Triangle relocation thread

[Jones_]

Good ole 27603

[RaleighRob]

I understand where your coming from on that! I am originally from Maine and county governments are pretty much non-existent up there. I remember how surprised I was when I moved down here to find that Sheriffs actually existed (I was only 13 at the time). I always thought they were just something from a wild west movie

[Movingsouth]

Hi,

Still doing more research. Is anyone familiar with the Preserve at Jordan lake? I believe it is in Chatham. It looks like you get alot for your money there, beautiful homes with nice lots, but what's the catch? How are the schools, neighborhoods and location to business districts (employment)? My first consideration has been Chapel Hill proper.

Thanks

[Jones_]

Hi,

Still doing more research. Is anyone familiar with the Preserve at Jordan lake? I believe it is in Chatham. It looks like you get alot for your money there, beautiful homes with nice lots, but what's the catch? How are the schools, neighborhoods and location to business districts (employment)? My first consideration has been Chapel Hill proper.

Thanks

[Movingsouth]

Hi,

Thanks for your response. It doesn't sound like Chatham is a good alternative for us. We contacted a couple of real estate agents in Chapel Hill and will be concentrating on Chapel Hill and possibly CH/Carborro border only. We weren't looking for a McMansion anyway :-).

Chatham is the most recent county to lose its rural charm to unchecked sprawl. Recently a less friendly to development set of commissioners was elected so that is hopefully changing......I spend little time that far out except the occasional trip to Pittsboro for a day of anitque shops...but a quick look at a State road map tells me that the traffic crunch could be very bad very quickly with only 15/501(north south) and US 64 (east west) being the only 'normal' routes in out and through the county....the big knock on the area is the rapid transition from beautiful awesome country retreat with active small farms and history to a large homogenous swath of identityless shopping and living areas......people are opting for a longer drive for more house (as you noticed) instead of going for more expensive infill areas. I would think about what you want your life to look like in ten years just as hard as you are looking at what you need/want now, as the things (other than price) that make the area nice now, will likely be completely gone in that time. I grew up in the Wake Forest area, and it went from small charming town with forest and pasture land galore with a very few modern subdivisions that were well planned with many side walks, many ingress/egress streets and most trees left in place, to a giant clear cutting smashup zone where little family restaurants and hardware stores are struggling, subdivisions fight street connections that invite through traffic, and traffic backs up for 5 miles in the morning heading into Raleigh.....so much for the American dream there....

[Movingsouth]

Hi,

I'm planning on spending a few days looking at real estate in Chapel Hill with my wife and 2 year old in November. Can I get any recommendations on any child friendly hotels with 2 bedroom suites in CH or within a 15 minute drive that are moderately priced?

Thanks

[Jones_]

Hi,

Thanks for your response. It doesn't sound like Chatham is a good alternative for us. We contacted a couple of real estate agents in Chapel Hill and will be concentrating on Chapel Hill and possibly CH/Carborro border only. We weren't looking for a McMansion anyway :-).

[sax184]

Hi,

Still doing more research. Is anyone familiar with the Preserve at Jordan lake? I believe it is in Chatham. It looks like you get alot for your money there, beautiful homes with nice lots, but what's the catch? How are the schools, neighborhoods and location to business districts (employment)? My first consideration has been Chapel Hill proper.

Thanks

[RaleighRob]

As locals, many of us probably have no clue about local hotels' costs, child-friendliness, suite size, etc. We just pass them by and say "I know there's a hotel at such and such street."

Here's probably a better place to find some info: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g49021-C...ina-Hotels.html

good luck

[Movingsouth]

Thanks Raleighrob for the site. We've definitely decided to rule out Chatham. The school system in not nearly as good as CH/Carborro.

As locals, many of us probably have no clue about local hotels' costs, child-friendliness, suite size, etc. We just pass them by and say "I know there's a hotel at such and such street."

Here's probably a better place to find some info: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g49021-C...ina-Hotels.html

good luck

[Movingsouth]

Hi,

I currently own an AWD vehicle here in NY. I'm planning on selling it next year. I realize it snows very little out in NC, but can I safely get around with a RWD car in the winter for my next vehicle? I'd like to get the better handling of a RWD car vs a FWD and better gas mileage vs AWD. This is something I've never had the opportunity of owning here in the N/E.

Thanks

[Beth Y]

The short answer is "yes". Despite the number of people driving huge Four wheel drives cars here, you really don't need them. Some years you don't need them at all, some years it would be nice if you had one for, maybe three days. The most difficult driving situations we get is ice storms, and four wheels slide just the same as two, so in ice storms it doesn't matter really what you drive. Plus, due to the lack of snow plows here, there is a lot of understanding in businesses, etc. if you can't get to work due to road conditions. It is not like the north where multiple plows are out within minutes.

[orulz]

Snow chains or a set of snow tires will work well on a RWD car for the two days a year that you need 'em. I assume you already know this but I highly recommend traction control. It works wonders with wheel slippage in wet weather too, and even helps when it's dry.

Truth is, though, when it snows here, schools are closed and many people get a "free pass" to not go to work that day.

[RaleighRob]

Agreed. 99% of the people around here with 4wd SUV's don't even use them for that.

