The Scary Truth About Retiring to North Carolina

[@EllenPitts]

If you’re moving to the area and would like to schedule a time to talk to me, you can do that here: calendly.com/ellen-pitts/initial-consult If you’d like to register for my newsletter you can do that here: forms.gle/oYwkJLiaKh97rsoc6

[@donaldcurtis9229]

No way in hell I'm moving from here.I'm out in the rural area.Love it never looked back

[@Pudentame]

I grew up in East Durham, NC when it was still Tobacco Road. A LOT has changed here since then. I have been living in Raleigh since 1967. I recently moved from the East Mordecai neighborhood more or less in downtown Raleigh to a rural part of Wake County just south of Rolesville. I'm about 12 miles out from downtown now. IF I was looking to move to North Carolina from out of state, I'd choose Asheboro, NC. Asheboro is about as close to "Mayberry" as you're going to find in North Carolina today, even though the TV show was based on Mt. Airy where Andy Griffith grew up. It's a small town, but has good access to "big city" amenities. It's about 30 min south of Greensboro,NC and about an hour west of Raleigh. Winston-Salem, NC & Charlotte, NC are reasonable drives. US 64 is Interstate quality 4 lanes all the way out to Manteo now. Wilmington, Morehead City are also accessible via I-40 E & US 70. In the other direction, the mountains are right up I-40 W (or via US 74 & I-26 from Charlotte). Asheboro is really centrally located. Honda manufactures Business Jets at the Greensboro-Triad Airport and they have a plant manufacturing power equipment (generators, lawnmowers, etc) in Swepsonville, NC (just south of Graham, NC). I would rate the VA Hospital in Durham higher than the one in Asheville and it's right across the street from Duke Medical Center and gets tremendous support from Duke. In addition to the four VA hospitals, there are 35 VA "community based" health care facilities in North Carolina, so you don't have to travel to one of the big hospitals for routine medical care.

[@EllenPitts]

Thank you for sharing so much helpful information!! I agree with you about asheboro. Very cute town!!

[@mariaroca5762]

I retired in the Lake Norman area (Cornelius/Davidson) NC, in the outskirts of Charlotte, the best growing place to live: weather perfect, no snow, hurricanes don't reach this area, great winters, the most beautiful falls and springs. I walk to the doctor, to two supermarkets, 5 minutes to the vet, cultural events, restaurants and great shops and plenty of nature around.

[@denicestout4689]

We are looking to retire in NC. We are looking into Lake Norman area. Would you be willing to tell us about places to go when we visit. My hobbies are walking my dog, gardening, and riding a bike on flat trails. I would love quality health care to be close by. I don’t want to be in a touristy area.

[@mariaroca5762]

@@denicestout4689 It's a fabulous area. Hi. There are many green trails created for bikers and hikers. If you go to Cornelius Town info Parks and Recreation you will find them I believe. That is what I do most of my free time, go for walks. Davidson is a lovely time neighboring Cornelius, college town with many cute restaurants and a wonderful farmers market on Saturdays. I am not a going out person, I spend my free time walking my dog and in nature. Going to the LAke is a great outing.

[@monikao.559]

This is one of the better videos (if not the best) that I have ever seen about N.C. You have packed a lot of valuable information into 17 mins, in an enjoyable and clear way. Thank you for sharing!

[@EllenPitts]

That’s so sweet of you to say!! Thank you!

[@danwaller5312]

You can’t afford insurance anymore in Florida!

[@tomf9292]

I can

[@CrispyB8con]

10:34 "But it was the 80s and nobody cared" 🤣🤣🤣 - I can attest that this is 100% true!

[@EllenPitts]

Right?? Lol

[@macpduff2119]

I live 5 miles south of Chapel Hill in Fearrington Village. I am 15 and 30 minutes from TWO world class medical centers - CH and Duke medical centers!!!! The best world medical expertise is at my fingertips.. As a retiree this is essential. 2001 I had a compound hip break and massive blood loss. Within 20 minutes I was under the best medical care imaginable - which saved my life. My husband was a veteran and chose care at the Durham VA Hospital - which is staffed with Duke doctors!! Too many retirees focus on house prices but access to top medical care is essential. Ive lived in several States, plus England, and this is truly "the Southern part of heaven". I feel truly blessed to live here.

[@EllenPitts]

It’s really an incredible place to live!! Glad you’ve found your slice of heaven!

