Morehead City/Beaufort/Carteret County (Jacksonville, Chapel Hill: real estate, rentals, low crime)

[missdawn215]

My hubby just got a call from Atlantic Veneer about a possible position. Funny, considering our "retirement dream" was to move to Harkers Island. We literally got back from Atlantic Beach on June 28, he sent his resume to the company on the 30th and they called on the 2nd of July. He has yet to talk to them as the HR Manager was going out of town until the 13th of July. We absolutely love the area down there. I have a couple of questions about the area if anyone is knowledgable.

We live in rural West Virginia. I mean a one-stop grocery store/hardware store/farm and feed store/movie rental/ice cream shop/ general merchandise store kinda town. It is a spit-past-it kinda place as the saying goes. My hubby works an hours drive one-way to work as a superintendent at an aluminum manufacturing plant. I homeschool my 9 yo son, however, he will be returning to back to school this year so mom can hit the career path once again.

This has been our third year down there for vacation and each year we hate to leave. It is not just the vacation blues, but the "I wanna live here" blues.

Does anyone know anything about Atlantic Veneer such as corporate stability, layoffs, etc? He has been at his plant for 17 years. Also, what about the pay scales? I know it is a production manufacturing plant. We do not know as of right now if the job is in management or production.

Also, what about rentals in the areas? We live on 2 acres or so, with a horse, 2 dogs, 2 cats and a large garden. It is 1/4 mile from a paved road with creeks and a barn. Very nice for us. We love the country life. However, we also love the water. Is there a happy medium in the area for country and water living? My hubby and son are avid hunters as well as fishermen. I don't know that we would buy right away, so I was just wondering about rentals, preferably houses. What areas are good, relatively reasonable financially speaking, with a low crime/drug rate and good schools? I know the housing market is quite expensive the closer you get to the water.

My husband used to live in Goldsboro when he was in the Air Force so he said the weather is wonderful, especially the mild winters. I can go for that!

My hubby also said the Cherry Point (Marine Base) is looking to expand, thereby increasing job availability. Any info on that? How far is Cherry Point from Carteret County?

Well, I was just wondering about the specifics above. Who knows what will come of the possibility of the job, but it is always good to research, research, research. We will eventually move there anyways!

Any info would be great!

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by missdawn215

My hubby just got a call from Atlantic Veneer about a possible position. Funny, considering our "retirement dream" was to move to Harkers Island. We literally got back from Atlantic Beach on June 28, he sent his resume to the company on the 30th and they called on the 2nd of July. He has yet to talk to them as the HR Manager was going out of town until the 13th of July. We absolutely love the area down there. I have a couple of questions about the area if anyone is knowledgable.

We live in rural West Virginia. I mean a one-stop grocery store/hardware store/farm and feed store/movie rental/ice cream shop/ general merchandise store kinda town. It is a spit-past-it kinda place as the saying goes. My hubby works an hours drive one-way to work as a superintendent at an aluminum manufacturing plant. I homeschool my 9 yo son, however, he will be returning to back to school this year so mom can hit the career path once again.

This has been our third year down there for vacation and each year we hate to leave. It is not just the vacation blues, but the "I wanna live here" blues.

Does anyone know anything about Atlantic Veneer such as corporate stability, layoffs, etc? He has been at his plant for 17 years. Also, what about the pay scales? I know it is a production manufacturing plant. We do not know as of right now if the job is in management or production.

Also, what about rentals in the areas? We live on 2 acres or so, with a horse, 2 dogs, 2 cats and a large garden. It is 1/4 mile from a paved road with creeks and a barn. Very nice for us. We love the country life. However, we also love the water. Is there a happy medium in the area for country and water living? My hubby and son are avid hunters as well as fishermen. I don't know that we would buy right away, so I was just wondering about rentals, preferably houses. What areas are good, relatively reasonable financially speaking, with a low crime/drug rate and good schools? I know the housing market is quite expensive the closer you get to the water.

My husband used to live in Goldsboro when he was in the Air Force so he said the weather is wonderful, especially the mild winters. I can go for that!

