Relocating to Charlotte, Please help!!! (section 8, sales, real estate) - North Carolina (NC) - City-Data Forum

girl476 · 01-04-2011, 06:04 PM

I am a single (female mid 30's) parent of a 15 yr old son thinking about relocating to charlotte from los angeles. My main concerns are a safe neighborhood, good school for him and good job for me. I am not transferring so I would have to find new employment for me and I need a place where there will be lots of activities for the both of us, PLEASE HELP!!! Thanks!

runninginheels · 01-04-2011, 10:15 PM

I would not make that move unless you already have a job lined up or relatives you can stay with until you find employment, or income to tie you over for 12 months or better while you look for work. This is not the city to relocate to if you don't already have a job waiting for you.

No disrespect, if you have a kid that looking to get into something he or she will find it anywhere they go including Charlotte. Sounds like you are trying to get your kid out of some type of environment in LA because he is getting in trouble or headed for trouble. I personally would not compound that by moving to a city where you could potentially be without any income for months if not a year plus, if the only way you can support your child is by working and you have no other kind of money available to you (i.e. child support, interstate unemployment benefits, etc.) I'd think real hard about spending money to move here.

I'm sure many could suggest safe neighborhoods here in Charlotte but if you have no strategy as to how you are going to pay the rent while you look for employment, what's the point! Apartment complexes are no joke out here, they will and can evict in 30 days or less for non-payment of rent. Unless you got a section 8 certificate or relatives you can live with that will be tolerant of your situation, I personally would not move here.

Hannahd19 · 01-05-2011, 12:28 AM

I just moved from So Cal (OC area) and love it! I am late 20's and don't regret it a bit. Charlotte is an awesome city and there are a tons of things to do.

runninginheels · 01-05-2011, 03:36 AM

Again as a parent I would be thinking about how I would be able to support myself and a child coming to a city where the job market is not good. Especially if you do not have any family here.

Obviously you are not in your 20s and you have responsibilities. You probably are not in a position to fly by the seat of your pants like a 20something who bum a spot on their buddies couch till they find work and live off of cold pizza. Think about it.

I would suggest seeking advice from others in a similar situation like yourself who have relocated to this area with children and no job prospects. Clearly you need to do what is in the best interest of your son. I understand you wanting to take your kid out of a bad 'element' in LA but perhaps a city closer to you in the mid-west with better employment opportunities than Charlotte would be a more sound and logical transition.

wevie · 01-05-2011, 06:50 AM

So what do you do for a living now?

What made you choose Charlotte?

What does your son think about moving across the country?

girl476 · 01-07-2011, 03:21 PM

@ runninginginheels I understand what you are saying but we are not coming from a bad neighborhood, I live in lakewood now but said los angeles because alot of people would know that and not lakewood. My son is a good kid and has never been any any sort of trouble outside of the regular (dirty room, wash dishes, attitude etc...) I am just looking for a change and really just tired of the LA scene, ready to settle down and buy a house thats not going to cost me close to a million dollars..lol! As far as a job ur right I don't have one but I do have money saved up and everyone who I have talked to have said I shouldn't have a problem with the field I am in but i will take everything you said into consideration. Thanks!

@ hannahd19 I am happy you are enjoying your decision. How does the town rate comparing them to the OC/LA area?

@wevie I currently work for a college in the financial aid department dealing with student loans but I do have a banking background with mortgage loans as well. I chose Charlotte because it's beautiful, its still a city but more of a hometown settle down feel compared to LA, and I have not told my son yet because I wont to be absolutely positive that I will be moving before I let him know.

southbound_295 · 01-07-2011, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by girl476

@ runninginginheels I understand what you are saying but we are not coming from a bad neighborhood, I live in lakewood now but said los angeles because alot of people would know that and not lakewood. My son is a good kid and has never been any any sort of trouble outside of the regular (dirty room, wash dishes, attitude etc...) I am just looking for a change and really just tired of the LA scene, ready to settle down and buy a house thats not going to cost me close to a million dollars..lol! As far as a job ur right I don't have one but I do have money saved up and everyone who I have talked to have said I shouldn't have a problem with the field I am in but i will take everything you said into consideration. Thanks!

