Moving from Hampton Roads to Louisa County (Richmond, Charlottesville: real estate, sex offenders)

[rigoroustoeasygoing]

After 26 years in the Air Force, my husband and I are looking at settling down in VA for little while. We are considering making our home in Louisa County-purchasing from Ryan Homes or Keystone Homes. As opposed to real estate value in the HR area, Louisa county offers a lot more in house and land for the money. We have two sons, ages 10 and 8. Our 10 yr old will be starting middle school next year. Some of our concerns are (1) how are the people of Louisa adapting/ embracing new economic growth in their area, (2) how is the school system and (3) what are the future development plans for the area? Also, looking for feedback concerning the above listed builders. All comments are welcome. Thanks.

[Lookingforasafehome]

I wish i knew, actually I am sort of interested in finding more out about this area, mind if I ask how far it would be from the city of Wililamsburg? We would love a nice home, with room to grow and move around, and some land as well, I never heard of this area before, then again I am new here...I would interested as well what others think here!

[rigoroustoeasygoing]

The area at which we are looking at, the town of Louisa, population of 1,406 is about 30 minutes from Charlottesville and 45 minutes from Short Pump Mall/ Richmond. We live in Tabb/ York County and it took us a little over 2 hours to drive there. Other than being a rural area, we did notice that the gas prices are about 20 cents higher in that region in comparison to where we currently live. keystone builders are having an open house on 17 Feb. For more information go to http://www.keybuild.com/

We're just trying to find a nice affordable place to live in VA. I truly believe York County is an excellent place to raise a family. And the school system is rated one of the best in the HR area. However, the cost to purchase a home on less than .20 acre is about 400-500K. We're looking for a place where we can raise our children in a safe environment; a place where they can go outside and play in their own yard and not get fined by HOA; or not have to drive them to the nearest local park to play.

Being a military family, our children have bee exposed to many things culturally, but still have lived a sheltered life. I guess I was trying to be politically correct in my initial post, but other than the school system, we are concerned about racism. By Louisa being so close to Charlottesville, I wouldn't think this to be a big issue, but it's still a concern. So, if anyone can tell us something about this area. I would truly appreciate it. In the meantime, I do iplan on visiting the prinicipal of both the local elementary and middle school within the next two weeks.

[anothertequilasunrise]

Afternoon sirs. I'm able to provide some insight and some advice about living at Louisa county. I have relatives there and pass by frequently enough and from all they know as born and raised there I gather the following.:

-- There's only a minor bit of racism. No extreme worries about Mexican immigrants either as there aren't that many nor does there be any focus on them or violence against any races to my knowledge so far.

-- Orange county the next door over at the other end does have the white supremist station moving there soon but I haven't heard the details this year again.

-- There are very few sex offenders. I check that registry everyone once and while.

-- With that respect the place may seem peaceable enough but there's wild dogs that run amuck. There's a completely understaffed police force. If there was any violence I don't expect they'd be around since I tried phoning them at night and they were gone and had a answering machine.

-- Land tax fairness happens to be somewhat of a joke there. There are extreme price million dollar houses near the Lake Anna and they even choose to remain a separate entity (now having their own private newspaper) even though they aren't that large of an area. Lake Anna's the only "hot spot" the areas got but yet when they want to talk "hot spots" (and that means tax spikes) they then try and want badly to target other areas and give them as the description of "hot spots" (even though they experience very little to no being sought out as such) so they'll try to spike everyone else's taxes as well.

-- All be obvious that they are trying to be extra fancy at Lake Anna and encouraging the rest of the county to kiss up to the big revenue producer rather than try to have any sort of small town charm. So that's the county's main thing.

[anothertequilasunrise]

-- Those finer homes surround a man made at circa. 1960'slake Lake Anna to support where the nuclear plant operates previously known as Vepco. Lake Anna has become something of a tourist attraction as well (playing around a potentially dangerous power plant) .

-- There's nothing fine about the school system: The school's admin. and or social workers over monitors the children for preliminary behavior problem screenings and stalks them and gets strange with them like the schools paranoid or something. They don't approve of home schooling. Very cold shouldered administration. Nepotism for those jobs as well. Very one sided and close minded about how everything must strictly learning math and not have creative side and go and do schoolwork extra quietly. They favor preps. left brainers and like those Freemasons for politics. According to one account they would also prefer to ostracize and prevent Goths from going.

-- The Board of Supervisors operates rigorously by the "good old boy" system always looking out for themselves and prefer the hiring their relatives; that sort of thing.

-- There are very few if any green eco minded persons regardless if there's a new recycling facility.
I am not particularly eco friendly myself but I'm saying there some wolves in sheep's clothing there I think trying to be but not doing a bunch.


-- A mighty green pasture filled area still so theres alot of land greed. Allow me to explain.... Ever heard of Nuclear Power plants?

-- There are certain millionaire families who try to take over other's rural land and or farm parcels and accumulate them so they are able to open another nuclear plant and get more millions. (Been blatantly obvious when studying tax records, they want the land nearest to the creeks or water reservoirs).

[anothertequilasunrise]

There are some other key points to know about this county:

-- The town of Louisa has had the same plain Domino's pizza for decades. They have one Chinese restaurant quite small and like NO others at the town. Some restaurants on the outskirts...if you like train noise.

