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Hi! I'm looking for options, opinions and info. But first, here's my delimma. We're an upper 30's couple w/ 2 children w/o college degrees. I have an extensive customer service and mortgage processing back ground. He is a blue collar worker w/ extensive training in building maintenance, most recent, w/ a background in telecommunication/computer network installations. We're both from NYC and moved to SC for a better way of life. Now that my children are getting older, I want to expose them to more diverse communities, cultures and a better education.
We've visited Raleigh a few times, very briefly.. However, there was one time we stopped to smell the roses, boy did it smell good. I fell in love w/ Raleigh. The people were so nice and approachable. The streets were clean. The vibe exuded warmth. This was over three years ago. I haven't been back since, though it stays fresh in my mind. It dawned on me...what's keeping us in SC? My husband was laid-off and I was stay-at-home mom that had to scramble to find a temp position. Life in SC seem to be a bit grey w/o much opportunity.
So, with that being said, I hope you see that we are a DIGNIFIED lower-income family that will strive for the best. But, where do I start? Where are the safe, yet affordable neighborhoods? How much are the apartments going for a 2-3 bedroom? How is the job market for our line of work? Is it decent pay? We like the suburbs, how will the commute be? What about utilities? Can we find work from SC or do we need to move first? We are hoping to move by the summer, w/ income in place. Do you think this reachable? PLEASE HELP!! Any extra information will be greatly appreciated.
Pay here sucks. Jobs are not that easy to come by. Funny, you say the streets are clean, but my husband and I were talking about how much more trash we see on the sides of the roads here than we are accustomed to seeing.
Most of your questions are pretty vague-commute from what suburb? what about utilities? There is a link somewhere at the top of this forum with answers to many questions about possible re-locators-maybe they call it a sticky?
Go to Indeed.com and enter keywords for the types of jobs you might be seeking in Raleigh and see what pops up.
Then know that there may be a lot of competition, especially because there are a lot of college-educated people here -- BUT you might be able to beat them out due to your experience.
As far as apartment rentals, seek out Craigslist for general ideas or Google for apartments.
Great advice, lovebrentwood. Will definitely look into it. As far as college, I do plan on going back. There's too much competition ANYWHERE you go. I was thinking about going into the medical field, but am open to ideas.
Hi! I'm looking for options, opinions and info. But first, here's my delimma. We're an upper 30's couple w/ 2 children w/o college degrees. I have an extensive customer service and mortgage processing back ground. He is a blue collar worker w/ extensive training in building maintenance, most recent, w/ a background in telecommunication/computer network installations. We're both from NYC and moved to SC for a better way of life. Now that my children are getting older, I want to expose them to more diverse communities, cultures and a better education.
We've visited Raleigh a few times, very briefly.. However, there was one time we stopped to smell the roses, boy did it smell good. I fell in love w/ Raleigh. The people were so nice and approachable. The streets were clean. The vibe exuded warmth. This was over three years ago. I haven't been back since, though it stays fresh in my mind. It dawned on me...what's keeping us in SC? My husband was laid-off and I was stay-at-home mom that had to scramble to find a temp position. Life in SC seem to be a bit grey w/o much opportunity.
So, with that being said, I hope you see that we are a DIGNIFIED lower-income family that will strive for the best. But, where do I start? Where are the safe, yet affordable neighborhoods? How much are the apartments going for a 2-3 bedroom? How is the job market for our line of work? Is it decent pay? We like the suburbs, how will the commute be? What about utilities? Can we find work from SC or do we need to move first? We are hoping to move by the summer, w/ income in place. Do you think this reachable? PLEASE HELP!! Any extra information will be greatly appreciated.
With experience with building maintenance he should try to get a job with a apartment complex. I see postings all the time for people needed to up keep apartments. On the plus side you will get a huge discount on rent. 2-3 bedroom apartments can run from maybe 800-1500 dollars. Commute is a breeze compared to NYC but compared with SC it might be a little bit longer. Good Luck!
For building maintenance, in addition to apartments mentioned by NRaleighman, also look at the state, county, city government and University (there's NC State, Wake Tech, Shaw, St. Augustines, Peace, Meredith just in Raleigh!) job sites. All of these entities have buildings that need general upkeep and maintenance. I work for the State, and our building would not function without our amazing maintenance guy. Also, many hotels have in-house engineering, especially the higher end ones. I know folks that work in the engineering departments at the Marriott downtown, the Renaissance at North Hills and the Umstead. These are all guys that worked in construction (2 former general contractors) that lost jobs/closed their own business when the bottom dropped out back in 2008/9. They all really seem to enjoy the work, because they have the opportunity to use such a wide variety of skills because the needs of the building are so diverse.
Since you said you like suburbs, definitely look in Cary. You will find apartment/home rental prices will be all over the place. It will really depend on where in Cary you're looking. If you look at the western side, it will be higher; these are newer areas, newer construction, lots of amenities, and the prices reflect this. If you look at "older" Cary, inside the Maynard loop, it will be less expensive, but you will definitely want to check out the location closely before putting any money down, there are some areas that are rougher than others, and some real gem neighborhoods. I currently rent inside the Maynard loop, just off Maynard and Harrison, and I LOVE the area. All the homes are older, probably built in the 60's/70's, the trees are all grown up so it's nice and shady for walks. The houses are smaller (more like 1300-1800 sq. feet) but on decent sized lots (ours is about a 1/3 of an acre). No, we don't have a community pool. No, we don't have a clubhouse. But we have good schools, friendly neighbors, and can walk to grocery stores, parks, and the greenway trails. There are a few apartment complexes in this area, and some rental homes. Definitely give it a look!
Good luck!
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I'm looking for options, opinions and info. But first, here's my delimma. We're an upper 30's couple w/ 2 children w/o college degrees. I have an extensive customer service and mortgage processing back ground. He is a blue collar worker w/ extensive training in building maintenance, most recent, w/ a background in telecommunication/computer network installations. We're both from NYC and moved to SC for a better way of life. Now that my children are getting older, I want to expose them to more diverse communities, cultures and a better education. 
