10 Shocking Things About Moving to North Carolina [GROSS]

[@EllenPitts]

If you would like to schedule a call to talk with me you can access my calendar here: www.harmonyrealtytriangle.com/contact-harmony/ If you'd like to sign up for my twice a month newsletter, you can register here: forms.gle/ct3nwSvQ2BJGZqrZ9

[@masodi574]

I visited Raleigh with my husband last September, and I was truly amazed by how friendly the people were. I must say they were quite surprised to come across two Argentinians in the heart of North Carolina, but everyone was incredibly welcoming and gracious about it.

[@EllenPitts]

I’m glad you enjoyed it!! People really are friendly here. 😃

[@___HH___]

I NEVER heard of ANYONE in North Carolina, native or not, saying "I think I'll retire and move up to Ohio .. or New York .. or New Jersey" . . . or any other northern state.

[@RobertBee-fs8hv]

Me neither

[@lizzieb6311]

These are GREAT bits of very important information! Thank you! I am a waterproofing expert and as you highlight, water can absolutely DESTROY a structure. Basements and crawl spaces can make or break a home purchase if problems are too expensive to correct. One more thing: IVY on walls of home…yes…it’s beautiful to see on a brick house…but the Ivy creates BIG PROBLEMS with moisture and insect intrusion as they work their way thru the brick mortar. Thank you!

[@rkgaustin]

When people ask "why don't you buy a house instead of renting?" I will now direct them to this video.

[@EllenPitts]

The cost of maintaining a home is much less than repairing what hasn’t been maintained. Rent is currently 3x what it was when I bought my first home. That would have been a terrible decision for me…and for most people. The most important thing is to not buy a home that has had deferred maintenance…or at least not pay market value for it. This is why it’s important to not only do inspections, but discuss with a knowledgeable Realtor how to understand those inspection reports.

[@EllenPitts]

Also….homeowners insurance. :)

[@spiritranger9202]

Good point on the trees. We recently had a maple tree partially fall during a storm right by our garage. Fortunately, it fell against a neighboring pine tree. However, one wrong move and it would potentially land on our garage. So we had this tree removal quoted. 1 measley tree was quoted as high a $2000 to remove. The lowest quote was $800 🤯. So, you are looking at a grand here to remove a bad tree.

[@EllenPitts]

Yes it’s much cheaper per tree the more you do at one time. If you have others that need to come down, and you’re able, I would bite the bullet and do it. It really is pricey!! But wait until you see those guys doing it… so dangerous!! The insurance is really high for them because of how dangerous it is

[@spiritranger9202]

@@EllenPitts we were just shocked at the price. I was expecting $400 to $500 to remove a tree. Fortunately, we found the $800 offer and that company was awesome and the best quoted. I think this is important to think about before buying a property, so good for you to note that!

[@IFixStufff]

Something else to lnow about the humidity. It is absolutely horrible for anyone with lung issues

[@bjsteinhoff9810]

Speeders & reckless drivers, antiquaited 2-lane roads & poor or missing traffic control signals result in needless injuries, death & property damage. 😮

[@elizabethpeterson56]

sooo right

[@BrendaTerry-u8p]

This is absolutely necessary information that is hard to find; and it is important to understand the non-uniformity in the systems that govern your life here. What you have shared should be on a checklist that those new to NC should be able to download. It is easy to get yourself into big trouble without it. Thank you.

[@EllenPitts]

This stuff is covered on a uniform inspectors report when you hire an inspector but my agents are so familiar with it that we can point out these things during home tours.

[@moetube74]

Love the video. As a NC native who has lived in other parts of the country where residents are leaving. I totally agree with your sentiment that if the area is not growing it's dying.

[@samendalk1149]

that is BS. Places can be stable and good for very long periods of time.

[@moetube74]

@@samendalk1149 where? Name a place that’s not growing that’s stable?

[@robertjeffery6100]

Thank you for your insight 😀

[@123Rockchild]

The discussion on humidity was hilarious. 😆

[@faithhope333]

Thank you again

[@bryanbennett972]

Crawlspaces with exterior vents are basically out of date(2022/2023) now and if you have a crawlspace house, the best thing you can do is have the entire crawlspace encapsulated. It keeps the area very clean and eliminates the need for ventilation that can cause Mold and other issues under the house. It is recommended after encapsulation to install a dehumidifier under the crawlspace to keep it dry and maintain proper humidity levels to prevent mold and mildew.

[@__GALLANT__]

This is not necessarily true. I own three homes in NC in Raleigh and Wake Forest and all three have "exterior vents" from their crawl spaces. Every year when we have termite inspections done, we also have the humidity levels under the homes checked. There have never been any issues with mold or any other kind of problem. One year the humidity went up 3 points (which is very nominal) above the recommended range so we had the barrier replaced with a heavier sheeting and it all checked out just fine. There is absolutely no reason to jump to the conclusion that a dehumidifier should be installed under most homes. That's just nonsense.

[@nancyewert4401]

Love how informative your videos are.

[@EllenPitts]

Glad you’re enjoying them!

[@kc7280]

NC roads are good bc in the 1970s one of our marketing themes was “the good roads state” the other was “the education state” and NC tax money was spent accordingly. Imo this is not how NC funds are now deployed

[@lyndasteinway4759]

I vote Raleigh! New hair style looks great!

[@EllenPitts]

Aww thank you!!

