Moving On Up

The United Van Lines' National Movers Study shows the migration patterns of Americans and this year North Carolina is the fifth most popular state to move to. This is no surprise since North Carolina - particularly The Research Triangle - offers the things people are looking for when they relocate such as economic opportunity, good weather, and outdoor recreation.

North Carolina is really pretty much perfectly situated globally. We have four complete seasons, but none of them are brutal.  As far as outdoor recreation, we have it all. On one end of the state we have beautiful beaches and on the other side there are mountains, and in between we have the best place I have ever lived - The Research Triangle Region.

Unique to this particular area of the state - and the most of the country really, is that the three corners of The Triangle are each anchored with a major research university. In Raleigh we have North Carolina State University with over 33,000 students, strong engineering programs and the state's vet school. 

Twenty-five miles to the west is Duke University, one of the country's top universities with a hospital ranked number 14 in the entire country by U.S. News & World Reports. And they have a fairly decent men's basketball team.

Nine miles south of Duke, in one of the most beautiful college towns ever, is The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill  - ranked as the fifth best public university in the country.  It boasts a gorgeous, historical campus, its own hospital complex, and a great women's soccer team and men's basketball team. Plus there is one beautiful College Girl there who happens to be my daughter, so clearly this makes UNC the best of the three schools, but I digress.

I believe this triangle of top education is one of the reasons the Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill area is such a great place to live.  It attracts the kind of businesses that need well-educated workers and in turn provides high paying jobs. And because of the Duke and UNC hospitals, we have excellent health care.  The universities provide an abundance of activities ranging from the stunning Duke gardens, to music, theater and that wee college basketball rivalry we have going here.

The other side of the states-people-most-want-to-move-to coin, is the states-people-most-want-to-leave side. According to the Movers Study, that state is New Jersey* followed by New York, Illinois, Connecticut and Ohio.  The common thread seems to COLD.  So if you are looking to escape the cold or migrate for any other reason, I suggest the Research Triangle region of North Carolina.

*New Jersey is Hubby's home state. Number nine on the list of states-people-most-often-leave is my home state of Mississippi. We both hold a love in our hearts for our home states, but I think North Carolina is where we are meant to be.



















 

The Cary Real Estate Frenzy...

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.. has already begun.  Last year, the crazy Cary real estate market of multiple above asking price offers and homes selling before they even hit the market started in April. This year, it started last week. On Wednesday, my clients and I were the first people to tour a home that had just hit the market. Thursday morning I called the listing agent to ask a few questions only to find out that the house was under contract, sight unseen to an out of state buyer. Her words were - it went WAY over asking price.

Luckily, my clients weren't absolutely in love with it, so we set up a schedule of homes to see on Saturday.  Early Saturday morning, I got a message from the agent of one of those houses, saying they already had multiple offers, and were asking us to submit our highest and best offer by 5pm. It had been on the market less than 24 hours.

Something new popped up on the MLS Saturday night, so we scheduled a showing for noon on Sunday.  I got a call from the agent cancelling it because they already had two offers. Ugh. What's an agent to do?

The main issue is that while we have buyers chomping at the bit, there is very little for sale. Most people wait for spring to put their homes on the market, but if it is in the right LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION (Cary) and priced right, I suggest you give me a call today, so we can get it on the market and with a little tiny bit of luck, sold by Sunday. Of course, I cannot guarantee I can actually sell your house in a weekend, but if this buying frenzy holds up, it could happen.