Need help making a decision about which town to move to

[rfabricatore]

Thank you all for your responses. I have been in bed sick for the past 3 days......sorry for not responding sooner. I am just getting ready to read all of the posts and respond to you all.

Thanks.

[rfabricatore]

Originally Posted by Francois

Have you been to the area to look around?
(Otherwise, how do you know it's where you want to be? ).

Originally Posted by Francois

But nothing you read online can replace visiting and scouting for yourself. How would you answer a question from someone who asked "What part of LI should I move to?"

OK....we have not been to the area yet to look around. We are going to be planning a trip in the next few weeks. I was trying to narrow down the "area" we are going to look at.

I guess LI is very different than the rest of the US (as i have heard...there's no place like LI), but I would probably be able to direct someone on where to live here (with some specific criteria).

Originally Posted by twingles

Budget?

$200-$300K

Originally Posted by saturnfan

Good public schools may disappear here with the disgusting legislature now running the show.

Originally Posted by saturnfan

If a good school is vital, look elsewhere unless you have the cash to go private.

Yes, good schools are vital. I will look into this new legislature and the price of private schools. Thanks.

Originally Posted by michgc

Are you moving for the weather and slower pace of life?

We are moving for both

[Originally Posted by michgc ----Wake Forest, on the northern side of the Triangle, is supposed to have a pretty nice downtown, but I've never been there, so I cannot comment.-----quote=ScarletG;35780381]We do. Some wonderful shops, a micro brewery, several restaurants....a short drive to a wonderful little bowling alley and more restaurants.[/quote]

Thanks. I will look into Wake Forest.

Originally Posted by chickenbot

Apex. Similar to Cary but smaller and cheaper. We recently moved from the northern side of Apex after 9 years to the older, southern side and are really enjoying it. There is some nice development going in out this way, but it's far enough from Research Triangle Park that it will never have the traffic congestion that west Cary and Morrisville have.

Great. I will check out Apex.

[quote=RedZin;35789711]Agreed. We are overflowing with IT guys and photographers in these parts.

WOW...that is something I wasnt expecting, but I really appreciate the input! He will definetly have a job before we even think of packing a single box! Thanks.

Originally Posted by Francois

And "IT guy" can mean anything from a desktop support person to a data analyst to a developer to a project manager.... the catch-all term really isn't so helpful because job descriptions are always VERY specific as far as the exact experience they're looking for (I know because I just spent months looking to change jobs in the IT field).

You are absolutely correct in your statement. I was actually trying not to get too much into detail when placing my first post, but to be a little more specific ......he is a webmaster and a HP field technician.

Originally Posted by RedZin

I know! Telling me you're "in IT" is not at all helpful. What sort of IT? Are you a coder? Are you an engineer? An architect? Are you a network admin? Database admin? Help desk? tech lead? Middle manager? What are you, exactly? Each of those initial questions are always followed with "what sort of language(s)/systems/programs?" See? It's complex.

Yes....I see...it is complex. I added a little bit of specifics above. Thank you

Again - Thank you all for responding to my post and i apologize for being so late in responding. I was in bed sick for the past 3 day.....ugh!

[twingles]

I grew up in Suffolk (Huntington). You can find a house in Cary in your budget but it won't be new or huge. But worry about where u will live once I know where husbands job is. Unlike Long Island there are few worries as to where u might land.
Good luck!

[Everblind2001]

I'm in the similar boat. Planning a move from Nassau to NC with wife and 7 year old. Looks like you've narrowed it down to the Raleigh area. We're still flip flopping between there and Charlotte. Nashville TN is a distant third option. I also work from home and it allows for flexibility.

[macnoir]

Wake county schools can have very different outcomes depending on where you live. Apex schools seem very highly regarded. It's not like in ny where you have town based schools.

The pace of life is definitely more reasonable, which you should like.

The job market here is quite good relative to many other parts of the country. Good luck to your husband with his search!

If you don't like bugs, snakes or humidity...uh, all are in abundance here. Coming from the north and west, it is very humid here.

The area, including the cities, has a very suburban feel. Lots of housing developments, malls and chain stores. Some cities have nice downtowns with nice amenities such as durham, Raleigh and to a smaller extent, chapel hill. Even the cities though feel suburban.

Housing and property taxes will be cheaper. Though, housing is still not as affordable as some would have you believe. For your budget you can probably get a small new house with a small lot or a decent sized older house with a larger lot. You probably won't get an acre though until you move to a more rural setting.