So...I just applied for a job in Charlotte. Never been there. I had been looking in NV, UT, TX and some other places out west, but this one is too interesting/good to pass up if I can land it. Anyway, can anyone who lives in the area talk about...

1. home prices: the wife and I don't need much. Maybe 1,800-2,200 sq ft. What can $300k get you out there? Here that kind of money gets you a run down 50 year old 1,500 sq ft house that is a 45 min commute from work.

2. commuting: work place is north of downtown by the 485. Is it going to take me an hour to get to work if I buy a place in the $300k range?

3. gun laws: I have pretty much all the NFA fun stuff outside of MGs and SBSs...any issues with such things in NC? I can already CC there with my FL permit...but any hassles with CC?

4. taxes: what am I in for, especially regarding income and property taxes? Presuming married/joint filing and $150k+ of income and a house in the budget above.

5. places to shoot: out here we have land owned by lumber/paper companies that we can shoot on, among other places. I have to drive about 30 mins to get to them, but they are there and using the area is free. How difficult is it to find rural locations to shoot in NC?

Hey, see above and feel free to ask any other questions. 

You can carry concealed with a non-resident FL permit; but cant use the FL permit for pistol purchases.

thanks for the info guys, I appreciate it! Couple other questions:

1. Vehicles: is there any escaping this vehicle inspection / smog check nonsense? Out here, it only applies if you live in certain cities / counties. Any dukes of hazard style county-line escape possible or is it all state wide? How much $$$$$ for tabs? flat rate or % of vehicle value? My state does the former now, but it used to be the % of value thing and that BLEW.

2. City/county imposed nonsense: out here, if you live outside of city limits or certain counties, there is much less gov BS. For example, I'm just inside Vancouver city limits. If I want to build a garden shed on my property, I have to design it within certain compliance parameters, submit for a permit, pay the city, and beg/grovel just to use my 'own' land. If I lived 1 mile NE of my current location away I could put up any shed I want without asking/informing anyone of anything. I also can't ride my bike down my suburban street without a helmet on (legally anyway)...but again, if I was 1 mile further out there would be zero rules about it.

It's pretty normal for cities, especially larger ones, to have way more rules than the rural (and some suburban) areas. Where would I live if I wanted to avoid such annoyances? Based on the Meck CC permit wait time comments alone, that sounds like a county not to live in. The potential work place is within 200ft of the city limits line, so living outside of the city limits is no problem, but living outside the county is extending commutes. How about an area like Harrisburg? Looks like it's across the county line conveniently located near the 485? How slow moving is the 485 during rush hour? With this job I'd likely be stuck working normal biz hours...

3. My wife does back office healthcare work (deals with workmans comp claims currently). Lots of healthcare-related jobs in the area? The city is a little bigger than Portland, so I presume so?

4. How much flak will I catch for being a Raiders/Lakers fan that doesn't care about NASCAR?

5. Hurricanes: not a fan of them. I know you guys get nailed from time to time (hugo?), but how significant of a threat is it there?

Hurricanes: yeah, it is nice that there tends to be some warning. Also nice that Charlotte isn't right on the coast where there tends to be the most death/destruction. We've been spoiled in the area I live in now in that it might have the mildest weather in the nation. Never very hot , never very cold, very little ice/snow, and our last big storm was in 1962. It's just gray and drizzling for 9 months per year.

vehicle inspections: bummer. Well, every state has something about it that is annoying I suppose.

HOAs: just how prevalent are they in that area? There are some in my neck of the woods, but it's not as common as it is in some other parts of the country. Pretty much just the 'rich people' subdivisions here. Personally, I will never live in a HOA place...so if 90% of 'hoods in the area have them, it might be a problem.

Trees: every city has urban sprawl / redevelopment these days...but I come from the land of big mountains and big trees. How far out of town do I have to be to have some decent trees around? if I want to hike in the mountains, what kinda drive am I looking at?

