What's it like in Virginia Beach? (Norfolk, Hampton: affordable house, neighborhood, buyers)

[MOP HEAD]

Today is December 16, 2009 what is life in Virginia Beach like now. My husband and I are thinking about moving there due to a job transfer. Can you help us out?

[rtandc]

Originally Posted by MOP HEAD

Today is December 16, 2009 what is life in Virginia Beach like now. My husband and I are thinking about moving there due to a job transfer. Can you help us out?

Virginia Beach is like any other city across the nation....it has it's good and bad places and good and bad issues.....Cost of living could be higher or lower depending on where you live now..Virginia is a commonwealth state so plan on paying taxes on everything.....Real estate is all over the place just like it is many other places across the nation today but even after the fall I personally think it is still too high...

If you have kids the schools in Va Bch are rated very good. It is a big military city so expect wages to be somewhat lower here for the same line of work then you could find elsewhere based on the local cost of living.....The jet noise is a big problem for many that live in Va bch so you have to be very careful where you live if you don’t want to deal with the jet noise.

The city government is still ran under the good ole boy system of.... you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours so the local developers have a big say in local politics. Crime is still considered low for a city of this size but it has been increasing and property crime in now higher in Va Bch then what the average is across the nation for a same size city but still much lower than the surrounding cities per capital.

Overall not a bad place to live......what you can’t find here in Va Bch you can find elsewhere normally within just a few hours’ drive....You have the oceanfront but you will find most locals go elsewhere, some of the best rated beaches in the USA are just a short drive away along the Outer Banks of NC......the mountains are just a few hours away and are very popular in the winter time for skiing plus you have larger cities like DC and Charlotte NC just a few hours away if you want to attend pro sporting events and big name concerts

Va Bch is kind of laid back so none of the radical groups have been able to get a strong foothold into the area, PETA is located in Norfolk but does very little advertising locally and has more of a west coast following.... Va Bch is in the middle of the bible belt so that does play the biggest role here locally but most people just shake their heads and move on when someone like Pat Robertson opens his mouth and inserts his foot into it....

[ThinkBlue82]

Originally Posted by Erma

Betty F. Williams elementary is there as well. I lived near that neighborhood for 20 years. When they got rid of the bars in that area, it became much safer. I also believe Lake Edwards has cleaned up since the 3rd precinct moved into the 7-11 on Baker Road. It would be much, much nicer if they got rid of the section 8's. There are many new condo communitites going up around Cypress and Newtown.

Next step is getting rid of Luxury Brown in that shopping center.

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by MOP HEAD

Today is December 16, 2009 what is life in Virginia Beach like now. My husband and I are thinking about moving there due to a job transfer. Can you help us out?

Really depends on how much your job is paying, and how valuable culture is to you.

I cant knock the area too much if you are making over 80k a year, and you dont really care so much for top notch or a variety of cultural things.

Its relatively safe, laid back, fairly tolerant, especially for a city that is in the south, although it definatley has the odor of Christian fevor and there is a decent number of zealots abound. The schools in Virginia Beach are mostly good, the local economy is largely dependent on the government which shields it from the bigger economic waves other cities might experience, and should keep your job safer then many regions.

I never had much of a problem with the area until after I graduated from college. Then I began to take serious issue with the pitfalls of the area, which is first and foremost, a lack of demand for high skilled talent, especially in corporate type positions, which contributes to the low prevailing wage income. A related problem is unaffordable housing. Also, the lack of variety in things to do. There are lots of restaurants, bars, and water related activities. However, there is little live music, no big venues, no major league teams closer then the Washington DC suburbs, no offbeat clubs like youd find in NYC, there are no cultural festivals unless you include the once a year Af'fram fest or the once a year Latin one. If you are from NYC, LA, Chicago, or Miami, you are used to seeing these things every single day. Also, there is the traffic, and heavy resistance to improving it.

