Moving to a new state, how to job search before arrival

My family is moving to a new state in a few months(South Carolina), what are the best ways to search for a job before moving?

If there are others who have been in a similar situation any advice would be appreciated. I'm wondering if I should be applying for jobs now or if waiting until I move would make the search/hiring process smoother.

The area isn't as tech oriented as my current state but it does have many jobs from my searches. If I apply to positions now should I be letting them know about the hiring timeframe?