Hmmm... I thought I had replied to your NC/SC question. Might have been one of those nights I fell asleep before I hit send. The reply was basically: 'Ask any questions you have, worse case is that I don't have an answer.' If you replied after that with some questions, then I just missed it.
Hedge Witch has a daughter, but she's almost 30 now and doesn't really require any attention. I've only ever had step-kids, and at this point, they're all grown. I've been in the house where I do my homesteading for 15 years now, which is 3 times longer than I've ever lived anywhere else. When I decided to buy this place, it just made sense from an equity point of view... the payment here was lower than rent on a similarly sized home, so I figured that if I decided I hated it later, I could at least get some of my 'rent' back.
It's hard to give good advice, without knowing you both a little bit better, but I can give some advice that applies pretty universally. Like I was (kinda) saying in my initial reply, don't look for a perfect place, look for places that fit your most basic needs. Keep in mind that it isn't necessarily a forever decision... people change homes all the time, for all sorts of reasons. If your budget is tight, make sure you leave room in it to cover emergency repairs. Last thing (for now), wherever you actually look at a house, spend a little time in the community as well. Act like a tourist, talk to some people, and check out the local classified ads. You can tell a lot about a community by the stuff they buy and sell.
Funny satire is only one of the many things I do. I can also weld, weave, and fart the star spangled banner.
Initial repairs, good one. When considering a purchase I'm always thinking of leaving enough money in my pocket to build a big garage or swimming pool. Initial repairs are probably mandatory.
We do rent a spot for a decent amount of time to get a feel for the culture while touring homes at the same time. But what happens is, 3-6 months in, same shit... the bad always outweighs the good. I haven't signed a 1-year lease since about 2014 I guess and even that one I bought myself out of. I really suck at sitting still.
You made the right call. No kids makes it easy to roam. But a mortgage these days is quite a bit less than rent. You're probably way in the green on equity.
I'm thinking speed up the process this next time. Just get by a beach like you said, our main want, be near a major university for medical is a necessity. So long as those are accomplished, order the got dang dogs so I can't leave.