I want to move to South Carolina

Do we have any SC residents here that would care to share with me what it's like living there? Google does not have all the answers I seek.

First, a little about myself:

My wife and I were born and raised in the coal mining region of PA and are looking for a change. Moving to another state has been a topic of discussion ever since we got married but we always found excuses to stay. For a time, Vermont was where we wanted to be, but the reality set in that we just couldn't afford it.

We started looking at houses around here after Christmas and have been very disappointed by what we've seen. The biggest let down has been the
prices of veritable poop holes. It doesn't make any sense! One home had an asking price of 100k and it was a mouse infested shack. It needed demolishing, not renovating.

Then, a visit from her uncle got us looking into South Carolina, specifically Landrum and the surrounding area. He doesn't live there yet but his inlaws do and he plans to retire there shortly.

The weather, outdoor recreation and, apparent mindset of the region has her intrigued, me obsessed. And the prices are amazing. I use Realtor.com and I've seen beautiful houses in our target area for $70k, with at least an acre of land!

I feel like that is where we are meant to be. Both of our parents considered moving to the Carolinas long ago but, like us, found excuses to stay in Pennsylvania and they urge us not to do the same. In the past, we've lacked the means to enable us to make such a move, but I'm working at a Walmart DC now and, in April, I'm eligible to transfer. I'm even willing to downgrade to a Walmart store, just to ensure full time employment when I move.

So, if you live in or near Landrum, reply to this thread or send me a PM. Tell me more about every day life, why you like it there, why you don't like it. Is it an outsider friendly place? Where's the best BBQ?


Thanks,

Justin

Justin
this my first post on CPF, as I'm a newbie. BUT...I've lived SOUTH of Greenville, SC for 35 years and I love it.
There is one big downside here : July and August. Its hot AND humid, but that's what a/c is for.
I'm not that familiar with "Landrum and the surrounding area" specifically, but the "Upstate" has become a haven for retirees from Florida and the North. The people are friendly, the winters are mild, and the taxes are low.
The Greenville/Spartanburg area has anything you would want in a bigger city without the traffic , hassle, or bad attitude you find in large metro areas. There is the BiLo center , Peace Center, Converse College, Clemson football, Carolina Panthers (in Charlotte) and lots of lakes (we are in a drought right now).
Be sure to look for a house that has some zoning restrictions, as many rural areas have NONE, which means a gas station can move in next door. Are there rednecks here?....Oh yeah, just like in PA. I know, as I grew up in PA and have discovered them all over the county.
The schools are not as good here as you see up north. Just a fact.
BBQ??? Any kind you want : vinegar, tomato, or mustard based. Pork, chicken, baby back ribs. Not much spare ribs or brisket.
I think its outsider friendly, just don't keep reminding folks "Thats not how we did it in (fill in your city).
Did this help?
Gary

I don't know anything about SC, but am surprised that you found VT to be expensive? We visit there often, living in CT, and find it to be very cheap. Just don't purchase near a ski resort.

Gary, Yes, thank you. That is exactly the kind of insight I'm looking for. I can, and have, read page upon page of statistics, but little details are left out.

As for the schools, not an issue as we don't have any kids yet but if we do, we intend to home school.

What part of PA did you grow up in? I'm near Pottsville. Oh yeah, and welcome to CPF

bltkmt, we thought the houses were out of our price range in VT in the areas where we were interested. I'll always love it up there but now my wife and I both are getting tired of the cold, so even if we could afford it, moving there would be out of the question. I don't enjoy winter like I used to. Once the cold sets in, all my old injuries start to ache, and I'm not even 30.

Keep 'em coming!

You can check on home schooling laws with the Home School Legal Defense Association.

I don't know if you have to be a member to download their analysis... But roughly, there are three options to home school in South Carolina... From having a HS Diploma/GED/Bachelors degree or be a member of several home school type associations (options 2 and 3).

You will have to, apply to local school board (must approve if you meet basic requirements), keep records and submit a portfolio to the local district for their evaluation twice a year (if you home school under the HS/College degree), and do the state wide testing every year (by local school employee).

