Thinking about moving to North Carolina . . .

[Collimator]

. . .from Baltimore County, Maryland.

My main motivation is money. I am on the typical limited Social Security budget.

I have friends who are in Edenton and they love the idea of my moving there, which is a wonderful feeling. Yay! Somebody wants me! (I'm not close to my family, one of whom not only believes that Hillary Clinton had someone murdered, but whispered about it in his kitchen, as if she was going to get him, too. But, since I was there, I guess he figured that I was a potential assassin? I'm not, actually, which is why you shouldn't fear welcoming me to NC.) But the thought of relocating given my age and bare-bones resources is very scary, of course.

I checked out Edenton's Chamber of Commerce website and it sounds lovely. But who in their right mind would put out a website that announces, "Our Town Sucks. Don't come here"?

Any words of wisdom would be appreciated. And don't be afraid to play Devil's Advocate. This is a big decision and I need to see matters clearly.

Thank you!

[elleng]

1. Relatives moved from MD to SOUTH Carolina, for tax reasons,

had a house built there, near a lake. They appear to like it. I'm staying in Calvert County.

Their daughter, living with them, had a baby last year, and I'm wondering what they'll think about education when the time comes.

[oswaldactedalone]

2. Prepare for culture shock.

NC has 7 or so metropolitan areas where things are pretty normal. The rest of the state is no different than anywhere else in the south.

[underpants]

5. Pace too

Coastal towns work on a much slower pace about things. I think it’s the water.
Moving North to South is always a big shift in pace.
Yeah there could be a culture shock.

[Collimator]

9. That's a good point.

I will say, however, that I am not an "always on the run" person.

Because of depression and anxiety, I tend to stay indoors and stick to myself. People who I have lived with (family, current landlords) tend to take this personally. I just feel more comfortable alone. But, when I'm doing okay, I know how to smile and make small talk.

I just want a place of my own where I can set up my paints in one corner and my sewing machine in another. My friends tell me that Edenton has activities for seniors, and if I can push myself, maybe I will join in. They also say the town is pretty Blue.

[underpants]

3. Edenton. On the Albermarle sound.

Nice.

Very diverse. Low income but that means more value for dollar you bring.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edenton,_North_Carolina

[LisaM]

4. My partner's family has a place near Asheville.

Western NC and the Asheville area are pretty liberal and I really like the area.

[Eko]

6. Lived all over NC.

If you go to edenton buy a lot of mosquito repellent. My girlfriends Dad at the time had a house there that we would go to in the summers and boat and fish and cut the yard. It was fun but the mosquitos were really bad. Like a cloud of them in the yard bad.
Eko.

[montanacowboy]

7. Lived in Albemarle and Charlotte

couldn't wait to get out
at that time Albemarle was dry and our next door neighbors belonged to the Klan, we would wake up to a copy of The Fiery Cross on our doorstep. The guy next door was a Sheriff and I always suspected he put it there.

[The Blue Flower]

8. It isn't so much about the place

Starting over is never easy. Doing it as a retiree has its own challenges. It isn't like moving to go to a new job, where you're plugged in socially at least a bit through the people at your job. You wouldn't be thinking about this if you weren't open to new experiences and people. It can be isolating at first. As others have pointed out, there will be a cultural shock. Only you can know how adaptable you are and how patient in building a new life. That said, there's nothing as renewing as starting over at any age. Good luck with your move. Please keep us posted.

[BlueSky3]

10. Edenton has an elevation of 13'

I’d check into flooding, etc, before I moved there. And how how it is in the summer. Otherwise, it looks charming.

[Piratedog]

11. Im from northeastern NC. Lived there all my life.

Wonderful place to grow up. Currently live in Washington NC on the Pamlico. Grew up in Hertford about 13 miles from Edenton. No problems with flooding unless you’re right in the water. Mosquitos are like anywhere else. Close to the Outer Banks. Edenton is gorgeous. Only thing I would say is that the humidity is a killer!

But it’s a great life!!

[Collimator]

12. Funny thing about humidity. . .

. . . Except for areas where there just isn't any--like, at all-- everybody always declares that the humidity where they are is the worst.

I grew up here in the Baltimore region, where it's pretty standard. I went to college in the Philly region as an older student and other students from New England declared the humidity there to be awful. To me it seemed on par with Baltimore.

Right now, I live on the river, (the back yard ends where the river begins) and it has certainly not been a comfortable summer.

I worry about the summer heat, of course. The apartment rents are affordable to my budget, but I fear what could happen with my utility bills. I might need to hang out at my friends' house or the local library if it comes to that. They do have a daily check in service for seniors through some county program. It's called "RU Okay?" and someone from some department or agency calls every day to basically ask that question.

Oh, in regards to the humidity, I guess that I would have to deal with seriously frizzy hair about three months of the year. . . It's not quite as bad as the goddess Demeter searching for her daughter, Persephone for three months of the year.

