Thinking of moving...

[Arne]

Since my spouse passed away, I'm thinking about moving to NC, probably the New Bern area. Thought about Wilmington, but it's kind of big.

I looked at the 'best places to retire in north carolina', and it came up with 10 towns, but only the two above mention good medical facilities....

So, next year, I may be heading south, but not to florida and am open to suggestions. I want to buy a single family house in or near a town. I like to swim laps as exercise, and New Bern has a Y with a pool.... but again, would like comments about moving..

I am not locked into NC, but on different occasions with diverse people, New Bern has come up several times..... I have lots of investigating ahead of me. I would like to be close to the shore, but not on it, maybe with 30-40 miles or so.

Climate is kind of important. I don't really want to have to hide inside for months at a time, which suggests foothills or mountains might work.. in any event, I want to make the best decision possible.

So, comment away.
.
Arne -

[Amish Classic]

Hi Arne,

I suggest farther south to Greenville, SC. Chip is nearby for the teardrop crowd,and Lake Keowee,Jocassee, Hartwell, Edisto river not far away for kayaking/swimming. My Favorite is Jocassee. Devils fork State park is a nice campground,as I have been there several times.

Cost of living lower then northeast,however they are growing rapidly. Housing is diverse,and again lower cost. Nice areas with plenty of woodland,mountains surrounding Greenville. The wife and I are considering that area to retire to also. We have friends that retired down there 7 years ago bought a {2.5 acres} wooded lot and have a very quiet peacefull place to live. They paid for the lot,and new house for what their small house sold for In Pa.

I changed my screen name. I camped next to you & Shirley 2 years ago at the Spring tear up in ADK. I have a CI 550 classic.

[Ira]

Arne, check this web site out:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/

[toypusher]

Arne,

I have friends that live in the New Bern area and love it there. I have only been there once a few years ago, but it seemed real nice then.

[Mary K]

Arne,

If it was me, and I was thinking of moving to NC, It would in the western region NC. It is beautiful and full of great camping. Hendersonville, Brevard any of those little towns in the Mnts. are wonderful. I have lived in Wilmington, too Hot and prone to hurricanes & Winston-Salem. WS it okay, but my choice would be around the Asheville area. Just my 2 cents.

Good luck on your decision.

Mk

[Podunkfla]

Arne,

If it was me, and I was thinking of moving to NC, It would in the western region NC. It is beautiful and full of great camping. Hendersonville, Brevard any of those little towns in the Mnts. are wonderful. I have lived in Wilmington, too Hot and prone to hurricanes & Winston-Salem. WS it okay, but my choice would be around the Asheville area. Just my 2 cents.

Good luck on your decision.

Mk

Well... MaryK, I'm with you... sort of. I love western NC and the mountains. So do a LOT of other people. Back in the 70's & 80's you could buy a nice cabin or small home there pretty reasonable. It's not so any more. The law of supply & demand has priced nearly all the area well beyond the working class, I'm afraid. I have a good friend here, retired farmer and RE agent, who just built a nice cabin on a mountain overlooking Franklin, NC... His "cabin" cost over $300,000... About double what the same build would cost here.

[Arne]

Here is what I've found out so far recently. I did check Asheville an hour ago. Agent said I would have to spend more than the 150k I wanted to get something nice, but less than 200k. He suggested Hendersonville (not sure about the spelling).

Near New Bern, I can get a small house with a garage in a decent area for 150k.

Yes, Asheville's face is changing as not only northerners move down, but Floridians move up... I don't think I want to move into a rapidly growing area. Too much growth causes its own problems....

But, this is all very helpful, so please keep your ideas coming.. I'm printing them all off to check out....

[Podunkfla]

Arne... I'll let you in on a little secret I discovered a few years back. There is a little town just west of Ashville calle Canton, NC. It has a papermill right in the middle of the town. It seems that sometimes smelly mill has depressed the home prices in that cove for years. It's a nice working class area though. And, once you get out of town and up the hills a bit you never smell the mill. It may be worth checking out? I haven't been up there in about 5 years though.

[Bobgorilla]

My parents lived in Hendersonville for four years and loved the area. I'm considering Johnson City, Tn. I'm tired of evacuating for hurricanes. Johnson City has about 60,000 people so lots of services availables but lots of open area surrounding . Just my 2 cents

[BrwBier]

I know nothing about any of the areas you are looking at, but if it was me I would consider renting in an area before buying. Maybe its where you want to be maybe not, try it before you buy it I always say. You wouldn't but a car without a test drive and a house is more permanent. Good luck in what ever you choose.
Brwbier

PS personally I would check which area has the best brew pubs

[Geron]

Just come on South a little and join us in the Blue Ridge, Blairsville, Ellijay area of GA. Fannin county listed in money mag. as one of the top 5 retirement areas in the nation. Beautiful mountains, creeks, accessible to Atlanta and Chattanooga. Fannin County Hospital is good with Atlanta Hospitals having built branches (do you call them branches???) in the area just south of Blue Ridge.

Oh! We have a HD!!!!!!!!!

Just offering another choice
Real Estate in the area is rather inflated at the moment. 'specially along creeks, rivers and "Da Lake"

g

[Micro469]

"snip"
Near New Bern, I can get a small house with a garage in a decent area for 150k."snip".

Maybe I should move down there. Up here, that would cost you about $380,000.00

[Arne]

I would guess that the houses I've looked at on the net for about 150 would be 225 - 250 here.. and the taxes would be at least twice as much. And snow removal would be much more.

I'm a bit turned off by hot, humid weather, though...

About renting.. I agree that would be nice, but I'm 67 rapidly going on 68, and do not want to be messing around moving more than once, so am trying to do my homework, then decide. I also plan on a trip south in Feb, if I can swing it, to visit a list of places I'm putting together. I'll probably take a month or so, and try to spend a few days in each place to visit houses to see what's available, and get a tour of the town.

One thing, I'm going to try to aim at something smaller than mid sized or large cities. Medical facilities are important, and I'd like to find a location with a college or university nearby, for cultural activities and sporting events.

I appreciate your feed back and comments, and look forward to more ideas.

[Toolie]

Arne,
I'm about one hour north of Elizabeth City, NC. Once you cross that Mason-Dixon line hot, humid summers are all you get - the Blue Ridge area being the exception. Winters are mild down here. People are very friendly.
I'm planning on retiring to Carolina myself in 3 more years. I have family that moved back south from Alaska to Raleigh NC but Raleigh is too big for me. Still there is a lot of rural land surrounding it and excellent medical facilities.

The farming communities I've been checking out, Ahoskie and Bertie Counties, don't have that qualitiy of care available. I'd have to hope I could make it to Norfolk VA for treatment (as my friends do).

If you've got a good feeling about New Bern, why not try it. It's important to be near friends or family as we age.

That's why I'm dragging my sister with me.

[ALAN GEDDES]

I've been down here in Fayetteville, NC for the most part of the last 40 years. If it were me I would really suggest the western part of the state or even a little north or south of the borders VA/SC.