The other two options are mixes of the above requirements (record keeping and portfolio reviews may be done by the Home School organization-- South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (SCAIHS)). If you enroll through option 2), there is no state testing requirement.

No home visits. They must allow Home Schooling. May require state schooling and/or special services at school and/or special services at home (at parents' expense).

There is a religious exemption that you can file for if one or more of their requirements conflict with your own beliefs (but you may have to go through the courts to exercise if challenged).

-Bill

Justin
it occurred to me that I did not mention one surprise for you; even though real property taxes are relatively low, the County will charge Personal Property taxes on cars, boats, etc. That could be a real P.I.A. for a motorhome. The taxes are calculated on an assessed value that decreases as the vehicle ages.
We do have 4 seasons here, but the one I hate worst is 37 degrees and raining; the upside ?....you don't have to shovel it!
Electrical and gas costs are relatively low, and fuel taxes among the lowest in the country. Roads are generally good (better than NC) and the state income tax tops out at 7 percent.
People talk slower and drive a little slower; think about the time before a/c...you learn to talk slower when its 90 degrees and 75 percent humidity.
I grew up in Western PA, just south of Pittsburgh. I love that place and always will. I respect the hardworking folks there, the spirit and independence of the Steelworkers who helped build this country. But I got where I could not stand the winters.
Not to be disrespectful of bltkmt, but if you live in Connecticut, wouldn't just about anywhere but NYC and San Francisco seem "affordable"? Something to think about : the past 20 years have not seen property values skyrocket here as they have up North. So you can sell up North and buy here cheap, but its VERY hard to sell here and be able to afford to buy the same house there. OTOH, we don't have nearly the rate of foreclosures, either.
Gary

Come down south wouldja, were really great down here Ive lived in CT, CA, and Ky(currently) the culture down here is totally diffrent. ohh and its warmer than new england

scmerkur said:

if you live in Connecticut, wouldn't just about anywhere but NYC and San Francisco seem "affordable"?

Click to expand...

I thought the same thing, Gary

I heard about those "extra" taxes. One that would really hit me hard is the web merchandise tax since I do almost all of my recreational shopping online. Having to pay a consumption tax later would defeat the purpose. Getting taxed on food and clothing doesn't appeal to me either. But, we are going to take a trip down in March and see first hand. I'd like to do a little grocery shopping and see how we'd be effected. For all I know, things might be priced lower and paying tax on it would just balance it out.

Our biggest concern is something my wife read about the job market in SC being worse than it is here. That alone is reason to reconsider. I don't want to be at Walmart forever and would actually like to take some classes at some point.

And the whole kids and schooling issue is not going to happen any time soon, if ever. Being the mature, responsible adults that we are, we have given that a lot of thought. See, my wife and I have been living with her parents since we got married and, for just as long, her siblings have been exploiting her mother's willingness to care for their children. (Though her method of "care" is filling them with soda and letting them run rampant through the house. All day.) The monsters, and yes, they truly are monsters, are here 10+ hours a day, sometimes 7 days a week. Their parents don't work such schedules, but their priorities are lifting weights or sleeping late and they can't be inconvenienced. It's been five years of non stop diapers and sippy cups and screaming. We need a few years to ourselves.

justin
nobody pays any Internet purchase taxes here, trust me. And, there is NO sales tax on food.
As so the job situation, it depends on what skills you and your wife offer. There is a shortage of nurses here. I think coming here nad looking around is the wise thing.
Perhaps you could browse the job classifieds here:
http://greenvilleonline.gannettonline.com/careerbuilder/index.html

I can definitely see why you would want to escape the situation you described, for both you and your children.
Gary

SC is so poor it recieves $1.35 in gov't aid for every dollar it pays in taxes.

I'm a transplant, too, from the south hills area of Pittsburgh to NC. Of course that was back in 1969, so I'm a rebel now. Never really wanted to move back, though I get back to the 'burgh a couple times a year to visit old friends. There's a lot going for the south country. Weather's good, beach and mountains are close, and folks are friendly. I've seen the population around here grow like crazy, but things are still more laid back. South Carolina is better still, if a rural atmosphere is what you seek.

