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You aren't moving to Charlotte. This needs to be moved to the York Lancaster subbforum.
Fort Mill to BOA Stadium- 17.8 miles
Waxhaw to BOA Stadium- 29.2 miles
Yep, Fort Mill is closer to Charlotte than other areas discussed in this Charlotte forum.
To OP...
Fort Mill keeps your drive short and meets your criteria (good schools, family friendly, etc). During your visit, just stop in the Chic-Fil-A on Hwy 160 (right off I-77) and you will see that family aspect I am telling you about. The big positive is the tax advantage you have by living in South Carolina. If you want to save from Baxter (priced up because it's lifestyle), you can look at communities like the Reserve at Gold Hill, Lake Ridge, and in Tega Cay.
Builder in Bridgemill is John Wieland and it is in Lancaster County, SC. Totally agree with Mikey's post. It is very difficult to find a rental in the areas mentioned by the OP. The rental market is very tight right now, and rentals are often going in a day or two, with the owners having a choice of several applications. Also, often people with school-age children want to rent in the same area where they will end up buying, so the kids won't need to change schools again.
While I agree that renting is a good option for many, it may not be the best choice for everyone.
Thanks so much for taking the time to respond! All of you have made some good points. We will not be looking into renting because I had a friend who just moved down and said the rental market was horrible. Plus, my girls need to get adjusted to their new school without being moved again.
Right now we live in the burbs of Detroit (near Ann Arbor) on a half acre. I love our big lot, three car garage and brick home...around 2700sq ft. But, with four girls we do need a little more space. Ideally it would be nice to be close to my husband's office, but he does drive about 20 miles right now.
Baxter is the first on my list, but I am not sure if it will be the right fit for us. On paper, I like Union County better. But, who knows. I am looking at a new build or a home that is just a few years old. I am concerned that Union County will be overwhelming. Are there pockets of FM or UC that I need to stay away from. People have told us we need to be really careful with choosing the right schools. But, it does look like the schools in FM and the Waxhaw area are pretty good.
Taxes aren't a big concern. It seems like the taxes in NC are even less than we pay here So, we will not be making a decision on that.
I am excited for the move and I guess I need advice on areas to stay away from or that aren't as family friendly as others Thanks, so much!!!
Builder in Bridgemill is John Wieland and it is in Lancaster County, SC. Totally agree with Mikey's post. It is very difficult to find a rental in the areas mentioned by the OP. The rental market is very tight right now, and rentals are often going in a day or two, with the owners having a choice of several applications. Also, often people with school-age children want to rent in the same area where they will end up buying, so the kids won't need to change schools again.
While I agree that renting is a good option for many, it may not be the best choice for everyone.
SC, I can see why realtors will not recommend renting to prospective clients because the fee structure makes it less inviting than the commission on selling a home. For instance, on a typical 400K home this person is looking at, a realtor would make in the area of 12K-15K. But if a person ended up being a tenant, the realtor who recommended the rental to the landlord would only end up making a fraction of the 12-15K.
Isn't that correct?
Also, IN THIS PARTICULAR EXAMPLE, the kids are already being forced to move to no fault of their own. Why not advise the prudent LONG TERM solution since this might be the largest purchase of the OP's life?
Which makes more sense: Purchasing a 400K home that you have zero clue of if you'll like it, or rent in an area to get a full understanding so for the long term you'll go in knowing you did your homework.
To me its a no brainer....
Well, glad it's so easy for you my friend, but it does not feel that way to everyone, especially those with young children who want to give those kids some stability ASAP when a big move occurs.
These days with all the info on the internet available at your fingertips, an astute couple/person CAN find the right neighborhood and situation for their family in a weeks worth of looking if they have to.
Years ago, back in the 80's when we relocated to Charlotte we had NO internet, no personal connections, nothing.
What we had was a great realtor and the local Charlotte Observer to guide us.
We scoured that paper every day for every tidbit of info we could about the city to give us an idea of where we wanted to live (in relation to the work location of course) and not live.
We visited schools, churches, neighborhoods. We got out and talked to anyone who would talk to us.
I was pregnant at the time and had a child in kindergarten. There was absolutely no way I was going to move from 800 miles away, rent and then have to move again with a baby in the mix if I didn't have to.
We needed stability, a feeling of permanence and "home".
It was a long hard week of looking, but we found that and were thrilled with our first home here.
It was the right thing for us, and everyone should be encouraged or supported to do what they feel is right for their family
Well, glad it's so easy for you my friend, but it does not feel that way to everyone, especially those with young children who want to give those kids some stability ASAP when a big move occurs.
These days with all the info on the internet available at your fingertips, an astute couple/person CAN find the right neighborhood and situation for their family in a weeks worth of looking if they have to.
Years ago, back in the 80's when we relocated to Charlotte we had NO internet, no personal connections, nothing.
What we had was a great realtor and the local Charlotte Observer to guide us.
We scoured that paper every day for every tidbit of info we could about the city to give us an idea of where we wanted to live (in relation to the work location of course) and not live.
We visited schools, churches, neighborhoods. We got out and talked to anyone who would talk to us.
I was pregnant at the time and had a child in kindergarten. There was absolutely no way I was going to move from 800 miles away, rent and then have to move again with a baby in the mix if I didn't have to.
We needed stability, a feeling of permanence and "home".
