Thank You for al of the well wishes! Nice to hear from all of you ladies (dress twins, 'florist' twins, and the like - hope you girlies are all well!)
Yes, it is definitely more affordable, although by the Souths standards, this area is getting 'expensive' (giant Houses in nice neighborhoods for 200K!) becasue it is experiencing a huge population explosion. North CArolina and Arizona are the two fastest growing states in the country - and the boom is still happening - so now is the time to get in!
No pics of the dream house yet, as we are renting for a year while we really scope out the best place to buy a home. I've got to tell you though, moving from a 400 square foot apartment in Brooklyn, to a 1100 sq foot, 2 bed, 2 bath palace is so intense! I really feel like I am on vacation (the pool outside my deck, free fitness room, central air and dishwasher help alot...) The rent for our place is $755 per month. We were paying $1300 in Brooklyn!
Yes, we have seen MANY young couples down here. It's a college town, so there is a young community to begin with, and I think alot of them fall i love with each other, and this area, and they just stay!
It was hard leaving family and friends, and we are totally pioneers (we know NO ONE!) but it feels really neat to relocate our family here. We are waiting 5 or so years for kids, so we think its important to build a solid foundation for a marriage before having them. Fighting about money and working 6 days per week in a tiny crappy apartment was not the way to begin our union!
There is always a trade off - there is nothing like the food and culture of New York City - but I look forward to experiencing it as a visitor.
Sorry to write a book- while I know many people love the Northeast, I truly feel like it is a very unhappy place for so many people because of the pace. A better quality of life is out there if you desire it. It just takes a leap of fith to pack up and go (and there will be PLENTY of people trying to tell you that you are crazy, and anywhere outside of the NYC area is lame. Not true!)
Let me know if anyone has any questions. and I'll keep you all updated on my progress in school - God knows I will need some serious moral support as a 26 year old going back to finish my Batchelors!
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