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The community I will be moving to is in Waxhaw, NC in Union County. I have done a lot of reasearch and one of my biggest concerns was finding the best school districts.
I don't know what the other counties look like but I can tell you is that compared to Lond Island, Union County is like paradise. I have a close friend that lives in West Babylon, he has a small 3br house with no property and his house was $450k with $9k a year taxes. He made over $125k last year and he is still struggling.
I have lived on Long Island my entire life and would have never thought for a second to ever leave and all it took for maybe the first 3 hours in NC that we knew we have been robbed for the last 5 years. The best thing was when we landed at LGA airport and we started driving home and you see garbage all over, dead grass, dirt and debris all over. In NC, you will see the greenest trees, the grounds are spotless, all the stores are beautiful brick buildings.
If you email me direct, I will send you photos of the area.
Thanks
Gregg
DONTLOOKBACK, I just returned after doing my foundation inspection. Our home should be done by Dec. 1 but our move will not happen until next summer after the kids finish school. You are so right about LI. Years ago many people wanted to move to the suburbs but today they are looking to leave. Between taxes and quality of life people are choosing to find a better place to retire to or raise their family. Some of the locals like to talk down the area on these boards so take what they say with a grain of salt. They are not familiar with the traffic that never ends and the decline in the quality of life over the last few years. I have travelled the highways around Charlotte purposely during the rush hours and they are 100 percent better than LI. Not to mention the money saved on property taxes, electric, home ins., car ins. and fuel cost. Good luck on your move and I'll be joining you next summer.
Gregg your response to going down was so positive and it was what I have been thinking for so long. I went down last march and I purchased on the 3 rd day, like you I want to share my experience with everyone that I encounter. So far I got my sis to go down there and purchase on the 5 th day and my in laws ( don't know if that is good) may follow as well. I am from NYC as well so I know where you are coming from. The only difference is that I currently live in SO FLA ,before my house got sold this past week. I am in NYC to kill time but have decided to go down south and stay in a furnished place for two months before my place is finished, just to get a routine going and get my daugher in daycare. SO FLA hurricanes and taxes are a pain. I paid a little less then you last year but it is still unbelieveable. THe house I have is Charlotte, bigger, 20 times better loaded with the works ( Cherry wood floors, double oven, cherry wood cabinets, speakers through out the house ETC.. ETC) and more yard space. I could go on and on, but your comments were so positive, I loved them. I like you can't wait to move.
I'm moving back to Upstate New York from Apex NC next June. The grass is always greener...... or is it? I have a question for you. You appear to be telling everyone in NY to move down to NC correct? So, lets pretend for a minute that everyone does...... then what? Then NC will be in the same boat as NY and it will be too expensive too! Ever heard of South Florida? Not too smart to tell everyone to move down here if you want it to stay even remotely the same as it is now (which it won't). Just a tip. Don't gloat to everyone about how you made it out of NY and are "living the life" in NC. If you do; they WILL come and NC will continue to get more and more expensive. lol. oh yeah, and if you don't think there are garbage ridden roadsides in NC you must not have driven down all of I-77!
I'minformed, why are you moving back to NY? I'm sure it's around here somewhere, but I haven't come across it yet. Or maybe I have, just don't remember. I know I read you were there 11 years, so what happened that you're unhappy there?
I'm pretty sure you've seen it somewhere and it was discussed. But anyways, it's mostly for family reasons. I'm not "unhappy here" so much as I am unhappy ABOUT living here. I imagine it's much the same as most of you who are moving. You aren't "unhappy" per say right now where you are, but aren't happy with living there. I just don't like living in NC anymore. For me, it doesn't make any sense. The only thing I gain from living here vs where I lived in NY is lower property taxes. I want my youngest son to grow up around extended family. I also want to be in a real "community" again. With many people being fresh transplants here in NC, I don't really get that feeling. There aren't any real neighborhoods. but rather, most people live in secluded subdivions. I'm also not too pleased with Wake County schools. Now THAT is something I know I'm not alone on!
