Relocating to Raleigh, North Carolina, is a big decision and once you have decided on "The Where" you need to figure out "The How". Here are 10 great tips to help you with the relocation process.
1. Start a Job Search in Raleigh. Finding a new job in a different city has never been easier thanks to the Internet. There are a number of national and local job sites specific to the Greater Raleigh area. Register with them to have jobs posted to your email weekly.
2. Research the Raleigh area. Raleigh has a number of surrounding cities and towns; such as Cary, Apex, and Holly Springs. It is good to know your surroundings before you move in. Find out if your Realtor has information he can send you for the Raleigh area.
3. Learn about the local schools. Raleigh, North Carolina has many highly acclaimed colleges and universities such as NC State, Carolina University, Meredith, and Duke. When looking at elementary and secondary schools, the Wake County Public School System has received high marks. Most recently for being the second largest district in the country with the highest total number of Nationally Board Certified Teachers. When searching for a home in Raleigh, North Carolina, it is easy to surround yourself with great schools.
4. What is RTP? You may have heard about or read about Research Triangle Park (RTP). This 7,000-acre stretch of land just West of Raleigh is comprised of a number of Fortune 500 companies; such as IBM, Nortel, Cisco, and Lenovo. Research Triangle Park provides thousands of jobs for the Raleigh area and is a large contributing factor to the strength of Raleigh's economy.
5. Allow yourself time to acclimate. There is no denying that the temperatures in Raleigh can be hot and humid in the summer. It takes anywhere from 6 months to a year to become fully acclimated to new weather conditions. One of the great things about Raleigh is in November when northern states are already getting snow; Raleigh is still enjoying cool 60 degree weather.
6. Is now a good time to invest in a home in Raleigh? You bet it is! Even though you may have heard the real estate market, as it pertains to the entire nation, has been down in the last six months. Raleigh NC real estate market has NOT seen any of the catastrophic effects the talking heads on television have been predicting. The average home price was steadily increasing towards the end of 2007. As of February, 2008 the median home price in Raleigh is $215,500 according to Zillow.7. Find a website with the latest technology. Find a Website that allows you to search for Raleigh Real Estate a number of different ways. A number of Websites offer auto-notification technology that will email you as soon as a new Raleigh home comes on the market the meets your search criteria.
8. What is there to do in and around Raleigh? That depends. Are you a hiker, or sports fanatic? Do you enjoy nightlife or a good restaurant? The mountains are a few hours west and the ocean a few hours east, both make for great weekend trips. There are also a number of college sports teams including NC State, Duke, and the beloved Carolina Tar Heels. Professional sports teams include the NHL Carolina Hurricanes and NFL Carolina Panthers. Downtown Raleigh is all the rage for night clubs, dance clubs, and cozy bars, plus, terrific restaurants with many different flavors.
9. Stay ahead of the traffic in Raleigh. Like any major city, there are traffic issues. Depending on where your commute will be and what time of day, you may end up sitting in traffic. The NC Department of Transportation has live feed letting you know what the traffic report is at any given time. The NCDOT is constantly coming up with new ways to try and better utilize the current infrastructure.
10. Find a Realtor that specializes in relocation. You want to find a Realtor that specializes in relocation to the Raleigh area. Relocating to a new area is a big step in your life. You want to make sure the Real Estate firm you are working with is not treating you like a number, "or just another sale".
For more information on Raleigh NC Real Estate, relocation guides, and current listings please contact us.
Shane Pollock is part of the Greater Raleigh Realty Team, and is a resident of Cary, North Carolina. Greater Raleigh Realty specializes in Raleigh Real Estate and Relocation Services. For more information please visit his site at http://www.GreaterRaleighRealty.com
Article Source: Shane_Pollock