My hubby also said the Cherry Point (Marine Base) is looking to expand, thereby increasing job availability. Any info on that? How far is Cherry Point from Carteret County?

Well, I was just wondering about the specifics above. Who knows what will come of the possibility of the job, but it is always good to research, research, research. We will eventually move there anyways!

Any info would be great!

I don't know anything about Atlantic Veneer, other than this information I saw in the Insiders guide to the Crystal Coast. I see them advertising for jobs once in a while.

Atlantic Veneer Corporation in Beaufort is the world's largest manufacturer of hardwood veneers in North America, with manufacturing facilities on three continents. It exports about half of its products. Atlantic Veneer also operates a local retail outlet, which is an important source of lumber and hardwoods for boat builders and cabinet makers. With approximately 350 area employees, this corporation is the county's largest private employer.

There is plenty of hunting and fishing in the area. We do have the Croatan National Forest which has 158,000 acres. Some of the best hunting is on club areas.

Finding a rental that has room for a horse might take some looking. I have seen a couple of small horse farms for rent over the last couple of years, but I haven't seen any recently. House rentals start are $600-$700 per month and go up quickly.

There are a fair number of places where you can board horses.

Relatively new homes 3 bedrooms/2 baths start at about $170K and go up in price from there. Once in a while you see one with some acreage. There was one in our area recently that listed for $255K, it was just under 1700 square ft with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths and was sitting on a little over 4 acres about six miles from the beach. In other words finding some land with a home is not out of the question.

Cape Carteret, where I live, is about 21 miles from Havelock. We're about 35 minutes from Beaufort. There is a back way, Route 101, from Beaufort to Havelock. It's a two lane road, but we used to travel it all the time and according to Google it is 23 miles.

A good way to check the crime statistics is to use City-Data profiles. This is the one for Cape Carteret and the same thing for Beaufort.

Crime statistics are down towards the bottom.

You can also check out the blog where I talk a lot about Carteret County.

Good luck in your quest to get here. It is worth working towards that dream of living in Carteret County. I like to say Carteret County is a secret to share.

We're from Roanoke, Va and our neighbors there are from West Virginia so I think you will do fine down here.

[Coach_Kim2c]

I hope you got some of the answers you were looking for as your post was awhile back. I moved shortly down the road from Harker's Island a little more than 3 years ago...after going to high school here is the 80's then moving to California.

The county has overwhelmingly been a haven for developers as Atlantic Beach no longer has a family campground and I could list a long page of other things biven way to Condeminiums and tourist investment housing.

Down East it is still very much a protected and historic community where the land you seek is not only still avialable but affordable...I wouldn't assume either in Atlantic Beach or even Mroehead City for that matter.

As a single parent I looked for a housing option I could buy after finishing my master's degree before leaving Ca. A single wide trailer...in a park where you paid monthly rent went for the same price as the house I bought down east. My house down east is on nearly two acres, a canal with boat dock and boat house, 3 bedrooms and a laundry storage room that is larger and easily converted to another bedroom, a rec room with all four walls made of windows.

There has been clear cutting and development in the three years I have been here....I would assume that 5 to 10 years from now that this area will be exploding and opportunities to buy a home with your expectations will be unavailable. Currently, many people have horses in their yards and I also know of several people who board horses in an old fashion way were a little work (as they are getting more elderly) can get you a place to leave your horse worth grazing land and stables.

Kim

[Martha Garbarino]

It sounds nice where you live. I used to live on 30 acres with horses, etc. in Chapel Hill. Really miss it. I do love living in New Bern by the rivers and 30 minutes to the beach too.
I don't know anything about Atlantic Veneer. My husband probably does. I'll ask tonight. I heard yesterday that Cherry Point is getting ready for a big hire. It is in Craven County between New Bern and Morehead City. You have to apply for their jobs on-line.
I have seen properties that fit your description with land, etc. Where do you want to live? In this market, you shouldn't have any problem finding a reasonably price home.