[VBGirl]

Sandbridge Beach is a beautiful beach community that is close to a library. Right now, you can rent something fairly reasonable from Siebert Realty from now through the end of April if you want to come get a feel for the area and then secure something more permanant after that. Siebert rents their Summer Vacation Beach Homes and Condos out in the winter months from Sept - May, so the prices are low because they are short term -vs- a year's lease. You can check out the available rentals at: http://www.siebert-realty.com/cgi-bin/wintermonthly.pl

Good Luck!

[Spazkat9696]

Originally Posted by Randomdude

Really depends on how much your job is paying, and how valuable culture is to you.

I cant knock the area too much if you are making over 80k a year, and you dont really care so much for top notch or a variety of cultural things.

Its relatively safe, laid back, fairly tolerant, especially for a city that is in the south, although it definatley has the odor of Christian fevor and there is a decent number of zealots abound. The schools in Virginia Beach are mostly good, the local economy is largely dependent on the government which shields it from the bigger economic waves other cities might experience, and should keep your job safer then many regions.

I never had much of a problem with the area until after I graduated from college. Then I began to take serious issue with the pitfalls of the area, which is first and foremost, a lack of demand for high skilled talent, especially in corporate type positions, which contributes to the low prevailing wage income. A related problem is unaffordable housing. Also, the lack of variety in things to do. There are lots of restaurants, bars, and water related activities. However, there is little live music, no big venues, no major league teams closer then the Washington DC suburbs, no offbeat clubs like youd find in NYC, there are no cultural festivals unless you include the once a year Af'fram fest or the once a year Latin one. If you are from NYC, LA, Chicago, or Miami, you are used to seeing these things every single day. Also, there is the traffic, and heavy resistance to improving it.

You can live very comfortably in your own home with no jet noise in a quiet established neighborhood for 70K a year. You just have to take your time and look for the right house. Trust me they are out there. I agree I'd love more live music shows. This summer was the first time we went to a show at the little amphitheater in P-town. It was nice, and we had a great time. I have to admit I really miss the boat house (guess I'm giving away my age there). It would be nice to have places like that again. I don't really care much about the sports. If we had a team I probably wouldn't go unless it was football. It is actually a lot of fun to take a weekend trip to DC for that. The boardwalk art show and the wine festival are fun. I guess it just depends on what you're into.


Also to be painfully blunt. Right now in VA Beach it is painfully cold. LOL

[emeraldgirl]

Originally Posted by Spazkat9696

I have to admit I really miss the boat house (guess I'm giving away my age there). It would be nice to have places like that again.

Also to be painfully blunt. Right now in VA Beach it is painfully cold. LOL

I miss the Boathouse, too!! I loved going to shows there!

Yeah, I hear it may snow this weekend!!!

MH, VB is not really that bad but the cost of living is pretty high. I would check out the Chick's Beach area. Sometimes you can find some good deals and the area is pretty nice. Good luck!

[chesapeakesim]

Originally Posted by Spazkat9696

You can live very comfortably in your own home with no jet noise in a quiet established neighborhood for 70K a year. You just have to take your time and look for the right house.

In Chesapeake at least, I don't think 70K a year would get you that, not unless you had lots of equity built up or a huge savings. The three times income rule means that that would buy a $210K house. That is what condos are selling for around here. A house in a quiet established neighborhood would easily run you $300K or more and a person definitely wouldn't be living comfortably then.

[citydweller]

I read an article the other day that said like 96% of citizens were pleased with the city with the biggest problem being lack of available good jobs which is a no-brainer. The city has good schools and yet we struggle to get big paying jobs here. I can't entirely blame the military though as there are plenty of civilians around here. Think San Diego who is also large in military but has made a name for itself. I think the area has a small town mentality at times and keeps things from progressing though they are trying with such ideas as light rail linking from Norfolk to the Oceanfront. We need more progressive leadership to really bring us where we need to be. I think if we link with Southeast High Speed Rail that might have an impact here as well.

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by Spazkat9696

You can live very comfortably in your own home with no jet noise in a quiet established neighborhood for 70K a year. You just have to take your time and look for the right house.

The maximum affordable house would be right around 220-230k on 70k. In Virginia Beach, that will get you in to the lower end of the market. Most of the houses you will find under that are "As is" sales, or houses in questionable areas.