Syllieann Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 We are moving far away in a few months. In preparation we are visiting, and we have dinners scheduled with some folks in the company dh will be joining. I plan to put my kids in school once we move. I want to come up with some things we should cover. We are going from Wisconsin to the Charlotte area. I'll ask about schools and neighborhoods, but what else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idalou Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 (edited) I'm going to guess it's an area where there are multiple Home Depots,Targets and Walmarts, groceries, so ask which specific location they prefer. Sports for kids, are there rec teams or is it hard core competitive? Does the area have flooded roads, prone to hurricane paths or tornadoes? If you feel comfortable enough, maybe ask about churches? Which insurance companies do they prefer? Doctor clinics? Best bbq restaurant? Edited October 21, 2021 by Idalou 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildflowerMom Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 My dad said Charlotte is having crazy traffic right now. I think there's a lot of building going on. I would ask if there's an area where traffic is better so maybe dh wouldn't have to face that nightmare on a daily basis and you won't have to fight it taking kids to school. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambam Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 I google interactive crime map to get an idea of what areas might not be desirable. I'd ask folks about which areas were safer. I'd ask about recommendations where to live for traffic to/from work. I'm assuming you would do public school, so it would be somewhat close, so I don't know if traffic would be an issue there. I would ask what areas of town are increasing in value. I'd ask if a specific area was higher/substantially lower in insurance costs (in TX, Tier 1 counties (by gulf) have significantly higher home insurance rates (so some choose to live there and commute to Houston because if you live in Harris county (Houston), auto insurance costs are very high). If church is important to you, ask about which congregations fit in with your beliefs. If sports are important to your crew, ask about those as well. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 (edited) I would visit the schools. You can call and say that you are moving to the area and would like a tour. Ask probing questions to make sure that the school will meet your kids' needs. Look at the high school, even if your kids are younger, because eventually they will go there. In addition to talking with the schools, look at the information that they post on the school website. I compared the online high school course catalogs of several school districts, for example, and I looked at what their music programs were like, since my boys are musical. When we moved to this area, we did some online school research, but we were homeschooling at the time and didn't visit schools in person. A couple of years later, when our kids were enrolling in public school and were middle school aged, we realized that the high school would be a poor fit, and so we decided we had to move again, to get into a different district. So check out all levels of the public school. You should be able to watch some school board meetings online, as well. I am not on Facebook, so I am kind of clueless, but someone here told me she was in a "Moms of X town" FB group and was getting some information from there that I hadn't heard. Ask the coworkers if there are social media resources that would be good for you to join, to get a feel for the communities you are considering. If your kids are in extracurriculars such as dance or sports that will require commuting to studios or intensive practices, I would factor that in. I would also consider churches (if you are church goers) and how far you would drive to get there, not only for the Sunday services but for youth group, etc. Think about how long your husband's commute is now and how long you are willing for it to be. The quality of family life can be better when dad can be home more. We went from a 45-60 minute commute for DH to a 10-15 minute commute (that is the reason we moved, actually), and I can't tell you what a big difference that has made for me and the kids, as well as DH. Edited October 21, 2021 by Storygirl 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rutheart Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 I'd bring a map and ask for them to circle the general area that would be a 30 minute commute from the place of work (and also whatever would be a dealbreaking commute distance for your DH at which you would no longer consider a house). It can be hard to get a feel for commute times during a brief visit, and traffic in cities often change drastically during commute hours. Coworkers will have a better feel for this than your realtor, since they'll be more familiar with traffic around the workplace. My husband once worked at a place with a 75 minute commute, but the last 30 minutes was within 20 blocks of the parking garage. The employer next door had thousands of employees pass through security and it would always back up in the mornings throughout the neighborhood (which had roads with only one lane in each direction!). 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 We use Google maps to put pins in places we are likely to go, and then we use their “leave time” or “arrive by” features to look at traffic. Dh used to have a ten mile highway commute. It took 15 minutes in the morning, and 90 minutes in the evening if he left work anytime between 3:30-7:00pm. Fwiw, besides trying to pick a neighborhood with a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods (both are picky about real estate) and a Costco, we pin down specifics by high schools. It’s the school that really matters for college prep and quality can vary widely. Since most high schools are fed by a variety of schools, it will give us a range we can then pin down from. The questions I ask locals tend to be about dentists, doctors, sports teams, auto repair places, and other things that are hard to determine quality by online. