[Jewelry making - Article 00020] - Re: [Orchid] Where is Jeweler heaven?

[Dave Sebaste]

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>          You have many good points about Charlotte.  <SNIP> My only
>     question is -    Where are those reasonable real estate prices? 

    Hi Jim (and all), 

    Of course, "reasonable" is a relative term. It depends on your frame
    of reference. As Noel (the original poster) refers to her modest
    bungalow worth $400k, any place in Charlotte or NC would be quite
    reasonable, or a outright steal. 

    Charlotte and the Raleigh/Durham area are going to have higher real
    estate costs than less "cosmopolitan" areas, if I can use that term
    in NC. The high tech economy in these areas, and the economy in
    general, hasn't been hit as hard as some places, so real estate has
    maintained the value gains of recent years of growth. Low interest
    rates have helped keep up demand, too. 

    Still, compared with California, the northeast, Seattle, Evanston
    and Hawaii, as examples, you get a heck of a lot for your money. I
    met a guy at a marina out on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) last
    year. He was from southern California and almost falling out of his
    chair in shock at the price of "deep-water" waterfront property. He
    had just snapped up a large parcel and was considering buying the
    adjoining property, "just because it was available." He was going to
    build a house and bring his sailboat around, through the Panama
    Canal, and switch coasts. 

    To answer another offline question, property taxes tend to be a
    *lot* lower than most of the desirable areas of the country. Again,
    the advantage isn't as great if you're living right in a city like
    Charlotte or Raleigh, but it's a fraction of the property tax rates
    my uncle is paying on Long Island! NC does have state income tax, and
    the sales tax rates are around 6%, depending on county and
    municipality. 

    If someone is looking for the cheapest possible living costs, they
    could probably do better elsewhere. But to have all the great plusses
    *and* modest costs, relative to other attractive places, is a great
    compromise. You can always find "cheaper", but quality of life, to
    me, is an important intangible. 

    Just yesterday I spotted a real estate advertisement in an
    alternative local paper. Look at what you can get for under $300k,
    which *might* get you a nice split level raised ranch on a quarter
    acre in some other, even less desirable areas of the country: 

    http://www.sebaste.com/orchid/ncrealestate.htm 

    There were more, great looking properties in the advertisement, but
    I chose these because they had asking prices to provide a point of
    reference. 

    I kind of have a sense of "preaching to the choir", since you're
    already here, Jim!  ;) I also know there are a lot of other people
    who might be reading this, too! 

    I finally got my tomato plants in the ground. They were already
    starting to bear fruit while still in the pots! :) 

All the best,
Dave

Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio and
Carolina Artisans' Gallery
Charlotte, NC (USA)
dave AT sebaste.com
http://www.CarolinaArtisans.com



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