What kind of job will you be looking for? That might help you with your decision as to location of your housing.

I have a son too. Will he be playing any sports?

I also know of stables. Not sure of availability right now, but can find their number if interested.

Good luck!

Martha

[Bill Hitchcock]

Atlantic Veneer is part of the international corportaion, " Moehring Group" Möhring Group - Home

They (Atlantic Veneer) are located on the western end of Beaufort on Lennoxville Road. This road runs parallel to Taylor's Creek (Beaufort waterfront) and ends up on North River.
Lennoxville Road has homes that are quite "posh" and "swanky" to homes that have seen better days.
But that's pretty much true for all of Carteret County!!

Before real estate-I owned and operated a televison and film production company. In the late 80's I was working on a video project about Atlantic Veneer. The one thing that sticks out in my mind is that there was a gentleman who collected bits of masking tape that was left on some of the wood. He had formed a ball with the little remenants of tape. When I saw the ball it was twice the size of a basketball and had taken him a couple of years to make.
I wonder if 25 + years later he's still there and if so how big the ball of tape is!!!

[chr40]

One of my neighbors was laid off by Atlantic Veneer back in the early 90's. I'm not sure how business is doing now days.

I don't think there's any large lots left in Morehead. All I can think of is off the northern end of 20th St. or somewhere north of HWY 70 near Newport. Morehead is more expensive than surrounding areas, by the way.

Cherry Point is in Havelock, which is about 15 min. from Morehead (down HWY 70). About halfway between the two, just off HWY 70, is the little town of Newport. You should check it out.

I guess you know about Beaufort, and further down HWY 70, what they call "down east," Harker's Island, Davis, and all those awesome one-convenience store towns. I've been telling my folks to sell their house in Morehead and retire down there; but you do have to be the kind of person who doesn't mind living out in the sticks. There are elementary and middle schools down east. The high school would be Beaufort's East Carteret High School.

Crime is mostly small-time property theft and drug dealing. The sheriff's department has made a lot of drug related arrests in the past year or so. On the plus side, there's not much violent crime. There are a couple of streets in Morehead and Beaufort that I wouldn't walk down at night, but for the most part the the scary stuff is confined to those areas.

All in all, it's a great laid back area; I've always felt safe there. Hope this helps.

[GoJo]

Gosh, I hope your husband did not take the most unfortuante step and go to Atlantic Venner. All I can tell you is that this is not a good place for him. For one, they just layed off 70 people, and another the managment is uncaple of making the right decisions. There is good management and bad managment. It can almost be compared to good vs. evil. There is no ethics at this company.

The Germans owners sons are runnig the company. If their grandfather knew how they were running Atlantic Venner he would turn over in his grave. The people they employ as upper managment can not be trusted, and they surround themselves with these people. I think they are basically good germans but they are getting hood winked or snowed very badly. Also, the company has not been updated since the 1950's and most employees have to use the bathroom in a porta toilets. Most people compare it to the medieval century, and some of the people definatley have that mentality as well!

They started a new company in Newport, the Mohring Group, and this is separate from Atlantic Venner. It is not owned by the whole family like Atlantic Veneer. In essence, this is where they put all the money and in return they put very little into Atlantic Veneer.

I think bascially they will shut this place down--the way it looks. Actually, it seems like they gave up on it a long time a go anyway.

Bascially, it is a unique and special industry as well a very difficult one, but they are awash in bad mangement, and do not really have a clue in what the people they hire are doing, and as well the Germans have put there trust in the wrong people. The best people they had working there have left. The people that continue to do harm to the company are still there. They have a longs ways to go before it gets better.

My advice to you is please take care of yourself. Do not work there. I can promise you with the good saint Mary's blessings-- that you would be making a most unfortuante decision in your life. Not now. Thanks.

[oceangypsey]

Hi...what part of WV are you from?..I also am from WV...and moving to Emerald Isle in one week....we have bought a house there....I will be woking for myself...and my daughter will be going to school in Jacksonville....just wanted to say hi!