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 (edited) Don't forget fun stuff. Ask about your hobbies - Are there any related clubs? Best store for supplies? Best locations for engaging? Whatever is applicable. What are their favorite restaurants for casual dining? Special occasion family? Special occasion/romantic/celebratory? Any homecoming, prom, graduation or other traditions that are fun to be aware of so you can celebrate with friends? Locations of parks: playgrounds; nature preserves; hiking, biking, walking trails or greenways? Best kids consignment sales: where/when/how are they publicized? If applicable - where do teens hang out in different areas? Local events: festivals, team sport events, college events Best ice cream/frozen custard Best Christmas light displays Favorite beaches for: a quick family getaway, longer family vacation Favorite mountain towns: for a family getaway, longer family vacation What/where/when are the best museums/symphonies/plays, etc.. What kinds of activities and interests do kids of similarly aged children engage in? Sports - ask about the availability of sports you or your kids are participating in - this will help you be prepared for differences in availability in scheduling. If it looks like something isn't available - ask about close approximations. If something is available in a limited areas, take that into consideration (one town might have rec. dept. lacrosse, another town might have rec. dept. baseball, but not softball, for example). How far ahead should you plan to register for activities? When do fall sports register, for example? How fast does registration fill? More serious stuff: How are social groups primarily formed? Through work, neighborhoods, schools, churches. Ask them about any cultural adjustments you might need to take into account - Are there different faiths, etc. that you need to be aware of so as not to insult people? What about cultural festivals - are these just for the people in that culture or are all welcome? Ask about local & state political issues you need to be aware of - ask about what is important to you - safety? access? education? healthcare? Some people who work in Charlotte live just over the state line in South Carolilna. If you go that route - be sure to carefully look at the differences between the two states, what that means for taxes, legislation, commute times, etc.. Ask them if there's anything they wish they had known before they moved there (if they moved there). Weather tips: Ice/snow: Everything will shut down in the ice/snow. Don't make fun of it - instead wonder aloud why other cities in the north hadn't thought of that? It's a day off from school to play, to have a lighter workday and productivity expectations are generally lowered all around - just have fun. Also, driving on ice is not at all like driving on snow, it's downright dangerous. You won't need a snowblower, a show shovel might come in handy on an annual basis. You will likely not need your heavy duty snow boots & heavy parkas - ask someone what they typically keep on hand. Many people, especially younger ones, don't wear heavy coats on a regular basis at all - a fleece jacket is often sufficient. Keep some gloves and scarves, too. Hurricanes: Take this seriously. Pay attention to the path of the hurricanes. You may experience a lot of rain and some wind to varying degrees. Inland damage is not usually as bad as it is in coastal areas, but there can be localized flooding and wind damage. Power outages are sometimes an issue during severe storms. Long-timers will have stories about Hugo. Raleigh area folks will have stories about Fran. Welcome to NC! Edited October 21, 2021 by TechWife 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 2 minutes ago, TechWife said: Some people who work in Charlotte live just over the state line in Georgia. If you go that route - be sure to carefully look at the differences between the two states, what that means for taxes, legislation, commute times, etc. I think you mean SC? NC does share a border with GA, but not near Charlotte. Along this line -- Keep in mind in state college tuition if that may be in your kids' futures. I'm likely biased, but IMO the NC public universities are overall far superior to those in SC. From what I understand the Charlotte housing market has been (not surprisingly) crazy lately. A friend of DS25 bought a house there a few months ago. He had to make a sight unseen offer well above the asking price to get it. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 (edited) One thing I've noticed about situations like this is very few people will answer in a balanced and honest way and be willing to talk about pitfalls and downsides vs the upsides of choices they are living. People want to believe they've got the best option for their family, so they tend to be super positive unless they're on the edge of making a change themselves. That said, I think it is great being able to talk to people on the ground. But I would also scope areas with online reviews and plan on doing plenty of your own research too, Drive neighborhoods, tour schools, check out google maps at actual drive times, etc. When people move to our metro, I recommend doing a short term rental if possible to give you 3-6 months to give you much better grounding on what will really work well for you. I know SO many people who bought and then were unhappy with neighborhood vibes, or commute length, or amenities after the fact and then ended up moving to another part of the metro within a few years at a loss. I LOVE where we live but there are areas within 30 miles of us I absolutely would not/could not live happily. So be picky! Anyway, I have another friend that made an upper midwest to Charlotte move not long ago and they are liking it. Good luck! Edited