-- A droll place that town. Real creepy and quiet and they wouldn't want anyone there after dark seems. No high violent crime but there does be heavy drug dealing at certain times of the year. Cops seem to turn a blind eye.

-- They say they're going to open a Walmart soon but I doubt this will balance the state of the congestion the roads become when they still have dirt roads and haven't updated any other infrastructures beside that school at all.

-- There's a "Twin Oaks" a now antique hippie commune.... but I don't know a whole bunch about them. They are community of not only hippies but those who are trying to have farm. I think they do quite well at saving heirloom seeds and stuff like that. I'm sure they are some sweet persons but I don't go to communes and haven't ever visited Twin Oaks goings on.

-- There are many "fireworks bozos" running around on the Gum Spring area and this area also has the most gun noises from shotguns and All sort of hunter types hanging around from the neighboring Goochland county. Also this exit 64 and cross county rd area seems to have speeding problem since everybody just exited the interstate and hasn't thought they need to reduce yet so they go far higher than the 40 mph limit set for kid safety. Everywhere the county has large lumber hauling trucks mainly that also break that speed limit.


-- Remember this is a county that at the early 1970's that had raw sewage spraying out to the open of the middle school for the children to play nearby.
This is also a heavily "I'm a good old boy, so who the heck are you?" town. So it has taken them a longer while perhaps to become modern than most.
All except for multi-million dollar schools that is they keep on building that are the size of concentration camps.

[anothertequilasunrise]

Other Louisa factoids:

-- Bumpass (an incorrect spelling of the last name Bonpass that caught on) has a bunch of big black snakes moreso than other areas. These don't crawl up toilets or anything but theyr'e are prevalent due to marshes and evident more now due to poorly planned urban sprawl taking place there.


-- Fluvanna seems to own a quarter of the county of Lousia as Fluvanna does a lot of business and theres newspaper that merges them together for some reason. A corporate reason mainly.

-- Orange county lies on the border and some residents hang over into Orange but still part of Lou. tax records.

-- New churches and extra religious around here sorta like holy rollers are popping up here and there at that county. Sorta scary now like west VA snake rollers or something.


-- There aren't that many daycare's. There's more of those child observing services at Hanover.


-- There's one dinky little airfield and there's some skydivers group there that has "living on the edge" addictions apparently and can't get enough sky diving... That set up shop at 1993.


-- Gum Spring area stays well separate of the mineral mailing address that be given this area right beside a gum spring one so that one get little confusing.

-- There recently was a military compound O'Gara Group that has been wanting to buy up several hundred acres and add a shooting range compound for anti terrorism there. They got ousted but will probably be something similar to them try again.

[anothertequilasunrise]

-- Theres this new extreme law that there are to be no autos outside left without a roof and walls covering of them. If they are able to see the auto from the roads then someone's got to pay a hefty five thousand dollar fine.

-- From how wiser folks talk: The surrounding area of Bumpass and some town of Louisa parts the inbreeding levels are higher than usual, so just want everyone to beware that they don't get mixed up with a "Deliverance" scene if you know what I mean.


-- Hey I don't mean to sound negative at all but the bottom line: if you do live there then do so for business purposes only then get out and save yourself from boredom! Alright as second home I guess. Same goes for Fluvanna. Those two counties are the most lame. Goochland does be lame as well. A trio of lameness and also spikes from the trying to be fancy trio. Those three counties are the most Christian and Catholic extremist. They are also extremely republican and or war supporting without question seeming.

About Lake Anna:

-- There are few dinky wineries but none of them stand out with very extraordinary wines or anything.

-- Wakeboarding has been going on for a couple of years and now that area thinks they'll place themselves on the map this sway or encourage such foolish behavior. A mighty dangerous manner to place something on the map. But hey that's all they got. Any more Questions?

[april076]

I grew up 5 minutes from Bumpass in the Hanover area. I loved it out there and miss it soo much. And to the guy above talking about imbreeding..doesn't know what he is talking about. For one short pump area is not far away at all and that town isn't old at all. The mall there was built a few years ago and is awesome. Louisa schools are not the best, and the area isn't known for the nicest place around. Just because it's a lot cheaper to live there. Goochland is also close by and thats better and the schools are pretty good. I'm sure one day some civilization will come out to louisa but not anytime soon...give it about 40 years. But...it is reallly pretty!

[Tony Williamson]

Originally Posted by rigoroustoeasygoing

After 26 years in the Air Force, my husband and I are looking at settling down in VA for little while. We are considering making our home in Louisa County-purchasing from Ryan Homes or Keystone Homes. As opposed to real estate value in the HR area, Louisa county offers a lot more in house and land for the money. We have two sons, ages 10 and 8. Our 10 yr old will be starting middle school next year. Some of our concerns are (1) how are the people of Louisa adapting/ embracing new economic growth in their area, (2) how is the school system and (3) what are the future development plans for the area? Also, looking for feedback concerning the above listed builders. All comments are welcome. Thanks.

Hi! You may want to check out Shenandoah Crossing - it's a gated golf course community between Gordonsville and Louisa. Lots of great building lots available at very moderate prices. You have lakefront, golf-course, and interior lots. It's not a Keswick or Farmington; but, if you want a good place to build and raise a family, I'd check it out. If you want to see some pics of the place, let me know.