Perfect Retirement
Locations
North Carolina : South Carolina
Have you ever heard favorable
comments about the Carolinas but didn’t know much about the
area? Then, thinking of a nice place for retirement, you decide
to check into North and South Carolina to see what you can
discover about them. I hear from prospective retirees regularly
who are looking for the following criteria for their
retirement: A pretty place to live that has four seasons, near
the mountains, near the ocean, plenty of amenities, golf, and
lower taxes to name a few. South Carolina is known for their
lower taxes. They really don’t know what is available in the two
states so I’m going to try to paint a picture for you!
I love music and I think it is
great to drive in the mountains on the Blue Ridge Parkway, stop
at a country General Store on a weekend and find music….blue
grass music. On one end of the store there are staples and
assortments of souvenirs and perhaps an antique or two for sale.
On the other end of the store will be a gathering of the locals
seated in lined up chairs listening and tapping their feet to a
Blue Grass band. Of course, you find Jazz and Shag music, the
Carolina music most everywhere. Sweet Carolina peaches are
juicy and good. Barbecue is vinegar or tomato-based. The vines
grow the best grapes for the many wineries that are scattered
around North Carolina.
If you like to go shrimpin’, you
can…trout fishing, also. There is an area in Eastern North
Carolina where all-natural hogs are raised and sold to upscale
Whole Food Markets. I found it interesting to learn that the
perils of running ‘shine years ago and outrunning the law on
country back roads gave birth to NASCAR.
Rapids and rivers for canoeing,
tubing and kayaking, trails to hike, great fishing from a boat,
dock or shore, camping at a state park, exploring history at
museums, shopping for antiques and “trashy treasures”, and
shorelines for sunning and all the golf courses you could ever
want. The residents are proud of the many colleges and
universities, including Duke, UNC, Clemson and USC, all of which
are found in the sweet, sweet Carolinas.
To better acquaint you to the two
states, I want to describe them to you by giving you a few
cities in each section. In the mountains of North Carolina, you
have Cherokee (location of Harrahs Casinos), Franklin and Maggie
Valley, which are in the Southern mountains in the Western
section. In the Central mountains of Western North Carolina,
you will find Asheville, the home of the Biltmore Estate,
Brevard and Hendersonville.
In the Northern mountains of
Western North Carolina there’s Banner Elk and Boone. This is
known as the High Country and great area for skiing. The
Northern Foothills of North Carolina is the home to Greensboro,
High Point and Winston Salem. The Southern Foothills of North
Carolina includes Charlotte, home of NASCAR, professional sports
and the theatre, Concord and Kannapolis. In the Northern
Heartland of North Carolina, you will find Chapel Hill, Durham,
Goldsboro, Raleigh and Sanford, great educational and medical
communities. Fayetteville and Southern Pines are located in the
Southern Heartland of North Carolina. Don’t forget the Coastal
Plains as the Northern Coast has Elizabeth City and the Outer
Banks with the original, charming old lighthouses. The Central
Coast has Greenville, New Bern and Crystal Coast. I know you
have heard of Cape Fear, well, it is located on the Southern
Coast of North Carolina along with Jacksonville, Southport and
the historic riverfront city of Wilmington. As you can see,
North Carolina has so much going for it!
Looking toward South Carolina, the
Upcountry of the Foothills include Spartanburg, Greenville
(notice NC and SC each has a Greenville) Gaffney and Anderson.
The Olde English District of South Carolina has Fort Mill, Rock
Hill (home of Winthrop University) and Lancaster. Florence,
Darlington and Dillon are in the Pee Dee District of South
Carolina. The Old 96 District of the Freshwater Coast is home
to Greenwood and Abbeville while the Thoroughbred Country has
Aiken, Bamberg and North Augusta. The Lake Murray District of
South Carolina has Columbia (home of the University of South
Carolina), Lexington and Lake Murray. The Grand Strand of South
Carolina is located in the Coastal Plain and includes Conway,
Murrells Inlet and Myrtle Beach. Sumter, Lake Marion and
Orangeburg is located in the Santee-Cooper Country of South
Carolina. The Charleston Basin Area has Charleston, Mt.
Pleasant, Summerville and Lake Moultrie. Beaufort, Hilton Head
and Hardeeville make up the Low Country of South Carolina.