October 21, 2021 by FuzzyCatz 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 3 minutes ago, Pawz4me said: I think you mean SC? NC does share a border with GA, but not near Charlotte. Along this line -- Keep in mind in state college tuition if that may be in your kids' futures. I'm likely biased, but IMO the NC public universities are overall far superior to those in SC. From what I understand the Charlotte housing market has been (not surprisingly) crazy lately. A friend of DS25 bought a house there a few months ago. He had to make a sight unseen offer well above the asking price to get it. Thank you - I'll go fix it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 11 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said: One thing I've noticed about situations like this is very few people will answer in a balanced and honest way and be willing to talk about pitfalls and downsides vs the upsides of choices they are living. People want to believe they've got the best option for their family, so they tend to be super positive unless they're on the edge of making a change themselves. That said, I think it is great being able to talk to people on the ground. But I would also scope areas with online reviews and plan on doing plenty of your own research too, Drive neighborhoods, tour schools, check out google maps at actual drive times, etc. When people move to our metro, I recommend doing a short term rental if possible to give you 3-6 months to give you much better grounding on what will really work well for you. I know SO many people who bought and then were unhappy with neighborhood vibes, or commute length, or amenities after the fact and then ended up moving to another part of the metro within a few years at a loss. I LOVE where we live but there are areas within 30 miles of us I absolutely would not/could not live happily. So be picky! Anyway, I have another friend that made an upper midwest to Charlotte move not long ago and they are liking it. Good luck! Agree. To me, the vibe of my neighborhood is the single most important factor (after making sure the larger community isn’t predominantly seasonal—probably not a consideration for OP). I know what I value (liberal, walkable, neighborly, older homes, dense population, neighborhood coffee shops/pubs/library/groceries within walking distance), and IME the schools in said type of neighborhood tend to be what we look for. Beyond that, commute time is important though I won’t sacrifice the right neighborhood/town for a shorter commute. While @Techwifes list is impressive, I wouldn’t be able to answer a single question for someone else, even in our small town. I second trying to rent for awhile before committing to a neighborhood. Only you know what’s most important to you in a home and neighborhood. All the best with your move, OP! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 (edited) If Charlotte is anything like Raleigh, your choices for housing will be extremely limited. I'm talking a 15 minute walk through and you have to put in an offer IMMEDIATELY with tens of thousands in earnest money and tens of thousands over asking price for 30 minutes away from the downtown (during light traffic, not rush hour.) When we bought another house this spring we were one of 20+ offers for each house we bid on. The closer into the city you are, people were making offers a hundred thousand over to double the asking price sight unseen. Our houses have been appreciating at a rate of $30,000 a month because demand is so high and inventory so low. Rents are going up too. You might have to be very flexible about location because of it. The South is reactive, not proactive, so traffic is shockingly bad. They don't require impact fees up front from developers to widen roads before the subdivisions and retail centers go in, and get this-they build 1 lane each way roads on roads that are surrounded with housing and businesses!?!?!? It's like living in a parallel universe dealing with the mindset. So if you're from somewhere that plans cities well, you're probably going to be stunned. Around here there aren't many neighborhood public schools, there are huge public schools where kids are bused in from all over the area, resulting is far fewer options. Many places just have 2 and maybe 1 or 2 public charter schools of each age division relatively nearby. The pickings are slim per capital compared to other parts of the US. Outside of city centers, there aren't many sidewalks and roads are narrow, few have bike lanes, so walkability and driveability are limited in many areas. Edited October 21, 2021 by Homeschool Mom in AZ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syllieann Posted October 21, 2021 Author Share Posted October 21, 2021 Thank you everyone for all the great ideas. I'm going to try to schedule some school tours. We are actually thinking of being on the SC side and I found online that their college reciprocity isn't as great as we have in the midwest. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to help us out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, MEmama said: Agree. To me, the vibe of my neighborhood is the single most important factor (after making sure the larger community isn’t predominantly seasonal—probably not a consideration for OP). I know what I value (liberal, walkable, neighborly, older homes, dense population, neighborhood coffee shops/pubs/library/groceries within walking distance), and IME the schools in said type of neighborhood tend to be what we look for. Beyond that, commute time is important though I won’t sacrifice the right neighborhood/town for a shorter commute. While @Techwifes list is impressive, I wouldn’t be able to answer a single question for someone else, even in our small town. I second trying to rent for awhile before committing to a neighborhood. Only you know what’s most important to you in a home and neighborhood. All the best with your move, OP! LOL - we live in a very similar neighborhood. Our house was built in 1915. In solidarity .... 