It was a long hard week of looking, but we found that and were thrilled with our first home here.
It was the right thing for us, and everyone should be encouraged or supported to do what they feel is right for their family
I have no problem encouraging someone to buy.
My point is there is no amount of internet searching that can substitute living in an area to see how its like. Now more than ever we hear it on this board about how people if they had to do it over again, they would've taken their time and rent first before they jump in the deep end of the pool.
Its just like the same situation as someone "vacationing" in an area for a week and thinking its a great area to live permanantly....2 totally different scenerios.....
The OP can do whatever she wants, and I get the point about the young kids and how disruption hurts (which its already being done by them moving now.) But you are talking about a move here that will last probably 10-15 years plus....what is more important, a little more transistion upfront w/a long lasting satisfaction, or rushing into something that has a good chance of not being the "right" place...?
The good thing is the oldest is 8 and can easily transition finding friends...once you get up to middle and high school it gets MUCH harder IMO.
Not trying to start an argument, just trying to give perspective to the OP to sit back and breathe a little here and think this through! If she buys and it works out, great! If not, well, there were other options.....and be careful w/realtors because like I said w/the commission deal, advising renting is much less profitable for realtors....
My point is there is no amount of internet searching that can substitute living in an area to see how its like. Now more than ever we hear it on this board about how people if they had to do it over again, they would've taken their time and rent first before they jump in the deep end of the pool.
Its just like the same situation as someone "vacationing" in an area for a week and thinking its a great area to live permanantly....2 totally different scenerios.....
The OP can do whatever she wants, and I get the point about the young kids and how disruption hurts (which its already being done by them moving now.) But you are talking about a move here that will last probably 10-15 years plus....what is more important, a little more transistion upfront w/a long lasting satisfaction, or rushing into something that has a good chance of not being the "right" place...?
The good thing is the oldest is 8 and can easily transition finding friends...once you get up to middle and high school it gets MUCH harder IMO.
Not trying to start an argument, just trying to give perspective to the OP to sit back and breathe a little here and think this through! If she buys and it works out, great! If not, well, there were other options.....and be careful w/realtors because like I said w/the commission deal, advising renting is much less profitable for realtors....
Jack, you know I love ya, but I find your comments extremely insulting to the realtors here on this board, especially those in your last post you directed to southcharlotte&union in particular.
In the first place, the realtors I personally know who hang out here do so to be helpful, not to scare up business
It's no secret that for any realtor there is no living to be made in dealing with rentals (unless you work in property management).
That doesn't mean, however, that any realtor who mentions the difficulties of trying to rent a family home in Charlotte right now is trying to convince someone they should only buy. They are simply sharing good info.
I think the general public is astute enough to know that realtors sell or help clients buy homes.
Would you go to a chiropractor for cancer? Anyone wanting a home is going to look for a good realtor. Most looking to rent a home are going to go to a good property management firm.
Realtors here like southcharlotte&union who recommend buying as opposed to renting, do so because they understand the realities of the current rental market in Charlotte and the value of actually buying property right now at such low low mortgage rates when there is so much good inventory to choose from.
This board functions best when there is a variety of good info shared with those in need of solid info.
While you are factually correct that realtors would get paid substantially less for working with renters, the reality is many are happy to do that anyway because they know if they make the renter happy and comfortable with their level of expertise, that renter will eventually come back to them when they are ready to buy.
So please, no more comments insinuating that realtors here are doing something wrong.
Baxter is the first on my list, but I am not sure if it will be the right fit for us. On paper, I like Union County better. But, who knows. I am looking at a new build or a home that is just a few years old. I am concerned that Union County will be overwhelming. Are there pockets of FM or UC that I need to stay away from. People have told us we need to be really careful with choosing the right schools. But, it does look like the schools in FM and the Waxhaw area are pretty good.
In Fort Mill, there isn't a bad side of town. I preferred the communities around/in Tega Cay (Gold Hill Rd). We live in/love the Reserve at Gold Hill, which is currently closing out. Lots of young families and active community/HOA. It positions yourself for Fort Mill High with quick access to I-77 and Rivergate shopping (Target/Best Buy/Home Depot/etc).
SC, I can see why realtors will not recommend renting to prospective clients because the fee structure makes it less inviting than the commission on selling a home. For instance, on a typical 400K home this person is looking at, a realtor would make in the area of 12K-15K. But if a person ended up being a tenant, the realtor who recommended the rental to the landlord would only end up making a fraction of the 12-15K.
Isn't that correct?
Also, IN THIS PARTICULAR EXAMPLE, the kids are already being forced to move to no fault of their own. Why not advise the prudent LONG TERM solution since this might be the largest purchase of the OP's life?
I mean I DO get it, but I don't.......
If you reread my post, I did not recommend that everyone buy rather than rent. I just said that for some it may not be the best choice right now. There are some areas -- in particular areas where the OP is looking -- where it is extremely difficult to find rentals, especially if the relocatee is not in town. I know this because I do help people find rentals as well.
To the OP, Baxter seems like a wonderful place to live, love the houses, LOVE, LOVE the town square...BUT if you are looking for something with space or a yard it isn't there. They have postage stamp style lots, some without yards at all. They do have a lot of shared space, so that makes up for it to a degree, but if you want a yard, you might have a hard time finding what you want there. I hear the schools in FM are wonderful though.
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So, we will not be making a decision on that.
