What's in Charlotte?

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troyguitar
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So there's still nothing remotely close to confirmed at this point, but the most likely next career move for the wife is now just outside of Charlotte in Midland, NC.

I've never been there besides being to the NASCAR track a couple of times when I was 10-12. A quick search shows that there are 2 ice arenas with adult hockey programs in Pineville and Indian Trail, that's the closest thing I have to a "commute" since I try to get to the ice at least 3x a week, ideally 5x.

Given all that, it seems like we'd want to look at places in the Southeast "quadrant" if you will. Mint Hill, Wildwoods, Matthews perhaps? Here's a map with those 3 places marked:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BNeN8 ... sp=sharing

I assume we won't want to be particularly close to Charlotte itself since the likely :haus: criteria will include a 2+ car garage and sub-$300k price (and I'm not a city person anyway), but what else should we know?
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You will probably like Charlotte a lot more than where you’re at now. Congrats to you and your wife on the move.

How often does she or you anticipate moving for career? Might be more effective to rent first and learn the area. Buying/selling a house sucks especially when you move so frequently and you don’t make any money on the house.
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razr390 wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 7:56 am You will probably like Charlotte a lot more than where you’re at now. Congrats to you and your wife on the move.

How often does she or you anticipate moving for career? Might be more effective to rent first and learn the area. Buying/selling a house sucks especially when you move so frequently and you don’t make any money on the house.
:dat:

housing is up, more so in charlotte, might be a good time to rent for a quick minute.
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I bought my :poorvette: in Charlotte NC
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razr390 wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 7:56 am You will probably like Charlotte a lot more than where you’re at now. Congrats to you and your wife on the move.

How often does she or you anticipate moving for career? Might be more effective to rent first and learn the area. Buying/selling a house sucks especially when you move so frequently and you don’t make any money on the house.
Not a bad idea at all.

Troy this map might be helpful.
https://goo.gl/maps/ibM3buGTcSD2

Seriously doe, I hear great things about this city. Most of the great driving is to the northwest of the city though. Pineville to Midland looks like 30 mins to 1 hr in traffic. Def want to ask Griff about this.
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:dat: Griff :doe:
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Desertbreh wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 3:05 pm DFD. The forum where everybody makes the same choices and then tells anybody trying to join the club that they are the stupidest motherfucker to ever walk the earth.
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Johnny_P wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 9:43 am
razr390 wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 7:56 am You will probably like Charlotte a lot more than where you’re at now. Congrats to you and your wife on the move.

How often does she or you anticipate moving for career? Might be more effective to rent first and learn the area. Buying/selling a house sucks especially when you move so frequently and you don’t make any money on the house.
Not a bad idea at all.

Troy this map might be helpful.
https://goo.gl/maps/ibM3buGTcSD2

Seriously doe, I hear great things about this city. Most of the great driving is to the northwest of the city though. Pineville to Midland looks like 30 mins to 1 hr in traffic. Def want to ask Griff about this.
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Big Brain Bradley wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 10:16 am
Johnny_P wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 9:43 am

Not a bad idea at all.

Troy this map might be helpful.
https://goo.gl/maps/ibM3buGTcSD2

Seriously doe, I hear great things about this city. Most of the great driving is to the northwest of the city though. Pineville to Midland looks like 30 mins to 1 hr in traffic. Def want to ask Griff about this.
:mahtroy: aint got no time to :stig: on public roads
Parking lots only, :bruh:
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Desertbreh wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 3:05 pm DFD. The forum where everybody makes the same choices and then tells anybody trying to join the club that they are the stupidest motherfucker to ever walk the earth.
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razr390 wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 7:56 am You will probably like Charlotte a lot more than where you’re at now. Congrats to you and your wife on the move.

How often does she or you anticipate moving for career? Might be more effective to rent first and learn the area. Buying/selling a house sucks especially when you move so frequently and you don’t make any money on the house.
In theory this, if it happens, would be a longer term role than the last two (2 and 3 years) - this should be more like 5 with hopefully an option to be in more control of her own destiny after that, including staying in NC. The company pays enough for relocation that renting is seriously unattractive, including covering realtor+closing costs and pro movers and temporary living expenses and househunting/closing trip expenses plus if your previous house doesn't sell, they will sell it for you and give you what you paid for it. They had to do that on our PA house, nobody wanted it and it eventually sold for $15k or so less than we paid but it was not our problem.

