Relocating...without a job
 

Okay, so I've done the obligatory "search on North Carolina and you'll see a bunch of posts about relocating to the area," and I still have a couple questions for you guys.

My husband and I (like everyone else, it seems) are planning on moving to NC in the next year or so. We've nailed down our choices to:

Fort Mill, SC
Waxhaw, NC
Weddington, NC
Apex, NC
Wake Forest, NC
Fuquay-Varina, NC
Garner, NC
Holly Springs, NC

The reason we've chosen those cities is that my husband is a Realtor and wants to move to an area where the town is ripe for a real estate boom. I know a few of those cities have already experienced the boom (Apex, Wake Forest in particular).

The problem is that we'll be moving with no jobs in place. I am an exec. asst. in NYC and make a great salary that basically supports the family. My husband's RE is filler-income at this point. I know I'll be taking a MAJOR drop in pay when we move, especially since I'll need to find a job pretty quickly and won't have the luxury of waiting for the best job to come along.

As for real estate, our other concern is that it may take some time for my husband's RE business to really form. Any insight on this? He's a hard worker and his clients up here in NoNJ really like him, so he's a great Realtor. Are we naive to think that because the RE market in NC is so hot that he'll be able to leap right in and immediately begin helping people buy/sell houses?

My hope is that within 2-3 years of moving there I'll be able to quit working altogether and can concentrate on being an at-home mom to our two kids (and possibly third if all goes well in the next few months). But that can only happen if my husband has success with RE.

SO, to recap:

Are those towns really experiencing a boom in RE?
Will a new-to-the-area be able to build a RE business pretty quickly due to the boom?

Thanks for any and all responses,
Jaynee

Jobs are iffy in the areas you list.
I would not move down without a job lined up.

I hate to say this but potential employers will look at your experience and deem you over qualified for a $7.25 an hour admin assistants job.

Executive assistant positions are promoted from within usually.

I would most likely try to get a job in Charlotte or Raleigh - depending on which smaller town we move to. I contacted a recruiter in C'lotte and sent along my resume to get a feel for what I'd be able to find, and she said that based on my resume they'd be able to find me a job paying within 20% of my current salary - which is workable since our mortgage payments will be dropping by 50% when we move. Our main concern is for my HUSBAND'S short-term career chances.

Jaynee, honestly I doubt you are going to come within 20% of your current salary only if your currently salary is $40,000 a year or less.

That would put you at $32,000 which isn't much for Charlotte or Raleigh unless you don't mind long commutes.

My commute is already 45-60 minutes each way, so that's no big deal.

i think you can do it. I recently got my real estate license but haven't started working yet. I'm getting my broker license first. my neighobrs both are real estate sales people working for established brokers and are doing well.

You should be able to get a job somewhere or temp. The biggest issue I would think is how old your kids are. Childcare out here is very expensive and could possibly cost the amount of your job!

Wake Forest homes are a little more expensive than that of Fuquay or Garner.

Anything is do able if you put your mind to it!

Although there are a ton of properties for sale, there is an equally large number of Realtors in Charlotte. The first three places you have listed are essentially 'burbs of Charlotte. Many of the banks in Charlotte use monster.com, you may want to take a look on there. I'm way to old to be moving across country w/out a job, but good luck if you choose to do so.

I can't comment on the availability of jobs or whether or not you should relocate without a job lined up. Only you know if that is right for you. I can tell you that it takes time for any new business to get established - how long it takes is anybody's guess.

As someone who moved from a NYC suburb (and made the daily commute to mid-town) to a "smaller" southern city it's easy to be misled by "commuting times". A 45 to 60 minute commute from the suburbs to NYC means you probably live only about 10 to 15 miles from your office (assuming you work in mid-town Manhattan) and you spend your time mostly in traffic. Where I now live (and from what I know about NC) a 45 to 60 minute commute means you could be living as much as 40 to 50 miles from the office. You spend that time driving on highways. All that highway driving adds a lot of miles and wear & tear on your car, increases your fuel bill, and the commute only gets longer as urban sprawl brings more and more people to the area. My point is, when relocating to a new area consider distance as well as time for your commute.

