It's Official, the "Oregon Trail" to Freedom has Begun...

[Ricky_Bobby 130]

House went live on the MLS yesterday around lunch.  Already had 2 showings and 2 more tonight, 1 scheduled for Saturday, and open house on Sunday.  All good things so far.

 

My wife and I are going for a few days to the in-laws (southern OBX of NC) and coming back on Wednesday.  Will go do some shooting at the outdoor range down there and enjoy ourselves for a bit.  Who knows, maybe we'll have the house sold by the time we get back.

 

Then the real fun begins, packing up and finding and securing a house in Raleigh NC area which is where we are going to move.  Worst comes to worst my parents house on the OBX is huge we could always shack up there for a big if needed, but that's a last resort as it wouldn't be easy to look at homes when we are 3 hours away at the beach.

 

I keep telling myself its going to be pandemonium and hectic for the next couple months mostly but will all be worth it in the end.  No more silly firearm restrictions or anxiety about transporting to the range.  No more paying extra for neutered AR's.  And I'll beat Krispy Kreme out of here just so I don't have to cry when they take away online ammunition purchases and take us down to 10 rounds like the other "sensible states"

 

Reading this link makes me feel even more confident that this move is the right move for our family, with all the NY/NJ imports going down there, I am doing my part to keep NC a free state, as I fear that in 20 years it will start to look more like NJ from a government perspective.

 

Wish us luck, and if anyone wants to buy my house (Martinsville section of Bridgewater Twp), let me know.

 

http://www.ncrpa.org/faq/ownership.shtml

[Frank Rizzo 59]

Wishing you the best of luck with the move.  The Carolina's are part of my long term game plan, i'm aiming for 10 years or less to get down there. 

[ChrisJM981 924]

Did you read the link? They still have pistol purchase permits with standards that are made up on the county level. I'd look into CCW to see if each county can make up their own rules. 

[Ricky_Bobby 130]

Did you read the link? They still have pistol purchase permits with standards that are made up on the county level. I'd look into CCW to see if each county can make up their own rules. 

 

Yes and the pistol purchase permit system is an old standard from Jim Crow era which tried to keep blacks from purchasing pistols.  And let me tell you what I'm sure even if you went through the process in 95% of the counties in NC you'd probably have a permit same day or within the week for the $5 fee, none of this 30+ day garbage (cough, NJSP, cough)

 

Absolutely going with CCW.  eliminates it completely.  how it should be.  And NC is also an open carry state if you had to do that.  Nice to have the option.  They are trying to go constitutional carry too, probably will take a couple years.

[Alex V 99]

Good Luck and keep us updated!

 

I had friends who moved to the High Point area of NC and I loved it when I visited them.  

 

The wife and I are planning to exfil to NC in a couple of years.  Just need to rebuild the savings account after her being in school for two years strait and not working. She graduates in May and the clock will start ticking.  Also looking at either the Charlotte or Raleigh areas.

[SW9racer 262]

The best part of the journey is the final crossing of the Delaware!!

 

Range trips are less stressful as well, I grab a win-dixie bag off the counter, toss some ammo and a few pistols in it, place in front passenger seat and off I go. I went a bit farther south into Florida, the pool was just finished.

[Ricky_Bobby 130]

Will do guys!  I'm sure I'll be lurking a bit -

 

Part of it is the cash factor - Jersey just sucks every dollar out of you.  If we can get our house sold, even after realtor and moving expenses we can purchase a house for 65% of the cost and put the rest of the money left over in the bank or invest it - right now trying to keep a nest egg for emergencies or building money for our future is near impossible and we both make decent salaries.

 

But yeah the other factor is freedom, and my dog is getting older, he just survived cancer twice and the winters and cold is rough on his joints, I'd rather see him happy in his senior years and give us a new beginning.

 

Speaking of range trips, its so simple when I'm visiting my in-laws.  There is a range about 30 minutes away, outdoor.  You pay $10-15 and can shoot all day.  They have targets in a vending machine.  Stop at Walmart and grab some ammo and go (even those evil JHP's!) and don't sweat a thing.  Really amazing.  Local gun shop down told me last time go ahead buy all the AR style rifles you want to keep at your in-laws I could care less.  They could give 2 shits about our stupid "assault weapon" bans.  If I want to take something I know is illegal in my state home, its on me.

 

I can smell the 30-rounders from here...