[@donaldcurtis9229]

I bought a house outside at Kingston in a rural area. Never looked back great place nice people two thousand thirteen

[@Ms.Merotica]

Well-informed on the real estate in NC. Thanks for your sharing your work. However, the thing about pine trees is once mature can have a tap root up to 75 feet. They also have shallow lateral roots. Maintenance is a pleasure when you recognize the tree's spirit and appreciate it's beauty.

[@JustBCWi]

Best video I've seen on Retirement in NC. Specifically the info on SHIIP and the Retirement Calculator.

[@EllenPitts]

So glad it was helpful! Feel free to reach out if there is anything else I can help with! www.harmonyrealtytriangle.com/contact-harmony/

[@michaelsix9684]

we had two major storms this summer in Houston, ins. costs are really high now, flooding is a big issue too, can't wait to leave Houston, 3 major droughts in ten yrs. are also a problem too

[@frankdecespedes4953]

I retired from Miami, Florida to Mooresville, NC the cost of living is 1/5 of what it was in Miami, the people are wonderful and I love the life style in the South we are very happy in North Carolina.

[@droneCP]

So I was reared in Eastern NC. Wanting to experience the big city, I lived on Manhattan for 15 years--lived through Sandy, btw. then I purchased a home in northern Jersey. Now I'm moving back. As to your comments about hurricane damage in NC. One reason is the coast is not as developed as say the coast line is in the NYC Metro area or the coast of Florida. Sandy did a lot of damage due to the storm's tidal surge in NYC--I still have the images of top ranked hospitals on Manhattan having to evacuate during the storm surge burned into my memory. All this was on the heels of Hurricane Irene the previous year that also did a lot of damage to the homes on the coast. If one looks at the topography of the inner banks of NC, the area is extremely swampy and thus able to absorb a lot of rain fall and tidal surge and thus only affecting the built up areas which are few and far between. I remember Kinston got heavily flooded during Ida. So did northern NJ, btw. While there was minimal flooding east of Kinston. Anyway, moving back now. I'll spend the rest of my days on the high spot of land just north of Morehead City overlooking the Newport River. Having been reared in NC, I know to get out of the way of approaching hurricanes, if for no other reason to keep my car above water. My home will be completely insured--and even that will be about a 1/3 of the cost of insurance here in NJ. Property taxes about 1/5th. Income tax about half maybe even more since my social security income will not be taxed. I have recommended NC, especially eastern NC, to my friends that are retiring. The very idea that it still retains all four seasons is important to me. I did live through the 'White Christmas' snow storm in 1989. So I know snow is a possibility, but I will bring my snow shovel along with me!

[@EllenPitts]

Wow thank you so much for all that information!

[@Constellasian]

Great video. I managed to retire early and was looking at North Carolina. I have an older sister living in Claremont. She's been living in NC for probably over 20 years now. I plan to rent a place there for around a year or two and look around first before finalizing my decision to stay there.

[@RossWilliamsDC]

After retirement in 2015, we moved from South Florida to Asheville. We love it more every year that we are here, but don't move here. She is right. It really sucks. Go anywhere else.

[@Katie-ry4lj]

I’m 29 and I have no idea why I watched that but honestly I got a lot out of it. Love the new haircut btw! It’s really good to know about the healthcare systems. As a current nursing student, I don’t want to graduate and go to a town that will stress me out from understaffing for profit. Sad what’s happened to Asheville!

[@EllenPitts]

Thank you so much!! I was not sure about the super short cut…my hairdresser went rogue on me!! 😂 And hopefully Asheville gets there stuff together soon. So crazy!!

[@mrrockenrock]

Great video and commentary on realistic, real living points! Don't forget taxes means real estate, income, sales, and estate and would include tax breaks for retirees. Well, I guess that could be a separate video by itself. Thanks again!

[@EllenPitts]

Yeah this one was already 5 hours long and we cut a lot!! Lol!! We will do a few more videos geared toward retirement.

[@cynthialandrum6431]

I don’t see the link to the Mission hospital article you mentioned

[@rebeccadetert5]

It has been my experience as to why State Farm is so much cheaper than any other insurance company is because they don't pay their claims. In order to get a claim covered, you have to take them to court and force them to pay it. The only thing I can think of is that they're hoping nobody wants to go through the effort of going to court. However, when I sued them to pay a claim, they ended up paying 4 to 5 times more money than the claim was for. I thought that was a very dumb strategy on their part. And as an added condolence for all of you who do have State Farm every attorney I know, calls them snake farm because of their unscrupulous tactics. Good luck to all of you in the future.

[@EllenPitts]

My son was actually in a car accident a couple months ago. He totalled our car and State Farm paid out with no problems. I’m sorry you had trouble!!!