We rarely have deep snow if ever. More likely to have ice. And frankly, I feel a lot safer on ice in my subcompact than I would in a big heavy SUV. (You have better control of momentum if you start sliding.)

Down here where people have commutes and use air conditioning alot, fuel economy should be your biggest factor of vehicle choice.

[Movingsouth]

Great!! Thanks for the replies. The only way you get a free pass from work around here is if its a blizzard! I'm liking the idea of NC more and more . Also, school closing usually require over 6" of snow.

Snow chains or a set of snow tires will work well on a RWD car for the two days a year that you need 'em. I assume you already know this but I highly recommend traction control. It works wonders with wheel slippage in wet weather too, and even helps when it's dry.

Truth is, though, when it snows here, schools are closed and many people get a "free pass" to not go to work that day.

[DigitalSky]

with Global Warming and everything, you should be ok!

[Jones_]

To answer more directly when it does actually snow here you will not be able to get around with a RWD vehicle because it takes days for all the roads to be cleared. Like mentioned already you won't need to go anywhere because everything will be closed, and you would not want to try because lots of people will be discovering that a)their SUV does not actually have 4WD or b)even it has 4WD you cannot drive 55mph safely....in which case it is a riot watching the evening news and all the comedic attempts to get around by these people....

[Gard]

To answer more directly when it does actually snow here you will not be able to get around with a RWD vehicle because it takes days for all the roads to be cleared.

[DPK]

Like it's been said above, we get ice most of the time instead of snow here. If you see an advisory on the news, run out and stock up on anything you might need and then prepare for the entire city to shut down from less than a millimeter of frozen water, lol.

[Movingsouth]

Hi,

I've been hearing and reading about how liberal Chapel Hill is. I'm not quite sure what everyone there would consider to be very liberal. I know much of the South is conservative. Here in NY (NYC and vic) we are mostly moderate democrats. I know states like AZ and TX would consider us to be liberal. What is the reason why Chapel Hill is labeled as a liberal town? Is it soft on crime, illegal immegration?

Thanks

[ChiefJoJo]

Movingsouth, thanks for the interest in the forum. In the future please keep your questions in the relocation thread. We want to anwser your questions, but we'd also like to keep things organized for easier reading. Thanks.

In answer to your question, no, it's probably not too liberal considering where you are from. I think Chapel Hill/Carrboro is certainly a progressive town/area, but no more than lots of other areas in the country. It's only magnified here because NC is a fairly conservative state (red in most national elections) and that serves to emphasize it's role (with Asheville to a lesser extent) as the "liberal" bastion of NC.

[Captain Awesome]

You probably already know this being from the North like I am, but I find using concrete blocks in the back of your vehicle to be helpful.

[Movingsouth]

Thanks Chief for your response. I will make sure that in the future I post under the relocation thread. That is, unless I am already relocated there . I have two good realtors already sending me listings and trying to give me a better idea of the various neighborhoods in Chapel Hill/Carrboro, but we really need to see for ourselves this November. We may also take a look at parts of Cary/N Raleigh, just to compare.

Thanks again

Movingsouth, thanks for the interest in the forum. In the future please keep your questions in the relocation thread. We want to anwser your questions, but we'd also like to keep things organized for easier reading. Thanks.

In answer to your question, no, it's probably not too liberal considering where you are from. I think Chapel Hill/Carrboro is certainly a progressive town/area, but no more than lots of other areas in the country. It's only magnified here because NC is a fairly conservative state (red in most national elections) and that serves to emphasize it's role (with Asheville to a lesser extent) as the "liberal" bastion of NC.

[DB78]

What is the reason why Chapel Hill is labeled as a liberal town? Is it soft on crime, illegal immegration?

Thanks

[Movingsouth]

Hi, thanks for your reponse also. Homeless along Franklin Street? Do you mean beggars? That's the first time I have heard of this. Then again I remember a few years back when I worked in mid-town Manhattan having the same situation. I think the homeless will gravitate to areas with money and lots of pedestians unless the police move them along. Blocking pedestrian traffic and store fronts will give PD the authority to move them. I hope they are doing this in Chapel Hill. Also, the day Orange County passes a resolution for in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, is the day I move out. That's not liberal, that would be a disgrace.

It's a college town for one thing. A high student to town resident ratio. That by itself will cause the label. Also, the population of Chapel Hill seems to have a gap. A ton of people 18-28 and a lots of 55+, but not a lot in between. It's not like there's nobody in between, but it is noticeable if you live there. Of course college students are mostly liberals.

Most are unaware of this, but aging people get more liberal generally too. Why? Because so many seniors rely on govt to support them. I work with old folks every day, so I get a close up view.

The Orange County politicians have passed local laws and pushed for legislation over the years that would definitely be labeld as politically 'liberal' such as pushing for in-state tuition for illegal aliens, which has been turned down.

For a town that has a good amount of money in it, Chapel Hill has an awful lot of homeless. They are along Franklin Steet mostly. The town seems to draw them and that can't be by accident. I'm not knocking Chapel Hill. I lived there for a year and I liked it. Oh, and relative to other NC counties, taxes are a little high for Orange County. If gasoline is say $2.80 in Raleigh, then it's usually $3.00-3.15 in Orange County. Again, not knocking. Just some observations.