There's no real downside to buying for us at this point unless the market tanks so badly that she loses her job. A minor fall in house prices is :aintcare: since we wouldn't be eating a loss on either end. At worst we'd consider the mortgage interest, home insurance, and property taxes to have been equivalent to paying rent. At best we make money on appreciation (didn't happen in PA, likely won't happen in KY, could possibly happen in NC).
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[user not found] wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 10:41 am
Johnny_P wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 9:43 am Troy this map might be helpful.
https://goo.gl/maps/ibM3buGTcSD2
:lolgasm:
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troyguitar wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 2:51 am So there's still nothing remotely close to confirmed at this point, but the most likely next career move for the wife is now just outside of Charlotte in Midland, NC.

I've never been there besides being to the NASCAR track a couple of times when I was 10-12. A quick search shows that there are 2 ice arenas with adult hockey programs in Pineville and Indian Trail, that's the closest thing I have to a "commute" since I try to get to the ice at least 3x a week, ideally 5x.

Given all that, it seems like we'd want to look at places in the Southeast "quadrant" if you will. Mint Hill, Wildwoods, Matthews perhaps? Here's a map with those 3 places marked:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BNeN8 ... sp=sharing

I assume we won't want to be particularly close to Charlotte itself since the likely :haus: criteria will include a 2+ car garage and sub-$300k price (and I'm not a city person anyway), but what else should we know?
I'd be pretty stoked about this move if I were you....North Carolina has so much going on, I always hear great things about Charlotte, beautiful mountains to the west, R/D/CH, and some damn nice coast. Plus you're avoiding some pretty shitty relos, such as upstate New York and lets face it, Santa Barbara is for waxers. Eating ramen and making a $5000 mortgage payment while "enjoying the beautiful weather".....fuck that.
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Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
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That's a truly :notbad: amount of LC's locations. The real bonus is that they have a few Jet's pizzas in Charlotte too - and 2 of the locations are right near the 2 ice arenas. :fatty:
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Desertbreh wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 12:10 pm
troyguitar wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 2:51 am So there's still nothing remotely close to confirmed at this point, but the most likely next career move for the wife is now just outside of Charlotte in Midland, NC.

I've never been there besides being to the NASCAR track a couple of times when I was 10-12. A quick search shows that there are 2 ice arenas with adult hockey programs in Pineville and Indian Trail, that's the closest thing I have to a "commute" since I try to get to the ice at least 3x a week, ideally 5x.

Given all that, it seems like we'd want to look at places in the Southeast "quadrant" if you will. Mint Hill, Wildwoods, Matthews perhaps? Here's a map with those 3 places marked:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BNeN8 ... sp=sharing

I assume we won't want to be particularly close to Charlotte itself since the likely :haus: criteria will include a 2+ car garage and sub-$300k price (and I'm not a city person anyway), but what else should we know?
I'd be pretty stoked about this move if I were you....North Carolina has so much going on, I always hear great things about Charlotte, beautiful mountains to the west, R/D/CH, and some damn nice coast. Plus you're avoiding some pretty shitty relos, such as upstate New York and lets face it, Santa Barbara is for waxers. Eating ramen and making a $5000 mortgage payment while "enjoying the beautiful weather".....fuck that.
:dat: is my take on it as well. Better chance of being able to move to another company without having to move locations too, should that become necessary/attractive.

Preliminary search shows that there are some decent looking houses in these locations that are somewhat sanely priced and have reasonable property taxes with no HOA garbage. For something roughly equivalent to what we have now it's more like ~$2k/yr taxes and a $250k :haus: vs $1k/$150k. Close to doubles the mortgage payment but it's still "cheap" compared to :waxer: areas.
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What's in Charlotte, NC? Yours truly :bow:

Charlotte is big, 22nd or so largest city in the US, so there's plenty to do.

I'm not into hockey at all, it's not very prominent in the southeast, but I actually talked to my gf's coworker recently and her kid plays at the place in Pineville and they seem to really like it.

Our local SCCA autox is active: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ccrscca/ There are also some other local groups, Triad runs many events in Winston-Salem which is less than 90 minutes away. There is also an SC group, so you should be covered with autox, could probably do events more weekends than not within a two to three hour drive.

Obviously NASCAR is huge in Charlotte, most of the drivers live in the area, the Hall of Fame downtown is cool, the track is there.

