PTS Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 (edited) I was one of those guys growing up that always thought I'd never leave Buffalo. I've traveled the world more than enough to see many alternatives but rarely did I think I'd leave the WNY area. The closest I came was after my freshman year at UB when I was about to transfer to ASU in Phoenix. That never materialized because I got offered a great job at the age of 19. My family is here, my wife is from here, I started my business here and we just had our first child recently. And we both live and die with the Sabres and Bills. I don't know what happened but about 2-3 months ago my wife and I both decided it was time for something better, something more. I'm sure the winter weather had a lot to do with it but after looking at a few options, we decided Charlotte was an area we'd like to consider. Two weeks ago we went on a family road trip to Florida to my in-law's place. We decided to stop in Charlotte on the way down and back to look at homes with a realtor we hooked up with earlier. We always say Buffalo's a great place to raise a family (and I agree it is) but after driving through the neighborhoods and towns in the suburbs of Charlotte, I gotta say I was floored at how much more Charlotte has to offer. We absolutely loved it. Then you can start adding stuff like low home prices, bigger homes, and taxes that are a fraction of what we pay in NYS. This quickly became a no brainer. So right now we are scrambling to sell our house ASAP so my wife can transfer within her company to an immediate opening. They plan to have more openings in the next 12 months but we don't want to wait. As for my business, it's so portable I could run it from Maui if I needed to. I'm sure there are many former WNYers down there that post here, how are you enjoying life down there? We're concentrating our search to the Fort Mill, Waxhaw and Matthews area. Edited May 16, 2011 by PTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pBills Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I was one of those guys growing up that always thought I'd never leave Buffalo. I've traveled the world more than enough to see many alternatives but rarely did I think I'd leave the WNY area. The closest I came was after my freshman year at UB when I was about to transfer to ASU in Phoenix. That never materialized because I got offered a great job at the age of 19. My family is here, my wife is from here, I started my business here and we just had our first child recently. And we both live and die with the Sabres and Bills. I don't know what happened but about 2-3 months ago my wife and I both decided it was time for something better, something more. I'm sure the winter weather had a lot to do with it but after looking at a few options, we decided Charlotte was an area we'd like to consider. Two weeks ago we went on a family road trip to Florida to my in-law's place. We decided to stop in Charlotte on the way down and back to look at homes with a realtor we hooked up with earlier. We always say Buffalo's a great place to raise a family (and I agree it is) but after driving through the neighborhoods and towns in the suburbs of Charlotte, I gotta say I was floored at how much more Charlotte has to offer. We absolutely loved it. Then you can start adding stuff like low home prices, bigger homes, and taxes that are a fraction of what we pay in NYS. This quickly became a no brainer. So right now we are scrambling to sell our house ASAP so my wife can transfer within her company to an immediate opening. They plan to have more openings in the next 12 months but we don't want to wait. As for my business, it's so portable I could run it from Maui if I needed to. I'm sure there are many former WNYers down there that post here, how are you enjoying life down there? We're concentrating our search to the Fort Mill, Waxhaw and Matthews area. Charlotte is Buffalo. There are SOOO many WNYers down there it's unbelievable. Best of luck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCDAWG Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Good luck, we have been here 6 years and love it. Good arts and entertainment here also. Ae you looking in Charlotte? Better schools in Cabarrus county IMO, lower taxes too. PM me with any questions. Hope the transition goes smoothly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 PTS in 5 years after the move to Carolina: http://www.confessionsofaninsomniac.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/super_funny_pictures_of_30_rednecks_acting_like_rednecks_11_20090701_1124579238.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 PTS in 5 years after the move to Carolina: http://www.confessionsofaninsomniac.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/super_funny_pictures_of_30_rednecks_acting_like_rednecks_11_20090701_1124579238.jpg Cmon now, that could just as easily be Niagara Falls or NT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Cmon now, that could just as easily be Niagara Falls or NT Or pretty much anywhere in WNY .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marv's Neighbor Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Having been to Maui and Charlotte, I'd have picked Maui, but it's your call, so Good Luck and no matter how it plays out, don't look back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTS Posted May 16, 2011 Author Share Posted May 16, 2011 Having been to Maui and Charlotte, I'd have picked Maui, but it's your call, so Good Luck and no matter how it plays out, don't look back! You are preaching to the choir my man! Maui is my heaven on earth. Just need to add some zeros to the end of my bank account to make it happen. Good luck, we have been here 6 years and love it. Good arts and entertainment here also. Ae you looking in Charlotte? Better schools in Cabarrus county IMO, lower taxes too. PM me with any questions. Hope the transition goes smoothly. Looking in Union county and just over the border in SC. We are trying to stay clear Mecklenberg County because of the higher taxes (but still really low compared to what I'm paying now). PTS in 5 years after the move to Carolina: http://www.confessionsofaninsomniac.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/super_funny_pictures_of_30_rednecks_acting_like_rednecks_11_20090701_1124579238.jpg Definitely drove by these guys just south of the Charlotte area. No joke, saw a hick tanning on his trailer's "deck" with his rifle/shotgun off to the side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodBye Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I almost want to move out there too. Sunshine!