[Grins]

13. If you are on a "typical limited Social Security budget," then...

…you are older. So, more important than the nice weather, low tax rates, etc., are - SERVICES. Of all kinds.

Where and how far will be your dentist?
Need a dental surgeon? Where?
Your GP? Where?

Suppose you have a heart attack - where is the nearest hospital?
Does it have a cardiac unit?
Cardiologist on staff? 24x7?
Rehab?

Public transportation?

Neighbors had all of that in their town in NJ.
Thought they would move to rural Delaware.
Both had heart problems.
My RN sister, hearing all this, started asking them questions and - that they couldn’t answer.

In researching they found nearest hospital was 20 miles off, only a volunteer ambulance service, 911 calls from the county not their city, time to dispatch ambulance, get them, then get to hospital was a LOT longer than they thought!

Guy I know - his wife had a stroke in her mid-50’s.
In middle of the night, he didn’t wait for ambulance, he carried her to his car and drove like a person possessed the mile and a half to the hospital that had a neurosurgeon, not on call - but there.
She was in surgery in minutes.
Lucky her!
Rehab? Where she wound up for 6 months and he could visit her - about 6-miles.

Think about what your life is going to be like in 10-15 years and what you are going to need then.

Just some things to think about!!

[BigmanPigman]

14. Excellent points.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

15. Run the numbers.

Are you really going to save that much if you move?

You need to consider EVERYTHING. Not just first things that show up.

What is your income? Will you be selling a home in Maryland? What will be the proceeds? How will they be used to pay your lifestyle?

Is Social Security your only income? And if the answer is yes, I'm thinking Oh, dear lord, what poor planning. But hopefully you have other sources of income, such as from a 401k or a pension or something else.

Look at all the expenses in each location: rent/mortgage, utilities including gas, electric, water, garbage disposal. Groceries. How much cooking for yourself do you actually do as compared to eating out?

Do you still drive a car? How long do you think you might continue to drive? Is there good public transportation in either location, and is the place you're choosing to live in close to that public transportation?

Where are the nearest grocery stores? What restaurants are nearby?

I am glad you are carefully assessing this. I am in the process of helping my older brother and his wife, both age 79, to move to assisted living. What I'm extremely distressed and annoyed by is that they have stayed in their four bedroom two story home with a full basement a decade or more after they should have downsized and moved out. Plus, they are hoarders. Oh, dear lord.

Collimator, do not fall into the trap of thinking you can live on your own forever. Whether you stay in Baltimore County or move to North Carolina, look at every aspect of the move and make it work for you.

[moose65]

16. Of course, we'd love to have you here in NC!

I live in the mountains of NW NC, which has a mix of tourists, retirees, and university students. The housing situation here is ridiculous - it is impossible to find any decent rental properties. Most people who have extra property here have converted them to Airbnb to grab the all-important tourist dollars. Regular folks can't find places to rent. I am lucky that I bought my house in 2003.

Edenton is a beautiful little town. It has a nice waterfront area and the downtown seems quite vibrant. It is also not that far from the beaches of the Outer Banks. In fact, I pass by Edenton on my way home from the beach each year!

The northeastern part of the state is quite rural, though, and I'm not sure how the services would be. That would be worth checking out. Also, as many have noted, it is quite hot and humid in the summer, with those killer mosquitoes.

Since you already have friends there, maybe they can answer some of the questions that have been asked here. Good luck!

[mnhtnbb]

17. Acording to this comparison of places

your money will go farther in Edenton than Baltimore.

https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/baltimore-md/edenton-nc/50000


I'm not familiar with the Edenton area, but if you get farther away from the ocean in NC, prices will drop.


I live in Durham. Been in NC since 2000 and have lived in Chapel Hill (17 years), Raleigh (3 years) and in my new little house in Durham since Jan 6 2021. (Yes, I was moving in while the Capitol in DC was being attacked.) If you are concerned about health care resources, I would advise being closer to larger population centers. The Triangle area (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill) is booming and prices have gone crazy. But if you get east or west of the Triangle by 30/60 minutes, prices will drop and you will still have access to excellent health care. If you go east--to some place like Wilson or Rocky Mount, prices drop even more (than Baltimore compared to Edenton) and you will be close to Greenville for health care. Amtrak stops at both Wilson and Rocky Mount, which makes it easy to get on the train and run up to visit the DC area.

Rocky Mount has been on some lists of best places to retire https://belmontlakepreserve.com/rocky-mount-nc/best-cities-to-retire-in-north-carolina/

https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/baltimore-md/rocky-mount-nc/50000

It takes an hour and 20 minutes to drive from Rocky Mount to Edenton and just about an hour to drive the other direction to downtown Raleigh. From Rocky Mount (or Wilson) it's about 40-45 minutes to Greenville, which has University Medical/Dental/Nursing Schools in the UNC System, thus lots of health care resources available in the area. https://info.ecu.edu/health-sciences/