Lakes In North Carolina

[jondavis08]

Spent last week around the Norman area and started to seriously consider the idea of relocating. Mostly saw Davidson and Cornelius but the combination on weather, amenities and good schools were a hit. I'd be curious if there's other lake areas worth exploring that check all the boxes.

Looking for:
- Longer boat season(coming from Michigan) but I can deal with 4 seasons.
- Top Notch Schools, kids are 9 and 7
- Family friend amenities(sports, shopping) but not crazy busy.

I'll be selling my business and will be working remotely so my search has opened up all over the US but the NC area seems to fill those needs. Do not think I'd want to be all the way South...

Any suggestions?

[MLA]

Id also consider the south carolina side of Lake Wylie. No where near as mush traffic as the I77 side of Norman. Just as close to Charlotte. May even be better on taxes then Meck county, which the lower east side of normal is. Or check the Denver side of Norman.

[mgs917]

Are you looking for lakefront or lake access property? My wife and I moved from Philadelphia to Columbia SC in July. We were interested in lakefront property, but the market here is insane. Prices are very high and supply is next to nothing. I read an article awhile ago that the southeast United States gained 140,000 households during the pandemic. People were flocking to the area. Just some perspective, even though I am a couple hours south of Norman. Just some firsthand experience.

[NautiqueJeff]

I love it here in Mooresville.

[BYLKN]

Love the LKN area. Lived here most of my life and the season is pretty long. I rode from 3/6 - 11/10 this year. Far enough away from the city but more than close enough to take advantage of it also. I did visit Lake Keowee this summer and it was pretty great also.

[morfoot]

Lakefront property has skyrocketed EVERYWHERE and I'm sure LKN is no different. I'm not on LKN but have many friends who are.....(Jeff included) and they all can attest to what this Pandemic has done for LakeLife. Weekend type boat traffic was EVERY day and a freaking $&*^show on weekdays which were/are traditionally calm. New boaters galore and folks hitting the lake every day cause there was nothing else to do created a firestorm. I 'm on Lanier north of Atlanta and got in as a full time resident just in the nick of time. Closed on a home in Feb of 2020 before the pandemic hit. My home is now worth $350,000 more than I paid for it. You can't find a decent lakefront home on Lanier for less than 700k. Folks are swallowing them up as soon as they hit the market and paying through the nose for them. Look at used Nautiques. People asking way more than they are worth and getting them because everyone has the fever. It's crazy. That being said....Good luck in your search but be ready to pay a premium for the luxury. As of yesterday we're still skiing on Lanier with water temps at 63'F and air temps in the 70's a week before Thanksgiving and it looks like it's gonna be another ski day today.

[jondavis08]

Agreed, the housing market is out of control. Only plus side is that my(your) homes are seeing similar increases and will benefit from that as well. Is it a wash... No but it does make it a little easier to swallow overpaying on the next one. Extending the season does sound good and even better not having to remove docks and lifts! I usually get the longest season on the like from April to November. Mind you I'm riding in 35 Degree water and 40 Air I do hear you on the increase of traffic. My lake is rather small and we did a safety study a few years ago and they came up with 30 boats could safely operate around the lake at a single time... On weekends we could see 150...

Lived in ATL for 5 years and visited Lanier many times. Have thought about it a few times. Summers may be a bit warm for me but that's a great time to visit Michigan

[bturner]

Why in the world would you ever want to leave a state ran by "Big Gretch" Whitmer? Don't you know she fixed the roads and single handily saved the state from Covid, just ask her...... What a clown show.....

I'm definitely jealous. I'd love to get out of this state as well and move somewhere with a bit of common sense. Unfortunately unless the kids move I'm stuck here.

[HollywoodBall]

Id also consider the south carolina side of Lake Wylie. No where near as mush traffic as the I77 side of Norman. Just as close to Charlotte. May even be better on taxes then Meck county, which the lower east side of normal is. Or check the Denver side of Norman.

I don't live in the area but would second this. I bought my boat off of Lake Wylie a year ago and stored it down there for the winter. I spent a week staying in Belmont and boating on Lake Wylie before towing it home back in April and really enjoyed it. Wylie seemed very prone to wind chop though… I don't know how normal that is, but I found it to be pretty rough on a couple of the days I was out.


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[SkiTower]

You asked for other lakes as well, not sure about schools but if you want less traffic (boat and car) might want to look at Lake Gaston or Smith Mountain Lake or Lake James or anything in Eastern Tennessee. My personal favorite is Lake James because you get the beauty of being in the mountains. I grew up going to LKN and the traffic is beyond ridiculous now. FYI NC summers are not any cooler than GA but like you said a good time to visit Michigan or simply use your boat!