It's generally a great area for outdoor activities, I mountain bike around the city often. There are also greenways and parks and within one to two hours some great mountain hiking. Beaches are about three hours away or more depending on which ones. There are also two large man-made lakes, Lake Wylie and Lake Norman (where I live) if you like being on the water. The US National Whitewater Center is just outside Charlotte too, kayaking, rafting, mountain biking, beer, other shit.

There is some live music, plenty of bars, breweries, places to eat, all of the standard things a larger city offers.

The weather is pretty great, it's probably similar to where you're living now but with milder winters. We get one or two quick snows each year (they melt in a day or two typically).

General vibe of Charlotte is liberal AF but once you get out of it (Midland) it becomes backwoods :disgust: pretty quickly.

Housing prices have jumped IMMENSELY in the past five years or so. I live in Cornelius, which is nice but kind of your plane-jane suburb (the things we'll do for a girl). A decent house in my area with garage is probably $300k plus. I was in Charlotte before always, a nice house with garage is probably a half-mill thing anywhere in proximity of the city. You're in luck that the eastern side hasn't boomed in the same way, north and south are considered more desirable so you can get way more for your money. Midland would be pretty cheap I think. Mint Hill is probably your best compromise of close to her job, close to things, and still affordable. Matthews is a bit more affluent, that would be my choice of where you mentioned as it's a bit closer to things.

Let me know if you have any specific questions... I've spent 23 of my 28 years living in Charlotte so I know it pretty well.
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troyguitar wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 12:11 pm That's a truly :notbad: amount of LC's locations. The real bonus is that they have a few Jet's pizzas in Charlotte too - and 2 of the locations are right near the 2 ice arenas. :fatty:
You will find many more North Carolinians share your proclivity toward chain pizzas, the :waxer: Pinshit pizza :bs: isn't very prevalent in our area.
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It is truly a nice place to live and it's not cheap by any means but the cost is manageable and you actually get a nice quality of life generally. Traffic is obviously shitty like any city but it's not at the levels of a DC, LA, Chicago, New York, SF, etc.

Avoid my area (North I-77 corridor) if you don't like traffic :rolleyes:
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D Griff wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 12:22 pm It is truly a nice place to live and it's not cheap by any means but the cost is manageable and you actually get a nice quality of life generally. Traffic is obviously shitty like any city but it's not at the levels of a DC, LA, Chicago, New York, SF, etc.

Avoid my area (North I-77 corridor) if you don't like traffic :rolleyes:
Yeah it looks like we'd never have reason to go North/West besides an occasional trip to the airport or maybe checking out the lake on a random weekend.

I figure that it's better to look at houses that are convenient to the places we'd be going 5x a week vs being near "attractions" that we'd realistically not go to nearly as often. That approach worked out really well here in KY - we still go into the city but it averages maybe 2x a week at most, so it's significantly less driving+stress+cost to live out closer to work than in the city where most of the other under-50-year-old employees ( :rudy: ) seem to want to be... even though they also only go downtown 1-2x a week the same as us.
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troyguitar wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 12:29 pm
D Griff wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 12:22 pm It is truly a nice place to live and it's not cheap by any means but the cost is manageable and you actually get a nice quality of life generally. Traffic is obviously shitty like any city but it's not at the levels of a DC, LA, Chicago, New York, SF, etc.

Avoid my area (North I-77 corridor) if you don't like traffic :rolleyes:
Yeah it looks like we'd never have reason to go North/West besides an occasional trip to the airport or maybe checking out the lake on a random weekend.

I figure that it's better to look at houses that are convenient to the places we'd be going 5x a week vs being near "attractions" that we'd realistically not go to nearly as often. That approach worked out really well here in KY - we still go into the city but it averages maybe 2x a week at most, so it's significantly less driving+stress+cost to live out closer to work than in the city where most of the other under-50-year-old employees ( :rudy: ) seem to want to be... even though they also only go downtown 1-2x a week the same as us.
Mint Hill to downtown isn't even that far. There won't be traffic on weekends and you're talking a 20 minute drive. Commuting from there M-F would blow, but that's different. Matthews/Mint HIll are both perfectly fine and don't cost as much as South Charlotte or North Charlotte, so it's really a win there.
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Johnny_P wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 9:43 am
razr390 wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 7:56 am You will probably like Charlotte a lot more than where you’re at now. Congrats to you and your wife on the move.

How often does she or you anticipate moving for career? Might be more effective to rent first and learn the area. Buying/selling a house sucks especially when you move so frequently and you don’t make any money on the house.
Not a bad idea at all.