I agree with A_Traveller and GoTravel. As A_Traveller said, a 45 minute commute up North is VERY different than a 45 commute down South. I used to live in Boston and it could take me 45 minutes to go 10 miles from Cambridge to my office in Downtown Crossing. Now living back home in Charleston, a 45 minute drive is about a 30-35 mile drive and my car is definitely feeling it.

As far as GoTravel's comments on salaries...she's spot on. Since moving back to Charleston, it's been challenging to find a job that pays what is necessary to live here. Contrary to popular opinion, living in the South is not as cheap as people think. If you go to www.salary.com, you can do a cost of living comparision to NYC and where you want to move. While living in Boston, I was making a decent salary and paying $1800/mo in rent. In Charleston, I'm looking at paying $900-$1000/mo on basically 1/2 my salary.

For better or worse, the housing market in the South, particularly here in Charleston has gotten extremely high...it has pretty much hit the ceiling. Most of the towns you mentioned are suburbs of larger cities (as SAnParis) mentioned and friends in Charlotte say the housing market is similar to Charleston.

I'm in no way trying to discourage your move...just want to let you know things from my perspective. Whatever you decide will be best for you and your family and I wish the best of luck!

Okay, so my husband and I spent a good portion of the weekend talking about our plans for moving to NC. We've decided to do the following:

1) Buy land in town we like best that seems to be near all areas ripe for a budding RE business
2) Come up with floorplans and get contractor bids
3) Put our house in NJ on the market
4) Upon sale/close of NJ house find and sign a 1-yr lease on 2-bedroom apartment in NC
5) Jaynee finds a job in C'lotte/Raleigh (whichever area we live near)
6) Select final contractor and begin building custom home
7) Finish home within a year, move in!

We won't be eligible to pay capital gains taxes on our NJ house sale, so our thought is that by dumping 60% of home sale profit into the new construction and the other 40% into savings, that combining my salary, my husband's meager RE and the savings that we'll be able to live at our current level for about two years. (How's that for a run-on sentence?) That's more than enough time for my husband's RE business to really take off. With any luck our savings will never become depleted again like they are now.

Also, with my husband's flexible schedule he'll be able to go to the work site to check on the builder's progress of our house, thus ensuring that the process goes as smoothly as reasonably possible.

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks again to those that posted - it was helpful during our discussions this weekend!

Jaynee7283: It's always easier to find a job when you HAVE a job. When you don't, you have NO bargaining chips! And, I think people wonder what is wrong with you (not that anything actually is wrong!), that you DON'T have a job! It's a deterrant to hiring.

Belle

Um, I'm not sure the following is going to happen:

>7) Finish home within a year, move in!

Good luck. And if this happens, you have a lot of luck on your side. The builders here are like most builders, everything should be ready in 2-weeks (ha!). With all the construction, it's hard to schedule the inspectors.

There are way too many Realtors around here (Durham-Chapel Hill area). I live in a 'starter' home area with a lot of home turnover. I'm getting at least 3-4 realtor solicitations a month. If you can be the agent for a new neighborhood, you'll have a better chance than trying to build a business.

Listen to GoTravel, she's a smart woman.

BEfore you make any long term plans, I would suggest taking a week or so and go to the area and spend some time there, house hunting and job seeking. I would think that the job you have here in NYC is not going to be readily comparable to a position there without alot of looking.

I would check monster.com, careerbuilder.com jobs.com and the local newspapers online to see what kind of positions are available, so you have some idea of what you can expect.

The best of luck to you!!!

Jaynee, I don't think anyone is trying to talk you out of moving but maybe rethinking your priorities.

1) Have a job before you move.

Your time frame sounds great but I'm not sure it is going to happen.

Employers down here are going to be suspect of why you are leaving such a high paying job. When I get resumes such as yours, I immediately throw them away thinking that as soon as a better offer comes around, you'll leave.

As you know we are experiencing a building boom in the south. The resort I work in has an 11 month waiting list just to start construction on new homes and we build year around because our ground doesn't freeze.

1) The problem with getting a job before I move is that I'm a secretary - no one is going to hire an out of town secretary for an in town job. It would be one thing if I was a true "career" person that a company seeks out. I'm not. The only way for me to get a job is to go down there and BE there and get one. I have no aversion to temping until the right position comes along. I've done it before, and I can do it again. It also helps that I have contacts in C'lotte/Raleigh that could possibly recommend me (in fields such as law, commercial real estate, insurance, banking).

