) are not coming out as much as I wish but they live busy lives and are activ in a lot of the watersports. They do come out for bonfires from fall to spring. I don't have direct neighbors to just walk to with a cup of coffe or a beer for a chat.
No problems with the neighbors, some of the friendliest country folk, they invited us to gatherings right away.
The culture is getting better! I'm talking about Sanford. It was hard around here at first but the last few years have seen a lot of improvements to downtown etc.. There is a Playhouse a Movie Theater and a lot of cultural Groups and Events nowadays. We have Pottery Festival every year that keeps getting bigger.
I could do a lot of things out here today. It's a little to cold to sunbath in the nude right now but a bonfire tonight sounds good to me (I need to check on the burn ban first!!)
All in all:I love it here!!
My transition was smooth and easy.
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.
. Oh yes, my Dad was a Master Plumber and I once held a Journeyman Plumber's license while going through college.
Hi, BrianandKim--