Geoff

scmerkur said:

nobody pays any Internet purchase taxes here, trust me. And, there is NO sales tax on food.

Click to expand...

I found this site that says goods purchased online are subject to a tax.

We'll drive around and do some shopping next month and see if it would work for us.

I have been looking at the Greenville News classifieds since we became interested and I didn't think it was very different from our local offerings. Apparently, my wife's uncle had told her about a bunch of places closing down, but, again, that is no different than here or anywhere else.

We'd go down with jobs already, but our fear is that if cuts are made, we'd be the first to go.

scmerkur said:

Not to be disrespectful of bltkmt, but if you live in Connecticut, wouldn't just about anywhere but NYC and San Francisco seem "affordable"?

Click to expand...

No offense taken, but that is a bit of a generalization about CT - no? Not all of CT is Fairfield County...there are plenty of rural affordable areas. And really, my point was about Vermont, not CT.

I've been a Carolinian since birth. Like all states we have our ups and our downs. I live in the Florence/Darlington area. We're only 75 miles from the ocean(Myrtle Beach).

If I'm not mistaken there is a Wal-Mart DC not far from or located in Pageland SC.
Pageland is about 40 miles N of Darlington SC.

My wife is originally from Punxsy PA.

If you have considered TN, stay FAR away from west TN.

Economy has hit us very very hard. Only job is Mcdonalds. Not much luck there either.

"I found this site that says goods purchased online are subject to a tax"

Yes, you are correct, that's what it SAYS, but in actual practice, it is ignored.

"No offense taken, but that is a bit of a generalization about CT - no? "
Yes, and it was not fair of me to do so.

Justin, hope your upcoming visit yields lots of good info so you can make the best decision for you and your family.
Gary

I was just about to start a thread like this but did a search first . . . I'm glad I did!

I too am considering SC. I have a couple of places on a list and SC has just moved up a place or two. The theme is waterfront property suitable for a private dock. Does anyone here have any useful info (feel free to hook me up with a realtor but we're still a couple of years out from the actual move)? In case you're wondering, the other places we're considering: VT, gulf side of FL, Lake Norman, NC and a smaller lake near Scranton, PA (yeah, I know, extreme spread there!).

Using Google Earth just today, I saw Folly Island which is just outside and south of the inlet near Charleston. Using zillow the prices looked do-able. Just throwing that out there. Anywere that I can have a decent sized boat with decent sized water access would be fine. Somewhere near civilization preferred. I like elbow room but not the middle of nowhere. Optimal would be near a marina where I could work selling boats. Someday it would be nice to own a small marina.

Feel free to post stuff here or I'd be more than happy to pick up a PM buddy or two for some more detailed info that would probably bore everyone to tears!

Thanks!

Do yourself a favor and try to understand this...you have never - I repeat, never - experienced a hot mid summer day in PA like you will get if you are anywhere near Charleston. I love that city and area to death. My wife and I go there at least twice a year. Folly Beach is one of the best places in SC. Check out the Graham Whorley Band while you are down there.

But, the temperature in July around 1:30 is almost unbearable. Seriously.

Update...

We're moving...up the street!

Before we were considering moving out of state, there was a half of a double here in town that we were interested in but, at the time, was not officially on the market and it was likely the neighbor was going to buy it. We gave up waiting to hear about it, got depressed by our other options, and looked to SC.

On Wednesday, the 18th, I get a call from my Realtor saying the house was just listed with them. My wife and I looked at it the next morning and made our offer which the Seller accepted on Saturday.

It came at such a perfect time too, as things are going very well for me at work, not only with the job itself but with my coworkers. I've got a nice dynamic going and the thought of leaving that didn't appeal to me. And my wife just received a promotion at her job.

So, I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm staying in PA for the time being and I thank you all for your responses. I look forward to using my upcoming vacation to visit SC.