Attractions in both states include
lots of golf, historic battlefields, shows, concerts, the
theatre, waterfalls, trails, parks, an abundance of top schools
from science to creative arts, professional sports including the
NFL Panthers, NBA Charlotte Bobcats, hockey, NASCAR with a new
museum, beautiful beaches and mountains. I can’t overlook the
wonderful Billy Graham Library and Stowe’s Botanical Gardens.
Those desiring to live in
communities where they can meet people quickly who enjoy the
same activities love the 55+ active adult communities scattered
all over North Carolina and South Carolina. The number one Sun
City community in America, Carolina Lakes, is located in South
Carolina just 9 miles south of Charlotte. With 2,000 homes
built out of 3400 total, it has become a destination place
because of the amenities and location. There is a shopping
center next door so the residents can ride their golf carts to
get their groceries or go to the bank, hair salon, library, drug
stores and restaurants.
To make it convenient for you, I have real
estate professionals in every part of the Carolinas to work with
me. They will provide information for their area so if you have
an interest in receiving material in either of the two states,
just contact me at
sold@marianingram.com
or 704-517-2662.
Marian Ingram,
CRS,GRI,ePRO,SRES,CNE,SFR
Seniors Real Estate
Specialist / Broker/Realtor-NC & SC
I love music and I think it is
great to drive in the mountains on the Blue Ridge Parkway, stop
at a country General Store on a weekend and find music….blue
grass music. On one end of the store there are staples and
assortments of souvenirs and perhaps an antique or two for sale.
On the other end of the store will be a gathering of the locals
seated in lined up chairs listening and tapping their feet to a
Blue Grass band. Of course, you find Jazz and Shag music, the
Carolina music most everywhere. Sweet Carolina peaches are
juicy and good. Barbecue is vinegar or tomato-based. The vines
grow the best grapes for the many wineries that are scattered
around North Carolina.
If you like to go shrimpin’, you
can…trout fishing, also. There is an area in Eastern North
Carolina where all-natural hogs are raised and sold to upscale
Whole Food Markets. I found it interesting to learn that the
perils of running ‘shine years ago and outrunning the law on
country back roads gave birth to NASCAR.
In the Northern mountains of
Western North Carolina there’s Banner Elk and Boone. This is
known as the High Country and great area for skiing. The
Northern Foothills of North Carolina is the home to Greensboro,
High Point and Winston Salem. The Southern Foothills of North
Carolina includes Charlotte, home of NASCAR, professional sports
and the theatre, Concord and Kannapolis. In the Northern
Heartland of North Carolina, you will find Chapel Hill, Durham,
Goldsboro, Raleigh and Sanford, great educational and medical
communities. Fayetteville and Southern Pines are located in the
Southern Heartland of North Carolina. Don’t forget the Coastal
Plains as the Northern Coast has Elizabeth City and the Outer
Banks with the original, charming old lighthouses. The Central
Coast has Greenville, New Bern and Crystal Coast. I know you
have heard of Cape Fear, well, it is located on the Southern
Coast of North Carolina along with Jacksonville, Southport and
the historic riverfront city of Wilmington. As you can see,
North Carolina has so much going for it!
Looking toward South Carolina, the
Upcountry of the Foothills include Spartanburg, Greenville
(notice NC and SC each has a Greenville) Gaffney and Anderson.
The Olde English District of South Carolina has Fort Mill, Rock
Hill (home of Winthrop University) and Lancaster. Florence,
Darlington and Dillon are in the Pee Dee District of South
Carolina. The Old 96 District of the Freshwater Coast is home
to Greenwood and Abbeville while the Thoroughbred Country has
Aiken, Bamberg and North Augusta. The Lake Murray District of
South Carolina has Columbia (home of the University of South
Carolina), Lexington and Lake Murray. The Grand Strand of South
Carolina is located in the Coastal Plain and includes Conway,
Murrells Inlet and Myrtle Beach. Sumter, Lake Marion and
Orangeburg is located in the Santee-Cooper Country of South
Carolina. The Charleston Basin Area has Charleston, Mt.
Pleasant, Summerville and Lake Moultrie. Beaufort, Hilton Head
and Hardeeville make up the Low Country of South Carolina.
Attractions in both states include
lots of golf, historic battlefields, shows, concerts, the
theatre, waterfalls, trails, parks, an abundance of top schools
from science to creative arts, professional sports including the
NFL Panthers, NBA Charlotte Bobcats, hockey, NASCAR with a new
museum, beautiful beaches and mountains. I can’t overlook the
wonderful Billy Graham Library and Stowe’s Botanical Gardens.