Winchester/Warrenton/Front Royal (Leesburg, Shenandoah: for sale, rent, townhouses)

[AKF]

Could anyone give me stats on these 3 areas? Particularly Winchester. What would a 1200 sq ft. house (3 bedrooms) cost in a safe part of the town? What kind of "life" does Winchester have? Is there diversity? What about the locals?

Thanks

[vasinger]

Winchester is a pleasant small city located in the shenandoah valley. The views around Winchester are breath taking. Its a lovely town.

As far as "diversity" Im not sure what you mean by that. Its a mix of people in Winchester. It has a lot of history, and is home to Country Music Legend Patsy Cline. It has a nice "old town" with a downtown mall of shops and nice restaurants. Being the oldest town west of the blue ridge, its abundant in history. The prices in housing in Winchester are much more affordable than northern virginia.

[AKF]

Originally Posted by vasinger

Winchester is a pleasant small city located in the shenandoah valley. The views around Winchester are breath taking. Its a lovely town.

As far as "diversity" Im not sure what you mean by that. Its a mix of people in Winchester. It has a lot of history, and is home to Country Music Legend Patsy Cline. It has a nice "old town" with a downtown mall of shops and nice restaurants. Being the oldest town west of the blue ridge, its abundant in history. The prices in housing in Winchester are much more affordable than northern virginia.

thank you.
is it more a country type setting or is it a bit more contemporary? by diversity i mean do you have a mix of different cultures.

what would you say the average price is for a 3 bedroom home for sale? a 2 bedroom apt. for rent?

thanks.

[vasinger]

Im not sure what the exact prices are, but I think Winchester runs with the current national averages in terms of cost of living. I think the average home prices now are in the lower 200K's


Winchester is a small city. Its a bit more old fashioned than most places. Its definitely not as fast paced as northern virginia , although its about 72 miles from D.C. It does have a lot more country folks.

Its kinda like going back 30 years in terms of how the feel of everything is.

As far as mix of cultures, I do know they have some Asians and Hispanics living in Winchester. They have Chinese Restaurants even. But like much of the Shenandoah Valley, however, its pretty much predominantly white, with a small black community.

This website might give you an idea about costs, or maybe someone you could contact regarding that:

http://www.co.frederick.va.us/

[dullnboring]

I recommend checking http://www.realtor.com to get a general gauge on housing prices in the area. As for diversity, the city itself as of the last census is approximately 80% white, 10% black, 6% Hispanic and 2% Asian (rounded numbers, and the rest are mixed). The Hispanic share has probably risen a bit since then, but that gives you a general idea on the makeup. In another thread you said that you were of Indian descent. There are very few Indians out that way. I doubt you'd have any problems due to your ethnicity but can't say for certain as I have not spent much time there and I am not Indian.

[AKF]

Originally Posted by dullnboring

I recommend checking http://www.realtor.com to get a general gauge on housing prices in the area. As for diversity, the city itself as of the last census is approximately 80% white, 10% black, 6% Hispanic and 2% Asian (rounded numbers, and the rest are mixed). The Hispanic share has probably risen a bit since then, but that gives you a general idea on the makeup. In another thread you said that you were of Indian descent. There are very few Indians out that way. I doubt you'd have any problems due to your ethnicity but can't say for certain as I have not spent much time there and I am not Indian.

thanks that is a really big help!

i was considering leesburg to live. would the commute going into Winchester for work be a problem?

thanks.

[Rhett_Butler]

Originally Posted by AKF

thanks that is a really big help!

i was considering leesburg to live. would the commute going into Winchester for work be a problem?

thanks.

Not 100%, but I'd imagine you'd be going against traffic with that commute...

[AKF]

i would be living in leesburg and travelling to winchester for work...i am assuming i would be going against rush hour not with it therefore my commute time shouldn't be that bad.....right?


thanks

p.s. what is the median price range for a 3 bedroom home in leesburg? or winchester even.

[dullnboring]

Leesburg to Winchester is indeed a reverse commute and traffic is relatively scarce going out that way during commute times. It's a bit of a lenghty commute, some 35 miles, clocking in at 45 minutes in non-rush hour traffic, each way. Leesburg is also more diverse that Winchester (sizeable and growing Asian/Indian community as well, especially towards the unincorporated Eastern portions of Leesburg) and is much closer to D.C. and all the benefits that it offers in terms of employment and cultural attractions.

You can find single family homes (3-4 bed, 2 baths) for as little as 350K although these will chiefly be older split-level homes located further west from the city limits. I think 400K is a more realistic number in terms of single family homes. Townhouses generally go for around 250K-350K. Meanwhile, in Winchester, there's a good selection of homes in the low 200s. I would say that on average a single-family home in Winchester will be 100-150K cheaper than in Leesburg.

[AKF]

OK it's pretty much confirmed that we are aiming for VA now.

My husband will be working in Winchester if we relocate to VA. Do you know if there are any other areas aside from Leesburg that may have a diverse population and be within a 30 minute commute to Winchester? I like the price range Winchester offers in terms of cost of living/home prices, so looking for something similar.

thanks.