2) I know houses take longer than a year to build nowadays. That was my optimism showing. =)

3) I know that Realtors are taking over the world - that's why my husband wants to pick an area that is only now starting to hint at future growth rather than move to one that has already become a hotbed.

wantsomesun - we're taking a trip in a couple of weeks to spend 10 days in NC specifically for the purpose of moving to NC. After we have the specific towns picks out that we like we'll begin hunting for land, taking more trips as necessary with a goal of owning land by April 2006.

Jaynee, Raleigh and Charlotte are already building hotbeds.

Checkout Lancaster South Carolina. It is about 35 miles from Charlotte over the state line.

Very inexpensive to live there.

GoTravel - I'm not the type to floating from job to job when a better offer comes. That's obvious from my resume, which shows that my last job was held for 8 years before moving to my current job. As for taking the lower salary, I HAVE to take a lower salary in NC if only because NO ONE in NC pays what I make here (heck, it took me six months to find my current job because no one in NJ pays like NYC!).

I would hope that employers would take my resume seriously - despite the "negative" of being a NYC transplant.

goTravel - we're not planning on living in C'lotte or Raleigh - we are looking to live OUTSIDE those cities in one of the towns listed in my original post, and focusing on RE in those small towns and even further out. But we need to be relatively close to C'lotte/Raleigh for my own employment needs.

""As for taking the lower salary, I HAVE to take a lower salary in NC if only because NO ONE in NC pays what I make here""

Yes, I am aware of that fact.

I don't know your area at all, but do know the path you are taking. Good luck, but also very much listen to what Go Travel just said.

You want to hit the "before" hot spots, not the hot spots. Capese?

A friend of mines' DH quit his well paying job as an accountant at a large plant here, without having a job lined up. Seems he thought rather highly of himself.
Well, he's tried real estate sales and now insurance, but is still not doing too well...can't get anyone to hire him in what he feels is his field!

Just a word to the wise...

Another thing, when we have moved , we always rented for 6 months in the area we THOUGHT we wanted to live, got to know the area...then purchased a home. It is a bother, moving twice in a year, but it pays off in the end...we felt we were happier with our decisions this way.

Belle
Belle

hummmmm, stuttering again!:))

Belle

I just recently relocated without a job. It can be successfully done....of course, it can also be UNSUCCESSFULLY done, I've seen that as well!!!

Know what the job market and salaries are like in your new location. And, figure out why you are relocating - I didn't relocate to re-create my previous lifestyle, I didn't need to duplicate my previous salary (or the stress that came with my previous salary, actually!), so there was a wider pool of jobs I was willing and able to apply for. I am a professional, so MAYBE I could have gotten someone to move me for a job - or maybe I'd still be miserable in my old job, just waiting. I certainly wouldn't have the job I have now, since it is a state govt job that required me to be a state resident to even apply!

As for being suspect for leaving a high paying job - which is exactly what I did - I think if you are moving to a geographically desirable area, it is easy to explain, and I think the people living in the new area understand - at least in my case, everyone seemed to understand.

That said, don't underestimate the task - I found a job, but my husband does not have one yet. Of course, we only need one salary anyway, so I'm not sure how hard he is looking now, LOL!

Make sure your nest egg is big enough to sustain you during the transition. Honestly, if I were you, I'd probably hold off on the land buying/house building thing until you have a good job & your husband's real estate career is starting to take off, just so you have the cash to get you through. The bigger the nest egg, the less 'desparate' you will be in the job interviews as well - you don't 'need' that job, and I think you can project that...of course, any company that is going to try to 'screw' you because they think you're desparate, that's not a company I'd want to work for....

Good luck to you! It can be done, but even though I'm encouraging about it, don't disregard the more negative advice, because, yes, there are pitfalls, and you need to do your homework!

Ok, more thought on the area real estate market. I don't know Charlotte, so I won't comment on that area.

Apex and Wake Forest have a good amount of build-up already. Holly Springs is getting a bunch (but also a landfill possibility) so I'd knock those off the list.

Fuquay and Garner, while further out from Raleigh has the land for development. I wouldn't want the commute, but others do. And if the person works in Raleigh, it's drivable.