[@nightowl6260]

I lived in Birmingham AL. Our area was hit by such a bad hail storm it was declared a disaster zone. Every home had severe damage. I had State Farm. I was the only house whose insurance did not pay. I had home, auto, umbrella with them-- all my insurance since I first owned a vehicle or property. I dropped them immediately and tell everyone this story. They are totally corrupt.

[@TerryJohnson757]

There’s no way in Hell I can take this list serous. High tax, and high crime Philadelhia made the list of best places to retire 😂

[@EasternWakeLove]

Great video, Ellen! I wouldn't be surprised if more retirees come to Eastern Wake and Clayton. Knightdale's Brio development is going to have a large 55+ community section. The cost of living over here is less, and usually retirees don't need to fret about commutes to RDU or worry about the schools as much, either (although there are some great school options out here). Plus, we're closer to the beach ;) My in-laws bought a house right around the corner from us and now our kids can just walk right around the corner to go see their Mimi and Papa when they are here.

[@johnsradios484]

I’m originally from NYC. But how did NYC make the list? It’s really expensive!

[@Dano99118]

Very informative video! What city/town or county did Judy move to? She seems happy with her decision.

[@EllenPitts]

She lives in Raleigh!! It’s truly the best spot in North Carolina for retirees. Read some of the comments on this video! You’ll see other people in agreement!

[@bjsteinhoff9810]

Location, location, location. Some parts of NC are more of a 'culture shock' than others if you're relocating from another area of the US. 😮

[@MrRomanpa]

Thanks for sharing

[@EllenPitts]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@swiswach3130]

You're getting a lot of calls from Chicago? I wonder why.......

[@jonyoung6253]

The best healthcare in the Asheville area is AdventHealth Hospital in Hendersonville.

[@jiggidyjam]

That place isn’t much better than Mission.

[@jonyoung6253]

Tell that to my friend whose wife was in hospice at Mission during the Covid lockdowns and they wouldn't allow him in to see her. He never got to say goodbye when she died. All my doctors are at Advent and I am completely satisfied with the care I get there.

[@kristiericcardella7885]

looking fir info on Leland and Wilmington area, do you have a video on that?

[@EllenPitts]

I do not unfortunately!! I have a great agent that could help you in that area though! If you’d like their name just send me an email! [e-mail]

[@lisalaufenberg6002]

We lived in North Carolina for 20 years in a rural, small town in the foothills. Thankfully, we kept our home when we moved away for a job, we live in Florida now. It is a beautiful area and my husband has a wonderful job, for which I am so grateful. When my husband retires we will move back to North Carolina. Having lived in Florida the past 7 years have seen the prices of property tax, homeowners and auto insurance have greatly risen. I also miss the seasons changing in North Carolina. We would have about 2 snows a year and enjoy sledding down the neighborhood hill, within about 2 days the snow would melt, we only shoveled the steps into the house. You are right about the museums in North Carolina, especially the state run museums in Raleigh. You mentioned the arts, we went to plays and ballet throughout the year. Our home is near the mountains and love the view, but can easily visit the coast, which we would visit the once or twice a year and love the NC beaches. Yes, NC has many cultures and I found it incredibly interesting to learn about the different cultures, especially the Applachian culture where my home is located. I enjoy my time in Florida, but looking forward to my return to NC! Thank you for the video.

[@Classiqmusic910]

I would love to hear the whole interview between you and Judy

[@EllenPitts]

Let me think about where I could post that… it was actually full of great information! Maybe I’ll put it on the website in a blog post

[@Classiqmusic910]

@@EllenPitts great let me know when you do that

[@arianemontemuro7901]

Tennessee is the new North Carolina. Everyone is coming to TN now.

[@naz4713]

@@ccrider00Hell no...lol

[@naz4713]

NC is #3 in numeric growth from 2022 to 2023. Tennessee is #6. So no, not everyone is coming to TN.

[@Scott-dy6jg]

Crime rate incl esp violent crime generally & near mountains looks worse than NC does anyone know more than I saw on internet about TN places near mountains w low violent crime & 1st class med care?

[@theguruofmiddleschool]

Hi, your calendly is not cooperating. Is there a way I can schedule an online meeting directly? Thanks

[@EllenPitts]

Yes!! Just email me and I’ll get it scheduled. [e-mail]

[@kratz57x]

A lot of people like the IDEA of Asheville.

[@kevinmach730]

Being from Michigan.this list lost all credibility instantly when I say Ann Arbor,MI on the list.

[@jiggidyjam]

I’m an Asheville native and this place is absolutely terrible now. Between the tourist and liberals it’s getting almost unlivable.