I'm pretty sure you've seen it somewhere and it was discussed. But anyways, it's mostly for family reasons. I'm not "unhappy here" so much as I am unhappy ABOUT living here. I imagine it's much the same as most of you who are moving. You aren't "unhappy" per say right now where you are, but aren't happy with living there. I just don't like living in NC anymore. For me, it doesn't make any sense. The only thing I gain from living here vs where I lived in NY is lower property taxes. I want my youngest son to grow up around extended family. I also want to be in a real "community" again. With many people being fresh transplants here in NC, I don't really get that feeling. There aren't any real neighborhoods. but rather, most people live in secluded subdivions. I'm also not too pleased with Wake County schools. Now THAT is something I know I'm not alone on!
You're not alone on the family thing either. Family is the most important thing in this life, and I understand completely where you are coming from. Fortunately for us, not only are my family relocating to NC to be with us, but my husbands family, who live in FL now, are relocating too. This move we're making is actually going to bring us all closer. My inlaws in FL would not consider moving back to NY, but when they found out we had to relo to NC (husbands job) they decided it was time to join us and finally be all together.
One more question, even though we won't be in WAKE county schools, what's up over there? Are kids being left back, or NOT left back? I read about the overcrowdedness, (is that a word) but are the children suffering academically?
It's not so much the quality of the education; it's just all of the ridiculousness (is that a word) with the redistricting, the change out of teachers every couple years, and the unbelievable way they assing kids to schools half an hour away. I think that most people here would actually support some more tax hikes if it would help deal with the school situation. But it appears instead that most of the revenue from recent tax hikes will be going to highway construction. They are making ONE toll road, but should really make more and have more of the revenue from property taxes go to schools.
* Will I really save money, is everything cheaper? Everything in NY costs so much more then in NC, currently I pay $850 month for property taxes, the new house I bought in NC, the taxes are $1,500 for the whole year. Gas down there is $2.90 gallon compared to $3.40. You also are going to save money on your car insurance, electric bill, sales tax, cable TV and many others.
Not really. I am here for 2+ months now and after renting, buying, remodeling, paying for utilities, gas, etc. I can tell you as I have posted before (thanks for the reputation points I received )... it is NOT cheaper to live here if you take housing out of the equation. Yes, you can buy a house for a lower price here (but that's changing too, prices are climbing up quickly) so you have a smaller mortgage. But pretty much everything else costs the same or more than where you come from (unless you live in Beverly Hills ). And the main problem is that the wages here are *lower*. So you save a little here and there but you make less money and in the end it is not going to be much different.
Hey Grass hope all is well, everytime I go to Dunkin Donuts, I think of you (I mean that in a heartfelt way)
anyway, what you say is true, many have quoted back to me (who are moving to NC) that is its 47 % cheaper in NC then NY, if you do that comparison on sperlings, the 47% is 44% houses and taxes...
That is why I have always said, you have to take (to some extent $$ out of the equation) - if you are struggling financially where you are, and after living in NC the same thing occurs, except everything is new, you are still struggling, will you still be happy.
Now, onto wages, if you do a search and can see $$, not every job posting shows salary there is a range from a 10% to 15 or 20 decrease in pay from NY to NC ... (even medical costs are different - so even a dr can be effected)
When a company moves to NC, or any other place, they are leaving where they are for costs, pay is included, why would any company move from a to b, just to save on real estate taxes (threse are big expenses but a companies biggest exp is also labor costs...hence where there is so much (especially IT in India) - many of these folks get PHd's from ITT which is equivalent to our MIT's and they pay these people 20K a yr or so, that same job here in the states would be six figures...
Any yes what COnnie said is true, many people are still better off to move...is also depends where you are coming from...
what do you see if more there then where you came from?
(one little note - which someone informed me of, your electric bill down there may be simialr to what you pay here - why, while cost is less, most people are coming from a small house to a bigger house, more square footage, so it is cheaper rates but now you are heating or cooling more - so the bill will be more)
Thanks Weis, BTW a Coffee Coolata with a donut will cost you $6.40 here in NC
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