[@greatmusicfan57]

We have the tree stuff in Florida too. Expensive to trim the oaks and ridiculous HOA rules on what you can cut.😢

[@EllenPitts]

I think HOAs aren’t as bad here. My dad was president of his HOA board in Florida 😂

[@neillykings6689]

Great video

[@EllenPitts]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@stebethstar100]

Great analysis Ellen. The market is going to be dicey through 2024. Probably difficult for first time buyers(high rates )and folks that want to upgrade but won’t because many they are sitting on low rates. Seems like a target market are the recently retired boomers flush with cash in their current homes that desire to relocate to NC. They are many and are coming .

[@EllenPitts]

Yes it’s definitely a difficult market for many!!

[@maaike3259]

Great video, thank you! Learning about the crawl spaces and city limits/outside city limits taxes was particularly really interesting! Do you find that new construction homes for the most part these days are built with crawl spaces or like you said, it depends more on the price point? It seems worth the extra money to have a crawl space. Also, another question- I grew up in CA but live in SW Florida- both of those states don’t really have basements to speak of. Is that something you see fairly often in NC houses? Thanks again for your really awesome content 😊

[@EllenPitts]

I’m glad you enjoyed it!! The crawl spaces are really based on price point. I just pulled some data from the MLS and found that over 500k 59% of homes have a crawl space but under 500k only 19% did. And those are probably further out in the country where land is cheaper. I wouldn’t say a slab foundation is bad. There are also benefits to it. We almost never see structural problems with a slab but if you don’t maintain a crawlspace you can have wood rot. And like I said earlier…pipes bursting is just so rare here. But ultimately it boils down to what price point you are in.

[@catloverd3671]

I understand the homes in the county have septic systems but they are building whole subdivisions with them , which doesn’t make sense to me. The water is also bad here in Wayne County! I totally regret moving to NC

[@EllenPitts]

They have always built whole subdivisions. The cities only have so much capacity to provide city services. If they can’t get city sewer, people still need homes so they build on septic. I’ve lived in neighborhoods like these my entire adult life and it’s never been an issue for me. I’m sorry you’re having trouble with your water. Usually the water is pretty good, even on a well (I prefer it!) but if it’s got too much minerals in it, you can get a filter that will take care of it.

[@harkeyninja99999]

Can you tell us more about your regret? I'm considering moving my family there

[@outdoorlife5396]

Lady, you are fos. Use some RID ex about 4 times a year. The cleaners kill these germs that eat the turds. I lived right at 40/70 for 10 years. Before then Knightdale. Both are probably in city limits now. But in NC, you can stop being gobbled up, it is state law. About 10 years ago Rocky Mount tried it, the residents went to court, now it has to be voted on. My mom's house was in that. The city wasn't going to provide city or water, it still had the same systems. RM was going to give curbs, change the lighting to theirs, (all subs have to have lights, it's code if I am not mistaken) and patrol 3 times a day. Taxes were going up 1200 a month on a home that was paid for. She is correct about crawl spaces, you may need a dehumidifier or if you have a slab house, if there is trouble, you will have to tear up so floor. Also, it is ruff on your knees if you are old.

[@sofiadougherty6430]

62 yo Cleveland RN/originally from NY. Husband retired(Ohio bred) Would consider moving to NC-enjoying your KZbin videos ❤

[@EllenPitts]

Let me know if I can help in any way! If you’d like to chat about a potential move, feel free to schedule a call with me. You can access my calendar here: www.harmonyrealtytriangle.com/contact-harmony/

[@racekar80]

Paying almost $20,000 for a 4 bedroom colonial on 1/2 acre in Ny. You have no reason to complain about taxes!

[@dublinjazz1]

We're on a 50x100 in Long Island, paying almost $11,000. I'm drooling at the low taxes in NC!

[@jeannovacco5136]

Does anybody build basements like we tend to have in Connecticut and New York State and even Pennsylvania and New Jersey ? If not why not ?

[@EllenPitts]

We see basements in about 10% of homes. We only build them when the lot is at an angle to allow for it and I believe it’s because of the water table.

[@bryanbennett972]

Basements aren't really needed in the South because it rarely if ever gets cold enough to cause freezing of pipes, etc. Most home here can be heated and cooled with Heat Pumps, so you don't need an oil or gas furnace to heat and cool your home down in a basement.

[@chanchan5349]

Most homes do not have basements. You’ll have to specifically look for one.

[@user-rc5hb4lt6n]

What;s the deal with cat pee? We live in Wilmington and we don't have a clue what that is all about.

[@MGMidget73]

Are basements rare here?

[@morgangreek3862]

Maybe you should talk to a professional, or maybe more than one. Septic tanks manage themselves. Until 20 years ago, all of my 3 homes (until 20 years ago) had septic tank with drain fields. You NEVER should have to have your septic tank emptied. It’s a process. The bacteria manages everything. It never gets full, UNLESS you develop problems with you drain field. This can happen by planting or allowing growth from trees or shrubs. OR it can happen because it was inadequately sized. The soil has to be analyzed by the authorities and sized appropriately. It’s not a big deal.

[@EllenPitts]

I’ve talked to many different septic professionals in my line of business. There are several different opinions on this issue. It just depends who you talk to.

[@AllenManor]

How do you find out if a house is subject to city tax in North Carolina?

[@EllenPitts]

You can check the tax records at the municipality. You can usually just google real estate taxes or property taxes for the county

[@AllenManor]

Thank you! You are certainly right about the property tax disparities in North Carolina -- our friends live in a newer upscale development in Apex and pay about $5000/year. About 1 mile away there are nice homes that are just a bit smaller and a bit older that are about $1600/year. @@EllenPitts

[@kathyputman5160]

annexation is a tax money grab.