[HBecwithFn7 296]

Will do guys!  I'm sure I'll be lurking a bit -

 

Part of it is the cash factor - Jersey just sucks every dollar out of you.  If we can get our house sold, even after realtor and moving expenses we can purchase a house for 65% of the cost and put the rest of the money left over in the bank or invest it - right now trying to keep a nest egg for emergencies or building money for our future is near impossible and we both make decent salaries.

 

But yeah the other factor is freedom, and my dog is getting older, he just survived cancer twice and the winters and cold is rough on his joints, I'd rather see him happy in his senior years and give us a new beginning.

 

Speaking of range trips, its so simple when I'm visiting my in-laws.  There is a range about 30 minutes away, outdoor.  You pay $10-15 and can shoot all day.  They have targets in a vending machine.  Stop at Walmart and grab some ammo and go (even those evil JHP's!) and don't sweat a thing.  Really amazing.  Local gun shop down told me last time go ahead buy all the AR style rifles you want to keep at your in-laws I could care less.  They could give 2 shits about our stupid "assault weapon" bans.  If I want to take something I know is illegal in my state home, its on me.

 

I can smell the 30-rounders from here...

 

Trust me, you'll love the freedoms....  Congrats on the move! 

[Krdshrk 3,877]

Just checked Zillow - If it's the 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom built in 1956, it's got a really interesting layout.  It would have been on my "consider" list when I was looking at houses.  My new place will be done at the end of May...

 

Too bad you'll be out of Bridgewater before I get in - good properties are going quick!

[Rob0115 1,105]

Will do guys!  I'm sure I'll be lurking a bit -

 

Part of it is the cash factor - Jersey just sucks every dollar out of you.  If we can get our house sold, even after realtor and moving expenses we can purchase a house for 65% of the cost and put the rest of the money left over in the bank or invest it - right now trying to keep a nest egg for emergencies or building money for our future is near impossible and we both make decent salaries.

 

But yeah the other factor is freedom, and my dog is getting older, he just survived cancer twice and the winters and cold is rough on his joints, I'd rather see him happy in his senior years and give us a new beginning.

 

Speaking of range trips, its so simple when I'm visiting my in-laws.  There is a range about 30 minutes away, outdoor.  You pay $10-15 and can shoot all day.  They have targets in a vending machine.  Stop at Walmart and grab some ammo and go (even those evil JHP's!) and don't sweat a thing.  Really amazing.  Local gun shop down told me last time go ahead buy all the AR style rifles you want to keep at your in-laws I could care less.  They could give 2 shits about our stupid "assault weapon" bans.  If I want to take something I know is illegal in my state home, its on me.

 

I can smell the 30-rounders from here...

 

Why 30?  I bought a couple drums.

[Sevenshot 98]

I'm from Fayetteville. Had a pistol permit in 3 days then went the next weekend to get my CC permit, which is still active despite moving to NJ.

 

I have a lot of family and friends in the triangle, and intend to move back in the future. Just steer clear of Durham county.

[ChrisJM981 924]

Did you list it yourself on MLS or are you using an agent? My wife and I are considering listing ourselves to avoid paying commission to an agent.

[Ricky_Bobby 130]

Just checked Zillow - If it's the 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom built in 1956, it's got a really interesting layout.  It would have been on my "consider" list when I was looking at houses.  My new place will be done at the end of May...

 

Too bad you'll be out of Bridgewater before I get in - good properties are going quick!

 

I have 2 full baths but I hope the listing is accurate on Zillow if you found me - Red front door, we are on Washington Valley Rd with just under 2 acres -

 

@Chris - we actually had a broker last year come look at it, life got in the way, etc - funny enough we actually called up the Rob Dekanski Remax firm who always advertises on 101.5 - I told my wife "hey this guy says on the radio if he can't sell it then he will buy it, and you can get out of your contract at anytime!" - Yeah I don't like that they are getting a hefty commish, but if they get us our asking price (which is more than fair considering location, and lot - we didn't want to overprice it and have it sitting), then I'd be happy -

 

My in laws that moved last year to the OBX failed with 2 brokers (but I will admit they were way overpriced, they overimproved and bought at the height of market in 2006), but only took about 2 months once they did For Sale by Owner and dropped the price to a reasonable amount to sell -

[Krdshrk 3,877]

Ah ok - that one - was thinking it was a different one.  Lots of land but too small for my liking.  Price is right - that will go fast.

