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All very valid points. I realize this may be getting off topic but something to say about the Bay Area. (Begin rant now) There is a reason why we're looking elsewhere, specifically in a place that is known for family friendly atmosphere. San Jose's crime is getting out of control (we're in a good place, but even that is starting to see crime in areas), the housing market is out of control, trying to relocate up the peninsula so that I can be closer to work (currently I spend an hour plus each way in traffic) will cost us over $2m for a 2500 sq. ft house on a 8k lot for a house built in 1955. This is not exaggerating.
Yes, there are things to like about it - lots of jobs, if you're into tech (you have to be in this area), high pay (but you better make a lot of money if you're spending $2m on an average house!) and there's no sign of the Bay Area tech economy slowing down anytime soon. Not the mention the schools aren't amazing (depending on where you are, of course) and private school is too expensive, so what are we REALLY paying for? This is the dilemma we are currently in. First world problems..... Hence, looking for an area where we can get a better quality of life without the rat race that is the Bay Area.
Has anyone moved out of the Bay area that was in a similar situation? I find myself going back and forth - the pros and cons of Bay Area vs the pros/cons of Raleigh area. I'm going out to Raleigh in early April to see for myself, but I fear that 3 days there will only confuse me more :/
To OP's question, we realized we were really paying for consistent sunny weather in soCal! Everything else that is important at this stage of our life, i.e. raising kids, are available and better in NC. We like to say that we are on a 10-15 year plan in NC. Who knows where life takes us when our kids are in/out of college?
Come in April and focus on what is important in your life for the next X years and see if those can be found here. Moving to NC doesn't have to be forever. But don't waste life away in CA working long hours and long commute so you can pay your mortgage. I call that financial slavery. We've been there. While we miss our hillside home overlooking the mountains and valley, we are happy with our wooded backyard. Ok, we miss our blocked walls too - still getting used to no fences between houses and no privacy!
Well said islander03. I'm going to go and check it out. It deserves a look. thank you.
One of my main concerns with Raleigh is I've heard the NC school system isn't great. But then I compared it to CA and it's about the same. Private school it is (since we would be able to afford it!)
you say "North Raleigh/Cary" as if those are the 2 areas that comprise "Raleigh". Downtown Raleigh is a completely different area, and one that many folks from the Bay area enjoy.
You can do everything you note that you want by living ITB (within the area that I-440 encircles) in parts of the 27605, 27607, 27608, or 27609 zip codes. You'll find real estate to be expensive comparatively - but under $300/sqft. You'll also find the schools, if you spend > $500K, to be very good since you're going to be surrounded by a populace with fairly similar education level demographic as the Bay area (in other words, SF is perennially #1 among "most educated", we're always in the top 5)
you say "North Raleigh/Cary" as if those are the 2 areas that comprise "Raleigh". Downtown Raleigh is a completely different area, and one that many folks from the Bay area enjoy.
You can do everything you note that you want by living ITB (within the area that I-440 encircles) in parts of the 27605, 27607, 27608, or 27609 zip codes. You'll find real estate to be expensive comparatively - but under $300/sqft. You'll also find the schools, if you spend > $500K, to be very good since you're going to be surrounded by a populace with fairly similar education level demographic as the Bay area (in other words, SF is perennially #1 among "most educated", we're always in the top 5)
I agree here, but you can find plenty of educated individuals in the areas the OP has targeted, housing stock that's newer and generally more affordable, and (in the case of Cary, anyway) closer proximity to RTP for tech jobs (particularly places like Cisco, where many transplants from SJC to RDU are working).
Of course, the commute to RTP from ITB isn't bad. It's just not as close as Cary to RTP.
The commute times in the Bay Area do suck. That factor along with price of RE would be what's keeping us from moving there. The main reasons, anyway. Hard to overlook expensive housing and terrible traffic.
To get a home like ours (size/level of quality/neighborhood) in a good Bay Area suburb we'd need about 4-5mil, minimum. No kidding.