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest three3 Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I was one of those guys growing up that always thought I'd never leave Buffalo. I've traveled the world more than enough to see many alternatives but rarely did I think I'd leave the WNY area. The closest I came was after my freshman year at UB when I was about to transfer to ASU in Phoenix. That never materialized because I got offered a great job at the age of 19. My family is here, my wife is from here, I started my business here and we just had our first child recently. And we both live and die with the Sabres and Bills. I don't know what happened but about 2-3 months ago my wife and I both decided it was time for something better, something more. I'm sure the winter weather had a lot to do with it but after looking at a few options, we decided Charlotte was an area we'd like to consider. Two weeks ago we went on a family road trip to Florida to my in-law's place. We decided to stop in Charlotte on the way down and back to look at homes with a realtor we hooked up with earlier. We always say Buffalo's a great place to raise a family (and I agree it is) but after driving through the neighborhoods and towns in the suburbs of Charlotte, I gotta say I was floored at how much more Charlotte has to offer. We absolutely loved it. Then you can start adding stuff like low home prices, bigger homes, and taxes that are a fraction of what we pay in NYS. This quickly became a no brainer. So right now we are scrambling to sell our house ASAP so my wife can transfer within her company to an immediate opening. They plan to have more openings in the next 12 months but we don't want to wait. As for my business, it's so portable I could run it from Maui if I needed to. I'm sure there are many former WNYers down there that post here, how are you enjoying life down there? We're concentrating our search to the Fort Mill, Waxhaw and Matthews area. for real? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopsGuy Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I live in the Ballantyne area of Charlotte. There's a Bills bar in Ft. Mill & at least 3 here in CLT. Welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayFinkle Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I've been down in NC for about a decade. All things being equal, I would move back to WNY tomorrow. I like it down here, but there is no place like home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 My brother has lived in Charlotte a very long time. It is has a place for everyone. It is not NYC or LA but anyone can fit in there if they just look for the place. Real estate is worth looking for...my brother just took a huge hit selling his house - infact, the person who just bought it made an insanely lucky deal... I would recommend Matthews, my brother started his family there and has/had lived there for 5 years now. There is a lot of fun things for kids to do and a bunch of little parks and such for kids to enjoy. Also, it is small of a neighborhood area that what you have is still nearby without having to drive downtown. I would recommend signing up for Groupon, too, to get some ideas of what the place has to off... ...and if you ever want to buy some beef...my market is catered to the Charlotte metro area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLZFAN4LIFE Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I've been here fo 16 years. Love the weather. I would never return to dreary WNY, although you can't beat the food back home. Charlotte was the last city in the country to realize home value declines when the recession hit. Right now it is definitely a buyers market. You couldn't have picked a better time to move. Of the three areas you listed, Matthews is clearly the best choice. Waxhaw is too far out and you would deal with heavy I-77 traffic if you lived in Fort Mill. I would also suggest considering the Concord Mills/Speedway area, as well as Harrisburg. Better schools and still close to everything. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I've been here fo 16 years. Love the weather. I would never return to dreary WNY, although you can't beat the food back home. Charlotte was the last city in the country to realize home value declines when the recession hit. Right now it is definitely a buyers market. You couldn't have picked a better time to move. Of the three areas you listed, Matthews is clearly the best choice. Waxhaw is too far out and you would deal with heavy I-77 traffic if you lived in Fort Mill. I would also suggest considering the Concord Mills/Speedway area, as well as Harrisburg. Better schools and still close to everything. Good luck. The houses in Concord and in North Charlotte, as well as out towards the airport, are all the type that were built over night and dime a dozen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLZFAN4LIFE Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 The houses in Concord and in North Charlotte, as well as out towards the airport, are all the type that were built over night and dime a dozen. I can't argue too much. That's the way most of this town, commercial and residential was built during the boom years. There are some nice neighborhoods in Concord though. (building standards notwithstanding) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drifter Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I moved to Charlotte 17 years ago. My preference is south Charlotte or Matthews area if you want to live in Mecklenburg. I chose to move from Matthews to Wesley Chapel because of the schools. If schools are a priority for you I'd move to Union County. The Marvin, Weddington, and Cuthbertson clusters are some of the best performing schools in the state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFanNC Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I've been down in NC for about a decade. All things being equal, I would move back to WNY tomorrow. I like it down here, but there is no place like home. I'm in the same boat as you, we've been in Raleigh for about a decade now. My wife and I love it here, our kids are happy and we've made many great friends, but I'd move back to Buffalo in a heartbeat if I could make a strong case that it made any sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 In the end it comes down to lifestyle choices, what you can afford and how well what a city has to offer lines up with what you like. Toss in the mix access to family and friends. I can't comment on NC specifically because I have never lived there. I spent a number of years in Knoxville TN which has a similar climate ... it was fantastic. Four seasons but a very mild winter. Summer is not too hot. Not sure if you will experience it in NC but one draw back we found in Tenn is that people are not as open and friendly. In WNY you can almost immediately connect with people ... just start talking Bills or Sabres and you are generally on your way. It was not so easy in TN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTS Posted May 17, 2011 Author Share Posted May 17, 2011 Right now we have Matthews as our first preference. Specifically the part of Matthews that is in Union County with the better schools. We did like Waxhaw because of the size of the lots but I could see accessibility being an issue to that area. Some parts were definitely located better than others. As for Fort Mill, we love their crazy low taxes but didn't really see a house we really liked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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