Kayaking: my wife and I kayak from time to time. Not white water or ocean kayaking, just lakes mostly. It's usually best when there's not a bazillion jet skis and fast moving boats flying around. Any nearby peaceful bodies of water that are viable options? Lake Norman looks nice. Are there sections that are off limits to motor boats or at least less-traveled by them?

Sounds good on the nature front...not so great on the HOA front. Gonna have to watch out for that. I know in some parts of the country you can't buy a new house in the burbs without one, it's pretty much standard. I don't need a new house, that's definitely not a requirement (current place is a POS built in 1968), but the entire concept of HOAs is repulsive. Can't do it. My realtor will have their work cut out for them. If I move I'm definitely just going to get an apartment near work at first to give me time to settle in, learn the area etc. before I buy. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and housing bubble 2 will burst by then.

A lot of cities in the East and SE get more rain than WA (my town gets 30% less rain than Miami...), and you're right about the concentration. It's generally just a drizzle here, but it lasts for 9 months. lol

Thanks much for the info guys, I appreciate it!

One last thing: let's say I manage to land even more income...how close to Charlotte could one get and still have sufficient land to have their own range? Nothing crazy, I'm talking like 50 yards. It really is my dream in life to be able to shoot (legally, safely etc.) in my own back yard.

I'd think there would be plenty of opportunities in the surrounding counties to find a lot with enough acres to do so. I picked a random spot in the rural areas near Harrisburg, and did a google map to the 485/77 interchange, and you're looking at about 30 miles, so maybe an hour or so with traffic. 

I would assume that as long as you're outside of a town limit, and have enough distance between where youre shooting and nearby structures, you'll be fine, but before you buy I'd contact the local county sheriff and ask them. Not that they're an encyclopedia of laws, but their reaction will let you know what to expect. 

And don't forget me too in that 30 min circle.  

OP, I'm in the Mint Hill area of Charlotte.  Not in the area you are looking for unfortunately.  I do have a couple of brand new apartment communities in the Huntersville area (full of HOAs).

Yeah, all of the house-location searching is very preliminary for now. Like I was saying to BW, my basic plan is to find an apt that is very close to work and live there for at least 6 months before I really start my home search. That'd give me time to get my current house sold, get the wife moved out, pile everything into a storage unit, get the wife job hunting, deal with all my licensing/vehicle non-sense, and of course, pour a ton of hours of work into my new job. It's possible that my wife will find a gig on the SW side of town and we'll end up living some place completely different than what I'm currently thinking might be a good idea. Or maybe with eyes-on I'll decide that what sounds good from afar really isn't the right place for us. Ya never know until ya get boots on the ground. :)

Yep, that's always the best course of action going to a new area. Much better to deal with apartment life and get a feel for the area than buy a house only to find you like another area better 3 months later. 

There may be some downsides to living in NC...but one thing I am definitely excited about is the opportunity to buy/own SBSs and MGs...both of which are totally banned here in WA (unless you're an agent of the gov or a manufacturer of weapons for the gov). That would be pretty cool. Every time I open my safe, my S12 asks me why I haven't SBS'd it yet.

Saw a bunch of those on zillow...seem new/nice, close to work, and not insanely priced. What's wrong with them?

You don't want to live near Northlake. Too close proximity to not great neighborhoods. 

Gotcha. If it was just me, and a temp thing until I buy a house I wouldn't care....but I don't need the wife getting attacked by thugs so, yeah, I'll pass! How far away from work am I gonna have to go to find a (relatively) safe apartment complex?

I'd be at 25. There's a nice open air mall thing called Birkdale there that your wife will like. Good dining options, etc. Not too far up 77, you'll have traffic in the mornings but only about 3 or 4 miles of it until you hit 485. 

Silver Collection at The Park is nice.  So is Waterford at The Park.  

Holly Crest apartments is a nice community as well but I never said that out loud.