[Zeke 5,504]

I have 2 full baths but I hope the listing is accurate on Zillow if you found me - Red front door, we are on Washington Valley Rd with just under 2 acres -

 

@Chris - we actually had a broker last year come look at it, life got in the way, etc - funny enough we actually called up the Rob Dekanski Remax firm who always advertises on 101.5 - I told my wife "hey this guy says on the radio if he can't sell it then he will buy it, and you can get out of your contract at anytime!" - Yeah I don't like that they are getting a hefty commish, but if they get us our asking price (which is more than fair considering location, and lot - we didn't want to overprice it and have it sitting), then I'd be happy -

 

My in laws that moved last year to the OBX failed with 2 brokers (but I will admit they were way overpriced, they overimproved and bought at the height of market in 2006), but only took about 2 months once they did For Sale by Owner and dropped the price to a reasonable amount to sell -

Would like updates on " dukanski"

Good luck, we will be further diminished as the exodus continues.

[Danno 127]

Cary NC is where you want to be: C.A.R.Y: Containment Area for Relocated Yankees or Can't Afford Raleigh Yet.

[Ricky_Bobby 130]

Cary NC is where you want to be: C.A.R.Y: Containment Area for Relocated Yankees or Can't Afford Raleigh Yet.

 

Cary is also where all the Berners now lurk but yes I know the town well, it literally is all NJ/NY imports, I was at a bar there last year and everyone sounded like me LOL -

 

Unfortunately they are too close to Durham and Chapel Hill where the other snowflakes live and its too crowded to have any space to shoot in your own backyard - We will likely end up in one of the southern suburbs of Raleigh -

 

Zeke - his radio ad is www.robsellsnj.com - we sent in the email form and had an agent from his team call us 5 mins later to set up an appointment.

 

 

Nick- thanks for the kind words yes I hope it goes and someone appreciates our land, that's where all the value is - a mile down the road from me a similar lot was bought for $480k on 6 months ago and now a million dollar huge custom home is going up on that lot, so I know at the end of the day the land has the value - I'd like for a young couple like us to fall in love with the "cozy house" since its not big, but understand its probably less likely.  Things like having an attached 2 car garage and 2 acres of land with no one behind you and open woods, and being in a historic and quiet section of a large and diverse town and have some of the lower property taxes in the county don't matter to a lot of people, they are worried about finished basements for the rugrats and for you to do the $40k in bathrooms and kitchen upgrades for them so they can feel like they are on HGTV.

 

If I can get through the next few weeks or however long it takes to get a deal closed without hearing "needs updates" or "open concept" I'll be a happy man.

[gleninjersey 2,141]

Congratulations to you and the wife. Curious if sither of you have found employmemt prior to making the move? Best of luck to you. Soooooooooo jealous.

[robot_hell 72]

Good luck to you. I would have loved to find an in with NC or VA, sadly it wasn't meant to be. It's a beautiful area, enjoy your newfound freedom.

[JC_68Westy 1,024]

House went live on the MLS yesterday around lunch.  Already had 2 showings and 2 more tonight, 1 scheduled for Saturday, and open house on Sunday.  All good things so far.

 

My wife and I are going for a few days to the in-laws (southern OBX of NC) and coming back on Wednesday.  Will go do some shooting at the outdoor range down there and enjoy ourselves for a bit.  Who knows, maybe we'll have the house sold by the time we get back.

 

Then the real fun begins, packing up and finding and securing a house in Raleigh NC area which is where we are going to move.  Worst comes to worst my parents house on the OBX is huge we could always shack up there for a big if needed, but that's a last resort as it wouldn't be easy to look at homes when we are 3 hours away at the beach.

 

I keep telling myself its going to be pandemonium and hectic for the next couple months mostly but will all be worth it in the end.  No more silly firearm restrictions or anxiety about transporting to the range.  No more paying extra for neutered AR's.  And I'll beat Krispy Kreme out of here just so I don't have to cry when they take away online ammunition purchases and take us down to 10 rounds like the other "sensible states"

 

Reading this link makes me feel even more confident that this move is the right move for our family, with all the NY/NJ imports going down there, I am doing my part to keep NC a free state, as I fear that in 20 years it will start to look more like NJ from a government perspective.

 

Wish us luck, and if anyone wants to buy my house (Martinsville section of Bridgewater Twp), let me know.

 

http://www.ncrpa.org/faq/ownership.shtml

The only regret about leaving NJ was that I didn't do it years earlier.

