Posted on 04/30/2012 3:58:34 AM PDT by eyedigress
It’s more of a focus on Downtown Charlotte and the ability to get to Greensboro rather quick if thats any help.
My in-laws live about two miles as the crow flies from the speedway, and my brother and his family live in Cornelius, so I know the area fairly well. Traffic has improved since the construction of Speedway Boulevard, but my in-laws still do their best to stay home on race weekends.
Having said that, Concord is pretty nice, but getting pricier. Parts of Kannapolis get rough, so be careful there.
I did notice that prices for homes dropped a great deal from my property in TN. I do need to be careful. The last thing I want is my weapons firing upon an invasion on my home.
Lake Norman is nice, if you want to be near water.
Traffic on 85N coming out of Charlotte comes to a screeching halt between 4:30-5:30pm where 485 merges. Takes about 20-25 minutes to get to the Concord exit at the racetrack.
Davidson.
What needs to be stated is I get to pick my property. Charlotte is the biggie but Savannah is in the mix. Asheville or Charleston is in play.
Can’t help with Charleston or Savannah but have 35+ years experience in and out of Asheville.
If you like the city, and the taxes and related problems, then Charlotte might be the place you'd be happiest.
If you'd prefer smaller cities, 60k or less, and/or more rural areas or then look north to Concord, Kannapolis, Mooresville, Salisbury and surrounding areas.
If you want to be on a lake, there are a few possibilities. The largest, Lake Norman, is nice, but has a nuke plant if that's an issue.
Plus, not uncommon to run into more than a few NASCAR drivers and personalities. Charlotte Motor Speedway and most of the teams are here.
Cabarrus/Concord and Kannapolis/Rowan city/county sales and property taxes are among, if not the lowest in the area.
I'm not familiar with the SC side of the border other than passing through, so I can't comment one way or another.
Getting to Greensboro quickly is a relative thing. If you want to have a quality of life, you want to stay west of I-85N. It also depends on how much money you can scrape up. Your commute to Charlotte will be dictated more by the time you arrive and leave than by the distance.
I have a 300mi response zone with Charlotte being the most important. We have people S. & W. of Charlotte. The need is north so that traffic is not a problem.
The Concord/Kannapolis area was economically hit a few years ago when two major employers, Cannon Mills and Phillip Morris, closed, but seems to have recovered. Cannon Mills was knocked down and is being turned into the North Carolina Research Campus. When the economy turns the corner, this area will do very well.
Salisbury is worth a look, too. It has a small college, a small lake and it's closer to Greensboro and I-40.
Or Mooresville, close to Lake Norman and quick access to I-77 if that would be better for you than I-85.
Real estate prices didn't go through as large of a boom/bust swing like other areas, so if you're looking to buy, there are plenty of deals. (I'm obligated to offer the name of one of the few people I completely trust if you need a broker.)
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