Troy this map might be helpful.
https://goo.gl/maps/ibM3buGTcSD2


Seriously doe, I hear great things about this city. Most of the great driving is to the northwest of the city though. Pineville to Midland looks like 30 mins to 1 hr in traffic. Def want to ask Griff about this.
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D Griff wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 12:34 pm
troyguitar wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 12:29 pm

Yeah it looks like we'd never have reason to go North/West besides an occasional trip to the airport or maybe checking out the lake on a random weekend.

I figure that it's better to look at houses that are convenient to the places we'd be going 5x a week vs being near "attractions" that we'd realistically not go to nearly as often. That approach worked out really well here in KY - we still go into the city but it averages maybe 2x a week at most, so it's significantly less driving+stress+cost to live out closer to work than in the city where most of the other under-50-year-old employees ( :rudy: ) seem to want to be... even though they also only go downtown 1-2x a week the same as us.
Mint Hill to downtown isn't even that far. There won't be traffic on weekends and you're talking a 20 minute drive. Commuting from there M-F would blow, but that's different. Matthews/Mint HIll are both perfectly fine and don't cost as much as South Charlotte or North Charlotte, so it's really a win there.
:word:

Sounds good to me. I was surprised when looking at the map that the dense "city" part of the city is really small, most of it looks pretty suburban. Do all of those little winding roads around the "green" areas of town just get jammed up every day?

I suppose in theory we could try to get into or closer to the city since she would effectively have a "reverse commute" going out of the city in the morning and back in the evening, but :iono: if we'd have any real interest in that given how much more money it would cost.
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troyguitar wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 12:41 pm
D Griff wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 12:34 pm

Mint Hill to downtown isn't even that far. There won't be traffic on weekends and you're talking a 20 minute drive. Commuting from there M-F would blow, but that's different. Matthews/Mint HIll are both perfectly fine and don't cost as much as South Charlotte or North Charlotte, so it's really a win there.
:word:

Sounds good to me. I was surprised when looking at the map that the dense "city" part of the city is really small, most of it looks pretty suburban. Do all of those little winding roads around the "green" areas of town just get jammed up every day?

I suppose in theory we could try to get into or closer to the city since she would effectively have a "reverse commute" going out of the city in the morning and back in the evening, but :iono: if we'd have any real interest in that given how much more money it would cost.
This inspired me to look at houses just now... and man, anything close to the city not in the ghetto is :waxer: AF anymore. :disappoint: I guess I'm stuck in Cornelius for the foreseeable future. The traffic isn't all that bad on the surface streets for the most part, there are certainly commuters but it's not so bad. Really just the interstates are shitty.

It isn't spread out like Texas or anything, but Charlotte definitely has a bit of a sprawling suburb thing going on.
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The main thing I'm noticing in a brief look at house listings is that, like it was in PA and KY, it's probably going to be fucking impossible to get anything more than the :jalepenis: 20x20 tiny 2-car garage unless you get a 3000+ sq ft McMansion or acreage out in the sticks. Hopefully there'll be more listings in the Spring/Summer :doe:
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This is the closest thing I'm seeing to reasonable/ideal (looks like it's already sold, but gives an idea).

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandho ... 066#photo0

Most of the 3+ car options that I see also have fucking HOA's... :disgust:

Some of the HOA's are $400+ per MONTH according to these listings. Do they provide French maid service? :wtf:
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[user not found] wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 1:38 pm
troyguitar wrote:This is the closest thing I'm seeing to reasonable/ideal (looks like it's already sold, but gives an idea).

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandho ... 066#photo0

Most of the 3+ car options that I see also have fucking HOA's... :disgust:

Some of the HOA's are $400+ per MONTH according to these listings. Do they provide French maid service? :wtf:
Worst part of an HOA in your case isn't even the money but some don't even let you work on your own car in your driveway and shit.
:iono:

Seems to me that the worst part is they can cost a fuckload of money and build no equity. With a 3+ car garage, I'd never need to work on or park any junk outside so that part isn't really a concern. In the North they at least might take care of snow/ice, I don't see the point in the South.
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troyguitar wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 1:49 pm
[user not found] wrote: Wed Dec 20, 2017 1:38 pm Worst part of an HOA in your case isn't even the money but some don't even let you work on your own car in your driveway and shit.
:iono:

Seems to me that the worst part is they can cost a fuckload of money and build no equity. With a 3+ car garage, I'd never need to work on or park any junk outside so that part isn't really a concern. In the North they at least might take care of snow/ice, I don't see the point in the South.
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