Camp Lejeune (Jacksonville, New Bern, Welcome: fit in, real estate, renters)

[GAOldPeople]

My husband and I are relocating to the Camp Lejeune area. We have retired from military and am now working civil service. We just want a small furnished place for temporary housing until our property sells in GA. Does anyone know what area we should look into that is quiet with older people. Our children are all adults, so we are looking for a peaceful layed back area. We also do not mind a more family oriented part of the coast. We can commute up to 45 min. with no problems. Any suggestions would be great.

[Johanna25]

Welcome to North Carolina. I'm retired civil service myself. If it's just temporary housing through the spring, you can find some off-season rentals on Topsail Island for reasonable rates. Most all the local real estate firms handle rentals or you can check rent by owner sites like VRBO.com for people willing to do long term off-season rentals. North Topsail Beach would probably be the closest commute to Lejeune, and Surf City isn't that long a drive either. If it's likely to go longer term, there are usually year-round rentals available as well, though probably not on the vacation rental by owner sites. Most everyplace is furnished for the summer vacation market. Topsail island is a laid-back, family-oriented area. It's certainly quiet in the winter, it gets a bit livelier in the summer months.

[macjr82]

I second North Topsail or Sneads Ferry. As there are a lot vacation rentals you'll both be more likely to find a furnished place and a place that'll rent month to month. Outside of vaction rentals moast places will try to lock you into a year lease.

On the other side of Jacksonville and you may want to try Swansboro or Emerald Isle for the same reason. Though I'd imagine they'd be more expensive than Sneads Ferry/Topsail. The latter is still a pretty hidden gem.

[GAOldPeople]

Thanks, for the replies! It is just difficult to find a place when we do not know the area. We thought about buying an rv and staying in a gated community. Are there any retirement or "AARP" parks around the area? My husband looked a condo at topsail reef today and a rat ran acrossed the floor when he opened the door and he could not fit in the bathroom..LOL He told me the search is still on! Any help finding a laid back rv community that caters to us retired folks would be great!

[macjr82]

Check with Camp Lejeune housing office. There is probably an RV area on the base where you can live. I know Cherry Point had won over behind the exchange/Child Development Center. Maybe they still do. Cherry Point would be between 45-1hr from Camp Lejeune depending on what route you took and your driving style.

I'm pretty sure there are RV communities among the trailer parks on Bogue Banks (Crystal Coast), but I also imagine they cost more than their worth b/c of the location.

Edit: not 100% sure if housing is who you contact about the RV areas on base. It could be outdoor connections or some other part of MCCS.

[BillMacon48]

Thanks for your service to our country. Be warned, the greater Jacksonville area rental market is expensive with no end in sight; it is probably one of the few places left in the country where it actually makes more sense to buy a brand-new house (not a used up worn out previously owned overpriced piece of junk). I'm not a realtor or builder; but, there are many nice brand new subdivisions under construction in this area. Since you say you are retired military and making a career move then it probably isn't very likely that the gov't is buying your GA house. I was in a similar situation a decade ago. We had to rent our old house out at about a $300 per month loss until the market turned around in VA. On the brighter side, we found very good renters and were able to find cheap rent in the Maysville/New Bern area at the time. Perhaps things will work out for you too! Regards.