[@RobertBee-fs8hv]

I'm a liberal and I'm beeling to Asheville

[@michaelsix9684]

taxes for a retiree like is too much when added to income tax, I'm out

[@stebethstar100]

Thx Ellen. Wonderful video. As a new retiree and recent resident of the area I can vouch for many of us Baby Boomers that the Raleigh area checks just about all the right boxes for a great place to retire. Everything your video touched upon is why we newly retired Boomers find this area so appealing. My new neighbors left and right of me ( age 60+) also moved here for similar reasons. It is jewel that’s been discovered. Just wait until home rates for mortgages start to decline in the not too distant future. You will see the inventory and activity of selling and buying increase exponentially. Word is out. This area is a little slice of Heaven. It’s got just about it all!

[@EllenPitts]

I’m so glad you’re loving it here!! Welcome!

[@bimotahb1]

Fl is no longer the buy a mansion for $400k and live like a king. In FL your auto and home insurance will double. You can easily with a family of 4 with teens pay between $15-20k yes, $20k. It is insane. Then the homeowners insurance is just as expensive. Many people stretch to buy that $800k home and not realize the $1k a month in insurance. Then there is the mandatory pest control and lawn maintenance that can add another $200 month. Many people think they will buy a lawn mower but when it's 100 out and HOA mandates it doesn't happen. Raleigh is overpriced but in FL you get quite possibly the worst home construction there is. $800k homes that should be $400 at best. The quality is just horrible. People buy the million dollar home with the exact same quality.

[@MGMidget73]

With the rapid over development in Durham region the build quality is crap. They are putting them up fast, on top of each other and definitely something a Norm Abrahams would roll his eyes at. Also building on a slab and even a crawl space not good.

[@user-ms4ef8xz9t]

State income tax is no fun in NC. No matter what you do, you owe them every year.

[@jw6180]

Good video! This list has ZERO credibility with me. Look at the locations on that list. It looks like an AI ChatGPT bot compiled it from years ago. IMO, it’s way Out of date.

[@EllenPitts]

Which list? The US News list? Or my list of things retirees want?

[@nancyriley2439]

She must be talking about the US News list. I’ve lived in the top 3 and they’re awful!

[@FightFascismRVA]

Run. It is not worth living there. Retired firefighter (Wilmington). I can tell you the place is awful.

[@polish2x91]

So Zamkoff doesnt like HCA and now hes telling people not to come? Seems political, no one is dying at a greater rate, and you still have Pardee and UNC

[@mikem4432]

Typical Realtor video.. take all of it with a pound of salt. For example the Real Estate prices in NC are INSANE.. pick any property, and the graph on the value over time looks like a rocket trajectory to outer space.. it is a BALLOONED MARKET OVER HYPED PRICES.. in a buyers market.. wait out these crazy prices.. and you will be well rewarded.. buy now and get buyers remorse later as prices drop drop drop. If you are determined to buy now.. take the listing prices and look at the price of the same property 5 years ago.. take that price and add 5% should be your fair offer.. if they balk move on.. or wait them out.,.. same happened in FL.. now they are stacked with 6 months inventory that cannot be sold.

[@TheirsHopewithJesusChrist_277]

Hell naw dont go to asheville, ashville is probably the worst place in NC to go. Im a NC native and i can tell you no dont retire in ashville, greensboro, winston salem, charlotte, raliegh none of those.

[@skippylance1591]

Why not Raleigh?

[@Keith-do2jm]

Charlotte no place to live excess building high crime my vehicles both have been shot at both our jobs fortunately no one hurt but disturbing none the same pan handlers on every corner getting shot at on the road driving yes come on down you’ll love it jobs lower than average we really need unions here for higher pay and don’t trust anyone keep every body at distance this is not the way I was raised but this is what I have become really think about moving here taxes yes we got them on everything especially auto you will be paying personal property tax every year on your car yes great place

[@s.j.5850]

Ellen, you are letting the cat out of the bag about North Carolina. When it becomes overcrowded because of all of the transplants we will have to blame you for spreading the word about how nice it is here! 🤫

[@EllenPitts]

To be fair I tried to scare them off with the thumbnail first 😂

[@geekgirrrl]

LoL "It's August"

[@EllenPitts]

😂😂

[@alhoy9146]

And who are you to be a big critic nobody knows you in the world but your mom and your dad😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@thebyrd5927]

what is your motivation in all this crap

[@alicepaul6276]

Can you provide your email, directly. When I click the link, it asks me to sign into my email. I am already signed in. It's just repetivitive, useless steps.

[@EllenPitts]

Of course! [e-mail]