@ hannahd19 I am happy you are enjoying your decision. How does the town rate comparing them to the OC/LA area?

@wevie I currently work for a college in the financial aid department dealing with student loans but I do have a banking background with mortgage loans as well. I chose Charlotte because it's beautiful, its still a city but more of a hometown settle down feel compared to LA, and I have not told my son yet because I wont to be absolutely positive that I will be moving before I let him know.

Were you aware that the banks have laid off a lot of people?

runninginheels · 01-14-2011, 01:50 PM

The banking industry is going through major changes out here in Charlotte and most of those changes are not to the job hunters advantage. Laid offs are something anyone in the banking industry would have to deal with at any point in the year. Banking in Charlotte is not a good place to be in right now, you will surely be at risk for a RIF.

As far as working at a state college. NC has a $4 billlion dollar revenue shortfall and in today's local paper the state University (UNC) is cutting 2,000 jobs and the local school system is cutting around the same.

The homes in Charlotte are reasonable priced compared to Cali and NY, but those states boast some of the most expensive real estate, so just about any other state is going to look very attractive in comparison. Obviously its the horse before the cart if you can't find liable, steady long-term employment. If you get laid off you will have the risk of falling behind on your payments and entering into the waters of foreclosure.

IMO you would be better off relocating to a state closer to California that would require less moving expense and with a lower unemployment rate then Charlotte (currently at 11%) and with the kind of things you are looking for (better schools, decent job market, lower cost of living, affordable homes) Charlotte does not have a monopoly on that. Think about it hard. Don't jump up and do something without doing a whole lot of thorough research beyond this forum.

topchief1 · 01-14-2011, 05:25 PM

Personally, I don't understand why people seem to have no issues with uprooting their childrens lives in a hunt for the elusive cheap living, perfect weather, no crime, good school, ect life that just doesn't exist. When I was in high school, my parents were planning on moving, and at one point they told me that they would likely be moving to a different town, and i was feeling devastated that I would have to go to a new school and start all over. But I see tons of people on here doing that. does anyone consult with their kids to see if the kids want to move??

runninginheels · 01-14-2011, 07:30 PM

So true! I think people get frustrated and want to jump up and go 'somewhere else' and if someone (relative, friend, co-worker) puts a bug in their ear about Charlotte. They start buying into the hype, without the much needed details and back story. That's why Charlotte is such a transient city now. Most people don't commit long-term to this place, because they never did enough research to see if it was a long-term match.

Also, it seems like it's always that 'cost of living is dirt cheap' scenario without factoring in that they will probably be at a lower pay scale or market rate then a bigger city and have the added expensive of maintaining a vehicle if they lived in a city with mass transportation and didn't need to own a car. Sales taxes are not cheap at 8.25% and everything is taxed too death out here. In NY they pay no taxes on clothing, you also don't need a car so you don't have to be burden down with a car note, insurance, annual vehicle taxes, repairs, registration and emission fees or traffic tickets, etc. Not to mention all the hidden cost and expenses associated with the maintenance and upkeep of a home and the ever increasing association fees if you live a townhome or condo, especially when it's a single parent and not a couple bringing in two incomes.

It's a lot of information to consider and one must weight the pros and cons. That's why folks really need to do a lot of thorough research about what expenses they don't current have where they are living and what they will be incurring if they move to different state. What about support from family members if you isolate yourself by moving 2 to 3 thousand miles away from your support system. What will happen when you really need them? Especially families with small children or those leaving elderly parent behind who in turn may need them as well.

You can come on a forum and say 'hey, I want to move, how is the schools, neighborhoods and job situation out there' but there is so much more to it then that. I don't know anybody with a life that black and white. Always multiple layers of grey areas that need to be considered, before someone makes a major decision like that.