Relocation from Boston to Chesapeak Va (Virginia Beach, Norfolk: buying a home, buying, schools)

[scorey2002]

Hello,
Myself and my fiance' we thinking of relocating from Boston Ma ( South shroe area) to Chesapeak Va. We have been looking at housing prices jobs etc but are unsure. I have a Bachelors in business Management and he is an airplane Mechanics. How is the job out look in those fields. How is the pay rate in comparison to houseing market?

Thanks

[stacylee926]

I honestly think this area is average as far as income/housing goes. The plus side of the housing is that alot of houses here are older (of course there are many, many newer homes) and those can be the more affordable options. You have all ends of the spectrum as far as housing goes.

I moved here from Northern Virginia/Wash DC area and even though the salaries were higher, the housing was crazy high!! After 4 years I can say that overall my money goes ALOT further here. Services (like drycleaning, care repairs etc) are much less here than the big city.

[sheldonteam]

For one thing, Ma and Va are both Commonwealths. Having lived in New Hampshire for 45 years I can tell you I will never move back. I dont even own an ice scraper. Homes are a little cheaper and taxes a little lower, and the ocean is warmer. There are two airports Norfolk and Newport News, plus a lot of the military installations hire civilians..I would make sure you have a job in place before you move as it is hard to purchase a home without a job. I think you would like it here, however no Boston Garden or Foxboro, just a lot of Patriots fans

[stltova]

and Red Sox Fans!!! I have met so many people who lived/grew up in MA, so that's kind of neat. I am a former MA resident!
Have you been here for a visit? I would suggest Virginia Beach for living, just my opinion. Ches. is nice, we lived there for a short time.. We are now in VB and wouldn't consider living elsewhere (except parts of Norfolk like Ghent or Larchmont).
Good luck with your search/move!!!!

[Rebecca Keeney]

There are several nice areas of Chesapeake. Yo may get more for yor dollar there, but be wise to shop equity values as well. It makes no sense to buy a house that is cheaper in one place than another and find the equity earned is far less. Jobs are abundant in some fields. May I recommend going to Salary.com and also the City Website at City of Chesapeake, Virginia - Official homepage for statistical averages on occupations. The median in Chesapeake is between $60K and $78K for an aircraft mechanic and $40K and $67K for a business management position. However, you can always become a Realtor and make more. Your business degree will come in handy in this industry. As for the prices of homes - they are at the best they have been in years. It is a great time to buy a home and interest rates are at an all time low. I hope this information helps. Remember, people migrate to areas with great schools - keep that in mind when researching the right area to live in. You can go to Greatschools.net or School Matters. This will be important not just when buying a home, but also when you go to sell your home. Let me know if you need any further help and best of luck to you both.

This place definitely will not compare to the glitz of Boston MA, but it's a great place to call home.

Take care, rebecca

[lisadoni]

I lived in Boston for 7 years (Allston and Somerville) and loved it (minus the winters). Not sure how far down the south shore you are or how often you got to the city, but for us Chesapeake would never cut it. To my husband and I it's a lot like a visit to Danvers, MA - pure suburbia. Schools are good, but Va Beach has some that are better.