San Diego to Richmond - golf and kids (Chester: house prices, neighborhoods)

[jessica12]

We are considering a move to the Richmond area and are looking for a golf community neighborhood to raise our family. We have a one year old baby and will probably have another in the next few years. I stay at home and my husband's job location is flexible, so commute is not an issue. We want to be closer to our families; thus the move to the east coast. We've been in San Diego for 3 years now.

We are looking for a single family home with the following:
1. Near or on a golf course/country club
2. Price range is $500k to $700k
3. Not a brand new home - I want something with more character and mature trees
4. Family neighborhood - I want the kids to be able to ride bikes, visit the neighbors, and have sleepovers
5. Excellent schools

Any recommendations? Neighborhoods? Suburbs? Thanks.

[ellieb128]

One neighborhood you might look at would be Salisbury in Chesterfield County. Convenient to Richmond and shopping but is an older neighborhood, most of the houses were built in the 80s, very wooded and private lots. Betty Weaver Elementary and Midlothian High are excellent schools. The neighborhood has Salisbury Country Club as well as a private lake you can join for swimming. House prices run from the 400s to over 1,000,000.

[whynot?]

Originally Posted by jessica12

We are looking for a single family home with the following:
1. Near or on a golf course/country club
2. Price range is $500k to $700k
3. Not a brand new home - I want something with more character and mature trees
4. Family neighborhood - I want the kids to be able to ride bikes, visit the neighbors, and have sleepovers
5. Excellent schools

Salisbury is a good solution in Chesterfield County, as is the area around Stonehenge, perhaps, which is a little newer. There are plenty of golf courses in/around Richmond, so that criterion is easily met. As is your price range.

These are definitely suburban neighborhoods south of the river, similar to the area around the Dominion Club in western Henrico. (The homes there might be too new for you, but there are lots of choices out that way.)

Richmond also has much older neighborhoods with older golf courses, too. I couldn't tell, exactly, your taste/preference. There is an older country club called Willow Oaks that's near a kind of old-style neighborhood area called Westover Hills. The club has been recently renovated to meet the needs of its second- and third-generation (read: younger) members. There are some much older houses (30s/40s) as well as newer construction in this area if you're looking for something more "organic." (I don't know anything about houses directly adjacent to the course there.)

And there's always the area around the Country Club of Virginia, which has houses from the 1800s on. It's on the outer perimeter of the city of Richmond, woodsy, quite picturesque, and has a nice shopping district (Libbie and Grove) nearby.

Houses on the course at CCV are very pricey, but there are nice neighborhoods all around it, depending upon your taste. There are also some fine country clubs and private golf courses in the more rural counties outside Henrico (Hanover and Goochland). Some of the country clubs have considerable waiting lists for membership, some do not. I am assuming you would be looking at private schools, which are plentiful, when you need one.

[EricD]

You'd get a lot for your money at Brandermill.
Brandermill Community Association
Welcome to Brandermill Country Club

It was established around 30 years ago, has a golf course, country club, and is on a 1700 acre lake. There's a LOT of stuff there for kids, and the lots are all wooded with mature trees. The houses there might be a little less expencive than you were looking for though.

This is not California.

[rosette8]

Just a question for Why not?

We are looking at CCV and Willow Oaks which you recommended to OP.

What are your thoughts on the two clubs, besides the price difference. Is CCV real stuffy? We have 4 elementary kids, live at the pool (swim team is important for the kids), enjoy tennis (not super at it) and my husband enjoys golf (I do it only with friends and a beer!) We will be living very close to CCV but it seems the drive to Willow Oaks was less than 10 minutes.

Any thoughts?

[onevthoki]

You might want to check out The Highlands in Chester (Rt. 10 to Beach Road to Nash Road - The Highlands: Home), which has a private golf course and homes in a wide price range or Rivers Bend (Rt. 10), which is on a public golf course (Public Golf Course, Richmond VA Rivers Bend Golf Club). Rivers Bend an older develpment (about 20 years) and located on the James River; many homes will have river views. Prices vary depending on house size and lot.

Hope you enjoy the area and good luck with the move.

Edit: Oops, forgot to mention there is a swim team (Rivers Bend Sharks) and this year there are about 140 swimmers representing about 90 families!