Hi everyone! My name is John and i currently live in beautiful Syracuse, NY with my GF of 7 yrs. Jodie . My brother has lived in Statesville, NC for the past 12-13 years. I've visited a few times and my girlfriend has been wanting for the past 7 years to move south and I'm really starting to seriously consider it. New York taxes and winters SUCK!
Anyways, I don't want to ramble, so I have just a few Q's.
1) How's the job market down there? Right now, I do metal finishing for a pharmaceutical tank manufacturing company.(Feldmeier equip), and have been with them for 13yrs.
2) How is the housing market? We currently live in a 1600sq. ft. raised ranch on 1/2 acre. It goes for about $120'000. It was built new in 2000.
3) Does the weather get really hot and humid? I can take some heat and humidity but we don't like it for long periods of time.
4) How is the commuter traffic? I've heard some bad stories, but I don't know if they are as bad as I've been told.
Sorry it was such a long post but I appreciate any and all input. And hopefuly, in the not too distant future, I'll be motoring with my fellow brothers and sisters in NC (a better place to be).

 

It gets hot and humid for good strecthes at a time...

 

I live in Hickory, NC which is about 20 miles west of Statesville, so I think I'm qualified to answer the question for you. I've also worked in Statesville before too, so I know from firsthand experience what the commute is like. Here goes:

1) The job market in this area is not that great. This area of NC has some of the highest unemployment in the country. My suggestion is to try to secure employment before moving down here.

2) It is a buyer's market for housing down here right now. I am a mortgage loan officer, so I can help you with financing your house if you decide to move down here.

3) The worst months are July and August. I'm not a heat and humidity person either, I prefer fall and winter, but it's tolerable. I wear long sleeves in the summer time to cover up my tattoos so and it doesn't kill me... and the a/c in my car is broke...

4) If you work in Charlotte then yeah the traffic is bad, but if you were to work in Statesville or my suggestion would be Hickory, then no, traffic is not an issue.

Hope this input helps.

 

Thanks for the input guys! I had no idea the unemployment was so high Hey Teutonic, the last time I visited my brother, we ate at a restaraunt in Hickory. I think that is a pretty lively town. Kind of the place I would like to live. C'mon, anybody else?

 

The heat/humidity really hasn't been that bad this year. This is the first summer I've experienced with my S, and I was worried that I might not get to go topless much. However, the morning and evening commutes are usually cool enough to go top down.

I agree with the above that you should probably secure employment before you move. Job markets in Charlotte and Raleigh/Durham are going to be the best in the state overall, but perhaps not for the kind of employment you're seeking. Poke around & see what you can find on monster.com.

And yes, I lived in Charlotte for 5 years. The traffic can be a bear there. Raleigh isn't nearly as bad.

That's about all I have. Good luck!

 

Yeah Rajun, there are plenty of restaurant's in Hickory! There is a good amount of activities for someone to entertain themselves in Hickory. You might be able to find a job in your line of work. I don't know exactly what metal finishing entails, but if you can weld and have certification I think you'd find work. I never had any luck with Monster anywhere, but the Employment Security Commission can be a good source for jobs down here.

 

Thanks for all your replies, everyone . I think I will definately secure employment first (if we decide to move). As fae as the weather and traffic, it doesn't seem like something we can't handle. So thanks again for the input and maybe I'll see you soon!

 

unemployment is only high in the sticks if you live in the burbs(areas around charlotte/raleigh it isn't nearly as bad imo

 

The south is definitely a great place to be. Im originally from IN, and the weather here is awesome. If it does snow or ice, everything shuts down anyway. I recommend moving to Raleigh or Charolotte, several companies around the RTP area, Charlotte has traffic though, and Busch, two reasons I don't live there. This really is the ideal place for me to live.

good luck

Dave

 

Thanks for the replies everyone! The more I hear back, the more it makes me want to move!