My mom and step-father are moving to South Carolina - advice needed

Hey, I said the ones I saw last time I was there must have been my imagination. What more do you want?

Seriously, the fact that you live there doesn't change what I saw last time I visited, unless the last of them disappeared over the past 14 months.

 

dude beat you to the punch Mizzou ... of course he wasn't on his hands and knees blowin' the Bear, drinkin' Early Times and banging his cousin while he was droppin' $4 on a Confederate flag at the nearby Stuckey's

 

This is going to sound wacky as hell, but what about Clemson? Even with the university, it is still very much a small town, but close enough to Greenville to do city stuff. You've got built-in entertainment options with the arts and sports, you're up in the mountains and right on a big old lake, and the real estate is more likely to hold a stable value. They might want to clear out for 6-7 weekends in the fall, but otherwise I think that could actually work well.

 

It's hard to knock Charleston and the immediate surrounding area (the land areas, anyway ... know some smart aleck will try an ocean joke). Also, Greenville was a nice area the half-dozen times I was there for things either work- or school-related.

The above suggestions work very well. I was down there for a while, but if not for work and a few choice quality colleagues, I couldn't really recommend that region of the state.

 

You know, I wanted them to look closer at North Carolina, but they said it was too pricy close to the ocean.

Plus, isn't there only one mid-sized city close to the ocean in North Carolina?

 

I have my doubts that beach houses around Charleston are any more affordable than many on the coast of North Carolina.

Wilmington - the decent-sized city I think you're referring to - is a pretty nice area that is prone to facing more than its share of hurricanes and tropical storms. Brunswick County, between Wilmington and the South Carolina border, is a burgeoning residential area.

The Outer Banks and areas east of Elizabeth City are nice, but too remote for my tastes (as if I could afford ANYTHING near the coast).

No way should anyone discourage Mount Pleasant, Summerville and Charleston in South Carolina. But I have my doubts those areas are much, if any, cheaper than the better spots in North Carolina.

 

Morehead City is somewhat mid-sized. But, yeah, Wilmington is really the only one.

 

Depends on one's definition of mid-sized. Morehead City is obviously more than a crossroads, but not exactly a flourishing metropolis.

Where I grew up, take the backroads and go to Emerald Isle, anyway. Nicer and a beachier (is that a word?) feel than up Bogue Island near Morehead City.

 

Depending on how small they want, Beaufort is nice. It's obviously a much smaller town, but it's one of my favorite places in the south.

And it only has a light dusting of retarded good ol' boys.

 

Obviously, you weren't in the Marines.

 

My brother lived in Anderson and Easley -- both upsate and near Greenville. They didn't seem like bad places.