[Ricky_Bobby 130]

Congratulations to you and the wife. Curious if sither of you have found employmemt prior to making the move? Best of luck to you. Soooooooooo jealous.

 

The plan is to work our current jobs from home temporarily (I can remote in on my computer at home to my work account and work from home so easily, we do it in bad weather etc) and put our employer in a rock and a hard place (we work at the same firm so hes not going to fire us for moving, we already have 2 employees relocated and working remotely, one in MD and one in NC) - long term we would find local employment down there and the hope is that god forbid we would need to, we would have some cash in the bank from selling our house up here in order to survive temporarily -

 

We both work in the insurance profession so there is work down there but we've found that its really unrealistic to get a job down there without actually being there and able to have meetings, appointments etc in person with companies and HR people -

 

Keep your fingers crossed wish us luck, 9 showings in 2 days, no offers yet but hopefully soon - No complaints from anyone on price but just no one interested enough yet, we have about 6 showings before the open house on Sunday too -

[SW9racer 262]

The only regret about leaving NJ was that I didn't do it years earlier.

This is so true. You don't realize all of the other crap and costs until you have been out awhile.

[Ricky_Bobby 130]

Update - we are under contract after 10 days, we had about 35 showings and an open house in a week, had multiple bids on the house which was really flattering and surprising -

 

Tentative closing is May 31, then we have up to 60 days pro-rated leaseback from the new owners (they are coming from an apartment and young couple like us), so we can get our stuff packed, and get down to NC and get a house found and closed on -

 

Good news is we can close in about 3 weeks down there, talking to the mortgage broker today and we got him most of the paperwork to underwrite a new loan and he said should be zero issues.  So basically everything worked out how we needed it to (so far)

[Zeke 5,504]

Dukanski rilly is that good?

[Ricky_Bobby 130]

Dukanski rilly is that good?

 

Appears so - we actually got Nick on his team who seems equally as good!  (I guess my town is Nick's area but they all work together as a firm) - We ended up getting 6 different offers and the young couple we liked actually outbid the highest offer at the last minute - No complaints!

[Krdshrk 3,877]

Bridgewater is a HOT area right now for real estate!  

[HBecwithFn7 296]

This is so true. You don't realize all of the other crap and costs until you have been out awhile.

 

Well, at least in respect to FL, there is a balance, although it does result in a net lower cost, overall. There is no income tax in FL. Insurance is cheaper. Real Estate is, for the most part, cheaper, unless you are in a major city area. Property taxes are quite a bit cheaper in most areas.  But sales taxes are the same and even more as counties can add a surtax. Also Govt. fees for various services are much higher in FL than NJ. As an LLC owner, I have to file an annual report every year, about this time. In NJ, it cost $50.00/yr.  In FL, it costs $140/yr.  Groceries are slightly higher. Household appliances, etc, are, generally higher.  Fuel(Gas) is higher due to the added taxes, and there is more fuel expense as one travels longer distances, generally, here. Things covered in some municipal budgets (Trash collection, etc.) are a private expense of most home owners, here. Water (as a utility) is higher. Electricity is higher in some areas, as you're dealing with CO-OPs for your delivery.  And, many if not most household appliances, HVAC etc. are electric based.

 

But that's just FL.  NC could be different.   

[T Bill 649]

I would rather be sweating my kahones off in FL than freezing them off in NJ.  You can always jump in the ocean to cool off, and I prefer my Vitamin D from the sun than from a bottle.

[HBecwithFn7 296]

I would rather be sweating my kahones off in FL than freezing them off in NJ.  You can always jump in the ocean to cool off, and I prefer my Vitamin D from the sun than from a bottle.

 

Very true.  I have not seen one live snowflake  (the *real* wintery kind)   since I've left.

 

 

[SW9racer 262]

My NJ to FL experience has been a positive one. Between a 2400 sqft colonial to a 2400 sqfr ranch: property taxes dropped $10k, utilities dropped from $200 (with a new he system) to $60 (even with all electric), trash is private in both states but cheaper, water/sewer is even, food is even, sales tax is 7%, housing is cheaper (paid cash for brand new and saved $3k per month from old mortgage).

My only downside is sometimes it's tough to decide between the beach or my screened-in backyard pool to relax in after work each day. If the pool is a bit chilly, then I drive 10 minutes to the beach (free parking and free beach access)