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My wife and I are just starting to look into moving to North Carolina. We have read a great deal about Cary. Ultimately, we will not make a decision until we have visited each area we are interested in, but one thing is for certain - We will be moving to North Carolina! A friend of my sister just moved to Matthews outside of Charlotte. They had visited many towns, inculding Cary I believe, but ultimately chose Matthews. We will also be visiting Matthews to check it out. We plan to start some weekend scouting in October. So far just from research and postings on forums like this - we are considering looking at the follwing:
Cary, Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, Matthews (outside of Charlotte),
If anyone has an opinion on any of these, please feel free to share. And if you have an opinion on another comprable area - please share that as well. Like I said - we are just starting up with this little relocation project, so we are just trying to learn as much as we can before we start scheduling our visits. Because we know and have read, the only way you will know for sure is by visiting - it's all a matter of preference really! Thank you!
You have a great selection of choices, IMO. You mention no criteria that would lead you to choose any particular town.
I assume you are able to work at home, retired, or just not tied to a job in one location.
I have lived in Cary for 10 years. It was not a researched choice, but just where I landed in a job transfer, in an off-handed chance.
Cary can be a little goofy with some restrictions, but not as bad as misinformed folks will tell you.
That said, I enjoy it very much and consider it a happy accident that I am here.
Are you retired? with such a large option of areas of interest you didnt mention being able to get work. This could be a large factor if you still need employment. Some of the more popular metros have become job challenged over the last year with the high influx of unemployeed transplants, its kinda sad but some have had to return to where they came from because of it. Just a little caution before one jumps can go a long way.
In terms of criteria, We are raising three young daughters - the oldest being 7. Good Schools are a definite. Safe , comfortable area to raise a family............and just tired of trying to keep up with the Jones' ! Would like an area we can buy a nice home, be less financially stressed, where everyone is not so "materialistic" and just more down to earth. Most importantly, I want to give my three kids the best childhood possible! Probably going to be looking at New Construction, community centered single family homes. Would like a decent sized yard on level ground, don't want to be out in the boonies - but would prefer not being on top of one another as well. Close to shopping, dining, etc. - Museums and such for the kids. Again - Most importantly, I want to give my three kids the best childhood possible!
In terms of profession - I am currently a manager with Verizon. I know Verizon is not in these area's, but don't think it will be much of a problem getting into AT&T, Time Warner, Bell South or a completely different industry all together.
Cary is VERY nice. It's definately worth checking out. I don't visit it often but there is endless shopping/dining, great schools, virtually no crime, it's been rated on many of those 'best places' lists. Be sure to spend some time there and look around, you shouldn't be disappointed.
I don't know much about Matthews, maybe someone else here or on the Charlotte board does however.
Wake county has grown at a unpredicted rate and some of the critera you have listed is disscussed on this site in past posts. Cary being in wake is suffering from over crowding in the school systems and also has resulted in legal battles over year round schedules. Taxes have been a big topic in wake as well with the word on the wind that there will be a large tax base increase with the reassesments taking place this year in wake to pay for over crowding.(up to 32%)Also on the table is impact fees and transfer tax. With school out for alot of people the topic has not been front page but it will roar in about a month. Johnson county is really gaining steam because the schools are not as over crowded and developers have been real active in clayton and garner. One last suggestion get employed before you move with a family, over 47000 people moved into wake alone last year and alot moved with out jobs that is alot of competition.
Cary has the best schools, and has been on the nation's best place to live for many many years. But don't expect a big lot size for new construction. You can probably get a bigger lot at Wake Forest instead. There are a lot of people moving to Cary and thus school is crowded, and they re-assignment is done almost every year. Developers has just started at Wake Forest, so you can expect more land there. I personally live in Cary and like it very much.
Like others have suggested, employment is a big issue in deciding your residence, wake forest and cary are about an hour apart.
Fwiw, Verizon has locations in Durham, which is about 12 miles from Cary and Wake Forest. So you might be able to transfer. I'm not sure whether Verizon has any locations near Matthews.
Is the possible 32% tax a one time thing on the value of your property? What are the property taxes? Are your property and school taxes paid together?
32% refers to the estimated average rise in Wake County tax assessments this year. Property re-assessments are only done every ~8 years or so. It is not an across-the-board thing... and at the same time, some may go higher and others lower.
*Typically* counties/cities drop their millage rate when the assessments go up, though given Wake's growth, there has been some talk of holding the millage rate as a way to pay for growth. (Wouldn't hold my breath on that actually happening.)
After all, the Realtors and developers blocked the R/E transfer fee and impact fees on new construction... the car dealers are trying to block an increase in the Highway Use Tax... and all of southern Wake county seems to be trying to block tolls on I-540. One way or another, the state will have to find funding to meet the cost of growth.
Whether that happens through property tax or other methods will depend a lot on what decisions local and state governments make in this next year.
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Verizon
One way or another, the state will have to find funding to meet the cost of growth.