💕😁 I do think when people are immersed and content in their own neighborhoods, schools, community, favorite grocery store, etc they may not have good self awareness about how they built up their social circles, etc over the years and be able to compare it objectively to other areas. I just think it is always good to keep in mind the perspective you're getting when you're asking people's opinions on your own major life choices. It's good to know thyself. The college reciprocity in the upper midwest is great and my oldest kid definitely cashed in on that deal! It stinks there aren't good options, I wish college reciprocity/exchanges would be a much bigger thing everywhere. Housing is nutty in a lot of major metros right now, hard time to buy, I hope it goes well for you. Edited October 21, 2021 by FuzzyCatz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 Don’t forget to ask for any specialists your family may need. Allergists, etc. Also, a good hair salon if you care about that type of thing. We relocated to a new area, and — unconventionally — the previous owners of our house invited us for a “hello-goodbye, get to know the area and toast” champagne and dinner. They told us all about the area, gave us a chance to ask questions. It was lovely. And they left a notebook with areas to visit, things to do, private tutor recs, restaurant tips, day trip ideas for kids, doc recs, hair salon, you name it. It was so sweet. They also left a drawing of our neighborhood with names and contact info for neighbors. I think if I needed to ask, those are the types of things I’d ask. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 Yeah, when it comes to social questions, be aware if the answers you're getting are coming from a long-term or generational local vs. a transplant. Non-transplants are usually far less aware of their own norms like fish are less aware of the qualities of their water compared to amphibians. Remember, some of The South is still paraculture, not mainstream American culture, so locals are often unaware of that element too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rutheart Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 47 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said: We use Google maps to put pins in places we are likely to go, and then we use their “leave time” or “arrive by” features to look at traffic. Dh used to have a ten mile highway commute. It took 15 minutes in the morning, and 90 minutes in the evening if he left work anytime between 3:30-7:00pm. Fwiw, besides trying to pick a neighborhood with a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods (both are picky about real estate) and a Costco, we pin down specifics by high schools. It’s the school that really matters for college prep and quality can vary widely. Since most high schools are fed by a variety of schools, it will give us a range we can then pin down from. The questions I ask locals tend to be about dentists, doctors, sports teams, auto repair places, and other things that are hard to determine quality by online. Even with the arrive by time feature, Google Maps claims those 20 blocks are a 10 minute drive. I don't think even an ambulance could do it in 10 minutes at 8am, since there are no additional lanes or shoulder for cars to make room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 43 minutes ago, Spryte said: Don’t forget to ask for any specialists your family may need. Allergists, etc. Also, a good hair salon if you care about that type of thing. We relocated to a new area, and — unconventionally — the previous owners of our house invited us for a “hello-goodbye, get to know the area and toast” champagne and dinner. They told us all about the area, gave us a chance to ask questions. It was lovely. And they left a notebook with areas to visit, things to do, private tutor recs, restaurant tips, day trip ideas for kids, doc recs, hair salon, you name it. It was so sweet. They also left a drawing of our neighborhood with names and contact info for neighbors. I think if I needed to ask, those are the types of things I’d ask. Wow—that’s impressive! I’m going to try to remember making a similar list if applicable in the future. We sorta knew the family we bought our house from. We had been renting in the neighborhood (see above advice lol) but were forced out of our lease early by our landlord. There were very, very few houses on the market in town at the time—like, literally six that we could at all consider— but we were given a hard deadline to be out before Christmas. We were familiar with the family through one of DS's sports and got pretty friendly throughout the process. 10 years later I still occasionally forward them errant mail, and recently dropped off a box they had ordered that was mistakenly delivered to our address. They have first dibs on buying the house back should we sell after their kids are grown. 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 @Spryte how thoughtful and generous of them! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 We live in a town that has a small area in another more rural county. Our health insurance (four people) would be an extra $500 per month if we lived in that county. (I know because I once selected the other county when getting a quote because I wondered if it would be cheaper.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 How/when to avoid tourists. Where are the firehouses, ambulance services, urgent cares (and hours), hospitals, and what level of care at said hospitals. (Says someone where pretty much all serious injuries get helicoptered out, and that’s $$$.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
history-fan Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 I would check the city website. Our website has the city council agenda online and recordings of past meetings online. You can learn of any issues and developments that may be planned. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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