Thinking of moving out of state...

[JoLo908]

I just called FI to tell him about all of the posts... the more and more we talk about it, the better we think it is. We did think about South Jersey as well, that is another option. I don't know if anyone else from around here has this same feeling, but my friends and I talk about it a lot, that we feel like we are "stuck" here in a way. My ancestors settled in Bayonne and Jersey city after getting off the boat from Ellis Island in the late 1800s, and my family has never moved more than an hour from there! It is so crazy! I just think that as far as what you get for your money, and definitely the whole quality of life aspect too. I love Jersey, I am not trying to knock it, it is just insane here. I drive about 6 miles to the town where I nanny, and most days it takes me upwards of 45 min. with all the traffic heading to the city...

[JoLo908]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maura Wow, Joanna - here in Chicago (in the nice neighborhoods that have decent schools) you can barely get a one bed plus den condo for what your brother just paid for a 3 BR house in Jersey! And don't get me started on the taxes...the property taxes here on a one bed plus den condo are about $8K! I have been realizing lately that I have no idea how my DH and I are ever going to afford to buy a place in the city, and we both are not really suburbs people. One of my girlfriends who just recently purchased a 2 bedroom/2 bath unit in our condo building spent $379,500 (I looked it up in the property transfer records for Chicago to be sure of the actual price - yeah for public records!) isnt that totally insane? That was just the purchase price... I am not sure that that price includes the parking space she bought in the building's garage. Then you have to also factor in the monthly condo board assessment fees to pay for the doormen, the gym facility, toward any necessary repairs, etc etc! holy cow!

Yeah I totally hear you! We looked at some condos around here as well, and most decent one bedrooms, not in the city, go for over 200k. Two bedrooms are even more. Being in the city is expensive. NYC is nearly untouchable. One of my really good friends lives in Manhattan and has a one bedroom that they converted to a 2 bedroom, and they each pay almost $1700 a month and it is a showbox! So, the suburbs are expensive, the city is NUTS!!! I grew up 3 miles outside of NYC my whole life, I think different scenery might be good. I just know that there are other options out there, and FI and I both agree that we shouldn't pigeon hole ourselves here, like it is the only way to go...
It also stinks, a lot, that most of my friends (around the age of 25, 26) really have no opportunity to move out of their parents houses. With rents for one bedrooms around $1000-$1300 plus utilities, it can be overwhelming, on top of student loans.... so...
I really enjoy the feedback considering everyone here is from all over the place, I thought it would be the perfect place to ask questions and get ideas...

[rodent]

i drive maybe 10 minutes to work. my rent for a 1-bedroom is $600. you can buy a nice house easily with $150,000. $200,000 will get you something really nice.

 

i don't mind giving you a breakdown of all of our cost-of-living expenses if you want.

[JoLo908]

Hey Morgan. I would really appreciate the info. It sounds great, and we would love to know more about it. Thank you so much.

[Emily&Matt]

I would much rather live in a lower income area, make less money and have smaller bills. You asked about North Carolina. Charlotte, NC and Greenville, SC are beautiful areas and there are lots of smaller cities or towns that are just as great. Personally, I would never want to live in NJ or NY or any other high cost of living area, even if I had the income to afford it.

[JoLo908]

Ha! Emily! You are from WV! I was a mountaineer!!! I transferred back here to NJ, but I went to WVU, so I am always a Mountaineer at heart. I totally agree with what you are saying. It just seems more reasonable. There are a lot of great high paying jobs in NYC and the surrounding areas, but it is such a high paced lifestyle. I love NYC and NJ, but for the long term I think we may be suited better to another location. My friends and I have conversations all the time about how everything around here is just crazy and the cost of everything is crazy...When we were on vacation when FI proposed, we later sat at a local bar and met a couple from Georgia and we were so intrigued with like the more laid back life they lead. I mean, they work hard and make a living, but even when they talked about their town we were jealous... so weird I know...

[rodent]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoLo908 Hey Morgan. I would really appreciate the info. It sounds great, and we would love to know more about it. Thank you so much.

Raleigh Durham Apex Cary Chapel Hill North Carolina Real Estate Fonville Morisey Realty

here is one of the local real estate companies, so you can get an idea of what houses cost.

here is a map of durham, raleigh & chapel hill.


my friend from ohio went to some kind of career fair when she got her teaching job with wake county. they are always hiring.

lets see, cost of living...

rent 1-bedroom $615
car insurance for 99 civic & 05 truck $110 per month
annual vehicle property tax of 3% of car's value per year
sales tax 7%
state income tax about 7%
most neighborhoods have HOA dues ranging from $10-$250 per month

we have great state parks & places to hike and bike. we have 2 hours from the beach & 2 hours from the mountains.

traffic is great. unless you live & work in a place where you'd need to take I-40 everyday, you probably won't encounter traffic. maybe in downtown raleigh there is traffic. i can drive home at 5pm & still not fight traffic.

groceries are more expensive here than in Texas. my mom wouldn't stop exclaiming the prices when i took her shopping.

raleigh is the #1 place for transplants, meaning that people from all over live in raleigh. same for durham & Chapel hill, but raleigh was ranked the highest. it's great because you meet a big mix of people.

anyway, i love living here. i will be sad to leave in a couple of years.

I can't think of any more info to give. let me know if you have questions.

[JoLo908]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate all of the information, it is so helpful! FI's car insurance on a 97 Honda civic here is $155, no collision, just the basics... and mine is about $100 per month with just the basics, no collision... things just cost a lot here... those are pretty good for insurance around here. I definitely want to check it out down there. Not to be nosey but Morgan if you like it why would you leave? I am guessing work reasons. Thank you so much again, I really appreciate it.

[rodent]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoLo908 Thanks so much! I really appreciate all of the information, it is so helpful! FI's car insurance on a 97 Honda civic here is $155, no collision, just the basics... and mine is about $100 per month with just the basics, no collision... things just cost a lot here... those are pretty good for insurance around here. I definitely want to check it out down there. Not to be nosey but Morgan if you like it why would you leave? I am guessing work reasons. Thank you so much again, I really appreciate it.

wow, ours is full coverage with a $250 deductable.

I'm from texas & all of my family is there. I want to be closer to family after i finish grad school. so living here was always going to be temporary. i'm just getting attached.

[JennyK]

I feel ya on the cost of living.. I live in Freehold which is starting to develop rapidly. I grew up in Linden so we decided to migrate south.. FI bought our house for $400K+ and we have no property (3bed, 2.5 bath).. if I didn't have as many ties to Jersey, (cant bear to leave my mom and neice & nephew) I'd go to FL.