Other areas to consider: Butner/Creedmoor/Stem in Granville County and Louisburg in Franklin County. Butner, Creedmoor, Stem have land and not as much traffic into RTP as those highway 55 towns you mentioned. I-85 still has some construction, but maybe one day it will finished (to the park from Granville it's either 85 south to Durham Freeway or 85 to 70 and over). These towns aren't too far from Durham for big box shopping (maybe 20 minutes).

I don't really know much about Louisburg but it does have a junior college so you could promote 'college town' living. You would probably have to go to Raleigh for most things.

Over the weekend I was in Raleigh and the sales guy I was dealing with commutes from Henderson (it must be an hour of driving). I not sure I recommend real estate that far out though.

Check out the newspapers online classifieds for job listings. If you're willing to work temp jobs, that will help pay the bills.

I'd agree about holding off buying land at the start because you might not end up with a job near the land.

Thanks for the additional comments, folks!

We will definitely have a nest egg available with the sale of our house in NJ. We plan on using 1/2 the money towards a house and the other 1/2 will go in the bank and supplement my eventual income as my husband grows his RE business. Based on our calculations (and my presumption of low pay based on ads I've seen online) we feel we can live somewhat normally for two years before feeling financially strapped. However, we hope that within those two years my husband's RE biz will have picked up substantially to help continue our life.

We are NOT moving and expecting to keep our current status quo. We've already calculated that our mortgage will be cut in half, but all other expenses (including day care) will remain the same cost.

As for job location - we still plan on buying land first. We don't want to "waste" any money renting in an area we end up not buying in - we want to have the land, builder and contract in place when we put our house on the market up here in NJ. Then we'll be able to rent in that same town and be close-by for the build.

This will also help me focus on jobs to look for. I don't mind long commutes (I currently drive 60 miles round trip for a total of 90 minutes on the road - and I've done LONGER commutes than that).

Keep the comments coming - they are helpful, to be sure!

I am currently building a home & have been under contract since August...of 2004, I am hoping it will be done by Spring of 2006. It appears as though you are seeking a place to 'cash in' on buidling growth, as far as Charlotte goes, you're probably already several years too late. There is a ton of growth & development here, but Realtors are a dime a dozen.

In short, in order for such a move to be successful, I believe the expectations have to be w/in reason as well as any goals attainable.

Have you considered Spartanburg or Greenville, SC? You can still buy a 3 bedroom house in that area for less than 100K.

Hello all! Wanted to give an update now that we are back from vacation.

We've decided that Fort Mill, SC is the place we need to be. We loved everything about that town and immediately felt that sense of "this is it" when we spent time there.

We are 90% sure that we'll build a spec home since there are so many subdivisions coming up in Fort Mill - it's just a matter of deciding which one we liked best (we visited 7 subdivisions while we were there).

As for my husband, we contacted a Fort Mill realty office and already made connections as far as him working down there - they were helpful and said they'd like for him to join the team upon our future move.

We visited several friends in Charlotte during the trip and all of them viewed my resume and feel I'd be able to find work quickly and without problem (thanks to their networking on my behalf and any recruiters I contact). It helps that I have friends in relatively high places down there).

We've decided to wait 10-12 months before taking the first step toward actually moving - since I just started a new job I'd like to have at least 1 year under my belt before moving.

Thanks for everyone's comments throughout our decisionmaking - they've been helpful and we referenced your comments many times during our trip last week - they helped hone our own thoughts and decisions, so for that I say thank you!

I think Fort Mill is a pretty good fit. I didn't see this until today but I was going to suggest Huntersville/Mooresville area north of charlotte. REALLY growing and now that the highway has been widened, the commute into charlotte is not bad at all. You will have a similar advantage with I77 from FM. I think high level employment in charlotte will not be as difficult as some have implied, if your skills are good.

Gretchen, we did visit Huntersville/Davidson/Mooresville and felt that it wasn't right for us. Further investigation (and our visit to Fort Mill) solidified that feeling that H/D/M was not right.

