Visiting Roanoke soon with kids...recommendations? (Chesapeake, Cave Spring: new house, neighborhoods, school districts)

[mom2tbd]

Hello,

My husband and I have been researching places to relocate to from NJ for several years now…We have narrowed it down to VA, and more specifically now have decided on the Roanoke area.

I just recently discovered this forum and have found it to be incredibly informative. Could I ask a few questions, and get some opinions from you guys?

A little background about us. My husband and I are in our 30s, we have 2 little boys (ages 4 and 2) with one more little boy due in November. We are both in the healthcare field (he is a physical therapist, I am a speech pathologist), so it seems that there should be enough job opportunities for us in Roanoke. We like to stay active in our free time, we love outdoor activities and are interested in things such as lakes (for fishing, swimming, boating), mountains, nature trails, camping, etc. From the research I’ve done so far, there is plenty of opportunities for all of that in this area!

Since we have kids, of course we are looking for an area with good schools, and a neighborhood with kids would be nice. One of the several reasons we are looking to leave NJ is the overcrowdedness and the extremely close together houses in our neighborhoods. We are looking for larger property (not necessarily acres and acres, just a larger yard) more spaced out from our neighbors. We are very friendly, just would like a bit more space. The beauty of this area of VA is amazing, compared to what we are used to. A neighborhood with mountain views would be awesome!

Our budget for a home (4-5 bedrooms, 2 BA) would be somewhere in the 350,000-450,000 range. Our estimated time we would be ready to move is probably about 2 years.

We are planning a short, 3 day, visit to the area the first week of September. Any suggestions on areas/neighborhoods we should visit, places we should see, or even just fun things to do with the kids?

Thanks in advance for any opinions/recommendations!

[emsgoof]

The area around Roanoke Memorial Hospital is great. Nice houses, quiet streets. (South of the hospital that is..)
Vinton is nice.
Just south of Salem (Shawsville, Elliston) is nice.
The people in Salem are fantical about their school, so that might be worth looking at.

[Erin1264]

Hi there.

I live in Highland Manor, which is just over the county line in Botetourt County. We've lived there a year and think we found a great spot because the lots are a little bigger (and we got a fairly flat one), the Botetourt taxes are lower and the neighborhood is very convenient to all areas of the valley.

The views are wonderful also!

Check us out!

Erin

[seanpecor]

I think it would be helpful to find out what sort of acres you have in mind, since everyone has a different comfort level. For example, if you're used to 0.19 acres you might think 1.0 acre is an enormous amount of land. If you're used to 1.0 acre you might yearn for 5 acres in a semi-rural subdivision. As a frame of reference, an acre is about 208 x 208 feet. So if you had a 50x30' house footprint you might have a 30' deep front yard and a 140' deep back yard.

If I think in my mind of the neighborhoods most dense with physicians the two areas that immediately jump into mind are the Bent Mountain area (close to Lewis Gale) and Old Southwest City (close to Carilion). Neighborhoods like Wellington are wall to wall MDs though the houses might _start_ at $500K over there. Streets like Cornwallis, Stanley, have a good variety of housing stock and there are _lots_ of kids. Houses from $250K to $1M so it's not overly homogenous for lack of a better word. Bent Mountain is subject to heavier commuter traffic though - it lacks the profuse number of side streets that Old SW City offers. If it were me I'd go with Old SW City.

I'm 34 and I live out in northern Franklin County. We've got two girls ages 5 and 7, on a 128 acre horse farm. Living in a semi-rural Franklin County close to Roanoke in family friendly neighborhoods was an impossibility 5 years ago, but that's changing. So I wouldn't rule out taking a look at this area also, particularly since you're looking at relocating in two years. There are multiple subdivisions in the queue, some more developed now than others, and many offer pretty wonderful mountain views. Smallest lots are typically 1 acre and properties w/ houses average about $350K for newly homes, although recently the emphasis has been on $400-$500K homes, I suspect because new subdivisions in my county appear to be moving slightly more upscale (horse friendly subdivisions, larger custom craftsmans etc).

Sean

[mom2tbd]

Thanks so much everyone for taking the time to reply! I’m making a list for when we visit, as per your suggestions!

As far as acres go, I am honestly not familiar with acres…our house in NJ is probably about 1/3 of an acre. That’s just a guess though. Hmmm…I guess I could say we are looking for a change of pace from what we’re used to. We would probably love a house with a lot of land, or at least “more than we’re used to”. I know I didn’t answer that question, I guess I just don’t really know…

Also, we’re not physicians! We’re both therapists, my husband is a physical therapist, and I am a speech therapist. So we are in the healthcare field, although I could also work in schools, etc. Just thought I’d clarify that since we would not be particularly looking for areas highly concentrated with MDs!

Anyways, we’re hoping to drive around different areas in the Roanoke vicinity to get a feel for where we might feel comfortable, get an idea of neighborhoods and houses, see the schools, and just the area/scenery in general. Looking very forward to our first visit to the area! I know our boys are going to love it!

Sean, I think we are also interested in checking out Franklin County. My one concern is that it may be "too" rural for us. I guess we will know when we get there how we feel. Looks amazing in photos, like a fantastic area for children to grow up, just maybe too "in the country" for us. But it's on our list for sure! Does anybody have any more information or links to those newer developments in Franklin county that you mentioned? Sounds interesting!

Thanks again!

[dscans]

Maybe I can help. I too am a displaced northerner currently in Roanoke. Coming from the crowded state of Massachusetts I think you would find Franklin County to be too rural if you are from Jersey.
Based on what you said, I think the city of Salem or Southwest Roanoke County (Cave Spring, Hidden Valley school districts) would be best. Both have great schools, slightly pricey homes but definately in your price range. You can definately get a good spread of land in Roanoke County and still be near tons of good restaurants.
Some people in Salem can be slightly stuck up...they love their city a little too much, but it is a good place to raise kids.
Let me know if you have any more questions.

[mom2tbd]

Just wanted to thank you guys for the great information. I'm going to check these places out, we'll be visiting the area in about a week. We'll have a lot to do!!!

[lvmybxr]

Go see the Roanoke star while you are there, you cant miss it when you are driving down 220. Its free, and its a beautiful view of Roanoke city. It will be nice little break. The star is located on Mill Mountain, but there are signs to get you there.

Also, there is zoo by the star but it is very small, and in my opinion not worth the money. Although, Given you have very small children, they might enjoy it.

[Finally Here 2010]

We moved here from Chesapeake (I retired from the DOD). The wife and I grew up in NY. We moved to a neighborhood called Virginia Ridge, It is about 5 minutes outside of Vinton in Bedford County, hence low property taxes, and about 15 minutes to Roanoke (close enough to the city). Most of the folks here are from NY and NJ. The lots range from 1-2 acres and new houses are in the 280 - 400K range. I would also like to add that we are 1.5 miles to a public boat ramp and a marina that rents boats on Smith Mountain Lake, and just minutes fom the Blue Ridge parkway.
Good luck with your search.

[roanoker 4]

Sounds like an ideal location!