Relocating and Need Gudiance (Charlotte, Matthews: 2015, rent, how much)

[campingfan28]

Hello, My Wife's Job is planning to relocate her to the Charlotte Area by the end of this year. We have both grown up In central New York and know nothing about the area. We have been through Charlotte before, didn't take hardly any of the city in. We have vacationed on the Coast. We know nothing or no one in the middle of North Carolina. We do not want to live in the city as we both are country people- so a commute will be necessary. We want to live in the country, but not so far out that it is an inconvenience. I like to fish and hunt, so public land for the time being is necessary. Someday I would like to join a hunting camp or purchase one on our own. We need a few places to visit this summer to get a feel for where we would want to end up. We have two kids under 5 and the oldest will be starting school in the fall of 2015. Also how is the Charlotte area with storms? do they usually see just rain from coastal hurricanes? has there been tornado activity? how are the winters? we are used to a lot of snow. are the summers really hot and humid?
thank you

[UDcc123]

Do some searching around these forums...some great info.

You say a commute will be necessary, but don't mention just how much of one you're willing (or she's willing) to have. Will she be working uptown? If so, what's your max commute time (based on wanting more rural areas, you're looking at an hour minimum if there's a commute uptown). If the job is not uptown, then it really matters where the job is. If it's on the north side of the city, then look up in the Lake Norman area. If it's on the south side of the city, then look in Union County or Fort Mill, SC. I can't speak as much to the west and east side of the city, though there's more rural areas out there as well.

In short, about the worst thing you could do is have to commute from one side of the city to the other (live in the North and work in the South, or vice versa)...traffic around uptown is terrible.

[topchief1]

Also, the cost of living is going to be higher than living in Central New York.

[holacandita]

Originally Posted by topchief1

Also, the cost of living is going to be higher than living in Central New York.

Not much... we relocated in October from the Utica area and have not felt much, if any, sting. Gas is cheaper, utilities are cheaper, tax is cheaper than Oneida County (where we lived). The only thing we've noticed much is that milk and some groceries are more expensive. We did grocery shopping at Walmart in NY and we still do here and most prices are exactly the same. Rent will also be expensive if you are renting. We are renting a 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home for $1200. Our rent for a 3 bedroom half a house in Utica was around $600. However, we are in the home search process now that we have a feel for the area and have been pleased with the general price of homes and value for your money here. In our budget and in the towns of Matthews, Stallings and Indian Trail, we are looking at some homes that have 4-5 bedrooms and upwards of 2500 square feet -- some as much as 3200 square feet. You will notice a difference in the amount of land you get generally, as compared to CNY. But depending on where you look and your budget, that might be less of an issue.

If you're like us, you will like Charlotte. The weather has been a wonderful treat for us this past winter (Even though everyone else says it was a bad winter here!) I don't know much about hunting and fishing, but I'm sure someone will be able to help you with that.