Relocating to Hickory NC

My wife and I will be relocating to Hickory in a few months.
We're looking to buy a home in the area. What neighborhoods are preferable in the $250K range? Looking for a nice residential neighborhood, safe, fairly close to shopping and recreational areas, lake, etc.
Where should we begin to look?
Also, what companies are in a hiring mode right now? Looking for manufacturing management positions.
Please feel free to jump in with your thoughts or comments regarding Hickory, etc.
Thanks
Len

Len in MA wrote:

My wife and I will be relocating to Hickory in a few months.
We're looking to buy a home in the area. What neighborhoods are preferable in the $250K range? Looking for a nice residential neighborhood, safe, fairly close to shopping and recreational areas, lake, etc.
Where should we begin to look?
Also, what companies are in a hiring mode right now? Looking for manufacturing management positions.
Please feel free to jump in with your thoughts or comments regarding Hickory, etc.
Thanks
Len

sorry if your looking for management positions in manufacturing this area is one of the last places to look can you say NAFTA

Can you give me any info on some nice new home developments in Hickory?

Why not contact the Chamber of Commerce? Also go to the Catawba County website.

Moore's Ferry is nice.

Len in MA wrote:

Can you give me any info on some nice new home developments in Hickory?

ya nice but I'm pretty sure you are going to pay quite a bit more than $250,000. Look outside Catawba county. The property taxes are lower. There are some nice developments in Granite Falls...the Greens for one.

Granite Falls is wonderful, particularly the Grace Chapel area. We moved here four years ago, from Hickory, didn't like Hickory, too much traffic, too confusing layout. You will find many streets with the same name, they just tack on a NE or NW. There are several new developments in the area, there are two on the golf course just west of Grace Chapel off of Falls Avenue. But I much prefer the Grace Chapel area, nice country, rural, quiet and the taxes are reasonable, but a close drive to stores, etc.

Granite Falls wrote:

Granite Falls is wonderful, particularly the Grace Chapel area. We moved here four years ago, from Hickory, didn't like Hickory, too much traffic, too confusing layout. You will find many streets with the same name, they just tack on a NE or NW. There are several new developments in the area, there are two on the golf course just west of Grace Chapel off of Falls Avenue. But I much prefer the Grace Chapel area, nice country, rural, quiet and the taxes are reasonable, but a close drive to stores, etc.

Thanks for the info :)
I will be in Hickory the weekend of 3/25. We will be sure to see Granite Falls.
How are the utility expenses in Granite Falls? What would the average electric monthly expense be for a single famile home with 3 bedrooms. We dont have any kids so usage would be minimal. Is heat by natural gas? Also, we are pretty active. We love to walk and go biking. Is Granite Falls a good place to walk and bike? I saw quite a few nice houses in Granite Falls on realtor.Com .
Thanks so much for the info. Very helpful!

Len in MA

If you are moving down from Massachusetts you will LOVE the savings. You can get a LOT more house for the money here and car insurance is far, FAR less.

But be careful when looking at those realtor booklets they send out -- they don't tell the whole story.

We found one I thought was wonderful -- but when we actually went LOOKING, we found it was in a really nasty neighborhood. Another time we checked out a very pretty house -- and everything seemed fine -- until the next day. it was very close to a water treatment plant and on certain days the area smells like a toilet!

We finally found a great house - 4 beds, 3 baths, in the county, not in the city. Affordable.

Utilities aren't cheap, though. What you save by not heating the home you will make up in air conditioning costs -- and don't let anyone fool you -- you NEED central air.

In talking to people, heating costs can vary. I unfortunatly have natural gas so ours has been very high. People with Duke or Blue Ridge Electric seem to have much lower heating bills.

We have an average size house - four bedrooms and three baths is not considered LARGE here. All electric - and our bill - year round - is $240 a month. We don't have the heat up high or take 3 showers a day, pretty conservative, actually, but there is a lot of glass in the house. You might want to consider that when looking at houses.

Len in MA wrote:

My wife and I will be relocating to Hickory in a few months.
We're looking to buy a home in the area. What neighborhoods are preferable in the $250K range? Looking for a nice residential neighborhood, safe, fairly close to shopping and recreational areas, lake, etc.
Where should we begin to look?
Also, what companies are in a hiring mode right now? Looking for manufacturing management positions.
Please feel free to jump in with your thoughts or comments regarding Hickory, etc.
Thanks
Len

There is a nice development in Granite on Dry Ponds called Doe Run, which is on the lake, has easy access to hwy.321 to Hickory. Houses there, range in the $200,000 to $400,000. It's not far from the Granit rec., has boating access. Classy!!! But country. Well worth looking into. I'll be praying for you, yhat God will help you find the home that meets your needs, and to keep you safe in your move to the south. You're going to love it here!!!

That was supposed to be a T in that up there!!! And I also want to add that also in my prayers I'll remember you're job.

readingallthewords wrote:

That was supposed to be a T in that up there!!! And I also want to add that also in my prayers I'll remember you're job.

did you mean an e in Granite.lol

SHOP TALK wrote:

<quoted text>
did you mean an e in Granite.lol

Thank you so much for the information and kind words.
I did see a few houses for sale at "The Greens" and "Doe Run". I also saw a development called "Northlakes". Can you tell me anything about that one? It appears to be fairly new with some newly constructed houses for sale.
Thanks again
Len

Thanks for the info :)
I will be in Hickory the weekend of 3/25. We will be sure to see Granite Falls.
How are the utility expenses in Granite Falls? What would the average electric monthly expense be for a single famile home with 3 bedrooms. We dont have any kids so usage would be minimal. Is heat by natural gas? Also, we are pretty active. We love to walk and go biking. Is Granite Falls a good place to walk and bike? I saw quite a few nice houses in Granite Falls on realtor.Com .
Thanks so much for the info. Very helpful!

It is beautiful country out here, much more reasonable for homes than Hickory, less congested, more of a small town atmosphere, but close enough to shopping, etc. It's a growing community. You could find a three bedroom from anywhere from under $100,000 to homes in the $250,000 on the golf course or lake. We have a wide variety of very nice homes, new homes, older ones, manufacturing housing. I know if I were in the market for a home I would much rather have a bit more land around me and that is available in this area.
The Grace Chapel area is very nice, I am sure you could find something. Good Luck and God Bless in your search and relocation. If you are looking for a house of worship, you are welcome to ours, St. Matthew Lutheran in Granite Falls welcomes everyone, and once you visit you too will be welcome as a part of our family.

Lend27 wrote:

<quoted text>

Thank you so much for the information and kind words.
I did see a few houses for sale at "The Greens" and "Doe Run". I also saw a development called "Northlakes". Can you tell me anything about that one? It appears to be fairly new with some newly constructed houses for sale.
Thanks again
Len

Most of the houses in Northlakes are older but there is one area that they have just started developing in the past 5 years or so. Northlakes is the closest to Hickory of the 3 developments you are looking at.(if that is important) One other new development not far from the Greens is The Falls.

SHOP TALK wrote:

<quoted text>
did you mean an e in Granite.lol

You got me there!!!! Didn't see that one. Thats what I get for not readingallmywords!

Lend27 wrote:

<quoted text>

Thank you so much for the information and kind words.
I did see a few houses for sale at "The Greens" and "Doe Run". I also saw a development called "Northlakes". Can you tell me anything about that one? It appears to be fairly new with some newly constructed houses for sale.
Thanks again
Len

Northlakes is nice but also very populated. Meaning house upon house. There are many more places too look where you can have your own space at the same or maybe even lower cost, and possibly nicer home, to waste time there. Unless that is the home inviroment you like.