As for job seeking, I'm confident because my skills are outstanding (if I do say so myself). I'm not one of those executive secretaries that rests on her laurels - I'm constantly adding to my skillset and actively getting involved in growing my position. At my new place of employment (I've been here since July) I've already become the "go to" girl for all things IT, software and marketing related - despite the fact that we have an IT department, a help desk and a marketing department. So I'm not worried at all about that aspect of moving down to NC/SC!

topping

Hi Jaynee, I think you’ve made a great choice with Fort Mill. My wife and I relocated to the Charlotte area a bit over a year ago (also from Northern NJ). We decided to rent for a while to get a sense of all surrounding areas before purchasing. In February we bought a place in Fort Mill (Baxter Village) and moved in when completed in July. Couldn’t be happier! I’m not sure if you’ve checked out Baxter (www.villageofbaxter.com), but you should! Our decision to move was a bit different than yours… largely looking to improve quality of life that was so lacking in Northern NJ. I had a job in hand before we made our move here, but will say that there are plenty of opportunities around Charlotte in your line of work.

I’ll offer a few suggestions:
• Start looking for employment BEFORE you move. You have to realize that the majority of people who live around Charlotte have also relocated here. To be in the midst of relocating is not necessarily a deterrent in the eyes of employers (in fact it seems to be the norm around here). Job seeking requires good timing. You might be able to find a job with a “gun to your head” after you move, but it may not be the perfect job.
• To better compete with local candidates in your profession, establish a local mailing address to use on your resume. This can be done at the UPS store or the like. Explain to interested employers that you are in “the midst of relocating”… and make yourself available for quality interviews on your own dime. The drive down-and-back is a cheap alternative to spur of the moment flights.
• If you find a great opportunity before you original moving timeframe, do not pass it up! Consider temporarily relocating before the rest of your family. Short-term rentals are extremely cheap compared to up north. I’ve seen this done numerous times and though there is some initial strain it can be well worth it in the long run.
• Keep up to date with developments in Fort Mill. The Fort Mill Times (www.fotmilltimes.com) and Rock Hill Herald (www.heraldonline.com) are good places to start.
• Be aware that new attendance zones have been set for the high school and middle school set to open next year. This may influence where you intend to buy within Fort Mill.
• Eliminate “you guys” from your vocabulary and start practicing “y’all”

Let me know if there is anything I can help you with.

I have to say, I have been searching on information about relocation to North Carolina all over the web. These threads have been so helpful!! My husband and I decided to sell our over priced house in San Diego and take the plunge to NC. He is California native, so this is a big move for him. He is still searching for a job, it has been slow since he is an outsider. He is a software developer. We have job prospects between Raleigh and Charlotte. We have been to Charlotte, and LOVED IT. We are going to Raleigh this next weekend to check it out too. We found a great Steak place in Charlotte called Beef and Bottle on South ST. HOpefully we will hear something soon. I already have the house packed up! Just dont know which city will bite first. We are either going to rent for while here in San Diego and wait for his job, or split the family, and I move to NC. Dont know yet. I want to say thanks especailly to Gretchen for her posts. They have been so great for information about Charlotte. Thanks to all of you from North Carolina for your help with all these outsiders coming in.

You are most welcome. Charlotte is a wonderful city. And your "find" of the Beef and Bottle is terrific. It is a Charlotte mainstay of MANY years--back when there was no liquor by the drink and steak houses were the ONLY place to eat. We've come a long way, baby. Try the Old Ranch House on Wilkinson for another old steak house. The B&B was featured in a Patricia Cornwell novel--she was from Charlotte, and whatever that book was was set in Charlotte.

Jaynee, when you move to Fort Mill you should investigate the New Peach Stand off the exit for Tega Cay. It carries exceptional fruit and meat plus they make a world class milkshake. We frequently drive I-77 between our home in NC and Columbia. The stop at the New Peach Stand is obligatory!

Thanks for the additional info, y'all! =)

We're about to put an offer on some land in Fort Mill - we'll be going over the contract tomorrow make sure it's up to snuff and then overnighting the signed copy. We hope to close by the end of the month.

Passerby - thanks for the advice on relocating and finding a job. I'm fortunate that I have a friend who is a partner in a law firm and married to a doctor, and another friend who is in commercial real estate - all three have volunteered to pass around my resume around the time we plan on moving.

We have discussed the possibility of me relocating first, since we'll need an apartment when we get down there ANYway.

I've been reading "Fort Mill Times" online every week for the past year - already getting a good feel for the local atmosphere long before we took the trip down to see the town in person!