GenExit: Packing up, leaving Cape-CCOnline
Published on Monday, December 15, 2008
From Cape Cod Online - Click here for full story
By Aaron Gouveia
ROCK HILL, S.C. — They had to ask their waitress what hush puppies were.
And if that question didn't make Dave and Erica Fish stand out at this smoky South Carolina barbecue joint, the dropped R's of their slight Boston accents surely did.
It was in Falmouth where they fell in love, got married, and had their son, Matt.
A year ago, a night out would have meant dinner at a friend's house and maybe a movie at Mashpee Commons. But since then, the Fishes have become part of the growing number of people ages 25 to 34 who are leaving the Cape.
"I love the Cape, but the cost of living is ridiculous," said Erica as she enjoyed October evening temperatures that routinely reach 70 degrees in Rock Hill.
It's not as if she and Dave didn't try. For five years, they saved as much as they could from their jobs as an assistant grocery store manager and a manager at a medical billing company.
Having ruled out a condominium, they searched for a single-family home they could afford that suited their needs.
But Erica said the houses in their price range — $250,000 to $300,000 — were either foreclosures or fixer-uppers, which often required thousands of dollars worth of repairs such as a new roof, windows and even the septic system.
At the same time, they considered the potential for things to get better.
Dave had stopped commuting to his job in Boston in favor of a position at the Windfall Market in Falmouth as assistant store manager. Erica worked as an office manager at Advanced Business Solutions in East Falmouth.
But while Dave loved his job, he had already worked his way up to second in command behind the store owner. Likewise, Erica was promoted to office manager and had run out of rungs to climb on her corporate ladder.
In March, after considering the move for more than three months, they made a gut-wrenching decision: They would leave friends, family and the only place they'd ever called home and move to a place where they could afford their dreams.
Life with a home theater
Now, in this city of 62,000, they own a new 2,800-square-foot home on a quarter-acre on a quiet cul-de-sac. Their four-bedroom home boasts 2½ bathrooms, a two-car garage and an outdoor patio.
And their monthly mortgage? It's less than the $1,200 in rent — plus utilities — they paid for their small home in East Falmouth.
"It finally came down to asking ourselves why we were doing this when we could have that," Dave said while sitting in his spacious living room.
The living room features a home theater surround-sound system in the walls and ceiling, a dream Dave had for years. For the $213,000 the couple paid for the house, they were also able to include upgrades such as a second fireplace in the master bedroom and a whirlpool tub.
Although the Fishes made the move without jobs, they had multiple offers almost immediately. Dave is an assistant manager for the Fresh Market supermarket chain; Erica works for a medical billing company.
Although the family's combined income shrank from $90,000 to $75,000 a year as a result of the move, the reduced cost of living and possibilities for career advancement balance everything out, Dave said.
In the meantime, Erica said they have improved their quality of life.
"Now we can actually go on a family vacation, and we have freedom to do what we want," she said.
From seaside to strip malls
Erica's parents and sister, former Cape Codders, moved to the area four years ago and live nearby. She described how the change of scenery and manageable cost of living transformed her father from someone who constantly worried about making ends meet into a laid-back guy looking forward to his future retirement.
Still, both Dave and Erica said there are drawbacks to their new life.
Rock Hill is the fifth-largest city in South Carolina and one of the fastest-growing communities in the fastest-growing county in the state, said Butch Brindel, chief executive officer of the Piedmont Regional Association of Realtors.
As a result, businesses have flocked to Rock Hill, creating several long stretches of road that contain nothing but strip malls, hotels, chain restaurants and a slew of businesses that lend money against car titles.
Although the city boasts several parks, as well as picturesque Winthrop University, it is a far cry from the mom-and-pop stores and the Cape's quaint seaside charm.
For the Fish family, the early morning fog on the Cape has been replaced by the hazy white smoke from countless barbecue restaurants. And while they're only a few hours from the ocean now, nothing can replace the myriad beaches all within walking distance or a short drive.
They miss getting ice cream at the Polar Cave in Mashpee, and said the pizza and Chinese food take some getting used to as well. But the most difficult part of their new life is living without friends and most of their family.
Kindness of strangers
Erica Fish walks by one of the spare bedrooms in her new home, currently used for storage, and reminisces when she sees pictures and mementos from the Cape poking out of boxes waiting to be unpacked.
While some of her relatives live nearby, nearly everyone Dave has ever known is back on the Cape.
"My friends get why we moved, but they're still disappointed," he said. "But this house is perfect for me, and it's what I've always wanted."
The sting of losing friends has been eased slightly by the kindness of co-workers and neighbors, Erica said. Strangers say hello while walking down the street, and it is the norm for people to say "Have a blessed day" as a greeting.
But the couple admit they are sometimes thrown for a loop when they see Confederate flags in nearby front yards.
However, the drawbacks pale in comparison with the stress, struggles and constant financial worries of life on the Cape.
Even though Dave and Erica know Rock Hill will never replace the Cape in their hearts, both agreed their new community is more than adequate.
While attending Rock Hill's annual "Boo HaHa" in late October, Erica and Dave said there is a sense of community pride and togetherness in their new hometown, as evidenced by the thousands of people who attended the event in costume.
Downtown Rock Hill was transformed into a night of trick-or-treating, and the event was an opportunity for the Fish family to meet new friends and take part in a community event.
As they snacked on cotton candy and took their son for a haunted train ride at the festival, they said Rock Hill has a reasonable cost of living, good jobs, quality school systems and enough community events to keep them involved.
And the city of Charlotte, N.C., is less than 30 miles away, providing museums, a night life and a wealth of jobs in the financial industry.
Erica said it also helps that when driving on certain back roads of Rock Hill or visiting places like the 70-acre River Park along the Catawba River, their new community can easily be mistaken for scenic Cape Cod.
But most important, Erica said, is the fact that they've created a home in an area where their son Matt can choose to remain when he gets older. That would not have been a realistic possibility on Cape Cod.
"Our biggest fear if we stayed there is that we would never have been able to give our son the things we want to, and then he'll leave us when he's older because he can't afford to live here," Erica said.
Although they dream of one day returning to the Cape, Dave said the irony is the move may happen only when the couple reaches retirement.
"I guess we're planning on being part of the problem," he said.
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