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To be perfectly honest, our family is super bored living here. Moved here from Atlanta, and while I don't miss the traffic, we really miss all the amazing things there was to do there.
And to make things worse, real estate and the cost of living was much lower in *Atlanta* than it is here - so we had to downsize the size of our house on top of it. At least coming from Cali you'll be on the positive side of real estate.
Hehe. Maybe you should go to Atlanta We had a neighbor there who sold her "2 bedroom shack" in SanFran and bought a 5 bedroom house in Atl for cash - and was able to take a year off work with a new baby with the difference.
Friends who move here from big cities echo our sentiment, the people who like it here are mostly either natives, or moved here from similar/smaller locales.
To be perfectly honest, our family is super bored living here. Moved here from Atlanta, and while I don't miss the traffic, we really miss all the amazing things there was to do there.
And to make things worse, real estate and the cost of living was much lower in *Atlanta* than it is here - so we had to downsize the size of our house on top of it. At least coming from Cali you'll be on the positive side of real estate.
Hehe. Maybe you should go to Atlanta We had a neighbor there who sold her "2 bedroom shack" in SanFran and bought a 5 bedroom house in Atl for cash - and was able to take a year off work with a new baby with the difference.
Friends who move here from big cities echo our sentiment, the people who like it here are mostly either natives, or moved here from similar/smaller locales.
Good luck.
I disagree. I moved from NYC suburbs and I am not bored and I know others who feel the same. Those that are unhappy come here thinking that Raleigh is Manhattan, it is not. Just as I told the OP, do not expect a California vibe here.
I think it depends on where you are at in your life. As a single person, I enjoyed the time I spent working in NYC and living close to it. That ended when I had a family. The suburbs of NYC are not my definition of family friendly. The OP stated they want a family friendly area, I do think that describes this area! Once again, when you ask opinion of strangers on an internet boards, lots of opinions are what you get. The OP needs to visit and see if this area meets their needs.
To be perfectly honest, our family is super bored living here. Moved here from Atlanta, and while I don't miss the traffic, we really miss all the amazing things there was to do there.
And to make things worse, real estate and the cost of living was much lower in *Atlanta* than it is here - so we had to downsize the size of our house on top of it. At least coming from Cali you'll be on the positive side of real estate.
Hehe. Maybe you should go to Atlanta We had a neighbor there who sold her "2 bedroom shack" in SanFran and bought a 5 bedroom house in Atl for cash - and was able to take a year off work with a new baby with the difference.
Friends who move here from big cities echo our sentiment, the people who like it here are mostly either natives, or moved here from similar/smaller locales.
Good luck.
Beg to differ. I went to college in Manhattan and lived and worked around NYC area. Don't miss the happenings there much. Every time my mind wants some semblance of crowd on a Friday evening I think back to the human traffic jams in midtown and around. No thanks.
What amazing things did you find to do in Atlanta that you can't find here? Can't be the Falcons game, they have the most mercurial fan base from all the NFL teams that I have seen
To get a home like ours (size/level of quality/neighborhood) in a good Bay Area suburb we'd need about 4-5mil, minimum. No kidding.[/quote]
It's true - look up Palo Alto, Los Altos, San Carlos, Belmont, etc. One thing that's really appealing about Raleigh area is that we can have the house and lifestyle we want without having to win the lotto!
It's true - look up Palo Alto, Los Altos, San Carlos, Belmont, etc. One thing that's really appealing about Raleigh area is that we can have the house and lifestyle we want without having to win the lotto!
Oh... we've checked out houses when we've been out there... I probably spent about 3-4 weeks total in the area last year.
I mean, if I could afford Palo Alto, we would already be living there because there are infinite startup opportunities and my husband could transfer (works for Cisco).
But... there's that whole "win the lotto" issue.
We could go in half on a ticket, Californian.
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We had a neighbor there who sold her "2 bedroom shack" in SanFran and bought a 5 bedroom house in Atl for cash - and was able to take a year off work with a new baby with the difference.
