Would you live on these streets in Williamsburg (Richmond: for sale, power lines)

[Aibutiej]

Looking through websites, I have found some houses that seem like the kind of houses I would buy if I move to Williamsburg (which remains a possibility for next year). However, it is very difficult to learn about streets and neighborhoods just from pictures. So, could someone tell me about the following streets/neighborhoods:

1) Flavias Ct., Lauren Ct., Burnley Dr. (near Mid-County Park)
2) Stategy Ct., Oxford Rd., Gold Knight Ct., Rich Neck Rd. (near Jamestown Road and Lake Powell)

Are those nice areas? Are there more kids, families or retirees there? Can you walk (within 1.5 miles) from there to any shops or restaurants? Are there HOA fees? Is one area better than the other?

Any information would be welcome. Thanks!

[dvcgal]

Ok, so I do not know a whole lot about the streets that you mentioned, but I can tell you that there is a new neighborhood going up off Oxford Rd. The next street past Oxford is Spring Street and where the street use to dead end, there are new homes going up by Centex. It's not a bad area, just not the best schools in town from what I have heard. The elementary school is Rawls Byrd and from what I have heard (all through the grapevine) it is not the elementary school of choice. The middle school, I think is Berkley, which is an excellent school and I believe the high school is Jamestown, but I may be wrong on that as well. Jamestown High is very desirble. Oxford is not far from the Fresh Market grocery store, which is a bit on the expensive side, but offers some really great, fresh meats, veggies and fruits. You know, the best person to ask on this site is Mr. Williamsburg, real name John. He is an agent in the area and can give you some really great advice about all of the areas. Look around at some of the other discussions and you can find him on here.
Good luck!

DVCGAL

[Aibutiej]

Thanks for the info, DVCGAL! Mr. Williamsburg did send me some information but hearing from people who live in these neighborhoods would be good too. As far as schools are concerned, that may matter at resale but won't for us personally since our boys are in colllege. I know that the best way to get some of my questions answered is to drive around the area myself. Unfortunately, being in CT makes that a little difficult at the moment.

I guess the way to really phrase the question is "are there neighborhoods/streets that you would avoid (not want to live on) in the Williamsburg area?" Maybe I should have asked that in the first place!

[dvcgal]

I think that the best place to start is figuring out how much you want to spend on your home and then going from there. There are several great neighborhoods that are in the mid 300's to low 400's. There are also some great opportunities popping up in New Kent County, but it is about 30 minutes towards Richmond. There is 'supposed' to be a new mall built out there sooner or later and there are several nice communities, but it is one of those areas that has not peaked yet and probably won't for a couple of years. There are also townhomes in New Town for sale under $300k and since you are not here, I will personally tell you that if I did not have 2 dogs and 2 kids that have to have a backyard, I would move there in a heartbeat! New Town has townhomes and condos within a shopping area. John can explain it better, but the local movie theater is a walk away, there are several restaurants that once again you can walk to and a lot of the local doctors are moving over to New Town and if that is the kind of atmosphere that you are looking for then you would really like New Town.

Let me know if I can help you out or not.
Good luck!

[Springhiller]

I live in Sprinhill. HOA is $390 a year. Friendly neighbors mixed with families with children and a few retirees. There is a pond and a walking trail. Plus we are a little over a mile away from Target, TJ Max, Ukrops, resturants, fast food, banks, etc. There is also a large park and a small lake about a mile away.

[Aibutiej]

Thanks for the replies. Springhiller, your neighborhood sounds nice. Is Springhill the name of a street or the neighborhood (so I can find it on a map)?

Basically, this thread started because I did a search on realtor.com for a house under $400 with 3-4 bedrooms, 2 baths, attached 2-car garage and a dining room in 1800 - 2500 sq ft. And I found some houses I liked in the areas I mentioned. Now, if I do a similar search in my zipcode, well, nothing matches 100% and the places that do pop up are not really places I would want to live. I know houses are less expensive in Williamsburg but I don't want to make the mistake of thinking that there are plenty of houses for me to choose from if really houses in this price range are in less desireable areas or have something basically wrong with them (next to power lines, on a swamp, too noisy, etc.) So that's why I asked about those specific neighborhoods. So far no one has warmed me to stay away. If there ARE areas I should avoid, just let me know and I'll cross them off the map and not look at houses there.

[Aibutiej]

Originally Posted by dvcgal

There are also townhomes in New Town for sale under $300k and since you are not here, I will personally tell you that if I did not have 2 dogs and 2 kids that have to have a backyard, I would move there in a heartbeat! New Town has townhomes and condos within a shopping area. John can explain it better, but the local movie theater is a walk away, there are several restaurants that once again you can walk to and a lot of the local doctors are moving over to New Town and if that is the kind of atmosphere that you are looking for then you would really like New Town.

Let me know if I can help you out or not.
Good luck!

I really like the concept of New Town and so haven't ruled it out completely. But I don't know if I can give up the privacy of a single house with no shared walls yet. Sounds like I would enjoy walking around there though.

[dvcgal]

Springhill is a single family neighborhood. It is in a good location and close to shopping but would still have to drive from what I have seen. The neighborhood is located off of News Road, which is a two-lane road that in one part has a speed limit of 55 and another part has speed limit of 45. Because of the change, people constantly speed through this street and even though the neighborhood is located off of the street, you would still have to take the main road in order to get to the shopping centers and stuff. Therefore, walking is not an option from what I have seen. I may be wrong on this and there may be walking trails that I am not aware of, but I will also say that the HOA seems somewhat high considering that there is no tennis or pool in the neighborhood. Berkley's Green is a very nice neighborhood that is off of Greensprings Rd. and homes are under $400k and there are bike trails and walking trails throughout and it is close to the Jamestown Settlement. Berkley's Green is also a swim/tennis neighborhood that is very desirable. There are about 10 homes for sale right now in that neighborhood and the homes are set on nice size lots. I personally do not live there, but it has been voted neighborhood of the year like 10 times!

[adctvmonkey]

Hi there.

My family has good friends that live in around Lake Powell (specifically Captain Smith's Landing) and that area is very nice. I love that it feels secluded, woodsy, and hilly, but it's not the boondocks and it's very convenient to Route 199 to I-64 (either way North and South) and inner Williamsburg. The schools are also great, so I would say you can't go wrong there.

[Mr Williamsburg]

adctvmonkey
That is a beautiful neighborhood. It is called Page Landing at Jamestown. One of the least expensive HOA fees at $85 a year. Approximately 60 homes in the community. Most built in the early 1990's Prices are a bit higher than the others Aibutiej asked about. Two homes are currently for sale both priced at $ 429k. Only one home sold there last year.