Funny, I moved from Seattle to North Carolina.
Weather is good and you pretty much have 4-sessions (and in many ways opposite of Seattle). I guess the best way to describe it, is by the extremes. It can get HOT and humid in summer and you can get snow in the winter on semi rare occasion. However the days below 32F or above 90F are few, but there is defiantly a wider range of temps than Seattle. As far as fall colors the Blue Ridge Highway is a 4-hour drive west where the fall colors are spectacular. In the summer you are about 2-3 hours to coast and the outer banks. You are less than 5 hours to Washington DC and 10 hours drive (3 hour RV flying time) to Sun N fun. It is 9 hours drive to Orlando,FL and DisneyWorld. In the few years I have been here, I visited the Blue Ridge, but sorry to say I have not been out to the coast, which I hear is also beautiful and unique. So you are basically a 1/2 days drive or less to either the Ocean or Mountains. Also you are a day drive to New York or Southern Florida. Although Seattle had that beat being squeezed between the Cascades and the Puget Sound.
As far as VFR flying days there are no endless weeks and months of grey, but there are on occasion large ripping thunder storms or lines of thunder storms that can blow thru with the associated possible lightning, heavy rain and on rare occasion hail. Once it is over the weather improves. Hurricane danger is small being inland but you can get the affects. Tornado, one every 12 years, rare but it has happened. Other than that it is typical mid Atlantic east coast weather.
If you get on the Web and google "cost of living" for example you can get a calculator comparing cost of living between two cities. I put in generic Seattle, WA moving to Raleigh, NC. These calculators do not always show correct results and can be off quite a bit. Depending on the actual city you live in and moving to (not just a generic Seattle and Raleigh), homeowner, cost of home, cars you drive, income, dependants will make a big difference. One showed a lower cost of living by moving (-$10,000) and another showed an increase in total cost of living (+$4,000) by the move. OF course income is important. I think pay is pretty good with all the high tech companies. Here is one cost of living calculator with more detailed input and may be more accurate:
http://businessweek.monstermoving.mo...losmart/rs.asp
My personal opinion is the cost of living in Raleigh is not less than Washington State. East coast is expensive in general. I live in Wake County and it is more expensive than other out laying ones. Also you have income tax as well as sales tax. Home prices? Well it may be cheaper but it depends on where you live. I do think land is cheaper. A new I-540 OUTER LOOP going in, around the original loop I440/I40. When I-540 goes in it will join large out-lying area, making it easy to get from one side of town to the other. No doubt this will make some land far out more desirable. Traffic by the way is like most big cities, it sucks, but it does not compare to the I-5/405 parking lot in Seattle, one of the worst in the country.
Best of luck with the move. It is a slower pace of life. People are nice and the schools I understand are good. You are by a world-class hospital, Duke medical university. You do have several universities, UNC, NCCU, UNC Chapel Hill, Duke, Meredith, Shaw. With the high tech companies in the RTP you have an educated base demographics. Where to buy a home? It is spread out 360 degrees. Cary, NC is like Kirkland, Bellevue WA. Apex is like Arlington, WA. Downtown Raleigh and even Durham (pronounced Dur-um, not Dur-Ham) have been going thru revitalization. The homes inside the Raleigh loop used to be old and run down, are now being renovated for big bucks. In Durham old tobacco factories are turned into luxury condos. There are cookie cutter developments, and fancy custom homes on lakes and golf courses.
Not a big sports fan myself but you are in NCAA College Basketball land with, UNC Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils. The NHL Hurricanes is a local team. The local news will follow NASCAR in detail and has expanded coverage on the weekend. We like a NASCAR down here, Son.
Your wife might like to know there is a 2 year old mega super Mall of the most modern indoor/outdoor design called the Streets at South Point, in Durham. And YES there is a Nordstroms with all the expensive shoes you can afford to buy her. I should not say that, but I did.
From my house this mall and 3 other large malls are with in 15-25 minutes.
If you drive, plan at least 6 days for the 3000 miles. It is a long drive. Take Care, George
Where to live in the Raleigh, NC area?
Yes we have airplanes in NC
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